Comparison, checked September 24, 2026
DIY website builder vs Redenn: should you build it yourself?
- Author
- By Redenn Editorial
- 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: Launch is CA$99 for one page, Business is CA$499 for five, and you own the code, domain and accounts instead of renting a page editor.
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 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 | Code, content, domain (Cloudflare Registrar) and every account in your name |
| Support | Platform help centre and support channels; varies by plan | Email support on all hosting plans; priority on Pro Managed CA$99/month |
| Hosting | Included in the subscription; no choice of host | Vercel CDN; Redenn Lite CA$99/year, Business CA$199/year, Dynamic CA$49/month |
| 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; custom workflows quoted |
| AI features | Platform AI assistance where offered; varies | AI Website Chat from CA$99/month; AI Receptionist from CA$149/month |
| 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 |
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 at CA$99 with Lite hosting is CA$425.97 over three years plus the domain, and Business at CA$499 gets you five pages with the search foundation done. With Redenn you own the code, domain and accounts, which a builder cannot offer. 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. A Redenn build hands you the code repository, the content, the domain at Cloudflare Registrar in your name and the Vercel and analytics accounts. Redenn manages the domain only if you ask and never holds a client domain hostage. The site is an asset you can move.
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.
| 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 | Redenn Lite CA$99/year x 3 = CA$297 |
| Domain | registrar price; varies | Registrar's live price plus CA$9.99/year if Redenn manages it (CA$29.97 over three years) |
| Extra pages | your own hours | Additional standard page CA$49 each; Starter CA$299 for three pages |
| Three-year total | varies | CA$425.97 plus the registrar's domain price |
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 enquiries, 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 done properly rather than configured by guesswork.
- You may add booking, CRM, lead follow-up, AI chat or an AI receptionist later on the same site.
Pros
- One-time build, hosting from CA$99/year
- Full ownership
- 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, which is billed separately from CA$99/year.
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 from CA$99 for one page, 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
- 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 CA$499.
- Website HostingGlobal CDN, automatic SSL and monitoring from CA$99/year for static sites to CA$99/month for managed applications.
- Domain RegistrationRegistered in your name through Cloudflare Registrar at the live price, managed for CA$9.99/year.
- Local SearchGoogle Business Profile, local pages, a review workflow and monthly reporting for one location, from CA$299.
Guides
Comparisons
Ready when you are.
Configure a website in minutes, or ask for a written quote. Quotes arrive within two business days.