Website builder vs custom website

A website builder gives you a professional site in hours for a monthly fee with hosting and updates handled. A custom website gives you unlimited design and functionality for thousands upfront plus ongoing developer time. For most small businesses a builder is the right call; choose custom only when you need something a builder genuinely cannot do.

Side by side

The case for a builder

• You need a site that works, soon, and stays current.
• Your needs are standard: services, booking, contact, gallery, blog.
• You do not want to depend on a developer for every change.
• Budget matters.

The case for custom

• Functionality no builder offers: a configurator, unusual booking logic, a portal.
• Brand is a primary differentiator and the design must be unique.
• You have technical staff or a long-term agency.
• You are a software product, not a service business.

The SEO myth

Custom sites do not rank better because they are custom. Ranking comes from useful content, fast loading, mobile layout and local signals. Builders handle the technical basics; the content is on you either way.

The maintenance reality

The gap that grows over time is updates. A builder site changes when you type. A custom site changes when a developer is available and paid. Businesses with custom sites often have last year's prices online for exactly this reason.

Where Kahu fitsKahu SitesTell Kahu what you do and it drafts your whole site in your own words, hosts it, and keeps it updated when your hours or prices change.Written in your words from one conversationHosting, domain and SSL includedHours and prices update themselvesSee Kahu Sites →bayphysio.co.nzPhysio in Mount Maunganui, same-week appointmentsBook onlinePricesACC claimsYou changed Saturday hours in chat · site updated 2 min ago

Frequently asked questions