A website without a subscription: how does it work?
Many web builders charge a fixed monthly fee. It can also work differently: pay once and the site is yours. What that means, and which costs remain.
There are roughly two ways to get a website. You rent it, for a fixed amount per month, or you buy it, for one amount up front. Renting looks like a low threshold, but you keep paying as long as the site is online, and often the site is not yours afterwards. Buying costs more at once, but after that you only pay for what is actually needed.
What do you pay with a subscription?
- A fixed monthly fee, often covering hosting, maintenance and small changes together
- A term of one or more years
- When you cancel: the site often goes offline, or you have to buy it out
- The design and code usually stay with the builder
What do you pay when you buy once?
- One amount for design and build
- Hosting and domain: every year, at actual cost
- Changes: only when you ask for them, per change
- The site, the copy and the code are yours
Which costs always remain?
A website you own still needs a domain name and hosting. For an ordinary business site those are yearly costs in the range of tens to a few hundred euros, depending on the hosting. Always ask whether they are passed on at cost or with a markup.
What to check
- Does the quote say the site is yours after payment, including the code?
- Is the domain in your name?
- What does a change after launch cost, and do you need a package for it?
- Can you move to another party later, with full access?
When is a subscription useful?
If you have a lot changed every month, or would rather not think about hosting and updates, a fixed amount can be convenient. Do work out what you pay over three years, and compare that with buying once plus separate changes.
How we do it
At Velora Studios you pay once for the build, with no mandatory maintenance subscription. Hosting and domain are passed on once a year at actual cost, with no markup, and a change after launch costs €50 per round. Before you pay anything, you get a free demo within 24 hours.
