Key takeaways
- In year one a builder is usually cheaper. Over five years the math often flips once apps, fees, and renewals compound.
- Builder plans in 2026 run roughly $16 to $159 per month on annual billing, before apps and transaction fees, and never stop.
- A one-time custom build is an asset you own. A subscription is rent that rises and never ends.
- Builders are genuinely the right call for very small, short-term, or simple needs. I say so plainly.
- Kootenay Made Digital pricing is one-time: Trailhead from $2,000, Engine from $6,500, Empire from $15,000.
On this page
What does a website really cost in BC in 2026?
A website builder subscription in 2026 costs roughly $16 to $159 per month on annual billing, before apps and transaction fees, and that cost never stops. A one-time custom build in BC starts from about $2,000 and you own it outright. The right answer depends entirely on how long you plan to be in business.
There are two cost models, and they are not the same kind of number. A builder is a rental: a monthly fee that recurs forever, rises at renewal, and grows as you add features. A custom build is a purchase: a one-time cost for an asset you keep, host anywhere, and never pay rent on again.
Comparing the two on month one is misleading. The fair comparison is total cost over the life of the website, which for most real businesses is three to five years or more. That is the view this guide runs.
A subscription is rent. A custom build is an asset. Compare them over years, not months.
What do Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify cost in 2026?
As of 2026, Wix plans run about $17 to $159 per month, Squarespace about $16 to $99 per month, and Shopify about $29 to $299 per month on annual billing, plus per-sale transaction fees. These are the published plan prices only. Apps and fees are extra. Prices are set by each platform and change often.
These figures come from each platform’s official pricing page (linked in Sources) and reflect annual-billing rates in 2026. Monthly billing costs more. These are the real, published numbers and nothing invented.
| Plan range (annual billing, 2026) | What you also pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Wix | Light ~$17, Core ~$29, Business ~$39, Elite ~$159 per month | Paid apps, plus transaction fees if not using Wix Payments |
| Squarespace | Basic ~$16, Core ~$23, Plus ~$39, Advanced ~$99 per month | Extensions, plus a transaction fee on lower commerce plans |
| Shopify | Basic ~$29, Grow ~$79, Advanced ~$299 per month | 2.4% to 2.9% plus a flat fee per sale, more for third-party gateways |
| Custom build (KMD) | One time: Trailhead from $2,000, Engine from $6,500, Empire from $15,000 | Hosting and a domain only. No platform rent, no per-sale cut |
To be clear and fair: those builder prices are reasonable for what they include. You get hosting, security, templates, and a platform that just works. For a simple site, that is real value. The cost story only changes when you add up apps, fees, and years.
What are the hidden costs of website builders?
The plan price is rarely the real price. Builders make money on what you add: paid apps for bookings, email, reviews, and SEO, transaction fees on every sale, higher renewal rates after the first year, and custom work once you outgrow a template. None of these show up on the headline sticker.
- Plan price climbs as you add ecommerce, storage, staff seats, or advanced features, and the renewal rate is often higher than the first-year promo.
- Paid apps and plugins stack up fast: bookings, reviews, email, SEO tools, popups, and forms are frequently extra monthly charges.
- Transaction fees apply on every sale if you do not use the platform’s own payment processor, on top of normal card-processing rates.
- Templates limit you, so custom design or developer help becomes a separate cost when you outgrow the defaults.
- You are renting, not owning, so the cost never ends and never builds an asset you can take with you.
- Migrating off a builder later is its own project, because content, URLs, and SEO have to be rebuilt elsewhere.
None of this is dishonest on the platforms’ part. It is simply how the model works, and it is easy to miss when you are comparing a $16 sticker to a four-figure quote. The point is to compare like for like: the full, ongoing cost of the builder against the full, one-time cost of a build.
What is the 5-year total cost of a builder vs a custom build?
