How much does a website cost: agency, freelancer or subscription

A website costs anywhere from nothing to several thousand euros, and the gap rarely shows in the result. It comes down to who does the work. There are three models. With an agency or freelancer you pay a one-off fee, typically a few hundred to several thousand euros, and then pay for maintenance. With a DIY builder (Wix-style) you pay a monthly fee, but all the work is yours. With a done-for-you subscription you pay monthly and someone else builds the site, with no effort on your side.

None of them wins outright. It depends on what your time is worth, how much creative control you want and how much you can spend upfront. Below is what each option includes, what usually gets left out and how to choose.

Agency: one-off payment, more control, longer wait

An agency works through briefs, proposals, meetings and revisions. It usually charges a one-off fee ranging from hundreds to thousands of euros, depending on page count and customisation. In return you get a design made for you and a person to call.

What often isn't in the first quote: hosting, domain, SSL certificate, updates and every small change after handover. Always ask what is included after launch and what it costs to change a paragraph or a photo. Timelines are usually measured in weeks.

Freelancer: cheaper, but you depend on one person

A freelancer tends to come in below an agency, with the same logic of a one-off fee plus maintenance. The risk isn't the price, it's dependency: if the person changes career, gets busy or disappears, nobody maintains the site. Ask for access to everything (domain, hosting, files) and confirm in writing who owns what. If you're weighing this route, our plans and pricing page is a handy reference point against a subscription.

DIY builder: low monthly fee, your labour

Tools like Wix or Squarespace charge a monthly fee, and the platforms are good. The real cost is your time: choosing a template, writing copy, preparing photos, fixing the mobile view, setting up SEO. If you enjoy it and have free hours, it works. If you run a business all day, the site often stays half-finished. See the direct comparison in WebGenPro vs Wix.

Done-for-you subscription: the site built for you, without the work

You pay a monthly fee and the site is built for you. At WebGenPro you type the business name and location, we use public information from the Google listing (photos, hours, reviews) and from public social profiles when available, and generate the site automatically. The free preview arrives in about 5 minutes, no card required. It is not a DIY editor or WordPress: you don't maintain plugins or a CMS, and hosting and SSL are on every plan.

• Free (€0): 1-page site on a webgenpro.com subdomain, no card, no deadline, 5 AI edits per month.
• Professional (€19/month): multi-page site, own domain (first year free on annual billing, then €50/year), full editor and 15 AI edits per month.
• Premium (€35/month): fully custom site, domain included, analytics, a monthly visits report and one blog article per month.

No setup fee and no lock-in. If you cancel a paid plan, the site stays online on the free plan (1 page on webgenpro.com).

Side-by-side comparison

Criterion	Agency	Freelancer	DIY builder	Done-for-you subscription
Cost	One-off, hundreds to thousands of €	One-off, usually below an agency	Monthly fee	From €0; paid plans from €19/month
Time	Weeks	Days to weeks	Depends on your time	Preview in about 5 minutes
Who does the work	The agency	The freelancer	You	Us
Maintenance	Usually billed separately	Usually billed separately	Yours	Hosting, SSL and support included
Lock-in	Varies by contract	Varies by agreement	Monthly, cancel anytime	None

How to decide

• Want a one-off project with a very distinct brand and the budget for it? Agency or freelancer.
• Enjoy tinkering and have the time? DIY builder.
• Want the site online fast, with nothing to learn and no commitment? A done-for-you subscription, and start on the free plan to see the result before paying.

Before signing anything, add up the total cost over 12 months: build, domain, hosting, changes and your own time. That sum is the real comparison. For more detail on the numbers, see the website cost page.

Conclusion

The price of a website isn't a single number, it's a trade between money, time and control. An agency sells control and attention, DIY sells freedom, a subscription sells speed and no workload. Pick the trade that suits your business and don't pay for something you won't use.

See your site before you decide

Type your business name and location and get a free preview in about 5 minutes, no card required. See plans and get started.