Why are agencies more expensive than freelancers?

Agencies have higher overheads including offices, account managers, and project managers. You're paying for the infrastructure around the work, not necessarily better code. A solo freelancer or developer without those costs can often deliver the same quality website at a lower price because their margins don't need to cover a team of non-technical staff.

What are the hidden costs of a website?

Beyond the build cost, expect to pay for hosting (£5-£30/month), domain renewal (£10-£15/year), professional email (£4-£10/month per mailbox), and ongoing maintenance like security patches and content updates (£20-£100/month). SSL certificates are free with most modern hosting, so question anyone charging you for one.

Should I pay monthly for a website?

Monthly website plans with no upfront cost typically work out more expensive over time. A £30/month plan costs £720 over two years, and you usually don't own the site — if you stop paying, it disappears. A one-off build that you own outright is almost always better value if you can afford the upfront cost.

How long does it take to build a website?

A simple 3-5 page business website typically takes 1-2 weeks with a freelancer, or 3-6 weeks with an agency (due to project management and review cycles). More complex sites with booking systems, e-commerce, or customer portals can take 2-3 months. The biggest delays usually come from waiting for content and feedback, not the development itself.

Guide

How much does a website cost for a small business in the UK?

Q: How much does a website cost for a small business in the UK?

In 2026, a DIY site on Wix or Squarespace costs around £150-£400 per year. A freelance developer typically charges £500-£3,000 for a custom build. Small agencies range from £3,000-£10,000, while large agencies can charge £10,000-£50,000 or more. The price depends on the number of pages, custom features, and who builds it.

By Nicholas Hartnell, StagHill Software — March 2026

It depends on who builds it. The range is enormous, and most of the pricing you see online is either outdated or designed to get you on a sales call. Here are the actual numbers in 2026.

The quick answer

Option	Typical cost	What you get
DIY (Wix, Squarespace)	£150–£400/year	Template site, you do everything yourself
Freelance developer	£500–£3,000	Custom design, built for your business
Small agency	£3,000–£10,000	Custom site, project management, support
Large agency	£10,000–£50,000+	Full branding, strategy, ongoing retainer

Why the range is so big

A five-page website for a plumber and a booking platform for a chain of salons are both "websites." But one takes a week and the other takes two months. The price reflects the complexity, not the quality.

What actually drives cost:

Number of pages. A simple 3–5 page site is straightforward. A 30-page site with a blog, customer portal, and integrations is a different job.

Custom features. Contact form? Simple. Online booking, payment processing, customer accounts? That's application development, not web design.

Design. Using a template keeps costs down. A fully custom design from scratch costs more because it takes longer.

Who's building it. An agency has offices, account managers, and project managers. You're paying for all of that. A freelancer or solo developer has none of those overheads.

The hidden costs nobody mentions

Hosting: £5–£30/month. Some developers include the first year. After that, you're paying.

Domain name: £10–£15/year. Cheap, but you need to renew it or you lose your web address.

SSL certificate: Free with most modern hosting. If someone is charging you for this in 2026, question everything else they're charging you for.

Maintenance: Websites need updates. Security patches, content changes, plugin updates. Budget £20–£100/month or learn to do it yourself.

Email: Professional email (you@yourbusiness.co.uk) costs £4–£10/month per mailbox.

What about monthly payment websites?

Some companies offer websites for £20–£50/month with "no upfront cost." Do the maths. Over two years that's £480–£1,200, and you usually don't own the site. If you stop paying, it disappears. You're renting, not buying.

A one-off build that you own outright is almost always better value if you can afford the upfront cost.

How to avoid overpaying

Get specific. "I need a website" gets you a vague quote. "I need a 5-page site with a contact form, a gallery, and a Google Maps embed" gets you an accurate one.

Ask what's included. Does the quote cover hosting? Mobile design? SEO setup? Content writing? Training on how to update it yourself?

Check their previous work. Not their best three projects. All of them. Consistency matters more than one flashy portfolio piece.

Ask who actually builds it. At an agency, the person you speak to is rarely the person who writes the code. Ask who's doing the work and how much experience they have.

Not sure what you need or what it should cost?

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