The verdict in three sentences
In Zug, an interior design studio website from an agency in Zug or nearby Zurich costs, as a 2026 ballpark, between 12 000 and 45 000 CHF, among the higher rates in Switzerland. Kolonell builds the portfolio, services and qualified project request for a fixed 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF in native English, with German pages supplied by the studio or quoted separately. For a studio that works for lakefront homeowners and for trading or family-office workplaces, the key comparison is the 3-year cost including German, and who can publish which project under client confidentiality.
Where do Zug prices sit in 2026?
The ranges are prudent ballparks, not official rates. They come from public rate cards of agencies in Zug, Lucerne and Zurich, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by German-speaking Swiss agencies (often 130 to 220 CHF per hour) and rates visible on Upwork or Malt. A Zug studio usually receives quotes from Zurich agencies too, which tend to sit at the upper end.
| Criterion | Zug or Zurich agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build cost, 2026 ballpark | 12 000 to 45 000 CHF | 4 000 to 12 000 CHF | 2 700 / 4 500 / 8 200 CHF, fixed |
| German version | Native, usually included | Usually included | Supplied by you or quoted separately |
| Change requests | Often 130 to 220 CHF per hour | Often 90 to 140 CHF per hour | Quoted before any work |
| Usual timeline | 10 to 16 weeks | 6 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| On-site photo or video | Can be organised | Sometimes | Not offered: your photos or a Zug photographer |
| English copywriting | Often extra or translated | Varies | Native English included |
| Ownership | Check the contract | Check the contract | Domain in your name, all access handed over |
In Zug, Kolonell's price gap is large, but German is the native language of an agency and not of Kolonell. A project manager runs the project on Google Meet at the studio's hours and sends a written update every week; the team is in Senegal (GMT), one to two hours behind Zug depending on the season. Support lasts 3 months after launch, 6 on Premium. Details: international website offer.
What would a full three-year comparison show?
A portfolio site lives for years: new projects, a team page that changes, photos of each delivery. Since Kolonell maintenance after support is quoted on request, the table uses an identical maintenance assumption on both sides.
| Item over 36 months | Zug agency (mid range) | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Website build | 24 000 CHF (DE/EN) | 8 200 CHF (EN) |
| German version | Included | Texts supplied, integration assumption 1 500 CHF |
| Maintenance (same assumption) | 160 CHF per month over 30 months, 4 800 CHF | 4 800 CHF, quoted on request |
| 12 projects added over 3 years | 12 h at 170 CHF, 2 040 CHF | Quoted beforehand, assumption 1 400 CHF |
| Photography of 4 projects | 5 200 CHF | 5 200 CHF, local photographer |
| Indicative total | 36 040 CHF | 21 100 CHF |
Photography weighs heavily in both columns. It is a cost of the studio's marketing, not of the website, but it belongs in the grid because a portfolio without good images does not convert.
How does each tier map to a residential and workplace studio?
| Item | Starter 2 700 CHF | Growth 4 500 CHF | Premium 8 200 CHF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio structure | Single gallery | Two sections: residential and workplace | Sections plus detailed case pages with brief, constraints, outcome |
| Services | One page | Concept, space planning, FF&E, site supervision | One page per service and per client type |
| Fees and process | Short summary | Fee models explained: flat, percentage of works, hourly | Process timeline from brief to handover |
| Project request | Simple form | Qualified: budget, area, location, start date | Adds floor plan and photo upload |
| Team page | Founders | Full team with roles | Team, partners, craftspeople with consent |
| Bilingual FR/EN | No | No | Included |
| Support | 3 months | 3 months | 6 months |
A client extranet for drawings and procurement, or a configurator for office layouts, is a custom application, quoted on request.
Which clients does a Zug studio site have to convince?
Zug's market is unusual for a town of its size. The canton hosts commodity trading houses, holding companies, family offices and blockchain firms, which brings executives relocating from London, Singapore or the United States who want a furnished, finished home quickly. Lakefront apartments, new residential schemes and villas on the slopes toward the Zugerberg form the residential side. On the workplace side, studios fit out offices and meeting floors where discretion matters as much as the design. Clients speak English at work and often German at home, or neither.
- English first for relocating executives, German for local owners and developers, with a clear language switch.
- Confidential projects handled honestly: many workplace clients sign NDAs. Show anonymised projects ("trading firm, 900 m2, Zug") only if the contract allows it.
- A relocation-ready offer: furnishing packages, timelines, coordination with relocation agents, explained without promising dates you do not control.
- Speed on mobile: WebP or AVIF images, a light gallery, since executives often browse between meetings.
- Real press and awards only.
Switzerland has no federally protected title of interior architect; VSI.ASAI is a professional association, and the architect title is governed separately, so state your team's actual qualifications. Check with your professional association. Under the revised Federal Act on Data Protection (nLPD/revFADP), in force since 1 September 2023, photos that identify a private home or its occupants can be personal data: get written consent, keep the project form to essentials and document where submissions are stored. Check each photographer's web licence and add alt text to portfolio images, using WCAG 2.1 AA as the technical reference. This is not legal advice.
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Red flags in Zug and Zurich proposals
- A quote that assumes you will write all copy in both languages.
- No mention of NDAs or of how confidential workplace projects will be presented.
- Photos taken from previous suppliers without checking licences.
- The domain or hosting in the agency's name.
- An animation-heavy design that loads slowly on a phone.
- Long mandatory maintenance contracts with no exit clause.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Katrin W. is managing partner of an eight-person studio in Zug that splits its work between lakefront residences and office fit-outs. A Zurich agency quotes 32 000 CHF for a German and English site with custom animation, in 14 weeks. Kolonell proposes Premium at 8 200 CHF in English, with German pages written by the studio's own team and integration assumed at 1 000 CHF. Both options require a local photographer for 4 projects, 5 200 CHF.
Build, German and photos: 37 200 CHF with the agency versus 14 400 CHF with Kolonell, a 22 800 CHF gap. Adding the same maintenance assumption of 4 800 CHF over 30 months gives 42 000 CHF versus 19 200 CHF over 3 years. Katrin chooses Kolonell for the website and keeps budget aside for a local video crew to film one flagship office project.
FAQ
What does an interior design studio website cost in Zug in 2026?
With an agency in Zug or Zurich, expect a ballpark of 12 000 to 45 000 CHF, and 4 000 to 12 000 CHF with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF.
Can Kolonell build the German version?
Kolonell writes native English or French only. German texts are supplied by your team or quoted separately, often in the range of 1 000 to 2 000 CHF for a portfolio site.
How do you present projects covered by an NDA?
Only within what the contract allows: anonymised descriptions, no identifying views, no client name. On Premium, case pages can be built with 3 or 4 such anonymised projects.
What is the time difference with the Kolonell team?
The team works on GMT, one hour behind Zug in winter and two in summer. Calls are scheduled at your hours and you get a written update every week.
How is payment handled?
By bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery, so two payments of 4 100 CHF on Premium.
Let's scope your project. Send us your residential and workplace projects, the languages you need and any confidentiality limits, and we reply with a fixed-price tier and a 3 to 4 week timeline. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.
