A competition website has two different costs: getting it ready to launch, and keeping it running. If you build it yourself, you pay for your software, hosting and any outside help. If you want raffleWP to design and build it, our service starts from £2,500, with no VAT charged. That includes your first year’s website hosting, a 12-month Single Site licence, all raffleWP addons and 30 days of build aftercare.
Build it yourself or have it built for you?
The right route depends on the time, design confidence and WordPress experience you can bring to the project. Both routes use the same raffleWP competition software. The difference is who takes responsibility for the website design, setup and technical launch.
Building your own website
A Single Site raffleWP licence currently costs £199 for 12 months and includes all addons. You arrange hosting, a domain and your website design separately. That licence price is a software cost, not a complete website budget.
Doing the work yourself gives you direct control, but allow time to learn the tools, prepare content, connect payments and test the entry journey. You may still choose to pay for help with design or a specific integration. Our WordPress competition website guide walks through the main steps; current licence pricing explains software access and renewal.
Using the raffleWP build service
Our competition website design and build service starts from £2,500. We adapt established layouts and components to your brand, agree your pages and competition workflows, and handle the technical implementation. It is a useful route when you would like one team to bring the website together and show you how to run it.
What the £2,500 starting package includes
- Planning and branded design: agreed core pages and reusable competition templates, adapted from our existing layouts and components.
- Website setup: WordPress, WooCommerce and raffleWP configured around the agreed requirements.
- First year’s hosting: hosting for the website we build, with provision agreed for the project.
- Software: a 12-month Single Site raffleWP licence and all addons, with relevant addons configured.
- Testing and handover: mobile and checkout checks, technical SEO basics, training and documented handover.
- Build aftercare: 30 days of help with the delivered setup and launch-related fixes.
No VAT is charged. The starting price covers an agreed project scope; the quotation confirms the pages, revisions, integrations, responsibilities and schedule before work begins.
What can increase the build price?
Two competition businesses may need different amounts of work even when they use the same software. These are the main items to discuss before comparing quotations:
- Bespoke design: unique page layouts beyond adapting the existing components.
- Custom functionality: features or integrations outside the standard setup.
- Migration: moving an existing website, customer information or operational data that needs review and testing.
- More content and revisions: additional pages, copywriting, brand work or review rounds beyond the agreed scope.
- Additional support: ongoing maintenance, future development or a wider support arrangement.
These items are quoted separately. A useful proposal explains the work and its boundaries, rather than leaving you to assume every possible requirement is included.
Budget for costs beyond the website build
Keep website costs separate from the money needed to operate and promote your competitions. Your planning should account for:
- Domain registration and renewal. Your website address is separate from the included hosting.
- Email hosting. Business mailboxes are not included in the starting package.
- Payment-provider fees. Providers set their own transaction fees and acceptance requirements; a website build does not guarantee approval.
- Business content and professional advice. Photography, copywriting and reviewed legal terms may need separate budgets.
- Marketing and prizes. Advertising, prize purchase and fulfilment are operating costs, not part of the website fee.
- Other third-party services. Any additional software, integrations or ongoing maintenance should be identified in your quotation.
We do not give a single estimate for these items because they depend on your providers and business choices. Use the competition cost planner to explore competition costs separately from your website build budget.
What happens after the first year?
The build package includes the first year’s website hosting and a 12-month raffleWP licence. Their renewal costs are stated upfront in your original project proposal. There is no universal hosting renewal figure advertised here: the provision and price are agreed for your site.
raffleWP licences renew manually, with no automatic plugin licence billing. An already activated site continues to operate after expiry, but updates, downloads, new activations and configuration settings require a current licence. Review the licence renewal details when budgeting for continued operation.
The 30-day build aftercare is separate from the licence’s product support. If you want ongoing website maintenance or future development, agree that service and its cost separately.
Five questions to ask before accepting a quotation
- Which pages, templates, integrations and revision rounds are included?
- Who supplies the content, branding and reviewed business terms?
- What will hosting, software and other services cost after the first year?
- What access, training and handover will I receive?
- What does aftercare cover, and how is additional work priced?
Common questions
Can I launch for the cost of the plugin alone?
The £199 Single Site licence covers 12 months of raffleWP and all addons. It does not cover a complete website: you still need hosting, a domain, a design and time or help to set everything up.
Does £2,500 include hosting and addons?
Yes. The raffleWP build service starts from £2,500 with no VAT charged, including the first year’s website hosting, a 12-month Single Site licence and all addons. Renewal costs are stated in your proposal.
Is a fully bespoke website included at the starting price?
The starting package adapts our existing layouts and components to your brand. Fully bespoke layouts, custom functionality and substantial migrations receive separate quotations.
Are there ongoing costs after launch?
Yes. Plan for hosting and licence renewals after the included first year, alongside your domain, payment fees and operating costs. Email hosting, ongoing maintenance and additional services are separate.
Get a budget for your own website
Bring us your idea, any existing website and the features that matter most. We can explain how the starting package fits your plans and identify anything that needs an additional quotation.