How much does a website cost in Melbourne? 2026 guide.

What is the short answer?

It depends on who builds it and what is included. Melbourne agencies’ 2026 guides put a 5-page site at A$2,500–5,000 (source). A DIY builder costs less upfront but more of your time, and fixed-price studios sit between the two. Our own packages are A$490 to A$2,280.

The rest of this guide explains each option honestly, including when a cheaper route is the right one, what you keep paying after launch, and the questions that separate a good quote from a vague one.

What does a DIY website builder cost?

Website builders charge a monthly subscription. At October 2026, Squarespace’s Australian prices start at A$24 a month on monthly billing, or A$204 a year paid annually, for its Basic plan, and its Core plan is A$39 a month or A$336 a year. The real cost is your time: choosing a template, writing every page, sourcing photos and learning the tools.

A builder is a sensible choice if you enjoy design, have time and need a simple presence. It is less suited if you want a site that looks clearly better than your competitors, or if your time is worth more on the tools or with customers. You also keep paying the subscription for as long as the site stays live on that platform.

What do freelancers charge?

Freelance prices vary more than any other option, from very cheap offers on marketplaces to experienced designers charging studio rates. The price alone tells you little. What matters is what is included, who writes the content, and what happens if the freelancer becomes unavailable.

A good freelancer can be excellent value. Before you commit, ask for a written scope, confirm that the domain and site will be in your name, and agree in writing how changes are handled after launch.

What do small studios and agencies charge?

Small studios often sell fixed packages with a set number of pages and a clear timeline. Agencies usually quote per project after a discovery phase and involve more people, such as strategists, designers, developers and project managers. That is why agency quotes for a 5-page site commonly land in the A$2,500–5,000 range quoted above, and can go higher for custom features.

Agencies make sense for complex projects such as large online stores, custom integrations and ongoing campaigns. For most owner-run businesses that need a premium-looking, fast site with a few pages and a strong enquiry path, a fixed-price studio gives a similar finish without paying for a larger team.

What are the ongoing costs after launch?

Every website has small ongoing costs: a domain name, hosting, and optionally a care plan for updates and checks. For example, a .com.au domain at VentraIP is A$22.95 a year at its standard price (A$9.95 for the first year at its October 2026 offer).

• Domain: renewed yearly, and always registered in your name.
• Hosting: a fast static site can run on hosting such as Cloudflare Pages, which you can start using for free. Builders include hosting in their subscription.
• Email: a business email address on your domain is usually a separate small monthly cost from your email provider.
• Care plan (optional): ours starts from A$149 a month for content updates of up to 1 hour a month, backups, uptime and form checks, and a monthly report, with no lock-in.
• Local SEO (optional): our Local Foundation set-up is A$390, then A$149 a month.

What drives the price of a website?

Price is driven by the number of pages, who writes the copy, how custom the design is, and the features involved, such as bookings, quote forms, online payments or an online store. Photography, moving content from an old site, SEO set-up and the number of revision rounds also add time.

• Pages and copywriting: five well-written pages take far longer than one page of supplied text.
• Design: a made-to-measure design costs more than adapting a template, and usually looks it.
• Features: booking tools, quote forms with uploads and payment links add set-up and testing time.
• Content and photos: sourcing, editing and placing images and text takes longer than it looks.
• Timeline: a fixed, short timeline needs a clear scope from day one.

How do you compare website quotes?

Put each quote against the same five questions. Who owns the domain and the site? Exactly which pages and features are included? Who writes the content? What will it cost each year after launch? And when are deposits and balances due? A quote that answers all five in writing is easier to trust than a lower number that leaves them open.

What do Lux Studio Co’s packages cost?

We publish fixed prices, listed here from the most complete package to the simplest. Prestige A$2,280, Signature A$1,280 (recommended) and Essential A$490. You see a free sample homepage first, pay the fixed deposit to start, and the balance is due once you approve your finished site, before it goes live. You own your site outright, with no lock-in.

• Prestige, A$2,280 (A$745 deposit): a full bespoke site with a booking or quote flow, photography direction and 30 days of care.
• Signature, A$1,280 (recommended; A$445 deposit): up to five pages, custom copywriting and local SEO set-up.
• Essential, A$490 (A$245 deposit): one elegant page, mobile-perfect, enquiry form, Google-ready.

Compare the packages side by side on our homepage pricing, or read how they work for small business websites in Melbourne and web design in Melbourne. For local detail, see web design in Craigieburn and web design in Preston.

Would you like to see what your homepage could look like before you decide? Request your free sample homepage. Available to start and complete now.