"How much does a website cost?" is the question we hear most, and the honest answer is that it depends on who builds it and what it needs to do. Prices in the UK range from a few pounds a month to many thousands. Here is what you get at each level, and the costs that often get forgotten.
The main options
Website builders you set up yourself (such as Wix or Squarespace) usually cost tens of pounds a month. You get templates and hosting, and you do the work: the design, the words, the photos, the set-up for search. It suits very small budgets and people who enjoy doing it themselves. We look at the real cost of this route in DIY website or a professional one?.
Freelancers typically charge from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds for a small site, depending on experience and what is included. Quality varies widely, so look at their recent work and ask who looks after the site afterwards.
Agencies usually start in the low thousands for a small business site and go well beyond that for larger projects, often with a monthly fee for hosting and care on top.
Pay-monthly website plans spread the cost of design and build into a monthly fee, usually with a minimum term. They are increasingly common in the UK, with prices ranging from under £50 to several hundred pounds a month depending on what is included.
The costs people forget
Whichever route you choose, ask about these, because they decide what a website really costs over a few years:
- Hosting and the security certificate: who pays, and how much each year?
- Domain name: renewed every year or two.
- Updates and security: someone has to keep the site and its software up to date.
- Changes: what does it cost to update text, prices or photos?
- Plugins, themes and licences: often paid yearly.
- Your own time: especially with DIY builders.
A cheap build with expensive or unreliable upkeep often costs more over three years than a higher price with everything included.
How to compare quotes fairly
Ask each provider the same questions:
- What exactly is included: pages, forms, booking, set-up for search?
- What will I pay in total over the first year, and each year after?
- Who owns the website and the domain, and can I take them elsewhere?
- How quickly are changes made, and what do they cost?
- Can I see two or three recent websites you built, and how they perform on a phone?
What we charge
A custom-designed website of up to 5 pages starts at £1,600, paid in three stages: 25% to start, 25% when you approve the design and 50% before launch. After launch, our Wisecoda Care Plan from £79 a month covers hosting, security, backups and up to 30 minutes of changes every month, with a 12-month minimum. We are not VAT registered, so there is no VAT on top. Bigger websites, online booking and other features are listed on our pricing page, where you can put together your own estimate.
Not sure what you need? Our free website health check helps you see what your current site does well and what it is missing, or you can get in touch for a straight answer.