Should I build my website with Wix or AI, or hire someone?

Short answer: build it yourself with Wix, Squarespace or an AI builder if you need a simple page on a very small budget and you have the time to do it. Hire a professional, or use a pay-monthly service, if the website has to bring in clients and you would rather spend your time running the business.

The 2-minute decision guide

Answer these five questions honestly:

Will customers find you mainly through Google? If yes, the site needs proper structure, page speed and local SEO, which is where DIY sites most often fall short. Lean towards a professional.
Do you have 20–40 hours to build it, and an hour or two every month to maintain it? If not, DIY becomes the site that never gets finished or updated.
Do you need it to look clearly better than competitors? Templates are good, but everyone in your industry uses the same ones.
Is your budget under a few hundred euros, total? Then a DIY builder is the realistic choice, and that’s fine.
Will you need regular changes (prices, services, team, opening hours)? Someone has to make them, quickly and correctly.

Mostly “no” to 1, 3 and 5, and “yes” to 2 and 4: build it yourself. Mostly the opposite: hire a professional or use a monthly plan.

When DIY is genuinely the right choice

You’re testing an idea and need a page this week.
You’re a sole trader whose clients come from referrals; the site is a digital business card.
You enjoy design and will keep it updated.
Your budget is under €300 in total.

In those cases a builder is excellent value: Wix plans start from about $17/month and Squarespace from about $16/month on annual billing (Style Factory, Tooltester), and AI builders such as Hostinger’s or Durable can generate a starting point in minutes (StaticMania, Cybernews).

When hiring someone pays for itself

One new client a month from your website is worth more than the site costs.
You need local search visibility (“plumber in Leeds”, “accountant near me”).
Your industry is competitive and trust matters: clinics, law firms, accountants, trades.
You don’t want to become your own web developer.

For a fuller self-test, use our DIY vs professional website checklist.

The three options side by side

	Build it yourself	Hire and pay once	Pay monthly / lease
Upfront cost	Small	Typically £1,500–£6,000 or $1,500–$8,000	€0 with B63
Your time	20–40 h + monthly upkeep	Briefing and reviews	Briefing and reviews
Maintenance	You	Often extra	Included
Design	Template	Custom	Custom
Best for	Tiny budgets, simple pages	Businesses with cash and in-house upkeep	Businesses that want it done and looked after

The one-off price ranges come from UK and US 2026 pricing guides; see our small business website cost guide for the sources.

Where B63 fits

B63 is our studio. We build custom websites for €0 upfront and look after them for €150 a month (excl. VAT) for 24 months: hosting, domain, updates, daily backups, edits and support are included, and the site can be yours at the end. It is not the cheapest option on this page; it is the option where you never have to think about the website again. If you’d rather pay once, our one-time builds start from €550 including VAT.

Questions, answered

Is it better to use Wix or hire a web designer?

Use Wix (or Squarespace, or an AI builder) if your budget is very small, you only need a simple page, and you enjoy doing it yourself. Hire a professional if your website has to win clients from Google, you don't have time to maintain it, or you need it to look clearly better than your competitors'. A pay-monthly service is the middle option: someone else builds and maintains it for a fixed monthly fee.

Can an AI website builder make a good business website?

AI builders can produce a decent-looking first draft in minutes, which is genuinely useful for a simple one-page presence. They don't know your customers, your local market or what makes you different, and you still have to write the real content, set up SEO properly and keep the site updated yourself.

How much time does a DIY website take?

Expect roughly 20–40 hours to plan, write, build and set up a small business site properly, then an hour or two a month to keep it current. That time is the hidden cost of DIY.

What's the cheapest professional option?

For a professional build without a large upfront bill, a pay-monthly or website-lease plan spreads the cost. With B63 (our studio) it is €0 upfront and €150 a month excluding VAT for 24 months, with hosting, updates and edits included. UK pay-monthly providers start lower, from about £20–60 a month, with different inclusions.

Should I build my website with Wix or AI, or hire someone? A 2-minute decision guide