A car dealer website in 2026 costs anywhere from free to £500 or more a month, depending on whether you build it yourself, buy a template, commission an agency, or use an all-in-one platform. Most independent UK dealers land somewhere between £49 and £300 a month once stock feeds, a dealer management system (DMS) and basic support are included. This guide breaks down every option, the hidden costs that catch dealers out, and real numbers so you can budget properly.
What actually determines the cost
Car dealer website cost is not just a hosting bill. Unlike a generic small business site, a dealer website needs to pull in and update stock automatically, push listings to portals like AutoTrader and Facebook Marketplace, handle finance calculators and enquiry forms, and usually connect to some kind of stock or dealer management system behind the scenes. Every one of those pieces can be bundled in, charged separately, or missing entirely, and that is where the real price differences show up.
Four things drive the final number:
- Who builds it - you, a template provider, or an agency
- How many vehicles you list, since most providers price by stock volume
- Whether a DMS is included or sold as a separate product
- Contract length and setup fees, which vary wildly between providers
The four main ways to get a car dealer website, and what they cost
1. DIY website builders (Wix, Squarespace and similar)
A generic website builder plan typically runs £15-£35 a month. That sounds like the cheapest route, but general-purpose builders were not built for vehicle stock. There is no native AutoTrader feed, no vehicle finance calculator, no reg-lookup, and no DMS. Dealers who go this way usually end up paying a developer £500-£2,000 to bolt on a stock plugin, then discover it cannot sync automatically with the portals buyers actually search on. The sticker price is low; the total cost of getting something that actually works for a forecourt is often higher than a purpose-built option.
2. Template-based dealer website providers
This is the traditional route most independent dealers have used for years: a company sells you a car-dealer-specific template with stock feed tools built in. Typical pricing is £99-£300 a month, frequently with a setup or "onboarding" fee of £500-£1,500 on top, and a minimum contract of 12-24 months. The DMS, if there is one, is often a separate product with its own monthly fee. Cancelling mid-contract can trigger exit charges, so read the small print before signing.
3. Bespoke agency-built websites
A custom-designed site from a web agency gives you full creative control but costs the most upfront: £3,000-£15,000+ for design and build, plus £100-£400 a month for hosting, security updates and support afterwards. Build time is typically 8-16 weeks. This route makes sense for larger multi-branch groups with specific brand requirements, but it is rarely the right first step for an independent dealer who needs to be live quickly and cost-effectively.
4. All-in-one platforms
All-in-one providers bundle the website, stock management, DMS, and portal feeds into a single monthly plan, usually with no separate setup fee. Vehiso is one example: an AI website builder gets a dealer site live in around five minutes, and every plan, including the free one, includes DMS as standard. Paid plans start from £49 a month, with a 7-day free trial. This is the newest category and, for most independent dealers, the one that removes the most hidden cost, because the pieces that are usually sold separately (DMS, stock sync, portal feeds) come as one package. See the full breakdown of options in our guide to the top car dealer website providers in the UK for 2026.
Real-world price ranges at a glance
| Option | Typical monthly cost | Upfront/setup | DMS included? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder + plugin | £15-£35 | £500-£2,000 dev work | No |
| Template dealer provider | £99-£300 | £500-£1,500 | Usually extra |
| Bespoke agency build | £100-£400 | £3,000-£15,000+ | No |
| All-in-one (Vehiso) | Free - £199 | £0 | Yes, on every plan |
Hidden costs that catch dealers out
The headline price is rarely the full car dealer website cost. Before signing anything, check whether these are included or billed separately:
- DMS or stock management software - many providers sell the website and the DMS as two separate subscriptions, effectively doubling your monthly bill
- Hosting and SSL - some template providers charge these as add-ons rather than including them
- Portal feed setup - a one-off fee just to connect your stock to AutoTrader, Facebook Marketplace or eBay Motors
- Per-vehicle overage charges - going over your plan's vehicle cap can trigger a surprise upgrade or per-unit fee
- Payment processing - taking deposits or full payments online usually means a separate integration and card processing fees
- Support and maintenance - agency builds especially can bill support tickets by the hour once the initial contract ends
- Minimum contract terms and exit fees - 12-24 month lock-ins are common with legacy providers, with penalties for leaving early
These extras are exactly why comparing headline prices between providers rarely tells the whole story. It is worth checking what a provider bundles in before comparing it on price alone; see the must-have features a car dealer website needs as a checklist against any quote you get.
