What Separates a €249 Wix Template From a €49 One (And It's Not the Design)

A coaching website costs anywhere from around €200 a year if you build it yourself on a website builder, to €200–300 once for a professional template you customise, to roughly €900–3,500 or more for a custom site built for you. The right budget depends less on how the site looks and more on how much of your own time you have, and how much the website needs to do for your business.

Below is what each option really costs, what you get for the money, the costs most coaches forget, and a simple way to decide.

The three ways to get a coaching website

These are typical ranges, not quotes. Builder plans and freelancer rates vary by country and change often, so always check current prices.

Option 1: Build it yourself (about €150–400 a year)

Website builders like Wix, Squarespace and Showit let you start for free and pay monthly once you want your own domain and to remove the builder's ads. On top of the plan, most coaches pay for a domain (usually €10–20 a year) and sometimes a scheduling tool or email platform, although many have free tiers to start with.

The real cost of DIY is time. Starting from a blank page, most coaches spend 30 to 60 hours choosing a layout, writing copy, finding photos and fixing the mobile version, and many never quite finish. If your hourly rate as a coach is €80, those hours are worth more than any template.

Choose DIY if you're still testing who you help and what you offer, and you'd rather spend time than money for now.

Option 2: Start from a professional template (about €50–300 once)

A template gives you a finished design and a page structure you edit in the builder. Prices range from under €50 for general templates to €200–300 for templates designed specifically for coaches, with the pages, sections and copy prompts a coaching business needs.

The difference between a €49 and a €249 template is rarely the design. It's whether the template is built around how clients actually decide to book you: a homepage that names their problem, a work with me page that presents your offer, and a clear path to a discovery call. We wrote a full comparison in why a €249 template can be cheaper than a €49 one.

With a template, most coaches launch in 8 to 20 hours, most of which is writing their own words. Our Elevate Mindset Wix template, for example, follows the six-page structure we recommend in what pages a coaching website needs.

Choose a template if your offer is clear, you're comfortable editing text and photos yourself, and you want a professional site within a week or two.

Option 3: A custom website (about €900–5,000+)

With a custom site, a designer or developer builds the website around your brand and your business. The price depends mostly on what the site needs to do:

• A focused presentation site (home, about, work with me, proof, contact, booking): usually the lower end of the range. Our Foundation package starts at €890.

• A site that sells programmes, courses or digital products, with payments and automated emails: typically €1,500–3,000. Our Commerce package is €1,800.

• A platform with memberships, client areas, several languages or integrations: €3,000 and up. Our Platform package starts at €3,400.

Agencies usually charge more than independent designers for the same scope, mostly because of team overhead. What matters more than the price is what's included: strategy and page structure, copy support, SEO basics, mobile testing, and help after launch.

Choose custom if your coaching business already has steady clients, you sell more than one-to-one sessions, or your current site is holding you back in front of higher-paying clients.

The costs most coaches forget

Whichever option you choose, budget for these too:

• Copy. Words sell your offer more than design does. Writing it yourself costs time; hiring a copywriter often costs as much as the website.

• Photos. A half-day brand shoot is one of the best investments for a coaching site, because clients want to see who they'll be talking to.

• Tools. Scheduling, email marketing and payment tools are often free at first, then grow with your list and clients.

• Updates. A website that hasn't changed since launch quietly loses trust. Plan an hour a month, or a care plan if someone else maintains it.

• Your time on calls that don't fit. A vague website brings vague enquiries. Clear offers and a starting price filter out people who were never going to book.

How to choose the right budget

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Is your offer clear? If you can't yet describe who you help and what you sell in one sentence, start with DIY or a template. A custom site can't fix an unclear offer.

2. What is one new client worth to you? If one client pays €1,500 for a three-month programme, a website that brings in even one extra client a year has paid for itself.

3. How much time do you really have? Be honest. Many coaches pick DIY to save money and lose three months they could have spent coaching.

A good rule of thumb: spend on your website about what one or two new clients are worth to you. Less, and the site won't do its job. Much more, and you're paying for features you don't need yet.

Frequently asked questions

How much should a new coach spend on a website?

Most new coaches do well with a professional template on a builder plan, which is a few hundred euros in the first year. Put the rest of your budget into clear copy and good photos, and upgrade to a custom site once your offer and client flow are steady.

Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper for coaches?

Their paid plans are in a similar range, and both change prices regularly. Choose based on which editor you find easier and which templates fit your brand, then check the current plan prices on their websites.

Do I need to pay for a website every year?

Yes, in most cases. Builder plans, domains and hosting are yearly or monthly costs, even if the design itself is a one-time purchase. Budget for them from the start.

Can I start with a template and go custom later?

Yes, and it's often the smartest path. A template gets you online quickly; once you know which pages and offers work, a custom site can build on what you've learned.

What does a custom coaching website include?

It depends on the designer, so always ask. A good package covers page structure and strategy, design, mobile testing, SEO basics, a contact or booking setup, and support after launch. See what our packages include.