A small custom Drupal site, built on the open-source system for running websites, costs $5,000–$25,000 in 2026, according to the cost guide from AddWeb Solution. A small-business Drupal Commerce store costs $20,000–$50,000 depending on modules and integrations.
Use the range to match scope to budget. A simple brochure, blog, and contact site sits near the low end. A catalog with payments, shipping, and accounts sits near the high end.
Table of Contents
- What does a small-business build include?
- What moves you up or down the range?
- Should you hire a freelancer or an agency?
- What will you pay after launch?
What does a small-business build include?
Most small-business projects include design, build, and launch for 5–20 content types. That package costs $15,000–$50,000, according to the overview from ITCompanies Network. Content types are templates like services, team bios, locations, and FAQs.
A five-page brochure site uses fewer types and views. A larger service site with forms, maps, and news uses more. Ask which types and views your quote covers.
What moves you up or down the range?
Modules and connections move the price. Design polish, data migration, and custom rules also move it.
Cut what you do not need for launch. Keep payments and forms. Defer directories, portals, and custom dashboards.
- online payments, shipping, taxes, and discounts
- accounts, booking, CRM, or email tools
- migration of posts, users, and redirects
- second language or approval steps
Should you hire a freelancer or an agency?
Freelance Drupal developers charge roughly $50–$150 per hour, while agencies charge $100–$250 per hour, according to the fee survey from the MoldStud Research Team. Low hourly rates still grow fast when discovery, theming, and testing are billed.
Ask for a fixed scope with named deliverables. Ask who builds the theme, who tests updates, and who fixes launch bugs. Compare two fixed quotes on the same task list.
What will you pay after launch?
Small-business Drupal maintenance runs about $500–$5,000 per year and hosting runs $5–$50 per month, according to the 2026 estimates from Fulminous Software. That covers core updates, backups, and small fixes.
Ask for update frequency, backup storage, and response times in writing. Confirm who handles hosting, add-on fees, and after-hours fixes.
