What Does a Website Cost in Switzerland? 2026 Prices
Honest 2026 price ranges for a Swiss website, from a simple landing page to a custom web app, including the yearly costs that follow the launch.
What does a website cost in Switzerland? The honest range runs from about CHF 700 for a simple landing page to more than CHF 15,000 for a fully custom company site from an agency. A typical SME with five to ten pages lands between CHF 1,800 and CHF 8,000. This guide shows what drives the price, which running costs follow, and where you can save without cutting the parts that bring enquiries.
The figures come from my work as a web developer in Basel and from quotes clients show me for comparison. They are guide prices, not fixed offers.
What does a website cost? Prices at a glance
| Kind of website | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page (1 page) | CHF 600 to 2,500 | CHF 2,000 to 6,000 |
| SME website (5–10 pages) | CHF 1,800 to 6,000 | CHF 5,000 to 15,000 |
| Online shop | CHF 4,000 to 15,000 | CHF 10,000 to 40,000 |
| Custom web app | from CHF 4,000 | from CHF 15,000 |
The wide gaps come mostly from the hourly rate. Swiss agencies often charge CHF 120 to 180 per hour. Freelancers are more often in the CHF 80 to 140 range. My own rate is CHF 45 per hour, because I work alone and do not add an agency markup. On top of that: how much of the concept, design and copy is actually made from scratch, and how many people are on the project.
The seven biggest cost drivers
- Number of pages and content. Every extra page needs structure, copy, images and later care. A lean site with five strong pages often brings more enquiries than twenty half-empty ones.
- Custom design or a template. A design built from nothing costs several times a carefully adapted theme. Most SMEs are well served by a professional theme with their own colours, type and real photos.
- Copy and photos. Supplying your own text saves a lot. Professional copy often costs about CHF 100 to 300 per page. A photo shoot starts around CHF 500.
- Extra languages. Common in Switzerland. Each additional language adds work and translation cost. Plan on 30 to 60 percent more effort per language.
- Features. Online booking, a member area, a configurator or a shop push the price up. Many of these can be done with proven plugins. Others need custom development.
- SEO and visibility. A technically clean base belongs on every site. Keyword research, local optimisation and a Google Business Profile are a separate line item. They pay off, because a site with no visitors brings no enquiries.
- Legal and privacy. An imprint, a privacy notice that matches the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection, and a privacy-friendly way to embed maps, video and fonts belong on every Swiss site.
Running costs after launch
A website is not a one-off purchase. These items come back every year:
- Domain: A .ch domain costs about CHF 10 to 25 per year, depending on the registrar. Who owns a domain can be checked at the Swiss registry SWITCH.
- Hosting: For an SME site, plan on CHF 5 to 40 per month. Hosting in Switzerland costs a bit more. For many customers it is also a trust signal.
- Licences: Premium themes and plugins for page builders, forms or SEO often add up to CHF 50 to 300 per year.
- Maintenance: Updates, backups and security monitoring typically cost CHF 50 to 250 per month on a care plan.
Do not underestimate maintenance. Outdated WordPress installs are one of the most common ways in for an attack, and cleaning a hacked site quickly costs more than several years of care.
A worked example: an SME site for a trade business in Basel
A painting company wants a new site with a homepage, three service pages, references, an about page and contact. That is seven pages in German, with a contact form and local search setup. The company supplies the copy and the photos.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Concept, structure and design on a theme | CHF 700 |
| Seven pages built in WordPress | CHF 1,450 |
| Contact form with spam protection | included in the page price |
| Local SEO setup, including Google Business Profile | CHF 890 |
| One-off total | CHF 3,040 |
| Optional: care and an SEO report | from CHF 149 per month, hosting and domain extra |
The package on this site for up to 5 pages starts at CHF 1,890. Seven pages, as in this example, cost more.
The local SEO setup in this example is for WordPress. For another CMS or custom code, the price is on request.
At an agency, the same project would typically land between CHF 6,000 and CHF 10,000, mostly because of the higher hourly rate and extra hours for project management and coordination.
How to save without saving in the wrong place
- Prepare the content. Copy, logo and photos ready before kickoff means fewer revision loops.
- Start small. Five strong pages at launch, then grow the site on purpose.
- Use proven building blocks. A good theme and established plugins, instead of custom code for standard features.
- Do not save on the foundation. Load time, mobile layout, security and basic SEO decide whether the site brings enquiries.
- Agree a fixed price. When the scope is clear, a fixed price protects you from surprises.
Website builder, freelancer or agency?
Builders such as Wix or Squarespace are cheap to start, often about CHF 15 to 40 per month. Your own time is not free, and SEO, load time and privacy hit limits quickly. Agencies make sense for large projects with strategy, branding and many people involved. Freelancers are the better middle path for most SMEs: direct contact, lower cost, and still a professional result.
My own prices are listed in the open: landing pages from CHF 690, SME websites from CHF 1,890, and time-based work at CHF 45 per hour.
Conclusion
So what does a website cost in the end? For most SMEs in Switzerland, a one-off budget of CHF 2,000 to 6,000 plus CHF 300 to 2,000 per year is a realistic way to get a professional, fast site that can be found. The lowest price is not the point. The point is whether the site brings enquiries.
Want a concrete figure for your own site? Send me a short description. You get a first estimate within 4 business hours.
Frequently asked questions
What does a simple SME website cost?
For a simple, professional site with five to seven pages, plan on CHF 1,800 to 4,000 with a freelancer and CHF 5,000 to 10,000 with an agency. Domain, hosting and maintenance come on top.
What does a website cost to run each year?
Without a care plan, about CHF 150 to 600 per year for the domain, hosting and licences. Professional maintenance adds about CHF 600 to 3,000 per year.
How long does it take to build a website?
A landing page is often online in one to two weeks. An SME site usually takes three to six weeks. Content is almost always the biggest delay.
Is WordPress worth it?
For most SMEs, yes. WordPress is widely used and flexible, and you are not locked to one vendor. Regular updates and a small plugin list matter more than the platform itself.
Are these prices including VAT?
It depends on the provider, so ask on every quote. Businesses with annual turnover under CHF 100,000 are not liable for Swiss VAT and therefore do not charge it.