How to price web design work as a freelancer without underselling

By Axyra Nova Editorial · 22 September 2026 · 5 min read · Freelancing

Pricing is the part of freelancing most people find hardest. Charge too little and you work long hours for little reward, attract demanding clients and burn out. Charge too much without the experience to back it up and you struggle to win work. The goal is a price that covers your real costs, reflects the value you deliver and leaves room to grow.

This guide sets out a practical approach to freelance web design pricing that works whether you sell on a marketplace, through referrals or directly.

Start with your real costs

Before looking at what others charge, work out what you need to earn. A simple method:

1. Decide your target annual income before tax.
2. Add your business costs: software subscriptions, hosting for demos, equipment, internet, training, accounting, marketplace fees and payment fees.
3. Estimate billable hours. You will not bill every working hour. Time goes on finding clients, answering messages, admin, learning and breaks. Many freelancers find a large share of their week is non-billable.
4. Divide total needs by billable hours to get a minimum hourly rate.

This number is a floor, not a target. Pricing below it means you are effectively paying to work.

Hourly or project pricing

Both models have their place.

Hourly pricing

Hourly rates suit open-ended work such as ongoing maintenance, troubleshooting or consulting where the scope is uncertain. The downside is that clients may watch the clock, and getting faster at your job means earning less per task.

Project pricing

A fixed price for a defined outcome suits work with a clear scope, such as a five-page website or a migration. Clients like knowing the cost upfront, and you benefit from getting more efficient. The risk is underestimating, so define scope carefully.

Many freelancers use project pricing for defined work and an hourly rate for anything outside the agreed scope.

Scoping: the key to fair prices

Most pricing problems are really scoping problems. Before quoting, clarify:

• How many pages or templates are involved.
• Which features are needed, such as forms, booking or ecommerce.
• Who provides content and images, and by when.
• How many rounds of revisions are included.
• Which platforms and integrations are involved.
• What happens after launch: training, support, maintenance.

Write the scope into the proposal. A clear scope protects both you and the client.

Packages make choosing easier

Offering three packages helps clients pick the right level without long negotiation:

Each package should be a sensible purchase on its own. If you sell on Fiverr, our guide to writing a Fiverr gig that sells explains how to set up packages there.

Research the market, carefully

Looking at what similar freelancers charge is useful context, but do not simply copy the lowest prices you find. Compare:

• Freelancers with similar experience and portfolio quality.
• The same type of work and platform.
• Clients in similar markets.

Marketplace prices can be very low because of global competition. You compete better on clarity, reliability and specialisation than on price alone.

Value-based thinking

Clients do not buy hours; they buy outcomes. A booking system that saves a clinic hours of phone calls every week is worth more to that clinic than the time it takes you to set up. You do not need to price purely on value, but understanding the value helps you explain your price confidently and choose clients who appreciate the work.

Raising your prices

Raise prices when:

• You are consistently fully booked.
• Your reviews and portfolio have grown.
• You have specialised in a niche where your expertise saves clients time and risk.
• Your costs have risen.

Give existing clients notice, explain briefly, and apply new prices to new projects first. Most good clients understand.

Payment terms

Pricing is only useful if you get paid. Protect yourself with:

• Deposits for project work, often a portion upfront.
• Milestone payments for larger projects.
• Clear due dates on invoices.
• A written agreement covering scope, payment, revisions and ownership.

If you work with clients abroad, choose payment methods that work well across borders. Our guide to getting paid internationally compares the common options, and provider documentation such as Stripe's docs explains fees and payout timing.

A worked example

A WordPress freelancer wants to earn a comfortable income, has typical software and equipment costs, and expects to bill around half of their working hours. Dividing their total needs by billable hours gives a minimum hourly rate.

A client asks for a five-page site with a contact form and basic SEO. The freelancer estimates the time for design, build, content entry, testing, revisions and launch, multiplies by the hourly rate, adds a small buffer for unknowns, and presents the result as a fixed project price with a clear scope and two revision rounds. Anything beyond that, such as extra pages, is quoted at the hourly rate.

The client gets a clear price. The freelancer is protected from scope creep and paid fairly.

Common pricing mistakes

• Quoting on the spot without understanding the scope.
• Unlimited revisions, which turn a project into an open-ended commitment.
• No deposit, leaving you exposed if a client disappears.
• Discounting to win every job, which attracts price-focused clients.
• Never revisiting prices as skills grow.

Learning the business side

Building a freelance business is a skill in its own right. The U.S. Small Business Administration's guide to marketing and sales is a useful free overview, and free resources on our learning platform, such as the Google Digital Garage course, cover marketing and business basics. Axyra Nova itself helps you find clients and track earnings; see the pricing page for plans.

Frequently asked questions

Should I show prices on my website?

Showing starting prices helps filter enquiries and saves time. Many freelancers show "from" prices and provide detailed quotes after a call.

How do I respond when a client says I'm too expensive?

Explain what is included and the value it delivers, and offer a smaller scope if budget is tight. Do not cut your rate for the same work.

Is it okay to charge different clients different prices?

Prices can vary with scope, complexity and timelines. Be consistent and fair for similar work.

How often should I review my prices?

At least once a year, and whenever your workload, skills or costs change significantly.