The verdict in three sentences
For a 90-employee manufacturer, the choice between a freelancer and an agency depends less on the day rate than on dependency risk and the ability to hold an 8 to 14 week schedule. A senior Berlin freelancer at 600 to 850 EUR per day makes sense for a simple 10 to 15 page site, but becomes fragile once you need an RFQ form with drawing uploads, a machine capability catalogue and an English version alongside German. The right decision is to cost the three-year total, maintenance included, not just the launch fee.
What a manufacturing website redesign really costs in Berlin
A precision engineering SME rarely sells online. Its website reassures tier-one buyers in automotive, rail or medtech, showcases the machine park (5-axis machining centres, multi-spindle lathes, CMM inspection) and captures quote requests with CAD files attached. The workload sits between 25 and 45 days depending on ambition.
| Work package | Estimated days | Freelancer at 600 to 850 EUR/day | Berlin agency (2026 ballpark) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery, sitemap, interviews | 3 to 5 | 1,800 to 4,250 EUR | 4,000 to 7,000 EUR |
| UX design and mockups | 5 to 8 | 3,000 to 6,800 EUR | 6,000 to 11,000 EUR |
| Development and integration | 10 to 20 | 6,000 to 17,000 EUR | 12,000 to 26,000 EUR |
| RFQ form with drawing upload | 2 to 4 | 1,200 to 3,400 EUR | 2,500 to 5,000 EUR |
| Copy and technical SEO | 3 to 5 | 1,800 to 4,250 EUR | 3,500 to 7,000 EUR |
| QA, launch, training | 2 to 3 | 1,200 to 2,550 EUR | 2,000 to 4,000 EUR |
| Total | 25 to 45 | 15,000 to 38,250 EUR | 30,000 to 60,000 EUR |
German agencies usually staff a project manager, a designer and a developer in parallel, which shortens the calendar. A solo freelancer works sequentially, so timelines often slide from 8 to 14 weeks. Add the German specifics: a compliant Impressum, a GDPR-grade cookie banner and, from June 2025, accessibility obligations under the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz for many B2C-facing services.
Kolonell offers a third route with a full team and fixed pricing: Starter from 800,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA (1,220 to 1,830 EUR), Growth from 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA (1,830 to 3,050 EUR) and Premium from 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (3,050 to 5,340 EUR). For an industrial site with a capability catalogue and technical RFQ form, Premium is usually the right fit. Languages are set in the quote.
Dependency risk: the hidden cost of a freelancer
The real issue for a managing director is not the day rate but what happens when the person becomes unavailable: illness, a bigger client, a career change. On an industrial site, that tends to happen at the worst moment, for instance three weeks before Hannover Messe or EMO.
| Risk criterion | Solo freelancer | Agency or structured team |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity during a 4-week absence | Project stops | Another developer takes over |
| Technical documentation | Variable, often minimal | Usually required by contract |
| Account ownership (DNS, hosting) | Sometimes held by the contractor | In the client's name if contracted |
| Typical observed timeline | 10 to 14 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Monthly maintenance | 200 to 400 EUR | 400 to 800 EUR |
| Response to a critical incident | Depends on availability | Written commitment of 4 to 24 h |
Three clauses cut this risk with any supplier: domain, hosting and Google Search Console registered to the company, source code delivered in a Git repository the client owns, and a 5 to 10 page update guide. Without them, switching suppliers often costs 4,000 to 10,000 EUR in takeover work.
Kolonell maintenance plans are 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) depending on service level.
How to decide with four questions
Ask these at management level before signing:
- Will the site change monthly (new machines, certifications, job ads) or stay stable for two years?
- Who updates content internally, and how many hours per month?
- Must the RFQ form connect to the CRM or ERP (SAP Business One, proALPHA)?
- Does the trade fair or sales push behind the redesign have a fixed date?
If two of the four answers point to change and integration, a structured team is safer. If the site is stable and simple, a well-contracted senior freelancer is enough.
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Mini case study
Jonas, managing director of a 90-employee precision engineering firm in Berlin-Spandau, compares three offers over three years.
- Freelancer: 32 days at 700 EUR, or 22,400 EUR, then 300 EUR per month of maintenance, 10,800 EUR over 36 months. Total: 33,200 EUR, plus an estimated 6,000 EUR takeover risk.
- Berlin agency: 42,000 EUR, then 600 EUR per month, 21,600 EUR. Total: 63,600 EUR.
- Kolonell Premium: 3,500,000 FCFA (5,340 EUR), then maintenance at 75,000 FCFA per month (114 EUR), 4,104 EUR over 36 months. Total: 9,444 EUR.
If the new site brings 2 extra qualified RFQs per month and one in ten converts into an average 25,000 EUR order, that is 2.4 orders and 60,000 EUR of extra revenue per year. Even the most expensive option pays back within about a year, so the decisive factors become schedule reliability and continuity.
FAQ
What do Berlin web freelancers charge in 2026?
Senior developers and designers typically bill 600 to 850 EUR per day as a 2026 ballpark. Specialists in headless CMS or complex integrations can exceed 900 EUR.
How long does a manufacturing website redesign take?
Plan 8 to 14 weeks from discovery to launch. Writing the machine capability pages with the engineering team is often the bottleneck, adding 3 to 4 weeks.
Do we need German and English?
If more than 15 % of revenue comes from exports or foreign OEMs, an English version usually pays off. At Kolonell, languages are set in the quote whatever the tier.
How do we avoid being locked in by our supplier?
Require the domain, hosting and code repository to be registered to your company. A takeover without those accesses commonly costs 4,000 to 10,000 EUR.
What maintenance should we budget after launch?
The Berlin market ranges from 200 to 800 EUR per month for security updates, backups and 1 to 3 hours of changes. Kolonell plans run from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA per month (53 to 183 EUR).
Let's scope your project. We will scope your manufacturing site redesign with you, from machine capability pages to a technical RFQ form, with a launch plan aligned to your next trade fair. 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.
