If you own a small business in Albany, Troy, or Schenectady and you've started pricing a website, you've probably heard everything from "free" to "$15,000." Both are technically true and both are misleading. Here's what a website actually costs in the Capital Region in 2026, the options you have, and the hidden fees nobody mentions until the invoice lands.
The four ways to get a website (and what each really costs)
| Option | Upfront | Ongoing | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder | $0 | $27–$119/mo | 20–60 hours, plus every future update |
| Freelancer | $1,500–$5,000 | Hosting & upkeep extra | Managing the project is on you |
| Traditional agency | $5,000–$15,000+ | $100–$500/mo retainers | Weeks of meetings and revisions |
| Mylobstr (local Albany) | $100–$250 | From $25/mo, all-in | A 10-minute brief — we do the rest |
Why "free" builders aren't free
DIY builders advertise low entry prices, but the plan a real business needs — custom domain, no ads, basic store features — lands between $27 and $119 a month. That's $324 to $1,428 every year, and you still have to design and build the site yourself. For most owners that means evenings and weekends fighting an editor instead of running the business.
Why agencies cost five figures
Agencies aren't ripping you off — they're paying for offices, account managers, and sales teams, and that overhead lands in your invoice. An $8,000 site makes sense for a 50-person company. For a barbershop, a pizzeria, or a plumbing outfit in Albany, it rarely pays for itself.
What should be included at any price
Whatever route you pick, don't pay for a site missing the fundamentals — mobile-first design, the SSL padlock, basic SEO, a contact form and click-to-call, a Google Business Profile connection, and fast hosting. We explain why each one matters in our guide to website features, and how features map to price in our cost vs. features breakdown.
What Mylobstr charges (no "contact us for pricing")
We're a lean Albany team, so we publish our pricing instead of hiding it behind a sales call:
- Starter — $100: a 5-page custom site with mobile-first design, SSL, basic SEO, a contact form, analytics, and your Google Business Profile set up.
- Growing Business — $150: 10 pages, logo, domain included, full SEO, online booking, and listings on Google, Yelp, Bing, and Apple Maps.
- Scale — $250: 20 pages with an admin panel, multi-location support, and a dedicated support line.
After launch, a flat rate from $25/month covers hosting, SSL, security updates, and real support. The honest fine print is on our FAQ page.
Hidden costs to ask about (whoever you hire)
- Domain: ~$12–$20/year. Make sure it's registered under your name, not theirs.
- Hosting: often quoted separately at $20–$100/month. Ask if it's included.
- Edits: many shops bill $75–$150/hour after launch. Ask what "maintenance" covers.
- Email: professional email is usually a separate subscription.
The bottom line
In 2026, a professional small business website in Albany should cost a few hundred dollars to build and tens of dollars a month to run — not thousands up front or hundreds a month forever. Want a real number for your business? Tell us what you doand we'll quote it plainly, or browse example sites first.