How Much Does Drupal Development Actually Cost in 2026?
Quick Answer: A simple Drupal website costs $5,000–$15,000. Custom mid-level sites run $15,000–$60,000. Enterprise platforms with complex integrations cost $60,000–$150,000+. Ongoing maintenance runs $500–$3,000/month.
⚡ TL;DR — Quick Pricing
- Simple site: $5K–$15K (4–6 weeks)
- Custom business site: $15K–$60K (8–12 weeks)
- Enterprise platform: $60K–$150K+ (3–6 months)
- Drupal migration: $10K–$80K (4–16 weeks)
- Custom module: $5K–$25K per module
- Monthly maintenance: $500–$3K/month
Look — we know you came here for numbers, not a sales pitch. So we're going to give you real pricing based on 200+ Drupal projects we've delivered. No "contact us for pricing" nonsense.
Drupal Development Cost by Project Type
| Project Type | Cost Range | Timeline | What's Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Website | $5K–$15K | 4–6 weeks | 5-10 pages, basic theme, contributed modules |
| Custom Business Site | $15K–$60K | 8–12 weeks | Custom theme, 2-5 custom modules, CRM integration |
| Enterprise Platform | $60K–$150K+ | 3–6 months | Complex architecture, headless, multiple integrations |
| Migration | $10K–$80K | 4–16 weeks | Content transfer, URL redirects, SEO preservation |
| Custom Module | $5K–$25K each | 2–8 weeks | API integration, custom functionality, testing |
What Makes the Price Go Up? (Real Cost Factors)
1. Content Architecture Complexity
A site with 5 content types is straightforward. A site with 50 content types, complex taxonomies, editorial workflows, and multi-language support? That's a whole different ball game. More complexity = more time = more cost.
2. Custom Modules vs. Contributed Modules
Drupal has 50,000+ free contributed modules. Use them first. But if you need something specific — a custom API integration, a unique workflow, a special payment processor — that's custom module development at $5K–$25K per module.
3. Design: Template vs. Custom vs. Headless
- Pre-built theme + customization: $5K–$10K
- Fully custom responsive design: $10K–$30K
- Headless Drupal (React/Next.js frontend): $15K–$40K
4. Integrations
Every third-party integration adds cost. CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot), payment gateways (Stripe), marketing tools (Mailchimp, Marketo) — budget $3K–$15K per integration.
5. Who You Hire
| Team Type | Hourly Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| US agency | $150–$300/hr | Enterprise clients needing full US-based teams |
| European agency | $100–$200/hr | EU clients needing timezone overlap |
| Hybrid team (DrupalUSA) | $50–$100/hr | US project management + global dev team |
| Freelancer | $30–$80/hr | Simple projects, budget-conscious |
Don't Forget: Ongoing Costs
Your site doesn't stop costing money after launch. Budget for ongoing maintenance:
- Hosting: $50–$500/month (Acquia, Pantheon, or cloud)
- Maintenance & support: $500–$3,000/month (security updates, monitoring, bug fixes)
- SSL: Free–$100/year
- Domain: $10–$50/year
4 Ways to Cut Your Drupal Costs (Without Cutting Quality)
- Start with an MVP. Launch with the 20% of features that deliver 80% of the value. Add the rest later based on real user data.
- Use contributed modules first. Before building custom, check if a free module already does what you need. 50,000+ modules exist for a reason.
- Hire a hybrid team. You get US-quality project management with global development rates. We charge $25–$50/hr for dedicated developers.
- Invest in planning. A $2,500 consulting phase can save you $20,000+ by preventing rework down the road.
Get Your Free, No-BS Estimate
Every project is different. Send us your requirements and we'll send back a detailed estimate within 24 hours — with line-by-line pricing and no hidden fees. Seriously, zero surprises.