Every way to get a website, side by side.
Website builders, AI builders, a freelancer or an agency, against a website done for you: what each one costs, how much of the work lands on you, and what you end up owning. UK prices, with the workings and sources under the table.
The honest comparison
No-code builders are tools like Wix, Squarespace and Webflow, where you build the site yourself from a template. AI builders are tools like Durable, Lovable and Hostinger, where AI drafts a site from your description and you edit it.
| Do it yourself | Done for you | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-code builders (Wix, Squarespace, Webflow) | AI builders (Durable, Lovable, Hostinger) | LinnStudio | Freelancer or agency (Usually on WordPress) | |
| Cost | £9–£39 a month Plus your time to build it | £11–£44 a month Plus extra AI credits | £59–£129 a month No build fee | £1,500–£4,900+ one-off Then £40–£70/mo retainer |
| Design | Templates other sites share too You lay out every page | Generic layouts Easy to spot as AI | Custom and premium Designed around your customers | Varies Often a WordPress theme |
| Time you put in | 10–50 hours To a first version | Minutes to a draft Then hours of editing | Under 2 hours One call, then your Content Kit | Several meetings And often writing the words |
| First design ready | When you’ve built it Depending on your spare time | A rough draft in minutes Then yours to check and finish | Within 7 days Or your next month is free | Usually 2–4 weeks After a week or two of discovery |
| PageSpeed guarantee | None Speed is down to you and the template | None Speed depends on what it builds | 95+ mobile score For as long as you’re with us | Rarely Plugins often slow it down |
| SEO and AI search optimisation | Basic settings You do the rest | Basic settings You do the rest | Set up for you Structured data, speed and clear answers | Usually basic More is often extra |
| Who writes the copy | You Every word of every page | AI drafts it You check and fix it | We write every page From one call, so it sounds like you | Usually you Or you pay for a copywriter |
| Service and location pages for SEO | You build them One page at a time | You build them Prompt by prompt, using credits | Included Written and built for you | Usually extra Quoted on top of the build |
| Ads tracking set up | Possible If you know how | Possible If you know how | Included Analytics, Meta pixel and conversions | Usually extra A separate job, if offered |
| Security and updates | Handled by the platform While you stay on it | Depends on the tool Lovable leaves securing the app to you | Included Hosting, backups and updates handled | You, or pay monthly WordPress needs regular updates |
| Changes after launch | You do them In the builder’s editor | You do them Each prompt uses credits | Unlimited, done for you Free, and done within 48 hours | Paid per job Done when they have time |
| Cancel anytime | Yes Most sites can’t leave with you | Yes Most keep the site when you go | Yes, no minimum term Take your site with you after 12 payments | Not applicable The build is paid upfront |
| You own the site | Mostly no Only Webflow exports code | Depends on the tool Lovable gives you the code, most don’t | Yes, after 12 payments Your domain and content are always yours | Yes Once the build is paid for |
| Support | Help centre and chat From the platform’s support team | Help centre and chat From the platform’s support team | Direct and personal From the people who built it | Varies Depends on who you hire |
How the numbers were worked out
Builder prices are for their plans only, with dollar prices converted at about $1.26 to the pound. Checked in September 2026. In dollars, the table shows these UK prices converted at the same rate, not US list prices; LinnStudio’s column shows its own dollar prices, and a freelancer’s or agency’s build is $2,000–$5,000+.
- No-code builders
- Wix, Squarespace and Webflow, from £9 a month (Wix Light, billed yearly) to about £39 a month for business plans billed monthly: Squarespace Plus is £36, and Webflow Premium is $39.
- AI builders
- Hostinger’s AI builder, Durable and Lovable, from £10.99 a month (Hostinger’s regular price; it’s £2.99 a month if you pay for 48 months upfront) to about £44 a month for their higher tiers, such as Lovable’s. On top of that, every change the AI makes uses credits, and building a whole site can need more than a plan includes, bought as top-ups or a higher tier while you build.
- LinnStudio
- £59 or £129 a month, with no build fee. No minimum term. The price includes hosting, security, backups and unlimited changes done for you.
