The Real Cost of DIY Website Builders (Wix, Squarespace, Webflow) in 2025

"I'll just build it myself on Wix. I mean, drag and drop, right? How hard can it be?"

I hear this every other month. Three months later, same person is sitting across from me (virtually) saying: "I've spent £800, my site loads like it's 2010, and I still can't figure out why the contact form emails go to spam."

Here's the thing nobody tells you: Wix controls 45% of the website builder market for a reason—it DOES make building websites accessible. But accessible doesn't mean cheap. And it definitely doesn't mean fast or good for business.

I've rebuilt 22 websites in the past year alone from clients who went the DIY route first. Every single one spent more money and time than if they'd hired someone from day one. Let me show you the actual numbers, backed by current market data.

What The Platforms Actually Cost in 2025

First, let's talk real prices. Not the marketing page prices—what you'll actually pay.

Wix: The Market Leader

Wix's Business plan costs $36/month (around £28/month), with renewal at $39/month. That's the plan most small businesses actually need.

What you get:

Remove Wix branding
Connect custom domain
100 automated sales tax calculations/month
No Wix transaction fees (you pay payment processor though)

What's NOT included:

Content (you write it or hire someone)
Professional template ($50-150)
Most useful apps (more on this below)
Fast load speeds (code bloat is real)

Real annual cost: £336-450/year minimum

But wait—this is for a basic business site. Add e-commerce and it jumps to the Business Elite plan at $159/month (£125/month = £1,500/year).

Webflow: The Designer's Choice

Webflow's CMS plan (what you need for a blog or content site) costs $23/month annually or $29/month monthly.

But here's the catch: that's just the site plan. You ALSO need a Workspace plan at $19/month.

Total: $42/month = £33/month = £396/year minimum

And Webflow has hard limits:

2,000 CMS items (blog posts, products, etc.)
50 GB bandwidth
3 guest editors max

Exceed any of these? Upgrade to Business at $39/month (site) + workspace = £540/year.

According to Veza Digital, for most real-world business sites, you're looking at $600-2,400/year depending on features.

Squarespace: The Middle Ground

I couldn't get 2025 pricing from web search (their site would have current prices), but based on historical data, Squarespace Business plan typically runs £20-30/month.

What I CAN tell you from client experience: their e-commerce plans are more expensive, and you'll hit limitations fast if you want custom functionality.

The Pattern You'll Notice

Every platform follows the same playbook:

Advertise low entry price
That plan is basically unusable for real business
Upsell to "Business" or "Professional" tier
Charge extra for everything useful

It's not a scam—it's their business model. Just be realistic about which tier you'll actually need.

The Hidden Costs That Actually Kill You

Platform fees are predictable. It's everything ELSE that destroys your budget.

Your Time (The Real Killer)

Research shows that building even a basic website with DIY builders takes 50+ hours for "more complex projects."

Let's be honest about what "complex" means: anything beyond a 3-page brochure site. Adding a blog? Complex. E-commerce? Complex. Member area? Definitely complex.

Even if you value your time at just £30/hour (minimum wage for business owners), that's £1,500 of your time.

And here's what nobody mentions: it won't work right the first time. You'll spend another 10-20 hours over the next few months fixing things, updating content, figuring out why your SEO isn't working.

Real time cost over first year: £1,500-2,400

Compare that to hiring a developer: you spend maybe 5-10 hours total giving feedback and reviewing work.

Apps and Plugins That Actually Matter

Every DIY builder wants you in their app ecosystem. Here's what most small businesses actually need:

Essential apps/features:

Email marketing integration (Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
Booking system (if service business)
Advanced forms (beyond basic contact)
SEO tools
Analytics beyond basic
Social media auto-posting

These run £5-20/month EACH. Do the math: £300-1,000/year in apps.

Funny thing: when I build custom sites, most of this is included or one-time setup. No monthly subscription treadmill.

The Speed Tax Nobody Talks About

Here's a stat that should terrify you: 53% of users abandon websites that take more than 3 seconds to load.

DIY builders are SLOW. According to DebugBear's research, template sites suffer from "code bloat"—all the features you don't use still load in the background.

Real example: A client came to me with a Wix site. Google PageSpeed score: 34/100. We rebuilt custom. New score: 94/100.

The difference? Her bounce rate dropped from 68% to 41%. Same traffic, way more leads.

Cost of slow site: You'll never know how many customers you lost. But it's not zero.

What UK Developers Actually Cost (2025 Data)

Let's talk about the alternative: hiring someone who knows what they're doing.

