Website builder or custom site?

Website builders like Wix, Squarespace and Shopify have made it possible to get online in an afternoon. For plenty of small businesses that's the right answer, and we'll say so. For others, a builder quietly becomes the thing holding the business back. Here's how to tell which one you are.

When a website builder is the right choice

• You need a simple site soon and a template gets you most of the way.
• Your budget is very tight and a monthly fee is easier than a one-off cost.
• You enjoy doing it yourself and have the time to set it up and keep it current.
• Your needs are standard: a few pages, a contact form, maybe a small shop that the platform handles well.

If that's you, start with a builder. You can always move to a custom site later, and you'll know much more about what you need by then.

When a custom site is worth it

• You've hit the builder's limits. The booking flow, pricing, member area or integration you need isn't possible, or only with a pile of add-ons that don't quite work together.
• Add-on fees keep growing. A plan, plus apps for bookings, reviews, forms and email, can add up to more each year than a custom site costs to run.
• Speed matters. Heavy templates and add-ons can make pages slow on phones, and slow pages lose customers and search rankings.
• Your site does real work. If it takes orders, schedules staff or feeds other systems, you want it built around how your business runs.
• You want to own it. A custom site's code and content are yours. You can change hosts or developers without starting over.

Side by side

Comparing the real cost

Builders look cheaper because the cost is spread out. To compare fairly, add up three years: the plan fee, every paid add-on, transaction fees if you sell online, and the hours you spend maintaining it yourself. Check each platform's current pricing page, since plans change often.

On the custom side, a simple small business site with our rates is typically $1,500 to $4,500 to build, then about $5 to $25 a month to run. An online store is typically $4,750 to $13,500, then about $30 to $120 a month. For many simple sites a builder still wins on cost; for sites with bookings, payments or several add-ons, the numbers often get close within a couple of years.

We're running a launch offer right now: 50% off for our first 5 clients, for a limited time. The planner shows the regular and the launch price.

Five questions that decide it

1. What must the site do on day one to earn or save money? If a template does all of it, use a builder.
2. Which tools does it need to connect to? The more connections, the more custom starts to make sense.
3. Who will keep it updated, and how many hours a month can they give it?
4. What will you spend over three years on each option, including add-ons and your own time?
5. How much does being fast and different matter to winning customers in your market?

Already on a builder and outgrowing it?

Moving is common and doesn't mean starting from scratch. Your text, photos, products and customer list can usually come across, and old page addresses can redirect to the new ones so you keep your search rankings. A redesign of an existing small site is typically $1,250 to $4,250. Our modernizing page explains how we handle the move.