So, you want an appealing, modern-looking website design for your product's or service's page? Good call, since half of the consumers form their opinion about a business based on its website design.

But how much would you pay for it, exactly? If you tried googling it, you probably already know that the website designer cost can differ greatly, from tenths to hundreds and thousands of dollars. But what affects the final cost? We’re just about to answer this question. Being a top-quality design agency, we at TodayMade know precisely what influences the final price of a website design and will gladly explain it to you.

Let's start with industry benchmarks.

The average cost of hiring an in-house website designer

The cost to hire a website designer in the US is around $60 per hour. An estimated total pay of $69k/year, making the average salary $64k/year, according to Glassdoor.

Average hourly pay for website designs in the US is $29-36.

The average cost of website design will also differ depending on the location. For instance, website designers in Amsterdam, Netherlands, have an estimated total pay of €41k/year ($43k), with an average salary of €35k/year ($36k). 

The average web designer hourly rate is €20.35 ($22.11).

As a rule, designers from Eastern Europe are cheaper than designers from Western Europe. For instance, an average web designer salary in Poland is 5676 PLN per month ($1407) or 68.112 PLN ($16.888) per year.

While average hourly pay is 35.50 PLN ($8.80).

So, if the time zone difference isn't crucial to you (or designers can adjust), turning to professionals from other countries can be a cost-savvy solution.

The average cost of hiring a freelance website designer

Sure thing, freelancers charge much less for their services. Upwork statistics show that the average freelance website designer hourly rate is $15-30.

But the actual web designer rates could differ from these numbers a lot. Just like with in-house designers, they largely depend on the freelancer's location and expertise.

For instance, a Senior website designer from Ukraine experienced in SaaS design can charge $60 per hour. 

At the same time, a Pakistani web designer rates per hour can be $10, if you’re looking to build a website using a website builder. 

Why is the pricing so different? Well, because the total cost isn’t determined by profession only.

Factors that influence the cost of hiring a website designer

Of course, Glassdoor and Upwork stats are not enough when you're trying to calculate an average cost to hire a website designer. So let’s look at some other factors that contribute to the final cost.

Skills and experience 

Let’s start with the skills. For instance, if you hire a professional who can create a website design using Wix, Weblium, Webflow, or any other customizable builder, their website development rates will be most likely lower than those designers who can design sites from scratch, taking all the development nuances into account. The ability to design websites that not only look good but won’t affect their performance and loading speed is a valuable — and expensive — skill. 

The collaboration model

There are three main collaboration models available on the market:

• In-house.
• Freelance.
• Design subscription.

Which of these models would be the best for your needs? This largely depends on the duration and complexity of the project. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• A freelancer can be a great option if you're looking for a short-term, single project.
• An in-house designer is a perfect choice if you need a permanent addition to your design team and don't mind spending some time on finding, hiring, and onboarding the right professional.
• A subscription model is an amazing solution for those who are looking for long-term design support but are unsure how long it should last or need to start as quickly as possible.

Now when it’s clear, it’s time to talk about pricing models.

Pricing models for hiring a website designer

The most common pricing models are hourly rate, fixed price, retainer, or monthly fee. Here's how they work and when you might need them.

Hourly rate

When opting for this model, you pay a website designer for each hour of their work. If you’re willing to pay only for the quality time spent on your project, it can sound very cost-savvy.

However, you also need to precisely estimate the time that would be spent on designing your website. Otherwise, you might end up paying more than you expected just because a website and edits took longer than initially discussed.

Fixed price

In this case, you pay for the project in total. This model has been on the market for decades and still remains relevant, mainly because it offers cost certainty, clear expectations, and lower risks for the clients. You know exactly how much you spend on website design, and if something goes wrong, this would still be covered by the project's price. 

Still, if you decide to implement new ideas or change the project in the design process, you'll have to pay extra. The same goes for situations requiring the designer's assistance once a project is finished.

Retainer and monthly fee models

These two models are pretty similar: in each case, you pay the designer monthly for the work they do. The only difference is the contract duration. With the retainer model, you should know exactly how long you'll be cooperating with the designer(s).

Monthly fee, on the other hand, usually applies to indefinite cooperation, such as in-house contracts.

The biggest perk of these models is that you have ongoing access to your design professional and their complete dedication to your project. If anything goes wrong or you just need an urgent task delivered ASAP, you know that you can count on your designer. Regular fixed payments also allow you to allocate a web design budget easily. 

Of course, such benefits come with a “but”: these models can be more costly than the previously covered ones. You'll also be paying for the time when the designer wasn’t involved in any project.

TodayMade as your modern alternative for web design services and beyond

TodayMade is a design subscription service. If you're looking for skilled and reliable designers to entrust your web design to, we can help you with that. With us, you receive the desired result quickly, which is especially crucial if you work for a startup or just need to get the job done urgently yet efficiently.

Our subscription starts at $4,999 per month. For this price, you receive ongoing design support from our design professionals. It is as convenient as having an in-house designer — or a whole team even — but without spending months on their hiring and onboarding. At the same time, it is as affordable as hiring a freelancer but is much more reliable and stress-free as we are the ones responsible for handling all the communication and management. 

So, if you need a solution that helps you save costs, estimate time accurately, and get an amazing job done as quickly as needed, reach out to us for a free consultation. We can't wait to help you achieve your goals!