Guide
Website builder or web developer?
There are really three choices: build it yourself on a website builder, learn to code it, or pay someone. Each is right for somebody. The deciding questions are how much time you have, whether you want to own the result, and what the site has to do. Here is how to decide without regretting it in a year.
The short answer
Use a website builder if you have a free weekend or two, a small budget, and a simple site in mind. Wix and Squarespace run about $16–$49 a month for business plans, billed annually.
Pay someone if your time is worth more than the build cost, you want it done properly the first time, or you want to own the files outright.
Code it yourself only if you want to learn web development for its own sake. As a way to get a business online quickly, it is the slowest route there is.
When a website builder is the right call
You are just starting and are not sure the business will last. A builder is cheap to start and cheap to abandon.
You enjoy the work. Some owners like designing their own site, and a builder makes that pleasant.
You need to change things constantly — menus, prices, events — and want to do it yourself the same day.
Budget for 20 to 40 hours to build it properly: choosing a template, writing every page, sourcing photographs and setting up the domain.
When to hire someone instead
You are busy doing the work that pays. Forty hours of evenings is a real cost even if it never appears on an invoice.
You want the site to bring in customers from search, not just exist. Page structure, titles and local search setup are where DIY sites most often fall short.
You want to own it. A builder site stops existing the month you stop paying; a site built for you can be moved anywhere.
The cost over three years
Monthly fees look small and add up. Over three years the picture changes:
| Option | 3-year total | Your time | Do you own it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squarespace Core | ~$1,044 | 20–40 hours | No |
| Wix Business | ~$1,404 | 20–40 hours | No |
| Fixed-price site | from $750 once | A 15-minute call | Yes |
| Freelancer | $500–$3,000 once | A few calls | Usually |
| Agency | $4,000–$6,000+ | Several meetings | Yes |
For your own numbers, try the website cost calculator.
What about learning to code?
Coding a site from scratch gives total control and costs nothing but time. For a business owner, the time is the problem: learning enough HTML and CSS to build a good-looking, fast, secure site that works on every phone takes weeks to months.
If you are curious, learn it as a hobby. If you need customers this month, use a builder or pay someone.
The middle option
Fixed-price studios sit between the two. You get a site built for you at a published price, you own the domain and files, and there is no monthly fee unless you want one. That is how we work — and you can see what we would build before paying anything, in the free website builder.
A quick way to decide
Choose a builder if you have more time than money and want to learn.
Choose a person if you have more money than time, or want to own the result.
Choose code only if the learning is the point.