There is no single price for a website in New Zealand. What you pay depends mostly on who builds it (you, a freelancer or an agency), how many features you need, and what you keep paying for each year. Simple sites built yourself cost little up front, while custom builds and online shops cost much more, so get written quotes that list every one-off and ongoing cost.
This guide explains where the money goes, which costs keep coming back, and how to avoid paying for things you don’t need.
The three main ways to get a website
Do it yourself with a website builder
Website builders and hosted shop platforms charge a monthly or yearly subscription. Hosting, security updates and templates are usually included. This is often the cheapest way to start, but your time is the hidden cost. You write the words, choose the photos and keep it up to date.
Check the platform’s own pricing page before you sign up. Many show prices in US dollars, offer a cheaper rate if you pay yearly, and add transaction fees on sales. For example, when we checked Shopify’s New Zealand pricing page in October 2026, its plans were listed in US dollars, and its Basic plan listed per-transaction card fees on top of the monthly charge. Prices change, so always check the current page.
Hire a freelancer
A freelance web designer usually costs more than DIY and less than an agency. You get a person who does the setup, design and launch for you. Prices vary widely depending on their experience, the number of pages, and whether they write content or take photos. Ask whether the price includes training, so you can make small edits yourself.
Hire an agency
An agency has a team: designers, developers, writers and project managers. That usually means a higher price, more process and more capacity. Agencies suit bigger projects, such as custom booking systems, large online shops or links to other software. For a simple brochure site, an agency may be more than you need.
What drives the price up or down
- Number of pages. More pages means more design and more content to write.
- Custom design vs template. A ready-made template is cheaper than a design built from scratch.
- Content. Who writes the words and supplies photos? Copywriting and photography are often extra.
- Features. Online bookings, quote forms, member areas and integrations with your accounting or CRM software add cost.
- Ecommerce. An online shop needs products loaded, payments, shipping rules and returns information. Bigger catalogues take longer.
- Revisions. Ask how many rounds of changes are included. Extra rounds can add up.
- Search basics. Page titles, descriptions and a sensible page structure should be included. Ongoing SEO work is a separate service.
Not sure what pages you need? Our guide on what to put on a small business website can help you write a tighter brief, which usually means a tighter quote.
Ongoing costs to budget for
Domain name
You rent your domain name each year from a registrar. For .nz names, InternetNZ charges registrars a fixed wholesale fee. From 1 July 2025 that fee is $22.00 NZD a year, excluding GST, up from $18.00. Registrars set their own retail prices on top of this, so prices differ between providers. Our guide to choosing a .nz domain name covers what to pick.
Hosting
Hosting is where your website lives. Website builders include it in the subscription. If a freelancer or agency builds your site on something like WordPress, you will pay for hosting separately, either directly or through them. Ask what level of hosting you are getting, where backups are kept, and who to call if the site goes down.
Business email
An email address on your own domain looks more professional than a free webmail address. It is usually a separate monthly or yearly cost per user. Check whether your quote includes it.
Maintenance and support
Sites need updates, security patches, backups and small content changes. Some designers offer a monthly care plan. Others charge by the hour. Neither is wrong, but you should know which you are signing up for.
Apps, plugins and transaction fees
Paid plugins, shop apps, premium themes and payment processing fees are easy to miss. They often renew yearly or charge per sale. Ask for a list.
A note on GST
GST in New Zealand is 15%. Some quotes include it and some don’t, especially quotes aimed at businesses. A $1,000 quote excluding GST is $1,150 including GST. Overseas platforms may also add tax at checkout. Always check which way a price is shown before you compare quotes.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Is this price including or excluding GST?
- What exactly is included: pages, content, photos, revisions, training?
- What will I pay every year after launch, and to whom?
- Who will be the registered holder of the domain name? (It should be your business.)
- Will I have admin access to the website, hosting and domain?
- Can I move the site to another provider later? Is there a fee?
- How are changes after launch charged?
- What happens if the project runs late?
How to avoid overpaying
- Write a short brief. List the pages, features and goal of the site. Send the same brief to everyone you ask for a quote.
- Get at least two or three written quotes. Compare them line by line, not just the total.
- Start small. A clear five-page site that works well beats a large one you can’t keep up to date. You can add more later.
- Watch the lock-in. Cheap upfront prices sometimes come with long contracts or high monthly fees. Add up the cost over two or three years.
- Don’t pay for features you won’t use. If you don’t have time to blog, you don’t need a complex blog setup.
- Keep ownership in your name. Owning your domain and having admin access makes it far easier to change providers later.
Once your site is live, you can submit it to NZ Webz for a free, human-checked listing.
Key points
- Website costs depend on who builds it, how many features you need and what you pay each year.
- DIY builders are cheapest up front but cost you time. Freelancers and agencies cost more but do the work for you.
- Budget for the domain, hosting, email, maintenance, apps and transaction fees every year.
- The .nz wholesale fee is $22.00 a year excluding GST from 1 July 2025. Registrars add their own margin.
- Check whether every price includes or excludes 15% GST.
- Get written quotes against the same brief and keep the domain in your business’s name.
Sources: InternetNZ – Change to .nz wholesale fee from 1 July; Inland Revenue – Calculating GST; Shopify NZ – Plans and pricing; Domain Name Commission – How to keep your .nz domain name safe.