Search "how much does a website cost UK" and you will see anything from £50 to £50,000. Both can be true — it depends entirely on what you are buying. Here is an honest, no-nonsense breakdown for 2026.
The real price ranges
- DIY builders (Wix, Squarespace): £10–£40/month subscription, forever. You do the work; you never own the site outright.
- Template-based build: £150–£500 one-off. A developer adapts a proven design. Great for most small businesses.
- Custom design & build: £500–£2,500. Unique design, more pages, integrations (booking, payments).
- Full custom platforms (eCommerce, portals): £2,500+. Stores with hundreds of products, membership areas, complex integrations.
Where the hidden costs hide
- Hosting & domain: £30–£180/year — shop around.
- Updates & support: who fixes things when they break? Ask upfront.
- Photos & copy: professional photos make the biggest difference to how your site looks.
- Ongoing SEO: only needed if you actively want more traffic — it is not a one-time fee.
💡 The golden rule: the cheapest option is not always cheapest. A £40/month builder becomes £480/year forever — and you still have no site you own. A £250 site you own outright is usually the smarter business decision.
What should you actually pay?
For a typical UK salon, cafe, clinic or tradesperson: £150–£500 one-off for a clean, mobile-friendly site with a contact form, WhatsApp button and basic SEO. That is the honest, sensible budget. If a quote is dramatically lower, ask what you are not getting. If it is dramatically higher, ask what you are getting that you actually need.
At Prajapati NexaTech our projects start from £149 — clear scope, clear price, no subscriptions you don't need.