Guide · 6 min read · as of October 2026 · by Somers Design
Website builder or web designer: what suits your business?
Wix, Jimdo, Squarespace: website builders promise a professional website in an afternoon, with no prior knowledge. Web designers say that isn't enough. Both sides have an interest – and so do we. So here is an honest comparison, including the cases in which a website builder is the right decision.
What a website builder really costs
In 2026 the common website builders cost around €10 to €45 a month depending on provider, plan and term, with shop plans tending to cost more. Free plans show advertising and run under someone else's address – for a business, they are not an option.
What no price table shows is your own time: choosing a template, writing text, selecting photos, checking everything on a phone. Realistically that is several working days – time you would otherwise put into your business. The table assumes a builder plan for around €20 a month.
| Over five years | Website builder | Web design with us |
|---|---|---|
| Start | €0 plus several days of your own work | from €990, demo free beforehand |
| Ongoing | around €240 a year | 1st year included, then €0 without care or €348 a year with Basic |
| After 5 years | around €1,200 plus your time | €990 without care, €2,382 with Basic |
| Ownership | stays with the provider | belongs to you |
Honestly, that means: it depends on the care
If you only count the money, the two are closer than you might think. Without a care plan, a website with us even costs less over five years than a website builder – you then pay for changes by time. With a care plan, the builder is cheaper in euros. Whether it is worth it depends on what your time is worth to you – and what the website should do for your business. A site that merely exists is something different from a site that brings in enquiries.
When a website builder is the right choice
There are good reasons for a website builder. It suits you if …
- you are just starting out and want to test your offer first
- the budget really is very tight
- a simple digital business card is enough for now
- you enjoy design and can plan in the time for it
- you want to change content yourself very often
Where website builders reach their limits
At the latest when the website is supposed to actively win customers, the limits show:
- Off-the-peg templates: thousands of businesses use the same templates, and customers notice
- Loading time: website builders load a lot of code for features you don't even use – which costs time on a phone
- Tied to the provider: the site usually can't be taken with you. Anyone who cancels or switches builds from scratch
- Design ends where the template ends: whatever the template doesn't provide for is impossible or needs tricks
- Content and Google remain your job: the builder supplies tools, but no text, no structure and no strategy
The real difference: who thinks along with you?
The most important difference is not the technology. A website builder gives you tools. A web designer brings the question that decides success: What do your customers need to see in the first few seconds so that they enquire? Which questions do they ask again and again? What sets you apart from the competition?
These answers come from experience with many projects – not from a template. As with a tailor: the fabric isn't the expensive part, the knowledge of how it has to fit is.
Already have a website builder site? How to switch
Switching is usually easier than you might think if you keep three things in mind. First, the domain: if it is registered with the builder, you can take it with you using a transfer code, so your address stays the same. Second, the term: many plans are paid annually, and switching shortly before renewal saves money. Third, Google: old subpages are redirected to the new ones so that your existing rankings are kept.
Conclusion
A website builder is like clothing off the peg: cheap, available immediately and roughly the right fit. For getting started, that can be exactly right. But if you want to win customers with your website and stand out from the competition, you need something that fits precisely.
Our suggestion if you are unsure: we build you a demo – free, in 48 hours. Put it next to your builder site and then decide. You only pay if you want to switch.