Last January, the owner of a growing logistics company in Prague sat down with us holding three proposals from three different agencies. All three had been briefed on the same project: a corporate website with services pages, a blog, contact forms, and Czech-English bilingual content. The quotes came back at 15,000 CZK, 120,000 CZK, and 480,000 CZK.
He was confused, and honestly, he should have been. The proposals described what looked like the same deliverable at wildly different prices. But they were not the same thing. The cheapest was a WordPress theme with stock content and no SEO setup. The middle one was a custom WordPress build with original design but no performance optimization. The most expensive included a headless CMS architecture, full technical SEO, structured data, and six months of post-launch support.
Three prices, three completely different products wearing the same label. This is the reality of web development pricing in 2026. This post breaks down what actually drives the cost so you can make an informed decision instead of comparing numbers that do not mean the same thing.
Why website costs vary so wildly
Website pricing is not like buying a car where you can compare trim levels on a spec sheet. Every project is a custom combination of three variables: scope, quality, and who builds it.
Scope is the biggest driver. A five-page brochure site and a 200-page e-commerce platform with inventory management are both "websites," but they are fundamentally different projects. The number of unique page templates, interactive features, integrations with external systems, and content volume all multiply the work.
Quality covers everything from UI/UX design depth to code architecture to SEO implementation. A page builder site assembled in a day and a custom-coded site with responsive design, accessibility compliance, and performance optimization are not comparable products, even if they display the same content.
Who builds it matters more than most clients expect. A solo freelancer, a small specialized agency, and a large full-service firm have different overhead structures, team compositions, and quality assurance processes. None of these is inherently better - the right choice depends on the project.
When someone says "I got a quote for 20,000 CZK and another for 200,000 CZK," the first question is always: for what, exactly? Until the scope is defined precisely, comparing prices is meaningless.
Website cost by type - realistic 2026 ranges
These ranges reflect what we see in the Czech market across agencies of similar quality to ours. Freelancer rates are typically 30-50% lower; large agencies in Prague can be 50-100% higher.
Landing page (from 12,000 CZK)
A single-page site focused on one goal: collect leads, promote an event, launch a product. Typically one to three scroll sections, a contact form, and responsive design. Timeline: 1-3 weeks.
At the lower end, this is a template with your content dropped in. At the higher end (25,000-50,000 CZK), it is a custom-designed page with A/B testing capability, analytics integration, and conversion-optimized layout. If you are building a landing page that needs to convert, the design investment pays for itself quickly. See our pricing page for current starting rates.
Corporate website (from 30,000 CZK)
The standard business website: homepage, about, services, blog, contact. Usually 8-20 pages with a content management system so you can update text and images without a developer. Timeline: 4-8 weeks.
The 30,000 CZK starting point gets you a solid WordPress site with a professional theme, basic SEO setup, and mobile responsiveness. Move to 60,000-150,000 CZK and you get custom design, Core Web Vitals optimization, structured data, multilingual support, and proper content strategy. Companies that have outgrown their current site usually land in this range.
E-commerce website
Online stores range from 40,000 CZK for a basic Shopify or WooCommerce setup to 300,000+ CZK for a custom e-commerce platform with inventory management, payment gateway integrations, and advanced product filtering.
The cost drivers are catalog size, payment and shipping integrations, and how much custom functionality you need beyond what Shopify or WooCommerce provides out of the box. A 50-product store with standard checkout is straightforward. A 5,000-product catalog with custom filtering, multiple currencies, and ERP integration is a different project entirely. Design matters here too - the right UI patterns and well-designed product pages directly affect revenue.
MVP / Web application (from 70,000 CZK)
Custom web applications with user authentication, dashboards, data processing, or API integrations. This is where scope variance is most extreme - a simple internal tool might cost 70,000 CZK, while a full SaaS platform can run into millions.
The MVP approach keeps initial costs manageable. Build the core feature set, validate it with real users, then invest in the features that matter. Our MVP development service follows this model - most projects launch in 6-10 weeks at 70,000-200,000 CZK. Scope discipline is what keeps MVP budgets from expanding. Every feature added to version 1.0 costs more than it looks on a requirements list.
