Agency, freelancer or subscription: who should build your site
A US agency charges $10,000 to $15,000 as a project minimum and gives you a team with continuity; a freelancer does comparable work for $1,500 to $8,000 with a single point of contact; an all-in subscription runs about $26 a month with nothing upfront; a builder costs $16 to $50 a month but you do the work.
Updated 18 August 2026 · 6 min read
The question is not who is cheapest, it is what you are buying. An agency sells a team, a freelancer sells a person, a subscription sells a service and a builder sells a tool. The price follows from that.
What each route costs
| Who | Price | Timeline | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | $10,000 – $15,000 minimum | 6 – 12 weeks | Copy, photos, reviews, approvals |
| Freelancer | $1,500 – $8,000 | 4 – 8 weeks | Copy, photos, direct coordination |
| All-in subscription | about $26 a month | 24 hours – 1 week | Fill in a questionnaire |
| Website builder | $16 – $50 a month | 15 – 40 hours | Everything |
Scroll the table →
Agency minimums and freelance ranges: Jim.com and GruffyGoat, 2026. Hourly rates behind those numbers: $85 to $150 freelance, $125 to $300 agency.
What an agency is actually for
Projects with several disciplines and real risk: a rebuild of a site with traffic you cannot afford to lose, a new brand identity, accessibility or compliance requirements, integrations with systems you already run. You are also paying for continuity — if someone leaves mid-project, the work carries on.
What a freelancer is actually for
The best value once the scope is clear. One person to talk to, quick decisions, and rates roughly half an agency's. The trade-off is availability: illness or a busy month is a stalled project, and there is no bench.
How to read a US agency proposal
- Page count, actually counted. “Website” is not a unit of measurement.
- Who writes the copy — the line clients assume is included and agencies most often price separately.
- Who owns the domain and the hosting account. It should be you.
- What the maintenance retainer covers, and the response time in writing.
- How many revision rounds are included, and what a change costs after launch.
- What you receive if you leave: files, database, access credentials.
And where we sit, since this page is ours: OnWeb24 is the third row — 24 € a month, about $26, domain, hosting and maintenance included, live in 24 hours after a questionnaire. We do not build custom integrations and we do not pretend to replace an agency on a project with real risk. We replace the most common situation of all: a business with no website because the quote was too high.
Frequently asked questions
Is a freelancer cheaper than an agency?
Usually: $1,500 to $8,000 versus a $10,000 to $15,000 agency minimum for a small business site. What you give up is continuity and bench depth.
What do US agencies charge per hour?
$125 to $300 for senior development, against $85 to $150 for an experienced freelancer. Boutique agencies sit at $140 to $215, mid-market at $195 to $300.
What is a website subscription?
A single monthly fee covering the build, hosting, domain and maintenance, with nothing upfront. With any provider, ask what you keep if you cancel — that answer tells you what you are really buying.
When do I genuinely need an agency?
Rebuilding a site with established traffic, integrating with internal systems, launching a new brand identity, or meeting accessibility and compliance requirements that need specialists.
A professional website for 24 € a month
Domain, hosting and maintenance included, live in 24 hours. You fill in a questionnaire, we do the rest.
See how it worksSources
- Jim.com — Small business website cost in 2026: real prices — accessed 18 August 2026
- Digital Applied — Website Development Cost 2026: complete pricing data — accessed 18 August 2026
- GruffyGoat — Small business website costs in 2026: full breakdown — accessed 18 August 2026