Rent or own? For cars and software the question is routine; for websites it is new. Both routes lead to the same result, a professional website. They differ in cash flow, responsibility and ownership. This guide brings order to the decision.
The good news first: there is no wrong choice, only one that fits your situation less well. At getyoursite you get the same individually designed website in both models, with your own design, your own copy and clean engineering. The only difference is how you pay for it and what happens afterwards.
The subscription: one price, everything included
With the subscription you pay no setup fee, just a fixed monthly amount from CHF 59. It covers design, copy, hosting, domain, SSL, security and, depending on the plan, several change requests per month. New opening hours, a new team photo, an extra service page: you send a short message, we make it happen.
The subscription fits if you want to protect your liquidity, prefer not to deal with anything technical, and want your website to keep evolving. It is cancellable monthly, so the risk stays small.
The purchase: pay once, own it
With the purchase you pay once, from CHF 1,490 (up to CHF 8,900 depending on scope) and the website belongs to you, including a code handover on request. To keep it online and secure, a small hosting and care plan from CHF 19 per month is added. Content changes are billed by effort at CHF 110 per hour.
The purchase fits if ownership matters to you, your budget allows a one-time payment, and your website stays fairly stable, say a practice or law firm whose content rarely changes.
The numbers over three years
| Subscription | Purchase | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | CHF 0 | from CHF 3,490 (Grow scope) |
| Monthly cost | CHF 159 | from CHF 19 |
| Changes | up to 3 requests/month included | CHF 110 per hour |
| Total after 3 years | around CHF 5,700 | around CHF 4,200 to 5,500* |
| Ownership | with the provider while the subscription runs | yours |
*depending on how many changes you need. The point: over three years the two routes end up close together. The decision is rarely about price, and mostly about liquidity, ownership and how often your content changes.
Five questions that settle the choice
- How much does liquidity matter? If CHF 3,000 to 9,000 upfront would hurt: subscription.
- How often does your content change? Monthly or more: subscription. Once or twice a year: purchase.
- Do you want to own the website? If yes, the purchase is the only way.
- Who looks after it internally? Nobody with spare time: subscription, where care is part of the package.
- Are bigger extensions planned? Shop, booking, multiple languages: in the subscription you grow by switching plans, with the purchase by quotation.
Conclusion
The subscription is the most convenient way to a well-kept, current website with no initial investment. The purchase is the right way when ownership counts and content stays stable. Both are fairly priced, both lead to the same quality. And if you are unsure: you can start on the subscription and take over the website later; just ask us.