Compared · 3 minute read
Appetite Host or a web design agency?
A good agency builds a good website. You also pay for the account manager, the briefing meetings, the rounds of changes and the project timeline. For most small businesses, that is a lot of overhead to get five or six well-made pages.
The short answer
For a small business website, Appetite Host gives you what you actually go to an agency for, a website that looks established and brings in enquiries, without the meetings or the weeks. Our biggest package is R15 000 once-off with year one included, where guides put a small agency at R15 000 to R40 000 for the build alone.
Side by side
| Appetite Host | A small agency | |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | R5 000 to R15 000 once-off with your first year included, then R249 to R499 a month | R15 000 to R40 000 for a small-business website, according to Sytehub: what a website costs in South Africa (2026), with keeping it online and changes usually charged separately |
| How you brief it | A conversation with Naya, typed or spoken, whenever suits you | Meetings, a written brief, then rounds of feedback |
| How long it takes | Your website is live within 1 working day of payment. Your own .co.za address follows as soon as you confirm your email, usually the same day. | Usually several weeks from brief to launch |
| Seeing it first | You watch your website being built while you chat, before you pay | You see designs after paying a deposit |
| Changes after launch | Ask Naya: 20, 50 or 100 a month, depending on your plan | Usually a monthly retainer or quoted per job |
| Your .co.za | Registered in your name and renewed for you, included | Often arranged for you, at extra cost |
What it costs
- Appetite Host
- R5 000 to R15 000 once-off with your first year included, then R249 to R499 a month
- A small agency
- R15 000 to R40 000 for a small-business website, according to Sytehub: what a website costs in South Africa (2026), with keeping it online and changes usually charged separately
How you brief it
- Appetite Host
- A conversation with Naya, typed or spoken, whenever suits you
- A small agency
- Meetings, a written brief, then rounds of feedback
How long it takes
- Appetite Host
- Your website is live within 1 working day of payment. Your own .co.za address follows as soon as you confirm your email, usually the same day.
- A small agency
- Usually several weeks from brief to launch
Seeing it first
- Appetite Host
- You watch your website being built while you chat, before you pay
- A small agency
- You see designs after paying a deposit
Changes after launch
- Appetite Host
- Ask Naya: 20, 50 or 100 a month, depending on your plan
- A small agency
- Usually a monthly retainer or quoted per job
Your .co.za
- Appetite Host
- Registered in your name and renewed for you, included
- A small agency
- Often arranged for you, at extra cost
Designed like an agency would, without the process
Every look is designed for a specific kind of business: trades, salons, guesthouses, clinics, finance, events and more. Naya suggests the looks that suit your trade, writes your words from what you tell her, and puts in your real photos, your Google reviews and a contact form that emails you.
You get the result an agency is hired for: a website that makes a small business look established and makes it easy to get in touch. You skip the part that costs the most, which is people’s time in meetings.
See it before you pay
With an agency you usually pay a deposit, then wait to see a design. With Appetite Host, your website appears on screen while you talk to Naya. You decide whether you like it before you spend anything. And if you change your mind after paying, you have 30 days to ask for a full refund, no reason needed.
Looked after, not handed over
Many agency projects end at launch. After that, changes go on a retainer or a new quote. Appetite Host keeps going: your web address renewed, your website kept online and safe, every version saved and backed up daily, and your changes made when you ask. All of that is in the monthly price, from R249 after your first year.
When an agency makes sense
- You need a large website, a full brand identity or a marketing campaign built around it.
- You need custom systems built in, like bookings, stock or a members area. (For bigger builds we also quote Enterprise work, from R25 000.)
Why owners choose Appetite Host instead
- An agency-standard look, for their trade, without a single meeting.
- Live within 1 working day of payment.
- One rand price that includes the web address, keeping it online and changes.
- SME Rocket: website design prices in South Africa (2026) found monthly website packages averaging R399. Ours start at R249 a month, and only begin after your included first year.
Questions
Is Appetite Host as good as an agency?
For a small business website, it is built to the same standard: designed looks for your kind of business, your own words and photos, your reviews and a working contact form. What it does not do is the bespoke work an agency is for, like a full brand identity or custom systems.
How long does an agency take compared with Appetite Host?
Agencies usually work to a timeline of several weeks, from brief to launch. With Appetite Host, your website is live within 1 working day of payment.
What if I need more than your biggest package?
Enterprise builds are quoted per job, from R25 000 to R50 000 once-off, for more pages, more locations or connecting your website to other systems. Get in touch and we will quote it properly.
Prices checked on 8 October 2026, as each provider showed them to a visitor in South Africa. They change; check with the provider before you decide.
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