What a website actually costs
Why quotes for the same website differ several times over, which factors drive the price, and what to ask before comparing proposals.
By Kiril Kirilov, CEO of Intellion Agency
This is the first question we get, and the only one with no short honest answer. Search for what a website costs and you will find figures that differ a hundredfold — and all of them are true, because they describe different things.
It is more useful to understand what drives the price. Then you can judge whether a quote is expensive, or simply includes things another quote leaves out.
What actually drives the price
Number of unique templates, not number of pages
A site with eighty product pages can cost less than one with eight pages, if the eighty share a template and the eight are eight different designs. When you get a quote, ask how many unique templates it covers — that is the real unit of work.
Whether the content is ready
This is the most underestimated factor. If copy and photography are ready, the project moves. If copy must be written, photos taken and information structured that currently exists only in the owner’s head, that is separate work with its own timeline and cost. A great many projects stall precisely here.
Functionality beyond presentation
A site that presents services and a site where people log in, pay, book a slot or track an order are different in kind. Each such feature brings development, testing and ongoing maintenance with it.
Integrations with other systems
Connecting to accounting software, inventory, a CRM or a courier is rarely trivial. The cost depends on how well the other system is documented — which often only becomes clear once work has started.
What a low quote usually excludes
When two quotes for the same project differ substantially, the difference is almost never "design quality". It is scope. Here is what the lower one most often leaves out:
- Technical search-engine preparation — titles, meta descriptions, structured data, sitemap. Added after launch, they cost more.
- Redirects from old URLs on a redesign. Skipped, they cost you positions you had already earned.
- Speed optimisation. A site that looks fine on desktop can load unacceptably slowly on a phone over mobile data.
- Analytics and conversion tracking. Without them there is no way to tell whether the site works.
- Training to edit content yourself — otherwise every text change is a new invoice.
- Testing on real devices and browsers, not only on the developer’s screen.
What to ask before comparing
- How many unique templates does the price cover, and what does each extra one cost?
- Who writes the copy and who provides the photography?
- Is technical SEO preparation included, and what specifically does that mean here?
- Will I be able to edit content myself, and is training included?
- Who owns the site, the domain and the hosting after handover?
- On a redesign, what happens to the old URLs?
- What does post-launch support cover and what is billed separately?
A quote that does not say what is excluded is not cheaper — the difference simply arrives later.
One question worth more than the price
Ask the supplier what they think the site should achieve and how you will know whether it does. If the answer is about page counts and deadlines rather than enquiries, calls or orders, you will probably get a handsome site that delivers nothing. That is the more expensive mistake than choosing the higher quote.
What published market ranges say
Numbers help when it is clear where they come from. According to Ascend.bg (23 July 2026), the price of a website in Bulgaria by type is: self-built on Wix or a template EUR 150–400, a template-based business card site EUR 400–1,200, a corporate site with custom design, 5–15 pages and several languages EUR 1,500–4,500, an online store EUR 4,000–9,000 and a web application from EUR 15,000 upwards. These are one agency’s ranges, not INTELLION prices.
Agma Studio (published 3 June 2025) gives different figures, in leva: blog 500–1,000 BGN, portfolio or business card 800–1,500 BGN, corporate site 1,500–3,000 BGN, online store 2,000–6,000 BGN, custom project 5,000–20,000+ BGN. The two sources differ in date and currency, so do not mix them — compare by site type.
One figure from Ascend.bg explains much of the difference we discussed above: custom design for a typical corporate site takes about 20–40 designer hours, while adjusting a template takes 2–4 hours. And copywriting and loading content are often another 20–40 hours that quotes exclude.
After launch there are also ongoing costs: per Ascend.bg a domain EUR 10–30 a year, hosting EUR 5–50 a month and maintenance with security EUR 50–200 a month. Ask which of them are included in the quote.
If you are comparing several quotes from suppliers in the capital, also read how to compare web design quotes in Sofia, and if you are torn between a website and a store — a website or an online store. It is the same with real projects: Premium Auto is a service-centre site and Lucciarelli is an online store — the two cases have quite different cost structures.
How to use these numbers in a conversation with a supplier
Published ranges are not a ceiling or a floor but a way to start the conversation. When a supplier gives a quote, ask which type of site in the table it corresponds to in their view and what makes your case simpler or more complex than the typical one.
- If the quote is below the range for your type, ask what is excluded — often it is the copy, the technical preparation or the maintenance.
- If it is above the range, ask what extra it includes — multilingual support, integrations, custom features.
- If it is within the range, ask what is inside its limits: how many templates, how many rounds of changes, how many hours of design.
One thing often underestimated is ownership. Ask who owns the site, the domain and the hosting after handover and whether you will receive the code and access. This does not change the price of the build, but it changes what it costs you to switch suppliers later.
Finally, remember that the cheapest quote and the most expensive are rarely the right choice. The right one is where the scope is written clearly and you can explain the difference from the others — to yourself and to your colleagues.
- Write down in the quote what is included and what is not, line by line.
- Ask for a schedule with stages and when you need to provide what — copy, photos, access.
- Agree how the work is accepted: what the criteria are for the site being finished.
See how we approach website development and what the process includes →
Frequently asked questions
How much does building a website cost?
It depends on the type. By a published range from Ascend.bg (23 July 2026): a template-based business card site EUR 400–1,200, a corporate site with custom design EUR 1,500–4,500, an online store EUR 4,000–9,000. Agma Studio (3 June 2025) gives, in leva, 1,500–3,000 BGN for a corporate site. These are not INTELLION prices.
Why are two quotes for the same website so different?
Most often the difference is in scope, not quality: the number of unique templates, who writes the copy, whether technical search preparation, redirects from old addresses, training and maintenance are included. Compare line by line, not by total.
What is usually left out of a low quote?
Technical search-engine preparation, redirects on a redesign, speed optimisation, analytics setup, training for self-editing and testing on real devices. Ask about each explicitly.
What are the ongoing costs after the site launches?
Per Ascend.bg: domain EUR 10–30 a year, hosting EUR 5–50 a month and maintenance with security EUR 50–200 a month. Confirm in the quote which are included and who pays them.
Who owns the site after handover?
It should be you — the site, the domain and the hosting. Ask explicitly before signing and ask for it to be written into the contract.
Sources
- Ascend.bg — What a website costs in Bulgaria in 2026, by type, published 23 July 2026.
- Agma Studio — How much does website development cost?, published 3 June 2025.