What a website really costs over three years
Most website prices are quoted as a one-time number. Change the inputs below to your own quotes and see the number that actually leaves your bank account by year three.
Your numbers
Three-year total
Your hours, a builder subscription, a domain, and time spent on edits.
Upfront build, hosting or care plan, and paid edits at their hourly rate.
$59 a month, everything included, plus your domain. No upfront cost.
Compared with the agency route, Studio Liftoff comes out
$6,736 lower
See my free preview Or talk it through on a 15-minute callCommon questions
Why calculate three years instead of the upfront price?
Because almost nobody pays only once. A site needs hosting, a domain, security updates, and edits every time your services or prices change. Three years is long enough to show the real number and short enough that most owners still have the same site.
Are these numbers real market prices?
They are typical ranges for the United States small business market, used as defaults you can change. They are not quotes. Your own quotes should replace the defaults for an accurate comparison.
What is not included in a DIY builder cost?
Your time. If you spend twenty hours building the site and two hours a month keeping it current, that is real money even though no invoice shows up. The calculator lets you price your own hours so you can see it.
What does Studio Liftoff include in the monthly price?
Design, build, hosting, security, and unlimited edits. It is $59 a month right now, normally $97, with no upfront cost and no contract. A domain is the only separate cost, typically $15 to $25 a year.
Is a cheap website ever the right call?
Yes, if you genuinely enjoy building it and you have time. A DIY builder plus your own weekend is the cheapest way to get online. The trade is that every future change lands on your desk.
Rather just talk it through?
Grab 15 minutes with Zach. No pitch deck, no pressure, no sales team — just the person who would build your site.