Website pricing falls into two models. You pay once for a build and then arrange hosting and upkeep yourself, or you pay a recurring fee that bundles it all. Neither is always better. Here is how to decide.
The one-time model
You pay a build fee, often $1,000–$15,000 depending on who builds it. After launch you usually pay for hosting, backups, security updates and any change you request. The upside is ownership of a finished asset and no recurring design fee. The downside is that the real cost keeps growing through add-ons, and the website can go stale if nobody maintains it.
The subscription model
Often called website as a service, a plan covers design, hosting and support for a repeating price. The upside is predictability and low risk: no large invoice at the start and someone responsible for keeping the site running. The downside is that you pay every period, so you should understand the renewal terms and what leaving looks like.
How to compare them fairly
Add up three years of cost for each option:
- The build fee or first-year price.
- Hosting, SSL and backups.
- Maintenance and security updates.
- Changes you expect to request, such as new pages, prices and photos.
- The value of the time you spend managing it.
Questions to ask any provider
- What exactly is included in the price?
- Does the price renew, and can it change?
- Can I cancel, and are there penalties?
- Who registers and owns the domain name?
- When do I pay: first, in stages or after launch?
How our plan works
Our Complete Package is $1,950 a year in US dollars and renews yearly. It includes design, hosting, SSL, daily backups, on-page SEO and unlimited updates under fair use. You pay $49 to start, credited toward the total and non-refundable, then the balance after your website is live. There is no long-term contract, and you register the domain yourself. Read what the yearly price buys and why we are paid after launch.