Build a cheap website: costs, tools & step-by-step guide

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Top 3 tools for cheap websites

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• 2 Ideal for beginners

  

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  8.5

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Is it possible to create a professionally designed website on a small budget?

Yes, it is. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process step by step — explaining how to approach it, which tools are best suited to different needs, and how much (or how little) it can actually cost.

Following the simple idea of “do it yourself”, you can build your own website using a modern website builder. This approach helps keep costs low and is usually the most affordable way to get your own website online.

You don’t need any programming skills. All that’s required is basic computer use and a general understanding of how the internet works.

Alternatively, you can also have a website created for you at a relatively low cost — I’ll explain where and how to find affordable web design services.

I’ll show you which types of websites make sense for different goals and how to approach planning and design in a practical way.

Ready? Let’s get started.

In this article

• 1. Understand website costs
• 2. Choose website tool
• 3. Plan website
• 4. Design pages
• Questions & answers

What costs money when creating a website — and how can you save?

A website is your digital business card and often the first thing people see when they look you up online.

That’s why a clear design and layout matter. Texts and images should be appealing, and you should also make sure basic legal and privacy requirements are met.

Even if you’re aiming for a low-cost website, cutting too many corners on quality is rarely a good idea.

So what actually makes a website expensive — and where can costs be reduced?

Main website cost drivers:

1. Domain registration: The domain is your website’s address (for example, www.yourbusiness.co.uk). Costs depend on the domain extension and the registrar. In most cases, a domain costs around £10 to £40 per year.
2. Web hosting: To make your website accessible online, you need hosting — essentially rented storage space on a server. Prices vary depending on performance, storage, and support. Basic hosting plans often start at around £5 per month, while high-performance or dedicated servers are significantly more expensive.
3. Web design and development: If you hire professional help for design or technical setup, costs can vary widely. The final price depends on how complex your website is and which service provider you choose.
4. Content creation: Writing texts, creating images, or producing videos can add up quickly, especially if you rely on professional photography or video production.
5. Security and updates: A website — especially one you manage yourself — needs regular maintenance to stay secure and functional. This may involve software updates or occasional technical support, which can cause ongoing costs.

Overall, website costs depend heavily on your requirements. Small, simple projects can be kept very affordable, while larger or more complex websites can quickly become time-consuming and expensive.

Website costs by website type

Get a professional website at a low cost

If you want to build a budget-friendly website, there are several affordable options available. Here are some practical ways to keep costs down when creating a website:

1. Use low-cost website builders: You can use website builders with affordable entry-level plans, such as IONOS, Wix or Webador. These platforms are easy to use and come with ready-made design templates.
2. Use an open-source CMS: If you need more flexibility, an open-source CMS like WordPress.org can be a good option. WordPress itself is free and highly extensible, and hosting can be relatively inexpensive. However, the learning curve is noticeably steeper than with website builders.
3. Domain and hosting: Look for cost-effective options for domain registration and web hosting. Competitive prices are available from various providers, including IONOS.
4. Use free themes and templates: Free or low-cost website themes and templates can significantly reduce design costs. With website builders, themes are usually included in the subscription price.
5. Free image editing: To create visuals or plan layouts and sitemaps, you can use free tools such as Canva.
6. Use free images: Enhance your website with free stock images. Platforms like Unsplash are a popular choice. Some website builders also include large image libraries at no extra cost.
7. Content creation: Write your own texts or use AI tools such as ChatGPT to help with drafting content.
8. Learn SEO and marketing basics yourself: Understanding basic search engine optimisation (SEO) helps you improve visibility without extra costs. Social media platforms can also be used for low-cost marketing.
9. Maintenance and support: Use online resources, forums and communities for troubleshooting instead of relying on paid support services.

By combining free or affordable tools with a willingness to handle some tasks yourself, you can create a high-quality website without overstretching your budget. A professionally designed, low-cost website — including hosting and a domain — can often be achieved for just a few pounds per month if you’re prepared to take a hands-on approach.

