Website Design Costs in 2025: Template vs Bespoke
So, you’ve decided it’s time for a new website. Smart move—because in 2025, a website is no longer just a digital brochure. It’s your brand’s headquarters online: the place where first impressions are made, leads are captured, and sales conversations begin. When designed and maintained well, it doesn’t just look good—it builds trust, drives conversions, and fuels growth.
The big question is: how much should you budget? Let’s break down the costs of template vs bespoke websites—and the ongoing investments you’ll need to keep your site performing at its best.
See also: UX Optimisation vs Conversion Rate Optimisation to learn how usability and conversions go hand-in-hand.
Table of contents:
- The Template Route: Quick & Budget-Friendly
- Typical Cost Ranges in 2025
- he Bespoke Route: Strategy-Led & Scalable
- Our Approach at DBETA
- Typical Bespoke Costs
- Template vs Bespoke: Side-by-Side
- Beyond the Build: Ongoing Website Costs
- Support & Maintenance
- What Should You Budget in 2025?
- FAQs
- Final Thoughts
The Template Route: Quick & Budget-Friendly
For startups or businesses with lean budgets, template-based platforms are often the first step. They make it possible to get online quickly and affordably, without the higher upfront investment of bespoke design.
Common Options in 2025
- Wix and Squarespace: DIY website builders with drag-and-drop interfaces, ideal for beginners who want speed and simplicity.
- Hostinger: A hosting provider that includes a bundled site builder for basic websites.
- WordPress with a premium theme: An open-source, self-hosted option offering more flexibility and customisation compared to SaaS builders.
When to Choose This Route
- You need to launch quickly.
- Your budget is limited.
- Your site only requires standard features (e.g., brochure site, portfolio, simple blog).
⚠️ Keep in mind: While templates are affordable and user-friendly, they have limitations in scalability, customisation, and long-term flexibility. That’s where bespoke web design offers a stronger long-term foundation. Businesses planning to grow significantly may outgrow this option and need to reinvest in a more tailored solution later.
Typical Cost Ranges in 2025
| Type | What’s Included | Cost Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY Setup | Template, domain, and hosting | £300–£800 | Sole traders, early-stage startups |
| Template + light customisation | Premium theme, minor design tweaks | £1,200–£2,500 | Small businesses needing a professional presence |
| Managed template build | Agency-built, polished, with integrations | £5,000–£10,000 | SMEs prioritising speed-to-market |
Why choose this route?
- ✅ Affordable entry point
- ✅ Quick turnaround
- ✅ Beginner-friendly platforms
But keep in mind:
- ❌ Limited scalability
- ❌ Risk of looking “cookie-cutter”
- ❌ Long-term costs can rise with heavy customisation
The Bespoke Route: Strategy-Led & Scalable
A bespoke website doesn’t begin with a template—it begins with strategy. Through brand workshops, discovery sessions, and user journey mapping, every element is designed to reflect your business model, audience needs, and long-term goals. The result is a website that feels purposeful, adaptable, and built for growth.
Design & UX Phase
- SMEs: £5,000–£15,000 for tailored UI/UX that balances brand identity, usability, and accessibility.
- Enterprise: £15,000–£40,000+ for advanced UX research, stakeholder workshops, and scalable design systems.
Development Phase
- Frontend: Converting designs into responsive, interactive experiences using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Backend: Building the engine behind the site—whether that’s a custom CMS, booking system, e-commerce platform, or third-party integrations.
When to Choose This Route
- ✅ You need a website that aligns closely with your brand strategy.
- ✅ You expect your site to scale with business growth.
- ✅ You require advanced functionality that off-the-shelf solutions can’t provide.
⚠️ Consider this: Bespoke websites are a larger upfront investment, but they deliver stronger scalability, flexibility, and ROI for businesses planning long-term digital growth.
Our Approach at DBETA
At DBETA, we design and build bespoke websites on DBETA Bones 8.0: Research-Led Framework Engineering—our in-house system developed to address common challenges we’ve encountered over 13+ years in web design and development. The framework was built to give clients speed, reliability, and long-term flexibility that many off-the-shelf platforms struggle to deliver.
Key Benefits of DBETA Bones 8.0: Research-Led Framework Engineering
- 🚀 Faster load times powered by clean, performance-optimised code.
- 🔍 SEO-ready structures to support search visibility from day one.
