The verdict in three sentences
For an 80-employee company, a freelancer (EUR 3,000 to 8,000) suits a simple site with a reliable contact, Webflow (EUR 2,000 + EUR 40 to 80/month) suits a self-sufficient marketing team, and an agency (EUR 10,000 to 25,000) suits a site that carries recruiting, brand and lead generation. The real cost is read over 3 years, not on the launch invoice. The deciding criterion remains code ownership and reversibility: who can take over the site if your provider disappears? In Toronto, expect local rates in CAD roughly 10 to 30% above these EUR figures.
The three options compared in 2026
| Criterion | Freelancer | Webflow (direct or via studio) | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build budget (excl. tax) | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | EUR 2,000 to 6,000 | EUR 10,000 to 25,000 |
| Recurring cost | EUR 50 to 150/month | EUR 40 to 80/month subscription | EUR 150 to 400/month |
| Average timeline | 4 to 8 weeks | 3 to 6 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Strategy and content | Rarely included | Not included | Included (workshops, copywriting) |
| Code ownership | Depends on contract | Locked-in hosting | Full if contract is clear |
| Dependency risk | High (one person) | Platform (pricing, limited export) | Low to medium |
| Continuity if absent | Low | Medium | High (team) |
Total cost over three years
The launch invoice is misleading. Here is a 2026 order-of-magnitude projection for a 15 to 25 page corporate site, careers section included.
| Item over 36 months | Freelancer | Webflow | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | EUR 6,000 | EUR 4,500 | EUR 16,000 |
| Hosting and licences | EUR 1,800 | EUR 2,160 (EUR 60/month) | EUR 1,800 |
| Maintenance and updates | EUR 3,600 | EUR 2,400 (internal time) | EUR 7,200 |
| Copywriting and photos | EUR 3,000 (outsourced) | EUR 3,000 | Partly included |
| Takeover risk (probability x cost) | EUR 2,500 | EUR 1,500 | EUR 500 |
| Estimated total | EUR 16,900 | EUR 13,560 | EUR 25,500 |
The real gap between freelancer and agency drops from EUR 10,000 to about EUR 8,600 over 3 years, and it is justified if the site generates measurable applications or leads.
Risks to lock down in the contract
Whichever option you choose, four clauses protect your company:
- Assignment of rights to code, design and content, with no condition tied to a maintenance contract.
- Admin access to the domain, hosting and CMS in the company's name, never the provider's.
- Exportability: on Webflow, code export does not include the dynamic CMS, so plan a regular CSV export of collections.
- Handover documentation: a 5 to 10 page document that lets another provider take over the site in under a week.
Mini case study
Isabelle, CEO of an 80-employee industrial services company, hires 15 people a year. Each hire through a recruitment firm costs about EUR 6,000. She is choosing between a freelancer at EUR 6,000 and an agency at EUR 16,000 that includes an optimised careers page, role descriptions and applicant tracking.
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If the agency's careers page lets her hire 3 more people directly each year, she saves EUR 18,000 a year. The EUR 10,000 gap is absorbed in under 7 months. Conversely, if her only goal were a stable corporate showcase, a freelancer with a solid rights-assignment contract would have been the rational choice.
FAQ
Is Webflow suitable for an 80-employee company?
Yes, if someone in-house updates the site at least 2 hours a month. The EUR 40 to 80 monthly subscription is modest, but migrating off Webflow often costs EUR 3,000 to 6,000.
How do we vet a freelancer?
Ask for 3 reachable references, a contract with rights assignment and a continuity plan. A freelancer charging under EUR 2,500 for a 20-page corporate site often underestimates the work.
Is an agency always slower?
On average 8 to 12 weeks versus 4 to 8 for a freelancer, because the agency includes workshops, copywriting and testing. The extra time reduces back-and-forth after launch.
Who should own the domain name?
Always the company, in its name and with its credentials. A domain costs about EUR 10 to 15 a year, and recovering it from a former provider can take weeks.
Can we start with a freelancer and move to an agency later?
Yes, if the code is clean and documented. Expect 20 to 40% of a new build budget for a takeover, versus 100% if the site must be rebuilt.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your goals (brand, recruiting, leads) and we will propose a scope and an indicative budget between EUR 10,000 and 25,000, delivered in 8 to 12 weeks. 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.
