Best website builder for UK small businesses: SiteGround, Shopify, Squarespace, Wix and Systeme.io compared
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Picking a website builder is mostly about one question: what is the site for? A five page site for a plumber, an online shop and a course funnel have very different needs. This comparison is based on the published plans and pricing pages of each provider, all checked on 15 Nov 2026. We have not built sites on these platforms ourselves, so we report what each company states.
Comparison at a glance
| Platform | Best for | Entry price (as published) | VAT | Transaction fees on entry plan | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround | WordPress or simple business sites | StartUp £1.99 a month for 12 months prepaid, renews at £13.99 a month | Ex VAT (£2.39 and £16.79 inc VAT) | None (hosting, not a payments platform) | No |
| Shopify | Online shops | Basic £19 a month billed yearly, £25 monthly | Not stated on the pricing page | 2% on third party payment providers; card rates from 2% + 25p | 3 day trial, then £1 a month for 3 months |
| Squarespace | Design led sites for services | Basic £12 a month billed annually, £16 monthly | Not stated on the pricing page | 2% online store transaction fee on Basic | 14 day trial |
| Wix | Drag and drop sites | Light $17 a month on yearly billing (shown in US dollars) | Taxes added at checkout | Not compared | Free plan with Wix branding |
| Systeme.io | Courses, funnels, email marketing | Free; Startup $17 a month (shown in US dollars) | Not stated on the pricing page | 0% on all plans | Yes |
Inc VAT figures for SiteGround are our own calculation at 20%, based on SiteGround stating its prices exclude VAT.
SiteGround: low cost hosting with a builder included
SiteGround is a web host rather than a pure website builder, but every plan includes its own drag and drop SiteGround Website Builder as well as WordPress tools. It suits you if you want a straightforward business site, or a WordPress site you fully control.
| Plan | Offer price (first 12 months, ex VAT) | Renews at (ex VAT) | Renews at (inc VAT) | Websites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StartUp | £1.99 a month | £13.99 a month | £16.79 | 1 |
| GrowBig | £3.99 a month | £23.99 a month | £28.79 | Unlimited |
| GoGeek | £5.99 a month | £34.99 a month | £41.99 | Unlimited |
The offer prices were part of an early Black Friday promotion when we checked, and are prepaid for 12 months. The important figure is the renewal price: StartUp moves from £1.99 to £13.99 a month ex VAT after the first term. Budget for the renewal, not the offer.
According to SiteGround, all plans include a free domain, free SSL, CDN, daily backups, free email, free site migrations and 24/7 support.
Who it suits: service businesses that want a simple site, people who want WordPress, and anyone running more than one site (GrowBig allows unlimited sites).
Shopify: built for selling
Shopify is an ecommerce platform first. Its UK pricing page lists:
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly | Card rates from | Third party payment fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £19 a month | £25 a month | 2% + 25p | 2% |
| Grow | £49 a month | £65 a month | 1.7% + 25p | 1% |
| Advanced | £259 a month | £344 a month | 1.5% + 25p | 0.6% |
When we checked, Shopify was offering a 3 day free trial followed by £1 a month for 3 months. The pricing page did not state whether VAT is added, so check at checkout. Shopify also lists point of sale for selling in person, multichannel selling, and up to 5 staff accounts on Grow.
Who it suits: anyone whose main goal is selling physical or digital products online, especially if you also sell in person or across marketplaces and social channels.
Watch outs: apps and themes from the Shopify App Store can add monthly costs, and the third party payment fee applies if you do not use Shopify's own payments.
Squarespace: design led, simple pricing
Squarespace (no affiliate link) shows pounds on its pricing page. Per month:
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Online store transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £12 | £16 | 2% |
| Core | £17 | £24 | None |
| Plus | £29 | £36 | None |
| Advanced | £79 | £89 | None |
Squarespace says annual billing saves up to 36% and offers a 14 day free trial. Plans list a free custom domain, built in SEO tools and card rates from 2.0% + £0.25. Core and above list a free year of Google Workspace email. The page did not state whether VAT is added.
