For most small businesses, one platform costs the least in year one, three separate tools cost a little more but give the most choice, and an agency costs the most but gives you a person’s time and judgement. The bigger difference is not the fee. It is who joins the pieces together: with an agency they do; with separate tools you do; with one platform the joins are built in. Below is a rough year-one comparison in pounds for a local service business, followed by when each option genuinely makes sense.
What we are comparing
All three options have to cover the same ground: a website that brings enquiries, ads on Meta and Google, and a way to answer people quickly. Ad spend itself is the same in every case, because it is paid to Meta or Google, so it is left out of the totals except where someone charges a percentage of it.
Year-one costs, roughly, in the UK
| Agency | Three separate tools or freelancers | One platform (Adyft) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website build | Often £3,000–10,000+ for a small site | Freelancer often £1,200–2,000, or a DIY builder | Adyft Sites Starter £299 setup, Growth £699 |
| Website care and hosting | Often £50–300 a month | Builder plan or freelancer care fee | From £12 a month (Starter, no blogs) to £39 (Growth, with blogs) |
| Ad management | A monthly fee, or commonly 10–20% of ad spend | An ad tool subscription, plus your time | Adyft Ads from £39 a month, 0% of ad spend |
| Answering enquiries | Rarely included | A separate chat or inbox tool | Adyft Reply Free today; paid AI plans from £29 a month when they open |
| Who connects it all | The agency | You | Built in |
Agency and freelancer ranges are typical published prices for a 5-page site and ongoing care in the UK; real quotes vary a lot with the brief. Adyft prices are our own current prices before VAT.
💡 Example year one with Adyft: Sites Starter with monthly blogs (£299 + 11 × £19 = £508) plus Ads Starter (12 × £39 = £468) comes to about £976, plus whatever you choose to spend on ads. Reply’s Free plan adds nothing.
The time cost nobody puts in the quote
Separate tools look cheap on paper because your hours are not on the invoice. Someone has to brief the web designer on the offer the ads will promote, set up tracking so the ad tool knows when a lead happens, copy enquiries from one place to another, and work out which campaign produced which customer. For an owner who enjoys this, it is fine. For an owner who is already working evenings, it is the reason the setup never quite works.
An agency removes most of those hours, which is a large part of what you pay for. One platform removes some of them by design: the website comes with tracking set up, campaigns launch from the same account, and leads land in one inbox.
When an agency is the right choice
- 1You want a person to think about your marketing strategy, not just run it.
- 2You spend enough on ads that an experienced media buyer’s judgement pays for itself.
- 3You need things a platform does not do: brand design, PR, video shoots, large online shops.
- 4You have checked their results and they report honestly, including what did not work.
When separate tools are the right choice
- 1You already have a website you like and only need ads or only need a chat tool.
- 2You need a specialist feature that one platform does not offer.
- 3You or someone on your team enjoys setting things up and keeping them joined.
When one platform is the right choice
- 1You are a local or service business that wins work through enquiries.
- 2You want to see in one place what was spent and what came back.
- 3You would rather approve work than build it, and you want to own your ad accounts and domain.
- 4Your budget is modest, so a percentage-of-spend fee or a large retainer would take a big share of it.
Ownership: the question to ask every option
Whoever you choose, ask who owns the domain, the website files, the ad accounts and the lead history. If you leave, do they come with you? With Adyft, campaigns run in your own Meta and Google ad accounts, and the Sites domain is in your name with no exit fee. Ask an agency the same question in writing before you sign.
Honest limits of one platform
A platform cannot sit with you and talk through your pricing, and it will not know local gossip about a competitor. Adyft Reply’s WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger channels are still waiting for Meta’s approval, so if fast WhatsApp answers are the most urgent part for you, plan for that today. And for big online shops, a specialist will usually serve you better.
Questions about agencies, tools and platforms
How much does a marketing agency cost a small business in the UK?
It varies widely. Many charge a monthly retainer, a percentage of ad spend (commonly 10–20%), or both, plus separate fees for a website. Ask for a written breakdown.
Is one all-in-one platform always cheaper?
Usually in money, not always in fit. If you only need one of the three parts, a single specialist tool may cost less.
Does Adyft take a percentage of my ad budget?
No. Adyft Ads is a fixed monthly plan and takes 0% of ad spend. Your budget goes straight to Meta or Google from your own account.
Can I use Adyft Ads with a website I already have?
Yes. Adyft Sites is optional. Ads can point to any website, or to WhatsApp or a lead form with no website at all.
Do these prices include VAT?
Adyft prices shown are before tax. Agency and freelancer quotes vary; check whether VAT is included.
Try the platform before you compare quotes
Adyft Ads: 14-day free trial, no card, 0% of ad spend, your own ad account.