Private or international school website cost in Basel: local agencies vs Kolonell (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

In Basel, a local agency usually charges 25,000 to 90,000 CHF for a private or international school website, and a capable freelancer 8,000 to 25,000 CHF (2026 order of magnitude). Kolonell builds the admissions journey, stage pages and teacher recruitment section at a fixed price: 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF, with copy written natively in English or French. The gap with an agency is wide over three years, it becomes modest against a good freelancer, and the German version and campus photography must be budgeted separately.

What do Basel providers charge compared with Kolonell?

These ranges are cautious orders of magnitude. They draw on public price lists of agencies in Basel and Zurich, minimum project sizes shown on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by Swiss agencies (often 130 to 190 CHF per hour) and rates visible on Malt and Upwork for German-speaking freelancers in the region.

To be frank: an experienced Basel freelancer can deliver a good school site for 12,000 to 15,000 CHF, in native German, with on-site meetings. What Kolonell mainly adds is a price fixed before work starts, a project manager reachable in your time zone (Google Meet calls at the hour you choose, a written update every week) and English or French copy written by native speakers. The team is based in Senegal (GMT), one to two hours behind Basel depending on the season. Payment by bank transfer or Wise, 50% at kickoff and 50% on delivery. Each package is detailed in our international website offer.

What does the site really cost over three years?

The calendar changes every year, available places every term, the teaching team at every intake. Since Kolonell maintenance after the support period is quoted on request, the table uses the same maintenance assumption in all three columns, over 30 months.

Against the agency, the gap exceeds 37,000 CHF. Against the freelancer, it falls to about 4,800 CHF: at that level, choose on the quality of the English and French copy, delivery on schedule and a clear contract.

What does a Basel school need online?

Basel draws families tied to life sciences headquarters and research campuses, chemicals, Rhine logistics and the EuroAirport. Many live across the border, in Alsace (Saint-Louis, Huningue) or in Baden (Lörrach, Weil am Rhein). A school website therefore has to speak to three audiences at once.

Points to settle early:

• The mid-August start: most enquiries arrive between January and May, then a second peak follows year-end relocations. The site should be live before February.
• Mid-year arrivals, common among families posted for two or three years: say clearly whether entry in November or March is possible.
• Tuition fees: publishing the grid or pointing to a meeting is a positioning choice, but at least state what fees cover (meals, transport, trips).
• Labels: only display an accreditation (IB World School, CIS or other) the school actually holds.

Compliance, facts only. In Switzerland, private schools operate under cantonal authorisation and supervision: describe your status exactly as it appears in your documents. Pupil and parent data fall under the revised Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP), in force since 1 September 2023; for families living in France or Germany, the GDPR may also apply depending on how you target them. Admissions forms should not collect health or special needs data without reason and clear information. Pupil photos require written parental consent. On accessibility, WCAG 2.1 AA is the technical reference. This is not legal advice.

Which red flags should you spot in a quote?

• No line for the annual update of calendar, places and staff.
• German, English and French bundled on one line, with no word on who writes what.
• An admissions form hosted who knows where, with no mention of the nFADP.
• Stock photos of children presented as your pupils.
• A parent portal promised inside a brochure-site package: it is an application, to be quoted separately.
• A domain registered in the provider's name.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Thomas B., finance and operations director of a bilingual primary school with 240 pupils in Basel, receives an agency quote of 36,000 CHF for a site in German and English. He chooses Kolonell Growth at 4 500 CHF for the stage pages, the cross-border families page and the link to his admissions software, then adds 1,900 CHF for German translation and 2,400 CHF for a local photographer. Total: 8,800 CHF, or 27,200 CHF less at build stage. Launched in early March, the site is live before the end of the spring tours.

FAQ

Does Kolonell write the German version? No, German is supplied by the school or quoted separately, with an assumption of 1,900 to 2,800 CHF for a school site. English and French are written by native speakers in every package.

Isn't a Basel freelancer just as good value? Sometimes yes: at 12,000 to 15,000 CHF, a good German-speaking freelancer remains a serious option. Compare over three years with the same maintenance assumption and check the quality of the English copy.

Can we show a virtual campus tour? Yes, from Premium at 8 200 CHF Kolonell embeds the tour produced by your supplier. Kolonell does not film on site.

When should we start for the August intake? Starter and Growth are delivered in 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually in 4 to 6 weeks. Starting in January puts the site live for the spring enquiry peak.

Who owns the site? The school: domain in its name, all access handed over, 50% paid at kickoff and 50% on delivery. Support covers 3 months, 6 months with Premium.

Let's scope your project. Send us your stages, languages and the name of your admissions software, and we will propose a fixed-price package delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.