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What you actually get from each option.

Most agency sites compare themselves favourably and stop. This one tells you when Wix is a fine choice, when a freelancer is the right call, and when a bigger agency makes sense over us. Read the row, decide for yourself.

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The same six questions, four different answers.

01

Umber

Owner-direct studio

Pricing model
Flat fee per project. One number on a one-page proposal. No hourly billing.
Who edits the site
We edit everything for the first thirty days at no cost. After that, a care plan or a per-request quote covers changes, or you take the code and self-serve.
Code and asset ownership
You own the source files, the hosting, the domain, and the brand assets. Nothing licensed, nothing leased.
Time to launch
Four to six weeks for a rebuild. Five to eight for a new build.
Ongoing support
Thirty days of free changes after launch. A care plan or a per-request quote after that, or self-serve with the code.
What breaks first
Your source files live in an account in your name, on hosting in your name, with notes any web person can pick up. If the engagement ever ends, you keep the whole site.

02

Wix or Squarespace

Drag-and-drop builder

Pricing model
Monthly subscription, often $20 to $60 per month, plus add-ons for forms, scheduling, and storage.
Who edits the site
You do, in their visual editor. Easy at first, slow once the site grows past five or six pages.
Code and asset ownership
You own your content. You do not own the platform. Your site cannot move off Wix or Squarespace as code.
Time to launch
A weekend to a week if you do it yourself with a template. Longer if you customize heavily.
Ongoing support
Help docs and chat support. No human watching your site for problems.
What breaks first
Performance and SEO ceiling once the site grows. Forms, integrations, and page speed are the usual pinch points.

03

Freelancer

Solo contractor

Pricing model
Mixed. Often hourly or milestone-based. Quotes vary widely; quality varies more.
Who edits the site
Depends on the build. WordPress freelancers usually leave you with an admin panel; custom-build freelancers may not.
Code and asset ownership
Usually yours, in writing. Worth confirming before signing anything.
Time to launch
Three to twelve weeks. Heavily dependent on the freelancer’s queue and how much hand-holding you do.
Ongoing support
Whatever you negotiate. Some stay on retainer, some disappear at launch.
What breaks first
Continuity. If the freelancer goes quiet or moves on, you may be stuck finding someone who can read their code.

04

Typical agency

Mid-market shop

Pricing model
Quote-based. Often a discovery fee, then a build fee, then a retainer. Total cost is rarely visible up front.
Who edits the site
An account manager files tickets to a developer. You usually pay for every change.
Code and asset ownership
Sometimes yours, sometimes theirs. Read the contract carefully; some agencies bill license fees on assets.
Time to launch
Three to six months. Discovery and approval cycles are most of the calendar time.
Ongoing support
Monthly retainer, billed even in months you do not use it. Good if you need a partner; expensive if you do not.
What breaks first
Your patience and your budget. Process is heavy by design and bills add up between launch and the next quarter.

When the other option is the right call.

  1. Wix or Squarespace is right

    When you need a one-page or three-page site live this week, you will edit it yourself, and you can live with the platform’s ceiling on speed and customization.

  2. A freelancer is right

    When you have a small, well-defined project, a personal recommendation, and a written agreement on code ownership and post-launch support.

  3. A typical agency is right

    When you are a mid-size business with a marketing team, a clear retainer budget, and a need for ongoing creative work alongside the site itself.

The longer version of every row.

Each comparison above has a post behind it, written for an owner who is deciding.

Platforms

Who to hire

Money and time

Short answers

What owners ask before switching.

Don’t see yours? Ask us directly.

I already have a Wix site. Can I migrate without losing rankings?

Yes. Switching a site over is a regular part of every rebuild. We map every existing page address to its new equivalent, set up redirects, and keep your domain, email, and phone number untouched. Rankings hold or improve in almost every case because the new site is faster and better-structured.

I already have a freelancer. Should I switch?

Not necessarily. If your freelancer ships on time, leaves you with code you own, and is responsive, stay. The case for switching is a freelancer who has gone quiet, a site that has not been touched in two years, or a setup where every small change requires a new invoice.

What about hiring a junior in-house instead?

Hiring works at scale. For most small businesses, a single in-house junior is the most expensive option overall: salary, benefits, taxes, and the cost of training and managing the role. A flat-fee studio engagement is usually the right level of effort for a website that does not change weekly.

Once you have decided, see what a rebuild actually includes, from the on-page SEO and AI visibility built into every site, or browse the industries we focus on.

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