How much does a website cost in the UK?
A UK small business website can cost anything from around £100 a year to £10,000 and beyond, according to GoDaddy's UK guide. Even for a basic site the estimates differ: Startups.co.uk puts a web designer at around £300 to £1,000, while GoDaddy budgets £4,500 for the design and £5,315 for the first year once hosting, a domain, SSL and maintenance are added. Here's what each route costs, what the quote leaves out, and how Buzzozo's monthly plans compare.
Jump to the comparison tableSee Buzzozo's plans
Three ways to get a website, three very different bills.
Build it yourself. Website builders cost from £1.99 to £259 a month and a self-hosted WordPress site around £36 to £432 a year, according to Startups.co.uk. The fees are low, but you do the writing, designing, fixing and updating yourself.
Pay a web designer or agency. Expect £300 to £10,000+ upfront, then yearly bills for hosting, the domain, SSL and maintenance. GoDaddy's UK guide puts a basic designer-built site at £5,315 for the first year and £815 or more each year after.
Pay monthly for a managed website. One monthly price covers the build, hosting, security and updates. Buzzozo's Website plan is from £149 a month for the first 100 businesses, locked for life, and from £299 a month after that, with no contract and the domain in your name.
The three routes, side by side.
Typical UK prices from the sources above, and what you get for them.
| Area | Website builder (do it yourself) | Web designer or agency | Buzzozo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Nothing to start; your time to build it | £300 to £10,000+ | Nothing. We build it free |
| Ongoing cost | £1.99 to £259 a month | £815 a year and up for a basic site | From £149 a month, founding price |
| Who builds it | You | The designer, from your brief | We write, design and build it |
| Hosting, domain and SSL | Depends on the plan you choose | Billed yearly: £110 hosting, £15 domain, up to £90 SSL | Hosting and SSL included; domain in your name |
| Updates and security | You keep it updated | Maintenance from £600 a year, or by the hour | Included, with monitoring and daily backups |
| Trying it first | Free plans typically carry the builder's branding or ads | Quoted per project | Free for 14 days, no card needed |
| Contract | Monthly or yearly plans | Varies by designer | None. Cancel any time |
Where a designer-built website's money goes.
GoDaddy's UK guide breaks down a basic small business site built by a designer. The design is a one-off; everything else comes back every year.
| Design and build | A one-off fee to design and build the site. | £4,500 |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Somewhere for the site to live, paid every year. | £110 a year |
| Domain | Your web address, renewed every year. | £15 a year |
| SSL certificate | The padlock in the browser. Some hosts include it free. | Up to £90 a year |
| Maintenance | Updates, fixes and security, paid every year. | £600 a year |
| First year in total | The design plus a year of everything else. | £5,315 |
| Every year after | Hosting, domain, SSL and maintenance again. | £815 and up |
Costs by type of website.
First-year costs for a designer-built site from GoDaddy's UK guide, with the Buzzozo page for each.
A basic business website
For tradesmen, freelancers and local services: £5,315 for the first year, then £815 a year and up. A website builder plan for the same kind of site is £203 a year.
A restaurant or cafe website
Menu, photos, reviews, a map and booking: £5,355 for the first year, then £855 a year and up.
A small online shop
Design from £5,000 to £10,000 and maintenance at £2,000+ a year: £7,255 to £12,255 for the first year, then £2,345+ a year.
What web designers charge by the hour.
Changes after launch are often billed by the hour. Startups.co.uk quotes these UK rates from Chameleon Studios.
| Offshore developer | £10 to £25 an hour |
|---|---|
| Freelance designer | £25 to £50 an hour |
| Small agency | £50 to £150 an hour |
| Large agency | £75 to £200+ an hour |
So before you sign, ask who makes changes after launch and what they cost.
Costs that aren't in the quote.
What to budget for once the site is live, whichever route you choose.
- Your domain£8 to £20 a year to keep your web address, according to Startups.co.uk.
- Hosting and SSLPaid every year unless your plan includes them. GoDaddy's guide uses £110 for hosting and up to £90 for SSL.
- Maintenance and securityUpdates and fixes keep a site safe and working. GoDaddy's guide budgets £600 a year for a basic site.
- Changes after launchNew prices, services or photos. Ask who makes them and what they cost before you sign.
- Your own timeOn a do-it-yourself builder you write, design and update the site yourself. That time has a cost too.
- Free plan limitsFree builder plans typically show the provider's branding or ads, with no custom domain and limited storage.
Questions to ask before you pay anyone.
Whoever you choose, get clear answers to these. Here are ours.
| Ask them | Buzzozo's answer |
|---|---|
| Who owns the domain? | You do. Your domain is registered in your name, not ours. |
| What does it cost after the first year? | The same monthly plan. Hosting, SSL, daily backups and updates are included. |
| Who looks after updates and security? | We do, with security monitoring and daily backups on every site. |
| Is there a contract? | No. Cancel any time. |
| Can I see it working before I pay? | Yes. We build it free, it's live in days and you pay nothing for 14 days, with no card needed. |
| Can I own the site outright? | Yes. Ask us for a fair one-off price to own the site. |
Can you get a website for free?
Some website builders offer free plans, but Startups.co.uk notes they typically show the provider's branding or ads, don't let you use your own domain name and limit storage and features. Its reviewer's free test site had a large ad banner across the top of the page.
