The verdict in three sentences
For an architecture practice with 5 to 20 people in Amsterdam, a freelancer costs EUR 3,500 to 7,000 excl. VAT and an agency EUR 8,000 to 18,000 excl. VAT for a portfolio website in 2026. A freelancer is the right choice for a simple portfolio of 15 to 25 projects; an agency becomes relevant once you want project filters, regularly updated construction pages and guaranteed continuity. The real risk is not the price, it is depending on a single person for a site that must live for 5 years.
What an architecture practice website must do in 2026
Public clients, Amsterdam metropolitan area developers and private clients check your site before inviting you to a competition or a first meeting. They look at three things: image quality, the ability to filter references by type (housing, public buildings, offices, renovation) and proof that the practice delivers (construction pages, dates, floor areas, construction budgets). The site is also a recruitment tool in a market where registered architects are in demand.
Freelancer or agency: the comparison in figures
| Criterion | Freelancer (EUR 450 per day) | Web agency |
|---|---|---|
| Budget for a 10 to 15 page portfolio site | EUR 3,500 to 7,000 excl. VAT | EUR 8,000 to 18,000 excl. VAT |
| Days billed | 8 to 15 days | 15 to 35 days (team) |
| Delivery time | 5 to 8 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Skills covered | Often dev or design, rarely both at the same level | Design, development, SEO, project management |
| Filterable portfolio and construction pages | Possible, often on an existing theme | Custom, data model built to last |
| Continuity if unavailable | High risk (illness, new job, relocation) | Backup team, documentation |
| Monthly maintenance | EUR 60 to 120 | EUR 120 to 200 |
| Contract and late penalties | Rare | Common, with a contractual schedule |
A good Amsterdam freelancer can build a beautiful site. The problem appears 18 months later, when they are no longer available to add a project category or patch a security flaw, and the code is documented nowhere.
Features that push the quote up
| Feature | Indicative extra cost (EUR excl. VAT) | Useful if |
|---|---|---|
| Filterable portfolio (type, year, status, city) | 1,200 to 2,500 | More than 20 published projects |
| Construction pages with photo log | 800 to 1,800 | You communicate about ongoing sites |
| Optimised high resolution galleries (WebP, AVIF) | 500 to 1,000 | Images over 3 MB, professional photographers |
| Second language version | 1,500 to 3,000 | International clients or competitions |
| Careers page with application form | 400 to 900 | You hire more than 2 people a year |
| Interactive map of completed projects | 600 to 1,200 | Strong regional footprint (Noord-Holland, Utrecht, Zuid-Holland) |
| Press and awards area | 300 to 700 | Award winner or published work |
The most underestimated line is image optimisation: an architecture site with uncompressed photos quickly exceeds 8 seconds of mobile load time, which hurts search rankings and first impressions.
How to decide in 15 minutes
Choose a freelancer if your budget is under EUR 7,000 excl. VAT, you have fewer than 20 projects to show and a partner can manage the project and updates. Choose an agency if you have more than 30 references, you bid for public contracts where image matters, and nobody in house has time for follow-up. In both cases, insist on owning the domain name, full admin access and a code export.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Sophie, partner in a 12 person architecture practice in Amsterdam, receives two quotes: EUR 5,400 excl. VAT from a freelancer (12 days at EUR 450) and EUR 12,500 excl. VAT from an agency, filterable portfolio and construction pages included. With the freelancer, adding the filterable portfolio and construction pages would take 4 more days, or EUR 7,200 excl. VAT. The real gap is therefore not EUR 7,100 but EUR 5,300. Over 5 years, maintenance costs EUR 90 a month with the freelancer (EUR 5,400) versus EUR 150 with the agency (EUR 9,000). Total 5 year cost: EUR 12,600 versus EUR 21,500. Sophie chooses the agency, because the practice targets 3 public competitions a year: a single win means six figure fees, and the website's image weighs in the shortlisting.
FAQ
Can a freelancer handle an architecture site with 40 projects?
Yes, technically, if they master a CMS with custom content types. Plan for 15 to 20 days, or EUR 6,750 to 9,000 excl. VAT, which brings the price close to a small agency.
Which CMS for an architecture portfolio?
WordPress with custom fields, Webflow or a headless CMS such as Sanity are the three common options. The choice mainly depends on who will do updates, with a target of under 15 minutes to add a project.
How long until the site is live?
Allow 5 to 8 weeks with a freelancer, 8 to 12 with an agency. Selecting and cropping project photos often takes 2 weeks on its own.
Do we need an architectural photographer?
For your 5 to 10 flagship projects, yes. A shoot costs EUR 600 to 1,500 excl. VAT per building in Amsterdam and clearly lifts the contact rate.
What should the contract with the provider include?
Assignment of rights to code and design, domain ownership, a schedule with milestones, the number of revision rounds included and maintenance terms. Add a reversibility clause with a full export within 15 days.
Let's scope your project. A portfolio website for an architecture practice with filters, construction pages and optimised images: indicative budget of EUR 8,000 to 15,000 excl. VAT, live in 8 to 10 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
