Website Monthly vs One-Off Payment: Which Is Better?
Website monthly vs one-off payment - which is better value? Honest comparison with real costs and recommendations for small businesses.
Monthly subscriptions (£100-200/mo) work better for most small businesses — lower upfront cost, included support, and no surprise maintenance bills. One-off payments (£2,000-5,000) suit businesses with in-house technical skills or very tight ongoing budgets.
When you’re getting a website built, one of the first decisions is how to pay for it: website monthly vs one-off payment.
The traditional model is one-off: pay a lump sum, get a website, it’s yours forever. The newer model is subscription: pay monthly, get a website plus ongoing support.
Both have genuine advantages. Both have hidden catches. And the right answer depends on your business.
Here’s the honest breakdown.
Table of Contents
- How Each Model Works
- Real Cost Comparison
- Advantages of Monthly Subscriptions
- Advantages of One-Off Payments
- The Hidden Costs to Consider
- Which Model Suits You?
- Questions to Ask Before Choosing
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Each Model Works
One-Off Payment
You pay a single fee (typically £2,000-£10,000 in the UK) for your website design and development. Once built, you own it outright.
After that, you’re responsible for:
- Hosting (£50-150/year)
- Domain renewal (£10-20/year)
- Security updates
- Bug fixes
- Content changes
- Any new features
Some developers offer optional maintenance packages. Many don’t — once the site launches, you’re on your own.
Monthly Subscription
You pay a monthly fee (typically £100-£300 in the UK) that includes:
- Website design and build
- Hosting
- Domain management
- Security and backups
- Content updates
- Ongoing support
- Sometimes additional features
It’s like leasing vs buying a car. You don’t own it outright, but you’re not responsible for maintenance either.
Real Cost Comparison
Let’s compare actual costs over 3 years for a typical small business website.
One-Off Payment Model
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial build | £3,000 | - | - | £3,000 |
| Hosting | £100 | £100 | £100 | £300 |
| Domain | £15 | £15 | £15 | £45 |
| SSL certificate | £0* | £0* | £0* | £0 |
| Maintenance/updates | £300 | £500 | £600 | £1,400 |
| Emergency fixes | £200 | £300 | £300 | £800 |
| Annual Total | £3,615 | £915 | £1,015 | £5,545 |
*Free with most modern hosting. Some providers charge extra.
Monthly Subscription Model
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee (£150/mo) | £1,800 | £1,800 | £1,800 | £5,400 |
| Domain (often included) | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Hosting (included) | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Updates (included) | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Annual Total | £1,800 | £1,800 | £1,800 | £5,400 |
The Reality
Over 3 years:
- One-off: £5,545+ (likely higher with unexpected issues)
- Monthly: £5,400 (predictable, no surprises)
The total cost is similar. The difference is in cash flow and what’s included. For a broader view of pricing across all options, see our 2026 UK website cost guide.
Advantages of Monthly Subscriptions
1. Lower Barrier to Entry
A £3,000 upfront payment is a big ask for a new business. £150/month is manageable from day one.
For restaurants especially — where cash flow is tight and seasonal — spreading the cost makes financial sense.
2. Everything’s Included
No surprise bills. Hosting, security, updates, support — it’s all bundled in.
When your menu changes, you email your provider. When something breaks, they fix it. No hourly charges, no “that’s out of scope.”
3. Your Site Stays Current
Subscription sites get maintained. Security patches applied. Design refreshed periodically. Performance optimised.
One-off sites often get neglected. Two years later, they’re slow, outdated, and vulnerable.
4. Support When You Need It
Something broken at 9pm on a Saturday before your busiest Sunday? Subscription providers typically offer faster support because you’re an ongoing customer, not a one-time transaction.
5. Flexibility to Grow
Need online ordering added next year? A subscription provider can build it into your plan. One-off developers might charge premium rates for changes to old projects.
Advantages of One-Off Payments
1. Full Ownership
The website is yours. You can take it to any hosting provider, modify it however you want, or sell it with your business.
With subscriptions, you may be licensing the site rather than owning it. Terms vary by provider.
2. Lower Long-Term Cost (Sometimes)
If you:
- Have technical skills to maintain it yourself
- Know someone who can handle updates cheaply
- Don’t need many changes after launch
- Are happy handling hosting and security
…then one-off can cost less over 5+ years.
3. No Monthly Commitment
You’re not locked into ongoing payments. If business slows, you don’t have another £150/month going out.
(Though you’ll still pay hosting and need maintenance eventually.)
4. More Control
Some business owners want complete control over their website. They want to choose their hosting, their plugins, their update schedule.
Monthly subscriptions typically mean accepting the provider’s choices. That’s the tradeoff for convenience.
The Hidden Costs to Consider
Both models have costs that aren’t immediately obvious.
