Builder vs Developer: The Real 3-Year Cost Nobody Talks About

Question

Most "Wix vs WordPress" comparisons stop at the monthly price tag. They skip the part where you're paying $10-50/month per app, a transaction cut on every sale, and dozens of hours as your own unpaid web developer.

I ran the actual numbers over a 3-year window for a typical small business site. Builders land between $1,800-$3,600+. A custom-built site, even with a $500-2,000 upfront cost, often comes out cheaper by year 2 — and you own the result instead of renting it.

Full breakdown: https://amanurrahman.com/blog-post/website-builder-vs-hiring-a-developer

Curious what others here have seen — anyone made the switch from a builder to custom and regretted (or not regretted) it?