Builder, freelancer or studio: an honest comparison
In short: a builder if you will assemble it yourself and not grow; a freelancer for a one-off, small task; a studio when the site is an asset, not a temporary page. Below, criterion by criterion — no “we are the best”.
What matters
What actually fits you
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A builder is enough
One page for a month, no plan to grow, you have the time and hand to assemble blocks, and a shared template suits you. Tilda, Wix, Horoshop are an honest choice here — no reason to overpay a studio.
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A freelancer fits
A one-off small edit, a throwaway landing for a single test, or someone you know and trust personally. The downside, honestly: the contract, the dates and the access rest on one head that can disappear.
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You need a studio
The site is an asset for years: custom design, speed, leads, safe code and the right to leave at any time with your own domain and access. This is our format.
Where DEXA sits
Between an “expensive studio” and a “free builder” there is a rung. “Start 500” is a card page on a design system for from $506 (₴21,000), live in 5–7 days. The subscription site — from $70 (₴2,890)/mo with hosting — to start without a big sum. A landing with custom design — from $699 (₴29,000). Pick the rung the task needs; do not overpay for the rest.
Public platform prices
Figures are from the services’ public pricing pages, checked 08.10.2026; they change, so verify against the source before deciding. This is a comparison by category, not advertising against anyone.
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Tilda
Plans ~$5–15/mo; you build the site yourself.
Source: tilda.cc/pricing ↗ -
Horoshop
A ready store from ~₴288/mo; it is a builder for trade.
Source: horoshop.ua ↗ -
WordPress studios
A templated card page from ~₴12,300, a landing from ~₴9,500 (per public studio price lists).
Source: public price lists
Common questions
Tilda or a studio — which to choose?
Tilda wins when you need a simple page and will assemble it yourself on a template. A studio, when you need custom design, speed, safe code and your own access. Different jobs, not “good and bad”.
How much does a store on Horoshop or Prom cost?
A ready Horoshop store runs from ~₴288/mo for the plan (plus your effort and the marketplace’s fees). Prom takes a commission on turnover. Your own DEXA store is another category: you hold the code and do not pay for someone else’s limits. See the public prices above and check the date.
When is a freelancer enough?
For a one-off small edit or a throwaway landing for a single test. Beyond that it is a risk: timelines, access and the site’s integrity rest on one person with no contract.
How is a DEXA subscription different from a builder?
Both are paid monthly. The difference: in a builder you assemble the site yourself on a shared template, while here the studio builds it from scratch, and the domain is yours.
Is speed and SEO worse on a builder?
Often yes — heavy third-party scripts and limited control over the markup. That is why on our own sites we do static rendering and check Core Web Vitals before handover.
Don’t know where to start? Let’s build the brief together
Answer a few questions and our builder assembles a complete, ready-to-share project brief — with a realistic budget range calculated from our real packages. Take it to us or to any studio.
~3 minutes · no email required to view your estimate
- 6 guided steps — goals, scope, design, budget
- Instant price range from real DEXA packages
- Downloadable, print-ready brief (PDF)