- ♿ Accessibility compliance so your website is usable for everyone.
- 📈 Scalability without SaaS lock-ins—no reliance on monthly subscriptions or closed platforms.
Why Ownership Matters
Unlike subscription-based services such as Webflow or Wix, where you’re effectively renting space on their platform, DBETA clients fully own their codebase and infrastructure. That means:
- ✅ More control over your website’s future.
- ✅ Freedom to customise without platform restrictions.
- ✅ Long-term flexibility as your business and technology evolve.
💡 Takeaway: DBETA Bones 8.0: Research-Led Framework Engineering gives you the best of both worlds—agency-level expertise combined with true ownership of your digital foundation.
Typical Bespoke Costs
Bespoke websites vary widely in price depending on scale, functionality, and the depth of design and development required. Unlike template builds, these projects involve strategy, discovery, and user experience research that go beyond design and code.
Cost Ranges in 2025
| Project Scale | Price Range (2025) | Example Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| SME bespoke build | £15,000 – £50,000 | A growing business that needs tailored UX, custom integrations, and more flexibility than a template can provide. |
| Enterprise build | £50,000 – £200,000+ | Complex platforms, large-scale e-commerce, SaaS applications, or multinational websites with advanced architecture. |
Insight: Bespoke costs reflect more than just coding—they include workshops, research, and strategic planning to ensure the website supports long-term business goals.
Template vs Bespoke: Side-by-Side
Deciding between a template and a bespoke website often comes down to priorities: speed and budget versus flexibility and long-term scalability.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Template Website | Bespoke Website |
|---|---|---|
| Price Range | £300 – £10,000 | £15,000 – £200,000+ |
| Design | Pre-made theme with limited customisation | Custom UI/UX built around your brand strategy |
| CMS | Platform-based (e.g. Wix, Webflow) or WordPress | Custom, open-source, or proprietary (e.g. DBETA Bones 8.0: Research-Led Framework Engineering) |
| Ownership | Subscription-based, limited control | Full ownership of the codebase and infrastructure |
| Scalability | Restricted by platform | Fully scalable to support business growth |
| SEO & Speed | Moderate, platform-dependent | Tailored optimisation for performance and rankings |
| Support | Platform or community-based | Dedicated agency SLA with defined response times |
When Each Option Makes Sense
- Template → Best if you need to launch quickly, keep costs low, or test an idea.
- Bespoke → Best if you need advanced functionality, brand-specific design, or a long-term foundation for growth.
Takeaway: Templates are excellent for affordability and speed-to-market, while bespoke websites are a strategic investment in control, scalability, and long-term ROI.
Beyond the Build: Ongoing Website Costs
Launching your website is only the first step. To keep it secure, competitive, and discoverable, you’ll need to plan for ongoing investment.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
A polished site won’t rank by itself. SEO ensures your target audience can actually find you.
- Setup: £300–£800 (one-off) → Covers essentials like metadata, sitemaps, and analytics.
- Monthly campaigns: £500–£3,000+ → Varies based on industry competition, keyword targets, and campaign scope.
💡 Tip: SEO isn’t a one-time checkbox—it’s an ongoing growth strategy that compounds results over time.
Hosting
Your hosting plan directly impacts speed, uptime, and security. Costs depend on traffic levels and performance needs.
- Shared hosting: £5–£15/month → Entry-level, suitable for very small sites.
- VPS / Cloud hosting: £20–£80/month → Recommended for SMEs that need reliability and scalability.
- Enterprise hosting: £100–£500+/month → For high-traffic or mission-critical platforms.
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
A CDN speeds up your site by serving assets like images, videos, and scripts from servers closer to your users.
- Free tiers: Cloudflare and similar providers offer basic caching at no cost.
- Paid pro-level: £10–£100/month depending on traffic volume and advanced features.
Takeaway: Ongoing costs are not just maintenance fees. They’re investments in visibility, security, and performance—crucial for protecting your digital presence and ensuring long-term ROI.
Support & Maintenance
A website isn’t a one-off project—it’s a living platform. Over time, browsers evolve, new security risks emerge, and Google’s algorithm continues to change. Without ongoing support, even the most well-built site can become outdated or vulnerable.
Typical Costs in 2025
| Support Type | Cost Range (2025) | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-hoc hourly | £65 – £120/hour | One-off fixes such as bug resolution, plugin updates, security patches, or minor design changes. |
| SLA retainer | £150 – £1,000+/month | Proactive support with guaranteed response times, performance monitoring, security updates, and routine maintenance. |
Why It Matters
- 🔒 Keeps your site secure and compliant.
