Ready-made website vs Wix, Squarespace and other builders
Builders are cheap to start and easy to try. The trade is monthly fees forever, a site you rent rather than own, and every design decision landing on your desk.
| Â | Wondercraft | a DIY website builder |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | One payment for the finished build | Nothing to start |
| Cost over three years | Build price plus lean hosting | Subscription, premium template, apps and transaction fees add up quickly |
| Who does the design work | Already done by the studio | You, from a template |
| Ownership | You own the code and can host it anywhere | The site lives on their platform and stops if you stop paying |
| Speed | Lean modern code with images sized for the web | Heavier page weight from platform scripts and apps |
| Moving away later | Copy the files to any host | Usually a rebuild |
When a DIY website builder is the better choice
- Testing an idea this week on the smallest possible budget
- A single page that will never grow
- People who genuinely enjoy building and editing pages themselves
Common questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No. We hand the site over live, and the content you asked for is already in place. Ongoing edits can be done by us or by your own developer.
Can I keep my existing domain name?
Yes. Your go-live checklist in the customer area walks through pointing your domain at the new site.
How do the three-year costs really compare?
Use the free website cost calculator to put your own numbers in — it compares a ready-made build, an agency, a freelancer and a DIY builder side by side.
Other comparisons
Keep reading
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