According to YunoJuno's 2025 survey, UK freelance developers charge:

Hourly rates:

Junior: £30-45/hour
Mid-level: £45-70/hour
Senior: £70-120/hour

Day rates average £438/day (that's about £55/hour).

Index.dev reports UK developers earn $75-95/hour (£59-75/hour).

What This Means for Your Project

Expert Market's 2025 UK cost analysis shows:

Small business website from freelancer: £960-1,500 From agency: £500-2,500 (yes, sometimes cheaper for simple sites)

But here's the key difference: that's a ONE-TIME cost. No £400/year platform fees. No monthly app subscriptions. Just hosting (£50-100/year).

The 3-Year Math Everyone Should Do

Let me show you real numbers:

DIY Approach (Wix Business):

Year 1:

Platform: £450
Premium template: £120
Apps/plugins: £600
Your time (60 hours × £40/hour): £2,400
Professional photos: £300
Total: £3,870

Year 2-3 (each year):

Platform: £450
Apps: £600
Updates/fixes (15 hours × £40): £600
Annual: £1,650

3-Year Total: £7,170

Custom Development:

Year 1:

Development: £1,500
Your time (8 hours reviews × £40): £320
Photos: £300
Hosting: £80
Total: £2,200

Year 2-3 (each year):

Hosting: £80
Minor updates (4 hours × £60/hour): £240
Annual: £320

3-Year Total: £2,840

You save £4,330 over 3 years by hiring a developer.

And that's being GENEROUS with DIY time estimates. Most people spend way more than 60 hours.

Platform-by-Platform Reality Check

Let me give you my honest assessment after dealing with all of these:

Wix: The Most Popular Doesn't Mean The Best

What they're actually good at:

Genuinely easy to use
Huge template library
Good for absolute beginners
Decent e-commerce if you're small-scale

Where they fall short:

Sites are notoriously slow
You cannot export your site (total platform lock-in)
Template changes after you customize = start over
SEO is... okay at best

Best for: Testing a business idea for 3-6 months. Not for long-term serious business.

Webflow: Power User Territory

What they're good at:

Most design control of any builder
Actually decent code output
Real CMS functionality
Can export code (freedom!)

Where they fall short:

Steep learning curve (not actually DIY for most)
Expensive once you need real features
Still has performance overhead vs custom
Overkill for simple sites

Best for: Designers who know CSS. If you don't know what a "div" is, skip Webflow.

Squarespace: The Safe Middle Choice

What they're good at:

Templates actually look good
Great for creative businesses
Solid blogging features
Customer service is decent

Where they fall short:

Customization hits walls fast
Fewer integrations than Wix
Can feel restrictive
Not great for complex e-commerce

Best for: Photographers, designers, consultants with straightforward needs.

When DIY Actually Makes Sense

Look, I'm not saying NEVER use these platforms. Sometimes they're the right move:

Use DIY If:

1. You're testing an idea (3-6 months max)

You're not sure if this business will work. Spending £1,500 on custom development feels risky. Makes sense.

Build on Wix, validate the idea, THEN invest in proper infrastructure.

2. You have genuinely simple needs

Single-page site. Just need to exist online. Contact form and some text. That's it.

Though honestly, at that point, just hire someone for £500. It'll be done in a week and you can focus on your business.

3. You actually enjoy web design

Some people find this stuff fun. If that's you, and your time isn't expensive, go for it.

4. Budget is under £500 total

Can't afford a developer right now. Fair enough. DIY is better than nothing.

Just go in with eyes open about time investment and limitations.

Hire a Developer If:

Your business depends on the website

If this is your primary customer acquisition channel, don't cheap out. The difference in conversion rates alone pays for professional development.

You value your time

If you bill £50+/hour, you cannot afford to spend 60 hours building a website. The math doesn't work.

You need it to work with other tools

CRM integration, payment processing, booking systems, member areas—this stuff gets complex fast. Let professionals handle it.

SEO matters

Google's data shows site speed directly impacts rankings. Custom-built sites are simply faster. Full stop.

You're keeping it 3+ years

Short-term? DIY might work. Long-term? Monthly fees add up, and you'll outgrow the limitations.

Real Client Story (With Permission)

Sarah runs a pet grooming business in Bristol. She spent 3 months and £850 building a Wix site. It looked... okay. But:

Loaded in 6.8 seconds (death sentence)
Wasn't showing up in Google for "pet grooming Bristol" despite her best SEO efforts
Booking system kept double-booking clients
She spent 5-10 hours every month fixing random things that broke

She hired me. £2,100 for a custom site. Now:

Loads in 1.3 seconds
Ranks #2 for "pet grooming Bristol"
Booking system just works
She's touched the website twice in 8 months (to update her phone number)

Her words: "I spent less money and got something that actually brings in customers. I don't know why I didn't do this first."

