How Much Does a Website Cost in Dubai?
A website in Dubai can cost anything from around AED 1,000 for a basic template site to more than AED 400,000 for a custom e-commerce build. Most custom sites built by a design agency fall between AED 15,000 and AED 60,000 for 3 to 10 pages. After launch, you also pay every year for the domain, hosting and upkeep.
Ask three Dubai web companies for a website design price and you can get three answers that are tens of thousands of dirhams apart. That is not because two of them are wrong. They are usually quoting for different things.
The gap comes down to three questions: is the site built on a template or designed from scratch, who builds it, and how much does it have to do? Once you know your answers, the published market ranges start to make sense.
This guide uses figures from independent directories, official price pages and UAE law, and links each one to where it came from. These are market ranges, not Crafixx prices.
In this guide
- Cost by Website Type
- How Much Is a 1-Page or 3-Page Website?
- Cost by Who Builds It
- Running Costs: First Year vs Every Year
- Is VAT Included in the Quote?
- What Pushes the Price Up
- E-commerce Website Cost
- How to Compare 3 Quotes
- Frequently Asked Questions
Cost by Website Type
Website price in Dubai follows the type of site. A small template site sits at the bottom of the market, a custom marketing site of 3 to 10 pages sits in the middle, and e-commerce stores and web applications sit at the top. The table shows the published range for each type and where it comes from.
| Type | Typical pages and features | Who it suits | Market range | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small template site | A few pages on a ready-made design, contact form | New or small businesses that need to be found and contacted | From around AED 1,000. Template-based sites: USD 1,000 to 5,000 (about AED 3,700 to 18,400), global figure | GoDaddy UAE; DesignRush (global) |
| Custom marketing site | 3 to 10 pages designed around the brand | Established businesses using the site to win enquiries | AED 15,000 to 60,000 | Clutch UAE and Clutch Dubai |
| Corporate site with a CMS | More pages, content management, UX research | Larger companies that publish and update often | AED 60,000 to 150,000 (Dubai page); AED 60,000 to 200,000 (UAE page) | Clutch |
| E-commerce with integrations | Catalogue, checkout, links to stock, payment or delivery systems | Retailers selling online at volume | AED 80,000 to 350,000+ (UAE page); AED 150,000 to 400,000+ for e-commerce or custom builds (Dubai page) | Clutch |
| Template online store | Hosted store on a platform such as Shopify | Small catalogues testing online sales | No UAE directory publishes a build price. You pay a monthly platform plan plus a fee on each card sale | None |
| Web app or portal | Logins, database, custom logic | Businesses running a service or platform online | No UAE source. Global: USD 30,000 to 100,000 for small to mid-sized custom software projects (about AED 110,200 to 367,300); USD 100,000 to 200,000+ for enterprise platforms (about AED 367,300 to 734,500) | GoodFirms; DesignRush(global) |
| Booking, property or restaurant site | Booking engine, listings and search, or online ordering | Businesses where one feature does the selling | Priced by the features, not the page count. No independent source publishes a range |
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Reading the table
- Clutch publishes two ranges for the same work, one for the UAE and one for Dubai. Neither range carries a date, and Clutch does not explain how it calculates them, so treat them as a guide rather than a rate card.
- GoDaddy, which sells website builders and hosting, says basic Dubai sites start around AED 1,000. Clutch's range for agency-built sites starts at AED 15,000. They are not measuring the same thing: one is a basic site, the other a custom build by a design agency.
- Agency minimum budgets support the low end. On the first page of DesignRush's Dubai directory (444 agencies listed), 4 agencies accept projects under USD 1,000 and 23 start between USD 1,000 and 10,000 (about AED 3,700 to 36,700). The agencies report these figures themselves.
- Sortlist, using prices from 115 Dubai projects, puts a typical website creation project at USD 7,200 to 8,900 (about AED 26,400 to 32,700). It does not say what those projects included.
If you are choosing between the first two rows, our comparison of template and custom websites explains what the extra money buys. For the e-commerce rows, see our e-commerce development service, and for web apps, our SaaS development team. Not sure whether you need a website or an app first? Read app or website first.
How Much Is a 1-Page or 3-Page Website?