How Vehiso's pricing compares
Vehiso takes a different approach to car dealer website cost by including the DMS on every plan, including the free one:
- Free plan - free forever, no card required, up to 5 vehicles, DMS included, 1 user. Read more about what's included in Vehiso's free car dealer website.
- Starter - from £49/month, up to 20 vehicles
- Higher tiers up to Ultra - £199/month, up to 200 vehicles
- 7-day free trial on all paid plans, no setup fee, no minimum contract
Every plan includes the AI website builder, AutoTrader sync, online payments (Stripe, PayPal, Square and SumUp), free social auto-posting to TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, AI-generated vehicle descriptions, AI background replacement for photos, and accounting sync with Xero, QuickBooks or Sage. Multi-branch and multi-language support are available for dealer groups that need them. Because DMS, stock sync and portal feeds are part of the core product rather than add-ons, the number on the pricing page is much closer to the real cost of running the site. Full details are on the Vehiso pricing page.
How to choose without overpaying
Work out your real requirements before comparing quotes:
- Count your stock - most plans are priced by vehicle volume, so know your typical stock level, not just today's count
- Ask what's bundled - specifically DMS, portal feeds, hosting, SSL and payment processing, since these are the most commonly hidden extras
- Check the contract length - a 12-24 month lock-in on a template provider is a much bigger commitment than a monthly all-in-one plan
- Test before you commit - a free plan or free trial lets you see the actual product, not just a demo
- Factor in your time - a site that takes 8-16 weeks to build has a real cost even if the invoice looks smaller than expected
Frequently asked questions
How much does a car dealer website cost per month?
Most independent UK dealers pay between £49 and £300 a month for a car dealer website. DIY builders can be cheaper on paper (£15-£35/month) but usually need extra development work to handle vehicle stock, while bespoke agency builds can run £100-£400 a month after a large upfront design fee. All-in-one platforms like Vehiso start free and move to £49-£199 a month depending on stock volume.
Is there a genuinely free car dealer website option?
Yes. Vehiso offers a free-forever plan with no card required, covering up to 5 vehicles with DMS included and 1 user. It is a real product rather than a time-limited trial, making it a practical starting point for very small independent dealers.
Do car dealer websites include a DMS, or is that a separate cost?
It depends on the provider. Many template-based dealer website companies sell the DMS as a separate subscription, which can double the effective monthly cost. All-in-one platforms such as Vehiso include the DMS on every plan, including the free one, so there is no separate stock management bill.
What hidden costs should I check for before signing up?
Watch for DMS fees charged separately from the website, hosting and SSL add-ons, one-off portal feed setup charges, per-vehicle overage fees once you exceed your plan's cap, payment processing integration costs, and exit fees tied to long minimum contract terms.
How long does it take to get a car dealer website live?
It varies by route. An AI-built all-in-one site, like Vehiso's, can be live in around 5 minutes. Template providers typically take 1-2 weeks to configure and launch. Bespoke agency builds usually take 8-16 weeks from brief to launch.
Is a cheaper car dealer website worse for SEO or lead generation?
Not necessarily. Price alone is not a reliable indicator of SEO performance or lead quality. What matters more is whether the platform handles technical basics well, such as clean page structure, mobile performance, and accurate stock feeds to portals, and whether it includes conversion tools like finance calculators, WhatsApp/enquiry forms and online payments. A well-built free or low-cost platform can outperform an expensive but poorly configured one.
