BYN Guide · Website Design
“How much is a website?” is the question we hear most at Build Your Name. The honest answer is that it depends on what the website must do for your business: inform, generate enquiries, take bookings or sell online. This guide breaks down real 2026 prices in Kenya, what you get at each level, the yearly costs nobody mentions, and how to work out what a website is worth to you.
At a glance
9 min read
Focus: website cost Kenya
Kenya, East Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Related: Website Design
The quick answer: 2026 website price ranges in Kenya
Prices in the Kenyan market vary widely because “a website” can mean a one-page template or a custom online store. These are the typical ranges we see across Nairobi in 2026, from DIY builders to agencies.
| Option | Typical cost | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | From about USD 17 a month | Template site you build yourself. Monthly fee in dollars for as long as the site is live. You do not own the files. |
| Freelancer template | KSh 15,000 to 50,000 | A theme with your logo and text. Often no SEO, no tracking and little support after launch. |
| Professional agency site | KSh 75,000 to 250,000 | Planned structure, mobile-first design, lead forms, WhatsApp, basic or advanced SEO, analytics and support. |
| eCommerce store | KSh 90,000 to 400,000 | Product catalogue, M-Pesa and card payments, stock and order management. |
| Custom web application | KSh 500,000 and up | Portals, booking engines and dashboards built around your processes. |
BYN tipThe cheapest option on day one is rarely the cheapest over three years. Compare the total cost of ownership and how many enquiries each option can realistically bring in.
BYN 2026 website packages (one-off)
These are our published prices on the website design page. Every package is built on WordPress, so you own the site and can move it at any time.
| Package | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic WordPress | KSh 75,000 | Small businesses and startups: up to 18 pages, basic SEO, social integration, lead forms, within 30 working days |
| Premium WordPress | KSh 150,000 | Competitive businesses: up to 30 pages, domain and hosting, enhanced SEO, eCommerce capability, 1 month support |
| Elite WordPress | KSh 215,000 | Larger organisations: up to 60 pages, advanced SEO, AI chatbot integration, unlimited landing pages, 5 months support |
| eCommerce Basic | KSh 90,000 | New online stores: up to 15 pages and 70 products, WooCommerce, analytics and Facebook Pixel |
| eCommerce Premium | KSh 215,000 | Growing stores: up to 25 pages and 600 products, advanced integrations, optional payment gateway |
If you also need a logo, brand identity and social media set-up, the Brand Builder Bundle combines branding and website development in one package.
What actually drives the price
Two websites can look similar and still differ in price by KSh 100,000. These are the six things that move the number, and roughly how much each one adds.
| Cost driver | Why it matters | Price impact |
|---|---|---|
| Number of pages | Each service, location or product category page needs its own design, copy and SEO. | Medium |
| Content writing | Good copy is what turns a visitor into an enquiry. Writing 15 pages from scratch takes time. | Medium to high |
| Features | Booking, quote calculators, member areas, multilingual pages and chatbots each add build and testing time. | High |
| eCommerce | Product uploads, M-Pesa and card gateways, shipping rules and stock management. | High |
| SEO and speed | Keyword research, schema, image compression and caching so the site ranks and loads fast on mobile data. | Medium |
| Support after launch | Updates, backups, security monitoring and small edits. | Low to medium per month |
The costs people forget: year one to year three
The build is a once-off cost, but a website has running costs every year. Below is an illustrative three-year budget for a small business on a Basic WordPress site. Your figures will vary with the host and the plugins you need.
| Item | Year 1 | Years 2 and 3 (each) |
|---|---|---|
| Website build (Basic WordPress) | KSh 75,000 | None |
| Domain (.co.ke or .com) | KSh 1,500 to 3,000 | KSh 1,500 to 3,000 |
| Quality hosting with SSL and backups | KSh 8,000 to 25,000 | KSh 8,000 to 25,000 |
| Maintenance and security updates | KSh 6,000 to 30,000 | KSh 6,000 to 30,000 |
| Premium plugin or theme licences | KSh 0 to 10,000 | KSh 0 to 10,000 |
DIY builder, paid plan≈ 85K
Freelancer template + cheap hosting≈ 50K
BYN Basic WordPress≈ 170K
BYN Premium WordPress≈ 230K
Mid-range estimates of build plus three years of domain, hosting and maintenance. DIY assumes an entry paid plan of about USD 17 a month plus a domain. The cheaper options usually exclude SEO, tracking and support.Watch outHosting is where cheap websites lose clients. 71.3% of Kenyan online shoppers use a smartphone, according to the Communications Authority survey reported by ITWeb Africa. A slow host on mobile data means visitors leave before your page appears.
