Websites for charities: costs, options and value
Last updated September 2026 · 7 minute read
Websites for charities range from free to five figures, and the price tells you very little on its own. What matters is what is included, what is billed later, and who is responsible when something breaks.
The short version
- Compare three year totals, not build prices.
- One extra regular giver at £10 a month covers most running costs of a well built site.
- Ownership, notice period and exit terms belong in the board paper.
- Our build is free because the value is in the long relationship, not the first invoice.
The real cost ranges in the UK
- Do it yourself on a platform: £10 to £30 a month, plus your own time
- Freelancer build: £1,000 to £4,000, support extra
- Agency build: £6,000 to £15,000, plus a retainer of £100 to £500 a month
- Our Pioneer Partnership: build free, £79 a month all in
What a charity site is worth
Judge it by what it replaces. A site that takes online donations, recruits volunteers, answers the same twenty questions and keeps funders confident is doing several jobs that otherwise land on staff.
One extra regular giver at £10 a month covers most of the running costs of a well built site.
Funding the website
- Include it as core costs in grant applications rather than a separate capital ask
- Some funders will cover digital infrastructure explicitly, so read the guidance
- A monthly cost is easier to fit into a budget line than a one off five figure build
- Local businesses will sometimes sponsor the running cost in exchange for a mention
What to put in front of your board
- Total cost over three years, not just the build
- What is included and what is billed separately
- Who owns the site if the supplier goes away
- Notice period and exit terms
- How accessibility and data protection are covered
- What you expect to change as a result, in numbers
Signs your current site is costing you money
- It takes more than a week to change a sentence
- Donations drop off part way through the form
- It is hard to read on a phone
- Nobody is certain who hosts it
- The last real update was more than two years ago
Why our build is free
The value for us is in the long term relationship, not the first invoice. Charities are genuinely underserved, so we carry the cost of the build as an investment in the sector, and we earn the contract on merit every month. There are no lock ins and no gatekeeping.
Common questions
What is a realistic budget for a small charity website?
Between £1,000 and £4,000 for a freelancer build, or £79 a month with the build included through our Pioneer Partnership. Whatever you choose, budget for ongoing changes as well as the build.
Can we get a website grant?
Some funders cover digital infrastructure, and many will accept it inside core costs. Ask before assuming it is excluded.
What happens to our site if the supplier closes?
It depends entirely on the contract. Insist on owning the domain, the content and the finished site, and on a written wind down arrangement.
Ready for a website that does all of this?
We build it free for the first twenty Pioneer charities, then it is £79 a month with hosting, support and unlimited changes included. If you would rather talk it through first, ask us to call you.