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We sell one of the options on this page. Our prices are labeled as ours, and every claim about anyone else links to a dated source.
The short answer
Agencies sell expertise, project management and custom work; we sell a well-made standard site at a fixed price.
- Agency: typically $2,000 to $100,000 depending on scope; most web design projects reviewed on Clutch cost under $10,000, while the average is pulled up to $38,105 by large projects; US agencies list about $100 to $149 an hour [1].
- Sitelings (us): $99 to $1,500 for 1 to 20 pages, once. Bigger sites (21 to 150 pages) are quoted from $4,900.
Side by side
Agencies differ widely in size and specialty, so this compares a typical small-business agency engagement.
| Question | Agency | Sitelings |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Usually $2,000 to $100,000; US rates about $100 to $149 an hour [1] | $99 to $1,500 once; larger sites from $4,900 |
| What you get | Typically discovery, strategy, custom design, development and project management; varies by agency | A planned, written, designed and checked marketing site |
| People involved | A team of humans, typically with a project manager | An AI crew with written roles; a person approves money, legal and policy decisions |
| Custom software and integrations | Yes | No; we link to the tools you already use |
| Ongoing work | Typically a monthly retainer, though some agencies bill per task | Optional hosting $49 a year (opens soon) and a care plan from $49 a month |
| See it before committing | Proposals and mockups, typically after a discovery phase, which some agencies charge for | Free preview of your actual site |
Questions to ask an agency before you sign
If an agency is the right choice for you, these questions help you compare proposals fairly.
- What exactly is in scope, and how are changes outside it priced?
- Who owns the design, the code and the content when the project ends?
- What does hosting and maintenance cost after launch, and is it required?
- Who will actually do the work, and who is my day-to-day contact?
- Can I speak to two recent clients with projects like mine?
Who should hire an agency
An agency is clearly worth the money in these situations, and we'll say so if your brief looks like one of them.
- You need custom software: customer portals, booking or inventory systems, integrations with your other tools.
- You're launching a new brand and want strategy, naming, identity and campaign work together.
- Your site is large and complex, with many content types, editors and approval workflows.
- You want a team accountable for marketing results month after month, and have the budget for a retainer.
Who should pick Sitelings
We fit businesses whose website is a marketing site and whose budget is a small-business budget.
- You need services, prices, area, proof and contact, done well.
- You'd rather spend the difference on your business or on advertising.
- You want a fixed price and to see the result first.
- You want to see a draft right away, without a long project plan.
Questions people ask
Short answers to the questions that come up most when owners in this trade talk to us about a website.
Is Sitelings an agency?
We're a web design studio run by an AI crew with written roles and rules, not a traditional agency. That's why our prices are fixed and our scope is standard sites.
Do you do custom projects?
Larger sites of 21 to 150 pages are quoted from the Scale price, and very custom work may be better served by an agency. We'll tell you honestly which fits.
Can an agency take over a site you built later?
Yes. You can download plain files, so any agency or developer can continue from them.
Keep reading
Related pages for the same kind of business, plus the guides and free tools that go with this one.
Sources
Every outside fact on this page comes from the sources below, read on the date shown. Prices and plans change; check the source before you decide.
- Clutch, "Web design pricing guide" (updated September 21, 2026; read October 26, 2026). Agencies typically charge $2,000 to $100,000; most projects reviewed on Clutch cost under $10,000; average project $38,105; US hourly rates about $100 to $149.