How much does a website cost in 2024? Full breakdown

Whether you’re starting a website for business or pleasure, it’s important to understand how much you might end up spending. However, it’s important to remember that the cost of your website will depend on several factors.

Everything from the domain name you choose to the features you need can influence how much you end up paying. For example, a personal blog is likely to be considerably cheaper to get started than a full-blown online store.

You should also consider whether you want to opt for a drag-and-drop website builder, such as Wix or Squarespace, or a website development project that might offer more customisation (but, potentially with more complexity added in too).

On this page, we will provide an overview of the features and factors that will influence the cost of your website, as well as insight that might help you to select the best way forward for yourself.

Website builder or website development?

This page has largely been split into two, with the first half covering the cost of launching a site using a website builder, and the second looking at the cost of launching a site using a CMS or development approach.

Which of these routes is better for you will depend on a range of factors. In a nutshell, though, the web builder route can be simpler and cheaper, though might offer less advanced functionality; the development route will likely be more time-consuming and may be more expensive, but could also offer a huge amount of customisation.

Website builder costs

For a lot of people, the easiest way to build a website is to use a website builder, such as Wix, Squarespace or GoDaddy. Over the years, these platforms have become more popular and offer beginners to website building the opportunity to build something stylish and practical with relatively low effort (and without coding knowledge).

For those people looking to choose a website building, understanding the cost can be fairly simple. You just need to check out the tiers that are on offer from the website builders available.

Normally, website builders will charge a monthly fee, which is based on the plan you have selected. This means that the fee charged will be all-inclusive, but only for the features included in your chosen plan.

For example, the cheapest plans will usually include the domain name and a light marketing suite, whereas a more expensive plan may include all of the above, but with advanced site analytics and ecommerce functionality added in.

Basic website builder costs

In this table, we’re comparing the cheapest plans from three of the best-known website builders on the market.

Brand	Plan	Cost
Wix	Lite	£9/month
Squarespace	Personal	£12/month
GoDaddy	Basic	£6.99/month

Bear in mind that the cheapest plans are unlikely to offer much in the way of advanced functionality. But, if you’re looking for a simple site where you can publish basic content, the cheap option might be more than enough for you.

Mid-range website builder costs

In this table, we’re comparing the mid-range plans from three of the best-known website builders on the market.

Brand	Plan	Cost
Wix	Core	£16/month
Squarespace	Business	£17/month
GoDaddy	Standard	£8.99/month

Mid-range website plans cost a little more than the basic options, but will usually include everything in the basic plan with a few extra features added in.

Top-tier website builder costs

In this table, we’re comparing the most expensive plans from three of the best-known website builders on the market.

Brand	Plan	Cost
Wix	Business	£25/month
Squarespace	Commerce	£23/month
GoDaddy	Premium	£11.99/month

The top-tier website builder plans typically include everything from the basic and mid-tier plans with much more advanced features added. It’s worth noting that the Wix Business plan and Squarespace commerce plan in the table above include ecommerce functionality.

If you’re interested in comparing any of the plans listed above, you can visit our best website builder page to find out which option might be best for you.

Ecommerce website builder costs

As well as offering plans that will allow you to build simple to advanced websites, most website builders also offer ecommerce plans that add online shopping features and functions. If you’re planning to sell products online, then you’re likely to need one of these plans.

Brand	Plan	Cost
Wix	Business	£25/month
Squarespace	Commerce	£23/month
GoDaddy	Ecommerce	£12.99/month

The table above includes three ecommerce plans from popular website builders. If you’re interested in comparing more ecommerce providers, you can check out our best ecommerce website builder page.

Website development cost factors

If you are planning to take the website development route, then you will need to consider a range of features.

The cost of your site overall will depend on which features you include and don’t include. For example, some sites might need to include ecommerce functionality, which will increase the price, whereas others may not.

