How Much Does a Website Cost in the UK? (2026)
Ask ten agencies what a website costs and you'll get ten different answers — from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands. Here's an honest breakdown of what a website actually costs in the UK in 2026, what moves the price, and how to spend your budget where it matters.
The short answer
Most UK small-business websites land between £1,000 and £10,000. A simple brochure or template build sits at the lower end (£500–£3,000); a custom-designed, conversion-focused site is typically £3,000–£10,000+; a Shopify store or a site with bespoke functionality goes higher. The range is wide because “a website” can mean a five-page template or a fully engineered platform.
What you're actually paying for
Price tracks scope and craft. A cheap site is usually a stock template with your logo dropped in. A serious build includes discovery and UX planning, custom design, fast mobile-first development, SEO and analytics from day one, and copy that sells. The biggest cost drivers: custom design vs template, number of pages, e-commerce or bespoke features, integrations (booking, CRM, payments), and whether SEO and content are included.
Template vs custom
A template (Wix, Squarespace, a themed WordPress) is fast, cheap and fine for a simple presence. A custom build costs more, but you own the design, it’s built around your exact customer journey, and it’s engineered for speed and search — which pays back in conversions and rankings. The real question isn’t “which is cheaper,” it’s “which will make you more money.”
Shopify & e-commerce
Selling online adds cost — product setup, a checkout that doesn’t leak, payment and shipping integrations, and often a re-platform from an existing store. A solid UK Shopify build typically starts around £3,000 and scales with catalogue size and custom features.
The ongoing costs people forget
Hosting, domain, SSL, maintenance, and — if you want it found — SEO and content. Budget for the site to be maintained, not just launched. A site that’s never touched slowly loses rankings and security.
How to know you're getting value
Ask what the price includes beyond design — mobile performance, Core Web Vitals, SEO setup, analytics and training — and ask to see sites they’ve built (and how fast those load). A good partner tells you where to spend and where not to. That’s exactly how we approach web development and Shopify builds.
What we charge (for transparency)
At 6social Digital we build bespoke websites and Shopify stores with a fixed price agreed up front — services, timeline and cost, no surprises. Tell us what you need and we’ll send a proposal within 24 hours.
Related
Explore our web development service, or see the Rainstone Money brand & website build.
Planning a new site or store? Book a free strategy call and we’ll scope it and send a fixed-price proposal within 24 hours.
Book a free strategy call