A website builder,
or someone who builds it?
Most pages on this are written by one of the two sides, and I am one. Here is the straight picture, and why most businesses come out ahead with a site built around them.
When a site builder can work
if you have the time to do it right- You have plenty of free time to learn the builder and make a proper site yourself
- The site is simple: a few pages and a form, with no store, bookings, or custom features
- You are fine with a template look that other businesses share
If that is not you, I build it for you, around what your customers need. Be as involved as you like: I advise, but you decide, and you get the site you want. Most sites are live within about a week of your approval.
When it is the expensive choice
when cheap stops being cheap- A template is only free if your hours are
- You want it found. A builder leaves the writing, structure, and local pages to you
- You sell something a template fights: variants, state rules, live goods
- You want a person, not a help center, when it breaks at the wrong moment
What the money buys, side by side
what each one actually costs youA builder costs less each month because you build the site. Compare me with a subscription plus your own evenings.
| A site builder | A local agency | Me | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid before you see it | nothing, but nothing is built | varies, so ask before you sign | nothing, and your free demo is built |
| Who builds it | you do | they do | I do |
| Monthly, and what is in it | from $39, or $29 paid yearly, for platform and hosting; you build and run the site | hosting billed on top of the build | starting at $99, with build, hosting, updates, and upkeep inside. One year minimum, billed monthly or paid in one payment, then month to month |
| Found in search and by AI | template markup; you write the copy | varies, often extra | structured data, local pages, and writing included |
| Changes later | you make them | depends on terms | included, whenever you ask |
| Fee on each sale | 2.9% and 30¢ on cards | none | none; I never touch your payments |
Builder figures are Shopify’s Basic plan, from their pricing page on October 20, 2026. Agency terms vary, so that column is a general description, not a quote. If anything is out of date, tell me.
What people ask when they are deciding
Is a website builder cheaper than hiring someone?
In cash, yes. Shopify’s Basic plan was $39 a month when I checked its price page on October 20, 2026, against my $99. But that buys the platform and hosting, and you supply the building. Whether it is cheaper depends on what your evenings are worth.
Do I need Shopify to sell online?
No. Shopify is very good, but not the only way. I write the checkout into the site: cards through Stripe, plus Venmo, Cash App, or Bitcoin, straight into your accounts, with no fee to me on any sale. That suits products a template fights. Shopify is better for a huge app ecosystem or a warehouse integration.
Can I move off a site builder later?
Your content, yes. Your design, no: the layout belongs to the template, so a move is a rebuild. Leaving me works the same way. The site comes down unless you buy it, which is the trade for having no build fee.
What if a builder does not work out?
Then you are in the situation I get called about most, and finding out costs you nothing. A redesign is the same deal as a new site: I build it first, and you only pay if you keep it. I will keep whatever on your current site already works.
Still not sure? See your demo first
I build the site first. If it is no better than a builder’s, you have lost an email. If you keep it, it starts at $99 a month, one year minimum.
Get my free demoOr call (919) 792-8333
Got it. Thank you.