Compare
Your website options, compared by what you actually pay
What a small business website costs depends on who builds it. In the first year a DIY builder runs $204 to $588, a freelancer $2,060 to $7,900 and an agency $5,060 to $15,300, at list prices checked October 14, 2026. FreeWebGuy is $0 to build and $180 for the first year of hosting, plus a domain if you need one.
Six routes
Six ways to get a business website, side by side
Cash cost at list prices for the first year and for three years. A domain and your own hours are extra; the website cost calculator adds both.
| Route | Who builds it | First year | 3 years | First version | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder Wix Light to Squarespace Plus, billed yearly | You | $204 to $588 | $612 to $1,764 | When you finish building it | All of it: design, writing, setup and every update |
| AI website builder Durable Launch billed yearly to Durable Grow billed monthly | You, with an AI first draft | $264 to $588 | $792 to $1,764 | A draft in under a minute; finishing it is up to you | Checking and rewriting the AI draft, then every update |
| Freelance web designer 40 to 80 hours at $50 to $95 an hour, plus hosting at $5 to $25 a month | A freelancer | $2,060 to $7,900 | $2,180 to $8,500 | 4 to 8 weeks | Meetings, your content and rounds of feedback |
| Web design agency A typical small business build, plus hosting at $5 to $25 a month | An agency team | $5,060 to $15,300 | $5,180 to $15,900 | 4 to 8 weeks or longer | Meetings, your content and rounds of approval |
| Done-for-you subscription UENI Launch billed monthly with its $79 setup, to B12 Professional billed monthly | Their team | $379 to $2,388 | $979 to $7,164 | About a week (UENI says 7 days, Jottful one week) | A questionnaire, then reviewing the site |
| FreeWebGuy $0 to build, $15 a month once you approve the preview | We do | $180 | $540 | Within 48 hours of your brief | About 3 minutes for the brief, then reviewing the preview |
- DIY website builder: Monthly billing costs more. Squarespace Basic is $25 a month instead of $19.
- AI website builder: Hostinger's builder costs less with a long prepay. $143.52 covers 48 months, then it renews at $10.99 a month.
- Freelance web designer: Regular content updates often add $50 to $200 a month (Ueni). They are not counted here.
- Web design agency: Clutch says most web design projects it reviews cost under $10,000.
- Done-for-you subscription: Hoot Host and WebsitesForFree.net also charge $0 to build and $15 a month.
- FreeWebGuy: Hosting starts only after you approve the site. No contract.
Sources: Wix plans ; Squarespace pricing ; Durable pricing ; Hostinger Website Builder ; WebsiteSetup: small business website costs (updated November 22, 2025) ; Ueni: average cost for a website (updated September 22, 2026) ; Clutch: web designer pricing (updated September 21, 2026) ; UENI pricing ; B12 pricing ; Jottful pricing ; FreeWebGuy pricing .
Choose a DIY or AI builder if you like building and have the hours to keep the site current. Choose a freelancer or an agency if you need custom features and have the budget for them.
Choose FreeWebGuy if you want a finished site you review instead of build, for $0 up front and $15 a month after you approve it.
Build it or have it built
Wix, Squarespace, WordPress or FreeWebGuy
Three ways to build a site yourself, next to a site built for you. Every price comes from the provider's own page.
| Compared | Wix | Squarespace | WordPress (self-hosted) | FreeWebGuy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $17 to $39 a month for Light to Business, billed yearly. Business Elite is $159. | $19 to $49 a month for Basic to Plus, billed annually, or $25 to $65 billed monthly. Advanced is $99. | Hosting from $3.99 a month on a 36-month Bluehost term, renewing at $9.99. Themes and plugins cost extra. | $15 a month, starting after you approve the preview. |
| Build cost | $0. You build it. | $0. You build it. | $0. You build it. | $0. We build it. |
| Who does the work | You, in the Wix editor | You, in the Squarespace editor | You, plus plugin, theme and security updates | Our team. A person checks every first version before you see it. |
| First version | When you finish building it | When you finish building it | When you finish building it | First version within 48 hours of your brief |
| Design | You pick a template and adjust it | You pick a template and adjust it | You pick a theme and adjust it | Designed from your brief |
| Billing terms | Paid a year or more up front, with a 14-day money-back guarantee | Monthly or annual, after a 14-day free trial with no card | The $3.99 rate needs a 36-month term | Month to month, no contract |
| If you leave | The site has to run on Wix's servers. Your content belongs to you. | Some content exports as a WordPress .xml file. Store, album and portfolio pages do not. | You can move the site and its files to another host. | The site goes offline, and we can help you gather your text and images. |
| Best for | Owners who want to build and edit every page, with a large app market | Owners who want polished templates and will build the site themselves | Owners who want full control of the code and the hosting | Owners who want a finished site to review instead of a project to build |
Sources: Wix plans; Wix Help Center on hosting elsewhere; Squarespace pricing; Squarespace Help Center on exporting; Bluehost WordPress hosting; FreeWebGuy Terms of Service
List prices before tax and promo codes. Wix was running a 50% first-term promotion on Core and higher plans, and Squarespace a 20% code for new plans, when we checked. WordPress figures are Bluehost's WordPress Starter plan; other hosts price differently.
Where to start
Four questions that point you to the right comparison
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Do you want to edit it yourself?