Tip: A website cost calculator can help you estimate how affordable a website can realistically be based on your specific requirements.

If you want to create your own website, there are essentially three different approaches you can choose from:

1. Website builder: Best suited for beginners
2. WordPress (or another CMS): A good choice for blogs and more complex projects
3. Having a website built for you: Clearly more expensive than doing it yourself — but often cheaper than many people expect

Low-cost website builders for non-technical users

In this guide, I focus specifically on creating a website using affordable website builders.

Based on many years of experience in website creation, I’m convinced that beginners achieve the best results with this approach. With the builders presented here, you create and edit your website using drag-and-drop, simple text editing and image tools.

No technical background or programming knowledge is required. Basic computer skills and a general familiarity with the internet are more than enough.

Even the cheapest plans offered by website builders usually include access to design templates, also known as themes. These flexible layouts can be customised to suit your needs.

I generally don’t recommend free plans if you want a professional result — unless you’re building a purely private website or just want to test a tool before committing.

For most use cases, it’s worth choosing an affordable premium plan. This typically includes your own domain and removes provider branding or adverts from your site, which makes a noticeably more professional impression on visitors and potential partners.

Top pick (9.4 of 10): WordPress

IONOS’s newer WordPress hosting aims to combine the simplicity of a website builder with the advantages of WordPress, the world’s most widely used website system. With its built-in AI setup, it can feel almost as easy as a website builder.

That can make it suitable for beginners who don’t have much experience building websites. The setup assistant guides you step by step through installing WordPress and suggests a practical selection of themes and plugins.

One key difference here is the built-in AI assistant, which can generate an initial WordPress website for you. It helps you take care of the most important settings quickly and find a suitable template. Automatic updates and daily backups can also provide extra peace of mind.

Another plus is customer support, available 24/7, including phone support rather than relying only on chat or email.

Pricing for IONOS WordPress hosting starts at around £1 per month for the first six months, then around £5 per month afterwards. A domain and an email mailbox are included in this price.

Pros of IONOS WordPress hosting

• WordPress installed securely in one click
• AI assistant for building your website
• A professional-looking design within minutes
• Designs well optimised for mobile phones
• All the benefits of WordPress as the world’s most widely used website CMS
• Flexible to extend with plugins
• Blogs or online shops possible
• Switching hosting provider later is possible

Cons of IONOS WordPress hosting

• Less design freedom than drag-and-drop website builders
• The wide range of features can still feel overwhelming for beginners, despite the guided setup

Pricing

• “Start” plan: from £3/month for the first 6 months, then £5/month
• “Grow” plan: from £1/month for the first 6 months, then £10/month
• All plans include your own domain and an email address

Here you can find our detailed IONOS WordPress hosting review.

IONOS (8.5 of 10): best value website builder

With IONOS “MyWebsite”, even beginners with no prior technical knowledge can easily create professional-looking websites in no time at all.

This is possible thanks to the clear operation and the support of convenient AI functionalities.

If you don’t want to use AI texts and images, you should prepare this content and have it ready when you create your website.

The comparatively low costs are a big plus point.

IONOS “MyWebsite” also impresses with its high level of data protection and German support. The only major drawback is that the “MyWebsite” system is not suitable for complex websites.

Best for:

• Individual entrepreneurs such as coaches or brokers
• Local companies such as craft businesses or medical practices
• Anyone who wants to create a simple website without any prior technical knowledge

What I liked most:

• Setting up and editing is easy and straightforward
• The AI assistant is a great help when creating the website and filling it with content (text and images)
• Legal certainty thanks to server location in Germany (keyword: GDPR)
• Tariffs are affordable
• Email address and domains are included in the tariff

What could be better:

• Designs/templates could have more creativity and quality
• For complex websites you should choose another provider

Webador (7.9 of 10): simple and affordable

Another low-cost alternative is Webador. It’s a fairly minimalist website builder, but that simplicity can save you a noticeable amount of money compared to many other tools.

One standout feature is that you can try the paid Pro plan free for three months. That’s a longer trial period than you typically get with other website builders.

