growthwrightThe pay monthly website vs one-off question comes up on nearly every call I take. Fair enough: one sounds like renting, the other sounds like owning. But "owning" a website isn't like owning a van. It still needs fuel, an MOT and someone to fix it. So the real question is which way gets you a good site, kept in good nick, for the least money and hassle.
Full disclosure: I sell websites for £25 a month. I'll still give you the fair version, including when a one-off build makes more sense.
The difference in one paragraph
With a one-off website you pay a build fee, then pay separately for hosting, domain, email, updates and changes. With a pay monthly website you pay a fixed fee every month and the provider builds the site and handles the running of it. Same end result on screen. Very different bills, and very different responsibilities.
Pay monthly website vs one-off: pros and cons
| Pay monthly | One-off build | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low or none | Higher, paid before or during the build |
| Cash flow | Predictable monthly bill | A big hit at the start |
| Hosting and SSL | Usually included | Usually extra, every year |
| Security updates | Usually included | Your job, or paid for separately |
| Changes after launch | Depends on the plan, ask | Often charged per job |
| Long-term cost | Keeps going while you use it | Can be lower if you rarely change anything |
| Lock-in | Depends on the term, ask | None, but you're on your own |
| Ownership | Depends on the provider, ask | Usually clearer, check the contract |
Total cost over 1, 2 and 3 years
Here's a worked comparison. The £25-a-month figures are my real prices. The one-off figures are made-up examples to show the maths, not market data. Swap in the numbers from your own quotes.
Example one-off build: £1,000 build fee, plus an example £150 a year for hosting, domain, email and SSL, plus an example £150 a year for updates and a few changes.
| Period | Growthwright £25 a month (1 email) | Example one-off build |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £300 | £1,300 (example) |
| 2 years | £600 | £1,600 (example) |
| 3 years | £900 | £1,900 (example) |
With those example numbers, the monthly option is cheaper for quite a few years. Change the example and the answer changes. If your one-off quote is low, and you'll never need a change or an update, the one-off can come out ahead over a long enough stretch. If the quote is high or you'll want regular edits, monthly tends to win.
How to do this for your own quotes
- Write down the build fee.
- Add hosting, domain, SSL and email for each year.
- Add a realistic figure for updates and changes. Be honest: most businesses change prices, photos or services at least a few times a year.
- Compare year 1, year 2 and year 3 totals side by side.
For more on what each piece costs, see how much a website costs in the UK.
No setup fee. No hidden costs. £25 a month, 12-month minimum term, hosting and one business email included. Your first payment starts when you go live. Start with a quick chat
When a one-off website makes more sense
- You have in-house skills to host, update and secure the site yourself.
- You need something big or unusual, like a large shop or a complex system. That may be a custom app rather than a website.
- Your business has strict rules about owning and hosting everything itself.
- You've got the cash now and you'd rather not have another monthly bill.
When a pay monthly website makes more sense
- You'd rather keep cash in the business than spend a lump on a website.
- You don't want to deal with hosting, updates, SSL or email settings.
- You want one person to call when something needs changing.
- You're starting out and want a proper site now, not in six months when you've saved up.
What to check in a monthly website contract
This is where monthly deals can go wrong. Check these before you sign:
- Minimum term. How long are you committed for? Is it clear in writing?
- What happens after the term. Does it roll monthly? How much notice do you need to give?
- Price changes. Can the monthly fee go up, and how much notice will you get?
- Setup or exit fees. Any charge to start, or to leave?
- What's included. Hosting, SSL, security updates, email, changes. Get the list.
- Extras. What does each extra email, page or feature cost?
- Support. Do you talk to a real person? How do you ask for changes?
Ownership questions to ask
Ownership varies a lot between providers, so don't assume. Ask these plainly and get the answers in writing:
- The domain name. Whose name is it registered in? Can you move it if you leave?
- Your words and photos. Can you have a copy of the content you supplied and the text written for you?
- The design and code. Is it yours, licensed to you while you pay, or the provider's?
- Email. If you leave, what happens to your mailboxes and old messages? How do you move them? My business email guide explains the moving parts.
- Exit process. What exactly do you get handed over if you cancel?
If a provider gets vague here, that tells you something.
Red flags with either option
- A price with no written list of what's included.
- No examples of sites they've built, or examples that are slow on a phone. Run them through the test in my website speed guide.
- Promises of "guaranteed first page on Google". Nobody can guarantee that.
- Long lock-ins with no clear way out.
The running costs people forget with a one-off build
The build fee is the bit everyone compares. The running costs are the bit that catches people out. If you go one-off, budget for these every year:
- Hosting. Cheap hosting is often an introductory price that rises on renewal. Check the renewal price, not the first-year offer.
- Domain renewal. Small, but it has to be paid every year, and letting it lapse can take your site and email offline.
- Business email. Often charged per mailbox, per month.
- SSL. Many hosts include a free certificate now, but someone still has to make sure it renews.
- Software updates. WordPress, themes and plugins need regular updates. Skipped updates are a common way sites get hacked.
- Premium plugins and themes. Many are licensed yearly.
- Backups. Who's taking them, and could you restore one?
- Changes. New prices, a new service, fresh photos. Often charged by the hour.
- Your time. Chasing all of the above is time you're not spending on paid work.
None of these are a reason to avoid a one-off build. They're just a reason to compare the total, not the headline.
Questions to ask a one-off provider
- Who hosts it after launch, and what does that cost each year?
- Who keeps the software updated?
- What's your rate for changes?
- Will I get the login details for everything, including the domain?
My honest verdict
For most local service businesses, a fair pay monthly website with a short, clear term is the easier and often cheaper route over the first few years. You get a proper site now, someone keeps it running, and you keep your cash for the van, the stock or the staff. For bigger, complicated projects, or businesses that want to own and run everything in-house, a one-off build can make more sense. Either way, the deciding factor isn't monthly or one-off. It's whether the deal is clear, the total cost is fair, and you know exactly what you get to keep. Ask the questions above, get the answers in writing, and you won't go far wrong.
How I can help
I build custom websites for £25 a month with a 12-month minimum term and no setup fee. Hosting, SSL, security updates and one business email are included, and you deal with me directly. Want it tuned to the same standard as my own sites? Add the SEO, speed and accessibility tune-up for £100, paid once. Check the numbers on the pricing calculator.