On this page
- 01Key takeaways
- 02What is website total cost of ownership?
- 03How do you calculate it?
- 04What does five-year ownership cost for common sites?
- 05Which choices change ownership cost the most?
- 06When is total cost of ownership misleading?
- 07What does this look like in practice?
- 08Ownership cost checklist
- 09Next step
- 10Sources and further reading
- 11Frequently asked questions
Key takeaways
Website total cost of ownership is the full cost of a site over its working life, usually three to five years, including build, content, platform, care and growth. For a typical UK small business site, five-year ownership often costs two to three times the build price. Comparing quotes on total cost avoids choosing a cheap build that is expensive to run.
- £4,000 build plus £150 a month care: about £13,000 over five years.
- Running costs often match the build within three years.
- Platform choice changes running costs most.
- Include the rebuild or refresh you will need.
Want your website ownership cost over five years? Message us on WhatsApp.
Chat on WhatsApp →What is website total cost of ownership?
Website total cost of ownership is the sum of every cost of owning a site over its working life: build, content, hosting, domain, email, licences, care, improvements and the eventual refresh. It is the fairest way to compare a cheap build with high running costs against a dearer build that is cheap to run.
How do you calculate it?
Calculate total cost of ownership by adding one-off costs to monthly costs multiplied by the months you will own the site, plus any planned refresh. Use three years for a basic site and five years for a well-built one. Write each line separately so suppliers can be compared fairly.
- One-off: build, content, set-up.
- Monthly: hosting, care, licences, growth.
- Periodic: domain, renewals, design refresh.
- Formula: one-off plus (monthly times months) plus periodic.
What does five-year ownership cost for common sites?
Indicative five-year totals for UK small business sites, from typical market prices: a builder site costs about £2,500 to £5,000 including your time, a freelancer site £6,000 to £14,000, and an agency lead generation site £15,000 to £35,000. These are orientation ranges, not a GBL price list.
- Builder site: about £2,500 to £5,000.
- Freelancer site with care: about £6,000 to £14,000.
- Agency site with care and growth: about £15,000 to £35,000.
Want a five-year cost comparison of your quotes? Message us on WhatsApp and we will discuss your requirements.
Chat on WhatsApp →Which choices change ownership cost the most?
Platform, care level and growth spend change ownership cost the most. A self-hosted WordPress site needs regular updates, which WordPress itself recommends applying promptly. A hosted builder bundles updates into a subscription. Growth spend is optional but is often what makes a site keep paying for itself.
When is total cost of ownership misleading?
Total cost of ownership is misleading if it ignores results. A site costing £20,000 over five years that brings £200,000 of work is better value than a £5,000 site that brings little. Use ownership cost alongside cost per enquiry, not instead of it.
What does this look like in practice?
At Global Bridge Labs (GBL), a UK manufacturer compared a £3,000 build with £250 a month care against a £6,000 build with £90 a month care. Over five years the first cost £18,000 and the second £11,400. The higher build quote was the cheaper site to own.
Ownership cost checklist
- Pick an ownership period of three or five years.
- List one-off, monthly and periodic costs.
- Ask every supplier for the same lines.
- Add a refresh or rebuild budget.
- Compare totals, then cost per enquiry.
- Review the figures once a year.
Next step
Put each quote into the formula over five years. The order often changes once running costs are included.
Message us on WhatsApp for a website ownership cost calculator, or book a 30-minute consultation.
Chat on WhatsApp →Sources and further reading
- Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2025 · Department for Business and Trade
- Small Business Guide: cyber security · National Cyber Security Centre
- Updating WordPress · WordPress.org
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost over five years?
A typical UK small business website costs about £6,000 to £14,000 over five years from a freelancer with care included, and £15,000 to £35,000 from an agency with care and growth work. Self-built builder sites cost less in cash. Running costs often equal the build price within three years.
What is included in website total cost of ownership?
It includes build, content, technical set-up, hosting, domain, business email, plugin and app licences, care, improvements and any design refresh over the period you own the site. Some businesses also count staff time spent updating it. Listing these lines makes very different quotes comparable on the same basis.
Is a cheaper website build always cheaper to own?
No. A cheaper build can carry higher monthly fees, more paid plugins or a shorter life, which makes it dearer over three to five years. Always compare total cost of ownership, then check results such as enquiries, before choosing on build price alone.
Written by
Global Bridge Labs (GBL) is a UK–Sri Lanka partner for social media, websites and BPO. Everything here comes from client delivery, not theory.
