The website cost in the UK depends on what type of website you want to build. Depending on the size and functionality of your website, you might have to pay a few hundred to several thousand pounds for it.
But, how much does a website cost in UK exactly? Let’s check different types and their prices.
How much does a website cost in UK
You get what you pay for.
If you’re willing to add more features to your website, it is going to cost you more. For instance, integrating AI on your website will incur multiple charges for the integration, monthly costs, etc. On the other hand, a regular website with static pages will cost you less.
While some of the basic websites cost as low as £300, some complex websites may even cost you more than £20,000. It heavily depends on the size and functionality of the website.
Different Website Types And Their Prices
We have categorized all the websites based on their features and functionalities. To help you get the exact idea of the cost, we have mentioned the price range for each category.
1. Basic Website
A basic website is a generic word. Some people consider a static website a basic website while some even count dynamic websites.
For people who are new to website development, a static website is where you will need to make changes in the code (it has no database), while a dynamic website can be updated by you whenever you want (you can add new pages as it has a database).
A basic website costs anywhere between £300 – £1,000. Depending on which company you choose and how big the company is, you will incur these costs. A simple WordPress website with a decent theme is also considered a basic website.
Please note that we are just taking WordPress as an example for the explanation of the basic website.
An informative content-based website like HostingAdvices UK is also considered a basic website. However, there are 4-figure costs involved in content production, we will talk more about it as we move ahead.
Here’s an image of an informative website.
2. Advanced Website
Advanced websites are a little more than just the basic ones. For instance, it may have interactive elements on pages. An advanced website will cost you around £1,000 – £3,000 in the United Kingdom. If you want more functionality, you can consider a complex website.
To carry on the previous example, a WordPress website with multiple plugins is considered an advanced website. If you’re planning to add SEO plugins, security modules, or even interactive elements like registration or logins, this is considered an advanced website.
Let’s take an example of a WordPress plugin called BuddyPress. It allows you to convert your website to a forum website. Since the functionality increases, it’s considered an advanced website.
Below is the preview of the BuddyPress plugin download page.
3. Complex Websites
A complex website is where there are multiple modules linking to each other. A forum website with multiple AI and other third-party integrations is considered a complex website.
The price range of a complex website development in the UK will start somewhere from £3,000 and can go up to £10,000.
For example, websites built on Text Platform are also considered complex websites.
For complex websites, several features and functionality matters a lot. If you add more features to the complex website, the price increases a lot. For that matter, we have listed another category called bespoke websites.
4. Bespoke Websites
Bespoke websites are custom-made websites for client’s needs. Instead of using third-party modules, the blocks and features are custom-built. In the UK, Bespoke websites can start from £5,000 and can go up to any extent based on the features.
If you’re planning to create a SaaS website, it falls under the bespoke category. It can cost you a lot depending on the average number of features and type of functionality you wish to provide.
On average, a mid-size bespoke website can cost around £20,000. As mentioned above, startups can start with a lower-cost website and scale as they need.
A SaaS tool is a great example of a bespoke website. UberSuggest is one such tool. This is just an example. Usually, an average bespoke website is smaller in terms of features.
5. E-commerce Website
eCommerce websites are one of the fastest-growing websites in the United Kingdom. You can get a fully functional eCommerce website for £2,000 – £10,000 from a decent UK-based agency.
It depends on multiple factors such as whether you want to use a CMS such as WordPress/OpenCart or you’re looking to use an eCommerce builder such as Shopify. If you’re planning a custom eCommerce website, it will cost you more.
Additional services costs
But wait, to know exactly how much a website costs in the UK, you need to take a look at the additional service costs as well.
Web hosting
You need a web host where you can host your website. It’s a place where you store your website and deploy it for other internet users to visit.
Hosting services range from £5 – £50 per month. Along with this, you will also have to buy a domain name which will cost £10 to £30 per year.
Getting good web hosting services with data centers in the UK is very important. Hostinger has data centers in the UK. So, you need to select the UK as the data center, this will give you maximum performance.
Recommended Host: Hostinger
SEO optimization
SEO will help you rank your website on Google and other search engines. It costs extra for SEO optimization. Some UK digital agencies provide free SEO optimization while most charge extra for it. You need to do on-page and off-page SEO optimization for the best results.
The charges are every month. It costs anywhere between £100 and £500 per month to hire a digital agency for SEO services. A significant amount is also for content creation as content is the king of SEO.
Content Creation
Content creation includes writing text content, and creating images, or other media for the channel. It also includes keyword research for SEO and sales pages. Some UK companies also include the web page copy with the development.
The cost for content creation is from £50 to £500 per page.
If you want some extra research which also involves screenshots and testing, it will cost you more. Our A2Hosting Oversold article is a great example of it.
Content Update
Content updation is also yet another charge that you might have to incur. However, it varies based on the companies. The charges are similar to content creation. For content updation, you can consider 50% of content creation which is between £25 – £250 per page.
Search the keyword and find the right keywords for this. Yoast plugins help you in adding the right keywords from the dashboard itself.
Maintenance
Maintenance costs depend on the type of website you have. For instance, managing a WordPress website is super easy. There needs to be more maintenance for WordPress. So, the maintenance cost varies from £50 to £300 per month.
Alternatively, you can use managed WordPress hosting.
Cost comparison between Agencies and Freelancers
Let’s compare the agencies and freelancers and see what will be the price difference between these two.
Agencies
Digital agencies have teams working with multiple people in different niches. It costs you more as compared to hiring a freelancer. Depending on how big your website is, you can hire an agency.
For instance, if you’re planning to develop an eCommerce website or bespoke website, you will need to hire an agency. It’s tough (next to impossible) for a freelancer to develop such a website. You can either hire a team of freelancers or directly from an agency.
Let’s talk about costs now. An agency will cost you around £1,000 – £20,000+ for developing a website in the UK. There could be an extra monthly charge.
Freelancers
Freelancers usually cost you way less compared to websites. Get a freelancer in the UK to develop a website for £300 – £5,000.
Its cost depends on the experience of the freelancer you’re hiring and how much time it takes for them to develop a website. The same rate applies to digital marketers, SEO specialists, and even a content creator.
Please note that some freelancers will charge you on an hourly basis while some will charge you a lump sum amount.
If freelancers are charging you on an hourly basis, you need to make sure that you ask for the estimated time for your project. With this, you can get a perfect idea about the cost.
Please note that you always need to consider a higher number of hours than mentioned. This is the only way you can predict the pricing.
Hiring a freelancer is only recommended for basic, advanced, or eCommerce websites. You should consider an agency if your website is complex or bespoke. In this way, you can have peace of mind while the website is being developed.
Conclusion
To answer “how much does a website cost in UK”, you can expect a minimum of £300 even for a basic one-page website and it can go up to £20,000 or more. The website development cost is one-time.
However, you need to take out an extra £10 – £100 per month for various basic stuff such as hosting, domain, SSL, content, maintenance, etc. Even if you consider the basic website, you need to pay for the hosting and domain name.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the average cost of website design for a small business in the UK?
You can expect anywhere between £1,000 and £3,000 for the average cost of a website design in the UK.
What is the website maintenance cost in the UK?
The website maintenance cost in the UK will depend on the type of website you have. For a regular website, you can expect £50 – £300 per month as maintenance cost.
Can you set up a website for free in the UK?
Yes, but I don’t recommend it because you will need to have technical knowledge to build one. The free website builders are not worth it if you’re serious about your website.