SMALL BUSINESS WEBSITES / GUIDE
A plain-English guide to website prices for UK small businesses. The short answer: anything from a few pounds a month for a DIY website builder to several thousand pounds for a bespoke agency build. What you pay depends on who does the work, and who looks after the website afterwards.
THE MAIN OPTIONS
| Option | Typical cost | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder (Wix, Squarespace and others) | Free plans with limits; paid plans commonly around £9–£29 a month. Wix's main UK plans were £9–£25 a month billed annually. | You do: choosing a template, writing, building, updating and fixing. |
| Freelance web designer | Often £300–£1,000 for a basic website; hourly rates commonly £25–£50. Hosting and changes are usually extra. | The freelancer builds it; updates and support depend on what you agree. |
| Web design agency | Hourly rates commonly £50–£150; bespoke websites often run into thousands of pounds. | The agency designs and builds it; ongoing support is usually a separate contract. |
| Managed website plan | An annual or monthly fee covering setup, hosting and support. Ours builds the website free, with the first six months free, then £99 a year. | The provider sets it up and looks after it; you edit content or send changes. |
Price ranges are taken from published UK guides, including Startups.co.uk and its Wix pricing guide. Prices change often, so check current figures with each provider.
The build is only part of the cost. A website keeps costing money, and time, for as long as it is online.
For the same type of provider, price mostly follows the amount of work.
BEFORE YOU BUY
Register the domain in your business's name, or make sure it can be transferred to you.
Ask whether you can take your content, images and design with you, and what that costs.
Find out whether updates are included, how quickly they are made, and the cost of anything extra.
Check what is included: hosting, SSL, email, VAT, renewals and price rises after the first year.
A website builder is the cheapest option if you have the time and enjoy doing it yourself. A freelancer or agency makes sense when you need a bespoke design or specialist functionality.
A managed plan suits a local business that wants a professional website without having to run it: no technical staff, no software updates to remember, and someone to send changes to.
We build your website free, up to 20 pages on a ready-made design, and the first six months are free too. After that, it is £99 a year (about £8.25 a month) for hosting, SSL, backups and the CMS we look after.
You edit everyday content yourself; changes you would like us to make are quoted first. No card is needed to start, and nothing is charged automatically. Price, including any VAT, is confirmed in writing before we start.
See what the free plan includes ↗QUICK ANSWERS
Some website builders have free plans, but they usually show the builder's branding and do not include your own domain name. Most businesses end up on a paid plan, and the real cost is the time spent building and maintaining the site. Our own plan builds your website free with six months free, then costs £99 a year.
Annual billing is often cheaper per month. Monthly billing spreads the cost but may be priced higher. Either way, check the renewal price and notice period.
Providers include different things. One quote may cover design, hosting, content entry and support; another may cover the build only. Compare what is included over two or three years, not just the first invoice.
Allow for the domain, hosting, any builder or plan subscription, and changes. A simple website might cost a few hundred pounds a year to keep running; more complex sites cost more.
NEED A CLEAR PRICE?