Web design company, freelancer or one-person studio?
Where the money actually goes in each, what each is genuinely better at, and which suits a small business.
Most people searching for a web design company are not really looking for a company. They are looking for confidence that the job will get done properly.
This page is the honest comparison, written by someone who is obviously one of the three options. Where the others are genuinely better, it says so.
The three routes
What you are really buying.
An agency or web design company
You buy capacity and cover: several people, project management, and someone to pick it up if one person is ill. You also pay for their salaries, and you usually speak to an account manager rather than the designer.
A freelancer from a marketplace
You buy hours at the lowest price available, often from another country. It can work well for a defined task. It works badly when nobody takes responsibility for the whole result.
A one-person studio
You buy one person's judgement and their direct phone number. Less cover if they are away, no account management cost, and the designer is the person who answers. This studio: £350 all in, then £19.99 a month.
Choosing
When to pick which.
Pick an agency when
The site is large, several stakeholders need managing, you need guaranteed cover, or the project involves custom systems and integrations.
Pick a studio when
You are a small business that wants a proper site, a fixed price and one person who knows your business by name.
Pick a builder when
Money is the binding constraint and you genuinely have the evenings to do the work yourself.
Whichever you pick, check three things
That the domain is registered in your business name, that hosting and email are either included or clearly priced, and that you can get a change made without an hourly invoice.
Common questions
Straight answers.
Is a web design company better than a freelancer?
What happens if a one-person studio disappears?
Why is an agency quote several thousand pounds?
How much is this studio?
Let's design the websiteyour business deserves.
Tell me what you need and I’ll come back to you personally with a clear next step. Websites start at £350 all in. Ready when you are.