Pay monthly vs one-off: which costs less?
Move the sliders to match a quote you've had, and see what you'd pay on day one and over time.
Paid on day one
Total after 3 years
How to read the numbers
A one-off build from an agency or freelancer usually costs somewhere between £1,500 and £5,000, depending on size. On top of that you'll normally pay for hosting and maintenance every month, and changes are often charged as extra work.
A pay monthly website has nothing big up front. The monthly price covers the build, hosting, domain, SEO set-up and support, so there are fewer surprise bills.
When pay monthly makes sense
- You'd rather keep a few thousand pounds in the business than spend it on day one.
- You want someone looking after the site, its security and its Google listing.
- You'd like small edits and SEO work included instead of quoted each time.
When one-off makes sense
- You have the budget now and want to own the site outright immediately.
- You're happy to manage hosting and updates yourself, or pay someone separately.
- You're planning to keep the same site for five years or more with few changes.
If that's you, I also build outright from £999, plus £20 a month for hosting and care. The calculator includes it so you can compare all three.
The question to always ask
Whichever way you pay, ask who owns the website and what happens if you leave. With me, it's yours once the 12-month minimum is done, or from launch day if you buy outright. Read how pay monthly works.
Want exact numbers for your business?
Send me what you need and I'll quote monthly and outright side by side.