No UAE directory publishes a price by page count, so any exact figure for a 1-page or 3-page site is a guess. What the sources do show is how page count moves the price. Clutch's range for custom marketing sites starts at 3 pages, at AED 15,000 to 60,000.
For pages beyond the agreed scope, DesignRush's pricing guide says agencies charge around USD 1,500 per page for template-based layouts (about AED 5,500) and about USD 2,500 per page for fully custom designs (about AED 9,200). That is a global figure, not a UAE one. A single page built to win enquiries from an ad campaign is usually scoped as landing page design rather than as a website.
Cost by Who Builds It
Who builds the site changes the website building cost more than almost anything else. Doing it yourself on a builder costs the least in cash, an independent designer sits in the middle, and an agency costs the most because it brings a team. Only one source compares all three, and its figures are global.
| Option | How you pay | Suits | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | Monthly plan | Very small budgets and simple sites you can run yourself | USD 100 to 3,000+ in total (about AED 400 to 11,000+), global. GoDaddy's builder from AED 29.99 a month | DesignRush; GoDaddy |
| Independent designer | Hourly or per project | Small sites with a clear brief | USD 15 to 80 an hour (about AED 60 to 290), global | DesignRush |
| Agency | Per project, quoted after a brief | Custom design, larger sites, integrations | AED 150 to 500 an hour (UAE page); AED 200 to 600+ an hour (Dubai page) | Clutch |
Directory rates for web design cost in the UAE vary by how they are measured, and web design fees are quoted in different ways. GoodFirms, which lists 599 Dubai web design companies, reports a median hourly rate of USD 37 (about AED 140), well below Clutch's range. No UAE source separates independent designers from agencies, or small studios from large agencies, so treat this table as a guide to how the options differ, not as fixed prices.
Website builder prices look low, and a builder or a self-managed CMS does keep the cost of making a website down, but the work of running the site moves to you. If you want a CMS your team can update without a developer, WordPress development is the common middle route.
Running Costs: First Year vs Every Year
The build is a one-off cost. The domain, hosting and upkeep come back every year, and first-year prices are often discounted. Website hosting cost in the UAE starts low on shared plans, but hosting charges rise at renewal. The table lists each running cost with a published UAE figure where one exists.
| Cost | One-off or yearly | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| .ae domain | Yearly | AED 120 to 125 for the first year; AED 129.99 to 145 to renew | Gate Hills ; AEserver |
| .com domain | Yearly | AED 49 for the first year; AED 65 to renew | AEserver |
| Shared hosting | Monthly, billed upfront | AED 19 to 35 a month on 36-month billing (listed at AED 39 to 69 before the discount) | AEserver UAE hosting |
| SSL certificate | Yearly | Included free with those hosting plans. Paid certificates: up to USD 1,500 a year (about AED 5,500), global | AEserver; DesignRush |
| Maintenance | Yearly or monthly | No UAE source. Global: USD 500 to 2,000+ a year (about AED 1,800 to 7,300+) | DesignRush |
| Payment gateway | Per sale, sometimes monthly | From 2.25% + AED 0.50 to 2.9% + AED 1 per domestic card sale, depending on provider and plan (see e-commerce section) | Telr, Stripe UAE |
| VAT | On every taxable bill | 5% | UAE VAT law |
Two things to check on any quote. First, whose name the domain is registered in: it should be your business. The UAE telecoms regulator keeps a list of accredited .ae registrars if you want to register it yourself. Second, the hosting price after the first term, because the discounted rate usually applies only to the period you pay upfront.
Maintenance is the line most budgets leave out. It covers updates, security fixes, backups and small changes. Our website maintenance services page explains what a care plan should cover.
Is VAT Included in the Quote?
Not always, so ask. The UAE charges VAT at a standard rate of 5%, set by Article 3 of Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017. The directory ranges in this guide do not say whether they include VAT, and payment providers can add it on top of their own fees: Telr's pricing page states that all its fees are subject to 5% VAT.
Ask every company to show VAT as a separate line, so you compare like with like.
What Pushes the Price Up
Within any type of site, a handful of choices decide whether you land at the bottom or the top of the range. Where a source publishes a figure, it is shown. Most are global figures from DesignRush's development guide.
- Custom design instead of a template. Template-based sites run USD 1,000 to 5,000 (about AED 3,700 to 18,400); custom designs USD 5,000 to 30,000+ (about AED 18,400 to 110,200+). A template is often enough for a simple or temporary site.
