Once your website is live, someone has to keep it running and current. For most small businesses, that someone is one of four options: a freelancer, an agency, a maintenance plan, or you. Each can work well. Each also has a predictable way of going wrong.
We sell website maintenance plans, so we're obviously not neutral. But we'd rather you choose the right fit than the wrong one, so we'll try to be fair here, including the cases where another option makes more sense.
Option 1: A freelancer
Where freelancers shine
A good freelancer can be a fantastic partner. You get one person who knows your site, often at a lower rate than an agency, with flexibility to take on odd jobs. If you find someone reliable and they stay available, this can work for years.
Where it goes wrong
The risk is availability. Freelancers get busy, take full-time jobs, move or change careers. When your one person disappears, so does the knowledge of how your site is set up, and sometimes the logins. Hourly billing also makes costs unpredictable, and there's often nobody watching for problems between requests.
Best for
Businesses with occasional, project-based needs and a trusted freelancer who documents their work and makes sure you hold all the logins.
Option 2: An agency
Where agencies shine
Agencies bring a team and a process: designers, developers, strategists and project managers. For complex sites, custom functionality, rebrands or large marketing campaigns, that depth is valuable. Accountability is usually clearer than with a single freelancer.
Where it goes wrong
Agencies are typically built for bigger projects. Small updates can get stuck in a queue behind larger clients, and retainers can be expensive relative to the amount of change a small site needs. Longer contracts are common.
Best for
Mid-sized businesses, complex sites and companies with ongoing marketing projects beyond basic site care.
Option 3: A website maintenance plan
Where plans shine
A maintenance plan gives you a defined list of what's covered for a flat monthly fee: monitoring, updates, backups, security and a set number of content changes. Costs are predictable, and you're not dependent on a single person's calendar. The good ones focus on keeping your content current, not just keeping the lights on.
Where it goes wrong
Plans have limits. If you need a large custom feature or a full redesign, that's usually outside the monthly fee. Some plans are also vague about what's included or lock you into long contracts. Read the details.
Best for
Small businesses and independent professionals whose site needs regular small changes and steady upkeep, without the budget for an agency retainer.
Option 4: Do it yourself
Where DIY shines
It's cheap in dollars, you're in full control, and changes happen exactly when you want. If you enjoy it and your site is simple, DIY is legitimate.
Where it goes wrong
Time. Updates and backups get skipped, content goes stale during busy seasons, and security issues get noticed late. Many owners also underestimate how long small changes take when you only do them a few times a year.
Best for
Very simple sites, early-stage businesses watching every dollar, and owners who genuinely like the work.
Side-by-side comparison
- Predictable cost: maintenance plan (flat monthly) > agency retainer > freelancer (hourly) > DIY (cheap but costs time).
- Ongoing monitoring and backups: usually strongest with a plan or agency. Varies with freelancers. Up to you with DIY.
- Fresh content and small edits: depends on what's included. Ask how many edits per month.
- Big custom projects: agencies and experienced freelancers are usually the best fit.
- Dependency risk: highest with a single freelancer, lowest with an organization that documents your setup.
Questions to ask any option
- Who owns the site, the domain and all the logins? It should be you.
- What's included each month, and what costs extra?
- How quickly are requests handled?
- Is there a contract, and what does cancelling look like?
- How will you know what was done? Ask for a regular report.
Mixing options
You don't have to pick just one. Plenty of businesses use a maintenance plan for steady upkeep and bring in a freelancer or agency for occasional bigger projects. The key is clarity about who is responsible for what.
Where KeptWeb fits
We built KeptWeb for the small business that needs steady care and fresh content without agency pricing. Our plans are flat, month-to-month and cancelable anytime:
- Basic, $49/mo: monitoring, updates, backups, security checks, one small edit a month, monthly report.
- Growth, $99/mo: up to four small edits, Google Business Profile updates and a monthly blog post.
- Pro, $149/mo: up to 10 small edits per month, two blog posts a month, basic SEO and a same-business-day reply target (requests in by 2 pm PT, Mon–Fri).
When you need a new site, our website building packages start at $349, or $0 with a 12-month plan. And you always own your site.
When would we suggest something else? If you need complex custom software, a large multi-site rollout or a full brand campaign, an agency is probably the better fit. If you have a great freelancer who's responsive and documents everything, keep them.
If you're unsure, ask for our free website review. We'll review your site and tell you honestly what it needs. You can also explore how we help attorneys, bookkeepers and producers, or compare our plans.