Quick answer
DIY website builders cost about $0–$500 a year, freelancers typically charge $1,500–$4,000 for a small business site, and agencies $2,500–$7,500, according to published 2026 Chicago pricing guides. DIY saves money but costs your time; freelancers suit simple sites; agencies suit projects that need strategy, a team and long-term support.
Side-by-side comparison
Typical market ranges from published 2026 Chicago pricing guides (Seven Seas Web Design). Not Media Express prices.
| Option | Typical cost | Typical timeline | Good fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder | $0–$500 per year | 10–40 hours over 1–3 weeks | New or very small businesses, tight budgets | Your time, generic design, platform limits |
| Freelancer | $1,500–$4,000 | 4 weeks to 3 months | Simple sites with a clear brief | Single point of failure, availability |
| Agency | $2,500–$7,500 (small business) | 1–6 months | Strategy, larger sites, ongoing support | Higher cost, account-manager layers |
Other guides list freelancers at $2,500–$7,500 and agencies at $5,000–$20,000+ (Marketing by Magnet).
When DIY makes sense
- You are testing a new idea and need something online this week.
- You have time and enjoy the work.
- The site is simple and changes rarely.
Budget for your own hours. Ten to forty hours of an owner’s time is not free.
DIY also works as a first step: many businesses launch on a builder, learn what customers ask, then invest in a professional site once the offer is proven.
When a freelancer or an agency makes sense
A freelancer is a good fit when:
- The scope is clear and small, and you have your own content.
- Your budget is lower than an agency’s but higher than DIY.
- You are comfortable depending on one person, with a backup plan for access.
An agency is a better fit when:
- The site must generate leads or sales, not just exist.
- You need design, copy, development and SEO planning together.
- You want someone responsible for the site for years, not weeks.
Hidden costs of each option
- DIY: your time, paid add-ons, and a rebuild later if you outgrow the platform.
- Freelancer: delays if the person is unavailable, and lost access if logins were not shared.
- Agency: monthly fees and change requests; confirm what they cover.
A quick way to decide
- What must the site do? If it just needs to exist, DIY can work. If it must bring in calls or sales, hire a professional.
- How much time do you have? If your hours are worth more on the business, do not spend 40 of them on a website.
- How complex is it? Stores, booking, integrations and many pages favor a team.
- Who maintains it? Decide before you build, not after something breaks.
- What is the total first-year cost? Compare build plus monthly costs for each option.
Where Media Express fits
Media Express is a founder-led agency: you talk directly to the people who build your site, without an account-manager relay.
Media Express (Website Design Chicago) offers starter business websites from $500 under the current offer. Domain, hosting and maintenance are separate, and larger projects are quoted by scope. A starter site is not the same product as the $2,500–$8,000 site many published guides describe: it has a smaller scope, uses a proven layout and is built for a fast launch. It is a good fit when you need a credible site now and plan to grow it later.
Related
Questions and answers
Is it cheaper to hire a freelancer or an agency?
Usually a freelancer. Published 2026 Chicago guides list freelancers at $1,500–$4,000 and agencies at $2,500–$7,500 for small business sites, though ranges overlap.
Should I build my own website or hire someone?
Build it yourself if the site is simple and you have time. Hire someone if the site must bring in customers and you would rather spend your hours on the business.
Are website builders good for small business?
They are good for simple sites and tight budgets. They are less flexible for custom features, advanced SEO and moving to another platform later.
What is the difference between a web designer and a web agency?
A web designer is usually one person. An agency is a team that can combine design, development, content, SEO and support.
Can I switch from DIY to a professional later?
Yes. Many businesses start on a builder and move to a professional site later. Plan redirects so the move does not lose search visibility.
See the full Chicago web design picture, from first call to launch.
More guides
- Website cost per month
- Website redesign cost
- Cost to update a website
- How long a website takes
- Choosing a Chicago web design company
- 15 questions to ask a web designer
- Web design red flags
- Is AI replacing web design?
- Redesign without losing SEO
- What a small business website should include
- How to get cited by AI
- Website cost by industry (Chicago)
Popular pages
Our own audience
We don’t buy traffic. We create it.
Most agencies build a website and leave you to find visitors. Media Express owns the audience. Polish Network is the largest Polish-American network of owned media in the USA: 120+ of our own websites and portals, social media channels and news portals.
We also run the world’s largest aggregator of Polish radio stations, with 300+ stations from Poland, the United States and the diaspora in one place. We are building the American edition now, and next an edition for every country.
And we run your business on Szef.AI, our own AI operating system and CRM that works with everything, everywhere. New and better AI models appear every day, and Szef.AI is already connected to them. It is a solution nobody can match.
More than 8 million Americans report Polish ancestry (U.S. Census Bureau). Through our network, millions of people can become your customers. A typical web design agency cannot offer you this.
Ready to talk about your website?
31+ years of continuous web work, same-day website design that grows from a business card site to a portal for millions of views, a media network of our own, Szef.AI, our AI operating system connected to every new model, and direct access to the people who build your site. Tell us what you have in mind; you will get a clear recommendation, scope and price before any work begins.