Feature	Description
Website complexity	How complex is your site? One page or twenty?
Design and user experience (UX)	Will you be using custom designs and features?
Content management	How will you be taking care of your content?
Responsive design	Does your site work well across all devices?
Ecommerce functionality	Are you selling online? Can customers find products and pay for them?
Search engine optimisation (SEO)	Are you making sure your site is visible on Google and Bing?
Ongoing maintenance	Is everything up-to-date and accurate?

The table above provides some examples to consider; you can find out more about each of the features in the sections below.

Website type and complexity

The type of site you want built, and the complexity of it will significantly impact the overall cost. A basic informational website with static pages and minimal interactive features will normally be cheaper than a complex ecommerce platform with advanced functionality, such as shopping carts, payment gateways and user accounts.

Websites that require customised features, integrations with third-party systems, or extensive backend development will likely lead to higher costs.

If you are able to learn website development yourself then you’ll probably be able to save yourself a lot of money; if you need to pay someone else to do the work for you then the cost will depend on the rates they charge.

Design and user experience (UX)

Website design plays a vital role in attracting and engaging visitors. Prices will vary depending on whether you choose a pre-designed template, a customized design, or hire a professional web designer. A unique and visually appealing design will typically cost more but can contribute to a stronger brand identity and user experience.

Content management system (CMS)

A CMS allows you to update and manage website content easily. Popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal are often cost-effective choices due to their extensive community support and wide range of available plugins and themes.

Custom-built CMS solutions are more expensive but offer greater flexibility and tailor-made functionalities.

Responsive design

With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, having a website that adapts to different screen sizes is vital. Opting for a responsive design that offers a seamless user experience across devices is recommended. Implementing a mobile-friendly design may incur additional costs but can significantly improve user engagement and search engine rankings.

Today, responsive and mobile-friendly websites are more important than ever. In fact, a site that isn’t responsible on mobile devices is likely to perform less well in search engines than competitors that have been correctly designed to respond to mobile devices. However, this may not be an issue; if you know that the majority of your traffic will be desktop-based then you might not need to worry so much about mobile responsiveness.

Responsive design tips

Responsive design is massively important, and shouldn’t come at an extra cost. However, however you approach it, there are various factors to bear in mind:

Test your website on every device. You can use software for this if you don’t have access to different technologies.
Think about your users. If you know that most of your users will be on mobile, make sure to test that device type thoroughly.
Think about speed and accessibility. If your site is fast, it is likely to be more responsive across devices.

If you’re not sure about how to approach responsive design, make sure to use other sites for inspiration and tips.

Ecommerce functionality

If you intend to sell products or services online, incorporating ecommerce functionality into your website is essential.

Costs will vary based on the number of products, payment gateway integration, inventory management, and shipping options required. Choosing a robust ecommerce platform like WooCommerce or Shopify can simplify the process and streamline your online business operations.

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Investing in search engine optimisation (SEO) during the website development phase can enhance your online visibility and organic traffic. SEO costs may include keyword research, on-page optimization, content creation, and backlink building.

While SEO is an ongoing effort, incorporating it from the beginning can be more cost-effective in the long run. As with website development, the cost of SEO will be significantly less if you are able to do the work yourself. If you hire an SEO expert or an agency, then the cost will be dictated by their rates.

Ongoing maintenance

Websites require regular updates, security patches, and technical support to ensure optimal performance. Consider the costs associated with hosting, domain registration, SSL certificates, content updates, and ongoing maintenance when planning your budget.

Estimated costs

Given the variability of website development projects, providing an exact cost is challenging. However, to provide a general idea, a basic informational website with limited features can start from £500 to £1,500.

More complex websites with customized designs, ecommerce functionality, and advanced features can range from £2,000 to £10,000 or more. Remember that these figures are approximate and can vary based on your specific requirements and the expertise of the development team.

Basic website costs: £500 to £1,500
Complex website costs: £2,000 to £10,000

Of course, exactly how much your site will cost depends on the level of complexity you choose. This will be dictated by the size of the site, user experience and types of content.

