Accounting firm website: template vs custom build, with real 2026 prices
Prices we checked on vendors' own pages on 10 October 2026, grouped by route, with three-year totals so you can compare like with like.
What does a website for a small accounting or bookkeeping firm actually cost? Below are published prices we checked on each vendor's own website on 10 October 2026, grouped by route, with three-year totals so you can compare like with like.
Who this is for, and our interest
This is for owners of small CPA, bookkeeping, tax and fractional CFO practices deciding how to build or replace their website. Folistead sells a Framer template for these firms, so we are one of the options compared. We used only prices shown on vendors' own pages on 10 October 2026, in US dollars, and linked every one. Prices change, so check the source before you decide. For the cost components and a decision checklist without vendor prices, see our guide to template vs custom build cost.
The five routes
Template plus website builder: you buy a ready-made design and edit it yourself.
Builder theme only: you use a theme included with a builder such as Squarespace or Wix.
Freelancer: someone builds the site for a one-off fee; you pay for hosting separately.
Accounting website service: a subscription that includes the site, hosting and often marketing tools.
Custom design agency: a bespoke site, usually with a setup fee and a monthly charge.
1. Template plus builder
The template. On the Framer Marketplace, finance and consulting templates included Countly at $48, Pactum at $69 and Kora at $129 (Countly, Pactum, Kora). On Webflow's marketplace, Accountex and Accruefy were $49, Auditly $79 and Kountex $129 (Accountex, Accruefy, Auditly, Kountex). Our own template, Folistead, is $69.
The builder plan. A template is usually a one-time purchase, but the hosting plan is not:
Framer: Basic $10 a month and Pro $30 a month billed yearly, or $15 and $45 billed monthly. Basic includes 2 CMS collections and Pro includes 10. Framer's pricing page says yearly plans include a complimentary domain (Framer pricing).
Webflow: the Basic site plan is $15 a month billed yearly (Webflow pricing).
Check which plan your template needs. A template with many CMS collections may need more than the cheapest plan. Folistead, for example, needs Framer's Pro plan because it uses 7 CMS collections (Framer Marketplace listing).
Your time. This is the real cost of the template route. You, or someone on your team, replace the sample text, add your services and team, connect a booking tool and publish.
2. Builder theme only
Squarespace's plans were $12 (Basic), $17 (Core) and $25 (Advanced) a month on annual billing, or $19, $27 and $36 paid monthly (Squarespace pricing). Wix also sells plans, but the currency and prices it showed us depended on the visitor's location, so check Wix plans from your own country. Themes on these platforms are included in the plan, but they are general-purpose: structuring an accounting firm's site (services, fees, booking, team credentials) is up to you.
3. Freelancer
Fiverr's cost guide for front-end web developers, dated 3 August 2026, puts a small business website of five to ten pages at $400 to $1,200 (Fiverr guide). Framer's Experts directory shows each expert's minimum project budget; on the first page we checked, minimums ranged from $1K to $50K (Framer Experts). Hosting is paid on top, on whichever builder the freelancer uses.
4. Accounting website services (subscription)
Build Your Firm: Professional from $95.00 a month, or $85.50 a month on annual billing; Platinum from $120.00, or $108.00 annually (pricing). Its FAQ says: "BYF owns the website and the website content if you cancel" (FAQ).
CPA Site Solutions: four tiers from $90.00 a month (Silver) to $166.50 a month (Diamond), with "No hidden fees. Cancel anytime." on the page (pricing).
Liscio: a professional firm website for $29 a month, added to a Liscio plan (pricing).
These services bundle tools a template does not, such as client portals, newsletters and content. Before you sign, ask who owns the design and content if you leave, and whether you can take the site with you.
5. Custom design agency
Best CPA Website Design lists a single-page site at $2,000 setup plus $150 a month and a multi-page site at $3,500 setup plus $300 a month, with hosting, edits and support included and "Full ownership — it's your site" (Best CPA Website Design). Build Your Firm's custom-website page lists a $3,000 upfront fee (custom websites).
Three-year cost, side by side
These totals multiply each published monthly price by 36 and add one-off fees. They leave out your own time, a separately bought domain, and taxes.
Free template + Framer Basic: for example Folistead Starter, which is free and fits the Basic plan, plus $10 a month billed yearly. About $360 over three years.
Paid template + Framer Basic: a $48–$129 template, if it fits within Basic's limits, plus $10 a month. About $408–$489.
Folistead + Framer Pro: $69 plus $30 a month billed yearly. About $1,149.
Squarespace theme: Core at $17 a month on annual billing. About $612.
Freelancer + Framer Basic: a $400–$1,200 build plus $10 a month. About $760–$1,560.
Accounting website service: Build Your Firm Professional at $85.50 a month (annual billing). About $3,078.
Accounting website service: CPA Site Solutions Silver at $90 a month. About $3,240.
Custom agency: Best CPA Website Design single page, $2,000 plus $150 a month. About $7,400.
Custom agency: Best CPA Website Design multi-page, $3,500 plus $300 a month. About $14,300.
If you buy a .com domain yourself, Namecheap showed a first-year sale price of $10.98 (normally $14.98) and $18.48 a year to renew (Namecheap).
How to choose
Choose a template if you are comfortable editing in a visual tool and want to own the design for a one-off fee. Budget time to write your own service and team content.
Choose a freelancer if you want someone else to do the build once, and you can handle small edits yourself.
Choose a subscription service if you want marketing tools and support bundled, and you accept its ownership terms.
Choose an agency if you need a bespoke brand and ongoing help, and you have the budget.
Whichever route you take, the site has to answer the same client questions. Our article on what clients look for on an accounting firm website covers them.
Where Folistead fits
Folistead is a Framer template built for accounting, bookkeeping, CPA and fractional CFO firms. It costs $69 one-time for one website, plus a Framer Pro site plan. An agency licence for five client sites is $199. Both are on our pricing page. Setup is not included in a template purchase.