The honest answer to what a website costs in Dubai is that it depends on scope, and quotes vary widely because they often describe different things. This guide explains typical ranges, what moves the price and how to compare offers so you pay for outcomes rather than adjectives. If you want a quick range for your own project, try the website cost calculator.
Typical price ranges in the UAE
These indicative ranges reflect what UAE developers commonly quote for professional work. They are guides, not offers, and every project is priced against a written scope.
| Project type | Indicative range (AED) | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | 1,500 to 4,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Business website, 5 to 15 pages | 4,500 to 14,000 | 3 to 6 weeks |
| E-commerce store | 12,000 to 40,000 | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Custom web application or portal | 20,000 to 90,000 | 8 to 20 weeks |
| Booking or marketplace platform | 25,000 to 100,000 | 10 to 24 weeks |
What drives the price
Four things matter most. First, scope: the number of unique page layouts and features. Second, integrations: payments, couriers, CRMs and accounting tools each add design, build and testing time. Third, language: an Arabic version adds right-to-left layout work and content. Fourth, content readiness: waiting for text and photos is the most common cause of delay and extra cost.
Costs that are not the build
Budget separately for your domain name, hosting, an SSL certificate (often included with hosting), premium plugin or API licences, payment gateway fees, stock or commissioned photography and maintenance. A reputable quote lists what is and is not included. Hosting and domain should be registered in your name.
How to compare quotes fairly
- Ask for the page and feature list behind each price
- Check whether design, development, SEO set-up and training are included
- Confirm who owns the code and the accounts
- Ask what happens after launch and what support costs
- Be cautious of prices far below the rest, which often omit essentials
Ways to reduce cost without cutting quality
Launch with the pages that matter and add more later. Prepare content early. Use proven components such as a standard checkout instead of reinventing it. Choose WordPress or Shopify when your needs are standard, and custom development when your process is unusual. Start from a clear goal, because a website with one job is cheaper and works better than one trying to do everything.
When a cheap website becomes expensive
Very low prices usually mean templates with heavy plugins, little testing, weak security and no handover. Those sites tend to be slow, hard to change and costly to repair. A clean build with sensible scope costs more at the start and far less over three years. Learn more about website development and e-commerce development, or send a brief for a fixed quote.
An illustrative first-year budget
The following is an illustration, not a quote. A business website built for AED 8,000 might add AED 1,000 a year for domain and hosting, and a maintenance plan of a few hundred dirhams a month if you want updates, backups and monitoring handled. Over the first year the real cost is the build plus those recurring items, which is why comparing only the build price can mislead. Ask each provider for a first-year and a three-year total so that you compare like with like.