If you are considering whether to build a web app or a mobile app, the web app is almost always the cheaper starting point. You can add native mobile later once you have validated the product.
Mobile application (from 120,000 CZK)
Native iOS and Android development roughly doubles the cost of a web application because you are maintaining two codebases. Hybrid frameworks like React Native or Flutter cut that gap significantly - a single codebase for both platforms at roughly 40-60% of the native cost. A Progressive Web App is even cheaper if you do not need deep hardware access.
See our pricing tiers for current starting rates across all project types.
| Project Type | Starting Price (CZK) | Typical Range (CZK) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing Page | 12,000 | 12,000 – 50,000 | 1–3 weeks |
| Corporate Website | 30,000 | 30,000 – 150,000 | 4–8 weeks |
| E-commerce | 40,000 | 40,000 – 300,000+ | 6–12 weeks |
| MVP / Web App | 70,000 | 70,000 – 400,000 | 6–10 weeks |
| Mobile App | 120,000 | 120,000 – 600,000+ | 8–16 weeks |
What actually drives the price up (and down)
Two websites with the same page count can cost 3x different. These are the factors that explain the gap.
Design complexity
A website using an existing template or design system costs a fraction of a fully custom UI/UX design process. Custom design means user research, wireframing, multiple Figma iterations, and prototyping - typically 2-4 weeks of dedicated design work before development starts.
Specific design requirements add cost: dark mode support requires a parallel color system. A custom color palette with accessibility testing takes more time than picking a pre-built scheme. Typography that performs well requires font loading strategy, not just picking a Google Font. Each of these is worth doing for the right project - but each adds to the timeline and budget.
Technical requirements
The technology choice has a direct cost impact. A WordPress site with an off-the-shelf theme is the cheapest starting point. A custom WordPress theme costs more. A headless CMS with a custom frontend built in Nuxt or Next.js costs more still - but delivers significantly better Core Web Vitals performance and more flexibility long-term.
Integrations add up fast. Each connection to an external system (CRM, payment gateway, email marketing, ERP, booking engine) requires development time, testing, and ongoing maintenance. A site with five integrations is not 5x the cost of one with zero, but it can easily be 2x.
Multilingual support is another multiplier. Setting up proper internationalized routing, hreflang tags, and locale-aware content management adds 20-40% to the project depending on the number of languages.
Content and SEO
Many website quotes do not include content creation. If you need professional copywriting, photography, or video, budget separately - quality content easily adds 20,000-80,000 CZK to a project.
SEO setup is where agencies differ the most. A cheap build gives you a site that exists. A proper build includes comprehensive technical SEO: structured data, XML sitemaps with hreflang, optimized meta tags, canonical URLs, and performance tuning. For sites that depend on organic traffic - and most business sites do - skipping this to save 20,000 CZK is a false economy. Voice search optimization and AI search readiness are becoming part of this equation too.
Ongoing maintenance
A website is not a one-time purchase. Hosting, domain renewal, SSL certificates, security updates, content updates, and performance monitoring are ongoing costs. Budget 500-5,000 CZK per month depending on the complexity of the site and how actively you update it.
WordPress sites typically need more maintenance due to plugin updates and security patches. A static or server-rendered Jamstack site has a smaller maintenance footprint. Our project support service handles ongoing maintenance on a monthly retainer so nothing falls through the cracks.
Website cost by industry - what Czech businesses actually pay
Different industries have different requirements, and that changes the budget. Here is what we see in practice across the Czech market.
Restaurants and cafes typically need a simple site with menu, location, hours, and a reservation system. Budget: 15,000-40,000 CZK. The reservation integration is usually the main cost driver.
Medical practices and law firms need professional, trust-building sites with clear service descriptions and often an online booking or consultation form. Budget: 30,000-80,000 CZK. Compliance requirements around data handling can add to the cost.
Real estate agencies need property listing functionality with search and filtering, map integration, and frequently updated content. Budget: 50,000-150,000 CZK depending on whether you use a platform integration or build custom listing management.
Hotels and hospitality businesses need booking engine integration, gallery-heavy design, multilingual content for international guests, and strong local SEO. Budget: 40,000-120,000 CZK.