The provider, based in the Netherlands, focuses on helping beginners build affordable websites.

As a result, the feature set is relatively limited — but the editor is genuinely simple and intuitive to use.

Another positive point: according to the company, its servers run on 100% renewable energy. In theory, that means your website could be operated in a climate-neutral way.

It’s also worth noting that Webador, as a Dutch provider, hosts its servers in the EU. That can be helpful from a legal and data-protection perspective.

With this minimalist builder, you can create simple websites and small online shops that don’t require extensive customisation or personalisation.

As with many competitors, Webador’s free plan is best for testing. You don’t get your own domain, and Webador places a banner advert on your site.

Costs of Webador:

• Webador Free: permanently free, no custom domain, Webador banner on the site
• Webador Pro: includes a custom domain and email inbox, plus an online shop, from about £8.50 per month (3 months free trial)

Cost comparison:

Here you’ll find a complete overview of website costs and the key features of the website builders we tested. The top-rated tool is also one of the most affordable ones.

Which tools have the cheapest plans?

Option 1: Use WordPress for more complex sites

A large number of websites worldwide are built using the content management system (CMS) WordPress. WebsiteWissen.com is also based on this widely used platform.

In principle, WordPress allows you to build a low-cost website yourself. However, to really benefit from its many design and extension options, you need a solid understanding of how the system works.

For this reason, WordPress is best suited to professional blogs or more complex projects. For a simple online presence, the CMS is often more extensive than necessary. Another point to consider is hosting — your website needs to be hosted separately, ideally with a budget-friendly hosting provider.

That’s why beginners are usually better off choosing an affordable website builder. If you do want to use WordPress to create a low-cost website, a dedicated WordPress hosting plan is a practical option.

This allows you to run your own WordPress installation without having to manage hosting setup or domain configuration yourself.

With a relatively affordable option such as IONOS WordPress Hosting, WordPress is available with its full feature set. You can use themes, widgets and plugins without major restrictions.

Backups and updates are handled automatically by the host, which reduces maintenance effort. Hosting within the EU can also be an advantage for users who value clear data protection standards.

Advantages of IONOS WordPress:

• No functional limitations — full, standard WordPress

• Low-cost website with domain and custom email address

• Automatic backups and updates included

Disadvantages of IONOS WordPress:

• No free plan and no trial period

• Website builders are generally easier to use

Costs of IONOS WordPress:

• From around £1 per month in the first year, then approximately £8 per month thereafter

Option 2: Get a low-cost website built for you

Of course, you can also have your website created for you. This can be relatively affordable — but it’s usually more expensive than building it yourself using one of the methods above. If you’re asking, “Who can build me a cheap website?”, there are several options. Often, the most straightforward route is hiring a local web designer or freelance professional. Alternatively, you can use online service providers that offer website creation at fixed or competitive rates.

Having a website built can cost a few hundred pounds — but it can also run into several thousand, depending on what you need. Choosing an affordable service provider matters, but pricing also depends heavily on how well prepared you are.

Think in advance about what kind of budget website you want and what you need it to do. It also helps to prepare your text content and high-quality images beforehand. This can significantly reduce the time a designer needs — and keep overall costs lower.

Have you already found a suitable website tool? Great — you’re off to a strong start. Now let’s tackle the planning of your low-cost website.

Create a sitemap

Before you start designing your website, blog or online shop, it helps to create a rough plan of your site structure.

If you decide in advance which content should go where, you’ll usually reach your goal faster.

The easiest way to visualise your structure is with a sitemap. You can sketch it on a piece of paper — or create it on your computer if you prefer.

A simple, budget-friendly website can roughly follow this structure:

• Level 1: Home page
• Level 2: 5 to 7 main menu items (for example, “About”)
• Level 3: Detail pages (for more in-depth information, such as product pages)

In my experience, further levels aren’t necessary for most simple websites or smaller online shops.

Keep your sitemap — you’ll use it as a blueprint when you build the navigation and pages in your chosen website builder.