Who it suits: service businesses, creatives and consultants who want a polished site without touching code, with light selling on Core or above.
See Squarespace pricing.
Wix: drag and drop with a free plan
Wix (no affiliate link) showed prices to us in US dollars, with a note that prices and currency vary by location, that the displayed prices are for yearly subscriptions, and that taxes are added according to your billing address. Light was $17 a month, Core $29, Business $39 and Business Elite $159. Wix says the final price is shown on the purchase page before you pay.
Wix has a free plan with Wix branding, and premium plans include a free domain voucher for 1 year. Wix says the voucher only applies to a new domain bought from Wix. Accepting payments starts on Core. There is a 14 day money back guarantee.
Who it suits: people who want full drag and drop control and are happy to start on the free plan before upgrading.
See Wix plans.
Systeme.io: for course and funnel sellers
Systeme.io is not a traditional website builder. It combines sales funnels, email marketing, online courses, a blog, a booking calendar and an affiliate programme of your own in one tool. Prices on its pricing page are in US dollars:
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Sales funnels | Courses | Custom domains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2,000 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Startup | $17 a month | 5,000 | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Webinar | $47 a month | 10,000 | 50 | 20 | 10 |
| Unlimited | $97 a month | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Systeme.io states 0% transaction fees on every plan and unlimited email sends, and it connects to Stripe and PayPal for payments. The free plan needs no credit card. The page did not state whether VAT is added.
Who it suits: coaches, trainers and creators selling courses, memberships or digital products, who would otherwise pay for separate funnel, email and course tools.
Watch outs: physical product variants are capped on the lower plans (50 on Free, 100 on Startup, 250 on Webinar), so a large shop may fit Shopify better, and prices are in dollars, so your card provider's exchange rate will apply.
How we compared them
We applied the same criteria to every platform: entry price, renewal or monthly price, whether VAT is included, transaction fees, and the type of business each one is designed for. Every figure comes from the provider's own pricing page on 15 Nov 2026. Introductory offers change often, so check the live price before you buy.
Who should pick what
- A simple site for a local service business at the lowest cost: SiteGround StartUp, as long as you budget for the £13.99 a month ex VAT renewal.
- You want WordPress or several sites: SiteGround GrowBig, which allows unlimited sites.
- Selling products online is the main goal: Shopify Basic or Grow.
- A polished portfolio or service site with minimal setup: Squarespace Basic, or Core if you will sell online and want to avoid the 2% fee.
- You want to start free and build by dragging and dropping: Wix's free plan.
- You sell courses, coaching or digital products: Systeme.io, starting on the free plan.
FAQ
What is the cheapest way to get a business website in the UK?
On the published prices, SiteGround's StartUp offer at £1.99 a month ex VAT for the first 12 months is the lowest paid entry point here, but it renews at £13.99. Wix and Systeme.io both have free plans, with limits.
Do I need Shopify to sell online?
No. Squarespace (Core and above), Wix (Core and above) and Systeme.io can all take payments. Shopify is the most focused on ecommerce of the five.
Are these prices including VAT?
SiteGround states its prices exclude VAT. Wix says taxes are added at checkout. Shopify, Squarespace and Systeme.io did not state VAT treatment on the pages we checked.
What does "renews at" mean?
The offer price only applies to the first term. After that you pay the renewal price, which for SiteGround is several times higher.
Do any of these take a cut of my sales?
Shopify charges a fee if you use a third party payment provider (2% on Basic), and Squarespace Basic has a 2% online store transaction fee. Systeme.io states 0% transaction fees on all plans. Card processing rates apply on top for most platforms.
Can I move my site later?
SiteGround lists free site migrations onto its hosting, and Systeme.io lists free migration as a perk. For the other platforms, check what export options they offer before you commit, so you know how much would need rebuilding.
Sources
- SiteGround UK web hosting plans (checked 15 Nov 2026)
- Shopify UK pricing (checked 15 Nov 2026)
- Squarespace pricing (checked 15 Nov 2026)
- Wix plans (checked 15 Nov 2026)
- Systeme.io pricing (checked 15 Nov 2026)