- Freelancer or agency
- Usually built on WordPress: £1,500–£3,000 for a small site, or from £4,900 for 6–30 pages, mostly upfront. Then £10–£40 a month for hosting, and from £30 a month for maintenance.
Sources
- Squarespace UK pricing
- Wix UK pricing
- Wix export limits
- Squarespace export
- Webflow pricing and export
- Hostinger AI builder pricing
- Durable pricing
- Lovable pricing and code ownership
- Lovable app security
- Lovable plan prices
- Freelancer and agency costs UK
- Larger WordPress builds
- Hosting and maintenance
- DIY build time
- Freelancer and agency timelines
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Each option, up close.
Website builders
Other ways to get a website
Why us, and not something else?
Something we haven’t covered? Email hello@linnstudio.co.uk and we’ll get back to you within two working days.
Why not just use a no-code builder like Wix, Squarespace or Webflow?
They’re fine if you have the time and the skills. You pay less per month, but the work is all yours: picking a template that other sites share too, writing every page, setting up the SEO and tracking, and making every change after that. It typically takes 10 to 50 hours to get to a first version, and the result often still looks like a template. You don’t own the site either: with most builders you can’t take it with you if you leave, and only Webflow lets you export the code.
Why not WordPress?
WordPress still runs a large share of the web, but it was designed over twenty years ago, and it shows. Every page is put together from a database each time someone visits, and most sites rely on a theme and a stack of plugins that all need regular updates. Plugins pile up and slow the site down, and most WordPress security holes come from plugins and themes, so a site that isn’t kept up to date becomes an easy target. That leaves you doing the updates, backups and fixes yourself, or paying someone a monthly retainer to do them. We build your site as plain, fast files instead, with no plugins to patch and nothing for you to update.
Why choose you over a traditional web design agency?
Agencies often ask for a large fee upfront, take months to deliver and charge for changes afterwards. We build custom sites for a fraction of that, with no build fee, one monthly price, and no minimum term. Your first design arrives within 7 days of submitting your Content Kit, and revisions are unlimited until you’re happy to launch. We also come from marketing and paid ads, so every site comes with tracking set up from day one, and you can see what’s working.
Can’t I just make a website with AI?
You can, and in minutes you’ll have something that looks fine. But an AI tool builds what you ask for, so the site is only as good as your instructions. If you don’t know what a good website needs, you can’t ask for it, and you can’t tell when it’s missing. That gap shows in the design, which looks like everyone else’s, and in the marketing, where the words could describe any business. It shows in conversion, with nothing planned to turn a visitor into an enquiry. And it shows in the tech behind it: search set-up, tracking, speed and security are all left for you to work out.
Will a new website guarantee me more enquiries?
No one can honestly promise that, and we won’t. What we guarantee is the quality: a fast site, proper copy, SEO foundations and tracking, so you can see exactly what’s working. If you want help driving more traffic, our Advertising and Local SEO add-ons are built for that.
Will people find my site on Google and in AI search?
Every plan is set up for search from day one. That means clear page titles and descriptions, a sitemap, structured data, fast load times and straight answers to the questions your customers ask. It helps Google and AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity understand your business. Business adds local SEO: your Google Business Profile set up and linked, and a page for every service and area you cover. Business Plus goes further, with local SEO and your Google Business Profile managed every month. It’s also an add-on on any plan.
What kinds of businesses do you work with?
Mostly small businesses that win work through enquiries and bookings. Solo suits sole traders, therapists, coaches, cafés, studios and new businesses. Business suits plumbers, electricians, clinics, cleaners, salons, accountants and anyone serving customers across several towns, and Business Plus suits the same businesses when most of their work comes through Google. If you sell mainly through an online shop, Shopify will suit you better, though we can build your main site around it.
Can you build an online shop?
Not a full shop. Shopify is the best home for one, and we can build your main site around it. If you take payments or deposits for your services, we can connect your site to Stripe, PayPal or your booking system. Setting up the connection is part of the build. Any fees those services charge, such as card processing or a monthly subscription, you pay to them directly.
Do you work with businesses outside the UK?
Yes. Everything happens online, from the Website Finder to our calls, and prices are shown in pounds or US dollars.
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