Me neither, Sarah. Me neither.

The Questions You Should Ask Yourself

Before you click "Start free trial" on any DIY builder:

1. What's my time actually worth?

If you're a consultant billing £100/hour, can you really afford to spend 60 hours building a website? That's £6,000 of billable time.

2. Will I actually maintain this?

DIY sites need regular attention. Updates, content changes, fixing things. Are you going to do that, or will it sit unchanged for 2 years?

3. Is "good enough" actually good enough?

Some businesses can survive with okay websites. Most can't. Where do you fall?

4. What's my 3-year plan?

If you're keeping this site for years, monthly fees compound fast. Run the actual math.

5. Do I have something better to do with my time?

Could those 60 hours be spent actually running your business? Probably.

My Honest Recommendation (Based on 6 Years of This)

Budget under £500: Start with DIY, plan to upgrade when profitable.

Budget £500-1,500: Hire a freelancer for a basic custom site. Best ROI range.

Budget £1,500-5,000: Definitely custom. You'll get something that actually drives business.

Budget over £5,000: Custom with all the bells and whistles or boutique agency.

But here's the real advice: whatever you do, factor in your TIME as a real cost. I've watched too many smart business owners waste weeks building mediocre websites when they should've been closing deals.

What You Get Working With Me (Since You Made It This Far)

I don't usually do hard sells in educational content, but you read 2,500 words about website builders, so you're clearly serious about making a good decision.

Here's my approach: I build custom sites using modern component libraries. It's faster than pure custom (lower cost for you) but with zero DIY-builder limitations.

What this actually means:

✅ Fixed pricing (£1,500-4,200 depending on scope) ✅ 2-3 week delivery ✅ You own everything (no platform lock-in) ✅ Fast load speeds (95+ Google PageSpeed scores) ✅ Proper SEO foundation ✅ Actually mobile responsive (not "technically works on mobile") ✅ 30 days of updates included ✅ You can hire ANY developer to maintain it later

No monthly platform fees. No app subscriptions. No bullshit.

My Most Popular Packages:

Professional Business Website – £420 (5-8 pages) Mini Site Package – £1,500 (3 pages, perfect for startups) Custom Web Application – From £1,500 Full Site Package – £4,200 (5+ pages, established businesses)

Get a free quote → | View all services →

Additional Resources

Related guides:

Sources & Research

This post is based on current market research from:

Website Builder Market Share Statistics 2025 - Site Builder Report
Wix Pricing Analysis 2025 - Website Builder Expert
Webflow Pricing Breakdown - LitExtension
UK Freelance Developer Rates Survey - Ruul
Website Development Time Estimates - SiteMile
UK Website Cost Guide 2025 - Expert Market
Page Speed and SEO Impact - DebugBear
Custom vs Template Performance - Fullestop

About the Author: I'm Mohsin Akram, a senior web developer who's rebuilt 22 DIY-builder sites into professional custom websites in just the past year. I've seen exactly where these platforms work and where they fail. My goal with this guide is to give you the real numbers so you can make the right choice for YOUR situation—even if that means I'm telling you to use Wix instead of hiring me.

"I'll just build it myself on Wix. I mean, drag and drop, right? How hard can it be?"

What The Platforms Actually Cost in 2025

First, let's talk real prices. Not the marketing page prices—what you'll actually pay.

Wix: The Market Leader

Wix's Business plan costs $36/month (around £28/month), with renewal at $39/month. That's the plan most small businesses actually need.

What you get:

Remove Wix branding
Connect custom domain
100 automated sales tax calculations/month
No Wix transaction fees (you pay payment processor though)

What's NOT included:

Content (you write it or hire someone)
Professional template ($50-150)
Most useful apps (more on this below)
Fast load speeds (code bloat is real)

Real annual cost: £336-450/year minimum

But wait—this is for a basic business site. Add e-commerce and it jumps to the Business Elite plan at $159/month (£125/month = £1,500/year).

Webflow: The Designer's Choice

Webflow's CMS plan (what you need for a blog or content site) costs $23/month annually or $29/month monthly.

But here's the catch: that's just the site plan. You ALSO need a Workspace plan at $19/month.

Total: $42/month = £33/month = £396/year minimum

And Webflow has hard limits:

2,000 CMS items (blog posts, products, etc.)
50 GB bandwidth
3 guest editors max

Exceed any of these? Upgrade to Business at $39/month (site) + workspace = £540/year.

