How Much Does a Website Cost in the UK in 2026?
Quick answer
In 2026, a UK freelancer typically charges £500–£1,500 for a basic brochure site and £1,500–£3,000 for a 5–10 page business website. Regional agencies usually quote £3,000–£8,000, and full-service London agencies £8,000–£30,000 or more, according to ExpertSure's 2026 price guide. Running costs add roughly £50–£300 a month. BunkWise's packages for UK businesses start at £799 as a one-time price.
The UK has one of the most transparent web design markets in the world: many studios publish fixed packages, and several independent sites track day rates. That makes it easier to sanity-check a quote, as long as you know which part of the market it comes from. The biggest variables are who builds the site, where they are based, and whether VAT is included.
UK website prices by provider
| Provider | Typical price | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify) | £100–£350 a year all-in | Templates and hosting; you build and maintain it |
| Freelancer | £500–£10,000 per project | From a template site to a fully custom build |
| Micro or boutique agency | £2,000–£5,000 | A small team, custom design, basic SEO |
| Regional agency | £3,000–£8,000 | Strategy, design, build and copy support |
| Mid-size agency | £5,000–£15,000 | Larger sites, integrations, project management |
| London full-service agency | £8,000–£30,000+ | Brand, content, UX research and development |
Source: ExpertSure, "How Much Does a Website Cost UK 2026?" (August 2026). Descriptions are our summary.
Prices by type of website
Freelancer prices scale with the size of the site. ExpertSure's 2026 figures are a useful baseline:
- Basic brochure site (3–5 pages): £500–£1,500
- Standard business site (5–10 pages): £1,500–£3,000
- SME site with a content management system (10–20 pages): £2,000–£5,000
- E-commerce: £3,000–£10,000 from a freelancer, and £5,000–£35,000+ from a specialist agency
Whito's 2026 research gives slightly higher figures for a typical 5-page brochure site: £1,500–£3,000 from a freelancer and £3,000–£5,000 from an agency, with a 15-page custom business site at £5,000–£15,000. Brambla, a studio that publishes its own fixed prices, puts agency custom builds at £2,500–£8,000+ and e-commerce at £2,000–£20,000+.
Day rates, hourly rates and the London premium
UK freelancers quote by the hour or the day more often than designers in many other markets. ExpertSure puts freelance rates at £25–£120 an hour or £200–£550 a day. Whito's narrower estimate is £40–£70 an hour, falling to £35–£55 outside the big cities, with agencies at £60–£150 an hour.
Location matters more than it should for work that is delivered online. Whito found that London providers charge "at the top of every range", while regional agencies in cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Bristol are typically 20–30% cheaper for comparable work. If you are outside London, there is rarely a good reason to pay London rates for a small business site.
VAT, cookies and other UK specifics
VAT can add 20% to one quote and not another
A business only has to register for VAT once its taxable turnover passes £90,000 in 12 months. Many freelancers are below that threshold and don't charge VAT, while most agencies add the standard 20%. If you are not VAT-registered yourself, that difference is a real cost. Always compare quotes on the same basis.
If you buy from a designer outside the UK and your business is VAT-registered, the reverse charge normally applies: you account for the VAT on your own return instead of the supplier charging it. HMRC's guide to VAT on services from abroad explains how, and for most businesses the net effect is zero.
Cookie consent rules changed in 2025
Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, UK websites have needed consent before setting non-essential cookies, which is why most sites show a cookie banner. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 added new exceptions, including analytics cookies used only to produce aggregate statistics about how a site is used, provided visitors are told and can opt out. Advertising and remarketing cookies still need consent. A designer building for the UK should set up analytics and the cookie notice to match, and check the ICO's current guidance.
Local search in the UK
For a local business, a .co.uk domain, a complete Google Business Profile and consistent listings on UK directories such as Yell and industry sites (for example Checkatrade for trades) all support the website. Your name, address and phone number should match exactly across all of them, and the site should carry LocalBusiness structured data so search engines can connect the dots.
Running costs after launch
- Hosting: £5–£30 a month for a freelancer-built site, £20–£100 a month through an agency (ExpertSure).
- Domain renewal: £10–£15 a year for a .co.uk or .com.
- Maintenance retainer: £50–£150 a month from a freelancer, £100–£500 a month from an agency.
- Content: copywriting at £50–£150 a page and photography at £200–£800, if not included (Whito).
- SEO setup: £300–£1,000 as a one-off, before any monthly SEO work (Whito).
Brambla's worked example is a useful reality check: a £1,200 site plus 12 months of hosting and a domain came to about £1,995 in year one. Budget for the first two years, not just the launch.
