Guide
Pay monthly or upfront? The real cost.
The build is only part of what a website costs. Here is a worked comparison over two and five years, including the running costs most quotes leave out, and an honest view of when each option makes sense.
- Worked over 2 and 5 years
- Running costs included
- Includes when upfront wins
What you are actually paying for.
A quote for a new website usually covers the design and the build. Keeping the site running costs money every year after that, whoever builds it:
- The domain, renewed every year.
- Hosting, the server the site lives on.
- Updates and security: WordPress, its theme and plugins need updating regularly, or the site becomes easy to break into.
- Backups, so a bad update or a hacked site can be put back.
- Changes: new prices, photos, opening hours, a new page. Either you learn to make them, or someone charges you for them.
- Fixes when something stops working, usually at the worst moment.
- A redesign every few years, when the site starts to look dated.
With an upfront build, these are separate costs you arrange yourself. With a monthly plan, most of them are in the fee. Comparing the two means comparing the whole cost, not just the first invoice.
The numbers, side by side.
The upfront column is an example quote, not an average: a £2,500 build, £25 a month for hosting and maintenance, and 6 hours of changes a year at £50 an hour. Swap in the figures from any quote you have.
| Example upfront quote | Braw Essentials | Braw | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront | £2,500 | £0 | £0 |
| Each month | £25 hosting and maintenance | £99 | £199 |
| Content changes | 6 hours a year at £50 an hour | Included | Included |
| Total after 2 years | £3,700 | £2,376 | £4,776 |
| Total after 5 years | £5,500 | £5,940 | £11,940 |
| Paying annually, 5 years | n/a | £4,950 | £9,950 |
| Who owns the site | You, from the start | You, after 24 months | You, after 24 months |
Braw prices are fixed for the first 24 months; after that they can rise once a year by no more than CPI, which the 5-year totals leave out. Braw Essentials covers up to 5 pages and Braw up to 10, with copywriting for up to 5 pages, Google Business Profile management and same-day edits. Paying annually is 12 months for the price of 10. There is no VAT to add to any Braw price.
What the numbers say.
Over the first two years, a monthly plan can cost less than an upfront build, because there is no build fee to recover. In this example, Braw Essentials comes to £2,376 against £3,700.
Over five years the gap closes. On these figures the two cost about the same, and a plan with more included, such as Braw, costs more. That is the honest trade: a subscription is not always the cheapest option over a long period.
What the monthly fee buys is everything around the build. Changes are made for you rather than billed by the hour. Someone is responsible when the site breaks. The price is known in advance. And on a Braw plan the site is yours after 24 months, with a free redesign after every 3 years for clients who stay.
Which one suits you?
Pay monthly suits you if
- You would rather not find a few thousand pounds up front
- Your prices, menu, team or opening hours change often
- You want one person responsible for the site, hosting and email
- You want a known monthly cost with nothing surprising
Upfront suits you if
- You want to own the site outright from day one
- The site rarely changes, and you or your staff can update it
- You already have reliable hosting and someone to look after it
- You need bespoke functionality or an online shop, which are quoted as projects anyway
Questions to ask any web designer.
Whichever way you pay, and whoever you choose, get clear answers to these before you sign:
- Who owns the site and the domain? The domain should always be registered in your name.
- What does hosting include? Updates, backups and security, or just the server?
- How are changes charged? Included, by the hour, or quoted each time?
- How quickly will you respond? For a normal change, and when the site is down.
- What happens if I leave? Is there a minimum term, a buyout, and do you get your site and content?
- How fast will it be? Ask for a mobile PageSpeed score at launch, in writing.
Website cost questions
Ask us something else →Is a pay monthly website more expensive?
Over two years it is often cheaper, because there is no build fee. Over five years or more it can cost the same or more than an upfront build, depending on the plan and on how much you would otherwise pay for hosting, updates and changes.
What happens after 24 months on a Braw plan?
The site becomes yours. You can stay on the plan, keeping hosting, updates and your edits, or leave with the complete site files and database and host it anywhere.
Can I buy the site before then?
Yes. Any time after the first 12 months you can buy it outright for the fixed fee stated in your order.
Are there costs on top of the monthly fee?
Not for what the plan includes. New functionality, online shops, pages beyond your allowance and redesigns outside the free 3-yearly refresh are quoted separately, and we always tell you before anything is chargeable. See every price.
I already have a website. Does any of this apply?
If it is a WordPress site you are happy with, Braw Basics covers hosting, updates, backups and small edits for £49 a month, without a rebuild.
Want the numbers for your site?
Tell us what the business needs and we will come back with a fixed monthly price and a go-live date. If upfront suits you better, we will say so.
Get a quote for your site →