How much does a small business website cost in the UK?
An honest 2026 price guide for UK small business websites: what DIY builders, freelancers, agencies, Yell and managed services really cost, in money and in time, and the costs people forget.
In short
In the UK, a small business website costs anything from around £110 a year if you build it yourself on Wix or Squarespace, to £2,000 to £10,000 or more through an agency. Most local businesses land somewhere in between. Always count the monthly running costs and your own time, not just the headline build price.
"How much does a website cost?" is the first question most business owners ask, and the answer is usually "it depends", which is not much help.
So this is a straight answer. Below are the real price ranges for UK small business websites in 2026, what you actually get at each level, and the running costs that often get left out of the headline figure.
We build websites ourselves, so we have a view. We will be clear where that comes in, and we will tell you when another option is the better fit.
The short answer
For a typical local service business, these are the realistic ranges:
| Route | Upfront | Monthly | First year, roughly |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | Nothing, but 15 to 40 hours of your time | £9 to £25 | £110 to £300, plus your time |
| Freelance web designer | £500 to £2,500 | £10 to £50 for hosting and upkeep | £620 to £3,100 |
| Yell or a directory website package | Varies, often bundled | Commonly reported at £50 to £100 | £600 to £1,200 or more |
| Web agency | £2,000 to £10,000 or more | £50 to £200 retainer | £2,600 to £12,400 or more |
| Managed website service | A few hundred pounds | £15 to £50 | Ours: £630 |
These are typical ranges, not quotes. Prices vary with the size of the site, where you are and who you ask. The point of the table is the shape of it: the build price is only part of what you pay.
DIY website builders
Wix, Squarespace and similar builders are the cheapest way to get a website in pounds. Plans suitable for a small business run from roughly £9 to £25 a month. We compare their current UK prices in detail in our Wix vs Squarespace pricing guide.
What the subscription does not include is the work. You choose the template, write every word, find the photos, set up the SEO and keep it all up to date. Most people spend 15 to 40 hours getting a site they are happy with. If your time is worth £40 an hour, that is £600 to £1,600 of time before the site is live.
DIY is genuinely the right choice for some people: if you enjoy it, have the time and are comfortable writing about your business, it can work well.
Freelance web designers
A freelancer will usually build a small business site for somewhere between £500 and £2,500. At the lower end you will often get a one-page or template-based site. At the upper end you can expect a custom design and several pages.
Check exactly what is included. Copywriting, hosting, the domain, SEO setup and changes after launch are often extras. Ask who will look after the site once it is live, and what that costs.
Yell and directory website packages
Yell and similar directories sell websites as part of wider marketing packages. Yell does not publish a price list and quotes individually, so the only way to know is to ask. Independent reviews and small business forums commonly report £50 to £100 a month, usually on a 12-month minimum term.
The bigger question with these packages is ownership. If the site only exists while you keep paying, you are renting it. We cover what to check, and what people report paying, in how much a Yell website costs.
Web agencies
Agencies typically charge £2,000 to £10,000 or more for a small business website, with monthly retainers of £50 to £200 for hosting, maintenance and changes. Timelines are usually measured in weeks or months, with workshops, wireframes and several review rounds.
For a larger business, or one that needs bespoke features, an agency can be worth every penny. For a plumber, a salon or a dog groomer who needs clear service pages and a phone number people can find, it is often more than the job needs.
Managed website services
A managed service sits between a freelancer and an agency. You tell them about your business, they write the copy, build the site, set up the domain and local SEO, and then look after it for a monthly fee.
Ours is £450 to build and £15 a month after that. The £15 covers hosting, your domain, the security certificate, software updates, backups and small changes such as new prices, opening hours or photos. You pay nothing until you have seen the site and approved it, and the website and domain are yours if you ever leave. There is more detail in our guide to what a managed website service includes.
The costs people forget
Whoever builds your site, these are the costs that tend to appear after the quote:
- Domain name. Usually £10 to £15 a year for a .co.uk or .com. Make sure it is registered in your name.
- Hosting. Anywhere from £5 to £30 a month, sometimes bundled.
- Security certificate. Often free now, but someone has to make sure it renews. An expired one makes browsers warn visitors away.
- Maintenance. Software updates, backups and fixes. Typically £15 to £50 a month for a small site. Our website maintenance guide explains what it covers and why it matters.
- Changes. Some providers charge for every edit, even a new phone number. Ask how small changes are handled before you sign.
- Copywriting and photos. If these are not included, a copywriter or photographer can add a few hundred pounds each.
- Your time. The cost nobody invoices you for, and often the biggest one.
Five questions to ask before you pay anyone
- What is the total cost over the first year, including hosting, domain and maintenance?
- Who writes the words on the website?
- How much do changes cost after the site is live?
- Is there a minimum contract, and what is the notice period?
- If I leave, do I keep the website and the domain?
Any provider worth using will answer all five clearly and in writing.
So what should you spend?
For most local service businesses, the right website is not the most expensive one. It is a clear, fast, mobile-friendly site that says what you do, where you do it and how to get in touch, set up properly for local search and kept up to date.
That can be done well at almost every price point above. Just make sure you are comparing the full yearly cost and your own time, not just the number on the front of the quote.
If you already have a website and want to know whether it is worth keeping, our free website check will give you an honest answer before you spend anything.
Want a clear price, with nothing extra later?
We build websites for local businesses for £450, then £15 a month for hosting, maintenance and security. Copy, domain, local SEO and small updates are all included, and you pay nothing until you have approved the site.
Tell us about your businessFrequently asked questions
It depends on who builds it. A DIY builder such as Wix or Squarespace costs roughly £9 to £25 a month plus 15 to 40 hours of your time. A freelancer typically charges £500 to £2,500. An agency usually charges £2,000 to £10,000 or more. A managed website service sits in between, typically a few hundred pounds to build plus a modest monthly fee. Ours is £450, then £15 a month.
Yes. Every website has running costs: a domain name (usually £10 to £15 a year), hosting, an SSL certificate, and maintenance to keep the software secure and up to date. Some providers bundle these into a single monthly fee, others bill them separately. Ask for the full yearly cost before you commit, not just the build price.
For a straightforward small business website, £15 to £50 a month is a reasonable range and often includes hosting. Agency retainers usually run £50 to £200 a month. Be wary of no maintenance at all: out-of-date software and expired certificates cost more to fix than they do to prevent.
Mostly because of time and scope. A large custom design, many pages, online booking, e-commerce, bespoke features and several rounds of revisions all add hours. For most local service businesses, a clear site with good service pages and local SEO does the job without paying for features you will never use.
The cheapest in pounds is a DIY builder, but it is rarely the cheapest once you count your own time, and the result depends on your skill with copy, design and SEO. If you value your time at even £30 an hour, a managed service or a well-priced freelancer is usually better value.
