This is not a price list. Prices depend on your project, your provider and the market, and any figure published without those details would mislead you. What this guide offers instead is an explanation of what makes a quote go up or down, so you can compare quotes sensibly.
Why quotes for the "same" project differ
Two providers can quote very different amounts because they are not quoting the same thing. They may assume different numbers of pages or screens, different amounts of testing, different levels of support, or different things you will supply yourself. A low quote may leave out work that a high quote includes. Compare what is covered before you compare totals.
The main factors
| Factor | Why it matters | A question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | More things to do means more to design, build and test. | Which features are in the first version, and which are not? |
| Content | Writing, photography and organising material takes time, whoever does it. | Who writes and supplies the content, and by when? |
| Design | A distinctive design needs more work than a standard layout. | Is the design based on a template or created from scratch? |
| User roles | Each kind of user needs rules about what they can see and do. | How many kinds of user will there be? |
| Integrations | Connecting to other systems involves their rules, limits and failures. | Which systems must it connect to, and do they offer a supported way to do so? |
| Data migration | Moving existing records means cleaning, mapping and checking them. | What data exists today, in what shape, and who checks it after the move? |
| Testing and quality | Checking the unhappy paths takes effort, and skipping it moves the cost to later. | How will it be tested and on what devices? |
| Security and privacy | Handling personal or payment information needs more care. | What sensitive information will it hold? |
| Hosting and running costs | Services have ongoing fees that continue after launch. | What are the monthly or yearly costs, and in whose name are the accounts? |
| Maintenance | Software needs updating and looking after. See what happens after launch. | Who looks after it, and what does that cost? |
| Changes along the way | New ideas mid-project take time and can disturb what is already built. | How are changes handled and priced? |
Fixed price or time-based
A fixed price gives certainty about the total when the scope is clearly defined, but changes will be quoted separately. Time-based pricing, where you pay for the time spent, suits work where the scope will change, but you need good reporting and a budget limit. Neither is better in general. A vague scope is risky under both, which is why scoping a first version comes first.
A worksheet for comparing quotes
Copy this and fill one in for each quote. Where a quote does not say, write "not stated" and ask.
QUOTE COMPARISON (one per provider) Provider: Date of quote: What is included Pages or screens: Features: Content they will write or supply: Design (template or custom): Integrations: Data migration: Testing (what, on which devices): Training or handover: What I must supply Content, images, accounts, decisions, by when: Costs Build total or rate and estimate: Hosting, domain, subscriptions (yearly): Maintenance (yearly), and what it covers: What counts as a change, and how it is priced: After the work What I own at the end: Who looks after it: What happens if the provider is unavailable: Questions I still have:
A total-cost checklist
The build is only part of what you will spend. Include each of these when you compare options, including the "free" or cheap ones.
- The build or setup.
- Your own time, for supplying content, testing and decisions.
- Domain name and hosting, each year.
- Subscriptions and licences for tools the site or app depends on.
- Maintenance, updates and support after launch.
- Changes you will want within the first year.
- Training for the people who will use it.
- The cost of leaving later, such as exporting data or moving to another platform.
Before you ask for quotes
- Write a brief so every provider quotes the same thing.
- List what you will supply yourself, and be honest about when.
- Ask each provider the same questions from the table.
- Decide in advance what the first version leaves out.
When quotes differ and you cannot see why
Ask for advice when quotes differ widely and you cannot see why, when the project involves other systems or sensitive data, or when you are not sure what to include in a first version. A short review can explain what is driving a quote and where it could be smaller. To see how the options for who builds it compare, read DIY, freelancer, studio or agency.