How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website? DIY vs Agency

Building a website costs the least on a DIY builder and the most with an agency, and a freelancer lands between them. Running costs after launch add to the bill on any route.

Scope changes the bill too much for one fixed figure, so here is what drives each price. And if you're already on WordPress, our Wordpress migration service rebuilds your site for free, which changes the math.

How much does it cost to build a website with each approach?#

A hosted site builder such as Wix or Squarespace is the cheapest way in. You pay a subscription, pick a template and do the work yourself. A hosted builder costs you your time, and its limits show up later: design flexibility is narrow, and moving off the platform can be painful.

A freelancer usually charges a one-off project fee set by scope. Page count and custom design push it up, and a store with integrations adds more. Many freelancers build on WordPress. Once they hand the site over, updates become your job or a separate bill.

An agency costs the most because you're paying for a team: strategy, design, development and project management. That makes sense for complex sites and custom integrations. Many agencies also offer an ongoing retainer for changes and support.

Whatever route you pick, the same things move the price. Template or custom design. Number of pages. Whether you sell online. Who writes the copy and supplies the photos.

What running costs do people forget?#

Several costs show up after the launch invoice:

• Domain renewal.
• Hosting, either bundled into a builder subscription or paid separately.
• Premium plugin and theme licences, if you're on WordPress.
• Security, backups and software updates. WordPress core, themes and plugins all need regular updating, and someone has to do it.
• Content changes, which cost either your time or a developer's invoice for every small edit.
• Business email and analytics tools.

Content changes are the line that adds up quietly. A site that's slow or expensive to edit tends to go stale, and a stale site doesn't bring in leads.

Is there a cheaper route if you're already on WordPress?#

Captive Studio, from the agency Captive Demand, offers a cheaper route for WordPress owners. It rebuilds your site on its own platform, hosted on Vercel. You edit the site by asking in chat, and a real web team handles the rest. There are no plugins to update.

The way in is a free WordPress migration, normally a $5,000 project. We rebuild your site pixel-perfect in 2 business days and carry over your URLs and tracking. A 3-day free trial follows. You can read the details in our post on the free WordPress migration service, or see how chat editing works with our AI website editor.

Captive Studio is invite-only for now.

Frequently asked questions#

What's the cheapest way to build a website?#

A hosted site builder is usually the cheapest way to build a website, since you pick a template and build it yourself. The trade-off is your time and less design control.

Is a website a one-time cost?#

Ongoing costs continue after launch: domain renewal, hosting, security, updates and content changes. Budget for them alongside the build.

Does it cost more to rebuild a website than to build one?#

It can, depending on the approach. For WordPress owners with an invite, our migration is free. It's normally a $5,000 project.

Do I lose my SEO if I move off WordPress?#

Our migration carries over every URL and SEO tag, so the rebuilt site keeps the same addresses it had on WordPress.

Can anyone use Captive Studio today?#

Captive Studio is invite-only for now, so you'll need an invite to get started.

Ready to stop paying to maintain WordPress?#

If your site is on WordPress and you want to see it rebuilt without the plugin upkeep, start with our Wordpress migration service. We'll rebuild your site and you can try it free for 3 days.