If you are thinking about getting a website for your business, the first question is almost always: “how much is this going to cost me?” It sounds simple; it isn't. Search online and you will find prices from “free” to tens of thousands of pounds. Website builders advertise monthly plans cheaper than a coffee. Freelance designers quote hundreds or thousands. Agencies want five figures. And almost everyone giving advice has a commercial interest in your decision. This guide cuts through the noise: every common route to a UK business website, the real numbers in pounds and pence (VAT included), and the costs nobody tells you about until the invoice lands.
DIY website builders: what you actually pay · WordPress: free software, hidden costs · Hiring a professional: freelancer and agency rates · The costs nobody talks about · 3-year total cost comparison · How to get the best value · UK-specific cost factors · FAQ
Website builders like Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy are the most popular choice for UK SMEs who want to build a site themselves. They handle the technical side — hosting, security, updates — and give you a drag-and-drop editor. That convenience comes at a price, and the advertised price is rarely the one you end up paying.
Most builders show a low monthly price on their homepage. What the homepage does not show:
| Builder | Advertised | Renewal | Price change | Domain included? | Email included? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix (Light) | £9/mo | £9/mo | None (but +20% VAT) | No (≈£12/yr) | No (≈£4/mo) |
| Wix (Business) | £13.50/mo | £13.50/mo | None (but +20% VAT) | Year 1 free | No |
| Squarespace (Personal) | £12/mo | £12/mo | None | Year 1 free | No |
| Squarespace (Business) | £22/mo | £22/mo | None | Year 1 free | Google Workspace trial |
| GoDaddy (Basic) | £4.99/mo | £8–12/mo | +40–60% | No | No |
| Sitejet Builder + Hosting | £5/mo | £5/mo | None | No (≈£10/yr) | Yes (1 mailbox) |
Notice the bottom row. Sitejet Builder takes a different approach: the builder is included free with a hosting plan. There is no separate builder subscription. You pay for hosting — £5/month — and the builder, 170+ professional templates, free SSL, daily backups and one mailbox are all in the package. The price stays the same at renewal.
There is a cost that no invoice shows: vendor lock-in. If you build on Wix and later decide to move, you cannot take the site with you. Wix offers no export at all. Pages, design, content — all stay on their platform. Leaving means starting again from scratch.
Squarespace has limited export (blog posts, some content). GoDaddy has no meaningful export. The real cost of a locked-in builder therefore includes the cost of rebuilding the site if you ever want to leave. Sitejet Builder handles this differently: you can export the entire site as a ZIP at any time — HTML, CSS, images, everything. The work belongs to you, not to the platform. Our hidden fees and lock-in guide explains why this matters economically.
WordPress is the world's most popular website platform, and the software itself is free. That is the good news. The less good news is that “free” comes with a long list of things you need to buy, manage and maintain yourself.
.co.uk or .uk.WordPress requires ongoing maintenance that builders handle automatically. You (or someone you pay) need to:
For a technically-comfortable owner this takes a couple of hours a month. For everyone else it means a maintenance service at £30–£100/month. WordPress is a powerful platform, but it is designed for people willing to learn and manage the technical side. If you want a professional website without becoming a part-time web administrator, a builder is usually a better fit. See also website builder vs web designer and website builder vs WordPress.
| Item | Low estimate | Typical estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | £60/yr | £120/yr |
| Domain (.co.uk) | £8/yr | £12/yr |
| Theme | £0 (free) | £50 (one-off) |
| Plugins (annual) | £0 (free tiers) | £100–200/yr |
| SSL | £0 (included) | £0 (included) |
| Email (1 mailbox) | £12/yr | £36/yr |
| Total year 1 | £80 | £320–420 |
If building yourself does not appeal — or you need something more bespoke — hiring a professional is the other main route. Costs vary enormously depending on who you hire and what you need.
These are one-off build costs. On top you pay for hosting, domain, SSL and ongoing maintenance — typically £50–£150/month for a retainer covering updates, backups and minor changes.
Agencies charge more because you are paying for a team — designer, developer, project manager, often a content writer. Typical UK rates:
Monthly maintenance retainers typically £100–£500/month on top of the initial build.
