websites·6 min read·

The Real Cost of 'Free' Website Builders

Free builders are an excellent product for the right user. That user is almost never a business owner with customers and revenue.

What you pay in plans and add-ons

Most 'free' builders are $20–$50/month once you add a domain, remove ads, unlock e-commerce, add bookings, add forms, add email, and so on. The headline price almost never reflects what you actually pay 12 months in.

What you pay in lost leads

Templates load slow on phones. Google measures that. Slow sites rank lower, and lower rankings cost real leads every month, usually more than what you'd pay for a custom site to begin with.

What you pay in time

Every minute you spend wrestling a drag-and-drop editor is a minute you're not running your business. Most owners we talk to have burned 40+ hours on their Squarespace site and still don't love it.

What you pay in flexibility

You can't move your site off Wix. You can move off Squarespace, but with significant friction. You can move off WordPress with effort. A custom site is yours from day one.

FAQ

No, Squarespace is great for portfolios, personal sites, and anyone who genuinely values its simplicity above all else. It's a poor fit for businesses that want to compete.

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