Wix, Squarespace, Odoo, WordPress, a freelancer, an agency: there is no shortage of ways to get a small business website, and each has its champions. Rather than name a winner, this comparison asks every option the same questions: what it really costs, what you own at the end, how much of your time it takes and what happens the day you want to leave. My own offer is in here too, limits included.
The criteria
- The real cost: the starting price, but also what you pay every year, subscription, hosting and domain name included.
- Ownership: who owns the site, the content and the domain name, and what you take with you if you switch.
- Your time: building the site, writing it, then keeping it up to date.
- Security and backups: who does the updates, and how the site is recovered after an incident.
- Search: what is provided to be found on Google, and what is left for you to do.
Wix
Who it suits. Someone who wants to build their site alone, with the mouse, and get it online fast.
Strengths. The editor is easy to learn, there are plenty of templates, and hosting is included. Paid plans include the domain name for the first year and built-in SEO tools. A version history lets you go back to an earlier version of the site.
Limits. The site cannot leave Wix: only some data can be exported, such as contacts or database content. Switching means rebuilding the site. The free plan shows Wix adverts and a wixsite.com address, with no domain name of your own.
Price. Free with adverts, then about €15 to €40 a month depending on the plan, billed yearly. Displayed prices vary by country.
Squarespace
Who it suits. Someone who wants a polished look without touching code: photographers, makers, businesses that sell on image.
Strengths. The templates are elegant, hosting is included, and the domain name is free for the first year on yearly billing. There is a free 14-day trial.
Limits. There is no lasting free plan. Export is partial: a file designed for WordPress, and not everything makes it across. There is no full backup to download; a deleted page can be recovered for 30 days.
Price. €12 to €32 a month billed yearly for the plans suited to a small business site, €17 to €42 billed monthly.
Odoo
Who it suits. A business that also wants management software: invoicing, CRM, stock, bookings.
Strengths. The Website app is free as long as it is the only app you use, hosting included. Odoo backs up databases every day, and you can download a full backup yourself. The site shares its data with the rest of the software: a contact form can feed the CRM directly.
Limits. It is management software first, and the site is one module among many. As soon as a second app is added, the subscription is charged per user. The backup is an Odoo database: it can be restored into Odoo, not into another website tool.
Price. Free for the site alone. With other apps, €19.90 per user per month excluding VAT on yearly billing for the first 12 months, €24.90 on monthly billing.
WordPress
Who it suits. Someone who wants to own everything and has the skills, or a provider, to look after it.
Strengths. The software is free and open source, and there are thousands of themes and plugins. Installed with a host, it belongs to you entirely: files, database, content. You can leave whenever you like, with everything.
Limits. Updates, security and backups are your job. It is the most widespread website software, so the most targeted by automated attacks: a WordPress site left without updates does not stay intact for long. Search optimisation relies on plugins you have to choose and configure.
Price. The software is free, hosting costs €70 to €150 a year once the first-year promotional price is over, with the domain often free for the first year. Another route is WordPress.com, the hosted version, at €4 to €25 a month billed yearly. Full backups there only come with the Business plan and above.
The "free" site paid by subscription
Who it suits. Someone who does not want to pay anything upfront and prefers a monthly payment.
Strengths. No outlay at the start, a site built for you, hosting and often maintenance included.
Limits. The commitment often runs for 24 to 48 months, with penalties for leaving early. The site usually remains the provider's property: when the contract ends, you start again from scratch. Over four years, the bill often exceeds that of a site you buy.
Price. About €40 to €150 a month. Before signing, read three lines of the contract: the total term, who owns the site and the domain, and the cancellation terms.
A freelance developer
Who it suits. Someone who wants a custom site, with one person to deal with.
Strengths. The person advising you is the person building. The price stays affordable, and the site can be designed around your business rather than around a template.
Limits. Quality varies a great deal from one freelancer to the next, and everything rests on one person. Ask in writing for the code, the content and the domain name to be in your name, so you can change provider without starting over.
Price. €800 to €3,000 for a small business site. Freelance developers charge on average €450 to €560 a day according to Malt's 2026 barometer.
An agency
Who it suits. A business that needs a team: visual identity, copywriting, development, campaigns.
Strengths. Several skills under one roof, a well-worn process, and continuity if someone is away.
Limits. The price reflects the team and the coordination. You often speak to a project manager rather than to the person building. A maintenance contract is common.
Price. €3,000 to €8,000 and up for a small business site, then often €50 to €150 a month for maintenance.
My offer, limits included
Who it suits. Tradespeople, shops and independent professionals who want a custom site that brings in enquiries, without having to look after it.
What is included. A small business website from €1,490, custom-designed theme included, with local SEO set up. The code, the content and the domain name are in your name. Essential maintenance, at €49 a month, includes hosting, the domain name, statistics, daily backups, security and SEO follow-up. The Comfort plan, at €69 a month, adds an hour of work a month and a quarterly review. The first 3 months are free, with no minimum term afterwards.
Limits. At the start, it costs more than a do-it-yourself platform. I work alone: if I had to stop, everything being in your name, another provider picks the site up without starting over. And I travel around the north-west of Lyon; elsewhere, the project is run remotely.
The details are on the website design and maintenance pages.
The comparison table
| Option | Upfront | After that | Hosting and domain | Backups | Updates | If you leave |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | €0 | about €15 to €40/month | included, domain free for 1 year | version history | Wix | the site stays at Wix, only some data can be exported |
| Squarespace | €0 | €12 to €32/month | included, domain free for 1 year | deleted pages recoverable for 30 days | Squarespace | partial content export |
| Odoo | €0 | free for the site alone, otherwise from €19.90 per user excl. VAT | included | daily, downloadable | Odoo | full backup, reusable in Odoo |
| WordPress with a host | €0 | €70 to €150/year in hosting | to be bought | depends on the host | you | everything is yours |
| "Free" site | €0 to €500 | €40 to €150/month, 24 to 48 months | included | depends on the contract | the provider | often nothing, check the contract |
| Freelancer | €800 to €3,000 | maintenance optional | depends on the contract | depends on the contract | depends on the contract | everything, if the contract says so |
| Agency | €3,000 to €8,000 and up | often €50 to €150/month | depends on the contract | depends on the contract | the agency | depends on the contract |
| Bebop Tech | from €1,490 | €49 or €69/month, first 3 months free | included, domain in your name | daily, off-site | me | everything is transferred to you |
For the detail of prices and yearly costs, see also how much a small business website costs in 2026.
How to choose
You are testing an idea, with no budget. A free plan is enough to start: Wix or WordPress.com with their adverts, or Odoo for the site alone. You will switch later, knowing the site will not always come with you.
You like doing it yourself and you have time. Wix or Squarespace. Count above all the writing time: that, more than the technology, is what makes a good site.
You are looking for complete management software. Odoo, where the site is one module among many.
You want to own everything and you know how to look after it. WordPress with a host, setting aside time every month for updates.
You want a custom site, without having to look after it. A freelancer or an agency. Compare quotes on what they contain, not just on their price, and check that everything will be in your name.
If your project fits that last case, the estimator on the home page gives you a price range in three questions.