Short answer: If the site only introduces your company, has 5–10 pages and you have time to update it, a website builder is cheapest at about NT$20,000–40,000 in fees over 3 years. Once you need online booking, members, quotes or ERP and LINE integration, builder add-ons hit their limits quickly; a custom website then costs about NT$60,000–200,000 over 3 years, but the features and data are yours.
A home cleaning company built its site on a website builder over a weekend two years ago, paying about NT$10,000 a year. When it wanted online booking and LINE notifications, it installed 3 add-ons for an extra NT$1,500 a month, and booking data ended up scattered across different back ends. When it tried to move to a custom site, it found the pages couldn't be exported, so it had to start over. Choosing the wrong direction often means paying twice.
The short answer as a decision tree
Bottom line: ask whether the site needs to do work for you; if it only displays, use a builder, and if it handles data, go custom.
- Question 1: Does the site only present the company and its work? Yes → website builder. No → question 2.
- Question 2: Do you need booking, members, quotes or orders? Just one, with a simple flow → builder plus add-on. Two or more → question 3.
- Question 3: Does it need to connect to an ERP, POS, LINE or internal system? Yes → custom website. No → a premium builder plan or WordPress.
Website builder comparison: cost, flexibility, maintenance, fit
Bottom line: builders win on price and speed, custom wins on flexibility and data ownership, and the gap shows after year two.
| Option | Monthly (annual billing) | 3-year estimate | Flexibility | Migration difficulty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | About $17–39 | NT$20,000–40,000 | Easy drag-and-drop; advanced features via add-ons | High; pages can't be fully exported | Small shops that want DIY |
| Webflow | About $15–25 | NT$20,000–30,000 | High design freedom, steeper learning curve | Medium; code exports but without the CMS | Design-led brands |
| Squarespace | From about $19 | NT$20,000–30,000 | Beautiful templates, little room to customize | High | Photography and design studios |
| Custom website | Hosting and maintenance about NT$2,000–3,000 | NT$60,000–200,000 | No feature limits; can integrate systems | Low; code and data are yours | Businesses needing booking, members or systems |
Builder prices are official 2026 annual starting prices; 3-year estimates assume about NT$32 per US dollar and exclude design help (usually NT$15,000–50,000). Webflow merged its old CMS and Business plans into Premium in May 2026, so check the official site before buying.
What to choose in 3 scenarios
Bottom line: size, budget and what the site must do change the answer.
- A new studio with under NT$30,000: Use a builder, make 5 pages from a template, and get your work and contact details online. Upgrade after a year once inquiries come in.
- A 10–30 person service business needing booking: For simple booking, a builder plus booking add-on can do for now; with multiple branches, staff scheduling or LINE reminders, custom is better value, with websites from NT$15,000 and booking priced separately.
- Manufacturing or B2B needing quotes and a dealer portal: Go custom. Quotes, tiered dealer pricing and ERP integration are beyond builders or require stacking many add-ons.
Checklist: builder or custom website?
- ☐ More than 15 pages
- ☐ Need online booking or registration
- ☐ Need member login or member pricing
- ☐ Need online quotes or inquiry forms
- ☐ Need ERP, POS or LINE integration
- ☐ Need Chinese/English or multiple languages
- ☐ Nobody in-house has time to update the site
- ☐ Already paying for 2+ add-ons
- ☐ Care about owning the site's data and code
- ☐ Expect to add features within 3 years
0–3 ticks: website builder. 4–6: premium builder plan or WordPress. 7+: custom website.
FAQ
Is a website builder or custom site cheaper?
A builder is cheaper short-term, about NT$20,000–40,000 over 3 years, but add-on fees stack up and narrow the gap.
Can a Wix site be moved elsewhere?
Not fully. Page designs can't be exported; you can usually take only text and images, which means rebuilding.
Are website builders bad for SEO and AI search?
Not necessarily. Builders cover basic SEO, but there's less room to tune structured data and speed than with custom.
Can I start on a builder and go custom later?
Yes, it's common. Register the domain yourself so you aren't locked in when you switch.
Next step: a first consultation that tells you what fits
ScriptWalker (a Taiwanese Laravel/Flutter custom development studio) builds custom websites but won't push an expensive option: if a builder is enough for you, we'll say so. Websites start at NT$15,000 and systems at NT$80,000, with domains and source code always registered to you. Send us your current site or requirements for a free assessment:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 0916-224-047
- LINE: @ufv9089p