If you want more guidance on how to distribute content and features across your website, you’ll find additional ideas in a detailed planning guide.

Legal pages and required info

Website operators in the UK and EU typically need to meet certain privacy and transparency requirements, especially when collecting data or using tracking and marketing tools. In practice, that often means having a clear privacy notice and an appropriate cookie notice/banner. Depending on the site, you may also need a page with business details and contact information.

More tips on legal pages and privacy basics can be found in the guide “Website creation for beginners”.

Now that the theory is done, let’s move on to the practical part — designing your low-cost website.

Website builders offer a wide selection of design templates for creating a budget-friendly site.

These templates — often called themes — are created by professional designers. They help ensure your website looks consistent across all pages.

But don’t worry: templates are varied and flexible. You can adapt them to your needs and preferences. For example, you can add images and a logo easily. With just a few clicks, you can also change colours and fonts.

If none of the templates feels like a perfect match right away, you can usually adjust it enough to fit your requirements.

Cheap doesn’t mean tacky: stylish templates

A budget website can still look polished. Even on the cheapest plans, tools such as Wix and Jimdo — as well as WordPress hosts like IONOS — usually give you full access to professionally designed templates.

The same is often true for free plans, which can make it possible to build a website not just cheaply, but at no cost at all. However, I don’t recommend these plans unless you’re using the site purely for private reasons or testing.

Limitations such as a missing custom domain, provider branding or adverts, and reduced features can otherwise make your website look unprofessional.

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  Professional coaching: On Wix you’ll find this stylish template for a professional coach. Alongside the modern design, it includes key features such as a booking form, a blog and live chat. Sign up to Wix

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  Carpentry business: High-quality images and a modern design define this website template for a carpentry workshop, which can be set up for free and with minimal sign-up. The template includes a gallery feature and is available on Wix. Sign up to Wix

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  Restaurant template with an elegant, understated layout that showcases images and text well and guides visitors smoothly. Go to Squarespace

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  Minimalist portfolio design that presents creative work effectively. Offers space for large images and plenty of text. Go to Squarespace

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  “BlockMag”: A free magazine-style template built specifically for the modern block editor. Quick and convenient blog setup. WordPress hosting

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  “Björk” is a modern, minimalist theme suited to blogs and personal websites. Comes with 7 styles and 15 block patterns. WordPress hosting

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  Professional shopping theme from Wix

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  Professional shopping theme built with Squarespace

Customize your low-cost website

Now that you’ve found a theme you like, it’s time to customise the template for your cheap website.

With website builders such as Wix, a virtual assistant often guides you through the setup. After choosing a suitable template, you start building and editing your pages.

A good place to begin is your site structure. So, bring in the sitemap you prepared earlier. Using it as a blueprint, add pages such as “About us”.

Next, place your images and text into the relevant sections. Save your progress regularly and check the preview as you go. One important note: the mobile view for smartphones and tablets sometimes needs separate adjustments, especially when it comes to layout and certain functions.

I explain the best way to adapt templates in more detail in a dedicated chapter of my website creation guide.

Exciting moment: your low-cost website is about to go live

You’re nearly there — in a few moments you can publish your website by clicking the “Publish” button in your website builder.

Before you do, there are a few final steps that are important for a smooth launch. So give yourself a couple more minutes.

From experience, a final check is well worth it. Your website should work reliably and look inviting.

Launch checklist:

• Functions: Check that everything works. Click through your site and test interactive elements such as a newsletter sign-up form.
• Display: Does the site load correctly? Test it in the main browsers and on your phone.
• Layout: Do text and images look right? It also helps to have friends or family take a final look with fresh eyes.
• Search engines: Have you completed the SEO settings in your builder? This helps ensure your low-cost website can be found under its domain.

Congratulations — your cheap website is online!

You’ve done it. You built and published your website on a budget, and that’s an achievement you can be proud of.

Are you happy with the result? Did this guide make the process clear? If you have feedback, suggestions or comments, feel free to leave a few lines in the comments section.