Website Maintenance Packages: UK Prices and Inclusions
A website maintenance package is a paid arrangement that covers hosting, software updates, backups, security patches and small content changes so you do not have to log in every week. In the UK, small firms typically pay £25 to £120 a month depending on how much is included, or they buy one-off support hours when something breaks. Both routes work; the monthly option suits businesses that want the site kept current without an upfront lump sum.
What a typical package actually covers
Most UK packages sit in three bands. A basic plan usually includes hosting on a shared server, daily or weekly backups, WordPress or CMS core updates, plugin and theme updates, SSL certificate renewal and uptime monitoring. You get a few small text or image changes each month, often capped at 30 to 60 minutes of work. Anything larger, such as a new page or a form rebuild, is billed extra at £50 to £90 an hour.
A mid-range plan adds malware scanning, firewall rules, performance checks (page speed, Core Web Vitals) and a monthly report. Content edits rise to 90 to 120 minutes. Some include a staging site so updates can be tested before they go live. Full-service plans add accessibility checks, form testing, image compression, and a named contact who answers the phone. They still do not include major redesigns or new features; those stay as separate projects.
Hosting quality varies. Cheap packages often use overcrowded shared servers that slow down at peak times. Better ones use UK or EU data centres with enough RAM and a CDN. Ask where the site actually lives and what the uptime SLA is. 99.9 percent sounds high until you realise that is still about 8 hours of downtime a year.
UK price ranges you will see in quotes
Expect these ballpark figures from independent designers and small agencies. DIY hosts such as SiteGround or 20i start around £8 to £15 a month for hosting only; you then pay extra for updates or do them yourself. Bundled maintenance from a freelancer or studio typically starts at £25 to £40 a month for a simple brochure site with few plugins. Mid-range sits at £50 to £80. Busy sites with bookings, shops or memberships often land at £90 to £150 because the risk of a failed update is higher.
One-off support is still common. A security clean-up after a hack can cost £150 to £400. A round of plugin updates and a speed pass might be £80 to £200. If you have no monthly plan, you pay that every time something needs doing. Over two years the ad-hoc route often costs more than a modest package, and you have no one watching the site between jobs.
| Level | Typical monthly | Main inclusions | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £25 - £40 | Hosting, backups, core/plugin updates, SSL, 30 - 60 min edits | Simple 5 - 8 page sites |
| Standard | £50 - £80 | Above plus malware scan, speed checks, 90 - 120 min edits, monthly report | Most small-business sites |
| Full | £90 - £150 | Above plus staging, form tests, named contact, extra hours | Shops, bookings, high-traffic sites |
Setup fees appear on some monthly plans. They cover migrating the site, installing monitoring and writing the first backup schedule. Typical range is £150 to £400. After that the monthly fee is the ongoing cost. Always confirm whether domain renewal (£10 - £15 a year) and email hosting are inside or extra.
One-off builds versus pay-monthly plans
You can pay a designer once to build the site, then either look after it yourself or buy a separate maintenance contract later. That keeps the first invoice lower. The trade-off is that hosting, updates and security become your problem from day one. Many small firms discover six months later that plugins are out of date and the contact form has stopped sending.
Pay-monthly website plans reverse that. You pay a setup fee, then a monthly amount that includes hosting, updates and ongoing management so the site stays hands-off. I offer both routes from Kent; the monthly option is aimed at businesses that cannot or do not want to find a large lump sum up front. Exact figures sit on arlowebstudio.com rather than here. The same trade-off applies whoever you use: monthly cashflow versus a bigger first bill and then self-management.
How to compare two quotes without getting lost
- List every item: hosting location, backup frequency, who applies updates, how many minutes of content work, response time for emergencies, and what happens if the site is hacked.
- Ask what is excluded. Redesigns, new plugins, WooCommerce updates and Google Ads work are almost always extra.
- Check the contract length. Rolling monthly is easier to leave than a 12-month lock-in. Notice periods of 30 days are normal.
- Confirm who owns the domain, hosting account and CMS login. You should be able to walk away with the site files and a database dump.
- Read the SLA for support hours. Email-only 9 - 5 is cheaper than phone cover until 7 pm.
If two quotes look similar on price, the difference is usually in the hours of included work and the quality of hosting. A £35 plan that only allows 20 minutes of edits will feel expensive the first time you need a new service page.
What you still have to do yourself
Even a full package does not write your copy, photograph your work or answer customer emails. You still need to send new text and images when prices or opening hours change. You still decide what to say on Google Business Profile. Maintenance keeps the engine running; it does not replace marketing.
Speed and security also depend on what you add. Installing five extra plugins or embedding a heavy video will undo a speed pass. Tell the person looking after the site before you add anything new.
When a package is not worth it
If the site is a one-page holding page with no forms and you are happy to click “update” once a month, a cheap host plus your own time can be enough. If you already have an in-house person who knows WordPress, buying only hosting and backups may be cheaper. Packages make most sense when nobody in the business wants to log in, or when a failed update would stop enquiries for a day.
Watch for packages that look cheap because they skip backups or use free, unmaintained plugins. Restoring from a three-month-old backup after a hack costs more than a year of proper cover.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a small UK business pay for website maintenance?
Most simple brochure sites sit between £25 and £80 a month when hosting, updates and a modest amount of content work are bundled. Shops and booking sites often need £90 to £150. One-off jobs start around £80 for a round of updates and can reach several hundred pounds after a security incident.
What is normally excluded from a maintenance package?
New pages beyond the included minutes, major redesigns, extra plugins, ecommerce or booking system upgrades, copywriting, photography and advertising. Domain renewal and business email are sometimes extra too. Always get the exclusions in writing.
Can I switch from DIY hosting to a package later?
Yes. The new provider migrates the site, sets up backups and monitoring, then starts the monthly fee. Expect a setup charge of £150 to £400. Keep copies of your domain login and any existing backups until the move is confirmed.
Do I still own the website if I pay monthly?
You should. The contract must state that you own the domain, content and code, and that you can take a full backup and move host with 30 days’ notice. Avoid any arrangement that locks the site to a proprietary platform you cannot export.
How often should plugins and WordPress itself be updated?
Core, plugins and themes should be checked at least monthly, and immediately if a security patch is released. Good packages apply updates on a staging copy first, then push live once they have confirmed forms and checkout still work.
Is a cheap £15 host plus my own updates enough?
It can be if the site is tiny, you have time every month, and you know how to restore a backup. Most small firms find the first failed update or malware incident costs more than a year of a proper package, so the cheaper route only works if you stay on top of it.