/ Cost guide · Web design
How much does a website cost?
£300 to £15,000+ in the UK in 2026, depending on scope and who builds it.
- UK price range
- £0 + £120+
- UK average
- £2,400
- Tiers explained
- 5
- Category
- Web design
/ 01
Quick answer: £300 to £15,000+ in the UK in 2026, depending on scope and who builds it.
The UK average for a website in 2026 sits at roughly £2,400. The huge range is because a website isn't one product — it's a category with wildly different tiers, and the tier you pick determines almost everything about what you get.
Below we break it down properly: what each tier gets you, what factors change the price, the hidden costs nobody warns you about, and where a fair, honest price actually lands.
/ 02
Pricing tiers explained
Here's how the UK market for a website actually breaks down in 2026:
- • DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) (£0 + £120–£400/yr) — for hobbies, side projects, pre-launch validation You get: A template you fill in. Your time is the cost.
- • Starter site (RIOT) (£249–£1,200) — for new businesses, up to 5 pages You get: Custom design, mobile-first, SEO foundation, hosting setup.
- • Growth site (RIOT) (£1,200–£3,500) — for established smbs, 6–15 pages, blog You get: Full custom design, CMS, integrations, conversion-focused.
- • Custom / bespoke (£3,500–£15,000+) — for ecommerce, web apps, complex integrations You get: Everything above + custom functionality, deep integrations.
- • Agency (£8,000–£40,000+) — for funded startups, corporates You get: Larger team, longer timeline, similar output at 3–5x the price.
/ 03
What changes the price
The same tier of supplier can quote wildly different prices depending on scope. Here are the factors that move the number up or down:
- • Number of pages
- • Custom design vs. template
- • CMS complexity
- • Ecommerce (adds £1k–£5k)
- • Integrations (CRM, booking, payments, ERP)
- • Copywriting and photography
- • SEO setup and ongoing
/ 04
Hidden costs nobody mentions
Every headline price hides costs that only surface later. Watch for these:
- • Hosting (£10–£40/mo)
- • Domain (£8–£15/yr)
- • Email (£3–£6/user/mo)
- • Care plan / maintenance (£25–£150/mo)
- • Content updates over time
/ 05
What we charge
Starter website from £249, growth from £1,200, ecommerce from £3,500. Fixed quote, all-in, no surprises.
We're a small Colchester studio working with UK SMBs and international clients. Our pricing is fixed, itemised, and includes everything you'd expect from a good agency — without the agency overhead.
/ 06
How to compare quotes fairly
The biggest mistake when getting quotes for a website is comparing headline numbers without checking scope. A £500 quote and a £2,500 quote for what looks like the same thing are almost always for very different things.
Three checks that put every quote on a level playing field: 1) Ask what's included by line item. 2) Ask what happens if scope changes mid-project. 3) Ask what you own at the end (files, code, accounts). If any supplier can't answer those clearly, move on.
/ FAQs
Common questions
Why do agencies quote £10,000 for what feels like a 5-page site?
Overhead. Big offices, senior managers, project managers, and 40% profit margins all sit on top of the actual design and dev work. A small studio delivers the same finished product without the layers.
Is £249 really enough for a real website?
For a 5-page starter site: yes. It's tight — we work efficiently, use proven design systems, and don't scope-creep. Anything bigger genuinely costs more.
How long does a website take to build?
Starter: 1–2 weeks. Growth: 3–5 weeks. Bespoke: 6–12 weeks. Ecommerce: 4–8 weeks depending on catalogue size.
What about hosting after launch?
We host most client sites from £15/mo, or you can take the code and host it anywhere. No lock-in.
/ Related
How much does a logo cost?
£50 to £5,000+
How much does an ecommerce website cost?
£1,500 to £30,000+
How much does a Shopify store cost?
£1,500 to £15,000+ to build
How much does Google Ads management cost?
£300 to £3,000+ per month in management fees
How much does SEO cost?
£300 to £3,000+ per month
How much does a rebrand cost?
£1,500 to £50,000+
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