The verdict in three sentences
Wix suits a firm that wants a clean presence in under a month and expects no leads from the site. Webflow is the right compromise for a marketing team that publishes often and accepts a lifetime subscription. A custom build becomes profitable once the site must feed a CRM, handle two languages or carry an SEO strategy of 50 pages or more.
Total cost over 3 years, line by line
The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude in USD for an IT services firm of 15 to 40 staff, with a 12 to 25 page site (Toronto agencies often quote in CAD; multiply by about 1.38).
| Item (3 years) | Wix | Webflow with integrator | Custom (Next.js or similar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | $0 to $650 (theme) | $2,700 to $4,300 | $8,100 to $11,900 |
| Subscription or hosting | $750 to $1,200 | $1,000 to $1,600 (CMS plan) | included in maintenance |
| Maintenance and changes | $0 (you) | $330 to $760 | $3,900 ($110 per month) |
| Estimated internal time | 60 to 90 h | 25 to 40 h | 10 to 20 h |
| Value of internal time ($50 per hour) | $3,000 to $4,500 | $1,250 to $2,000 | $500 to $1,000 |
| Real 3-year total | $3,750 to $6,350 | $5,280 to $8,660 | $12,500 to $16,800 |
Once internal time is counted, the gap between Wix and Webflow almost disappears. Custom stays twice as expensive, so it has to earn more.
Where builders hit their limits
| Need | Wix | Webflow | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical SEO (markup, speed, URLs) | fair, little control | good | full |
| Typical mobile PageSpeed score | 45 to 70 | 70 to 90 | 90 to 100 |
| CRM integration (HubSpot, Pipedrive) | basic form | via Zapier, $20 to $75 a month | native API |
| Bilingual EN and FR | paid app, imperfect URLs | Localization, about $9 to $29 a month per language | native, clean hreflang |
| Large content (100+ pages) | slow to manage | CMS collection limits | no limit |
| Code export | impossible | HTML exportable without the CMS | code delivered to the client |
For an IT firm selling services at $650 a day, a single 20-day engagement won through the site is $13,000 in revenue, the full cost of the custom build.
Reversibility and ownership: the question to ask before signing
On Wix, you rent the site: if you leave, you start from scratch. Webflow lets you export HTML, but the CMS and forms do not follow. With custom, require assignment of copyright on the code, access to the Git repository, and hosting on an account in the company's name. These three clauses cost nothing at signature and avoid a forced rebuild later.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Priya, managing director of a 28-person IT services firm in Toronto, compares Webflow at $6,500 over 3 years with a custom build at $14,000. The gap is $7,500. With native HubSpot integration and 40 bilingual SEO pages, she targets 3 more qualified leads a month. At a 10% close rate and an average engagement of $16,000, that is 3.6 engagements a year, or $57,600 of extra revenue. Even at a quarter of that target, the investment pays back in under 18 months.
FAQ
Is Webflow suitable for a firm without a developer?
Yes, once the site is built. The editor lets you change text and articles safely; plan 2 to 4 hours of training and $330 to $760 a year for structural changes.
Can you move from Wix to custom without losing rankings?
Yes, with a page-by-page 301 redirect plan. Allow 1 to 2 days of work for 30 pages and a temporary traffic dip of 2 to 6 weeks.
Is a custom site expensive to evolve?
A new page template costs $330 to $870, a module (calculator, client portal) $1,600 to $5,400. The $110 a month plan covers updates and security.
Does a Toronto IT firm need a bilingual site?
If more than 15% of your pipeline comes from Quebec, federal clients or international accounts, yes. Otherwise, a 5-page French version is enough to start.
Let's scope your project. We price your custom B2B site (12 to 30 pages, connected CRM, EN and FR) between $8,700 and $14,000, delivered in 6 to 9 weeks with code and domain in your name. 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.
