Comparison, checked September 24, 2026
DIY website builder vs Redenn: should you build it yourself?
- Author
- By the Redenn team
- Published
- Published
- Last reviewed
- Reviewed
The short answer
Build it yourself when the site is a hobby or a side project, you have the evenings to spare and you will keep editing it; a DIY builder such as Wix or Squarespace is designed for exactly that. Have Redenn build it when the site is part of how the business earns money: you get a fixed price and a written scope, your domain is in your name from the start, and the code and every login are handed over once the project is paid, so the site can move with you.
Side by side
| DIY website builder | Redenn | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Subscription; features gated by plan; plus your own hours; varies | One-time: Launch CA$99, Starter CA$299, Business CA$499, Business Plus CA$799; hosting optional, from CA$99/year |
| Scope | Templates and drag-and-drop pages within the platform's limits | Written scope per package; custom features and applications quoted |
| Ownership (code, content, domain, accounts) | Content and a domain in your name are yours; the site runs only on the platform | Domain (Cloudflare Registrar) in your name from the start; once the project is paid, the code and content we create are yours, with the code and every login handed over to you, or the accounts managed for you on a paid plan. For Launch and Starter, the written quote says whether the template code is transferred to you or licensed for your site |
| Support | Platform help centre and support channels; varies by plan | Email support on all hosting plans; priority on Pro Managed CA$99/month plus provider usage billed directly to your own account |
| Hosting | Included in the subscription; no choice of host | Vercel CDN; Redenn Lite CA$99/year, Business CA$199/year, Dynamic CA$49/month plus provider usage |
| SEO capability | Built-in basics you set up and maintain yourself | Search Setup CA$99 included from Business; Local Search Foundation CA$199; Search + AI Foundation CA$299 |
| Development capability | Editor and app market only | Next.js, React, TypeScript, Node.js; portals and applications quoted |
| CRM | Platform contact tools; varies | CRM integration from CA$99; CRM Setup from CA$299 |
| Automation | Platform automations; varies | Lead Follow-Up Automation from CA$149, with message usage billed by each provider directly to your own account; custom workflows quoted |
| AI features | Platform AI assistance where offered; varies | AI Website Chat from CA$99/month; AI Receptionist from CA$149/month; usage such as AI, call minutes, SMS and email is billed by each provider directly to your own account, and none is included |
| Maintenance burden | Platform is maintained; every edit, image and page is your time | Dependency updates included on Redenn Business hosting; changes by request |
| Right choice when | Hobby, club or side project you enjoy editing weekly with no budget | A business site that must be fast, findable, owned and connected to CRM and automation |
Prices are in Canadian dollars and exclude taxes. Any tax that applies is shown separately on your invoice.
Our verdict
Build it yourself when the site is a hobby or a side project and you have the evenings; DIY builders are made for that and do it well. Have Redenn build it when the website is part of how the business earns: Launch is CA$99 for one page with optional Redenn Lite hosting at CA$99/year, and Business at CA$499 gets you five pages with the search foundation done. With Redenn the domain is in your name from the start and the code and every login are handed over once paid (for Launch and Starter, the quote says whether the template code is transferred or licensed); a builder site cannot leave its platform. Count your hours honestly before deciding.
The cost nobody puts on the invoice
DIY builders are honest about the subscription and silent about the hours. Choosing a template, writing every page, resizing images, setting up the contact form, configuring titles and descriptions, and fixing the mobile layout all take time, and then the site needs updating. For a hobby that is the fun part. For an owner who is also the sales team, dispatcher and bookkeeper, it is the most expensive hour in the business.
Ownership and lock-in
A DIY builder lets you own your words, images and a domain registered in your name. The site itself stays on the platform: its design, its pages and its features cannot be exported to run elsewhere, so leaving means starting again. With Redenn, your domain is registered in your name from the start, at Cloudflare Registrar. Once the project is paid, the code and content we create are yours: at handover you get the code and every login, or we keep managing the accounts for you on a paid plan. Launch and Starter sites are built from Redenn templates. Your written quote says whether the template code is transferred to you or licensed for your site. Redenn manages the domain only if you ask and never holds a client domain hostage.
