The verdict in three sentences
For a 15-page B2B website, a freelancer at EUR 400 per day comes to roughly EUR 5,000, an agency at EUR 650 per day to roughly EUR 11,000 (excluding VAT), a EUR 6,000 gap. The freelancer wins on price and responsiveness if the site is simple and you accept an availability risk. The agency is justified once the site drives your lead generation, needs several skills (UX, copywriting, SEO, development) and guaranteed maintenance over 3 years.
What the two quotes really cover
A EUR 5,000 quote and an EUR 11,000 quote almost never describe the same deliverable. Before comparing prices, compare the days and what they contain. Amsterdam day rates run slightly above the French Riviera, but the ratio between the two models is the same.
| Item | Freelancer (EUR 400/day) | Agency (EUR 650/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, workshops, sitemap | 1 day | 2.5 days |
| UX/UI mockups, 3 templates | 2.5 days | 4 days |
| Copywriting and SEO for 15 pages | Often supplied by the client | 3 days |
| Development and CMS integration | 6 days | 5.5 days |
| QA, mobile tests, performance | 1 day | 1.5 days |
| Project management | Implicitly included | 0.5 day |
| Total | 12.5 days, EUR 5,000 | 17 days, EUR 11,050 |
| Delivery time | 6 weeks | 8 weeks |
The freelancer delivers faster because they do less: content and SEO often stay with you. If you write 15 pages in-house, allow 25 to 35 hours of a manager's time, a hidden cost of EUR 1,500 to 2,500.
The risks to price before signing
The initial price is only 50 to 60% of the total 3-year cost. Maintenance, upgrades and interruption risk weigh as much as the build.
| Criterion | Freelancer | Agency | 3-year impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unavailability (illness, new client, exit) | High risk, no backup | Team of 2 to 3 on the account | Takeover by a third party costs EUR 2,000 to 4,000 |
| Maintenance and security updates | EUR 50 to 100 per month, no response-time commitment | EUR 120 to 250 per month, contractual response time | EUR 1,800 to 9,000 |
| Post-delivery warranty | Usually 1 to 3 months | 3 to 12 months | Free fixes |
| Professional liability insurance | Variable | Systematic | Recourse after a breach |
| Ownership of code and mockups | Must be written into the contract | Often in the terms | Avoids lock-in at redesign |
| Account access (domain, hosting) | Sometimes in the freelancer's name | In the client's name if required | Risk of losing the domain |
The most important clause, whichever vendor you pick: assignment of intellectual property rights on code, mockups and copy, with the domain name and hosting registered in your company's name.
When to choose which
Choose a freelancer for a 5 to 10-page site, a budget under EUR 6,000, content already written and an in-house team able to manage the project. Choose an agency for a site that must generate measurable quote requests, connect to a CRM, run in several languages (Dutch, English, German) or evolve every quarter. A third option exists: a senior freelancer backed by a collective, with a named backup in the contract.
Mini case study
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Marc, managing director of a 25-person thermal engineering consultancy in Amsterdam, compares both offers over 3 years. Freelancer: EUR 5,000 build, EUR 2,000 in-house copywriting, EUR 2,700 maintenance, EUR 3,000 probable takeover by another vendor, total EUR 12,700. Agency: EUR 11,050 build, EUR 6,300 maintenance at EUR 175 per month, total EUR 17,350. The real gap falls to EUR 4,650. With an average engagement of EUR 18,000, a single extra project won through a better-ranked site covers the difference.
FAQ
What is a typical freelance web developer day rate in 2026?
Between EUR 350 and 550 per day in France depending on experience, with a median around EUR 400; Amsterdam rates tend to sit 10 to 20% higher. Senior specialists in performance or accessibility exceed EUR 600.
Is an agency always slower?
No. The 8-week timeline includes copywriting and SEO. For the same scope, an agency can deliver in 5 to 6 weeks because several people work in parallel.
How do I secure a contract with a freelancer?
Require a 3-instalment schedule, rights assignment, accounts in your company's name and a named backup. Also check their liability insurance certificate.
Can a freelancer build the site and an agency maintain it?
Yes, but taking over unfamiliar code costs 1 to 3 days of audit, EUR 650 to 2,000. A standard CMS makes that handover easier.
What budget for a multilingual B2B site?
Add 20 to 30% to the base budget for professional translation and multilingual structure, roughly EUR 1,500 to 3,000.
Let's scope your project. Send us your sitemap or current site: we price a 10 to 20-page B2B website, content and SEO included, at EUR 7,000 to 14,000, delivered in 6 to 8 weeks with contractual maintenance. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
