£20 per month sounds cheap. But over three years, that's £720 - and you still don't own anything. Here's how our packages compare to Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Weebly, Webflow, Framer, and WordPress.
The monthly trap
Site builders advertise low monthly fees. It feels manageable. But you're renting. Every year, you pay again. Price rises happen. Add-ons add up. And at the end, you have nothing to show for it - no ownership, no asset.
Our packages spread the cost over time, but you own the site once you're done. After the term, ongoing costs are hosting and domain renewal - typically around £10/month for hosting. These are separate from the package unless stated in the package details.
3-year cost comparison
All figures below are computed from typical UK pricing. Costs shown are total over 3 years. Hosting and domain are separate unless stated in the package - see package details for what's included.
| Option | 3-year total | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Kickstart | £2,115 | Yes |
| Support Scheme | £773-£1,643 | Yes |
| Straight-up Build | £1,799 | Yes |
| Wix | £720-£1,080 | No |
| Squarespace | £612-£900 | No |
| GoDaddy | £288-£540 | No |
| WordPress | £432-£1,400 | Yes |
| Weebly | £432-£756 | No |
| Webflow | £828-£1,260 | No |
| Framer | £900 | No |
Straight-up Build includes 6 months free hosting; hosting is optional thereafter. The figure above includes hosting at £10/month for the remaining months for comparison. Kickstart and Support Scheme include hosting during the term - see package details.
Compare by platform
Deep dives on each option vs bespoke:
- Wix vs bespoke
- Squarespace vs bespoke
- GoDaddy vs bespoke
- WordPress vs bespoke
- Weebly vs bespoke
- Webflow vs bespoke
- Framer vs bespoke
- Shopify vs bespoke
- Magento vs bespoke
Year 4 and beyond
The table above shows 3 years. But what happens after? With our packages for standard websites and Stripe payment sites, you own the site. Year 4 onwards, ongoing costs are hosting and domain renewal (separate) - typically around £10/month for hosting. That does not apply to Shopify - it is a hosted service you never own; you pay the subscription forever. With Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Framer and the rest, you also keep paying the full subscription. Forever. The gap widens every year.
Hidden costs of builders
The advertised monthly price is often for a tier you cannot realistically use. What's usually not included:
- Custom domain: Some plans include it, many charge extra or limit you to a subdomain
- Removal of platform branding: "Powered by Wix" or similar stays unless you pay for a higher tier
- Editable content: Webflow's Basic tier has no CMS - you need the £23 tier to edit content without a developer. Similar limits on others.
- Storage and features: Wix Light has 2GB; Weebly Personal has 500MB and no site search. The cheap tier is often too tight.
- Premium templates or plugins: The free ones are limited; better options cost more
- SSL: Included on most plans now, but not all
- Accessibility and performance: Not built in; fixing them later is another cost
See each platform comparison below for the real minimum you need - and how our packages compare when you factor that in.
WordPress: beyond the price
WordPress can cost very little - free software, £8-£25/month for UK shared hosting. Many businesses use it. But the cost is only part of the story.
- Shoddy hosting common at the cheap end: slow, oversold servers, poor support
- Security issues: plugins and themes are attack vectors; updates often neglected
- Quick to build = themes and plugins off the shelf, little thought or craft
- No accessibility or performance guarantees: depends on theme/plugin choices
Cheap hosting often means oversold servers, slow sites, and poor support. Security depends on you keeping plugins and themes updated - often neglected. And themes and plugins off the shelf mean little thought or craft goes into your site. There's no built-in guarantee of accessibility or performance.
Accessibility, performance and legal compliance
The cost comparison above does not include the cost of fixing what often goes wrong. Site builders, WordPress themes, and off-the-shelf setups frequently fail on accessibility, performance, and legal requirements. That can mean extra spend later, or legal risk.
Accessibility
Accessible websites work for everyone: keyboard users, screen reader users, people with low vision or cognitive differences. The UK Equality Act 2010 requires services to make reasonable adjustments so disabled people do not face barriers. Public sector sites must meet WCAG 2.2 AA and publish accessibility statements. EU rules apply from 2025 for in-scope services.
Site builders and themes are built to demo well, not around your content and edge cases. Keyboard navigation breaks. Focus gets trapped in menus and modals. Contrast fails. Forms lack proper labels. Fixing these after the fact costs time and money - and some issues are baked into the platform. See where accessibility breaks first.
Performance
Slow sites lose visitors and rank worse in search. Google uses Core Web Vitals in ranking. Site builders and themes often ship heavy: unused scripts, large images, bloated layouts. You get less control to fix it. Performance work after launch is another cost.
Legal risk
Inaccessible websites can be considered discrimination under the Equality Act. Charities and public sector bodies have explicit governance responsibilities. Legal action is rare but possible; reputational damage is more common. The cost of remediation - audits, fixes, statements - adds up. See accessibility audits and charity website accessibility for more.
Bespoke builds include accessibility and performance from the start. No bolt-on, no afterthought. You get legal alignment and a site that works for more people.
If you need to sell online
Shopify and Magento are for online stores, not brochure sites. Different use case, different costs.
| Platform | 3-year total | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | £684-£9,324 | No |
| Magento | £1,800-£7,400 | Yes |
- Shopify: Basic £19 to Advanced £259/month; Plus £1,800+ for enterprise.
- Magento: Open Source is free; hosting and maintenance £50-£150/month. Adobe Commerce is enterprise-level.
Need e-commerce? See e-commerce and online payments for bespoke options.
Decision guide
Choose a site builder or DIY WordPress if: You need something live very quickly, your budget is very tight, you're happy to maintain it yourself, and you can accept limitations on performance, accessibility, and design.
Choose a bespoke build if: You want quality, ownership, accessibility and performance built in, a site that works for more people, and long-term value. Over 3 years the cost is often similar or less - with better results.
What you get with a bespoke build
You own the site. Custom design. Accessibility and performance built in. No lock-in. You can leave and take your site with you. No surprise price rises or platform changes.
Already on a builder or WordPress?
You can migrate. When to leave your site builder helps you decide if it's time. Website rescue: when to fix vs rebuild covers the fix vs rebuild decision. Website rescue is for sites that need stabilising or rebuilding. Get a free Site Score for a quick assessment.
FAQs
How do I know which option is right for me?
If you need it tomorrow, have a very tight budget, and are happy to DIY: a site builder can work. If you want quality, ownership, accessibility built in, and long-term value: bespoke often costs similar or less over 3 years.
What if I already have a Wix, WordPress or other site?
You can migrate. See the migration section and related articles on this page for decision frameworks. I offer rescue packages for sites that need fixing, and rebuilds when the foundations are broken.
What's typically not included in the advertised monthly price?
Custom domain (often extra), removal of platform branding, premium templates or plugins, SSL on some plans, and proper accessibility or performance work. The advertised price is usually the minimum.
Can I migrate from a builder to a bespoke site later?
Yes. Content can be moved. URLs need redirects to preserve SEO. See the migration section and related articles on this page for when it's time, and how fix vs rebuild works.
Why does ownership matter?
With a builder, you rent. Stop paying and you lose the site. With bespoke, you own the code and content. After the term, ongoing costs are hosting and domain renewal (separate). No lock-in, no surprise price rises.
Related reading
- Custom build vs template: what you really get
- Themes vs bespoke: where accessibility breaks first
- When to leave your site builder
- Website rescue: when to fix vs rebuild
- Budgeting for website projects
Next steps
Try the cost calculator for a quick estimate, or get in touch to discuss packages. See budgeting for website projects for more on what to expect.