Total cost over three years
The DIY column says varies because the right plan depends on features you need and your own hours are unpriced. The Redenn column uses the smallest package, Launch, which is one page with up to about five sections, one call-to-action and one revision round. With a phone or WhatsApp link as the call-to-action the page stays static, so the example uses Redenn Lite, the tier for static sites; a Launch page with a contact form fits Redenn Business hosting instead.
Prices are in Canadian dollars and exclude taxes. Any tax that applies is shown separately on your invoice.
| Item | DIY website builder | Redenn |
|---|---|---|
| Build | your own hours | Launch CA$99 (one page, mobile responsive, one CTA, one revision round) |
| Hosting, three years | subscription; varies | Optional: Redenn Lite CA$99/year for three years, CA$297, or host it yourself |
| Domain | registrar price; varies | Registrar's live price, in your name; plus CA$9.99/year only if Redenn manages it |
| Extra pages | your own hours | Additional standard page CA$49 each; Starter CA$299 for three pages |
| Three-year total | varies | CA$99 if you host it yourself, or CA$396 with three years of Redenn Lite, plus the registrar's live domain price and, only if Redenn manages the domain, CA$29.97 in management fees |
When to choose a DIY website builder
Choose a DIY builder when:
- The site is a hobby, a club, a portfolio or a side project.
- You enjoy editing pages and will keep doing it every week.
- The budget for outside help is zero.
- You do not need CRM, automation, AI features or custom development.
Pros
- No technical skill required
- Editor, hosting and SSL in one subscription
- Live today if you do the work
Cons
- Your hours are the real cost
- The site cannot leave the platform
- Features are limited to the editor and app market
When to choose Redenn
Choose Redenn when:
- The website's job is to bring in inquiries, calls or bookings.
- You want a fixed price and a delivery window: Launch in 3 to 5 business days, Starter in 5 to 8, Business in 8 to 12, after content is received.
- You want the search foundation set up for you: titles, descriptions, sitemap and structured data.
- You may add booking, CRM, lead follow-up, AI chat or an AI receptionist later on the same site.
Pros
- One-time build; hosting optional, from CA$99/year
- Domain in your name; code handed over once paid
- A growth path on one codebase
Cons
- Changes go through a request, not a drag-and-drop editor
- Content must be supplied, inserted (CA$29/page) or written (from CA$99/page)
- Less suited to weekly redesigns
Questions
Is a DIY builder good enough for a small business?
For a hobby or a very early side business, yes. Once the website has to win customers and connect to a CRM or automation, the limits of the editor and the ongoing subscription start to matter.
What does Redenn's CA$99 Launch website include?
One page with up to about five sections, Redenn's component-based design, mobile responsive layout, placeholder copy and imagery you replace, one call-to-action, one revision round and deployment to Redenn hosting (from CA$99/year) or a handover for you to host it yourself.
Can I update a Redenn site myself?
Blog and CMS content, yes, on Business Plus and Growth System or with the Blog / CMS add-on from CA$49. Layout and design changes are handled by Redenn through the website changes service.
Can I move from a DIY builder to Redenn later?
Yes. Your content and domain move with you and the site is rebuilt in Next.js on the package that fits its size, with old URLs mapped to new ones.
Does Redenn help with content?
Yes. Content insertion is CA$29 per page, a rewrite of your copy is CA$49 per page and professional copywriting is from CA$99 per page.
Sources
- Exporting or Embedding Your Wix Site Elsewhere, Wix Help Center. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Exporting your site, Squarespace Help Center. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Web Vitals, web.dev. Accessed 2026-09-24.
Related
Services
- Website DesignFast, mobile-first design from a tested component system, priced by page count rather than by the hour.
- Website DevelopmentNext.js, React and TypeScript builds deployed to Vercel, with the search foundation included from the Business package up.
- Website HostingGlobal CDN, automatic SSL and monitoring, in tiers from static brochure sites to managed applications.
- Domain RegistrationRegistered in your name through Cloudflare Registrar at the live price, with DNS, renewals and email records managed.
- Local SearchGoogle Business Profile, local pages, a review workflow and monthly reporting for one location.
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