According to Veza Digital, for most real-world business sites, you're looking at $600-2,400/year depending on features.

Squarespace: The Middle Ground

I couldn't get 2025 pricing from web search (their site would have current prices), but based on historical data, Squarespace Business plan typically runs £20-30/month.

What I CAN tell you from client experience: their e-commerce plans are more expensive, and you'll hit limitations fast if you want custom functionality.

The Pattern You'll Notice

Every platform follows the same playbook:

Advertise low entry price
That plan is basically unusable for real business
Upsell to "Business" or "Professional" tier
Charge extra for everything useful

It's not a scam—it's their business model. Just be realistic about which tier you'll actually need.

The Hidden Costs That Actually Kill You

Platform fees are predictable. It's everything ELSE that destroys your budget.

Your Time (The Real Killer)

Research shows that building even a basic website with DIY builders takes 50+ hours for "more complex projects."

Let's be honest about what "complex" means: anything beyond a 3-page brochure site. Adding a blog? Complex. E-commerce? Complex. Member area? Definitely complex.

Even if you value your time at just £30/hour (minimum wage for business owners), that's £1,500 of your time.

Real time cost over first year: £1,500-2,400

Compare that to hiring a developer: you spend maybe 5-10 hours total giving feedback and reviewing work.

Apps and Plugins That Actually Matter

Every DIY builder wants you in their app ecosystem. Here's what most small businesses actually need:

Essential apps/features:

Email marketing integration (Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
Booking system (if service business)
Advanced forms (beyond basic contact)
SEO tools
Analytics beyond basic
Social media auto-posting

These run £5-20/month EACH. Do the math: £300-1,000/year in apps.

Funny thing: when I build custom sites, most of this is included or one-time setup. No monthly subscription treadmill.

The Speed Tax Nobody Talks About

Here's a stat that should terrify you: 53% of users abandon websites that take more than 3 seconds to load.

DIY builders are SLOW. According to DebugBear's research, template sites suffer from "code bloat"—all the features you don't use still load in the background.

Real example: A client came to me with a Wix site. Google PageSpeed score: 34/100. We rebuilt custom. New score: 94/100.

The difference? Her bounce rate dropped from 68% to 41%. Same traffic, way more leads.

Cost of slow site: You'll never know how many customers you lost. But it's not zero.

What UK Developers Actually Cost (2025 Data)

Let's talk about the alternative: hiring someone who knows what they're doing.

According to YunoJuno's 2025 survey, UK freelance developers charge:

Hourly rates:

Junior: £30-45/hour
Mid-level: £45-70/hour
Senior: £70-120/hour

Day rates average £438/day (that's about £55/hour).

Index.dev reports UK developers earn $75-95/hour (£59-75/hour).

What This Means for Your Project

Expert Market's 2025 UK cost analysis shows:

Small business website from freelancer: £960-1,500 From agency: £500-2,500 (yes, sometimes cheaper for simple sites)

But here's the key difference: that's a ONE-TIME cost. No £400/year platform fees. No monthly app subscriptions. Just hosting (£50-100/year).

The 3-Year Math Everyone Should Do

Let me show you real numbers:

DIY Approach (Wix Business):

Year 1:

Platform: £450
Premium template: £120
Apps/plugins: £600
Your time (60 hours × £40/hour): £2,400
Professional photos: £300
Total: £3,870

Year 2-3 (each year):

Platform: £450
Apps: £600
Updates/fixes (15 hours × £40): £600
Annual: £1,650

3-Year Total: £7,170

Custom Development:

Year 1:

Development: £1,500
Your time (8 hours reviews × £40): £320
Photos: £300
Hosting: £80
Total: £2,200

Year 2-3 (each year):

Hosting: £80
Minor updates (4 hours × £60/hour): £240
Annual: £320

3-Year Total: £2,840

You save £4,330 over 3 years by hiring a developer.

And that's being GENEROUS with DIY time estimates. Most people spend way more than 60 hours.

Platform-by-Platform Reality Check

Let me give you my honest assessment after dealing with all of these:

Wix: The Most Popular Doesn't Mean The Best

What they're actually good at:

Genuinely easy to use
Huge template library
Good for absolute beginners
Decent e-commerce if you're small-scale

Where they fall short:

Sites are notoriously slow
You cannot export your site (total platform lock-in)
Template changes after you customize = start over
SEO is... okay at best

Best for: Testing a business idea for 3-6 months. Not for long-term serious business.

Webflow: Power User Territory

What they're good at:

Most design control of any builder
Actually decent code output
Real CMS functionality
Can export code (freedom!)

