Prices checked 19 October 2026.
The honest side-by-side.
| InkySites | Hiring a freelancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront redesign | Free. No card. | $500 to $10,000 a project for web design, depending on who you hire and the scope. |
| Monthly upkeep | $29 a month, paid month to month. Hosting and your changes are in it. | $50 to $200 a month for upkeep, or $20 to $100 an hour. |
| Who makes ongoing changes | We do. Open your site in your dashboard and tap the photo or line you mean, so you never have to describe where it is. Say what you want there and send it, with no long email about which page. Or ask for changes on WhatsApp. | The freelancer, if they're still around and have time. |
| How fast changes happen | Most changes are live within the hour. All within 48. | Whatever you agree with them, request by request. |
| Hosting | Included. No separate bill. | You arrange and pay for it yourself. |
| Domain and code | Yours. One ask from your dashboard, any time. | Usually yours, but read the contract. |
| If they go quiet | Your domain and code are yours; ask any time and we send the files. | Your site is orphaned and you're back to square one. |
Freelance figures were read from two cost guides on 19 October 2026. Fiverr's: "On average, you can expect to pay $20-$100 per hour and $500-$10,000 per project for web design." Upwork's: "Maintaining a website costs $50 to $200 per month for updates, security monitoring, and backups." InkySites's "most within the hour, all within 48" is our normal turnaround, not a contractual SLA. See how the whole done-for-you category prices up.
Who each one is right for.
Hire a freelancer if
You need a custom build with unusual requirements, a one-time project with a clear finish, or a specific person you already know and trust. With the budget and the time to manage the relationship, a senior freelancer is hard to beat.
Choose InkySites if
You have an existing small-business site that's gone stale, you want changes handled without re-hiring every time, and you'd rather pay one flat price than a stack of invoices. We redesign your site and run it for you. You don't manage a contract.
Questions people ask.
Is a freelancer cheaper than InkySites?
Up front, sometimes. Over two years, rarely. A $1,500 freelance redesign plus $100 a month in changes is about $2,700 in the first year alone. InkySites is free to start and $348 a year, with hosting and changes included. The freelancer also bills per change; we don't.
What happens if my freelancer disappears?
You're back where you started: your site is out of date and there's no one to call. That's the exact problem we built InkySites for. With us, your domain and complete code stay yours, and we send you the files on request, any time, no questions, so any developer could take over tomorrow.
Can InkySites do custom work like a freelancer?
For most of what your site needs, yes: new pages, refreshed sections, booking links like Calendly, and small layout tweaks. A ground-up rebuild or an online shop is a conversation rather than part of the monthly fee, and for a bespoke web app or a complex custom build a freelance developer is the better tool. We'll tell you so.
See your site redesigned. Then decide.
Paste your URL and we'll email you a fresh redesign in 48 hours. Free, no card. If you like it, it's $29 a month from there.
It is free, needs no card, and there is nothing to cancel.