If you have ever asked for website quotes, you probably got numbers that seemed to come from different planets. A freelancer asks for €400, an agency asks for €6,000, and both say they build “a professional website”. Nobody is necessarily trying to fool you: they are selling different things under the same name.
What you are actually paying for
The price of a website depends on four things, far more than on the number of pages.
1. Template or bespoke design
A template is a ready-made design where text, colours and photos are swapped. It is quick and cheap, but your site will look like hundreds of others and you will adapt your content to the template, not the other way round.
A bespoke design starts with your business: who your customers are, what they need to see to trust you, what action you want them to take. It takes longer and costs more, but it is what separates a website that “exists” from one that brings in enquiries.
2. Who writes and prepares the content
It is the number one cause of delays in any project. Copy, photos, good-quality logos, list of services, portfolio. If you hand everything over ready, the price goes down. If the provider has to write copy, edit images or organise the portfolio, that is work — and it should be in the quote.
3. Features
A corporate website with a contact form is one thing. Adding an online store, bookings, a client area, several languages or invoicing integration is another. Every feature has to be designed, built and tested.
4. What happens after launch
Who updates the website? Who fixes it if the form stops sending emails? Who makes sure there are backups? A low quote with none of this can turn out expensive within a year.
Reference prices
To get your bearings, these are the orders of magnitude we usually see in Portugal:
| Type of website | Usual range (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| Template set up by a freelancer | €300 – €1,000 |
| Landing page with its own design | €600 – €1,500 |
| Bespoke corporate website (5–10 pages) | €1,500 – €5,000 |
| Bespoke online store | €3,000 – €10,000+ |
At Lumbra, a corporate website starts at €1,500 + VAT, and the price is agreed in writing before we start. See the details on our website development page.
The costs that show up later
Before comparing quotes, ask about recurring costs:
- Domain — usually €10 to €20 a year.
- Hosting — from a few euros a month to several dozen, depending on the type of site.
- Licences — paid WordPress themes and plugins are usually yearly.
- Maintenance — updates, backups, small changes.
A WordPress site with several paid plugins can cost more in licences and maintenance over three years than it cost to build. A static site with no plugins has almost no recurring costs beyond hosting. We explain the difference in WordPress or a static website.
Five questions to ask before accepting a quote
- Is the design made for me or is it a template?
- Who prepares the copy and images?
- Do I own the website — code, domain and content?
- How much will I pay per year once the site is live?
- How long will it take, and what do I need to deliver, and when?
If the answers are vague, so is the quote. A good provider answers all of them before asking you for a single euro.
In short
The cheapest website is rarely the most economical. Compare what is included, what you own and how much you will pay in the years that follow — and choose someone who explains all of that plainly.
Want a clear quote for your case? Tell us about your idea.
