The short version
- A simple DIY brochure site often costs about £100 to £350 a year once you include a domain, hosting or a builder plan, and basic email.
- Introductory hosting deals look cheap (from about £1.50 a month), but many renew at several times that price, and some need years paid upfront.
- Website builders bundle hosting into the subscription. SquarespaceAd starts at £14.40 a month paid annually (including estimated VAT); ShopifyAd Basic is £19 a month paid yearly.
- Hiring a designer or agency is a separate capital cost (often hundreds to a few thousand pounds). This guide focuses on what you keep paying to keep the site live.
What you are actually paying for
Every live website needs three things: a domain name (your address), hosting (the server that serves the pages), and a way to build and update the pages. Website builders such as WixAd, Squarespace and Shopify combine hosting and building tools in one subscription. Self-hosted WordPress separates them: you buy hosting, then install WordPress (which is free) on top.
On top of that, most businesses want email on their own domain, an SSL certificate (usually free with modern hosts and builders), and a little time each month to keep content current. If you trade as a limited company, GOV.UK also requires your website to show the company name, registered number, registered office and where the company is registered.
Typical UK budgets by approach
| Approach | Rough year-one cash outlay | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|
| DIY hosting + WordPress | £80 to £200 (often prepaid) | Domain + hosting intro term; email may be bundled |
| Website builder (brochure or bookings) | £150 to £350 | Annual plan + domain after any free year |
| Online shop (Shopify-led) | £230 to £400+ for the plan | Plan plus card fees on sales; apps can add more |
| Built for you (freelancer or agency) | Hundreds to a few thousand once | Design and build fee, then you still pay hosting or a builder |
Compare renewal, not the advert. The headline monthly rate is often an introductory deal on a long prepaid term. Our hosting cost calculator spreads intro and renewal prices over one and three years, including VAT if you need it.
Domain names
Nominet runs the .UK registry, including .co.uk and .uk. You buy through a registrar (your host, builder or a specialist), not from Nominet directly. When we checked KrystalAd's domain prices alongside its hosting, a .co.uk or .uk was £7.99 a year excluding VAT and a .com £11.99 a year excluding VAT, with registration and renewal at the same rate. Many hosts throw in a free domain for the first year on longer plans; budget the renewal from year two.
Most UK small businesses pick .co.uk or .uk, and many also register the matching .com. Keep the domain in your own (or your company's) name and note the renewal price before you rely on a free first year.
Hosting if you build with WordPress
Shared hosting is enough for most brochure sites. Prices checked on 7 November 2026:
| Host and plan | Introductory price (excl. VAT) | Renewal (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| HostingerAd Single | £1.49 a month (£71.52 for 48 months upfront) | £7.99 a month for the same term |
| Hostinger Premium | £1.79 a month (£85.92 for 48 months) | £10.99 a month |
| Hostinger Unlimited | £2.49 a month (£119.52 for 48 months) | £13.99 a month |
| KrystalAd Amethyst | £7 a month on monthly billing (no steep jump) | Same monthly price; annual and two-year discounts available |
Hostinger states that plans are paid upfront and that the monthly rate is the total divided by the term. Add 20% VAT if you are not VAT-registered and the host excludes it (standard rate on GOV.UK). For backups, support and money-back periods, see best web hosting UK, plus our Hostinger and Krystal reviews.
Website builders: hosting included
With a builder you do not buy hosting separately. You pay for a plan that includes the editor, templates, hosting and SSL. Prices checked on 7 November 2026:
| Builder | Entry paid plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SquarespaceAd Basic | £14.40 a month paid annually (inc. estimated VAT), or £19.20 monthly | 14-day free trial; free custom domain for year one on annual plans; 2% fee on store sales on Basic |
| ShopifyAd Basic | £19 a month paid yearly, or £25 monthly | 3-day free trial, then £1 a month for 3 months on most plans; hosting included |
| Hostinger Website BuilderAd | From Premium at £1.79 a month excl. VAT on a 48-month term | Renews at £10.99 a month excl. VAT; domain free for year one on the plans we checked |
| WixAd | See Wix plans page at checkout | Free plan available; UK visitors may see reference prices in other currencies, with tax added at checkout |
Match the builder to the job: bookings lean toward Wix, design-led brochure sites toward Squarespace, and product shops toward Shopify. See our website builder comparison and Wix vs Squarespace guide for trials, fees and fit.
Email, SSL and extras
SSL is free on the hosts and builders above. Business email is often bundled for a year (or permanently) on hosting plans; paid suites such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 typically add a few pounds per user per month if you need them. Premium themes and apps are optional but can raise the monthly bill. Your own time writing pages and keeping details current is usually the largest DIY cost.
Worked examples (recurring costs only)
| Example | What you buy | Approx. year-one cash |
|---|---|---|
| Trades brochure site on Hostinger | Premium 48-month term + free domain year one | £85.92 excl. VAT upfront for four years of hosting |
| Consultant on Squarespace Basic | Annual Basic + free domain year one | About £172.80 inc. estimated VAT for the year |
| Product shop on Shopify Basic | Basic paid yearly after any starter offer | £228 a year for the plan (plus card fees on sales) |
| Stable monthly hosting on Krystal | Amethyst monthly | £84 excl. VAT for 12 months |
If someone builds it for you, you still need an ongoing host or builder, and the domain and logins should stay in your name. For a DIY path, see how to set up a business website in the UK.
How to keep the cost under control
- Decide brochure, bookings or shop first, then pick hosting or a builder that matches.
- Write down the renewal price and the prepaid term before you buy, and add VAT when the host excludes it.
- Register the domain in your name, diary the renewal, and start on the smallest plan that removes branding and gives you a custom domain.
Sources we checked
All checked on 6 November 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm on the provider's site before you buy.
Plan prices in this article were checked on each provider's UK pricing pages on 7 November 2026 (Hostinger, Krystal, Squarespace, Shopify and Wix). Use the Ad-labelled links above to open those plans.