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

The verdict in three sentences

In Galway, a private or international school website costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, 5 000 to 25 000 EUR with a local agency and 1 500 to 6 000 EUR with a freelancer, so a local freelancer will often beat Kolonell on the build price alone. Kolonell's packages are fixed at 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 EUR, and the Premium package includes a bilingual French and English site written natively, which is where a small bilingual or international school can save real money. If your school needs Irish-medium content, photography in Connemara or a supplier who drops by the office, a Galway provider is the better choice.

What do Galway providers charge compared with Kolonell?

These figures are cautious ranges, not official prices. They are based on public price pages of agencies in Galway and the west of Ireland, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by Irish agencies (often 60 to 100 EUR an hour outside Dublin) and freelance rates on Upwork and Malt. Galway is a smaller market than Dublin or Cork, and prices reflect it.

So when does Kolonell make sense in Galway? Mainly when the school teaches in two languages and needs both versions written to the same standard, or when the board wants a fixed price, a named project manager and a weekly written update. The team works from Senegal (GMT), which matches Galway time in winter and is one hour behind in summer. Details of each package are on our international websites offer.

What is the real cost over three years for a small bilingual school?

This comparison takes a bilingual English and French site, because that is the case where the gap is largest. It uses the same maintenance assumption for everyone, 100 EUR a month after the included support period; Kolonell maintenance after support is quoted separately, so treat it as a working assumption.

The freelancer route comes out cheapest here, and that is a fair result. The Kolonell figure buys native French and English copy written together, a fixed price and six months of support; whether that is worth about 1 300 EUR more over three years is the board's call.

What does a Galway school actually need from its website?

Galway's international families come mostly through the medical technology companies in the Parkmore and Ballybrit business parks, the University of Galway and the Atlantic Technological University, with a steady flow of French, German, Spanish and Indian families. Irish-medium education is also strong in the city and in the Connemara Gaeltacht, so many local parents compare an independent school against well-regarded Gaelscoileanna. A small independent or bilingual school has to make its case clearly:

• Language model: how much of the week is taught in each language, at which ages, and what happens for a child who arrives speaking neither.
• Mid-year arrivals: relocating medtech families often move in January or at Easter, so say whether places open during the year.
• Fees and what they include, from lunches to after-school care.
• The route after primary: which secondary options pupils usually move on to, stated factually.
• Recruitment pages for teachers, since bilingual schools often hire native speakers from abroad.

Compliance, facts only. Personal data falls under the GDPR and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018, supervised by the Data Protection Commission. Irish schools are expected to publish their Child Safeguarding Statement, and most do so on the website. Pupil photos require written parental consent; for a primary school, think about whether children can be identified by name next to a face. WCAG 2.1 AA is the sensible accessibility reference. Mention accreditations or affiliations (for example with a foreign education network) only if the school actually holds them. This is not legal advice.

Which questions sort good quotes from risky ones?

• Who writes each language version, and is it a native speaker or machine translation?
• Can the school secretary update the term calendar without calling anyone?
• Is the enquiry form storing children's data, and where?
• Is the domain in the school's name?
• What is included in the price for photography, and who holds the licence for the images?

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Aoife M. is founder and principal of an independent English and French primary school of 160 pupils in Galway. A local agency quotes 14 000 EUR plus 1 800 EUR for a translator. Kolonell Premium costs 8 200 EUR with the bilingual site included.

• Agency build with translation: 14 000 + 1 800 = 15 800 EUR
• Kolonell Premium build: 8 200 EUR
• Saving at launch: 7 600 EUR

If annual fees sit around 6 000 EUR per child (a working assumption, not a market figure), that saving equals the fees of a little more than one pupil for one year. A Galway freelancer at 5 000 EUR plus translation (6 800 EUR) would cost less than Kolonell at launch; Aoife chooses based on whether she trusts the French version to be written natively.

FAQ

Is Kolonell cheaper than a Galway freelancer?

Usually not for an English-only site: freelancers often start around 1 500 EUR, against our 2 700 EUR Starter. The gap narrows or reverses for a bilingual site, where Premium at 8 200 EUR includes both languages.

Can you write the Irish language pages?

No, we write natively in English and French only. Irish text is supplied by the school or quoted separately with a translator.

How long does the project take?

Starter and Growth take 3 to 4 weeks; Premium gets a written plan at kick-off, usually 4 to 6 weeks. A March start is comfortable for spring enrolment.

Do you visit the school?

No. Meetings run on Google Meet at your hours with a weekly written update, and the school books a local photographer, often 600 to 1 200 EUR for a half or full day.

How do we pay?

By bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kick-off and 50 % at delivery, so 4 100 EUR at each stage for Premium.

Let's scope your project. Send us your current site, your language model and the number of pages you need, and we will reply with a fixed-price package and a 3 to 6 week timeline. Request your free quote or see the international offer.