When it comes to creating a membership website (we have a full tutorial on this here, btw), there are so many variables that the prices tend to be all over the map. You'll hear as high as $10,000 and as low as $100-$200. It can be confusing and frustrating when you're just getting started. So, how much does a membership website actually cost?
We created this post to help you walk through all the numbers.
So, how much does a membership website cost? Most membership sites will cost anywhere from $210 per year to $11,200 per year to maintain. The low-end is if you build it yourself, use the cheapest hosting, the best-priced membership site software and use a payment processor that only charges per transaction. The high-end includes the most expensive hosting, membership site software and payment processors.
Here's a breakdown of how we came up with these numbers:
- Domain: $10-$15 per year
- Hosting: $8-$300 per month
- Membership Site Software: $97-$5,000 per year
- Payment Processor: 3%/transaction – $200 per month
This does not include the cost to have someone build your membership site for you. Here's what that would look like:
What a Web Developer Would Charge to Build Your Membership Website
Again, this can vary wildly depending on who you hire, how much experience they have, if they specialize in membership websites and what kind of add-ons they provide.
But, bottom line, what will a developer charge to build a membership website? The price will range from $200 at the low-end to $20,000 at the high-end.
The low-end is if you hire a freelance web developer on Upwork (as an example), they charge $20/hour and it takes them 20 working hours to build your site (which should be more than enough). Here's an example of a freelancer just like this:
The high-end is for an agency that specializes in building premium membership websites that often include detailed integrations with a 3rd-party software like Infusionsoft. These companies generally don't advertise their prices, but we've seen (and worked with) a number of them and they generally charge in the $15,000 – $20,000 range.
What Membership Site Software Costs
Of course, the biggest consideration when it comes to cost is the software you choose to power your membership site. Again, the pricing here can fluctuate wildly:
- MemberGate: $5,000 one-time fee
- Kajabi: $399 per month
- Podia: $790 per year
- WishList Member: starting at $299 per year
And, this is the most important piece of software for your membership site. That's why it's so important to make sure you pick the right software without overpaying for something that really isn't any better OR has a bunch of features you simply don't need.
