A small business website in New Zealand costs about $460 in the first year if you build it yourself on a platform like Squarespace, and usually $5,000 to $10,000 + GST if a designer builds it for you. After launch you also pay for hosting, the domain and someone to keep the site current, and that's where the options really pull apart.
Below are published prices we checked on 29 October 2026, with links, so you can compare like with like.
What does a website cost in NZ, line by line?
| Item | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| .nz domain name | From $29.50 a year + GST | 1st Domains, a New Zealand registrar |
| Squarespace Core plan | NZ$35.65 a month paid annually (NZ$50.60 month to month) | DIY site builder; prices shown including GST |
| Shopify Basic plan | NZ$59 a month billed yearly ($65 month to month) | For an online shop; payment fees are extra |
| Wix Free plan | $0 | Runs on a Wix web address with Wix branding |
| Mabel build | $5k–$10k + GST, usually | Branding, design, copywriting, SEO plan, build and launch |
| Mabel care plan | $2k a month + GST | Hosting, email, changes, CMS, security and fresh pages |
Sources: 1st Domains: .nz domain prices · Squarespace pricing · Shopify NZ pricing · Wix plans · Inland Revenue: GST
Worked example: the first year, three ways
Doing it yourself on Squarespace Core, paid annually: 12 × $35.65 = $427.80 including GST. Add a .nz domain at $29.50 + GST ($33.93) and the first year comes to about $462. The real cost is your own time: writing every page, choosing photos and keeping it current.
An online shop on Shopify Basic, billed yearly: 12 × $59 = $708, plus the domain, plus payment fees on every sale. Again, you do the building and the writing.
A Mabel build in the middle of our usual range: $7,500 + GST for the build, then the care plan at $2,000 + GST a month. Year one is $31,500 + GST, or $36,225 including GST at 15%. That buys a brand, every page written around the searches your customers make, and never having to touch the website yourself.
Why do website quotes vary so much?
Most of the gap comes from four things: who writes the words, how many pages there are, whether the site sits on a platform you rent or is handed over to you, and what happens after launch. Two quotes can look thousands apart simply because one includes copywriting and ongoing care and the other doesn't.
- Copywriting: a proper page for each service is a real chunk of work, and it's the part that decides whether the site gets found.
- Page count: a five-page brochure site and a site with a page for every service and area you cover are very different jobs.
- Ownership: a rented page builder stops when you stop paying; a site handed over to you doesn't.
- Running costs: hosting, email, security updates and changes are paid for by you, by your designer, or by nobody.
Is DIY or a designer better for a small business?
If you have more time than money and you like writing, a DIY builder gets you online for a few hundred dollars a year. If customers find you through Google and each job is worth a lot, the pages are what win the work, and paying someone to plan and write them usually earns its keep. Either way, compare the total for the first year, not just the build price.
Questions to ask before you sign anything
- Is the price + GST or including GST?
- Is writing the copy included, or do I supply it?
- How many pages, and which ones?
- Who owns the domain, the code and the content?
- What does it cost to run each year after launch?
Just want the running costs? How much does website hosting cost in NZ?
Business in Australia? How much does a website cost in Australia?
Common questions
How much should I pay someone to design a website in NZ?
For a small business site built by a designer, $5,000 to $10,000 + GST is where most of our own projects land. Check whether copywriting, branding and ongoing hosting are included, because those are what make two quotes look very different.
Can I create my own website in New Zealand for free?
Yes. Wix has a free plan, but the site runs on a Wix web address with Wix branding. To use your own .nz domain you need a paid plan and a domain, which starts from $29.50 a year + GST at a New Zealand registrar.
Do website prices in NZ include GST?
Web designers usually quote + GST, so add 15% to compare. Some platforms, like Squarespace, show prices including GST. A $7,500 + GST build is $8,625 including GST.
What does a website cost to run each year?
On a DIY builder, from about $460 a year for a basic plan and a domain. With a designer looking after it, it depends on what's included; our care plan is $2,000 + GST a month and covers hosting, email, changes, security and new pages.
