Reconciliation: Independent designer or developer, paid per project or by the hour
Hiring a freelance web designer or a managed website: what happens after launch day?
A good freelancer can build a fine accounting firm site, and for a one-off project with no ongoing needs that may be all you want. The difference shows after launch. Changes wait on one person's calendar, hosting and updates become separate arrangements, and content usually stops. A managed plan includes the build, the hosting, 5 revisions a month and weekly articles.
Our side of the ledger
Who does the work: we do. Hosting, domain and updates are inside the monthly fee.
The other optionIndependent designer or developer, paid per project or by the hour
What you get with a freelance web designer
Freelance web designers and developers are independent professionals who build sites per project, often on WordPress or a hosted builder, and may offer maintenance by the hour or on a small retainer. Quality ranges widely, from outstanding specialists to generalists. Working directly with one person can be personal and flexible, and many firms have a freelancer they trust. What changes from one freelancer to the next is what happens after launch: hosting, updates and content are usually arranged separately.
Freelancer vs GetAccountingWebsite, line by line
Twelve things that decide how an accounting firm's website performs and who carries the work, set side by side.
| What matters | Freelancer | GetAccountingWebsite |
|---|---|---|
| Speed and Core Web Vitals | Depends on the freelancer's skill and platform. | 90+ PageSpeed guaranteed in writing on pages we build and host. |
| SEO control | Whatever the freelancer sets up at launch. | Planned architecture, maintained and extended every month. |
| Schema and JSON-LD | Depends on the freelancer. | Generated from the site data on every build. |
| AEO and GEO readiness | Rarely part of a one-off build. | Answer-first content, FAQs and llms.txt included. Citation more likely, never guaranteed. |
| Hosting and security | Often arranged separately, sometimes on the freelancer's own account. | Cloudflare hosting, SSL, CDN, DDoS protection, unmetered bandwidth, included. |
| Maintenance burden | Billed as needed, or left undone. | Included, with nothing for you to maintain. |
| Who does the work | One person, subject to their availability. | A team, with changes done within 2 to 5 working days. |
| Content and blog | Usually not included after launch. | 2 to 3 researched articles a week by plan. |
| Design quality | Can be excellent; varies by person. | A consistent design system built for accounting practices. |
| Accessibility and compliance pages | Depends on what is scoped. | Privacy, terms, cookie consent that gates scripts, accessibility statement and no-advice disclaimers, included. |
| Cost model | A project fee, then hourly or retainer for changes. | Single Entry at $137, Double Entry at $297 plus AI usage, or Full Ledger at $747 a month. $797 build fee invoiced only after launch. |
| Lock-in and ownership | Check who holds the domain, hosting and logins. | Domain registered in your name, transferred free if you leave. |
Be honest about it
When Freelancer is the better fit
- You want a one-off brochure site and do not expect it to change for a long time.
- You already have a freelancer you trust who knows your firm and responds quickly.
- You need an unusual custom feature that a specialist should build to order.
For an accounting practice
When our managed site wins
- You need changes made in filing season, when one person may be booked solid.
- You want hosting, domain, updates and content in one monthly fee instead of separate invoices.
- You want the build fee charged only after you approve the finished site.
- You want someone accountable for speed with a written 90+ PageSpeed guarantee.
Switching04 steps
Taking over from a freelancer, cleanly
Firms often come to us when a freelancer has moved on or become hard to reach. The first job is making sure you control your domain; if a freelancer registered it, we help you get it into your name. We then rebuild the site, keep what works, redirect changed URLs and point the domain once you approve. If your freelancer is still around and happy to help, a short handover of logins and files makes the move quicker.
See what each plan includes- 01
Step 01
Confirm who holds your domain and hosting logins. We help if that is unclear.
- 02
Step 02
Fill in the onboarding form with your services, team and offices.
- 03
Step 03
We build in 7 days on Single Entry, 10 on Double Entry and 15 on Full Ledger.
- 04
Step 04
Redirects, domain pointed, and the old hosting closed when you are ready.
What firms say after moving to a managed site
- Sample review
Tax, audit and advisory used to share one paragraph. Now each has its own page and the intake form asks the questions we used to spend the first call on. By the time a prospect is on the phone, the partner already knows what kind of engagement it is.
Marcus WhitfieldManaging partner, CPA firm, three partnersDallas, TX · Double Entry Separate tax, audit and advisory pages, partner bios and an intake form
- Sample review
Splitting monthly bookkeeping from catch-up work was the change I did not know I needed. People with two years of unreconciled books now land on a page written for them, and they arrive already knowing which software we work in.
Elena RuizOwner, Bookkeeping practiceTampa, FL · Single Entry Monthly and catch-up bookkeeping pages, plus a software section
Sample reviews. These are illustrative examples of the kind of result clients describe, not statements from real, named clients. Verified client reviews will replace them.
Still deciding? See the site you would get
A live 30-minute walk-through for your practice type. Plans from $137 a month, the $797 build fee invoiced only after you approve the finished site.
Queries08 answers
Questions about Freelancer for accounting firms
Is a freelancer cheaper than your plan?
Sometimes, for the initial build. Compare the whole year: hosting, domain, changes and content are usually separate with a freelancer. Ours are all inside Single Entry at $137, Double Entry at $297 plus AI usage, or Full Ledger at $747 a month.
Our freelancer registered our domain. Is that a problem?
It can be, if they become unreachable. We help you get the domain into your own name. Domains we register are always in your name.
How quickly do you make changes?
Each revision is completed within 2 to 5 working days, whatever the size. 5 are included every month, then $20 each with no cap.
What if we need a change during filing season?
That is when a team matters most. Requests go through the client portal and are tracked, not dependent on one person's inbox.
When do we pay the build fee?
The $797 build fee is invoiced only after your site is live and you have approved it.
Can our freelancer keep working with us on other projects?
Of course. We only manage the website. Many firms keep a freelancer for print, presentations or other design work.
Do you write the content?
Yes. You give us the facts, we write the pages and the researched articles. Nothing is written as tax or financial advice.
What if we do not like the result?
You review the site before it launches and before the build fee is invoiced. Adjustments after launch are standard revisions.
Other comparisons worth reading
You are probably weighing a page builder, WordPress, a freelancer, an agency or a GoHighLevel setup. Each has a fair, side-by-side comparison written for accounting practices, including when the other option is the better fit.
- GHL funnels vs GetAccountingWebsiteUse a GHL funnel for a single campaign or offer. Use a managed site for the firm itself, and route its enquiries into GHL.
- GHL websites vs GetAccountingWebsiteGHL websites suit a firm with an in-house builder. We suit a firm that wants the site written, run and kept fast for it.
- GHL AI vs GetAccountingWebsiteHighLevel's AI suits a firm that will configure its own agents. Our AI Engine is set up, scripted and kept advice-free for you.
- WordPress vs GetAccountingWebsiteWordPress wins if you have a developer and want full plugin control. We win if you want the site run for you, fast, on one fee.
GetAccountingWebsite is not affiliated with any freelancer or freelance marketplace. This page compares a general category, not a named business. Comparisons reflect our reading of public information on the date shown and describe general capabilities, not every plan or configuration.
Closing entry
Let us carry the website so your firm does not have to
Live in 7 days on Single Entry. Book a demo, or email hello@getaccountingwebsite.com and a person replies within one working day.