What does a website cost each year?
The one-off build cost versus the yearly costs of domain, hosting, email and maintenance, explained simply.
A website has two kinds of cost: the one-off build, and the running costs every year after. Many quotes only show the first. Here is the full picture.
One-off: the build
Design, development, content setup and launch. With Pixel Maker this is the package price, fixed before work begins.
Every year: the running costs
| Item | What it is | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Your address, like yourbusiness.com | Free in year one with Pixel Maker; then around $10–20 a year (some country endings cost more) |
| Hosting | Where the site lives | $0 for most Pixel Maker sites, which run on Cloudflare’s free plan |
| HTTPS certificate | The padlock in the browser | $0, included with Cloudflare |
| Business email | you@yourbusiness.com | From free to a few dollars per user per month, depending on the provider |
| Maintenance | Updates, backups, small edits | Optional: Care plan from $29 / month, or pay as you go |
Why hosting can be free
Most small business websites don’t need a server running all the time. Pixel Maker builds them as fast static pages served from Cloudflare’s global network, which is free at this scale and very quick for visitors anywhere.
Custom systems with logins and databases are different: they need a server that is always on. Where does a custom system live? explains the options and a monthly budget.
Do you need a maintenance plan?
- Probably not if your content rarely changes. Pay for edits when you need them.
- Probably yes if you update products, prices or projects every month, or want someone checking the site is up.
Red flags in a quote
- A cheap build tied to an expensive yearly “hosting” fee
- The developer owns your domain, or won’t give you access
- No mention of who owns the code after launch
With Pixel Maker you own the domain, the code and the design files. If you ever want to move on, you can take everything with you.