This is probably the first question you ask yourself when you consider creating or redesigning your website. And it's normal: the market is opaque, quotes vary from single to tenfold, and no one seems to agree on what a website should really cost.

I am a freelance developer in Toulouse, and I work exclusively with Nuxt 4 and Vercel. In this article, I will be transparent about my own rates, explain what makes the price of a website vary, and give you the keys to understanding what you really pay for.

The 3 main categories of websites (and their prices)

Not all websites are equal, and the price depends first and foremost on the type of project. Here are the three main categories with the price ranges found on the market in 2026.

1. The showcase site (5 to 10 pages)

This is the most common need for an SME, a craftsman or a liberal professional: present your activity, your services, and allow clients to contact you.

What it generally includes:

• 5 to 10 responsive pages (home, services, about, contact, legal notices)
• Technical SEO optimization (tags, sitemap, performance)
• A CMS to edit your content autonomously
• Hosting and going live

Market range: €500 to €5,000 depending on the service provider.

With me, a complete showcase site starts at €500 excl. VAT, Vercel hosting included. The price remains contained because I rely on proven components (Nuxt UI) and an optimized stack that allows me to deliver quickly without sacrificing quality.

2. The e-commerce site

As soon as there is a product catalog and online payment, the complexity increases. You have to manage the basket, the purchase funnel, stocks, email confirmations, and compliance with payment rules (3D Secure, GDPR).

What it generally includes:

• Product catalog with SEO per sheet
• Secure Stripe payment (CB, Apple Pay)
• Basket and checkout funnel
• Stock management
• Sales Analytics

Market range: €800 to €15,000 depending on the service provider.

My starting price is €800 excl. VAT. I build light and fast shops with Nuxt 4 and Stripe, without the heaviness of a WooCommerce or a Prestashop which slow down the site over time.

3. The SaaS / business application

This is a whole other project: a software tool accessible online, with authentication, database, subscription management and often an administration dashboard.

What it generally includes:

• Multi-tenant architecture
• Database (Supabase)
• Subscriptions and recurring payments (Stripe)
• Authentication system
• Administration Dashboard

Market range: €1,200 to €50,000+ depending on the complexity.

My starting price is €1,200 excl. VAT. This is an entry point for a functional MVP. More ambitious SaaS projects require a personalized quote because the functional scope varies enormously.

Freelance vs agency: where does your money really go?

This is a legitimate question. Here is an honest comparison.

An agency charges more partly because of its structure: premises, salaries, salespeople, project managers. This is not necessarily synonymous with better technical quality. As a freelance, you talk directly to the person coding your site.

Where the agency has an advantage is on very large projects requiring several profiles simultaneously (designer, developer, copywriter). For a medium-sized showcase site or e-commerce, a specialized freelance is often the best value for money.

What makes the price vary

Two showcase sites can go from single to triple. Here are the concrete factors that influence the quote.

The design

• Adapted template: cheaper, delivered faster, but less unique
• Custom design: more expensive, but your visual identity is respected 100%

The number of pages and functionalities

Each additional page, each complex form, each third-party integration (booking, interactive map, member area) adds development time.

Performance and SEO

A site "that works" and a site optimized for a Lighthouse score of 100/100 do not require the same work. Fine optimization of images, server cache and JavaScript loading takes time, but that's what makes the difference on Google.

Editing autonomy

Being able to edit your content yourself (via a visual CMS like Nuxt Studio) reduces your future dependence, but requires a more careful initial setup.

Hosting and maintenance

A site needs reliable hosting and regular updates. I host all my projects on Vercel, which reduces hosting costs to almost zero. Maintenance (updates, monitoring, support) is offered at 30€/month.

Hidden costs to anticipate

Beyond the initial quote, remember to budget:

• The domain name: 10 to 30€/year
• Professional emails: ~5€/month/mailbox (Google Workspace, Infomaniak…)
• Maintenance: 20 to 50€/month depending on the service provider
• Content: writing texts, photo shooting, if you do not provide them yourself
• SSL: free with Vercel, but some hosts still charge for it

How I work

To be concrete, here is the typical process of a project with me:

1. Free quote within 24h — You explain your needs to me, I send you a detailed quote
2. 50% deposit — The project starts after secure payment via Stripe
3. Development — 14 days for a showcase site, 21 days for an e-commerce
4. Delivery + training — You receive your site + a CMS access to edit it autonomously
5. Support 30 days included — Questions, adjustments, post-delivery support

To find out more about the technical choices behind this approach, I explain in detail why I chose Nuxt 4 and Vercel for all my projects.

Do you have a project in mind and want an accurate estimate?
Send me a message with your needs, I will get back to you within 24 hours with a detailed, no-obligation quote.
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