Compare
What you see before you sign: Ninewave and the big names, side by side.
The short answer
Hibu and LocaliQ don't publish their prices, and both keep the design when you leave. IONOS publishes its prices, and its terms say the work belongs to IONOS. With Ninewave the build is never more than $999, then $99 a month for Care, hosting included, and if you leave I hand you the whole site, free. Every fact below is from each company's own pages, read on 21 October 2026.
01
Done-for-you website subscriptions
These companies build the site for you and charge every month. Here is what each one publishes about price, commitment, ownership and leaving.
| What | Ninewave | Hibu | LocaliQ | IONOS design service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build price | Never more than $999. Half to start, half at launch | Not published. Its pricing page says “Request custom pricing” | Not published | $199, $299 or $399 setup, by plan |
| Monthly price | $99 a month for Care, hosting included, $9 less every year, free from year twelve (first 99 clients) | Not published | Not published | $45, $65 or $85 a month |
| Shortest commitment | None. Care is month to month, with 30 days' notice | Set on your order. Pay for the design monthly and the term is 12 months, with a $99 to $449 fee to leave early | Set on your order form. Leave before the term ends and you pay half of what's left | “with a 1-year term” |
| Who owns the site | You do. The domain is in your name, and the design and code are yours once the build is paid | Hibu: “We are the sole owners of … all Intellectual Property Rights in the Services.” A domain it supplies “will be registered to us” | LocaliQ owns the design and code. You get a licence to it once the website fees are paid in full | IONOS: the work “shall belong to IONOS”. You may use it while you use the service |
| When you leave | The site comes off my servers and I hand you a full copy, free | Hibu is “not responsible for storing Your Data or Your Content following cancellation” | 30 days of help moving, and the content it wrote for you. Its licences for themes, plug-ins and stock images stay behind | Not published |
| Changes after launch | Any change within 24 hours on business days, and a full redesign whenever you ask | Not published | “one hour per month” | One a quarter, one a month or unlimited, by plan |
Never more than $999 to build. Then $99 a month for Care, hosting included, which is what keeps the site online and covers every change. If you ever leave, the site comes off my servers and I hand you a full copy, free. Here is the whole deal on one page.
To be fair to them
Hibu and LocaliQ sell more than websites. Both also sell advertising, such as search and display ads, alongside the site. I build and run your website and your Google Business Profile, and that's all. If you want one company for all of your advertising, they do things I don't.
02
Do-it-yourself builders
Wix, Squarespace and Hostinger are cheaper than I am, and I won't pretend otherwise. Their AI writes a first draft and you do the rest. What you pay me for is not doing it yourself.
| What | Ninewave | Wix | Squarespace | Hostinger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Never more than $999. Half to start, half at launch. Then $99 a month for Care, hosting included, $9 less every year, free from year twelve (first 99 clients) | $17 to $159 a month, billed yearly. Core is $29 | $19 to $99 a month, billed yearly | $119.52 for 48 months paid up front, then $10.99 a month. Marked as a Black Friday price |
| Who builds it | I do | You do, with its AI and editor | You do, with its AI and editor | You do, with its AI and editor |
| Taking the site with you | Yes, the whole site, free | No. Wix sites “must be hosted and operated on Wix's servers” | Some content, as a WordPress file. Style settings and custom CSS don't export | Content only, to WordPress. Not “website styles and layout … forms … or SEO settings” |
Already on Wix or Squarespace?
Moving off is the same price as a new build. Here's how a move works.
03
One company at a time
Ninewave vs Hibu
Ninewave vs Wix
Ninewave vs Hostinger
04
How this was checked
I read every fact on the company's own website or terms on 21 October 2026, and each one is listed under Sources with its link. Where a company doesn't publish something, the table says “Not published”. I never estimate it. Thryv, Web.com and GoDaddy's design service aren't here because their terms pages wouldn't load for me, and I won't print what I haven't read.
Prices change. If something here is out of date, email hello@ninewavestudios.com and I'll fix it. My own terms are on the terms page.
