Web design and software companies in the Portsmouth area
682 web design and software companies have a registered office in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes), and 266 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £17,483 in cash and owed £14,465 at year end.
The numbers
| Measure | Portsmouth | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 682 | 96,921 |
| Formed in 2025 or 2026 | 266 (39%) | 42% |
| Being struck off or in liquidation | 40 (5.9%) | 6.4% |
| Typical cash at year end | £17,483120 accounts | £25,881 |
| Typical amount owed at year end | £14,465288 accounts | £15,248 |
| Typical number of employees | 1287 accounts | 1 |
What this means if you’re starting one
Most of your competition will be other newcomers
39% of the 682 web design and software companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) were formed in 2025–26, against 19% of all companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes). Nationally, that share of new companies is higher than 98% of UK industries.
New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.
You can start without much equipment
The typical web design and software company in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) carries £2,133 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 90% of UK industries.
Most of the cost of entry is time and running costs rather than kit, so a small test is cheap.
Most of these businesses are run by one or two people
The typical web design and software company in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (287 filings).
You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.
Planning a business like this in Portsmouth?
Answer two questions about your customer and what makes you different, and get a free three-week plan to test the idea before you spend real money. No account or card.
Check my ideaWhat these figures can’t tell you
Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.
Web design and software in other places
- Reading1,422 companies
- Guildford1,123 companies
- Brighton1,030 companies
- Milton Keynes993 companies
- Oxford937 companies
- Kingston upon Thames912 companies
- Tonbridge843 companies
- Slough837 companies
Other businesses in Portsmouth
- Buy-to-let landlord2,993 companies
- Business consultancy2,281 companies
- Dog grooming and other personal services1,284 companies
- IT support or consultancy1,115 companies
- Online shop936 companies
- Builder873 companies
- Electrician833 companies
- Plumber833 companies