- More unique page layouts. Every layout has to be designed, built and tested on mobile. Repeating a few strong templates costs less than designing every page differently. Good UI and UX design decides how many you actually need.
- Integrations. Connecting the site to a CRM, ERP, booking or stock system is often the largest single cost in a project. No independent source publishes a range, because it depends on the systems involved. This is where API integration work comes in.
- Content and photography. Copywriting USD 100 to 1,000 (about AED 400 to 3,700); photography or video USD 100 to 1,000. Check whether the quote assumes you supply the words and images.
- A second language. Adding a second language adds design, content and testing work, so ask for it to be priced as its own line.
- SEO setup. USD 500 to 2,000 (about AED 1,800 to 7,300) for setup at build stage, global. "SEO included" should mean at least page titles, meta descriptions, clean URLs, a sitemap and fast-loading pages. Ongoing SEO services are a separate monthly cost.
- Accessibility. Building to the WCAG accessibility standard: USD 1,000 to 2,000 (about AED 3,700 to 7,300).
- Training and handover. USD 200 to 500 (about AED 700 to 1,800) for training your team to run the site.
E-commerce Website Cost
An e-commerce website price in Dubai is higher than a brochure site because it has to take payments, manage stock and stay secure. Clutch puts e-commerce sites with integrations at AED 80,000 to 350,000+ on its UAE page and AED 150,000 to 400,000+ for e-commerce or custom builds on its Dubai page. A store on a hosted platform such as Shopify can start far lower, but no UAE directory publishes a build price for it.
On top of the build, a store pays to take money. UAE payment provider Telr publishes plans tiered by monthly sales:
Source: Telr pricing, checked 2 October 2026. All Telr fees are subject to 5% VAT, and a valid trade licence is required.
Stripe charges 2.9% + AED 1 per domestic card payment in the UAE, with no setup or monthly fee. Hosted platforms such as Shopify charge a monthly plan plus a fee on each card sale.
Which platform fits, and what each one really costs once apps, hosting and fees are added, is covered in our Shopify vs WooCommerce vs custom store comparison. If you already know you want Shopify, our Shopify development team can scope it.
How to Compare 3 Quotes
Quotes for the same website can differ because they include different work, and fixed website development packages often list what is in but not what is out. Put each quote into the same grid before you compare prices. If a line is missing from a quote, ask about it in writing.
Ownership is the line people regret skipping. If the domain, hosting account or site files sit in the agency's name, moving away later gets harder. If you are replacing an existing site rather than starting fresh, our guide to website redesign in Dubai helps you decide between a refresh and a rebuild.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ask Us Anything!
There is no single average, because a template site and a custom e-commerce build are different products. Clutch puts custom marketing sites of 3 to 10 pages at AED 15,000 to 60,000. Sortlist, using 115 Dubai projects, puts a typical website project at USD 7,200 to 8,900, about AED 26,400 to 32,700.
No independent source publishes website development cost in the UAE by emirate. Clutch shows slightly different ranges on its UAE and Dubai pages: its Dubai page is higher for e-commerce and lower for CMS sites. The bigger price drivers are the type of site and who builds it, not the emirate.
Clutch puts e-commerce sites with integrations at AED 80,000 to 350,000+ on its UAE page. A store on a hosted platform can start far lower. On top of the build, you pay payment fees, such as Stripe's 2.9% + AED 1 per domestic card sale, and the platform's monthly plan if you use one.
At minimum, the domain and hosting. A .ae domain costs AED 120 to 125 in the first year and AED 129.99 to 145 to renew at the registrars we checked, and UAE shared hosting starts from AED 19 a month on a 36-month term. Add maintenance, payment fees if you sell online, and 5% VAT where it applies.
Not always. The UAE standard VAT rate is 5%, and the published directory ranges do not say whether they include it. Ask for VAT as a separate line on every quote so you can compare them fairly.
Your business. Register the domain in your company name, keep the logins for the domain, hosting and CMS, and make sure the contract says you own the design and code once the project is paid for.
It can be, for a simple or temporary site. For a site that has to bring in business, a very low quote often leaves out design, content, SEO setup or maintenance, and those costs come back later. Compare quotes line by line before you decide on price.
