Guide

Pay monthly website or pay once off

There are two ways to pay for a website and both are legitimate. The right one depends on your cash, how often the site needs to change, and whether you want someone on the hook for it after launch.

How paying once off works

You agree a price, the site gets built, you pay it and the job is closed. From then on the site is yours to look after. Hosting, domain renewal, security updates and any change you want are separate.

It suits a business with cash to hand and someone comfortable managing the technical side, or one that genuinely never needs the site touched again.

How paying monthly works

There is no big payment at the start. You pay a flat monthly fee and the build, hosting, maintenance and ongoing work are all covered by it. Our version is a free build plus €59.99 a month with a 12 month minimum.

It suits a business that would rather keep the cash in the van and the tools, and that wants somebody to ring when a price list or a phone number needs changing.

The real difference is what happens after launch

Most sites do not fail on day one. They fail slowly. A plugin goes out of date, a form stops sending, an old price sits there for two years, and nobody notices until a customer mentions it.

A monthly arrangement means someone is looking at it. A once off build means that job lands on you unless you arrange a separate care plan.

What to check before you sign either one

Whichever route you take, get these in writing.

  • Who owns the domain name and who renews it
  • What is included in changes and what counts as extra
  • Where the site is hosted and who has the login
  • What the minimum term is and what happens at the end of it
  • Whether local SEO work is included or billed separately

Which one we recommend for trades

For most Irish trades the monthly route wins, purely because of cash flow and because trade sites need more upkeep than people expect. New photos, a new service, a new area you have started covering, all of it needs to go on the site to be any use.

If you would rather own it outright and manage it yourself, say so and we will quote that way instead. We would rather you picked the right one than the one that suits us.

Common questions

Is a pay monthly website more expensive over time?

Over several years the totals can be similar. The difference is that the monthly fee keeps hosting, maintenance, edits and SEO work included, where a once off build usually charges for all of those separately.

What happens after the 12 month minimum?

The plan continues month to month on the same terms. There is no jump in price at the end of the minimum term.

Do I own the website on a monthly plan?

Sitefully retains ownership of the build while the plan runs, and you keep your domain and your content. We go through this clearly before anyone signs.

Where to go next

Want us to sort this for you?

We build the site for free and look after the hosting, the updates and the local SEO for €59.99 a month on a 12 month minimum. Have a chat with us and see if it suits.

More guides like this

See all guides