What does your website really cost over 5 years?

Wix and Squarespace look cheap per month. But you pay every month, for as long as your website is online. Here's what it adds up to, next to a web designer and Fledge.

Made for consultants, coaches and therapists who run their business on their own.

Over 5 years

Wix Light$1,101
Plan: $1,020 · Domain from year 2: $81
Squarespace Basic$1,221
Plan: $1,140 · Domain from year 2: $81
Showit cheapest plan$1,392
Plan: $1,295 · Domain, year 1: $16 · Domain from year 2: $81
A web designer low end$2,097
Website, made once: $2,000 · Domain, year 1: $16 · Domain from year 2: $81
Fledge pay once$266
Fledge: $149 · Claude Pro, one month: $20 · Domain, year 1: $16 · Domain from year 2: $81 · Hosting on Netlify: $0

Over 5 years, Fledge costs $266. The cheapest website builder here, Wix, costs $1,101. That's $835 you keep.

US prices before sales tax, checked on November 3, 2026. How I counted.

What you get for the money

The cheapest option isn't always the right one. Here's the honest version.

A website builder

Wix, Squarespace and the like.

You drag and drop your own pages.
Support from the company when you're stuck.

A bill every month for as long as the site is online.
If you leave, you can't take your design with you.

A web designer

Someone you hire to make it for you.

Someone else does the work.
Often the best design and the best words.

The biggest bill, up front.
Changes later often cost extra.

Fledge

A skill for Claude. You answer questions, Claude writes and builds your website.

You pay once. After that, only your web address.
The website is yours: your files, your Netlify account, your address.
New prices? Tell Claude, and it updates the page.

You do it yourself, with Claude. About two hours for one page.
Made for simple sites: up to four pages, no shop or blog.

How I counted

Every price comes from the company's own page, checked on November 3, 2026. For each one I used the cheapest plan that lets you use your own web address.

Option	Price I used	Source
Wix	$17 a month, paid yearly: $204 a year. The domain is free the first year when you pay yearly.	Wix plans, Wix free domain
Squarespace	$19 a month, paid yearly: $228 a year. The domain is free the first year when you pay yearly.	Squarespace pricing
Showit	$259 a year, paid yearly. Showit doesn't sell domains, so you buy your own from the first year.	Showit pricing
A web designer	$2,000 once: the low end of Upwork's range for a small business website ($2,000 to $8,000 and up). Hosting and upkeep not counted.	Upwork
Fledge	$149 once, the normal price after the launch sale. One month of Claude Pro, $20 (you can untick it). Hosting on Netlify's free plan, $0.	Fledge, Claude pricing, Netlify pricing

I used the yearly price everywhere, because it's the cheapest way to pay. Paying every month costs more: Squarespace Basic is then $25 a month.
The domain costs the same in every row: a .com at Namecheap is $15.98 the first year and $19.98 a year after that, plus a $0.20 ICANN fee (prices from 1 November 2026). Wix and Squarespace give you the first year free when you pay yearly.
Cheaper website builders exist. WordPress.com Personal is $48 a year, with fewer designs to choose from.
A web designer's website has to live somewhere too. Many build on Squarespace or Wix, which puts that plan on top. Upwork puts upkeep at $50 to $200 a month. Neither is counted here.
Netlify's free plan has a monthly limit. A small website stays far below it, but if an account goes over, its websites pause until the next month.
None of the options include email at your own address, so it's left out.
US prices before sales tax. Prices change, especially around Black Friday, so check the company's own page before you buy.

Want the one you pay for once?

Fledge is how I make websites for my clients, written down step by step so Claude can do it with you. You answer questions about your work and who you help. Claude writes the words, builds the website and shows you how to put it online on your own address.

See Fledge and the price Try the first part free

Questions

Is hosting on Netlify really free?: Yes, for a small website like this. Netlify's free plan includes your own web address and a secure https connection. It has a monthly limit that a small website stays far below. Netlify's prices.
Do I need to pay for Claude?: No. The free Claude account works. With a paid one (Pro or more), Claude saves your files on your computer for you. That's why the calculator counts one month of Pro. Untick it if you'll use the free account.
Why does the web address cost extra?: Your web address, like yourname.com, is rented by the year from a company that sells them. Every option needs one, so it's in every row.
Why is Fledge so much cheaper?: You pay once for the method, and Claude does the work with you. The website is plain files on your own free Netlify account, so there's no platform to pay every month.
What about email at my own address?: None of the options include it. If you want hello@yourname.com, it costs the same whichever you choose.