Rent or buy a website

The short answer

Renting fits if you want to start without a large upfront investment and hand off maintenance. Buying fits if you will certainly need the website for many years and organise hosting and maintenance yourself or elsewhere. What matters is not the word "rent" but three points in the contract: who owns the website in the end, how quickly you can get out, and what is included in the monthly price.

What renting costs at bytebrise

The rental model is called bytebrise Sichtbar: €490 one-off for setup and €149 per month, cancellable monthly, with no minimum term. The monthly price covers hosting, maintenance and backups of the website, the maintained Google Business Profile, the directory listings, a monthly report and a 15-minute call. Changes to existing content are included; new pages are quoted separately. All prices are final prices. No VAT is charged under § 19 UStG. Details are on the pricing page.

The calculation shows what the numbers add up to over time. All values follow from €490 plus €149 per month and, where stated, the €1,990 buy-out.

The rights pass only once all invoices are paid. If you cancel before the 24 months are up and do not buy out, you no longer have the website afterwards. That is the flip side of the low entry barrier, and it belongs on the table before you sign. More on the page Who owns my website?.

What buying adds up to

When you buy, you pay for the build once. At bytebrise the price depends on scope, and you get a fixed quote in advance. After that come running costs that the purchase price does not include: hosting, maintenance with security updates and the domain. As a market range, public cost guides give €5 to €20 per month for hosting, €50 to €200 per month for a maintenance plan and €10 to €30 per year for the domain (see also the guide Tradesperson website costs 2026).

To compare fairly: with a purchase quote, add the price plus hosting, maintenance and domain over the same period as the rental calculation. The Google profile, the directory listings and the monthly report come with renting; if you buy, you would have to commission them separately or do them yourself.

Ask every provider these questions

1. How long is the minimum term, and how do I cancel?
2. Who owns the design, content and source code after one year, after two years and after cancellation?
3. What do I take with me at the end of the contract: the website, only the texts, or nothing?
4. What is included in the monthly price, and what does each change cost extra?
5. Can the price change during the term, and under what conditions?
6. Is there a setup fee, and what is delivered for it?

Anyone who answers these points clearly and in writing has nothing to hide. That goes for us too: the answers for bytebrise are on the pricing page and in the terms.

When renting is the better choice

You start without a four-figure sum at once, want hosting, maintenance and Google profile from one provider, and do not necessarily need the website for longer than a year or two. If you are not yet sure whether the website will be a lasting topic in your business, a monthly cancellable subscription gets you through the first months flexibly.

When buying is the better choice

You want to own the website for certain, have someone for hosting and updates, or want to hand support to another provider. If you use the website unchanged for many years, a one-off purchase can also be cheaper. You can calculate it: take the purchase price from your quote plus the running costs over the same period as the rental calculation above.

Frequently asked questions

Do I own the website under a rental model?

That depends on the contract. At bytebrise, design, source code and configuration belong to bytebrise during the term, and you have a right of use. After 24 months you receive the permanent usage rights at no extra cost, as soon as all invoices are paid. You can get them sooner with a buy-out for €1,990.

What happens if I cancel before the 24 months are up?

If you cancel without a buy-out, the website is taken offline. That is the price of the low entry barrier. If you do not want that, buy out or choose to buy.

Is there a minimum term?

No. The subscription is cancellable monthly. The 24 months are not a term but the point from which the usage rights are yours.

What does buying a website from bytebrise cost?

That depends on scope. You get a fixed quote in advance, free and without obligation. Hosting, maintenance and domain come on top after the purchase, unless you leave support with us.