If you enjoy building and want control of every page, a DIY builder fits: start with Wix vs FreeWebGuy, Squarespace vs FreeWebGuy and Hostinger vs FreeWebGuy. If you would rather review a finished site than build one, read DIY vs done for you.
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Do you need custom features?
Member logins, custom software and deep integrations call for a designer or an agency: read hiring a web designer. A site with a handful of pages, a contact form and a Book button is standard work for a done-for-you service, so compare UENI and Hoot Host with FreeWebGuy.
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What is your budget this year?
Under $300 covers a DIY builder's entry plan (Wix Light is $204 a year), a Hostinger prepay ($143.52 for 48 months) or FreeWebGuy ($180 plus a domain). Other done-for-you plans run $379 to $2,388 in the first year, and a freelancer starts around $2,000. Put your own numbers into the website cost calculator.
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How soon do you need it?
Durable says its free AI plan is ready to go online in 30 seconds, and you finish the site from there (Durable vs FreeWebGuy). FreeWebGuy sends a first version within 48 hours of your brief. Other done-for-you services quote about a week (UENI says 7 days) to 2 to 3 weeks (Hoot Host). Freelancers and agencies take 4 to 8 weeks on average, according to WebsiteSetup.
Every comparison
One option at a time, next to FreeWebGuy
Each page shows dated prices, the arithmetic for one and three years, and the cases where the other option is the better choice.
- DIY builder
Wix vs FreeWebGuy
Wix charges $17 to $159 a month, paid a year up front, and you build the site. FreeWebGuy builds it for $0 and charges $15 a month after you approve it. Prices checked - DIY builder
Squarespace vs FreeWebGuy
Squarespace Basic is $19 a month billed annually or $25 monthly, and you build it. FreeWebGuy builds it for $0 and charges $15 a month after you approve it. Prices checked - AI builder
Durable vs FreeWebGuy
Durable drafts a site in seconds and you finish it, for $22 to $25 a month. FreeWebGuy builds and checks it for $0, then $15 a month after you approve it. Prices checked - DIY builder
Hostinger vs FreeWebGuy
Hostinger's $2.99 a month is $143.52 up front for 48 months, then $10.99, and you build it. FreeWebGuy builds it for $0 and $15 a month after you approve it. Prices checked - Done for you
UENI vs FreeWebGuy
UENI charges $79 setup plus $24.99 a month and takes 7 days. FreeWebGuy builds for $0, sends a first version within 48 hours, then $15 a month once approved. Prices checked - Done for you
Hoot Host vs FreeWebGuy
Hoot Host and FreeWebGuy both build for $0 and charge $15 a month. Hoot takes 2 to 3 weeks, up to 5 pages; FreeWebGuy sends a first version within 48 hours. Prices checked - Designer or agency
Hiring a web designer
A freelancer costs $2,000 to $7,600 and an agency $5,000 to $15,000, plus hosting. FreeWebGuy builds your site for $0, then $15 a month after you approve it. Prices checked - Ways to get a site
Doing it yourself
Build it yourself for $17 to $49 a month plus your hours, or have it built for $15 to $199 a month or thousands up front. How to decide, with dated numbers. Prices checked
Questions about website costs
Is Wix good for a small business?
Wix suits a small business owner who wants to build and edit the site personally. Plans run $17 to $39 a month for Light to Business, billed yearly, with a 14-day money-back guarantee, and the site has to stay on Wix's servers. If you would rather not build it, FreeWebGuy builds it for $0 and charges $15 a month after you approve it.
Should I build my own website or pay someone?
Build it yourself if you enjoy the work and have the hours to keep it current; a builder costs $17 to $49 a month billed yearly. Pay someone if your hours are worth more to the business. A freelancer charges $2,000 to $7,600 to build, according to WebsiteSetup, and FreeWebGuy charges $0 to build and $15 a month. The cost calculator adds your hours to the comparison.
How much does a small business website cost in the first year?
A small business website costs about $204 to $588 in the first year on a DIY builder, $2,060 to $7,900 with a freelancer and $5,060 to $15,300 with an agency, at list prices checked October 14, 2026. FreeWebGuy costs $180 for the first year of hosting, plus a domain if you need one.
What does a done-for-you website service cost?
The done-for-you services we checked charge $15 to $199 a month. Hoot Host and FreeWebGuy charge $0 to build and $15 a month, UENI charges a $79 setup fee and $24.99 a month, Jottful $199 setup and $65 a month, and B12 $199 a month for its Professional plan.
How did FreeWebGuy check these prices?
The FreeWebGuy team read each provider's own pricing page on October 14, 2026 and recorded the list prices shown to a US visitor, before tax and promo codes. Freelancer and agency ranges come from cost guides by WebsiteSetup, Ueni and Clutch, named next to each figure. Every comparison page lists its sources with dates.
Sources
- Wix, Plans and pricing,
- Wix Help Center, Exporting or embedding your Wix site elsewhere,
- Squarespace, Pricing,
- Squarespace Help Center, Export your site content,
- Bluehost, WordPress hosting plans,
- Website Builder Expert, Bluehost pricing and renewal fees,
- Durable, Pricing,
- Hostinger, Website Builder plans,
- UENI, Pricing,
- Jottful, Pricing,
- B12, Pricing,
- Hoot Host, Free Website plan and FAQ,
- WebsiteSetup, Small business website costs (updated November 22, 2025),
- Ueni, Average cost for a website (updated September 22, 2026),
- Clutch, Web designer pricing (updated September 21, 2026),
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