Compare the editing workflow, integrations and ownership you need rather than choosing only by the first-year price.
Understand the operating model
A hosted builder packages editing and hosting within a platform. Custom development offers more control over implementation but needs a defined maintenance arrangement. Neither label guarantees quality. Ask who will update content, troubleshoot forms and maintain the site after the initial delivery.
Test the difficult requirements
Prototype the features most likely to constrain the choice: bilingual URLs, booking rules, data exports or a business-system connection. Check whether they are native, paid extensions or unsupported. A low-cost starting plan may become unsuitable when the required workflow depends on several additional services.
Compare total ownership costs
Include subscriptions, development, support and migration effort over the same period. Ask what can be exported and who controls the domain and accounts. Request a demonstration of the everyday editing task. Choose the option your team can operate reliably, not the one with the longest feature list.