How to compare UK quotes
- Check whether each quote includes VAT, and whether you can reclaim it.
- Ask for the page list and features in writing, and whether the price is fixed.
- Confirm the domain is registered to your business, not to the designer.
- Ask how the cookie banner and analytics will be set up under the current rules.
- Ask what "SEO" covers: keyword research, page titles, structured data, Search Console and Business Profile setup.
- Ask what monthly hosting and support cost after the first year, and what happens if you leave.
Hiring a designer outside the UK
For UK businesses, working with a designer in India is more practical than many expect, because the time difference is short. India is 4.5 hours ahead of the UK in summer and 5.5 hours in winter, so a UK morning overlaps with the Indian afternoon. You can review work before lunch and have changes back the same day.
The honest downsides: no face-to-face meetings, less local knowledge of your town and competitors, and the need for a clear written brief. You also need the contract to say that you own the site, and the domain and hosting should be in your name. Our guide to hiring a web designer from India goes through vetting and contracts step by step.
Where BunkWise fits for UK businesses
BunkWise Technologies is a website design company based in India, with fixed prices for UK clients in pounds sterling:
| Package | Price | Typical delivery | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | £799 | about 1 week | 3–4 pages, mobile-first design, contact form, WhatsApp button, Google Maps, basic SEO, Google Analytics and Search Console |
| Business | £1,599 | about 2 weeks | 5–7 custom-designed pages, keyword research, on-page and technical SEO, LocalBusiness schema, Google Business Profile integration |
| Growth | £2,799 | about 3 weeks | Up to 10 pages, competitor analysis, local SEO structure, AEO and GEO for AI search, keyword-focused copywriting, 20–30 FAQs |
| Premium | £4,799 | 4–6 weeks | 15+ pages, blog with 3–5 starter articles, 30–50 FAQs, technical SEO audit, citation and backlink strategy, monthly report |
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Local SEO | £399/month | Google Business Profile optimisation, local keyword monitoring, technical fixes, 1–2 content updates, monthly report |
| Growth SEO | £799/month | 2–4 SEO articles a month, new landing pages, competitor monitoring, backlink and citation work |
| Advanced SEO | £1,399/month | 4–8 content pieces a month, multiple landing pages, link-building, digital PR, conversion-rate optimisation |
BunkWise prices as published on the pricing page. Any local sales tax or VAT depends on your own country's rules for services bought from abroad; your accountant can confirm.
Why businesses choose BunkWise: one person is accountable for your project from the first message to launch day. You get a page-by-page plan and a fixed price before any work starts, you review a private preview before anything goes live, and every package and price is published, so there is nothing to negotiate. BunkWise has taken on 12 client projects so far, including 3 for international clients (2 in the UAE, 1 in progress). Get a free quote.
To put that in context, the Business package at £1,599 covers 5–7 custom pages with keyword research and technical SEO, the scope ExpertSure prices at £1,500–£3,000 from a UK freelancer. The Growth package at £2,799 adds competitor research, local SEO structure and content written for AI search, which is closer to what regional agencies quote at £3,000–£8,000. As a supplier based outside the UK, BunkWise does not add UK VAT to these prices; if your business is VAT-registered, the reverse charge covered above applies.
A local freelancer will still suit you better if you want someone to visit your premises or meet in person. If a written brief and video calls work for you, our live client websites show the standard of work, and every price is on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 5-page website cost in the UK?
A freelancer typically charges £500–£1,500 for a basic 3–5 page brochure site and £1,500–£3,000 for a 5–10 page business site, according to ExpertSure's 2026 guide. Whito puts an agency-built 5-page brochure site at £3,000–£5,000.
Do UK web designers charge VAT?
Only if they are VAT-registered. Registration is compulsory once taxable turnover passes £90,000 in 12 months, so many freelancers don't charge VAT while most agencies add 20%. Compare quotes on the same basis, either both with VAT or both without.
Do I pay VAT if I hire a web designer outside the UK?
If your business is VAT-registered, the reverse charge usually applies to services bought from abroad: you account for the VAT on your own return, which normally nets to zero unless you are partly exempt. HMRC's guidance on VAT for services from abroad explains the steps.
How much does website maintenance cost in the UK?
Expect £50–£150 a month from a freelancer or £100–£500 a month from an agency for updates, backups and support, plus hosting of £5–£100 a month depending on who manages it, according to ExpertSure.
Why are London web designers more expensive?
Office rents and salaries are higher, and London agencies tend to work with larger clients. Whito found London providers sit at the top of every price range, while agencies in cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Bristol are typically 20–30% cheaper.