- ⚡ Maintains fast performance and uptime.
- 🛠️ Ensures compatibility with new browsers and devices.
- 📊 Provides predictable cover through service-level agreements.
Takeaway: Investing in support and maintenance is less about fixing problems and more about preventing downtime, protecting your reputation, and sustaining long-term growth.
What Should You Budget in 2025?
When planning a website, your budget should go beyond the initial build. Factoring in ongoing costs for SEO, hosting, and maintenance ensures your site stays competitive, secure, and profitable in the long run.
Typical Cost Ranges in 2025
| Component | Entry-Level | Mid-Tier | Bespoke / Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Build | £300 – £2,000 | £2,000 – £10,000 | £15,000 – £200,000+ |
| SEO (monthly) | £0 – £500 | £500 – £1,500 | £1,500 – £3,000+ |
| Hosting | £5 – £15/month | £20 – £80/month | £100+/month |
| CDN | Free | £10 – £30/month | £50 – £100+/month |
| Support (hourly) | £65/hour | £80/hour | £100+/hour |
| SLA Maintenance | £150/month | £300 – £600/month | £800 – £1,000+/month |
How to Use This Table
- Entry-level → Best for startups or side projects that need a presence online with minimal investment.
- Mid-tier → A strong option for SMEs balancing affordability with flexibility and moderate growth.
- Bespoke / Enterprise → Suited for established brands that require advanced functionality, scalability, and continuous optimisation.
Takeaway: Think of your website as a long-term business asset, not a one-off purchase. For a deeper look at roles and responsibilities, see Web Designer vs Web Developer: What’s the Difference? . The upfront build is only part of the picture—ongoing investment in SEO, hosting, and support is what keeps it competitive and delivering measurable returns.
👉 Ready to plan your next project? Explore our Web Design Services in London .
FAQs
Q: How much does a website cost in 2025?
A: Website costs in 2025 vary widely. Template-based sites can start as low as £300 for DIY setups, while agency-managed templates range up to £10,000. Bespoke builds begin around £15,000 and can exceed £200,000 for complex enterprise platforms.
Q: What’s the difference between a template and a bespoke website?
A: A template website uses pre-made themes and platform builders like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress themes—ideal for quick, budget-friendly launches. A bespoke website is custom-built around your brand strategy and user experience, offering full scalability, ownership, and long-term flexibility.
Q: Are bespoke websites worth the higher cost?
A: Yes, if your business needs scalability, complex integrations, or a tailored digital experience. While templates are cost-effective for getting online quickly, bespoke sites deliver stronger performance, flexibility, and long-term ROI.
Q: What ongoing costs should I expect after building a website?
A: Ongoing costs include SEO (£500–£3,000+/month), hosting (£5–£500+/month depending on scale), CDN services (free–£100/month), and support or maintenance (£150–£1,000+/month with SLA plans).
Q: Do I own my website if I use Wix or Webflow?
A: No. With SaaS platforms like Wix or Webflow, you pay a subscription and don’t fully own the codebase. With open-source solutions like WordPress or a bespoke build (for example, our in-house framework referenced in this article), you own the site’s code and infrastructure.
Q: How do I decide between a template and a bespoke website?
A: Start with your 12–18 month roadmap. If you need to launch quickly on a tight budget, a template works well. If you’re planning for growth, scalability, and differentiation, a bespoke website is the smarter investment.
Final Thoughts
Your website is more than a digital business card. It’s your digital HQ—salesperson, showroom, brand voice, and lead generator rolled into one. Choosing the right approach depends on your goals and your growth plans.
Want a clearer breakdown based on real-world packages? View our current pricing plans to explore your options.
- Templates → Ideal for launching quickly and keeping costs lean. Perfect for startups or short-term projects.
- Bespoke → A long-term investment that supports scalability, complex integrations, and a fully tailored brand experience.
Pro tip: Anchor your decision to your 12–18 month roadmap. If you only need to get online fast, a template can serve you well. If you’re aiming for scale, growth, and differentiation, bespoke is usually the smarter path.
Takeaway: The right website isn’t about spending more—it’s about aligning your digital presence with your business strategy.
Need help deciding which route is right for you? Let’s talk.
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