When to Use an AI Website Builder vs. Hiring a Design Agency... From a Design Agency

Here's something you don't hear often: we run a design agency that charges £6K-£12K per website. We also built an AI website builder that costs £35/month. And no, we haven't lost our minds.

The truth is, both can coexist because they solve fundamentally different problems. The real question isn't "which is better?"—it's "which is right for you, right now?" And because we operate on both sides of this, we're probably the most honest people you'll find on the subject.

Let's break down when to use each, without the usual sales pitch nonsense.

AI website builders like Avago excel at speed and getting you from zero to "looks professional" faster than any other method. If you can describe your business in a few sentences, AI can give you a live website in under 60 seconds. That's not marketing fluff—we timed it.

Where AI builders shine is creating websites that look credible, function properly, and get you online without the typical barriers of cost, technical knowledge, or lengthy timelines. For many small businesses, this is exactly what's needed: a professional online presence that doesn't require a second mortgage or a three-month wait.

Think about it this way: if you're a local plumber, a yoga instructor, or a consultancy just starting out, do you really need a £10K custom website? Or do you need something that makes you look legitimate, captures leads, and lets you focus on actually running your business? That's the sweet spot for AI builders.

Here's where we get real: AI is trained on things it's seen before. It recognises patterns, templates, and structures that work—and it replicates them efficiently. But that's also its limitation.

AI cannot create unique branding. It can't develop a distinctive visual identity that makes your business stand out from every competitor. It can't craft strategic copy that positions you uniquely in the market. And it certainly can't understand the nuanced psychology of your specific target audience and design for that.

When you work with a design agency, you're not just paying for a website—you're paying for strategic thinking. What makes your business different? How should that translate visually? What journey should your customers take? What emotional response should your brand evoke? These are questions that require human insight, experience, and creativity.

If your business is in a crowded market where differentiation is everything, or if you're building a brand that needs to compete with established players, that's when bespoke design becomes an investment rather than an expense.

Let's talk money, because that's usually where these conversations get awkward. Here's the spectrum:

£0-£50/month (AI Builders): You get a professional-looking website, hosting, SSL, and the ability to edit it yourself. Perfect for businesses where the website is a utility—something you need to have, but not your primary marketing tool. Service businesses, local tradespeople, consultants, small retailers.

£500-£2,000 (Template Services): You're paying someone to customise a template for you. Slightly more unique than pure AI, but still fundamentally template-based. Good middle ground if you want some human input but don't need true bespoke work.

£3,000-£6,000 (Semi-Custom): Custom design with some template elements. You're getting strategic input, better copywriting, and a more tailored approach. Ideal for established businesses that need more sophistication but aren't launching a major brand.

£6,000-£15,000+ (Fully Bespoke): Complete brand strategy, unique design, strategic copywriting, custom functionality. This is for businesses where the website is a critical revenue driver or brand differentiator. E-commerce, SaaS, professional services competing in crowded markets, companies raising investment.

The question isn't just what you can afford—it's what your business actually needs. A brilliant £10K website won't save a business with poor product-market fit, and a £35/month AI site won't hold back a business that's solving a real problem.

Need a website tomorrow? AI is your only realistic option. We've seen businesses go from "we need a website" to published and taking bookings in a single afternoon using Avago's platform. That's transformative for businesses that are losing opportunities because they don't have an online presence.

But here's the thing: speed isn't always the priority. If you're launching a rebrand, preparing for a funding round, or entering a new market where first impressions are critical, rushing is actually counterproductive. A considered, strategic design process—which typically takes 6-12 weeks—isn't a bug, it's a feature. You're not just building a website, you're thinking through your entire market positioning.

Ask yourself: are you in a rush because you genuinely need to move fast, or because you've been procrastinating and now it's urgent? If it's the latter, maybe slowing down and doing it properly is actually the faster route to success.

Forget budget for a second. Here's how to really decide:

Is your brand your competitive advantage? If you're competing primarily on brand perception, service quality, or premium positioning, invest in bespoke design. If you're competing on price, location, or a unique service offering, AI is probably fine.

Can you articulate exactly what makes you different? If yes, and that difference is visual or requires strategic communication, you need custom work. If your difference is obvious (you're the only X in your town), AI handles that easily.

What's your three-year plan? If this website needs to scale with significant growth, complex functionality, or evolving brand strategy, starting with agency work might save you rebuilding later. If you're testing a business idea or need something for the short term, AI is perfect.

How important is being risk-free? This is where AI builders have changed the game completely. With Avago's free-to-build model , you can see exactly what you'll get before paying anything. Try it, and if it's not right, you haven't lost anything. Traditional agency work requires deposits and faith.

Here's what we tell most businesses: start with AI, upgrade strategically when needed.

Build with Avago, get online, start trading. See what works. Learn what customers actually respond to. Then, when you've validated your business and know where investment will have impact, bring in human expertise through Avago Extra or a full agency project.

This hybrid model gives you speed and low risk upfront, with access to professional design expertise when it actually matters. You're not choosing between AI and humans—you're using both intelligently.

We've seen businesses launch on AI, trade successfully for 6-12 months, then come to us for a full rebrand when they've outgrown the initial site. That's not a failure of the AI approach—that's smart business. They got to market quickly, validated their model, and invested in branding when they had revenue to justify it.

Some situations just require the full agency treatment from day one:

You're launching a brand in a saturated market where visual differentiation is critical. You're raising investment and the website is part of the pitch. You need complex custom functionality that doesn't exist in standard tools. Your target audience is sophisticated and will judge you harshly on design quality. You're rebranding an established business and consistency across all touchpoints is essential.

In these cases, trying to save money with AI is false economy. The website isn't a cost centre—it's a strategic asset. Invest accordingly.

On the flip side, here's when AI is not just adequate but actually optimal:

You're starting a side project and need to validate the idea cheaply. You're a service business where word-of-mouth is your primary channel and the website is just credibility. You need something fast because you're losing opportunities. You have minimal budget and "perfect" is the enemy of "done." You want to test different approaches and iterate quickly.

In these scenarios, spending thousands on a custom website is like buying a sports car for your daily commute. Sure, it's nice, but it's not solving the actual problem.

We built Avago because we saw too many businesses either overpaying for websites they didn't need, or cobbling together terrible DIY sites because they couldn't afford agencies. Neither was serving them well.

The right answer depends entirely on your specific situation. What stage is your business at? What's your competitive landscape? Where does your website sit in your overall marketing strategy? What can you actually afford to invest right now?

Be honest about what you need, not what you think you should have. A £35/month AI site that gets you trading is infinitely better than a £10K masterpiece you can't afford yet. But equally, a £10K brand investment can pay for itself many times over if you're at the stage where differentiation drives revenue.

The beauty of modern tools like Avago is that you don't have to make a permanent choice. Start where it makes sense, upgrade when it matters. That's not compromise—that's smart business.

And if you're still not sure? Talk to us. We do both, so we've got no agenda beyond helping you make the right decision. Sometimes that's AI, sometimes that's agency, and increasingly, it's a bit of both.