Compare
Website subscription vs agency vs freelancer cost, compared honestly
The table and side-by-side below show typical first-year costs and trade-offs. Around them: how to read those numbers fairly, what to ask before you sign with anyone, and when we are not the right answer.
- Our year one
- $1,188 at $99/month
- Minimum term
- 3 months ($297)
- Setup fee
- None
- Other columns
- Typical ranges, not quotes
Price comparison
What the same website typically costs elsewhere.
Figures below are typical market ranges for orientation — not quotes, and not claims about any specific competitor.
| First-year cost | Do it yourself | Freelancer | Traditional agency | Tecnomation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design & build | Your own time | $800 – $2,500 | $3,000 – $10,000 | Included |
| Logo creation / redesign | $0 – $50 template | $150 – $600 | $500 – $2,500 | Included if needed |
| Domain (1 year) | $12 – $25 | Usually billed to you | Usually billed to you | Included if needed |
| Hosting (1 year) | $60 – $300 | $100 – $400 | $300 – $1,200 | Included |
| SSL certificate | $0 – $80 | $0 – $80 | Often billed | Included |
| Content writing | You write it | $300 – $1,000 | $800 – $3,000 | Included |
| Basic SEO setup | You configure it | $200 – $800 | $500 – $2,000 | Included |
| Ongoing maintenance | You do it | Ad hoc / hourly | $200 – $500 / month | Included |
| Change requests | Your evenings | Quoted each time | Quoted each time | Included in management |
| Typical year one | $100 – $450 + your time | $1,500 – $5,000+ | $5,000 – $18,000+ | $1,188 / year at $99/mo |
Tecnomation year-one figure = $99 × 12 months. Minimum commitment is 3 months ($297), then month to month.
Side by side
DIY vs Tecnomation vs traditional agency.
Do it yourself
Lowest cash cost
Full control over every pixel
Weeks of your time
Design and copy are guesswork
You own every technical problem
Usually looks like what it is
Best when: budget is the only constraint and the website is not a source of customers.
Tecnomation
Professional design and copy
No large upfront cost
Domain, hosting, SSL handled
Ongoing management included
One accountable team
Fixed, predictable $99/month
Best when: you want it done properly, handled for you, without a five-figure commitment.
Traditional agency
Deep strategy and research
Large custom scope possible
Significant upfront investment
Long timelines
Change requests billed separately
Small accounts get junior attention
Best when: you need a large custom platform and have the budget and timeline for it.
Read it fairly
How to read the comparison honestly
The freelancer and agency figures are typical market ranges. They give you a sense of scale; they do not describe any particular provider. A real quote can land above or below them depending on scope, region and who does the work.
Three things keep the comparison fair:
- Compare the same scope. Our figure is for three custom pages plus everything in the plan. A quote for ten pages or an online store is a different job, and it should be set against our add-on quotes, not against the $99.
- Compare the same period. A one-off build price and a monthly subscription only line up once you add a year of hosting, domain, maintenance and change requests to the one-off figure.
- Count your own time. The do-it-yourself column looks cheapest because your evenings are not in it.
Before you sign
Five questions to ask any provider before comparing
- Whose name is the domain registered in? It should be your business. Ask how a transfer works and whether it costs anything.
- What happens after launch? Who applies updates, renews the SSL certificate, takes backups and fixes things when they break, and is that included or billed by the hour?
- What does a change cost? Ask for the price of a typical small edit, such as a new phone number or an updated price list, and how long it takes.
- What are the renewal prices? Introductory rates on hosting and domains often rise at renewal. Ask for the year-two figures, not just year one.
- What is the minimum term, and what does leaving cost? Ask how long you are committed, whether there is an exit fee, and what you take with you.
Our own answers, so you can hold us to the same standard: a domain we register is registered for your business and transferable on request; updates, fixes, monitoring and content changes are part of the subscription; large new sections or functionality are quoted in writing first; the price stays at $99 a month while your subscription is active; and after the 3-month minimum you can leave with no exit fee.
Fair to the alternatives
When an agency or freelancer is genuinely the better choice
A subscription is not the right model for every project. You are likely better served elsewhere if:
- You need a large custom platform, such as a web application or a complex integration, with research and strategy up front. That is the work agencies are set up for.
- You want a site built once and handed over, with no monthly relationship afterwards. A one-off project with a freelancer or agency fits that better.
- You want full code-level control and an in-house development workflow.
- You need 40 pages with complex custom functionality. No honest plan at $99 a month covers that.
- You already work with a freelancer you trust who knows your business. That continuity is worth a lot.
Bigger scope that still suits us is handled through additional services. If your project would be better off with someone else, we tell you at the review stage, before you pay anything.
Questions
Start here
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