Monthly website packages
Starter, Growth and Pro side by side, and which one suits your business.
Website design packages, UK
Web design packages: what you should get for your money
A package is only as good as what's written into it. Here's how to compare one-off and monthly web design packages like for like, and where ours fit.
- Monthly from £49, no contract
- One-off builds from £549
- See your design free before you choose
80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites
Track record
- 80+websites built
- 100+happy clients
- 1 working dayto go live, of your answers
- £0upfront
Track record from Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.
The short answer
What is a web design package?
A web design package bundles the design, the build and usually some extras, such as hosting, copywriting or SEO setup, for a set price. One-off packages mean a bigger upfront payment and you own the site. Monthly packages spread the cost and include hosting and changes. Compare pages, who writes the words, hosting, changes and ownership as well as the headline price.
At a glance
- Price
- £49 to £99 a month
- Contract
- None
- Upfront
- £0
- Live within
- 1 working day of your answers
- Cancel
- Any month
- One-off
- From £549
80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites.
On this page
One-off packages and monthly packages
Most UK web design packages fall into two camps. A one-off package is a fixed price for the build. You pay, often in two or three stages, and the site is yours. Hosting, updates and changes after launch are then a separate monthly fee, or down to you.
A monthly package rolls the build, hosting and ongoing changes into one fee. There's little or nothing to pay up front, but the website usually stays part of the service while you're subscribed. Neither is better in every case. It comes down to your cash flow, how often your details change, and whether you want anything to do with hosting.
There's a third option on most comparison lists: a DIY builder plan. It isn't really a design package, because you're the designer, but it's worth including so you can see what your own time is worth against someone else's.
How the three routes compare
Typical figures for a small business website of 3 to 10 pages. Quotes for online shops or custom features will sit higher.
| One-off package | Monthly package | DIY builder plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Typically £500 to £6,000 | Often £0, some charge setup | £0 |
| Ongoing cost | Hosting and care extra | One monthly fee | Typically £10 to £35 a month |
| Who builds it | Designer or agency | The provider | You |
| Changes later | Per job or a care plan | Included, within limits | You do them |
| Ownership | You own the site | Varies, check the terms | Stays on the platform |
| Suits | Stable sites, budget to spend | Keeping cash, regular updates | More time than money |
What a good package should spell out
Two quotes at the same price can contain very different amounts of work. Ask for each of these in writing.
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Number of pages
And what counts as a page. A 5-page package that has no room for a proper services page leaves you short.
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Who writes the words
Clear, specific wording is often the difference between a site that gets calls and one that doesn't. Many packages assume you'll supply it.
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Images
Your own photos, stock photos or illustrated artwork. If it's stock, check the licence covers your use.
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Hosting, SSL and backups
Whether they're included and for how long. A free first year can turn into a surprise renewal.
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The phone layout
Checked on real phones, rather than simply described as responsive in the proposal. Plenty of your visitors will be on a phone, often in a hurry.
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Google basics
Page titles, descriptions, a sitemap and ideally help with your Google Business Profile. Basics, not a promise of rankings.
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Changes after launch
How many, how quickly and at what cost once the site is live. This is where cheap packages often get expensive.
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Ownership and exit
Who owns the domain, the design and the content, and what happens if you leave.
How to compare packages like for like
It takes about 20 minutes and saves a lot of regret.
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Step 1: Write down what you need first
Your pages, services, the areas you cover and any must-have features such as a booking form. It stops a package deciding for you.
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Step 2: Put each quote on one line
Upfront cost, monthly cost and what's included, side by side in a notebook or spreadsheet.
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Step 3: Work out the 3-year cost
The build price plus 36 months of hosting, domain and changes. A small business site usually runs a few years before a refresh, so this is fairer than the headline price. Our UK website cost guide walks through the sum.
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Step 4: Look at live sites on your phone
Screenshots can hide a lot. Open two or three sites they've built and try the contact form.
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Step 5: Read the exit terms
Minimum term, notice period and what you can take with you if it doesn't work out.
