How much does a website cost in the UK in 2025

Most people ask “How much does a website cost?” expecting a straight answer. The truth is, it depends – but not in a vague way.

There are real reasons why some websites cost £1,000 and others £20,000+. The differences are measurable. Time, complexity, scope, and quality all drive cost. So let’s walk through what you should expect to pay for web design in the UK in 2025 – and why.

What makes one website cost more than another?

A few key things affect price more than anything else:

• How many pages or layouts need designing
• How much of the content already exists
• Whether functionality is custom or off-the-shelf
• How polished the front-end needs to be
• Who’s doing the work — freelancer vs agency
• How fast the project needs delivering

Scope and speed are what drive most of the cost.

What you get at different budget levels

Under £1,000

DIY platforms, student projects, basic template tweaks.

This is the lowest-cost option and generally involves building the site yourself using platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or a pre-made WordPress theme. You’ll get access to drag-and-drop tools, basic templates, and a few standard features.

It’s usually fine for personal projects or one-page sites, but it comes with a long list of compromises: you won’t get proper SEO structure, speed optimisation, or a unique design. Support is often minimal, and scaling later can be difficult without starting over.

If you’re on a tight budget, this route can get you online. But you’ll need to handle everything – structure, copy, design, technical setup – yourself. If something breaks, it’s on you to fix it.

We’ve rebuilt a lot of DIY websites for clients who outgrew them after six months. They’re fine for proof of concept, but not ideal for growing a business or competing in search results.

£2,000-£6,000

Freelancer builds with simple custom designs.

At this level, you’re usually working with a freelancer – someone handling design, development, and launch all on their own. You might get a semi-custom design or a modified theme, depending on their approach and experience.

Most sites in this range include a few core templates (home, about, services, contact), a CMS like WordPress, and some basic on-page SEO. It won’t be fully bespoke, but it’ll look professional and reflect your brand better than a DIY builder.

That said, timelines can stretch. Freelancers often juggle multiple projects at once, and if one client delays content or feedback, everyone gets pushed back. Support after launch can also vary depending on how busy they are or whether you’ve agreed any kind of maintenance.

This range can be a great value for simple brochure-style websites, provided you’re not expecting complex features or a fast turnaround. Just make sure you get clear terms and know what’s included before starting.

£5,000–£10,000

Bespoke small business websites.

This is the range where you’re start working with a small studio or agency that knows what they’re doing. The site is built properly – no templates, no drag-and-drop builders, and no repurposed themes from five years ago.

You’ll get a fully bespoke design, built from scratch around your brand, content, and goals. Every key template – homepage, service pages, contact, blog – is designed for purpose, not guessed at. If you’re not sure what that means in practice, we’ve explained it in more detail here: what is a bespoke web design?

Most websites in this range are built on WordPress using Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and a clean CMS layout that’s easy for non-technical users to edit. We also include mobile optimisation, on-page SEO, performance tuning, and full launch support.

It’s a good fit for businesses that rely on their website to generate leads or convert visitors – not just have something online. It won’t include ecommerce or complex integrations at this price, but for service-based businesses or consultants, this is usually the sweet spot.

£10,000–£25,000

Sites that do more than display information.

In this range, you’re paying for functionality – not just visuals. These websites go beyond static content and start doing things: selling products, taking bookings, filtering content by location or category, or integrating with third-party tools like CRMs, payment gateways, or external databases.

We’re talking full ecommerce builds, advanced search filters, gated content, multi-step forms, multilingual content, or anything that adds complexity to both the frontend and backend.

There’s more planning involved, more testing, and often more people. Projects in this range can include multiple stakeholder sign-offs, user testing, custom UI for logged-in users, and carefully structured content for teams to manage internally.

We’ve spent over 40 hours on quality assurance alone for sites like these. Not because they’re problematic – but because when a site includes moving parts, you need to test it on every device, browser, and condition. That level of detail is what makes it work smoothly for users.

If your website is a core part of how your business operates or sells  and not just a marketing tool,  this is typically where your budget needs to sit.

£25,000+

Large or complex custom builds.

At this level, the website becomes a platform – not just a marketing tool. You’re building something that supports a growing team, multiple departments, or high levels of traffic and interaction. It’s no longer just about design – it’s about how the business operates.

You might need dozens of unique templates, multilingual support, complex user permissions, live data feeds, CRM integrations, or advanced search and filtering. You might also be replacing an old system and need migration support, legacy data handling, or internal training.

