Why “from $X” isn't a lie, but isn't an answer either
The price of a website isn't a product price tag, it's a quote for work. “From $380” usually means a template on a site builder with a stock design. “From $19,000” means unique development built for your problem from scratch. Both are “a website”, but they're different products with different outcomes.
That's why an honest contractor gives a range and fixes the quote after a short brief — once it's clear what you're building and why.
Realistic ranges by type (Moscow, 2026)
Benchmarks for bespoke turnkey development, not a template on a site builder:
- Corporate site — from $9,400. Structure that follows the customer's path, responsive layout, forms compliant with the personal data law.
- Online store — from $12,500. Cart, payment in rubles, integration with your accounting system and warehouse.
- Web service or customer account — from $19,000. Roles, permissions, integrations, load.
- A landing page plus a form is cheaper done freelance. If that's genuinely all you need, an honest contractor will say so.
What makes up the quote
The price isn't “design plus build”. A proper quote covers:
- Design work: structure, scenarios, a prototype — before the first screen is drawn.
- Visual design and responsive layouts for mobile (where more than half of traffic now sits).
- Development, integrations (payments, CRM, accounting) and testing.
- Launch, migration to hosting, basic analytics and support after release.
Where overpaying starts
Overpaying isn't a high price, it's paying for the wrong thing. The signs: a quote with no breakdown (“website — $11,500” on one line), hourly billing with no ceiling, design chasing a “wow” with no conversion goal behind it.
We work to a fixed quote: we size the scope at the start and hold the price. Hourly billing shifts the estimation risk onto the client, and we think that's the wrong way round.
How not to pick the wrong contractor
Three questions that save budget and nerves:
- Who owns the code after delivery? (The right answer is you, from the first commit.)
- Is the quote fixed, or “approximately”?
- What happens with support and handover — is it in the scope, or “we'll discuss it later”?