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

The short answer

A typical small business website in the UK costs roughly £1,000 to £5,000 from a freelancer and £2,500 to £10,000 from an agency. If you build it yourself, a website builder usually costs from about £9 to £30 a month.

Treat these as rough guides. They are drawn from price guides published by UK web companies in 2026, and real quotes vary widely.

Your three main options

Build it yourself. Website builders such as Wix and Squarespace start from around £9 to £12 a month when paid yearly. It is the cheapest way to begin, but your own time is the real cost, and the result depends on your design and writing skills.
Hire a freelancer. Usually about £1,000 to £5,000, and often good value for a website of around five pages. One person does the work, so ask what happens if they are ill or unavailable.
Hire an agency. Usually about £2,500 to £10,000 for a standard small business website, and agencies in London often charge more. You get a team, and normally a higher price.

What changes the price

How many pages you need
Whether the design is made for you or based on a template
Who writes the words and provides the photos
Whether you sell online and take payments
Extra features such as bookings or links to your other systems
Whether the website is set up properly for Google and Bing

The running costs people forget

Domain name. Expect about £10 to £15 a year for a .co.uk address. Very cheap first-year offers often rise when you renew.
Hosting. About £7 to £18 a month if it is not already included. Check whether prices include VAT, because many do not.
Maintenance. Security updates, backups and small changes commonly cost around £40 to £100 a month if you pay someone to do them.
Website builder plan. If you use a builder, the monthly fee continues for as long as the website is live.

The legal side

If your website collects personal details, for example through an enquiry form, you need a privacy notice that explains how you use them. Most cookies that are not essential, such as advertising cookies, need the visitor to agree first. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes guidance for UK businesses.

Questions to ask before you pay

Is this a fixed price, and what exactly is included?
Who will own the website, the domain and the content?
What will it cost each year after launch?
How many rounds of changes are included?
Will it work well on mobile phones?
Will it be set up for Google and Bing from the start?
What happens if I want to move it somewhere else later?

Which option is right for you?

If you are just starting out and have more time than money, a website builder is a sensible first step. If your website needs to bring in customers and look as professional as your business, it is usually worth paying someone with experience. A high price does not guarantee results, and a low price is only good value if you get what you need.

At KeyWin, every website starts with a clear brief and a fixed price, and ownership is agreed in writing before work begins. See our website service.