The Hidden Costs of DIY Website Builders
Free and cheap website builders advertise low starting prices. The real cost emerges when you start adding the features your business actually needs.
The Loss Leader Strategy
DIY website builders use a classic SaaS strategy: advertise a low entry price, then charge for every additional feature your business actually needs. The base plan is the hook; the upsells are the revenue.
The Wix True Cost
- Basic plan (with Wix branding): $0/month
- Remove Wix ads + custom domain: $16/month
- Add Wix Bookings (Pro): $30/month
- Add business email: $6/month
- Premium templates: $20–$100 one-time
- Total for a functional booking business website: $52+/month
The Squarespace True Cost
- Personal plan: $16/month
- Business plan (needed for ecommerce): $23/month
- Add Squarespace Scheduling: $16–$49/month
- Premium template: $0 (included, but limited selection)
- Total for website + booking: $39–$72/month
The Time Cost
Beyond money, DIY builders cost time. Configuring each add-on, troubleshooting integrations, learning separate interfaces for booking vs website vs email. For a business owner whose time is worth £50+/hour, 20 hours of configuration at launch costs £1,000 in opportunity cost alone.
The Sitepresso Difference
Sitepresso is priced as an all-inclusive service: website, booking, ecommerce, customer portal, and support in a single subscription. What you see is what you pay. No upsells for the features your business actually needs.
Ready to launch?
Get your website live in 5 minutes
Pick your industry, choose a plan, customise, and go live.
Start now →