The verdict in three sentences
For a B2B business website in Amsterdam, a freelancer offers the best price-quality ratio between 2,500 and 6,000 EUR, but exposes you to continuity risk if that person becomes unavailable. An agency (6,000-15,000 EUR) costs more but delivers an SLA, a contractual guarantee and a team that will not vanish. The DIY Wix/WordPress route (0-500 EUR) is only cheap if you place no value on the 150 to 200 hours of internal work it demands.
Three options, three cost models
The sticker price never tells the whole story: you must factor in internal time, maintenance and risk. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude on the Amsterdam market for an 8-to-12-page business website.
| Criterion | DIY Wix | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0-500 EUR | 2,500-6,000 EUR | 6,000-15,000 EUR |
| Day rate applied | — | 350-500 EUR | 550-750 EUR |
| Delivery timeline | 2-6 months (variable) | 4-8 weeks | 6-10 weeks |
| Internal time required | 150-200 h | 15-25 h | 10-15 h |
| Annual maintenance | 200-600 EUR | 600-1,500 EUR | 1,200-3,000 EUR |
| SLA / warranty | None | Rare | Contractual |
| Continuity risk | High | Medium-high | Low |
A freelancer at 400 EUR/day over 10 days bills 4,000 EUR; an agency at 650 EUR/day over 12 days reaches 7,800 EUR. The 3,800 EUR gap buys pooled skills (design, dev, SEO) and a guarantee that the project can always be picked back up.
The real three-year cost
A website is never a one-off purchase: maintenance, upgrades and incidents pile up. Total cost of ownership over 36 months often overturns the entry-price intuition.
| Item over 3 years | DIY | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 400 EUR | 4,500 EUR | 8,500 EUR |
| Maintenance (3 yrs) | 1,200 EUR | 3,000 EUR | 6,000 EUR |
| Internal time valued* | 8,000 EUR | 1,600 EUR | 1,000 EUR |
| Major incident cost | 2,000 EUR | 1,200 EUR | 0 EUR (SLA) |
| 3-year total | 11,600 EUR | 10,300 EUR | 15,500 EUR |
*Internal time valued at 40 EUR/h. DIY, seemingly free, becomes the most expensive once you count the owner's 200 hours. The freelancer stays cheapest in cash and in fully loaded cost; the agency buys you peace of mind.
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Mini case study
Bram, managing director of an industrial trading SME in Amsterdam (14 staff), is torn between a freelancer and an agency for rebuilding his business website. His time is worth about 60 EUR/h. In DIY he estimates 180 hours, i.e. 10,800 EUR of lost time for an uncertain result. He picks a freelancer at 4,800 EUR: delivery in 6 weeks, 18 hours of his time (1,080 EUR), maintenance at 900 EUR/yr. Over 3 years his loaded cost lands at 4,800 + 1,080 + 2,700 = 8,580 EUR, versus 15,500 EUR with an agency. The new site generates 6 qualified quote requests per month; at 2% conversion on average tickets of 4,500 EUR, the investment pays back in under three months.
FAQ
When should you absolutely use an agency? As soon as the site is strategic (lead generation, strong brand image, CRM/ERP integrations) or you need a contractual SLA. The 3,000-8,000 EUR premium pays off if a 48-hour outage costs you more than 2,000 EUR.
Is DIY Wix really free? No: between a premium theme (60-200 EUR), hosting (100-300 EUR/yr) and above all 150-200 hours of your time, the real cost often exceeds 8,000 EUR over 3 years for a result rarely up to B2B standards.
How do you reduce risk with a freelancer? Demand full access to hosting and code, written documentation, and a reversibility clause. That drops continuity risk from high to medium at almost no extra cost.
What is a realistic timeline for a B2B business website in 2026? Budget 4-8 weeks with a freelancer and 6-10 weeks with an agency, excluding internal approval delays. DIY typically stretches over 2 to 6 months for lack of dedicated time.
Can you start with a freelancer then move to an agency? Yes, provided the code is clean and documented from day one. A poorly prepared migration can cost 1,500-3,000 EUR in rework; a clear brief avoids it.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your page count, desired integrations and indicative budget, and we will frame whether a freelancer or agency route is most profitable for you. 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.
