How much does a business website cost in Australia?

Nobody publishes this, so here it is. Ranges are AUD, 2026, for a real small-business site, not a landing page.

The ranges

Option	Typical cost	Best for
DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace)	$0–$600/yr	Testing an idea
Freelancer, template-based	$1,500–$4,000	Simple brochure site
Studio, custom build	$4,000–$12,000	Service businesses that need leads
Shopify store	$6,000–$20,000	Product brands
Agency retainer build	$20,000+	Multi-team organisations

Ongoing: domain ~$20/yr, hosting $0–$40/mo, Shopify plan from ~$50/mo, optional care plan $100–$400/mo.

What actually drives the price

1. Number of unique page templates, not number of pages
2. Content: do you have copy and photos, or does someone have to write and shoot them?
3. Integrations: CRM, booking, payments, inventory
4. SEO scope: basic on-page vs local pages, schema and a content plan
5. Deadline: rushing costs more, everywhere

Where people waste money

• Paying for a "custom" build that's a bought template with a logo swapped in
• Monthly retainers that only cover hosting
• Rebuilding after two years because nobody planned for editing
• Ads pointed at a site that converts at 0.4%

What to ask before you sign

• Do I own the code, domain and hosting?
• What's the fixed price and fixed date?
• What's included after launch?
• Who writes the copy?
• What happens to my existing rankings? (If they can't answer this, walk.)

I quote one number and one date before anything starts. Start a project, or see the pricing-adjacent detail in Website Development.