Let’s get one thing straight: We’re not here to dunk on page builders.
Well, maybe a little.
HubSpot, Square, Toast, [insert overpriced website add-on platform here] sell you the dream: “Build a beautiful site yourself! It’s easy! It’s fast! You’ll look like a pro!”
Except that dream costs more than you think (especially once you factor in paid add-ons for SEO, analytics, e-commerce, and “premium” support) and delivers a whole lot less than you need.
The Real Cost
We’ve worked with brands that started building their websites using platforms like Square, Toast, or HubSpot, thinking they were saving money. The truth? They weren’t.
Let’s look at Square’s Website Builder:
- Free Plan: With Square ads, limited features, and no custom domain
- Plus Plan: $29/month — adds custom fonts, analytics, basic design features
- Premium Plan: $79/month — for shipping discounts and priority support
Now layer in Online Ordering? That’s more setup, more limitations, and more fees. And if you want to do anything truly custom? Good luck hacking it into their template system.
HubSpot CMS Pricing (per month):
- Starter: $20/seat (plus upgrades)
- Professional: $500 (3 seats included)
- Enterprise: $1,500 (5 seats included)
Between recurring fees, seat licenses, and upgrade costs, you’re looking at $1,000 to $5,000+ per year on tools that ultimately limit your business. These platforms lock you into their world, where they decide what’s possible.
So What Are You Paying For?
- 💸 A visual editor that breaks the second you get creative
- ⛓ Rigid templates that limit your vision
- 🚫 Bloated features you’ll never use, can’t customize, or can’t disable
- 🔒 Vendor lock-in that makes migrating your site feel like a hostage negotiation
These tools are like prefab tiny homes—they’re cute until you realize there’s no room to grow and the bathroom is basically the kitchen.
What You Could Have Instead (for the same cost or less)
At House of Giants, we build custom websites and web applications using rock-solid CMS platforms (like WordPress, but done right). You get:
- 🔧 A fully custom site that fits your brand, not the other way around
- 🚀 Performance-optimized architecture that doesn’t make Google cry
- 🧠 Scalable, maintainable code built for growth
- 🕹 Easy-to-manage admin tools for your team (without learning Klingon)
- 🤘 Freedom to do things your way, without fighting your website
Why It Saves You Money
A custom build might seem like a bigger upfront investment. But over 12–18 months, it pays for itself (and then some):
- No bloated monthly fees for features you’ll never use
- No paying extra for basic SEO, analytics, or backups
- No expensive dev hours spent hacking around template limitations
- No more rebuilds every 18 months when your tools outgrow you
Instead of funneling hundreds per month into bloated subscriptions, you could invest in a partnership that actually builds something for you. Our maintenance packages start at $400/month and include performance optimization, real support, content updates, and ongoing strategy. No seat limits, no upsells, no “Oops, that’s a premium feature.” Just a team keeping your site sharp, secure, and ready to scale, without charging you enterprise rates for the privilege.
TL;DR? Stop Renting Your Website. Own It.
Page builders are great… until they aren’t.
If you’re tired of duct-taping your digital presence together, we’re here to help. Let’s build something real. Something fast. Something yours.
👉 Want the numbers? Book a quick call and we’ll show you exactly where your money is going, and what you could build instead. We’re not here to upsell you. We’re here to outbuild your competition.