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

A simple small business website in the UK usually costs between about £500 and £5,000 to build, depending mostly on who builds it and how much of the work they do for you. An online shop or custom system costs more. These are the figures published guides give, what we charge at Bromputers, and how to compare quotes.

What websites typically cost

Prices vary a lot, and no single survey settles them. These figures are from three UK guides published in 2026, not independent surveys of what people paid, so treat them as a rough guide.

• A brochure site from a freelancer: £500 to £1,500 for 3 to 5 pages, according to ExpertSure. MoneyMagpie gives £1,500 to £3,500 from a freelancer or small agency for 4 to 6 pages.
• A brochure site from an agency: £2,000 to £5,000 for 5 to 10 pages (ExpertSure). Lilo gives the same top end, at £1,500 to £5,000 for a small business brochure site.
• An online shop: £3,000 to £10,000 from a freelancer and £5,000 to £35,000 or more from a specialist agency (ExpertSure). Lilo gives £8,000 to £30,000 or more.
• Custom portals and web apps: above £20,000 (MoneyMagpie). This is the widest category, because it depends entirely on what the system has to do.

What it costs to keep running

The build is only part of the price. Before you compare quotes, add up what you’d pay each year:

• Domain name: £10 to £20 a year (MoneyMagpie).
• Hosting: £5 to £30 a month with a freelancer and £20 to £100 with an agency (ExpertSure).
• Maintenance: £50 to £300 a month is a common range (Lilo). ExpertSure’s overall estimate for running costs is the same.
• Licences: some sites, particularly on WordPress, also need paid plugins. MoneyMagpie puts premium plugins at £30 to £200 each per year.

Over a few years, these costs can add up to more than the build.

What about a website builder?

Builders such as Squarespace and Wix cost less to start with. Squarespace’s UK pricing page showed its Basic plan at £14.40 a month on an annual plan, including estimated VAT, when we checked on 4 November 2026. ExpertSure puts a builder at £100 to £350 a year all in.

For a new business on a tight budget, that can be the right choice, as long as you’re happy to do the design, writing and upkeep yourself. The cost you won’t see on the pricing page is your own time.

What we charge

At Bromputers, a simple small business website is from £600 one-off, and hosting is from £10 a month. We aren’t VAT registered, so there’s no VAT to add. In practice, that means:

• First year: from £600 for the site and from £120 for hosting, so from £720, plus your domain.
• Each year after: from £120 for hosting, plus your domain.

A simple site at that price covers the pages we agree up front, a design that works on a phone, an enquiry form, set-up for Google and AI search, and two rounds of changes. Hosting covers backups, security and one small change a month, up to 30 minutes of work.

It costs less than many of the quotes above because the scope is deliberately small. You supply the words, photos and logo, and new pages or features are extra at £40 an hour, agreed before we start. If you need help with the words and images, or something larger such as an online shop, we’ll quote for it separately. The full terms are on our prices page.

You can see the result on the sites we build and run, including the case study for a Bromley flooring firm.

Questions to ask before you pay

Two quotes can look far apart simply because they cover different things. Ask each company:

1. What’s the total for the first year, and for each year after? Include hosting, maintenance and licences.
2. Who writes the words and supplies the photos? If that’s you, it’s still work to plan for.
3. How many rounds of changes are included? And what does each change cost after launch?
4. Who owns the domain and the site? The domain should be registered in your name, so you can leave with it.
5. What happens if I leave? Find out whether you get the files, and whether there’s a minimum term.
6. Is VAT included? A quote of £1,000 plus VAT is £1,200.

Which one is right for you?

• You’re just starting out and have more time than money: try a website builder.
• You want a simple site that someone else builds and looks after: a freelancer or small studio is usually the best value.
• You need a larger site, with several people involved in the process: an agency may suit you better.
• You sell products or need your own system: get a proper scoping conversation first. What kind of website does a small business need? can help you work out which you need.

If you’d like a straight answer on what your site should cost, tell us what you need. A first conversation is free, and we’ll say plainly if a website builder would do the job.

Common questions

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

Published 2026 guides put a simple brochure site at about £500 to £1,500 from a freelancer and £2,000 to £5,000 from an agency. An online shop usually starts at several thousand pounds. Bromputers charges from £600 for a simple site.

How much does a website cost to run each year?

A domain is about £10 to £20 a year. Hosting and upkeep vary widely, from £120 a year with Bromputers to several thousand with an agency retainer. Ask what's included before comparing.

Is a website builder cheaper than a web designer?

Usually, yes, at the start. ExpertSure puts a builder at £100 to £350 a year all in. You do the design, writing and upkeep yourself, so the real cost is your time.

What does Bromputers charge for a website?

A simple site is from £600 one-off and hosting is from £10 a month, with no VAT to add. Extra work is £40 an hour, agreed before we start. Bigger sites and online shops are quoted individually.