Comparison

When Squarespace is the right answer, and when it quietly costs more

Website builders are genuinely good. They are also the reason a lot of local businesses look identical.

Squarespace and Wix cost roughly $20 to $50 a month and are the right choice if you will build it yourself and keep it updated. The hidden cost is time and sameness: a template that thousands of businesses share, plus the hours you spend maintaining it. Droom is $1,500 to $4,800 once and $99 a month, which is more up front and less than an agency, and nobody else has your layout. If you enjoy building it yourself, use the builder.

The real comparison

Monthly costSquarespace or Wix roughly $20–$50/mo. Droom $99/mo including all edits.builder wins

Up-front costBuilder: nothing but your time. Droom: $1,500–$4,800.builder wins

Your timeBuilder: 20–60 hours to do properly, then ongoing. Droom: about two hours of your input, total.we win

DistinctivenessBuilder: a template thousands of businesses also use. Droom: drawn for your business.we win

SpeedBuilders carry a lot of generic code. A hand-built page loads faster on a phone.we win

Who fixes itBuilder: you, or a help centre article. Droom: a person, within 48 hours.we win

ControlBuilder: change anything yourself at 2am. Droom: you send it and wait up to 48 hours.builder wins

When you should just use Squarespace

If you enjoy this kind of thing, have the time, and want to change the site yourself whenever the mood takes you, a builder is the better purchase and paying somebody else is a waste of money.

It is also the right answer when the business is brand new and unproven. Spend $20 a month, find out whether the business works, and commission something properly once it does.

What actually goes wrong with DIY sites

Almost never the design. What goes wrong is that it stops being updated. The hours are wrong, the prices are two years old, and the last post was in 2023, because maintaining it competes with running the business.

The second thing is mobile. Builder templates preview beautifully on a laptop and are frequently awkward on a phone, which is where nearly all local customers actually are.

Can you take over a site I already built?

Often yes, and it is usually cheaper than starting over. If the content and photos are good, the work is rebuilding the structure and the speed around them.

The free audit will say plainly which situation you are in, including the case where your existing site is fine and you should keep it.

Questions people ask before they hire

Is Squarespace or Wix cheaper than hiring someone?

On cash, yes: $20 to $50 a month against $1,500 to $4,800 once plus $99 a month. On total cost it depends what your own time is worth, since doing it properly is 20 to 60 hours plus ongoing upkeep.

Can you move my Squarespace site somewhere else?

Yes. The content and images transfer; the design is rebuilt because Squarespace layouts do not export. Pricing is the same as a normal build.

Do website builders hurt SEO?

Not inherently, and that claim is usually overstated. They do tend to ship more code than a hand-built page, which shows up in mobile load times, and shared templates make it harder to stand out in a crowded local market.

What if I want to edit the site myself?

Sections you update often, like daily specials or opening hours, can be built so you edit them directly without waiting on anyone. Everything else goes through the 48-hour edit service.

Not sure which side you are on?

The free audit will tell you honestly, including when the answer is "keep what you have".

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Last updated 2026-08-07