ASM 
"How much does a website cost?" is the first question almost every founder asks us, and the honest answer is: it depends on what the website has to do. A one-page introduction site and a full e-commerce store with payments and order tracking are different games, the way a gully match and a Test match are both cricket.
What shouldn't depend on anything is clarity. You should know exactly what you're paying for before you pay. Here's why we feel strongly about that.
The ₹5 lakh lesson
Early on, a real estate company needed a website. We built it for free, in five days, just to have something real on our résumé. Then we found out they had already paid ₹5 lakh for the same website.
The work hadn't felt hard. It hadn't felt slow. The problem was never the technology. It was how technology was being sold.
Big quotes. Vague proposals. Simple things made to sound complicated, so nobody questions the bill. That moment is the reason ASM Labz exists.
2026 website price ranges in India
Here's what the market typically charges, based on Hostinger India's 2026 cost guide (figures exclude GST). Treat them as a range, not a rate card:
| Type of website | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Basic site (1–5 pages) | ₹5,000 – ₹50,000 |
| Small business site (5–15 pages) | ₹10,000 – ₹80,000 |
| Professional business site, custom design | ₹80,000 – ₹1,50,000 |
| E-commerce store | ₹1,50,000 – ₹4,00,000+ |
| Custom / enterprise | ₹2,50,000 – ₹10,00,000+ |
Running costs on top: a domain at roughly ₹500–₹1,500 a year, hosting from about ₹2,000 a year for shared plans to ₹20,000 for a VPS, and maintenance from ₹1,500 to ₹25,000 a year depending on the size of the site. More on that in our website AMC guide.
So yes: ₹5 lakh for a straightforward real estate website sits at the far end of the custom range. It can be justified for a complex build. For what we were shown, it wasn't.
What actually drives website development cost in India
When you strip away the jargon, a website's price comes down to a handful of things:
- Number and type of pages. A one-page site is not a 30-page corporate site with a blog.
- Custom design vs a template. A design made for your brand takes longer than a bought theme, and usually converts better.
- What it has to do. Enquiry forms, WhatsApp buttons, booking, a customer login, payments, a product catalogue, order tracking. Every feature is work.
- Content. Who writes the copy and who shoots the photos? If it's the agency, that's part of the cost.
- Integrations. Connecting a CRM, a payment gateway, a courier or an ERP adds real engineering.
- SEO and speed. A site built to load fast on a phone and rank on Google takes care that a quick template skips.
- After launch. Hosting, domain, security updates and changes. Ask whether website AMC and upkeep is included.
How to read a website quote
A good quote reads like a scorecard: every line has a name and a number. A bad one reads like a riddle. Look for:
| A clear quote has | A red flag looks like |
|---|---|
| A page list and a feature list | "Complete website solution" |
| A breakdown by phase or feature | One big number, no breakdown |
| Timeline with a go-live date | "It's in the pipeline" |
| What happens after launch | Silence after the invoice |
Website vs online store vs customer portal
A business website tells people who you are and gets them to call, WhatsApp or fill a form. Our sites for Mighty Infra and Colour Masters are good examples.
An e-commerce store sells directly: catalogue, cart, payments, orders and delivery. Sana Datar Masale sells Indian spices across India this way.
A portal or business system runs part of your operations, like the accounts ERP we built for SZ Realty. At that point you're in custom software territory, and the price follows the process it has to handle.
Five questions to ask before you pay anyone
- Can you show me the scope in writing before the price?
- Which parts are custom and which are a template?
- Who owns the code, the domain and the hosting account?
- How fast will it load on a phone, and how will you measure it?
- Who answers when something breaks after launch?
What we do differently
We agree the scope with you first, then give a clear quote with a real breakdown. Tech explained in plain words, and you're involved at every step. If you already have a site, start with our 5-point website review to see what's worth fixing before you rebuild.
Tell us what the website has to do. We'll come back with a scope first. Talk to Ali.
Sources
Price ranges are indicative market figures from the sources above, not ASM Labz quotes. Every project is scoped first.