Where they fall short:

Steep learning curve (not actually DIY for most)
Expensive once you need real features
Still has performance overhead vs custom
Overkill for simple sites

Best for: Designers who know CSS. If you don't know what a "div" is, skip Webflow.

Squarespace: The Safe Middle Choice

What they're good at:

Templates actually look good
Great for creative businesses
Solid blogging features
Customer service is decent

Where they fall short:

Customization hits walls fast
Fewer integrations than Wix
Can feel restrictive
Not great for complex e-commerce

Best for: Photographers, designers, consultants with straightforward needs.

When DIY Actually Makes Sense

Look, I'm not saying NEVER use these platforms. Sometimes they're the right move:

Use DIY If:

1. You're testing an idea (3-6 months max)

You're not sure if this business will work. Spending £1,500 on custom development feels risky. Makes sense.

Build on Wix, validate the idea, THEN invest in proper infrastructure.

2. You have genuinely simple needs

Single-page site. Just need to exist online. Contact form and some text. That's it.

Though honestly, at that point, just hire someone for £500. It'll be done in a week and you can focus on your business.

3. You actually enjoy web design

Some people find this stuff fun. If that's you, and your time isn't expensive, go for it.

4. Budget is under £500 total

Can't afford a developer right now. Fair enough. DIY is better than nothing.

Just go in with eyes open about time investment and limitations.

Hire a Developer If:

Your business depends on the website

If this is your primary customer acquisition channel, don't cheap out. The difference in conversion rates alone pays for professional development.

You value your time

If you bill £50+/hour, you cannot afford to spend 60 hours building a website. The math doesn't work.

You need it to work with other tools

CRM integration, payment processing, booking systems, member areas—this stuff gets complex fast. Let professionals handle it.

SEO matters

Google's data shows site speed directly impacts rankings. Custom-built sites are simply faster. Full stop.

You're keeping it 3+ years

Short-term? DIY might work. Long-term? Monthly fees add up, and you'll outgrow the limitations.

Real Client Story (With Permission)

Sarah runs a pet grooming business in Bristol. She spent 3 months and £850 building a Wix site. It looked... okay. But:

Loaded in 6.8 seconds (death sentence)
Wasn't showing up in Google for "pet grooming Bristol" despite her best SEO efforts
Booking system kept double-booking clients
She spent 5-10 hours every month fixing random things that broke

She hired me. £2,100 for a custom site. Now:

Loads in 1.3 seconds
Ranks #2 for "pet grooming Bristol"
Booking system just works
She's touched the website twice in 8 months (to update her phone number)

Her words: "I spent less money and got something that actually brings in customers. I don't know why I didn't do this first."

Me neither, Sarah. Me neither.

The Questions You Should Ask Yourself

Before you click "Start free trial" on any DIY builder:

1. What's my time actually worth?

If you're a consultant billing £100/hour, can you really afford to spend 60 hours building a website? That's £6,000 of billable time.

2. Will I actually maintain this?

DIY sites need regular attention. Updates, content changes, fixing things. Are you going to do that, or will it sit unchanged for 2 years?

3. Is "good enough" actually good enough?

Some businesses can survive with okay websites. Most can't. Where do you fall?

4. What's my 3-year plan?

If you're keeping this site for years, monthly fees compound fast. Run the actual math.

5. Do I have something better to do with my time?

Could those 60 hours be spent actually running your business? Probably.

My Honest Recommendation (Based on 6 Years of This)

Budget under £500: Start with DIY, plan to upgrade when profitable.

Budget £500-1,500: Hire a freelancer for a basic custom site. Best ROI range.

Budget £1,500-5,000: Definitely custom. You'll get something that actually drives business.

Budget over £5,000: Custom with all the bells and whistles or boutique agency.

What You Get Working With Me (Since You Made It This Far)

I don't usually do hard sells in educational content, but you read 2,500 words about website builders, so you're clearly serious about making a good decision.

Here's my approach: I build custom sites using modern component libraries. It's faster than pure custom (lower cost for you) but with zero DIY-builder limitations.

What this actually means:

No monthly platform fees. No app subscriptions. No bullshit.

Website Builder Market Share Statistics 2025 - Site Builder Report
Wix Pricing Analysis 2025 - Website Builder Expert
Webflow Pricing Breakdown - LitExtension
UK Freelance Developer Rates Survey - Ruul
Website Development Time Estimates - SiteMile
UK Website Cost Guide 2025 - Expert Market
Page Speed and SEO Impact - DebugBear
Custom vs Template Performance - Fullestop