For most UK SMEs — plumber, hairdresser, local accountancy, bakery — a professionally designed template customised in a builder delivers an outcome every bit as effective as a bespoke build, at a fraction of the cost. If you want a professional to build your site on Sitejet Builder, smartxhosting.uk offers a Website Build Service that gives you a custom-designed site without the agency price tag.
Whichever route you choose, there are ongoing costs every business website incurs. Many owners are surprised by these because they are rarely mentioned during the sales process.
Your domain (yourbusiness.co.uk) renews annually. A .co.uk typically costs £8–£15/year. Some providers offer a free domain for the first year then charge a premium on renewal — check the renewal price before signing up.
Most reputable hosts include a free SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt). If yours does not, budget £30–£100/year. Premium EV certificates used to be worth it; now the browser UI no longer distinguishes them visually, so a free DV certificate is perfectly adequate for the vast majority of UK small businesses.
A professional address ([email protected]) is essential for credibility. Many builders do not include it. £1–£5/month per mailbox. Sitejet Builder Hosting includes one mailbox in the base plan.
With a builder, maintenance is handled by the platform. With WordPress, you manage it or pay £30–£100/month. With a custom-built agency site, retainers run £100–£500/month.
The cost owners most often overlook. Even a drag-and-drop builder takes time — a first-time user should expect 15–40 hours to set up a business site (content, images, design tweaks, mobile testing). At £25/hour that is £375–£1,000 of your time invested. Builders with AI content tools and industry-specific templates reduce this materially.
First-year cost tells only part of the story. Renewals, ongoing fees and hidden extras become clearer over three years. Like-for-like comparison for a typical 5-page UK business site with custom domain, SSL, one mailbox and basic analytics:
| Approach | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix (Business) | £210 | £220 | £220 | £650 |
| Squarespace (Business) | £280 | £290 | £290 | £860 |
| GoDaddy (Standard) | £100 | £170 | £170 | £440 |
| WordPress (self-managed) | £180 | £150 | £150 | £480 |
| Sitejet Builder + Hosting | £70 | £70 | £70 | £210 |
| Freelancer (one-off build) | £1,600 | £200 | £200 | £2,000 |
| Agency (one-off build) | £5,200 | £500 | £500 | £6,200 |
Assumptions: all figures include VAT where applicable. Domain renewal at £10/yr. Email at £3/mo where not included. SSL free (Let's Encrypt). WordPress estimate includes £100/yr in plugin licences. Freelancer figure is a basic 5-page site plus ongoing hosting. Agency figure is a mid-range build plus hosting and maintenance retainer.
Over three years the difference between cheapest and most expensive is nearly £6,000. For most UK SMEs, a builder with hosting included gives you 90% of what you need at a fraction of the cost.
Whatever the budget, these principles help you avoid overpaying.
Monthly prices look small. Annual totals reveal the truth. Take the monthly price, add VAT (20%), multiply by 12, then add domain, e-mail and any premium features. That is your real first-year cost.
Introductory discounts are standard. What matters is year two and beyond. If a provider does not clearly show renewal pricing, treat it as a warning sign.
The best-value plans include hosting, a builder, SSL, backups and at least one mailbox in a single price. Sitejet Builder Hosting bundles all of these for £5/month with no renewal increase. Compared with buying each component separately the savings are substantial.
Before you commit, ask: can I take my website with me if I leave? If the answer is no, factor in the cost of rebuilding from scratch — because one day you may need to. Platforms that let you export (Sitejet Builder's ZIP) give you freedom and peace of mind.
You do not need a ten-page masterpiece on day one. A well-designed 3–5 page site — home, about, services, contact, testimonials — is enough to establish credibility and start attracting customers. You can always add pages, a blog or an online shop later.
Before paying for third-party analytics, a separate e-commerce platform or an expensive contact-form plugin, check what the builder already includes. Sitejet Builder ships Matomo analytics (GDPR-compliant), Ecwid e-commerce integration and built-in forms at no extra cost.
A website is not a one-off project — it is a long-term business asset. The cheapest option in year one is not always the cheapest over five. Look at total cost of ownership, including maintenance, renewals and the flexibility to change things without paying a developer every time. Our true cost of running a website guide covers year three and beyond in depth.