Over five years, a mid-tier builder plus a few paid apps commonly lands between $4,000 and $9,000 in subscription costs alone, and you own nothing at the end. A one-time custom build at the same total spreads to a low monthly figure, never rises, and leaves you owning the asset. That is where the math often flips.
Here is a fair, illustrative five-year view. Builder figures use real 2026 plan prices and a modest, realistic allowance for paid apps. They exclude transaction fees, which only widen the gap for stores. KMD figures use our published one-time pricing spread evenly across 60 months for comparison only.
| 5-year subscription / spend | Effective cost per month | |
|---|---|---|
| Squarespace Core (~$23/mo) + ~$25/mo apps | ~$2,880 over 5 years, and you own nothing | ~$48 per month, forever, rising at renewal |
| Wix Business (~$39/mo) + ~$30/mo apps | ~$4,140 over 5 years, plus any transaction fees | ~$69 per month, forever, rising at renewal |
| Shopify Grow (~$79/mo) + apps + per-sale fees | ~$4,740 plan-only, fees stack on top of every sale | ~$79+ per month, growing with your sales |
| KMD Engine (one-time from $6,500) | Paid once, then only hosting and a domain | ~$109/mo across 5 years, then near zero, and you own it |
| KMD Trailhead (one-time from $2,000) | Paid once, then only hosting and a domain | ~$33/mo across 5 years, then near zero, and you own it |
Read the table honestly. A simple Squarespace site can be cheaper than even our Engine over five years. But it stays a rental that rises, you own nothing, and you carry the platform’s speed and SEO ceiling the whole time. Our Trailhead already undercuts a mid-tier builder over five years, and it is an asset you keep. The Engine costs a little more per month over the same window but buys a faster, custom, owned site with no ceiling.
The question is not which is cheaper this month. It is what you own when the five years are up.
When is a website builder the right call?
A builder is genuinely the smarter spend when your needs are small, simple, or short-term. If you need a clean site live this week, you are testing an idea, or the project is seasonal, Wix or Squarespace will serve you well for less money than a custom build. I will tell you that to your face.
- You need a simple site live this week and budget is the hard constraint.
- It is a short-term project: an event, a pop-up, a seasonal listing, or a quick validation page.
- You are testing an idea and do not yet know if the business will continue.
- You are comfortable being your own designer, editor, and tech support.
- You have a handful of pages, no complex bookings, and no growth-stage SEO ambitions.
This is not a hit piece. For a side project, a single-event page, or a brand-new venture you are not sure will continue, paying a few thousand dollars for a custom build would be the wrong call. Start on a builder, validate the business, and rebuild later if and when it earns it.
When is a custom build worth the higher up-front cost?
A custom build wins when the website is a real revenue channel, you want to own the asset, and speed or local SEO actually moves the needle. Over a multi-year horizon, a one-time build amortizes to a low monthly cost, never rises, carries no platform ceiling, and is yours to keep.
- The website is a real revenue channel and downtime or slowness costs you money.
- You want to own the asset outright, with no subscription that rises every year.
- Speed, Core Web Vitals, and local SEO matter for getting found across the Kootenays.
- You have specific workflows: bookings, memberships, custom forms, or integrations.
- You plan to be in business for years, so a one-time build amortizes to almost nothing per month.
Speed is where this pays off quietly. A faster, cleaner build tends to rank and convert better than a template-heavy builder site, which is exactly why page experience and Core Web Vitals matter. Better performance earns back the up-front cost over time through more found, more booked, and more sold. If you are weighing this against your current platform, the Squarespace alternative guide walks through switching cleanly, and our free audit will tell you whether a rebuild is even worth it.
What does Kootenay Made Digital charge?
KMD pricing is one-time and published, not a subscription. The Trailhead starts from $2,000, The Engine from $6,500, and The Empire from $15,000. Shopify builds start from $5,000 and OpenClaw AI setups from $3,500. You pay once for an asset you own, with only hosting and a domain ongoing.
