GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026

Should you rent or buy your small business website?

Short answer: both are smart choices. Rent if you want the site live with $0 setup, a smaller upfront bill and someone else handling edits. Buy if you will keep it for a year or more and want to own it outright. Below is the full math on our own published prices.

Show me the math → See pricing
THE 3-YEAR MATH

What each plan costs over 3 years

Rent = monthly price × 36, with the first 6 months billed upfront. Buy = the one-time price (12 months of hosting included) plus $299 for each of years 2 and 3.

Plan
Rent for 36 months
Buy once + 2 years hosting
Landing ($99/mo or $999)
$3,564
$1,597
Starter ($199/mo or $1,999)
$7,164
$2,597
Growth ($349/mo or $3,499)
$12,564
$4,097
Premium ($499/mo or $4,999)
$17,964
$5,597
Starter, month by month
Total paid renting
Total paid buying
After 6 months
$1,194
$1,999
After 12 months
$2,388
$1,999
After 24 months
$4,776
$2,298
After 36 months
$7,164
$2,597

On every plan the rent total passes the one-time price around month 11. Keeping it longer with few changes? Buy once and save. Want edits, support and a smaller upfront bill? Rent. Full numbers for every plan are on our website pricing page.

WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BUYS

What renting includes that buying does not

Rent monthly
Buy once
Upfront cost
$594 to $2,994 (first 6 months)
$999 to $4,999
Content edits
1 to 4 a month on Starter to Premium
Quoted separately
Support
Included while your plan is active
Hosting only after launch
Hosting and SSL
Included
Year 1 included, then $299/yr
Ownership
Licensed to you while active; your content stays yours
You own the design, content and code
Commitment
6-month minimum, then month-to-month
None after purchase

Rule of thumb: if you will use the monthly edits (new photos, prices, seasonal offers), renting buys you a service, not just a site. If the site will rarely change, owning it outright is the smart move. Comparing against a DIY builder instead? Read Grippy Code vs. Wix or our small business website cost guide.

Rent vs. buy FAQ

Is it cheaper to rent or buy a website?
It depends on how long you keep it. On our prices, renting overtakes the one-time price around month 11 on every plan, so buying saves money if you keep the site for about a year or longer. Renting costs less upfront and includes support, plus monthly edits from Starter up; buying includes hosting only. See pricing.
Do I own my website if I rent it?
Rented sites are licensed to you while your plan is active, and your content and brand assets are always yours. Want to own the whole thing? Buy once from $999 and the finished site’s design, content and code are yours outright.
What happens after the first 6 months of renting?
Your plan continues month-to-month at the same rate, with no price jump, and you can cancel anytime. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the paid month. See pricing.
What does the $299/year hosting cover on a bought site?
Websites you buy once include the first 12 months of hosting. After that, hosting renews at $299 per year until you cancel, with reminder emails before every renewal. It covers hosting only; rented plans include support, plus monthly edits from Starter up. Compare plans.
Buy Starter once → Rent Starter monthly Ask us