The Quick Answer
A business website in 2026 costs anywhere from £500 to £25,000+. The massive range exists because "a website" can mean a DIY template you build in a weekend or a fully custom-coded, conversion-engineered digital asset. Here's how to figure out what you actually need.
Website Cost Comparison
| Option | Cost | Timeline | PageSpeed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY Template | £0-500 | 1-7 days | 40-60 | Hobby / test idea |
| WordPress (freelancer) | £1,000-5,000 | 2-6 weeks | 50-70 | Budget-conscious SMEs |
| WordPress (agency) | £5,000-15,000 | 6-12 weeks | 55-75 | Mid-size businesses |
| Custom-Coded (studio) | £2,500-10,000 | 2-4 weeks | 90-100 | Growth-focused businesses |
| Enterprise Agency | £15,000-100,000+ | 3-12 months | 85-100 | Large corporations |
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
The sticker price is never the full story. Here's what most agencies don't tell you upfront:
Hosting
WordPress: £5-50/month. Custom-coded on Vercel/Netlify: Free tier covers most business sites.
Plugin licences
WordPress sites average £100-500/year in premium plugin renewals. Custom-coded sites: £0.
Maintenance & security
WordPress needs monthly updates or risks getting hacked. Custom-coded sites have zero plugins to patch.
Redesign cycle
Template sites typically need a full rebuild every 2-3 years as they accumulate plugin bloat. Well-coded sites last 5+ years.
Opportunity cost
A site that loads in 5 seconds instead of 1.5 loses 50%+ of visitors. If your customer is worth £500, every lost visitor is real money.
What Actually Affects the Price
Number of pages — A simple 5-page site costs less than a 20-page site with blog, team profiles, and individual service pages.
Custom functionality — Online booking, e-commerce, member portals, API integrations, and calculators add complexity and cost.
Design complexity — A clean, minimalist design costs less than a site with complex animations, 3D elements, and custom illustrations.
Copywriting — If you provide all the text, it's cheaper. If the agency writes conversion-optimised copy, that's a significant value-add.
Ongoing support — Some agencies charge a monthly retainer for updates, hosting, and support. Others hand over the site and you're on your own.
What CrftdWeb Charges
We're transparent about our pricing. Every site is custom-coded in Next.js — the same technology used by Nike, Netflix, and Notion. No WordPress, no templates, no bloat.
Starter
- 1 landing page
- Custom-coded
- Mobile-first
- SEO foundations
- 14-day delivery
Launch
- 5 pages
- Custom-coded
- Mobile-first
- SEO foundations
- 30-day support
Growth
- Up to 10 pages
- Conversion copy structure
- Booking integration
- Blog
- Analytics
- 90-day support
Scale
- Unlimited pages
- Custom features
- API integrations
- Full brand system
- 12-month partnership
All packages include 100% money-back guarantee. 14-day delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a basic website cost?
A basic 5-page business website ranges from £500 (DIY template) to £5,000 (custom-coded). The price depends on whether you use a template, a freelancer, or an agency with custom code.
Is a custom-coded website worth the cost?
For businesses that depend on their website for leads, yes. Custom-coded sites load 3-5x faster, score 95+ on Google PageSpeed (a ranking factor), and can be engineered for conversion. Template sites average 4-7 second load times and 50-70 PageSpeed scores.
How much does a WordPress website cost?
WordPress sites typically cost £1,000-£5,000 from a freelancer, or £5,000-£15,000 from an agency. However, ongoing costs include hosting (£5-50/month), plugin licences (£100-500/year), security maintenance, and update management.
What are the ongoing costs of a website?
Domain name: £10-15/year. Hosting: £0 (Vercel/Netlify free tier for static sites) to £50/month (managed WordPress). SSL: Free with modern hosts. Maintenance: £0 (custom-coded) to £50-200/month (WordPress plugin updates and security patches).
How much does CrftdWeb charge?
Our Starter package is £997 (single landing page). Launch is £2,497 (5-page custom-coded site). Growth is £4,997 (up to 10 pages with booking integration, blog, and 90-day support). Scale is £9,997+ (unlimited pages, API integrations, 12-month partnership). All include a 100% money-back guarantee.
Why are some websites £500 and others £25,000?
The £500 site is a pre-made template with your logo swapped in. The £25,000 site is custom-designed and coded, with conversion strategy, copywriting, SEO, and ongoing support. The difference is like buying a suit off the rack vs. having one tailored — same concept, completely different result.
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