$10K website package vs. $2,500/month: the real math
One number decided this comparison before any feature list: $2,500 × 12 = $30,000. Here's everything else, honestly.
The headline comparison
| $2,500/month retainer | $10K annual package | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 cost | $30,000 | $10,000 |
| Year 2 cost | $30,000 | $10,000 |
| Two-year total | $60,000 | $20,000 |
| New custom website | Sometimes (usually extra) | Yes — built in the first 60 days |
| Hosting, backups, security | Usually | Included |
| SEO + content + social | Yes | Included, monthly |
| Invoices you approve | 12 per year | 1 (or 2 with the 50/50 split) |
| You keep vs. retainer | — | $20,000 every single year |
What a $2,500/month retainer typically covers
To be fair to agencies: a good retainer covers real work — site updates, SEO, content, social, reporting. The problem isn't the scope. The problem is that the overhead — office, account managers, sales team, the layers between you and the person doing the work — is priced in first. You're not paying $30,000 for the work. You're paying $30,000 so a company can afford to sell to you.
What the $10,000 package covers
- A brand-new custom website (up to ~10 pages) in the first 60 days
- Hosting, domain handling, backups, security, maintenance — all year
- On-page SEO at launch, then monthly SEO check-ins
- Content updates and social posts every month
- Up to 4 small edit requests per month, ~48-hour turnaround
- Direct support and a one-page monthly report
In other words: the same scope as the retainer — with the website rebuild thrown in, and the invoice ritual deleted.
Break-even at every spend level
| Your current spend | Annual cost | The 10K Deal saves | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000/mo | $12,000 | $2,000 | Thin — worth it only if you want the rebuild |
| $1,500/mo | $18,000 | $8,000 | Clear win |
| $2,500/mo | $30,000 | $20,000 | The Deal's home turf |
| $3,500/mo | $42,000 | $32,000 | Not a close call |
Under ~$850/month, the Deal costs more than you pay today — which is why the site says so, instead of pretending otherwise.
"Cheaper" isn't the argument — same work for less is
Anyone can be cheaper by doing less. The honest version of this comparison is scope-matched: list what the retainer delivers, list what the package delivers, then compare the totals. That's the comparison above. If a provider won't scope-match, that itself is your answer.
Same work. You keep $20,000.
Run your actual numbers in the calculator, review the full scope, and apply if the math works for you — an honest answer within 48 hours.