Four ways to get a website, side by side

A builder you drag things around in, a designer you hire, WordPress you run yourself, or Spandrel, where you describe the site and it gets built. Here is how they differ on the things that matter after launch day.

	Spandrel	Drag-and-drop builder	Hiring a designer	WordPress yourself
Who builds it	You describe it and Spandrel builds it.	You do, block by block, from a template.	The designer.	You, with a theme and plugins.
First version	Minutes.	Hours to days of your own time.	Usually weeks.	Days to weeks of your own time.
Changing it later	Ask for the change, or edit it by hand.	Find the setting and do it yourself.	Send a request and wait, often billed by the hour.	Do it yourself, or pay someone who can.
Upkeep	None. Hosting, SSL and updates are handled.	Handled for you.	Depends on the arrangement.	Yours: updates, backups, security and hosting.
Up-front cost	None. $20 a month billed yearly, or $25 monthly.	None. A monthly or yearly plan.	A project fee, then more for changes.	Hosting, plus any paid theme or plugins.
Cut of your sales	None. Only the card processor’s standard fee.	Some plans add a transaction fee.	Depends on what they set up.	Depends on the plugins you use.
Price at renewal	The price you sign up at is the price you keep.	Check it. Intro rates that rise later are common.	Whatever the next job is quoted at.	Hosting intro rates often rise at renewal.

When something else is the better fit

We would rather you end up with the right website than with us.

Hire a designer If you need a brand made from nothing, with a logo, a voice and a look nobody else has, and the budget for it.

Run WordPress If you have a developer on hand, or you depend on a specific plugin that only exists there.

Use a drag-and-drop builder If you enjoy placing every box yourself and have the evenings for it.

Questions people ask before switching

Can I still change things myself?

Yes. Edit any text or image by hand, any time, at no cost. Asking for a change is just the faster way to do the bigger ones.

Will it look like everyone else’s site?

No. Each site is built from your description, with your colors, your words and your photos. Ask for something different and it changes.

Can I bring my domain?

Yes. Connect a domain you already own, or buy one here.

What if I need something unusual?

We build custom features to order, like a booking system or a searchable directory, and quote you before any work starts. Tell us what you need.

See it for yourself in a few minutes.

Describe your business and get a first version of the site, then decide.

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