Comparison
Freelancer, studio, agency, or platform: how to choose
In short
Comparison table
| Criterion | Wix-style platform | Freelancer | Small studio | Large agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | 0-30 EUR/month | 150-600 EUR | 300-3,000 EUR | 3,000-15,000+ EUR |
| Delivery time | 1-3 days (on your own) | 1-3 weeks | 48h - 3 weeks | 1-3 months |
| Custom design | Template, limited customisation | It varies, check the portfolio | Yes, built for your business | Yes, with research and strategy |
| Copy included | No, you write it | Rarely, usually separate | Often included or guided | Yes, a copywriting team |
| Who helps you after delivery | The platform’s general support | It depends on availability | Direct contact with the people who built it | A dedicated account manager |
| Who it’s for | You’re testing an idea, minimal budget | A simple project, a small budget, and you risk the quality | A small or mid-sized business, you want results quickly | A complex project, a large brand, an in-house team |
When a Wix- or Shopify-style platform is enough
A platform like Wix, Shopify, or Squarespace means a small monthly subscription and full control, but you are the one who builds and maintains the website. It is an honest and fair choice in some situations:
- You’re testing a business idea and you don’t yet know whether it will work.
- You only need a page with the basics: name, contact, opening hours.
- The budget is under 300 EUR and you accept spending your own time to build it.
- You’re comfortable learning a new tool and doing the maintenance yourself.
When a freelancer is worth it
An individual freelancer can deliver at a lower price than a studio, but with more variation in quality and availability. It’s worth considering when:
- You already have a clearly defined project, with written specifications.
- You’ve worked with that freelancer before, or you have verified references from real clients.
- The budget is limited, but you accept the risk of less structured communication or of timelines that move.
- You don’t need extensive contractual guarantees or long-term support.
When a small studio is worth it
A small studio, as MAST Studio is, offers a balance between a freelancer’s price and an agency’s structure: a documented process, a fixed delivery date, and direct contact with the people who actually build the website. It makes sense when:
- You want a website that has to bring in clients, not just exist online.
- You need a predictable delivery date and a fixed price, without long negotiations.
- You prefer to talk directly with the people who build the website, with no middlemen.
- Your budget is between 300 and 3,000 EUR — below that, a platform can be enough; above that, an agency makes sense if you need a dedicated team.
When you need a large agency
Large agencies have extended teams and formal project-management processes, suited to complex requirements. It makes sense to choose a large agency when:
- The project has complex requirements: multiple integrations, internal teams that need coordinating, and extensive market research.
- The budget is over 3,000-5,000 EUR and you need a dedicated team for the whole project, not a single supplier.
- You need related services at scale: media campaigns, brand strategy, and reporting structures for a board.
And when a large agency is not the right choice:
- If you want a simple presentation website delivered quickly, a large agency brings costs and procedures out of proportion to the need.
- If your budget is under 3,000 EUR, most large agencies will not take the project, or they will deliver something undersized for their standard process.
The risks that show up often with each choice
- Wix-style platform
- You save money now, but you risk a slow website that is hard to maintain, and that you rebuild a year later.
- Freelancer
- They can deliver excellent work. The typical risk: they disappear after launch, don’t document the access, or keep the website on their own account. Ask for a written handover.
- Small studio
- If the studio has no live portfolio or a written “from” price, it is just a freelancer under another name. Check real projects.
- Large agency
- They can deliver large projects. The typical risk: you pay for coordination, presentations, and waiting time for a website that could have been a simple deliverable.
Four questions to ask before the deposit
Whoever you choose, ask for the answer in writing:
- Who owns the domain and the hosting: you or the supplier?
- Does the timeline start after you send the materials, or “when we get to it”?
- What is included in the price, and what is paid separately?
- Who answers after launch if the website stops working?
For a fuller list, read how to choose a web design firm: 7 questions to ask.
Where MAST Studio fits
We are a small studio in Timișoara, part of MAST Consult S.R.L. We work with businesses that want a clear website, with the price in the open and a single point of contact: presentation website from 300 EUR, live in 48 hours after the materials, online store from 900 EUR, and maintenance from 90 EUR a month. The deposit is 50 EUR, and you pay the rest only if you are happy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest option for a website?
A Wix- or Shopify-style platform, built by you, costs only the monthly subscription (0-30 EUR). But your time has a cost, and the result depends on how much you learn to use the tool.
When does it not make sense to work with MAST Studio?
If your budget is under 300 EUR, a Wix-style platform is probably enough. If the project is complex and needs a permanently dedicated team, rather than a supplier with a fixed process, a large agency is the right choice, not a small studio.
Why would a freelancer cost less than a studio, while the risk is higher?
An individual freelancer has lower fixed costs, and also less redundancy: if they fall ill, change priorities, or abandon the project, you have no backup plan. A small studio, even with only a few people, has a documented process and continuity.
Does a large agency necessarily offer better quality?
Not necessarily better — it offers something else: a larger team, more formal project-management processes, and the capacity to handle complex requirements. For a simple website, those advantages do not automatically turn into a visibly better result, but they cost significantly more.
What is a web design studio?
A small team specialised in websites and digital products: more structured than a freelancer working alone, and lighter than a full-service agency, with account managers and long presentations.
What is the typical risk when you work with a freelancer?
They disappear after launch, there is no backup for the hosting and the domain, and ownership of the website is unclear. Ask in writing who owns the domain, who holds the access, and what happens if the project stalls.
Can I move from a Wix-style platform to a studio later?
Yes. Many clients test the idea on a platform, and when the business grows and they need a website that converts better, or custom functionality, they move to a studio or to a solution built from scratch.