A free trial is different. With Buzzozo we build a real website for your business, written for your customers and live in days, and you pay nothing for 14 days, with no card needed. On day 14 you choose a plan, or the site comes down and you owe nothing.
Plans from £149 a month.
What Buzzozo's plans cost. Free for 14 days, with the AI assistant switched on. The first 100 businesses on the Website plan keep £149 a month for life. No card needed, no contract.
| Plan Monthly. No contract. Cancel any time. | Websitefrom£149/moFounding price for the first 100 businesses, locked for life. From £299 a month after the first 100. | Website + CRMfrom£599/moEverything in Website, plus BuzzozoHub CRM built for your business. | CustomTailoredBuilt around your goals. Tell us what you need and we'll plan it with you. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website designed, written and built for you | Included | Included | Included |
| Free green UK hosting | Included | Included | Included |
| Free SSL certificate | Included | Included | Included |
| Security, monitoring and daily backups | Included | Included | Included |
| Speed optimisation | Included | Included | Included |
| Regular updates and upgrades | Included | Included | Included |
| On-page SEO so you appear in Google | Included | Included | Included |
| AI-search-ready build (AI answers and Google's AI Overviews) | Included | Included | Included |
| Contact forms, click-to-call and WhatsApp | Included | Included | Included |
| AI chat assistant during your free trial | Included | Included | Not included |
| Your domain in your name | Included | Included | Included |
| UK support by phone, WhatsApp and email | Included | Included | Included |
| BuzzozoHub CRM built and set up for your business | Not included | Included | Included |
| Customers, enquiries and follow-ups in one place | Not included | Included | Included |
| Tailored tools and automations | Not included | Included | Included |
| Missed-call text-back | Not included | Included | Included |
| Review requests, where they fit | Not included | Included | Included |
| Start free | Start free | Plan it with us |
- Website designed, written and built for you
- Free green UK hosting
- Free SSL certificate
- Security, monitoring and daily backups
- Speed optimisation
- Regular updates and upgrades
- On-page SEO so you appear in Google
- AI-search-ready build (AI answers and Google's AI Overviews)
- Contact forms, click-to-call and WhatsApp
- AI chat assistant during your free trial
- Your domain in your name
- UK support by phone, WhatsApp and email
- Everything in Website
- BuzzozoHub CRM built and set up for your business
- Customers, enquiries and follow-ups in one place
- Tailored tools and automations
- Missed-call text-back
- Review requests, where they fit
- SEO and local SEO campaigns
- AI search campaigns
- Articles and blog content
- Google and Meta ads
- Social media marketing
- Shopify and online stores
- Booking systems and bespoke tools
- Email marketing
- On its own, or added to Website or Website + CRM
Cancel any time.
Registered to you, not to us.
No card needed to start.
One simple monthly price. Ask about paying yearly.
Website cost questions, answered.
How much does a website cost in the UK?
From around £100 a year to £10,000 and beyond, according to GoDaddy's UK guide. Startups.co.uk puts website builders at £1.99 to £259 a month and a web designer at £300 to £10,000+ upfront, with hosting, a domain, SSL and maintenance on top.
How much does a small business website cost?
Startups.co.uk puts a basic site from a web designer at around £300 to £1,000. GoDaddy's UK guide budgets more, £4,500 for the design, and £5,315 for the first year once hosting, a domain, SSL and maintenance are counted, then £815 or more each year. Buzzozo's Website plan is from £149 a month for the first 100 businesses, then from £299, with hosting, SSL and updates included.
Can I build a website for free?
Some builders offer free plans, but they typically show the provider's branding or ads, don't let you use your own domain and limit storage. With Buzzozo we build your website free and you pay nothing for 14 days. Then you choose a plan or walk away.
How much does an online shop cost to build?
GoDaddy's UK guide puts a small to medium online shop built by a designer at £7,255 to £12,255 for the first year, with design from £5,000 to £10,000, and £2,345+ a year after that. For a Shopify store built for you, ask us for a quote.
How much does website maintenance cost?
GoDaddy's UK guide budgets £600 a year to maintain a basic site and £2,000+ a year for a small to medium online shop. Hourly rates for changes run from £10 to £25 offshore to £75 to £200+ at a large agency, according to Startups.co.uk. Buzzozo's plans include updates, security and daily backups.
Is it better to pay monthly or upfront for a website?
Upfront means a larger bill at the start and yearly costs on top. Monthly spreads the cost and, on a managed plan, includes hosting, security and updates. Check what happens if you stop: with Buzzozo there's no contract, the domain is yours and you can ask for a fair one-off price to own the site.
Is Wix free?
Wix has a free plan, but free builder plans typically show the provider's branding or ads and don't let you use your own domain. Startups.co.uk found Wix's cheapest plan works out at £9 a month paid yearly, or £11.50 a month paid month to month.
Know the cost. Then try it free.
Tell us about your business and what you need. We'll reply within one business day with a straight answer, or call us now on 020 3282 5353.
- Day 0
- A short call or WhatsApp about your business.
- In days
- Your website goes live on our hosting.
- Day 14
- Pick a plan, or walk away owing nothing.
Websites for your industry
What a website needs in your trade
Websites for tradesmen
Trade and towns up front, one-tap calls and quote forms.
Restaurant websites
Menus as text, booking in one tap and allergy questions sent to staff.
Clinic and dental websites
Regulator-aware pages and an assistant that never gives clinical advice.
Law firm websites
SRA price, complaints and badge information, laid out clearly.