TrueSiteCostCheapest Website Builder: How to Find the Real Lowest Price
Builders compete on the monthly number in the ad. What you pay depends on billing term, the tier you actually need and the add-ons you buy later.
Why the monthly price in the ad misleads
Website builders show a per-month price, but the lowest number is almost always the annual rate: you pay twelve months upfront and the builder divides by twelve. Pay month by month and the same plan typically costs 25–35% more. On top of that, the cheapest tier that's advertised is often one you can't use for a real site, because it keeps the builder's banner or won't connect your own domain.
So "cheapest" has three parts: the tier you actually need, the billing term, and the add-ons you'll buy within the first year.
Typical builder tiers and what each one really limits
| Tier | Billed yearly (per month) | Billed monthly | The limit that matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Builder ads and a subdomain; usually no custom domain |
| Starter / Personal | $10–17 | $14–23 | Basic forms, small storage, sometimes a small banner |
| Business | $23–32 | $30–42 | Unlocks analytics, more storage, scheduling or simple payments |
| Commerce | $27–49 | $36–65 | Full checkout; the lower commerce tiers may add a transaction fee |
Ranges are typical published prices before tax. Promotional first-year discounts exist but usually renew at the regular rate.
Three years, one 5-page site: the numbers
Take a basic plan at $16 a month billed yearly, or $21 billed monthly, with a .com domain that renews at about $18. Most builders include the domain free for the first year only on annual billing.
| Billing | Plan, 36 months | Domain, 3 years | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly | $576 | $0 + $18 + $18 = $36 | $612 |
| Monthly | $756 | $12 + $18 + $18 = $48 | $804 |
Same site, same builder: monthly billing costs $192 more over three years. That gap is larger than the price difference between most competing builders' starter plans, which is why the billing term matters more than which brand you choose.
The add-ons that change the ranking
- Business email. Builders rarely include mailboxes; a hosted suite costs about $6 per user per month, or $216 per person over three years.
- Booking, reviews or memberships. Often paid apps at $5–15 a month each, or a higher tier.
- Extra storage or video. Starter tiers cap storage; video-heavy sites hit the cap first.
- Removing the builder's badge. Some starter tiers keep a small "made with" link.
- Extra contributors. A second editor can require a higher tier.
If you'll need one of these in the first year, compare prices with it. A builder that's $3 cheaper per month but charges $10 for the booking app you need is not the cheapest.
How to find your cheapest option in 20 minutes
- Write down the two or three features you need at launch (e.g. contact form, booking, a 10-product shop).
- For each builder you're considering, find the lowest tier that includes all of them without an app.
- Note the yearly-billing price and the monthly-billing price for that tier.
- Check whether a domain is included and what it renews at (usually listed in the help pages, not the pricing page).
- Add email and any paid apps, then put the numbers into the website cost calculator for a 3-year total.
- Read the refund window. Annual plans are usually refundable only for 14–30 days.
Common mistakes
- Choosing by the promo price. A 50%-off first year that renews at full price can cost more over three years than a plan with no promo.
- Buying the top tier "just in case". You can upgrade in a minute; downgrading mid-term rarely refunds anything.
- Ignoring how hard it is to leave. Builders don't export a working site. If you might outgrow it, see builder vs hosting first.
- Testing on a free plan, then rebuilding. Most builders let you upgrade the same site, so start on the free tier of the builder you'd actually pay for. See free plan limits.
FAQ
Which plan tier do most small sites need?
The tier that removes the builder's ads and lets you connect your own domain. Pay for a higher tier only for a feature you'll use in the first month, such as online booking or a store.
Is annual billing always cheaper?
Per month, yes, usually by 20–30%. It's only a bad deal if you might abandon the site within a few months, because most builders refund annual plans only in the first 14–30 days.
Can I downgrade a builder plan later?
Usually yes at the next renewal, but features tied to the higher plan stop working, and some builders don't prorate refunds for the unused part of the term.