Costs & pricing · 6 min read
DIY looks cheap until you count the 30–60 hours it takes.
Weigh cash cost against your own time before picking a route.
The short answer
Weighing up web designer vs freelancer vs DIY comes down to time versus cash. DIY costs roughly £150–£300 a year but needs 30–60 hours of your own time. A freelancer typically costs £500–£2,000 one-off with variable availability afterwards. A studio or agency typically costs £350–£5,000+ with ongoing support built in. Choose based on how much of your own time you actually have spare.
By Raja Wahab, Co-founder, Fixby Studios · Published · Updated · 6 min read
Web designer vs freelancer vs DIY: a straight comparison
| DIY builder | Freelancer | Studio / agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | £150–£300/year (platform fees) | £500–£2,000 one-off | Available on one of Fixby's monthly plans (no upfront build fee) |
| Your time | High — 30–60 hours typical | Low during build | Lowest — most work is done for you |
| Ongoing support | None — you maintain it | Variable, depends on availability | Usually defined and included |
| Best for | Testing an idea, a side project | A single, simple, well-defined site | A main sales channel, bookings, integrations |
| Main risk | Looks generic, slow, time-consuming | Availability and continuity if they move on | Higher upfront cost |
The hidden costs nobody quotes for
- Content. Somebody has to write it. If that's you, it's your evenings; if it's them, it's in the price.
- Photography. Stock images are free and look it.
- Search setup. Titles, structured data, sitemap and Search Console are cheap to do at build time and expensive to retrofit later.
- Changes. Ask what a text edit costs six months from now before you sign anything.
DIY builder
- — £150–£300 a year in fees
- — 30–60 hours of your own time
- — No ongoing support
Freelancer or studio
- — £500–£5,000+ one-off
- — Low time from you during the build
- — Support varies by provider
Where DIY genuinely wins
Testing a new idea, a side business, or a single landing page for a short campaign. If the business itself is unproven, don't spend a full build budget proving it — a DIY site is the sensible choice here.
“DIY is cheapest in cash terms but costs the most in your own time — budget 30–60 hours for a decent small site.”
Where DIY genuinely loses
When the website is a main sales channel; when you need booking, payments or integrations; when speed and search performance decide whether you get found; or when your time is worth more spent doing the actual work of your business rather than fighting a page builder.
When a freelancer makes most sense
A well-defined, single-purpose site with a known scope and timeline. Ask upfront what support looks like after launch, since many freelancers move on to new projects quickly.
When a studio or agency makes most sense
When you want the site plus ongoing SEO, social media or support without juggling multiple suppliers, or when the build needs more capacity and continuity than one person can reliably offer.
The test that settles it
Work out what one new customer is worth to you over a year. If a website that brings in even one extra customer a month pays for itself several times over, the build cost stops being the interesting question — your own time and ongoing support become more important.
A practical decision checklist
If you're still unsure which route suits your business, work through a few honest questions: How many hours can you realistically give this over the next month? Does the website need to take payments or bookings? Will you need regular changes after launch? Is this a side project you're still validating, or the main way customers find you?
Answering those four questions honestly tends to point clearly towards one of the three routes — DIY for low-stakes, time-rich situations; a freelancer for a clear single project; a studio or agency when the site needs to keep earning its keep without regular hands-on attention from you.
What changes six months after launch
A website is rarely finished the day it goes live. Prices change, services get added, opening hours shift, and search engines reward sites that keep being updated. DIY builders put this work back on you; freelancers may or may not still be available; a studio or agency with an ongoing support arrangement handles it as part of the relationship. Factor this into the comparison, not just the upfront build cost.
Mixing approaches
It's worth knowing you don't have to pick purely one route forever. Some businesses start with a DIY site to validate an idea, then move to a freelancer or studio once it's clear the business is working and the website needs to do more. Others start with a studio build and bring small text changes in-house once they're comfortable with the platform. There's no rule that says you must commit to one route indefinitely.
What most Huddersfield small businesses actually choose
In practice, most owner-managed local businesses land on a small studio: enough capacity and support to not worry about the site, without the overheads of a full agency. DIY suits side projects and early tests; freelancers suit tightly scoped one-off jobs; a studio tends to suit a business that wants the site to keep working without regular hands-on attention.
Your questions
- Is DIY cheaper than hiring a web designer?
- In cash terms, yes — DIY costs roughly £150–£300 a year. But it costs 30–60 hours of your own time, which a web designer or freelancer removes from your plate.
- Should I hire a freelancer or a studio?
- A freelancer suits a single, well-defined site; a studio suits ongoing support, bigger scope or when you need SEO and social alongside the build.
- What's the biggest risk with DIY website builders?
- Time. Most small business owners underestimate how many evenings a decent DIY site takes, and the result often still looks generic.
- How much does a freelance web designer cost in the UK?
- Typically £500–£2,000 for a one-off small business site, though this varies with scope, experience and location.
Raja Wahab is co-founder of Fixby Studios, a Huddersfield studio building websites, SEO, social media and business software for small, owner-managed businesses across West Yorkshire.
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