- The Trailhead
- From $2,000, one time. A fast, owned presence site for small Kootenay businesses that have outgrown a builder template but do not need heavy machinery.
- The Engine
- From $6,500, one time. A custom, conversion-focused build with deeper SEO and growth foundations. Over five years this lands near a mid-tier builder, but you own it.
- The Empire
- From $15,000, one time. For complex businesses where the website is operating infrastructure: bookings, payments, memberships, portals, and integrations.
- Shopify and AI
- Shopify builds from $5,000 when you genuinely need a hosted store, and OpenClaw AI setups from $3,500. I recommend the platform that fits, not the one that pays us more.
Prices for Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify quoted here are as of 2026 and are set by those platforms, so they may change. Always check their official pricing pages before deciding. When you are ready to compare the real, one-time cost for your site against another five years of rent, see my pricing or look through the work we have shipped.
Sources and further reading
- Wix official pricing page
Wix Premium plans as of 2026: Light, Core, Business, and Business Elite. Annual billing roughly $17, $29, $39, and $159 per month. Prices are set by Wix and subject to change.
- Squarespace official pricing page
Squarespace plans as of 2026: Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced. Annual billing roughly $16, $23, $39, and $99 per month. Prices are set by Squarespace and subject to change.
- Shopify official pricing page
Shopify plans as of 2026: Basic, Grow, and Advanced. Annual billing roughly $29, $79, and $299 per month, plus per-transaction fees. Prices are set by Shopify and subject to change.
- Google Search Central: page experience
Why speed and Core Web Vitals matter for getting found, which is where a faster custom build earns back its cost over time.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website really cost in BC in 2026?
A builder like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify costs roughly $16 to $159 per month in 2026 on annual billing, before apps and transaction fees, and that cost never stops. A one-time custom build at Kootenay Made Digital starts from $2,000 for The Trailhead, $6,500 for The Engine, and $15,000 for The Empire, and you own it outright.
Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper than a custom website?
In year one, yes, a builder is usually cheaper. Over three to five years the gap narrows or reverses once you add apps, transaction fees, and annual renewals. A $6,500 one-time build spread over five years is under $109 per month, with no rising subscription and an asset you own.
What are the hidden costs of website builders?
The plan price is only the start. Paid apps for bookings, email, reviews, and SEO add monthly fees, transaction fees apply if you do not use the platform’s processor, renewal rates often exceed the promo rate, and outgrowing a template means paying for custom work anyway.
Are Shopify transaction fees worth it?
For many stores, yes. Shopify charges 2.4% to 2.9% plus a flat fee per sale through Shopify Payments, and adds a surcharge if you use a third-party gateway. That is fair value for a hosted store, but at higher sales volume the percentage becomes a real line item worth modelling.
When is a website builder the right choice?
When you need something simple and live this week, the project is short-term or seasonal, you are validating an idea, and you are happy being your own designer and support. For very small or temporary needs, a builder is genuinely the smart, cheaper call.
When is a custom build worth it over a builder?
When the site is a real revenue channel, you want to own the asset, speed and local SEO matter, you have specific workflows like bookings or memberships, and you plan to be in business for years. Over that horizon a one-time build amortizes to a low monthly cost.
Do I own my website on Wix or Squarespace?
No. You rent the platform. Your content lives inside their system, and if you stop paying, the site goes away. A custom build is yours: you own the code, the content, and the domain, and you can host it anywhere.
What does Kootenay Made Digital charge for a website?
Published one-time pricing: The Trailhead from $2,000, The Engine from $6,500, and The Empire from $15,000. Shopify builds start from $5,000 and OpenClaw AI setups from $3,500. Final price is scoped to your project, with no surprise monthly platform fees.
Kootenay Made Digital
We build websites, local presence, and calm AI setups for Kootenay small businesses. No jargon, no agency fog, no surprise fees.
