How much does a business website cost in the UK? (2026 pricing guide)

Most UK business websites cost between £1,500 and £8,000 as a one-off build. A simple one-page or brochure site sits around £500–£5,000, a multi-page business site around £3,000–£8,000, an e-commerce store around £5,000–£40,000, and a custom web application from £25,000+. Ongoing running costs typically add £50–£200 a month.

Those are planning ranges, and they vary widely because “a website” can mean a five-page brochure or a bespoke booking platform. Below we break down exactly what you pay for, what each type of site really costs in 2026, and how to brief a project so the quote you get is the price you pay.

What you actually pay for

When you hire a designer or agency, the fee is rarely just “the design”. A typical quote bundles several things, and understanding them helps you compare like for like:

Discovery and strategy — working out goals, audience, sitemap and required features before anyone opens a design tool.
Design — the look, layout, brand application and mobile responsiveness.
Build/development — turning designs into a working site, usually on a CMS such as WordPress so you can edit it yourself.
Copywriting — words that sell. Often quoted separately; if you write your own, the build is cheaper.
On-page SEO setup — page titles, meta data, structure and speed so the site can actually be found.
Hosting and domain — the ongoing home for your site.
Maintenance — updates, security, backups and small changes after launch.

UK website cost by type (2026)

The single biggest driver of price is what kind of site you need. Here are typical UK ranges, drawn from 2025–2026 pricing guides — treat them as planning ranges, since scope and location move the numbers significantly.

Website type	Typical UK price (one-off)	What’s usually included
One-page / starter site	£500–£1,000	Single scrolling page, contact form, mobile-friendly, basic SEO. Good for a launch or a very small business.
Multi-page business / brochure site	£1,500–£8,000	5–15 pages, custom or semi-custom design, CMS, blog, on-page SEO, contact and enquiry forms, CMS training.
E-commerce store	£5,000–£40,000	Product catalogue, payments, shipping/tax setup, accounts, integrations. Lower end for small catalogues, higher for large or complex stores.
Custom web app / platform	£25,000+	Bespoke functionality — bookings, dashboards, portals, logins, database-driven features built to spec.

Corporate e-commerce budgets can run higher still: a build a London agency quotes at £60,000–£80,000 is often scoped at £25,000–£45,000 by an equally capable regional agency. If you need standard marketing pages and lead capture, our website design & development service covers the brochure-to-e-commerce range. If your project is really a bespoke tool — bookings, portals, dashboards — that’s our software development service, and it’s priced differently because it’s engineering, not just design.

One-off vs ongoing costs

The build fee is only part of the picture. Every website has running costs, and skipping them is the most common way a “cheap” site becomes expensive later.

Domain name: roughly £8–£20 a year for a .co.uk or .com.
Hosting: from about £4–£5 a month for entry-level shared hosting up to around £20+ a month for managed WordPress.
Maintenance: for most small business sites, £40–£120 a month covers updates, security and small changes. Ad-hoc support typically runs £50–£100 an hour.

All in, most UK business websites cost roughly £50–£200 a month to run once you factor in hosting, security, updates and basic maintenance. A properly configured e-commerce store with transaction fees, apps and periodic developer support typically runs £200–£500 a month.

Freelancer vs agency vs DIY builder

DIY website builder

Platforms like Wix and Squarespace let you build it yourself. Wix starts around £9 a month to remove branding; Squarespace runs roughly £12–£79 a month depending on plan, and both add 20% VAT at checkout. Cheapest option, but you’re the designer, copywriter and SEO — and your time isn’t free.

Freelancer

UK freelance web designers typically charge £25–£100 an hour, or roughly £500–£5,000 per project. Good value and personal service, but capacity, availability and breadth of skills vary from one person to the next.

Agency

Agencies typically charge £60–£200+ an hour, with a small-agency brochure site usually £3,000–£8,000. You pay more, but you get a team — strategy, design, development, SEO and ongoing support — which matters for anything commercially important.

Hidden and ongoing costs to watch

Copywriting and photography — often excluded from the build fee.
Premium plugins, themes and licences — recurring annual fees on top of hosting.
E-commerce transaction fees and apps — payment processing and third-party tools add up monthly.
VAT — advertised builder and agency prices are frequently ex-VAT; add 20%.
Post-launch changes — anything outside the original scope is usually charged separately.

How to brief a project to control cost

The single biggest cause of an inflated quote is a vague brief. Nail these down before you approach anyone and you’ll get sharper, more comparable prices:

Define the goal. Leads, sales, bookings? One clear objective focuses the whole build.
List your pages and features. A rough sitemap and a “must-have vs nice-to-have” list stops scope creep.
State your budget range. It lets a good partner design to your budget rather than guessing.
Bring your content. Ready copy and images cut cost and time.
Ask what’s included — hosting, SEO, training, revisions and post-launch support.

Want to see the standard of work behind a quote before you commit? Have a look at our work.

Ready to get a real number?

A website is an investment, not a cost — but only when it’s built to grow your business. At WiseGuyXL we’ve driven an average of 341% organic growth across 30+ projects in 9+ markets, and we’ll scope your site to your goals and budget, not the other way round. Book your plan and we’ll give you a clear, itemised price.

Frequently asked questions

How much should a small business website cost in the UK?

For most UK small businesses, a professional multi-page website costs between £1,500 and £8,000 as a one-off, plus roughly £50–£200 a month to run. A simple one-page site can start around £500.

Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?

Freelancers (around £25–£100/hour or £500–£5,000 per project) suit smaller, simpler sites and tighter budgets. Agencies (£60–£200+/hour) suit commercially important sites needing strategy, SEO and ongoing support from a full team.

What are the ongoing costs of a website?

Expect £8–£20/year for a domain, from £4/month for hosting (or £20+ for managed WordPress), and £40–£120/month for maintenance — roughly £50–£200/month all in for a typical business site.

Is it cheaper to build my own website with Wix or Squarespace?

Upfront, yes — Wix starts around £9/month and Squarespace around £12/month, both plus VAT. But you supply the design, copy and SEO, so factor in your own time and the results a professional build delivers.

How much does an e-commerce website cost in the UK?

A professional online store typically costs £5,000–£40,000 depending on product count, platform and integrations, with running costs of around £200–£500/month once transaction fees and apps are included.

Related reading: Custom software development costs in the UK

How much does a business website cost in the UK? (quick answer)

Most UK business websites cost £1,000–£5,000 for a professional small-business site, £5,000–£15,000 for a larger custom or e-commerce build, and £15,000+ for complex or bespoke platforms. Ongoing care and hosting typically adds £30–£300/month.

WiseGuyXL builds fast, search-ready business websites designed to convert — not just look good. Because we’re a growth studio, every site is built with SEO, speed and lead capture baked in. See our website design & development service and recent work, or get a fixed quote.