Tradespeople and craftsmen often do well with a straightforward portfolio site and contact form. Budget: 12,000-35,000 CZK - one of the lower investment categories, but a well-built site pays for itself quickly in lead generation.
Beauty salons and fitness studios need online booking integration, class schedules, and visually appealing design. Budget: 20,000-60,000 CZK.
Accounting firms and educational institutions need content-rich sites that establish expertise. Budget: 25,000-80,000 CZK, with the higher end including a client portal or course management system.
These ranges assume a professional agency build. Freelancer rates are typically 30-50% lower but may not include SEO setup, performance optimization, or post-launch support.
Custom development vs. templates vs. page builders
This is the decision that most affects both cost and long-term value. There are three common approaches, and each has clear trade-offs.
WordPress with a page builder (Elementor, Divi) is the cheapest option: 15,000-50,000 CZK for most sites. It is fast to set up and easy to learn for non-technical editors. The trade-offs: page builders generate bloated HTML and CSS, which hurts Core Web Vitals. Plugin dependencies create maintenance risk. And the proprietary shortcode formats lock your content into that specific builder - migrating away later is expensive.
WordPress with a custom theme improves on the page builder approach: 40,000-120,000 CZK. You get cleaner code, better performance, and design that is actually yours rather than a modified template. Content editors use WordPress as intended - the familiar admin panel - without the page builder overhead. This is a solid middle ground for many business sites.
Custom frontend with a headless CMS (Nuxt, Next.js + Strapi, Contentful, or Sanity) costs more upfront: 80,000-300,000 CZK. But you get full control over performance, design, and user experience. Sub-second load times are achievable. The content team gets a clean editing interface. The codebase is maintainable and future-proof. Ongoing maintenance costs are lower because there is no plugin sprawl.
| Approach | Cost Range (CZK) | Performance | Flexibility | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WP + Page Builder | 15,000 – 50,000 | Often poor | Limited by builder | High (plugins) |
| WP Custom Theme | 40,000 – 120,000 | Good | Moderate | Medium |
| Headless CMS + Custom | 80,000 – 300,000 | Excellent | Full | Low |
We build most projects on Nuxt with headless content management because we can deliver predictable performance and clean architecture from day one. But we have built WordPress projects too, when that was the right fit for the client's budget and team. The technology should serve the business case, not the other way around.
The hidden costs most agencies do not mention
The website build is the number everyone focuses on. These are the costs that often get discovered later.
Domain and hosting: 500-3,000 CZK per year for the domain, plus 200-5,000 CZK per month for hosting depending on the platform. Static sites on Cloudflare or Netlify can be nearly free. WordPress on managed hosting runs 500-2,000 CZK per month. A custom application on a VPS starts around 300 CZK per month.
SSL certificate: Free with Let's Encrypt or Cloudflare, but some hosting providers still charge for it. If you are paying more than zero, ask why.
Email setup: Professional email on your domain (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) runs 100-300 CZK per user per month. Often forgotten in the initial budget.
Content creation: Stock photography subscriptions, professional copywriting, product photography, video production. Quality content is not cheap, but it is the difference between a site that converts and one that sits idle.
SEO setup: If your agency build does not include proper technical SEO, you will pay for it separately - either through an SEO specialist later or through lost organic traffic that you compensate for with paid advertising. Ask explicitly what SEO work is included in the proposal.
The redesign cycle: A cheap website that needs replacing in two years is not cheaper than a well-built one that lasts five. Factor in the total cost of ownership, not just the initial build price. Our maintenance and support service extends the life of your investment through regular updates and optimization.
Technical debt: Shortcuts taken during development (hardcoded content, skipped accessibility, missing responsive design) create costs that show up later as bugs, lost users, or expensive refactoring. The cheapest build is not always the cheapest outcome.
How to evaluate a web agency quote
When comparing proposals, look past the bottom-line number. Here is what a good proposal includes and what the red flags are.
Itemized scope: A credible proposal breaks the work into phases or deliverables with individual cost estimates. "Website - 80,000 CZK" tells you nothing. "Discovery and strategy (10,000 CZK) + Design (25,000 CZK) + Development (35,000 CZK) + SEO setup (10,000 CZK)" tells you what you are paying for.
