How much does a small business website cost in the UK?
In 2026, a simple small business website typically costs £500–£1,500 from a freelancer or £2,000–£5,000 from an agency, plus £50–£300 a month to host and maintain. Pay-monthly websites usually cost around £65–£250 a month instead of a big upfront bill. The right choice depends less on the headline price and more on what's included, and who owns the site when you leave.
Typical UK prices in 2026
These are typical ranges, not quotes. Prices vary with the number of pages, how much writing and photography is involved, and any extra features such as booking or online payments.
| Type of site | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Small brochure site (a handful of pages) | £500–£1,500 | £2,000–£5,000 |
| Medium site (10–25 pages) | £2,000–£5,000 | £5,000–£15,000 |
Source: ExpertSure UK website design costs guide.
On top of the build, expect ongoing costs. Hosting and maintenance typically run from roughly £50 to £300 a month depending on what's included, and pay-monthly website subscriptions are commonly about £65 to £250 a month (source: Ed the Dev). If you want ongoing local SEO, trades-focused agencies typically charge from about £350 a month (source: Growth4Trades).
Your four main options
1. DIY website builders
Wix, Squarespace and similar tools cost a monthly subscription and your time. They're the cheapest way to get something online, and fine if you enjoy that kind of work. The catch is that most tradespeople don't have the hours to write good service pages, set up Google properly and keep it all up to date. A DIY site that never gets touched again rarely brings in much work.
2. Freelancers
A good freelancer can build a solid site at a fair price and you deal with one person. Quality varies widely, though. Check their past work, ask what happens after launch, and find out who will fix things if they move on.
3. Agencies
Agencies cost more but usually bring a team: design, copywriting, SEO and support. That's worth it for bigger or more complex sites. For a sole trader or small firm, you can end up paying for process and overheads you don't need.
4. Pay-monthly websites
You pay a monthly fee instead of a large upfront sum, and hosting, updates and support are usually included. It's easier on cash flow and means someone is responsible for keeping the site working. The things to check are the minimum contract length, what's genuinely included, and whether you own the site.
What should be included
- A design that works well on phones, since that's where most local searches happen
- Clear pages for each main service and the areas you cover
- Click-to-call buttons and a simple enquiry form
- Basic SEO set-up: page titles, descriptions, fast loading and a sitemap
- Google Search Console and analytics, set up in your name
- An SSL certificate (the padlock) and secure hosting
- A clear answer on who makes changes, and what they cost
Hidden costs to ask about
- Domain renewals, usually small but sometimes marked up heavily by the provider.
- Email accounts, often billed separately.
- Changes after launch, charged per hour or per request.
- Plugins and licences, such as premium themes or booking tools with their own fees.
- Copywriting and photos, which some quotes leave for you to supply.
- Exit fees for handing over the site or domain when you leave.
The ownership trap
This is the one that catches most people. Some providers register your domain in their own name, build on a platform only they can access, and set up your Google accounts under their login. It works fine until you want to leave. Then you find you can't take the site with you, and sometimes not even the domain your customers know.
Before you sign anything, ask in writing:
- Is the domain registered in my name, and can I log in to it?
- Who owns the Google Business Profile, Search Console and analytics accounts?
- If I leave, do I get the website files and content, and is there a fee?
If the answers are vague, treat that as a warning sign whatever the price.
How to choose
Start with what you need the site to do. If it's mainly a place to send people who already know you, a simple site from a freelancer or a DIY builder can be enough. If you want it to bring in new work from Google, you need more than a build: service and area pages, a properly set up Google Business Profile, and someone keeping an eye on it every month.
Compare quotes over three years, not just the first bill. A cheap build plus hourly charges for every change can cost more than a pay-monthly plan, and a pay-monthly plan with a long lock-in and no ownership can cost you far more when you leave.
What we charge
For transparency, here's how we price. 1st Choice Digital is a pay-monthly provider: Starter is £99 a month, Growth £199 a month and Pro £399 a month, with no setup fee. You pay the first month when you sign up, there's a 12-month minimum, then it's rolling monthly. Small changes are free, new pages are £39, and moving from another provider is free. You own your domain, hosting and Google accounts. That won't suit everyone, and the options above are all reasonable for the right business. You can compare our packages or read how it works.
Questions
What is a reasonable price for a small business website in the UK?
For a simple brochure site, around £500 to £1,500 from a freelancer or £2,000 to £5,000 from an agency is typical in 2026, plus ongoing hosting and maintenance. Pay-monthly options usually run from about £65 to £250 a month.
Is pay-monthly cheaper than paying upfront?
Not always over several years, but it spreads the cost and usually includes hosting, updates and support. Compare the total over three years and check who owns the site and domain if you leave.
Do I need to pay for SEO as well as the website?
A well-built site should be set up for search from day one. Ongoing local SEO is a separate cost with many providers, typically from about £350 a month at trades-focused agencies, though some packages include it.
What happens to my website if I stop paying?
It depends entirely on the contract. With some providers the site goes offline and the domain stays with them. Make sure the domain and accounts are in your name and that you can take the site with you.
Not sure what your current site is worth?
Get a free check: how your site performs on phones, where you appear on Google for your trade and town, and whether you own your accounts.