Quick answer
For a straightforward portfolio, compare DIY and fixed-scope packages before commissioning a custom build. Foduu lists a five-page static package at ₹2,999, excluding a domain but including first-year hosting. GoDaddy’s broader India guide puts hiring a skilled designer at ₹7,500–₹30,000 and basic bespoke agency websites at ₹70,000–₹7,00,000. These are different services, not interchangeable quotes. [5] [1]
The cheapest advertised build is not necessarily the cheapest website to own. Request a first-year invoice and a separate renewal estimate.
Compare the three routes
| Route | Published cost evidence | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| DIY coding or website builder | GitHub Pages hosting is free if you can code. Paid builder costs require an India-specific checkout quote. | Your time, custom-domain eligibility, branding removal, subscription renewal and export options. |
| Template-based or packaged service | Foduu lists ₹2,999 for five pages and ₹6,999 for seven pages. Aero lists ₹7,500–₹25,000 for basic four-to-five-page static websites. | Whether the design uses a template, what customisation includes, and who makes later edits. |
| Custom build | GoDaddy lists ₹70,000–₹7,00,000 for basic bespoke agency websites. | Original design, development, content entry, revisions, handover and ongoing support. |
These benchmarks come from different providers and scopes; they are not a market average. Foduu describes static packages, which does not establish whether their designs are template-based or bespoke. Ask explicitly. The GitHub Pages reference is from Seera’s 2026-labelled comparison. [2] [5] [6] [1]
Itemised costs: first year versus renewal
“Not quoted” does not mean free. Where a provider publishes a bundle rather than individual charges, keep it bundled instead of inventing a design-versus-hosting split.
| Cost item | First-year evidence | Renewal or later cost |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | Hostinger India lists a promotional .in registration at ₹1. | Its listed .in renewal is ₹899/year. Verify promotion eligibility and checkout terms. [14] |
| Hosting | Free on GitHub Pages for a coded site; Foduu Basic includes 100MB free for one year. | GitHub Pages can remain the free-hosting route; Foduu’s supplied package extract does not state hosting renewal. [2][5] |
| Design and build | Foduu Basic: ₹2,999 bundled package. GoDaddy’s agency benchmark: ₹70,000–₹7,00,000. | Ask whether design, template licences or platform access incur recurring charges. [5][1] |
| Revisions and extra pages | Foduu lists ₹500 per extra page. Included revision rounds are not specified in the extract. | Obtain written rates for later edits; an extra-page rate is not a revision rate. [5] |
| Maintenance | Self-manage or request a separate scope and fee. | Aero’s broader website guide lists basic maintenance at ₹5,000–₹15,000/month—not a mandatory portfolio expense. [6] |
Hostinger’s domain figures are provider-listed prices, not a guarantee that every domain or checkout qualifies. [14] Aero’s maintenance range annualises to ₹60,000–₹1,80,000, so do not accept a business-site retainer automatically for a small portfolio. Ask what work it buys. [6]
DIY builders: check the cash payment, not just ₹/month
A paid builder can suit someone who wants to update projects without hiring a developer. However, the available builder evidence is largely in US dollars, not verified India tariffs. Converting it using an assumed exchange rate would create false precision.
For example, Hostinger’s global pricing page advertises hosting from $2.99/month. Bearhost’s 2026-labelled comparison lists Premium hosting or builder at $143.52 upfront for 48 months, followed by $131.88 for one renewal year. The renewal figures are third-party reporting, not a confirmed Indian checkout offer. [9] [13]
Record these four INR amounts before choosing a builder:
- The full payment due today, including any multi-year commitment.
- The domain charge today and its annual renewal.
- The platform renewal amount, billing period and renewal date.
- Any additional fee for templates, branding removal, analytics or project-management features.
Seera identifies these kinds of add-ons as potential builder costs. Check the specific plan rather than assuming every builder charges separately. [2]
Sample budgets for students and freelancers
These are calculations from published components, not vendor quotes. Taxes, unquoted work and promotion conditions remain outside the priced subtotals.
Student: code it yourself and use free hosting
This example suits a student who can build and update the site personally. It combines GitHub Pages’ free hosting with Hostinger’s listed .in promotion. [2] [14]
| Item | First year | Following year |
|---|---|---|
| .in domain | ₹1, if eligible | ₹899 at the listed renewal |
| GitHub Pages hosting | ₹0 | ₹0 under the free-hosting option |
| Design and revisions | DIY; no paid help budgeted | Self-edits |
| Maintenance | Self-managed | Self-managed |
| Priced cash subtotal | ₹1 | ₹899 |
This excludes your time. If the domain promotion requires a different commitment at checkout, replace ₹1 with the actual payment. Check that your intended site works within the hosting service’s terms and limits.