Website cost examples

In this section, we’ve provided examples of a few websites and how much they might cost.

Bear in mind that, as mentioned, the costs will often vary depending on various factors so you should allow for some margin when considering the price you might end up paying.

Website builder examples

A basic website built using a website builder will have a set price, based on the plan you choose. This means that the cost for one of these sites will be fairly easy to estimate – you can use the tables above to see what this might come out at.

£ 9 Monthly

Lite plan

£ 12 Monthly

Personal plan

£ 6

Monthly

Basic plan

Basic developed website

A basic website that is built without using a website builder can be cheap to start if you do a lot of the work yourself.

Generally, your basic costs will include the domain name you purchase, the hosting plan you select, and then the CMS you use. It can be as simple as that.

A domain name can be as cheap or as expensive as you choose. Sometimes you will be able to purchase a domain name for as little as £1, while more ‘premium’ domains can cost thousands. How much you need to spend will depend on your brand; if the brand name you want to purchase a domain for is ‘premium’, then your costs can quickly mount. Bear in mind that you will also need to purchase the domain for a period of time, usually a year at least; there will be an annual fee to maintain that domain.

Like the domain name, hosting costs can vary but, generally, will be cheap. Some hosting providers allow you to purchase a specific plan that will let you set up a WordPress CMS as part of the total price. This cost can be as low as £5 a month but can increase if you want more advanced functions.

What this means is that, if you buy a domain name for £1 and then use a hosting provider with WordPress included you might expect to pay around £60 a year. Though that does not include any cost you might place on your own time.

Feature	Description	Cost
Domain name	The brand name you choose for your URL	From £1/year, though prices can be higher for premium domains
Hosting and CMS	The combination of website hosting with a CMS platform	From £5/month
Total cost	Combined cost of a domain with hosting and a CMS	From around £60/year

Advanced developed website

An advanced website built without a website builder will include all of the costs above, but you can expect to pay more for your CMS platform.

If you’re using WordPress, for example, you’ll pay a standard monthly price for hosting but then might need to pay more to use the plugins you desire. For example, common plugins like Yoast SEO will cost £99 each year; if you wanted to add ecommerce functionality then you might want to use Shopify, which costs a minimum of £25/month.

So, if you were going to purchase a domain name for £1, with hosting and WordPress at £5 a month you would be spending around £60 a year. If you added a plugin like Yoast, along with the ecommerce functionality, then your cost is likely to jump up to just under £500. Of course, you might want to factor in the cost of your own time, as well as the cost of any external help you pay for, if you decide to go down that route.

Feature	Description	Cost
Domain name	The brand name you choose for your URL	From £1/year, though prices can be higher for premium domains
Hosting and CMS	The combination of website hosting and a CMS	From £5/year
YoastSEO	SEO support plugin	£99/year
Shopify	Ecommerce plugin	£25/month
Total cost	Combined cost of a domain with hosting and CMS, and SEO and ecom functions	From £461/year

How much does a website cost? Final thoughts

There are multiple approaches to building a website, and the route you choose will impact the overall price you pay. Additionally, the choices you make on either route will impact additional costs.

To estimate your costs, you should consider the type of site you want, how complex you need it to be, as well as what sort of features you require. You should also factor in the cost of support and maintenance once your site is built. Things like SEO, social media and email marketing will all come with costs that you’ll need to balance.

Whatever your plan, it’s essential that you balance the cost of your site against the expected income it will deliver. But do bear in mind that a website is usually an investment; sometimes you’ll need to spend more in the beginning to see the results you want in the long-term.

Bryn Glover

Bryn is the founder and editor of WebsiteJumpStart. He has worked in the digital field for over a decade and was editor for Startups.co.uk - the UK's leading small business website - and for NerdWallet UK before launching WebsiteJumpStart to help people and businesses get online with ease.

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