Build cost by site type
Brochure
5–8 pages
NZD — build
$3,990 – $8,000
AUD — build
$3,000 – $8,000
·Custom design
·Mobile responsive
·CMS + blog
·Basic SEO setup
·Contact forms
Business
10–20 pages, custom features
NZD — build
$8,000 – $15,000
AUD — build
$8,000 – $15,000
·Advanced design
·Booking / integrations
·Multi-location SEO
·CRM connections
·Analytics setup
eCommerce
WooCommerce / Shopify
NZD — build
$5,000 – $20,000+
AUD — build
$5,500 – $20,000+
·Product catalogues
·Payment gateway
·Shipping integration
·Inventory management
·Customer accounts
Custom / Enterprise
Portals, SaaS, complex builds
NZD — build
$20,000 – $100,000+
AUD — build
$20,000 – $150,000+
·Custom development
·API integrations
·Membership / portals
·Complex automations
·Enterprise support
Build cost by provider type
| Provider type | NZD — brochure | AUD — brochure |
|---|---|---|
|
DIY — Wix / Squarespace
|
$30–60 / mo | $20–50 / mo |
|
Freelancer — junior
|
$1,500–3,500 | $1,500–4,000 |
|
Freelancer — experienced
|
$3,500–8,000 | $3,000–8,000 |
|
Boutique agency
|
$5,000–12,000 | $5,000–15,000 |
|
Mid–large agency
|
$10,000–50,000+ | $10,000–75,000+ |
Note: A junior freelancer at $2,000 who disappears
post-launch often costs more than an agency at $8,000 that includes
a support plan. Ownership, portability, and ongoing support terms
are as important as the build price.
Monthly maintenance plan tiers — 2026
Basic
Care
NZD / month
$90 – $180
AUD / month
$90 – $180
·Core + plugin updates
·Daily backups
·Security scanning
·Uptime monitoring
·Minor edits included
Standard
Business
NZD / month
$180 – $380
AUD / month
$180 – $380
·All Care plan items
·Priority support
·Performance reviews
·Monthly reporting
·Larger edit allowance
Advanced
eCommerce
NZD / month
$380 – $980+
AUD / month
$380 – $980+
·WooCommerce monitoring
·Checkout / payment QA
·Performance tuning
·Higher response SLA
·Staging environment
Ad-hoc maintenance rates
NZ developer — freelancer
Ad-hoc tasks, bug fixes, content updates
NZD / hr
$75–150
AUD / hr
—
AU developer — freelancer
Ad-hoc support, minor development
NZD / hr
—
AUD / hr
$60–150
Agency (both markets)
Agency support rate, outside retainer
NZD / hr
$120–250
AUD / hr
$120–280
One-off health check / audit
Security audit, performance review, SEO audit
NZD flat
$350–1,200
AUD flat
$450–1,500
Key insight: Annual maintenance costs (including
hosting) run 20–30% of the initial build cost. Budget for this
before committing to a build price — ongoing care is not optional
for a professional site.
Ongoing infrastructure costs — annual
| Cost item | NZD / year (approx) | AUD / year (approx) |
|---|---|---|
|
Domain registration (.co.nz / .com.au)
|
$25–65 | $20–50 |
|
Shared / starter hosting
|
$180–720 | $120–600 |
|
Managed WordPress hosting (WP Engine / Kinsta)
|
$700–2,400 | $1,200–2,400+ |
|
SSL certificate
Should be free (Let's Encrypt) — if quoted extra in 2026,
walk away
|
$0 | $0 |
|
Premium plugins (SEO, forms, security)
|
$300–1,500 | $300–1,500 |
|
Business email (Google Workspace / M365)
|
$180–360 / user | $180–360 / user |
Stock photography (if required) |
$0–500+ | $0–500+ |
Total first-year cost estimator
Brochure site
Freelancer build · shared hosting · basic care plan
NZD — year one
$5,500–$11,000
AUD — year one
$5,000–$11,000
Business / custom
Agency build · managed hosting · business care plan
NZD — year one
$12,000–$22,000
AUD — year one
$12,000–$22,000
eCommerce store
WooCommerce or Shopify · advanced care · plugins
NZD — year one
$10,000–$28,000
AUD — year one
$10,000–$28,000
Note: Shopify platform fees (USD $39–$399/mo) apply
on top of any build or maintenance costs. WooCommerce is free
software, but hosting, plugins, and maintenance still apply.
Real agency & provider pricing — 2025–2026
| Provider | Mkt | Site type | Build price | Maintenance | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HornTech | NZ | 5-page brochure | $3,000–$8,000 | Quoted separately | Boutique |
| Fuel Design | NZ | 5–8 page custom | $3,990–$8,000 | $39–99 / mo hosting | Boutique |
| Fuel Design | NZ | eCommerce (2,500 products) | from $4,990 | Quoted separately | eCommerce |
| Alpine Studio | NZ | Custom + managed hosting | $999 setup | $129 / mo all-in | Boutique |
| Kiwi Web Design (AKL) | NZ | Lead-gen WordPress | ~$4,800 | Quoted separately | Boutique |
| Simply WordPress (AU) | AU | 4–6 page brochure | $1,800–$4,000 | Quoted separately | Freelancer |
| Visual Web (AU) | AU | Maintenance — basic care | — | $90–180 / mo | Boutique |
| Visual Web (AU) | AU | Maintenance — eCommerce | — | $380–980 / mo | Advanced |
| Rocking Web / Spark (AU) | AU | Custom WordPress | $5,000–$25,000 | $200–$400 / mo | Mid agency |
Key insight: Subscription-model builds (setup fee +
monthly all-in) are increasingly common in NZ. They reduce upfront
cost but lock you into the provider long-term — always confirm
ownership and portability before signing.