How much does a car dealer website cost in the UK?
Most independent dealers pay somewhere between about £25 and £110 a month for their website, and some providers add a setup fee on top. Here's what that money should cover, what pushes the price up, and what to check before you sign anything.
What dealers typically pay
Among UK dealer website providers that publish their prices, monthly fees run from roughly £25 to £110 a month, usually plus VAT. Many of the bigger providers don't publish prices at all, so you only find out on a sales call. Some also charge a one-off setup or design fee.
A bespoke site from a general web design agency usually costs more again: a build fee that can run into thousands, then hosting and support on top each month.
What the monthly fee should cover
- Hosting and security, including the padlock in the address bar.
- Backups, so nothing is lost if something goes wrong.
- An easy way to add your cars: type a reg, add photos, done. Or a feed from your dealer system.
- A page for every car, with photos, the full price, key details and enquiry buttons.
- Enquiry, test drive and part-exchange forms that land straight with you.
- Changes and support when you need a hand.
If any of these are extras, add them to the price before you compare providers.
What pushes the price up
- Automatic stock feeds. Pulling your stock from Auto Trader or a dealer management system saves time, but Auto Trader charges its own fee for the link, on top of your website.
- Finance. A lender's finance calculator on every car. You'll need to be authorised by the FCA to show finance at all.
- The number of cars. Many plans cap how many cars you can list.
- A custom design built around your brand, rather than a template with your logo on it.
- Extras such as online reservations with a deposit, Google reviews on your site, or video.
Hidden costs to check before you sign
- VAT. If the price says "plus VAT" and you're not VAT registered, it costs you 20% more than it looks.
- Setup fees, and whether you pay them again if you change design later.
- Contract length, and exactly what it costs to leave early.
- Who owns your domain. Your web address should be registered in your name, so you can take it with you.
- What you get if you leave. At the very least, your cars, photos and enquiries in a form you can use elsewhere.
- Fees per enquiry or per car, which can creep up as you get busier.
- Price rises after the first year.
What we charge
Wheelbase Studio's plans are £39, £59 and £89 a month, with nothing to pay upfront and no VAT to add, because we're not VAT registered. That covers the build, hosting, security, backups, support and changes every month. Each plan runs for 12 months, then month to month. See what's in each package.