Hidden Costs of One-Off Sites
Maintenance neglect. The site works when launched. But WordPress needs updates. Plugins need patches. After a year of neglect, you might face a slow, broken, or hacked site that costs £500-2,000 to fix.
Time costs. Someone has to manage the site. If that’s you, your time has value. If it’s a staff member, that’s their wages. If it’s a contractor, that’s their fees.
Emergency fixes. At 3am when your booking system stops working, who do you call? One-off developers may not offer support — or charge premium emergency rates.
Redesign cycles. Websites age. Every 3-5 years, you probably need a refresh. With one-off, that’s another £3,000+ project.
Hidden Costs of Monthly Subscriptions
Exit terms. What happens if you want to leave? Some providers make it difficult. Check: Can you export your content? Who owns the design? Is there an exit fee?
Scope limits. “Unlimited updates” usually means content updates. A complete redesign or major new feature might cost extra.
Provider dependency. If your provider goes bust, you might lose access to your site. Choose established providers with good track records.
Long-term lock-in. You’re committing to ongoing payments indefinitely. If your budget situation changes dramatically, that’s a fixed cost you can’t easily eliminate.
Which Model Suits You?
Here’s a practical guide based on common situations:
Choose Monthly Subscription If:
| Situation | Why Monthly Works |
|---|---|
| You’re starting a new business | Lower upfront cost, predictable expenses |
| You don’t have technical skills | Updates and maintenance handled for you |
| Your content changes frequently | Menu updates, events, seasonal changes included |
| You want ongoing support | Someone to call when things break |
| Cash flow matters more than ownership | Pay as you go vs large lump sum |
Ideal for: Restaurants, cafés, pubs, retail shops, service businesses with changing offerings.
Choose One-Off Payment If:
| Situation | Why One-Off Works |
|---|---|
| You have in-house technical skills | Can handle updates and maintenance yourself |
| Site content rarely changes | Brochure-style site with minimal updates |
| You want full ownership/control | Complete freedom to modify and move |
| Budget for upfront but not ongoing | Have capital now, tight on monthly costs |
| You’re building to sell | Website ownership transfers with business |
Ideal for: Tech-savvy business owners, established businesses with IT support, sites that won’t need regular updates.
The Restaurant Question
For restaurants specifically, monthly subscriptions almost always make more sense:
- Menus change constantly (seasonal, pricing, specials)
- Opening hours shift (holidays, events, staffing)
- Events need promoting (live music, quiz nights)
- Booking systems need maintenance
- You don’t have time to manage a website
The value of having someone else handle all this is significant when you’re running a busy kitchen.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing
For Monthly Subscriptions
-
What exactly is included? Get a detailed list. “Updates” means different things to different providers.
-
What happens if I cancel? Can you take your site? Export content? How much notice is required?
-
Who owns the website? You, or the provider? This matters if you want to leave or sell your business.
-
What’s excluded? Major redesigns? New features? E-commerce additions?
-
What’s the minimum term? 3 months? 12 months? Month-to-month?
-
How do I request changes? Email? Portal? Phone? What’s the turnaround time?
For One-Off Payments
-
What support is included after launch? Bug fixes? Content updates? For how long?
-
How much do updates cost? Get hourly or per-update pricing in writing.
-
Who hosts the site? Is that included? If not, who sets it up?
-
What happens when something breaks? Will they help? At what cost?
-
Can I update content myself? Is there a content management system? Training?
-
What technology is it built on? Will other developers be able to work on it?
My Honest Take
I offer both models at EdTheDev. Here’s when I recommend each:
I recommend monthly subscriptions for most restaurants and small businesses because:
- You don’t want to think about your website
- You need changes made without hassle
- You value support when things go wrong
- Predictable costs help budgeting
I recommend one-off for businesses with:
- Existing IT support or technical skills
- Very static content that rarely changes
- Specific requirements for ownership or control
- Budget for upfront payment plus ongoing maintenance
Most of my restaurant clients go monthly. The time savings alone are worth it when you’re running a busy venue.
The Bottom Line
| Factor | Monthly | One-Off |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low (£0-500) | High (£2,000-5,000+) |
| Ongoing cost | Predictable (£100-300/mo) | Variable (maintenance, fixes) |
| 3-year total | ~£5,000-6,000 | ~£5,000-7,000 |
| Support | Included | Usually extra |
| Updates | Included | Usually extra |
| Ownership | Varies by provider | Full |
| Best for | Time-poor businesses | Tech-capable businesses |
Neither model is inherently “better.” The right choice depends on your skills, budget, and how much mental energy you want to spend on your website.
For most small businesses — especially restaurants — monthly subscriptions deliver better value and less hassle.
Curious about exact pricing? See our complete website cost guide for detailed UK pricing, or check out our Kent web design packages if you’re local.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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