Website builders like Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy promise a professional website in an afternoon, with no technical skills and a low monthly fee. For some businesses, that’s exactly what they need. For others, it’s a false economy that ends with a rebuild a year or two later.
Key takeaways
- Website builders suit very simple sites, testing an idea or tight budgets, if you have the time.
- With a mid-range plan, domain and apps, the real yearly cost is often several hundred pounds.
- Downsides: you do all the work, templates look like templates, and leaving usually means rebuilding.
- A custom website is usually worth it if you want to be found on Google or need enquiries.
We build websites for a living, so we’re not neutral. But we’d rather you picked the right option than paid for something you don’t need, so here’s an honest look at when a website builder is worth it and when it isn’t.
What is a website builder?
A website builder is an online tool that lets you create a website by picking a template and dragging in your own text and photos. Hosting, security and updates are included in a monthly subscription, so you don’t have to deal with servers or code. The best-known are Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy’s builder, Shopify (for online shops) and WordPress.com. Most now include AI tools that will draft a site for you from a few questions.
The pros of website builders
- Low upfront cost. You pay a monthly or yearly subscription instead of a design fee.
- Fast. A simple site can be live in a day or two.
- No technical skills needed. Drag-and-drop editors are genuinely easy to use.
- Everything in one place. Hosting, SSL, templates and often email and domains come in one package.
- Fine for simple needs. A one-page site with your services, photos and contact details is well within what a builder can do.
The cons of website builders
- You do all the work. The software is easy, but writing the content, choosing photos, laying out pages and making it persuade visitors to get in touch is still down to you. That’s the hard part, and it’s where most DIY sites fall short.
- Templates look like templates. Thousands of businesses use the same designs. It’s hard to stand out, and customising a template beyond the basics can be fiddly.
- The costs creep up. The advertised price is usually the cheapest plan. Removing the builder’s ads, using your own domain, taking online bookings or payments, and adding apps often means upgrading, and introductory prices tend to rise at renewal. Over a few years, it can cost more than you expected.
- You don’t fully own it. Your site lives on their platform. If prices go up or you want to move, you usually can’t take your design with you, so leaving means rebuilding.
- Limited SEO and speed control. Builders handle the basics, but you have less control over page speed, site structure and the finer points of SEO. That matters most if you’re competing for local searches.
- Your time isn’t free. A weekend building a site is a weekend not spent on paying work. And if it doesn’t bring in enquiries, the “cheap” option hasn’t saved anything.
How much does a website builder really cost?
Good to know
Most builders advertise a low monthly price, but a business website usually needs a mid-range plan to get your own domain, no adverts and features like bookings or a shop. Add a domain name, any paid apps, and the value of your own time, and the real yearly cost is often several hundred pounds before you’ve counted the hours.
That’s still cheaper than a professionally built website in year one. The question is whether the site actually brings in work.
Website builder vs a web designer
| Website builder | Web designer | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low | Higher, one-off |
| Ongoing cost | Monthly subscription that rises with features | Hosting and optional care plan |
| Time from you | A lot: you build and write everything | Little: mostly answering questions and giving feedback |
| Design | Template, shared with many other sites | Designed around your business |
| SEO and speed | Basics only | Built in from the start |
| Ownership | Locked to the platform | Usually yours to keep and move |
| Best for | Very simple sites, testing an idea, tight budgets | Businesses relying on their website for enquiries |
When a website builder is worth it
A builder is a sensible choice if:
- You’re just starting out and need something online quickly and cheaply.
- Your site only needs a page or two: what you do, some photos and how to contact you.
- You enjoy doing it yourself and have the time.
- Most of your work comes from word of mouth or social media, and the website is mainly there to look legitimate.
When it’s worth paying for a custom website
It’s usually worth having a website built for you if:
- You want customers to find you on Google, especially for local searches.
- Your website needs to bring in enquiries or bookings, not just exist.
- You’ve already tried a builder and it isn’t working.
- You’d rather spend your time on your business than learning web design.
- You want a site that’s yours, that you can grow and move without starting again.
What about WordPress?
WordPress (the self-hosted version from WordPress.org, not WordPress.com) sits in between. It’s free software that powers a huge share of the web, gives you full ownership and control, and has a plugin for almost anything. It needs hosting and a bit more setup, which is why many businesses have a designer build it and then edit it themselves. That’s how most of the websites we build work: designed for you, easy to update yourself.
Not sure which is right for you?
We’re DM Media Solutions, a small web design agency in South Wales working with businesses across the UK. We build fast, SEO-friendly WordPress websites on a fixed quote, usually live in 2 to 6 weeks, and we can host and look after them so you have one team to call. You can see websites we’ve built for local businesses.
Already have a builder site that isn’t bringing in work? Try our free website check, or message us on WhatsApp at +44 7737 351525 or get in touch. We’ll give you a straight answer and a fixed quote, even if the answer is that a website builder will do the job.
Want a website that brings in enquiries?
Fixed quotes, most sites live in 2 to 6 weeks. Talk to Manu directly, no call centre.
