“It depends” is the honest answer, but on its own, it’s not very useful. Here’s what affects the price of a website, so you know roughly what to expect before asking for a quote.
A common question is: why does one website cost £290 and another cost £3,000? They both look like "a website" from the outside. The difference isn't just the number of pages, the design and features that need to be built matter too.
What actually drives the price
A website's price depends largely on the work involved. Four things make a particular difference:
Custom code vs. a template
A fully custom site usually takes more work than adapting a ready-made template. In return, you get more freedom over how it looks and works. Speed and search rankings depend on the implementation too.
Which features it needs
An informational page with a contact form is a relatively simple job. A booking calendar, a login system, or a payment flow can need more development and testing.
Content readiness
A project where the text, photos, and logo are ready to go moves faster than one where all of that has to be sourced or written first.
Ongoing care
When comparing quotes, check whether support after launch is included. If it isn't, you'll need to budget for maintenance separately.
WordPress (or a builder) vs. hand-coded: what's actually different
This deserves its own section because it can make a big difference to the price. A template-based site can cost less because much of the design is already there to adapt. A hand-coded site gives you more freedom to tailor the pages and features to the business, which can mean more development work.
The difference can matter later too: a template may load code a page doesn't need, which can slow it down. Custom code gives you detailed control over what loads, but it doesn't automatically make a site fast. Either approach needs careful development, especially when the site plays a big part in bringing in customers.
Rough starting points
Every quote is based on the work needed, but here are the starting points for my services:
| Project type | Starting from | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Website (Basic to Premium) | From £290 | 1–8 weeks |
| E-commerce store | From £660 | 3–7 weeks |
| Web app | From £440 | 6–16 weeks |
| Booking system | From £380 | Agreed before we start |
| Custom business software | Quoted per project | 6–16 weeks |
Custom code doesn't have to mean spending thousands: at Amethyst Nexalune Web Design, I build hand-coded websites from £290, without templates or website builders. The starting package is for simpler sites, and the final price depends on the features you need, you'll find the details on the packages and pricing page.
What to actually budget for
Beyond the build itself, two things are easy to forget when planning a website budget:
Hosting and domain
Recurring costs that are usually separate from the build price.
A care plan
Optional, but regular checks can help catch a security issue or a broken form early, worth weighing against the cost of downtime.
If a number you've been quoted feels high, the useful question isn't "can it be cheaper?": it's "what would come out of the scope to make it cheaper?" That's usually a much more productive conversation, and a good developer should be able to answer it plainly.