Package red flags
I'd be wary of any package that doesn't say who owns the domain, charges extra for a basic SSL certificate, ties you in for 24 months with no way out, or promises page one of Google. Nobody can honestly promise a ranking. A good designer tells you what they'll set up to help, and leaves Google's decisions to Google.
Match the package to the kind of business you run
A package that's perfect for one business can be wrong for another. Trades usually need a phone number that's easy to tap, a clear list of services and the areas they cover, and a quick way to ask for a quote. Salons, cafés and personal trainers need prices, opening hours and a simple way to book.
Professional firms have extra things to fit in. Solicitors regulated by the SRA, for example, must publish price and service information for certain services and display the SRA's digital badge. Accountants will want their professional body membership and the services they cover clearly listed. Check that any package has room for what your sector expects, not only a set number of pages.
Where our packages fit
We offer both kinds. Our monthly website packages are Starter at £49, Growth at £79 and Pro at £99 a month, each with no contract and no setup fee. Hosting, SSL, security updates and changes are included, Growth adds Google Business Profile setup and local SEO, and Pro adds area pages, a quote or booking form and a monthly report.
If you'd rather own the website outright, one-off builds start from £549, and you can host it yourself or add a care plan.
What we don't do: online shops with baskets and checkouts, membership sites or custom web apps. Our packages are built for service businesses that want calls, enquiries and bookings. If you need a shop, I'll point you somewhere better suited.
A package in practice: a salon website
This live template is where a salon package starts. Your free preview puts your own name and colours on it.
What to notice
- Services and prices on one clear page, so people don't need to ring and ask
- A booking or enquiry button on every page
- Opening hours and location near the top, where regulars look for them
Our packages and prices
Monthly packages below, no contract and no setup fee. One-off builds start from £549.
£1.61a day for Starter, billed as £49 a month. No contract.
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Starter
£49a month
- Up to 3 pages
- Hosting and SSL included
- 1 change a month
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Growth Charlie's pick
£79a month
- Up to 6 pages
- Google Business Profile setup
- Unlimited small edits
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Pro
£99a month
- Up to 10 pages
- A page for each area
- Priority 48-hour edits
No contract. Cancel any month. No upfront fee.
Compare plans in detail
Build my free preview
Free. No card. About 60 seconds.
Rather own it outright? One-off builds from £549.
MonthlySite is new. I'm not.
80 websites and counting, built for small businesses through Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.
- 80+websites built
- 100+happy clients
I only publish genuine reviews, and MonthlySite's first ones are on their way. Until then, here's my promise: you'll deal with me, and I'll reply within one working day.
Charlie, founder
Questions people ask
Message CharlieI reply within one working dayAsk me a question
What is included in a website design package?
It varies a lot. A good package spells out the number of pages, who writes the words, where images come from, hosting and SSL, a phone-friendly layout, basic Google setup, how changes work after launch and who owns the domain. If any of those aren't written down, ask before you pay anything.
Should a web design package include hosting?
Ideally, or it should at least say clearly what hosting will cost after launch. Some one-off packages include the first year and then renew at a higher price. Our monthly packages include hosting, SSL and security updates for as long as you're subscribed, with no contract.
Is a monthly or one-off web design package better?
Monthly suits you if you'd rather not pay a lump sum and want hosting and changes handled. One-off suits you if you have the budget, rarely change your details and want to own the site outright. Work out the 3-year cost of each before deciding.
Do web design packages include SEO?
Most include the basics, such as page titles, descriptions and a sitemap. Ours do too. Growth and Pro also include Google Business Profile setup and local SEO for your town, and Pro adds a page for each area you cover. Nobody can honestly promise a top ranking, and we don't.
Can I upgrade my package later?
Yes. On our monthly packages you can move up or down in any month by emailing me, and your website carries on as it is. If you have a one-off site from us, we can quote for extra pages or features whenever you need them.
Do I need to provide my own text and photos?
You send the details: your services, the areas you cover, prices if you list them, and your logo if you have one. The words are written from those and checked with you before launch. No photos yet is fine. Your site uses its preview artwork until you have some.
See your website before you spend a penny.
Pick your trade, add your business name and see it on a laptop and a phone. If you like it, plans start at £49 a month with no contract.