Do I Own My Website? Renting vs Owning a Small Business Website

Renting a website means you pay a monthly fee and the company keeps the website files. Owning a website means you hold the files and can take the site wherever you want.

So do you own yours? Often, no. If you pay a monthly fee for a site someone else built and hosts, you're probably renting it, and it can go offline the day you stop paying.

Renting isn't automatically a bad deal. You just ought to know which one you've got before you sign.

We build websites for small businesses at Denecke Media, so we've got a side here. We'll still give you the straight version.

What renting looks like

You pay monthly, and the company keeps the files. The build fee is usually low or zero, and hosting is included.

The site stays up as long as you keep paying. Stop, and it usually comes down. Some companies will sell you a buyout if you want to keep it.

Your text, photos and logo are still yours. The design and the code usually aren't.

What owning looks like

You hold the site files. Move to another host, hand the site to another designer, whatever you like.

Your domain name is registered in your name too. You still pay for hosting and the domain, like a shop pays for electricity. The difference is that if you leave, the website leaves with you.

Is renting a website cheaper?

At the start, yes. Often for a few years. A rental has a low monthly fee and little or no build fee, so month one costs less.

Owning usually costs more up front, or the same amount spread over a year of monthly payments. Once the build is paid, hosting is the only charge left. A rental fee never stops, and a lot of rentals charge extra for changes.

So the gap closes. Add up what you'll pay over three to five years, not just month one.

When renting makes sense

Sometimes renting is the right call:

• You're testing a business idea and don't know if it'll last.
• You expect to close, rebrand or move in a year or two.
• You need a site this week and cash is tight.
• You want to hand it all off and never think about it again.

Fair deal in those cases. Read the exit terms first.

If you cancel a rental, the site goes with it

In many rental plans, the site goes offline when the paid period ends. You keep your text, photos and logo. The company keeps the design and code.

Some providers also hold your domain name. If yours does, getting it back can take time or cost money.

A new site starts from scratch, and the page addresses Google already knows may change. The provider's terms page will tell you what applies to you.

Do I own my website on Wix, GoDaddy or Squarespace?

Those are builders. You make the site yourself on their platform. Your words and photos are yours, but in most cases the finished site stays on their platform. You can't lift it out and host it somewhere else.

You can usually transfer your domain name. The site itself, you'd rebuild.

That's fine if you never plan to leave. Check each company's current terms, because they change.

Three questions to ask before you sign

Ask any web designer, rental service or builder:

1. Who owns the site files, and what does it cost to take them with me?
2. What happens to the site and my domain name if I cancel?
3. What do changes cost, and who makes them?

If you get clear answers, you know what you're buying. If the answers get vague, that tells you something too.

Can I pay monthly and still own my website?

Yes. At Denecke Media you can pay for the build in full, or monthly with nothing down. Either way, the site files are yours once the build is paid off.

Every site comes with our editor, so you can change text, photos and buttons yourself. The layout is locked, so you can't break it. If you'd rather hand it off, our Care Plan means we make the updates for you. Every site also shows your Google reviews on the page.

Leave someday and we send you your site files and your domain transfer code.

Websites start at $125. Current plans and pricing are on our web design page.

How do I get my website?

1. Request a free mockup on our free mockup page.
2. We build a concept of your homepage and send it over.
3. You look it over and ask for changes. Revisions are included.
4. You approve it, and your site goes live on your domain.

The build itself can be done in a day or two. After that you set the pace. Take the time you need to look it over, and we go live once you're happy with it.

Do you build websites near me?

We're based in Southeast Wisconsin, and we work with small businesses in Southeast Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and well beyond. See our Southeast Wisconsin page for local details.

Already on Wix or GoDaddy and thinking about leaving? Read how to move your website off Wix.

Frequently asked questions

Do I own my website if I pay monthly?

With a typical rental, no. With us, yes: monthly payments just pay off the build, and the files are yours once it's paid off.

Is it cheaper to rent a website?

At first, yes. Over several years the gap closes, because a rental fee never ends.

Can I take my website to another company?

Only if you own the site files. Ask what it costs to take them, and get the answer in writing.

Who owns my domain name?

You should. Ask any provider who the registrant is and what happens if you want to transfer it.

How long does it take to build a website?

The build can be done in a day or two once we have your information and your approval.