Cheap vs. right: work out what the website is worth
A KSh 20,000 website can look fine and still load slowly, rank nowhere and capture no leads. A better question than “how much does it cost?” is “how many new clients does it need to bring in to pay for itself?” Use the average value of one new client to find your break-even point.
| Average value of one new client | Clients needed to repay KSh 75,000 | Clients needed to repay KSh 150,000 |
|---|---|---|
| KSh 5,000 (salon, small retail) | 15 | 30 |
| KSh 15,000 (clinic, training, repairs) | 5 | 10 |
| KSh 50,000 (consulting, events, B2B) | 2 | 3 |
| KSh 250,000 (construction, property, corporate) | 1 | 1 |
Worked exampleSay a Nairobi interior design firm earns about KSh 120,000 per project. If its new website brings in one extra project every quarter, a KSh 150,000 Premium site pays for itself in under six months and earns roughly KSh 330,000 more in year one.
To get those enquiries, people need to find the site. That is why we pair new websites with digital marketing and, for faster results, Google Ads management.
How a website project runs, week by week
- Discovery (week 1): goals, audience, competitors, pages and features. You get a fixed quote and sitemap.
- Content (weeks 1 to 2): service descriptions, prices, photos and testimonials. This is the step that most often delays launch.
- Design (weeks 2 to 3): homepage and key page layouts on mobile and desktop for your approval.
- Build (weeks 3 to 5): pages, forms, WhatsApp button, payments, SEO settings and Google Analytics 4.
- Testing (week 5): speed on 4G, forms, links, browsers and phones.
- Launch and handover (week 6): go live, submit to Google Search Console, train your team and set up backups.
Red flags when hiring a web designer
No written scope. If the quote does not list pages, features and revisions, extra costs will appear later.
The designer keeps the domain. The domain and hosting should be in your business name, with your login.
No portfolio of live sites. Ask for links you can open on your phone and check their speed.
“SEO included” with no detail. Ask what exactly: keyword research, meta titles, schema, Google Business Profile?
No analytics. Without GA4 and form tracking you will never know if the site works.
No support plan. WordPress needs updates. An unpatched site is the most common way small business sites get hacked.
What every 2026 website should include
A clear headline and a short enquiry form in the first screen.
A one-tap WhatsApp button on every page.
Prices or “from” prices in KSh, so visitors can qualify themselves.
Pages that load in under 3 seconds on 4G. Google’s research found 53% of mobile visits are abandoned when a page takes longer than 3 seconds (Think with Google).
Google Analytics 4 and lead tracking from day one.
Structured data (FAQ and LocalBusiness schema), so Google and AI search tools can understand and quote you.
Real photos of your team, premises and work.
Reviews and client logos close to every call to action.
Explore related BYN services
Website design packagesBasic, Premium, Elite and eCommerce WordPress sites with fixed prices.Explore →Brand Builder BundleLogo, brand identity and website together, from KSh 55,000.Explore →Digital marketing servicesSEO, social media and content that send people to your new site.Explore →Google Ads managementGet enquiries in days with location-targeted search ads.Explore →
Frequently asked questions
Q1How much does a basic business website cost in Kenya?
Across the Nairobi market, a professionally built small-business website usually costs between KSh 40,000 and KSh 120,000. BYN’s Basic WordPress website is KSh 75,000 once-off, with up to 18 pages, lead forms and basic SEO, delivered within 30 working days.
Q2How much does an online shop cost in Kenya?
A WooCommerce store with M-Pesa and card payments typically costs KSh 90,000 to KSh 250,000, depending on the number of products and integrations. BYN eCommerce Basic starts at KSh 90,000 for up to 70 products; eCommerce Premium is KSh 215,000 for up to 600 products.
Q3What are the yearly costs after the website is built?
Plan for the domain renewal, hosting, an SSL certificate (often free with good hosting), maintenance and security updates, and any premium plugin licences. For a typical small-business WordPress site that is roughly KSh 15,000 to KSh 60,000 a year, before marketing.
Q4Is WordPress or Wix better for a Kenyan business?
Wix and Squarespace are quick to start, but you pay a monthly subscription in dollars forever and you never own the site files. WordPress has a higher once-off cost, but you own it, you can move hosts, and it is easier to rank on Google and integrate M-Pesa. For most businesses that plan to grow, WordPress wins over three years.
Q5How long does it take to build a website?
A 5 to 18 page business website takes 3 to 6 weeks when the content is ready. The most common delay is the client’s content: photos, service descriptions and prices. eCommerce sites take 6 to 10 weeks because each product needs photos, prices and descriptions.
Q6Can I accept M-Pesa on my website?
Yes. An eCommerce site can take M-Pesa (STK push), Airtel Money and cards through a Kenyan payment gateway. Gateway fees are charged per transaction by the provider, so ask about them during scoping.
Get a fixed website quote
Book a free 15-minute growth audit. We will look at your website, Google profile and social pages and show you three things to fix first. Chat with BYN on WhatsApp, call +254 725 242 203, or see the website design packages.
