Web design agency vs Buzzozo: the same website, the full cost
A typical UK web design agency charges £2,000 to £7,000 to build a small business website, then £150 to £400 a month to look after it. Buzzozo builds yours for £0 upfront, puts it live in days and includes the care in one monthly plan.
14-day free trial. No card needed. Cancel any time.
Is a web design agency worth it for a small business?
For most small businesses, the agency model costs more than the website it delivers. You pay £2,000 to £7,000 before the site does anything for you, wait weeks or months for it to go live, then pay again every month to keep it secure and up to date. Over three years a typical agency site costs £12,956 to £26,956. The same kind of website on Buzzozo costs £5,364 over three years at the founding price, or £10,764 at £299 a month, with nothing to pay before you have seen it working.
Head to head, on the same rules
Both columns describe the same result: a website designed and written for your business to bring in enquiries, live, secure and kept up to date for three years.
| What you are paying for | Typical UK agency | Buzzozo Website plan |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | £2,000 to £7,000The project fee for a small business site. | £0We build the website first. You pay nothing for 14 days. |
| Seeing it before you pay | Quote firstYou agree the price before design work starts. | Live site firstYour website is built and live before you choose a plan. No card needed to start. |
| Time to go live | Weeks to monthsFrom a couple of weeks for a simple site to several months. | In daysA short call about your business, then your website is live within days. |
| Looking after the site | £150 to £400 a monthA typical care plan for a website built to bring in enquiries, on top of the build. | IncludedHosting, SSL, daily backups, security updates and support are all part of the plan. |
| Changes after launch | £463 a dayThe UK median web developer day rate for work outside a care plan. | Small changes includedA set number of small changes on request. Anything larger is quoted before work starts. |
| Commitment | A project contractThe build fee is owed whether or not the site brings in work. | Month to monthNo long-term contract. Cancel any time. |
| Three-year total | £12,956 to £26,956Build, care and four developer days a year, before hosting and SSL. | £5,364£149 a month founding price. £10,764 at £299 a month. |
Where the money goes over three years
An agency bill is front-loaded: the largest payment lands before the website has earned anything. A Buzzozo plan starts at £0 and grows only while you keep the site.
- Typical agency, low to high: £12,956 to £26,956
- Buzzozo at £149 a month: £5,364
- Buzzozo at £299 a month: £10,764
Show the figures as a table
| Point | Typical agency | Buzzozo at £149 | Buzzozo at £299 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | £2,000 to £7,000 | £0 | £0 |
| Month 6 | £3,826 to £10,326 | £894 | £1,794 |
| Month 12 | £5,652 to £13,652 | £1,788 | £3,588 |
| Month 18 | £7,478 to £16,978 | £2,682 | £5,382 |
| Month 24 | £9,304 to £20,304 | £3,576 | £7,176 |
| Month 30 | £11,130 to £23,630 | £4,470 | £8,970 |
| Month 36 | £12,956 to £26,956 | £5,364 | £10,764 |
Typical agency, three years
| Design and build | £2,000 to £7,000 |
|---|---|
| Care plan for an enquiry website, 36 months at £150 to £400 | £5,400 to £14,400 |
| Developer time, 12 days at £463 | £5,556 |
| Total | £12,956 to £26,956 |
| Build and care alone, with no developer time | £7,400 to £21,400 |
Buzzozo, three years
| Design and build | £0 |
|---|---|
| First 14 days | £0 |
| Website plan, 36 months at £149 | £5,364 |
| Total | £5,364 |
| The same at £299 a month, after the first 100 businesses | £10,764 |
Why the two bills look so different
An agency is paid to finish a project
Its fee covers design and build, and the project closes at launch. Keeping the site secure, backed up and current is a separate job, so it comes back as a care plan or as billed hours. Every change after launch is new work with a new price.
Buzzozo is paid to keep your website working
We build the website first and earn a monthly plan only while you stay. Hosting, SSL, backups, security updates and small changes sit inside that plan, because a website that stops bringing in enquiries is a website you would cancel.
Not every monthly website works this way. Before you sign up for any pay-monthly plan, check who owns what and what it costs to leave: pay monthly websites: what to check.
What stays in your hands
Your domain. It is registered in your business's name and goes with you if you ever leave.
Your content. The words and photos on your site can be exported when you go.
Your changes. New prices, photos or opening hours? Ask by WhatsApp, a call to 020 3282 5353 or email. Your plan includes a set number of small changes, and anything beyond is quoted before work starts.
Your exit. Plans run month to month and you can cancel any time. The build stays Buzzozo property unless you buy it out, and the buy-out is quoted for each build.
Websites we have built and run
Real client sites, live today. See more on our work.
Schnauber
schnauber.co.uk (opens in a new tab)Bespoke timber windows and doors, with product ranges, project examples and a quote enquiry route.
VRS London
vrslondon.com (opens in a new tab)An Ilford garage with MOT, servicing and repair pages, booking requests and a chat assistant that uses the garage's own information.
Shiny House Cleaning
shinyhousecleaning.co.uk (opens in a new tab)A London cleaning company whose website we look after, with service pages and a free quote form.
Questions about agencies and Buzzozo
How much does a web design agency charge in the UK?
A typical UK web design agency charges £2,000 to £7,000 to design and build a small business website. Looking after a website built to bring in enquiries usually costs £150 to £400 a month, and extra developer time runs at a median of £463 a day. Over three years that comes to about £12,956 to £26,956, before hosting and SSL.
Is Buzzozo a web design agency?
Buzzozo Ltd is a UK digital marketing company. We design, write and build websites the way an agency does, but we charge a monthly plan instead of a project fee, and we keep running the site after launch: hosting, SSL, backups, security updates and changes.
Why does Buzzozo cost less over three years?
There is no build fee to recover. We build your website first, you use it free for 14 days, and we are paid monthly only while you stay. Hosting, SSL, backups, security and a set number of small changes are part of the plan, so they are not bought separately.
Who owns the website?
Your domain is registered in your business's name and goes with you if you leave, and your content can be exported. The build and design stay Buzzozo property unless you buy them out, and a buy-out is quoted for each build.
Can I leave whenever I want?
Yes. Plans run month to month with no long-term contract, and you can cancel any time. Your services run to the end of the month you have paid for.
What happens after the 14 days?
You choose a plan and keep the website, or walk away owing nothing. No card is needed to start. The Website plan is from £149 a month for the first 100 businesses, kept for life, and from £299 a month after that. Prices exclude VAT.
What if I need more than a website?
Website + CRM is from £599 a month, with BuzzozoHub CRM built, set up and run for you. Bigger projects, such as online stores and custom tools, are quoted before any work starts.
See your website before you pay for it. Start free.
Tell us about your business. We'll reply within one business day, or call us now on 020 3282 5353.
- Day 0
- A short call or WhatsApp about your business.
- In days
- Your website goes live.
- Day 14
- Pick a plan, or walk away owing nothing.
Related pages
Compare before you choose
What a website costs
Build, care and change costs for a small business website, in one place.
Managed website
How a website built, hosted and looked after for you runs month to month.
Plans and prices
Website, Website + CRM and custom work, with what each plan includes.
Free website for 14 days
Try a website built for your business, then keep it or walk away owing nothing.