A UK business paying a VAT-registered UK hosting provider can usually reclaim VAT if VAT-registered itself. If you buy from a US-based builder, the invoice may include reverse-charge VAT or be VAT-free depending on their billing model — check with your accountant. UK providers (smartxhosting.uk, Krystal, Kualo, 20i, Fasthosts) issue proper UK VAT invoices ready for Xero and QuickBooks.
Shopify, Webflow and some other US-based tools are priced in USD. A 10% USD/GBP swing changes your effective cost by 10%. UK-priced services hold a flat GBP rate regardless of currency movements.
UK payment processing adds roughly 1.4% + 20p per transaction for Stripe, GoCardless and similar. If your site takes card payments, factor this into margin calculations. Shopify without Shopify Payments adds a platform transaction fee on top — a meaningful surprise for shops selling higher-value items.
Public-sector bodies and many UK corporate procurement processes require WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility and Cyber Essentials certification. Both add cost — Cyber Essentials is around £300–£400/year for a basic assessment, and accessibility testing can run several hundred pounds — but they open doors to contracts worth many times that.
Registered UK charities can sometimes access discounted hosting and builder rates. Some providers offer a charity discount off list price; others waive setup fees. Ask explicitly; it rarely appears on the public pricing page.
Q: How much does a basic business website cost in the UK?
A: £60–£500/year if you build it yourself. The most affordable professional option is a hosting plan with Sitejet Builder included — £60/year covers hosting, builder, SSL, daily backups and one mailbox. Standalone builders like Wix start at £108/year before VAT, and do not include e-mail or a custom domain.
Q: What hidden costs should I watch out for?
A: The most common hidden costs are: renewal price increases (GoDaddy rises 40–60% after year one), VAT not in advertised prices (add 20%), domain fees (£8–£15/year), e-mail hosting (£1–£5/month per mailbox), premium templates (£20–£80), plugin or app subscriptions (£5–£30/month each), and SSL certificates if not included free with hosting.
Q: Is it cheaper to build a website myself or hire someone?
A: Building yourself is significantly cheaper upfront: £60–£500/year vs £500–£3,000 one-off for a freelancer or £3,000–£15,000 for an agency. DIY takes your time — typically 15–40 hours. If your time is worth more than £25–£30/hour, hiring a professional may make sense for complex projects.
Q: Do I need to pay for SSL separately?
A: Not if you choose the right host. Most quality hosts (including smartxhosting.uk) include a free SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt). Premium SSL for e-commerce or EV costs £30–£200/year but is rarely necessary for UK SMEs in 2026.
Q: Can I build a professional website for under £100/year?
A: Yes. With Sitejet Builder Hosting at £5/month (£60/year), you get hosting, 170+ templates, AI content tools, free SSL, daily backups and one mailbox. Add a .co.uk domain (£10/year) and your total is around £70/year.
Q: What is vendor lock-in and why does it matter?
A: Vendor lock-in means you cannot take your website with you if you leave. With Wix, there is no way to export your site — cancelling means losing everything. Sitejet Builder avoids this with a ZIP export, so you always own your work and can move to any host.
Q: How much does an e-commerce website cost?
A: Anywhere from £60/year (Sitejet Builder with Ecwid for up to 5 products free) to £3,000+/year for a dedicated Shopify plan (£19–£259/month). WooCommerce on WordPress is free as software but requires hosting (£60–£300/year) plus payment gateway fees.
Q: Are advertised UK builder prices inclusive of VAT?
A: Sometimes. UK-based providers usually show inclusive prices; many US-based providers show exclusive. Always check the checkout total, not the marketing page.
Q: Can I claim my website costs through HMRC?
A: Yes — website hosting, builder subscriptions, domain renewals and maintenance are ordinary revenue expenses deductible against business profits for income tax or corporation tax. Keep VAT invoices for the accountant. Capital treatment rarely applies to modern SaaS builders.
Q: How much should I set aside for the long term?
A: For a typical UK SME, budget £70–£300/year ongoing on Sitejet Builder or managed-builder routes, and £300–£1,000/year on self-managed WordPress once maintenance is included. Agency routes often settle at £1,500–£6,000/year in year-2-plus retainers.