The honest short answer
DIY builders like Wix and Squarespace (roughly $15–$50/month) are genuinely good for simple needs and tight budgets, if you have the time and patience to build and maintain the site yourself.
A professionally built site wins when you want it to look distinctive, rank well locally, do something specific (bookings, e-commerce, integrations), or when your time is better spent running your business.
When a DIY builder is the right call
Be honest with yourself — Wix or Squarespace may be perfect if:
- Your budget is very tight right now
- You need something simple and you enjoy doing it yourself
- You have the time to learn the tool and keep it updated
- A template look is fine for your business
When a custom build wins
A professional build usually pays off when:
- You want a site that looks like your brand, not a template
- Local SEO matters — you want to be found on Google and Maps
- You need bookings, e-commerce, payments or integrations done right
- You'd rather spend your time on customers than on a website editor
- Speed and credibility directly affect whether people buy
Cost over three years
Sticker price can mislead. Here's the rough picture over time:
| DIY builder | SiteCrate Presence | |
|---|---|---|
| Up front | $0 | $997 one-time |
| Ongoing | ~$25–$50 / month | Optional care plan from $49/mo |
| Your time | High (you build + maintain) | Low (we build it) |
| ~3-year cost | ~$900–$1,800 + your time | $997 + optional care |
| You own it | No — you rent the platform | Yes — code, copy, domain |
The trap nobody mentions: ownership and lock-in
On a DIY platform you're renting. Stop paying and the site disappears, and you generally can't export it and host it elsewhere. A professionally built site is yours — you own the code, the content and the domain, and you can move it anywhere.
That ownership is why we hand over everything: if you ever leave SiteCrate, your site goes with you.
Bottom line
If you're just starting out and money's tight, a DIY builder is a perfectly reasonable place to begin. When you're ready for something that looks custom, ranks better and works harder — without the agency price tag or timeline — that's exactly what we built SiteCrate to do.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wix good for SEO?
Wix has improved, but custom-built sites still tend to load faster and give you more control over the on-page and local SEO that wins "near me" searches.
Can I move my Wix site to a custom site later?
You can rebuild it, but you generally can't export a Wix site and host it elsewhere — so plan to recreate the content. We handle that migration as part of a build.
Will a custom site cost a lot more than Wix?
Over three years the gap is smaller than people expect once you count subscription fees and your time. SiteCrate Presence is $997 one-time and you own it.