How much does a multilingual website cost – and what does the price depend on?

Multilingual website: what does it cost to run several languages?

A multilingual website is not one page plus a translation button. Each language is its own version with its own texts, its own address, its own search terms and its own maintenance. The costs therefore fall into two parts: one-time, the technical setup, the translation of the first version and the setup for search engines; ongoing, updating all language versions whenever your offering, prices or content change.

So calculate not only the start but also the operation. If you plan for three languages but keep only one up to date, after a year you have three websites of different ages. A good quote therefore does not only list the creation but also describes how new content reaches all languages and who is responsible for it.

• Technical setup with a language switcher and its own address structure
• Translation of the texts, if needed with proofreading
• Adaptation of images and of date, number and currency formats
• Legal texts and mandatory information for the respective target market
• Search engine settings and search terms for each language
• A process for ongoing updates and maintenance

Translation: machine, machine with review or profes­sionals?

The translation method is one of the biggest cost levers. A purely machine translation is fast and cheap but misses tone, technical terms and ambiguities. A middle path is a machine pre-translation followed by proofreading by native speakers. For marketing texts that must persuade, or technical content where terms must be right, translation by professionals with a glossary of your own is worth it.

You should never have legally relevant texts such as terms and conditions or the privacy policy machine-translated without review. A mistake there can have consequences. Browser translators are no substitute either: if the translation appears only in the visitor’s browser, a search engine cannot capture it as a page of its own – you will not be found in the target language. This does not replace legal advice.

Technical setup: address structure, hreflang and CMS

There are three ways to structure the addresses of the language versions: a subdirectory such as /en/ on the same domain, a subdomain or a separate domain per country. The subdirectory is usually the most pragmatic route because strength and maintenance stay bundled on one domain; separate country domains mainly pay off with a strong local brand. Marking up with hreflang is also important: it tells Google which pages are the same content in other languages or for other countries.

Avoid automatic redirects based on browser language, which can lock out visitors and search engines. A visible language switcher that leaves the choice to the user is better. The content management system also matters: WordPress with extensions, a headless CMS or custom development differ in effort, ease of maintenance and translation workflow. Which solution fits depends on the number of languages, the number of pages and your team.

What does a multilingual website cost at an agency? The price drivers

The number of languages is the most obvious driver but not the only one. The number of pages matters too, since every page is translated, checked and tested per language. Features such as an online store, appointment booking or a customer area multiply the effort because prices, taxes, shipping rules, payment methods and system texts must be adapted for each market. Writing systems such as Arabic or Hebrew, which are read from right to left, additionally require an adapted layout.

Our packages give an orientation: the Starter package from €2,500 suits compact presences, such as a bilingual one-page website. The Professional package from €8,000 suits extensive company websites with several languages and features. We quote portals with many markets and integrations individually as Enterprise projects. We also run our own website in German, English and Spanish – we know the effort from practice.

Localization and law: more than translating

Good multilingual work adapts content to the market: date and number formats, currencies, units of measurement, phone numbers, imagery and examples. A phrasing that sounds natural in Germany may seem foreign in Spain or the US. Search terms cannot be translated literally either – people search differently in every language. Separate search term research per language is therefore part of a serious quote.

Legal obligations also depend on the target market. Whether and in which language details such as the legal notice, privacy policy or consumer information must be provided depends on your offering and the markets you address. Have that reviewed legally; this guide does not replace legal advice. On the technical side, it also helps to mark the language of every page correctly in the code – this helps search engines and screen readers.

Reduce costs: prioritize languages and plan for maintenance

Start with the languages and pages that bring the greatest benefit. Evaluate which countries your inquiries and visitors come from and which markets you want to open up strategically. Translate the home page, services, contact and mandatory pages first; the blog and detail pages follow later. That way the website goes live sooner, and the investment is spread over several steps.

Write your source texts clearly and without wordplay – that makes every translation cheaper and better. Create a glossary with technical terms and product names so terms stay consistent. And clarify early who approves and translates new content. A defined process for updates prevents language versions from drifting apart and saves more money in the long run than any one-time saving at the start.