Quick Answer
A Next.js website costs ₹20,000 to ₹1,50,000 for a business site, and ₹1,50,000 to ₹15,00,000+ for a full web app with logins, dashboards, or payments. The exact price depends on rendering strategy, hosting choice, and how many custom screens you need — not just page count.
Why Next.js Costs More Upfront Than WordPress
Next.js is a React framework, it's code, not a drag-and-drop theme. Every page is custom-built, which takes more developer hours than picking a WordPress theme. That's the honest reason a Next.js quote looks higher on day one.
But you're paying for something specific: your site chooses how each page renders, built once at deploy time (static), rebuilt quietly in the background (incremental), or generated fresh per visit (server-rendered). WordPress can't do this natively. This is also why Next.js sites routinely hit 90+ PageSpeed scores without extra plugins.
If you're evaluating whether this trade-off fits your project, our web development team can walk through your specific case before you commit to a stack.
Next.js Website Cost by Project Type
| Project Type | Cost (INR) | Timeline | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page (1-5 sections) | ₹8,000 – ₹25,000 | 3-7 days | One page, contact form, basic SEO |
| Business website (5-10 pages) | ₹25,000 – ₹80,000 | 1-3 weeks | Custom design, CMS-lite, blog |
| Business site + full CMS/blog | ₹80,000 – ₹1,50,000 | 3-5 weeks | Headless CMS, SEO structure, analytics |
| E-commerce storefront | ₹1,50,000 – ₹5,00,000 | 6-10 weeks | Product catalog, cart, Razorpay/Stripe |
| SaaS dashboard / web app | ₹3,00,000 – ₹10,00,000 | 10-18 weeks | Auth, billing, role-based access |
| Enterprise platform | ₹10,00,000 – ₹15,00,000+ | 16-30 weeks | Multi-tenant, integrations, compliance |
Ranges assume App Router architecture, TypeScript, and standard SEO setup. Custom animation, 3D visuals, or multi-language support add 15-30% on top.
For an idea of what a real rebuild involves at the upper end, see our ShopEase store redesign case study.
What Actually Drives the Price Up or Down
Two briefs that sound identical ("5-page business site") can get quotes ₹30,000 apart. Here's why:
- Rendering strategy: A static (SSG) page costs less to build and host than a server-rendered (SSR) page that needs a live database call on every visit.
- Design: template vs custom: A themed layout is fast to ship. A fully custom Figma-to-code build takes longer — and shows in the quote.
- Backend complexity: A contact form needs zero backend. A login system, user roles, or a database adds real engineering hours.
- Number of unique screens: Five near-identical pages cost less than five completely different layouts.
- Integrations: Each third-party service, payments, WhatsApp API, CRM, maps, adds 4 to 16 hours of wiring work.
If you're not sure which of these apply to your project, our SaaS architecture resources break down how these decisions compound as an app grows.
Next.js vs WordPress: 3-Year Cost Comparison
| Factor | Next.js | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront build cost | Higher (custom code) | Lower (theme + plugins) |
| Hosting (basic tier) | ₹0 – ₹2,000/month | ₹500 – ₹3,000/month |
| Plugin/license renewals | None | ₹5,000 – ₹30,000/year |
| Security patching | Rare — smaller attack surface | Frequent — plugin vulnerabilities |
| Speed / Core Web Vitals | Excellent out of the box | Needs caching plugins to compete |
| 3-year total cost | Often lower | Often higher after year 2 |
The pattern holds across most agency data we reviewed: WordPress wins on day-one price, Next.js usually wins by year two once plugin renewals and patching hours are counted. If SEO performance matters more than launch speed, our SEO & content strategy service can help you weigh this against your actual traffic goals.
Hosting Cost — The Part Most Quotes Skip
A "free forever" claim about Vercel hosting is one of the most repeated inaccuracies online. The Hobby tier is genuinely free for small, low-traffic sites — but it has real bandwidth and function-execution limits. Cross them, and you're on a paid plan or facing a surprise bill.
Realistic ranges:
- Vercel Hobby: ₹0/month — fine for low-traffic marketing sites
- Vercel Pro:
₹1,700/month ($20) — most small business sites - Self-hosted (VPS/Docker): ₹2,000 – ₹8,000/month — full control, more DevOps work
If your project needs CI/CD, staging environments, or self-hosted infrastructure, that's a cloud & DevOps conversation, not just a hosting toggle.
Hidden Costs Agencies Don't Mention
- Content and copywriting — most quotes assume you supply the words. Budget ₹10,000–₹50,000 if you need a writer.
- Stock or custom photography — free stock is limited; premium stock or a shoot adds ₹3,000–₹50,000.
- Post-launch maintenance — bug fixes and updates typically run 10-15% of build cost per year.
- Third-party API fees — payment gateways charge ~2% per transaction; SMS/WhatsApp APIs bill per message.
- Bandwidth overage — a traffic spike on Vercel Pro can push you into metered charges if you're not monitoring usage.
Always ask for these five line items explicitly before signing a quote — their absence is the biggest source of budget overruns.
FAQs
Is Next.js more expensive than WordPress?
Upfront, usually yes — it's custom-coded. Over 2-3 years, Next.js often costs less once you factor in plugin renewals, security patching, and hosting for caching plugins WordPress needs to match Next.js speed.
How much does a Next.js developer charge per hour in India?
Junior developers charge 20-38/hr, and senior/architect-level $38-85/hr, roughly 50-70% below US or UK rates for comparable experience.
Does every Next.js site need a backend?
No. A static marketing site with a form-to-email setup needs zero custom backend. Backend cost only enters once you need logins, a database, or payments.
How long does a Next.js website take to build?
A landing page ships in 3-7 days. A business site takes 1-3 weeks. E-commerce and SaaS apps run 6-18 weeks depending on feature scope.
Why did one agency quote double another for the same brief?
Usually rendering strategy, design (template vs custom), and hidden line items like maintenance or content. Ask each agency to itemize design, frontend, backend, and SEO separately before comparing totals.
