GetOnWeb
If you run a small business, you probably don't want to spend thousands on a website - and you shouldn't have to. Search for cheap website design in the UK and you'll find offers from free to a few hundred pounds. Some are genuinely good value. Others look cheap at the start and end up costing you more in time, extra fees or lost customers. Here's what you actually get at each price point, and how to spot the difference.
What "cheap" usually means in UK web design
There's no official price list, but most budget options fall into four groups:
| Option | Typical cost | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|
| Free website builder plan | £0, with their branding and no own domain | You |
| Paid builder (Wix, Squarespace and similar) | Roughly £10-£30 a month | You |
| Budget freelancer or template build | Often £150-£500 one-off, plus hosting | Them for the build, you afterwards |
| Pay-monthly managed website | Typically £30-£80 a month | Them - build, hosting and updates |
Prices vary, but the pattern is consistent: the cheaper the upfront price, the more of the work lands on you.
Free and DIY builders: cheap in money, expensive in time
Website builders are a real option if you enjoy that kind of thing and have the time. The software is good. The catch is that a builder gives you an empty template - you still need to plan the pages, write every word, pick the photos and work out what Google needs to see.
Most owners underestimate this. A basic five-page site can easily swallow a few weekends, and many DIY sites end up half-finished or never updated after launch. Free plans also usually show the builder's ads and give you an address like yourbusiness.builder-site.com, which doesn't look great on a van or a business card.
Budget freelancers: check what's included
A freelancer charging a few hundred pounds can do a solid job, especially for a simple site. Before you pay, ask exactly what the price covers:
- Content - will they write the text, or expect you to send it?
- Hosting and domain - included, or an extra yearly bill?
- Changes after launch - is there any support, or is every edit charged?
- Ownership - is the domain registered in your name?
- Mobile and speed - will they show you how it performs on a phone?
The most common problem with very cheap builds isn't the design. It's what happens six months later, when you need your opening hours changed and the freelancer has moved on.
Rule of thumb: add up what you'll pay over two years, not just on day one. A £250 site plus hosting, a domain and a few paid edits often ends up costing more than it first appears.
Pay-monthly websites: cheap to start, predictable to run
A pay-monthly website spreads the cost into a fixed monthly fee, usually with design, hosting and updates included. You avoid a big upfront bill, and someone stays responsible for keeping the site working. The things to check are the contract length, what happens if you cancel, and whether you own your domain. We cover this in detail in paying monthly vs buying outright.
Signs a cheap website will cost you more later
- No mention of who writes the content
- Hosting, SSL (the padlock) or email "available as an extra"
- Long minimum contracts, or exit fees to take your domain with you
- A portfolio full of sites that look identical
- No clear answer to "how do I get changes made?"
Low cost, without the catches
£39.99/mo covers design, every word of content, hosting, domain and monthly updates. No setup fee, no contract.
See what's included →How to get a cheap website that still works
Cheap doesn't have to mean bad. A small business website needs to do a few things well: say clearly what you do and where, make it easy to call or message you, load fast on a phone and show up when locals search. Our small business website checklist lists everything it needs.
Spend your budget on those basics and skip extras you don't need yet - fancy animations, dozens of pages or complicated features. And whatever you choose, make sure the domain is yours.
The bottom line
The cheapest website design in the UK is the one that brings in customers without eating your evenings. A free builder costs your time, a budget freelancer can leave you stuck after launch, and a pay-monthly service costs a little every month but takes the work off your hands. Pick the one that matches how much time you actually have. For a full breakdown of prices, see how much a website costs in the UK.