Projects like this involve a longer planning phase, structured content modelling, staged releases, and heavy testing. The build can span months and involve multiple teams – including developers, designers, SEO specialists, content strategists, and project managers.

Costs can rise quickly if requirements shift mid-project or if internal teams need extensive sign-off rounds. But when done properly, this kind of site can last five years or more – saving significant time and cost down the line.

If your website needs to do something very specific, connect to other systems, or scale across multiple regions or audiences – this is the bracket you should expect when working with a web design agency in London.

Why content affects price more than people realise

Content holds everything up or speeds everything up. It’s rarely neutral.

If your content is final, structured, and ready to drop in, the whole build moves faster. We know what goes where, what sections are needed, and how long the pages will be. We can design and build with clarity from day one.

But if the copy is still being written, half-written, or constantly changing, it slows everything down. We pause builds. Reopen design files. Rewrite layouts. Wait for missing sections. Chase edits. Reflow pages multiple times.

The difference in time can be significant. On a five-page site, unready content might only add a day or two. On a 30-page build with multiple templates, it can add weeks.

We’ve had clients deliver content in a single clean Google Doc with clear H1s, CTAs, image references, and alt text — that saves 10+ hours straight away. We’ve also had projects where we’re copying and pasting text from PDFs, emails, or text messages – that burns time and budget quickly.

So if you want to save money and keep the project moving, get the content done early. Or ask us to handle it. But don’t underestimate how much it affects the final cost.

What about ecommerce?

Ecommerce adds complexity, no matter how simple the shop might seem. Even the most straightforward online store needs a solid foundation to function properly and stay secure.

At the very least, you’ll need:

• Flexible product templates with images, descriptions, and variant options
• Checkout flow that works across devices and browsers
• Integration with a payment gateway (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
• Secure setup with SSL, anti-fraud protection, and data handling in place
• Automated order confirmation and transactional emails
• Logic for tax, shipping, and stock management – even if it’s simple now

That’s before you get into things like:

• Discount codes
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Integration with accounting or fulfilment tools
• Subscriptions or memberships

A proper ecommerce site – built with WooCommerce, Shopify, or a custom solution – usually starts at around £10,000. The more functionality you add, the higher the cost. But cutting corners here often leads to problems later, especially if orders start coming in and things begin breaking under load.

If your site is responsible for taking money, it needs to be fast, secure, and stable from day one. That’s where the cost comes from.

Agency vs freelancer – does it change the cost?

Freelancers charge less per hour – usually between £40 and £80. Agencies are more expensive – typically £80 to £150+ – but the work is split across a team.

That means:

• Designers focus on design
• Developers write the code
• Project managers keep everything on track
• QA testers check the site before launch

So while the rate is higher, the actual delivery time can be faster and the end result more robust. Freelancers are often working solo, switching between tasks, and balancing multiple clients. That can slow things down – especially if they get busy, sick, or pulled into another job mid-way through yours.

The choice often comes down to two things: how much control you want, and how much time you have. If you’re working to a deadline, want fewer surprises, and need long-term support, an agency is usually the safer option – even if it costs more on paper.

If you’re weighing up who to work with, we’ve written a short guide on choosing a web design agency – it’ll help you ask the right questions before making a decision.

What about hosting and maintenance?

Once your website is built, it needs a home – and ongoing care. Hosting and maintenance aren’t always included in the build cost, but they’re essential if you want things to run smoothly.

• Hosting: Expect to pay £20–£60/month depending on the platform, storage, traffic, and performance requirements.
• Maintenance & support: Anywhere from £80 to £400/month, depending on what’s included.

A decent support plan will cover:

• Plugin and CMS updates
• Daily or weekly backups
• Security monitoring and patching
• Minor tweaks or content updates
• Emergency fixes if something breaks

You don’t have to pay for maintenance – but if something goes wrong, and you’re not covered, it’s on you to sort it. Many businesses find peace of mind in having someone on call to keep the site running and handle small tasks without needing a new quote every time.

Final thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all price for a website. That’s not a sales tactic – it’s reality.

The real question isn’t “how much does a website cost?” – it’s “what does this website need to do?”

• Do you want leads to come in through forms or phone calls?
• Do you need customers to buy directly through the site?
• Do you want to edit content yourself without stress?
• Does it need to grow with your business?

We’ve built £6,000 websites that outperform what others charge double for. We’ve also built £30,000 platforms that support multi-country teams, thousands of users, and live booking feeds.

If you’re serious about getting your website built properly, let us know what it needs to do and what you want it to achieve. Use our project planner and we’ll give you a realistic cost that matches your requirements.