Website buying guide · Voqal AI
How much does a website cost in Manchester in 2026?
It depends who builds it and who looks after it. A small local business can pay nothing upfront or a few thousand pounds, then anything from a few pounds to a few hundred pounds a month. Here is what each option usually costs and what to check before you sign.
Last updated: 10 October 2026
The short answer
For most small businesses in Greater Manchester, a website costs between £240 and £3,000 to build outright, or between £29 and £99 a month on a pay-monthly plan.
| Option | Typical cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | About £7 to £36 a month on typical small-business plans, often billed yearly | You build it and you update it. Some introductory prices rise at renewal. |
| Freelancer, one-off small site | About £240 to £1,200 for a five to ten page site | Hosting and later changes are usually extra. |
| Local studio, one-off build plus monthly care | About £495 to £3,000 for a starter site, then roughly £25 to £75 a month for hosting and care | Larger custom sites run £3,000 to £6,000. Many studio prices are quoted plus VAT. |
| Pay-monthly website subscription | About £29 to £99 a month for a small site, often with nothing upfront | A 12-month minimum is common. Bigger plans run £179 to £299 a month. |
| Large agency | Minimum projects of $10,000 or more on the listings we checked | Built for larger organisations. Rarely the right fit for a local trade. |
| National directory bundle | From £249 a month | The website sits inside a wider marketing package. |
These ranges come from prices published by providers in Greater Manchester, the wider North and nationally, checked on 10 October 2026. They are a guide, not a quote. Your price will depend on the number of pages, the features you need and how much help you want afterwards.
What is usually included, and what costs extra
The headline price rarely tells the whole story. Check each of these in writing.
- Hosting and security. Pay-monthly plans usually include hosting, SSL and backups. After a one-off build you normally pay for them separately, often £25 to £75 a month for hosting and care.
- Changes after launch. Monthly plans tend to include a set amount of editing, such as 30 minutes a month or one small edit. With a one-off build, extra pages cost around £100 to £150 each at the studios we checked.
- Your domain. A free .co.uk is often included for the first year. After that you pay the renewal, around £12 a year in one example we found.
- Business email. Often sold separately, from about £6 a month per mailbox up to £15 per user a month.
- VAT. Many studio prices are quoted plus VAT. Ask for the total you will actually pay.
Hidden costs and contract traps to check
Most of the complaints we found are not about the build. They are about what happens later.
Minimum terms and auto-renewal
A 12-month minimum is the norm for pay-monthly websites. Some renew automatically for another year unless you cancel in time. Find out the notice period and put the date in your diary.
Who owns the website
Some providers describe their plans as rental. They keep the design and code, and the site goes offline when you cancel. You keep only the content you supplied. That can be a fair deal, as long as you know it before you sign.
Who owns the domain
Your domain should be registered in your name. If a provider registers it in theirs, getting it back can mean a transfer fee or a long argument. One business owner was asked for £75 plus VAT to move a domain the contract said would move free of charge.
The buyout price
If you might want to own the site one day, ask what it costs. In our check, very few pay-monthly providers published a buyout price at all.
Setup fees next to “no upfront” headlines
Read the price table, not just the banner. We found a £49 a month plan advertised next to a £1,000 setup fee, and a “no upfront costs” headline above a £300 to £900 build price. Paid add-ons can also creep up: one provider’s own case study showed a client paying £108 a month.
How to choose
Start with who will look after the site, then compare prices.
- You have time and enjoy doing it yourself. A DIY builder is the cheapest route. Budget for your own hours.
- You want to own it outright. A one-off build suits you, as long as you arrange hosting, updates and fixes afterwards.
- You would rather someone else handles it. A pay-monthly plan fits, but read the minimum term, the exit terms and the buyout price first.
Compare like with like. Match the page count, the editing included and who does the changes, then add up the total over 12 or 24 months. Our guide to paying monthly or buying a website outright walks through that comparison.
And ask to see something before you pay. The local studios we checked quoted two to twelve weeks once they had your content, usually without showing you a design first.
If you are based outside the city centre, we have local pages for Stockport, Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne, and an overview of our websites for Manchester businesses. Trades can start with websites for trades.
Where Voqal fits
We are a Manchester-based website company, so here is our own offer, plainly.
- The build is free. There is no setup fee.
- Rolling plans are £49 a month for Basic (one page), £69 for Plus (normally about five pages) and £99 for Signature. Hosting, SSL, security, backups, uptime monitoring and a monthly editing allowance are included.
- Rolling means no minimum term. To stop the next payment, give notice at least 14 calendar days before the next billing date.
- You can buy the site: £495 for Basic, £995 for Plus or Signature.
- One-off ownership builds start at £495.
- You see a demo within 24 hours, with a free written and video audit of your current site. Going live depends on your content, access and approval.
- Your domain stays yours.
- No VAT is added. Voqal AI Ltd is not VAT registered.
Lower rates for a three or twelve month commitment are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a small business in Manchester pay for a website?
Most small local businesses pay somewhere between £240 and £3,000 for a one-off build, or between £29 and £99 a month for a pay-monthly website. The right figure depends on how many pages you need, who will update the site and what the contract says when you want to leave.
Is a pay-monthly website cheaper than buying one outright?
Not automatically. Add up the total over the same period, including hosting, changes, domain renewals and any exit or buyout cost. A monthly plan spreads the cost and usually includes care. A one-off build means arranging that care yourself.
Do website prices include VAT?
Not always. Several local studio prices we checked were quoted plus VAT, so check every quote. Voqal AI Ltd is not VAT registered, so no VAT is added to our prices.
What happens to my website if I stop paying?
It depends on the contract. Some pay-monthly providers keep the design and code and take the site offline when you cancel. Ask before you sign whether you can buy the site, what the buyout costs and what you can take with you.
Who should own my domain name?
You should. Ask for the domain to be registered in your name and keep access to the account it sits in. Moving a domain away from a provider who registered it in their own name can cost money and time.
How long does a website take to build?
The local studios we checked quoted two to four weeks at best once they had your content, and four to twelve weeks was common. Voqal builds a demo within 24 hours. Going live still depends on your content, access and approval.