Freelancer: a packaged site with one extra project page
Use Foduu’s five-page Basic package, add one page at its published rate, and register the domain separately. This produces a six-page example without inventing a service fee. [5]
| Item | First year | Following year |
|---|---|---|
| Five-page package | ₹2,999 | Confirm recurring obligations |
| One extra page | ₹500 | New changes quoted separately |
| Separately registered .in domain | ₹1, if eligible | ₹899 at Hostinger’s listed rate |
| 100MB hosting | Included for one year | Provider renewal quote required |
| Revisions and maintenance | Confirm inclusions and any additions | Quote required if outsourced |
| Priced subtotal | ₹3,500 | ₹899 + hosting + paid edits/support |
The subtotal is not an all-inclusive promise. Confirm whether your images fit the storage allowance and whether contact forms, content upload and revisions are included. Do not apply Hostinger’s ₹899 renewal to a domain registered by a different provider.
Custom agency build: a conditional planning example
Take ₹70,000, the lower end of GoDaddy’s bespoke-agency range, plus a ₹1 eligible .in domain. Aero’s general hosting benchmark starts at ₹500/month, which annualises to ₹6,000. Those components produce a ₹76,001 first-year subtotal before revisions, maintenance and taxes—not a combined offer. [1] [6] [14]
If hosting stayed at that assumed rate, domain and hosting would total ₹6,899 in the following year. That is a scenario, not a published hosting renewal tariff. A simpler portfolio need not use this agency route.
When is custom design worth considering?
Choose a template-based service when the layout already suits your work and you mainly need content placement, colours and typography adjusted. Request examples of the actual template and identify anything you cannot change.
Consider custom work when you need distinctive case-study layouts, interactions or an editing workflow that the proposed template cannot provide. Ask the supplier to explain which requirements justify the additional work.
GoDaddy’s ₹7,500–₹30,000 designer-hiring benchmark is another comparison point, but hiring a designer does not establish that development, hosting and handover are included. Get those deliverables separately confirmed. [1]
Quote-comparison checklist
Send every supplier the same brief: your pages, project examples, required features, content readiness and who will update the website. Then compare:
- Design scope: template adaptation or original design; mobile layouts; number of distinct page layouts.
- Content: writing, image preparation, project upload and future project entries.
- Functionality: contact form delivery, CV download, analytics and any project editor.
- Revisions: included rounds, what counts as a round, and charges after approval.
- Infrastructure: domain registrar, hosting plan, storage, SSL and email arrangements.
- Payments: full upfront commitment, milestones, applicable taxes and cancellation terms.
- Renewals: domain, hosting, builder subscription, licences and support listed separately.
- Handover: account access, files, documentation and a demonstration of editing.
Compare the amount payable today separately from the cost over three years. If hosting is prepaid for multiple years, do not count that same hosting charge again in each prepaid year.
Questions to ask before paying
Who owns the website and accounts?
- Will the domain be registered in my name, using my email?
- Will I control the registrar, hosting, builder and analytics accounts?
- Does the agreement transfer the custom design and code rights? What third-party licences remain restricted?
- Can I move the website elsewhere? Will I receive usable files or only access to this platform?
- Are migration, account transfer or exit assistance chargeable?
Does “WhatsApp support” mean actual support?
A WhatsApp button on your website is not the same as developer support over WhatsApp. Foduu lists WhatsApp integration from its Professional package, not Basic or Business; that describes a website feature, not a support commitment. [5]
- Can I contact a named support person on WhatsApp?
- What are the working hours and expected response times?
- Does support cover bugs, content changes, or both?
- How long does post-launch support last, and what happens afterward?
What could appear as an extra charge?
Ask specifically about premium templates, plugins, additional pages, copywriting, business email, form services and licence renewals. GoDaddy lists plugins/extensions at ₹1,000–₹10,000 depending on functionality; the excerpt does not establish their billing frequency. Request the exact product and renewal terms before approving one. [1]
Source dates and pricing limitations
The provider excerpts used here do not show publication or update dates. They are marked undated rather than assigned invented verification dates. A year in a comparison article’s title is its stated edition, not proof of today’s checkout price.
| Source | Date status | Use in this guide |
|---|---|---|
| Foduu [5]; Hostinger India [14] | Undated provider excerpts | Package, extra-page and domain prices |
| GoDaddy [1]; Aero [6] | Undated provider guides | Broader design, hosting and maintenance benchmarks |
| Hostinger global pricing [9] | Undated provider excerpt | Global advertised hosting price, not an INR quote |
| Seera [2]; Bearhost [13] | 2026-labelled comparisons | Free-hosting reference, builder add-ons and reported renewal terms |
Choose the smallest scope that serves your work
For students, start with a self-managed option if you have the skills. For freelancers, compare a clearly scoped package against a builder’s full commitment. Pay for custom work when you can identify what the simpler route cannot deliver.
PaidPortfolio builds template and custom portfolio websites for Indian professionals. Explore its templates or discuss a custom portfolio, then request the same itemised first-year, renewal and ownership details outlined above.