Search for "build a website for my business" and the first page is dominated by website builders, Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Shopify. The advertising is so pervasive that many business owners assume a builder subscription simply is how websites work now.
It isn't. Builders are one way to get a website, a legitimate one, but not the only way, and often not the cheapest over time. Here's a fair comparison, without the affiliate links.
What website builders do well
- Low barrier to entry: no technical knowledge needed to start
- Everything bundled: hosting, templates and editing in one subscription
- Instant start: you can have something online this weekend
- Good for testing: fine for validating an idea before investing properly
If your budget is genuinely zero and you have free evenings, a builder can get a version of your business online. That's worth something, and we'd never pretend otherwise.
The trade-offs nobody advertises
The subscription never ends
Builder plans suitable for a real business typically run £15–£40+ per month once you add a domain, remove ads and unlock basic features. That's roughly £180–£500 every year, for as long as your business exists. The costs don't build towards owning anything, stop paying, and the site is gone.
Your time is the hidden cost
The tools are drag-and-drop, but design judgement isn't included. Most owners spend evenings and weekends nudging boxes around, second-guessing fonts, and ending up with something that looks... like a template. Time spent fighting a page editor is time not spent on your actual business.
Lock-in is real
You can't take a Wix site with you. If you outgrow the platform, you rebuild from scratch. Your content, design and SEO history are tied to the subscription.
The ceiling arrives quickly
Builders optimise for the average case. Custom layouts, specific functionality, faster load times, finer SEO control, each becomes a workaround, a paid app, or simply impossible.
What a professionally built website gives you
- A design shaped around your business, not a template used by thousands
- No builder subscription, modern sites can run on minimal hosting costs
- Speed and SEO foundations handled properly at build time
- Someone accountable: a person who explains things and fixes things
- An asset you own and can move, extend or redesign freely
The trade-off is honest too: it costs more up front than a builder's first month, and you'll wait a few weeks rather than a weekend. We've broken down what's reasonable to pay in How Much Should a Small Business Website Cost in 2026?
Compare the three-year cost
A useful exercise: price both routes over three years. A £25/month builder plan is £900, plus your weekends, for a site you never own. A professionally built site is a one-off cost, minimal running costs, no lock-in, and your evenings back. For many small businesses the numbers are closer than the "free website" marketing suggests, and the result isn't comparable.
So, do you need Wix?
No. You need a website that makes your business look credible, shows up on Google and gets enquiries. A builder is one route there, best suited to zero-budget experiments. If your business is real and earning, having your website designed and built properly, without a monthly platform fee, is usually the better long-term decision.
Weighing it up for your own business? Send us a message, we'll give you a straight answer about which route fits, even if the answer is "a builder is fine for now".