Traditional agencies
- ✗ Project fee, then hourly change orders
- ✗ $5,000–$20,000+ upfront for design
- ✗ $100–$200/hr for every small change
- ✗ Weeks to update a headline
- ✗ Often reselling WordPress or Wix
- ✗ Disappear after launch
/vs/agencies — managed website vs agency pricing
CODASITE
VS
AGENCIES.
This page is for service-business owners who got (or fear) a big agency quote and want ongoing updates without hourly billing. A traditional web agency sells a project, then bills change orders by the hour. codasite is a flat-rate managed website — we design, host, and update your site on a monthly plan so you get agency-quality work without surprise invoices.
codasite
- ✓ Ongoing managed website on a flat monthly plan
- ✓ Onboarding $399 — waived on annual plans
- ✓ Content updates included in the plan
- ✓ Updates in days, not weeks
- ✓ We own and optimize the whole stack
- ✓ Ongoing partnership — always here
Cost breakdown
Where the money actually goes.
Who pays / what's included
Agency
codasite
Upfront (who pays)
Agency $5,000–$20,000+
codasite $0–$399
Monthly (what's billed)
Agency $0–$500+
codasite $149–$349
Content changes (who pays)
Agency $100–$200/hr
codasite Included
Turnaround time
Agency Weeks
codasite Days
Hosting included
Agency Sometimes
codasite Always
Security updates
Agency Extra cost
codasite Included
Ongoing support
Agency Hourly billing
codasite Included
Surprise invoices
Agency Common
codasite Never
Agency year-one cost
Design + hosting + a handful of updates.
codasite year-one cost
Annual Starter — $149 × 12, onboarding waived. See pricing.
Why we're different
Your own web team. On retainer.
A traditional agency makes its money on a big upfront project and hourly change requests. That model works great for them — not so great for a service-business owner who just needs the site kept current.
We flipped the model. One flat monthly price covers design, hosting, security, updates, and support. No surprise invoices. No nickel-and-diming. Just a site that works. Plan names and limits live on pricing.
Think of it as having your own web team on retainer — at a fraction of the cost of one senior developer's salary. If you are comparing a DIY builder instead of a shop, see codasite vs Wix and codasite vs Squarespace.
The honest split
What an agency still fits. What we include.
What you still buy from an agency
- • Discovery workshops and custom strategy decks.
- • Multi-brand campaigns and ongoing creative retainers.
- • Heavy custom app builds beyond a marketing site.
- • Enterprises that want a dedicated shop on call for six-figure media work.
What codasite includes instead
- ✓ Custom design and the initial build.
- ✓ Hosting, SSL, backups, and security patches.
- ✓ Content updates per plan — 2 hours per month on Starter, unlimited on Pro.
- ✓ Human support by email (Starter) or a call and Basecamp (Pro).
- ✓ A flat monthly rate instead of change-order invoices.
Fit check
Best for / not best for.
Best for
- ✓ Single-location or multi-location service businesses that need a marketing site maintained monthly.
- ✓ Owners who got (or fear) a big agency quote and want updates without hourly billing.
- ✓ HVAC, plumbing, dental, contractors, and other teams that need the site working between jobs.
- ✓ Anyone who wants agency-quality design on a subscription, not a project.
Not best for
- • Enterprises that need a dedicated creative retainer.
- • One-off brand systems with six-figure media budgets.
- • Multi-brand campaign shops that live in strategy decks, not a marketing site.
- • Heavy custom software builds that belong in a scoped development project.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Is codasite a web agency alternative?
Yes. codasite is a flat-rate managed website alternative to a traditional web agency for service businesses that need a live marketing site without project fees and hourly change orders. You are not hiring a shop for a one-time build; you are putting design, hosting, updates, and support on a monthly plan.
Do you migrate sites built by an agency?
Yes. We migrate sites built by an agency onto our platform and then handle hosting, updates, and support from there. You review the new site before it goes live, and you do not have to keep paying the original shop for every edit.
What happens when I need a big custom feature?
Plan updates cover content and design work in your allotment. A large custom feature, integration, or application is scoped as professional services rather than billed as an open-ended agency hourly tab — see professional services and current plan limits on pricing.
Do I own the site if I leave?
Yes. Your domain registration, content, images, and branding stay yours. If you ever leave, we help you export everything. There are no long-term contracts and no cancellation fees.
How is pricing different from a retainer?
An agency retainer is usually a holdover of the project model: a large upfront build, then hourly or bucket billing whenever copy changes. codasite is one flat monthly plan — Starter is $149 per month with two hours of content updates, Pro is $349 per month with unlimited content changes, and the $399 onboarding fee is waived on annual billing (Starter is $1,788 per year). Current numbers always live on the pricing page.
How fast are content changes?
Content changes typically ship in days, not weeks. You email the request (Pro customers also get Basecamp); we make the edit for you instead of opening a change order. New sites usually reach staging in 7–14 days and go live within 2–4 weeks after you approve.