Timeline with milestones: Not just "6-8 weeks" but specific checkpoints: design review, development preview, content integration, testing, launch. This is how you know if a project is on track.
What is included vs. extra: Content migration, SEO setup, analytics integration, post-launch support - agencies differ on which of these are standard and which are add-ons. Ask explicitly. If you need help defining your project requirements, a solid design brief saves both you and the agency time.
Red flags: No discovery phase (they are guessing at scope). No mention of performance or SEO (they are not thinking about it). Fixed price with vague scope (you will pay for change requests). No post-launch support option (they build and walk away). No references or portfolio (trust but verify).
Want to know more about how we work? Our approach is built on transparent pricing, fixed timelines, and direct communication.
When a redesign costs less than a new build
Not every project needs to start from scratch. If your existing site has decent content, working SEO, and a solid domain history, a redesign that preserves the underlying structure can cost 40-60% of a full rebuild.
The decision depends on what is actually broken. If the design is dated but the content and technical foundation are sound, a frontend refresh on the existing platform makes sense. If the entire tech stack is the problem - slow, unmaintainable, insecure - a rebuild is the more cost-effective path because you would be paying to work around existing limitations.
We covered the decision framework in detail in our post on when your site needs a redesign and when it does not. If you are not sure, start with an audit - the data will tell you which approach saves more money. User testing during a redesign also prevents expensive post-launch changes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build a website for free?
Technically yes - platforms like WordPress.com, Wix, and Squarespace offer free tiers. But free plans come with platform branding, limited functionality, no custom domain, and poor SEO capabilities. For a personal project or experiment, free is fine. For a business that depends on its web presence, free is the most expensive option because of what it costs you in lost credibility and missed opportunities.
How long does a website take to build?
A landing page: 1-3 weeks. A corporate site: 4-8 weeks. An e-commerce store: 6-12 weeks. An MVP web application: 6-10 weeks. These assume the content is ready and decision-making is prompt. Content delays and revision cycles are the main reasons projects take longer than planned.
Freelancer or agency?
Freelancers are cost-effective for straightforward builds with clear scope. Agencies bring broader expertise (design, development, SEO, strategy) and continuity - if one person is unavailable, the project does not stop. For projects above 100,000 CZK or those needing ongoing support, an agency is usually the safer bet.
What is the cheapest option that actually works?
A WordPress site on managed hosting with a quality theme, basic SEO setup, and professional content. Budget 25,000-40,000 CZK for the build plus 500-1,000 CZK per month for hosting and maintenance. This gets you a presentable, functional site that can grow with your business.
Do I need a mobile app or is a website enough?
For most businesses, a well-built responsive website is enough. A mobile app makes sense when you need offline functionality, push notifications, hardware access, or when your users interact with your product daily. Start with the website. Add an app when user behavior data tells you it is needed.
What about ongoing costs after launch?
Plan for hosting (200-5,000 CZK/month), domain renewal (500-2,000 CZK/year), email (100-300 CZK/user/month), and maintenance (1,000-5,000 CZK/month if outsourced). Content updates and marketing are additional. Total ongoing cost for a typical business site: 2,000-10,000 CZK per month. See our pricing page for support package details.
Getting a realistic number for your project
The honest answer to "how much does a website cost" is: it depends on what you need, how well it needs to be built, and how long you want it to last. A 15,000 CZK site and a 150,000 CZK site are not the same product at different markups - they are fundamentally different investments with different returns.
The right budget is the one that matches your business goals. A restaurant opening next month needs a fast, affordable site that gets the basics right. A SaaS company planning to acquire customers through organic search needs a site built for performance and SEO from the ground up. Neither is wrong. Both can be good value.
At Kosmoweb, every project starts with a transparent conversation about scope and budget. We give fixed prices for defined scope, and we tell you honestly when a smaller investment is the right call. If you want to know what your specific project would cost, get in touch - we will give you a realistic number, not a sales pitch. Whether you are a Prague-based business or working with us remotely, the process starts the same way: understanding what you actually need before quoting what it costs.