The short version
Year one, in AUD: Eddy plan $1,548 vs Launch package + Managed Hosting $2,938.
Hosting on one-off builds: First 30 days free, then 12 monthly payments. Monthly plans: licensed while you're subscribed. A buyout is available any time. Example: Eddy at month 12 is $0 left + $1,791 ownership fee = $1,791.
How the two options work
We compare the Eddy plan with the Launch package, because they're the starting point of each. Super Eddy and Eddy Max add monthly improvements; the larger packages add pages and features.
| Pay monthly (Eddy plan) | Buy outright (Launch package) | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront | $0 setup | From $1,990 |
| Each month | $129, hosting included | Managed Hosting $79, hosting required (or any Eddy plan) |
| Minimum term | 12 months, then month to month with 30 days' notice | First 30 days free, then 12 monthly payments. Then month to month. |
| Changes | Pay per change: $89 per Update Credit | Managed Hosting: no content or design edits (quoted, or billed hourly). Or move the site onto an Eddy plan for changes by Update Credits. |
| Redesign | A fresh redesign after 36 continuous months | A new project when you want one |
| Ownership | Licensed while you're subscribed. Buyout any time: unpaid minimum-term months + an ownership fee. | You own the site. |
Either way, your logo, photos, words and domain name are always yours. All prices in AUD. This is the total you pay.
What setup and the monthly price cover
$0 setup on the Eddy plan covers your full redesign, using your plan's launch credits (18 on Eddy, 30 on Super Eddy, 45 on Eddy Max; a page uses 3), plus tracking, redirects and one revision round. Card on file, first month paid upfront, and a signed 12-month minimum before build work starts. Then the monthly price covers:
- Hosting, SSL and daily backups
- Uptime and security watch, and updates
- A monthly plain-English health note
- Broken-link and form fixes
- Speed and accessibility fixes, drafted by Eddy each month
- Changes when you need them: $89 per Update Credit, or 5 for $349 (what a credit covers)
The Launch package price covers up to 5 pages, custom responsive design, SEO foundations, contact forms, content guidance and 1 revision round. Then Managed Hosting covers:
- Hosting on our server
- SSL and DNS management
- Daily backups, kept for 30 days
- Uptime monitoring
- Monthly tested security patches and Laravel/PHP updates
- Same-business-day outage response
- Email support within 1 business day
Want more than upkeep? Super Eddy ($249/mo, $0 setup) adds a monthly improvement pack, drafted by Eddy and checked by Jordan, plus 2 Update Credits a month. Eddy Max ($499/mo) adds competitor watch alerts and 3 Update Credits a month.
Year one in dollars
The first 12 payments of each option, plus the upfront cost:
- Eddy plan: $1,548 ($0 setup + 12 × $129)
- Launch package + Managed Hosting: $2,938 ($1,990 + 12 × $79)
On a one-off build, the first 30 days of hosting are free, so those 12 payments start on day 31.
Three years in dollars
Over three years, using today's prices and 36 monthly payments (our launch prices are locked for your first 12 months; after that they can change):
- Eddy plan: $4,644 ($0 setup + 36 × $129)
- Launch package + Managed Hosting: $4,834 ($1,990 + 36 × $79)
The Eddy plan is the cheaper of the two over three years, by $190. Buying outright with Managed Hosting includes no edits. The Eddy plan includes hosting, care and a fresh redesign after 36 continuous months, and you pay $89 per change.
What "licensed while you're subscribed" means
On a plan, the website is licensed to you to use as your own for as long as you're subscribed. Elphick Digital owns the design and code. That's how setup can be $0: we earn our keep over time instead of through one large invoice.
How a buyout is worked out
You can buy your site outright any time. The price has three parts:
- Any months left in your first 12. If you're still inside the 12-month minimum, you pay the months that are left at your monthly price.
- An ownership fee, the same as our one-off package price for your plan (Eddy: Launch $1,990, Super Eddy: Establish $4,490 and Eddy Max: Scale $7,990).
- 10% off that fee for each full year you've been with us, down to half (50%).
Example: Super Eddy at $249 a month, 6 months paid. 6 months left × $249 = $1,494, plus the $4,490 ownership fee (no full year yet, so no discount) = $5,984.
On launch pricing, the months left are at your launch price.
Once you buy your site, it's yours, and Eddy's monthly work stops unless you keep him on. There's no discounted owner tier.
What happens when you leave
On a monthly plan: after the 12-month minimum, give us 30 days' notice. When the plan ends, the site comes down unless you take the buyout. Your content and domain name stay yours.
On a one-off build: after the term, you can leave with your code and files for a $290 handover fee. The handover fee is $290.
Which one should you choose?
Pay monthly if you want a low upfront cost, would rather not think about hosting and updates, and like the idea of a redesign being built in. If you want the site to improve every month, look at Super Eddy.
Buy outright if owning the site matters to you, you have the budget now, and you're happy to pay for hosting and changes separately.
Still deciding? A free concept shows what we'd build for you, with the plan or package we'd suggest. See pricing and website packages for the full lists, or the website design cost guide for what drives the price.
Questions
Can I start monthly and own the site later?
Yes, any time. A buyout is any unpaid months left in your 12-month minimum, plus an ownership fee matching the one-off package, less 10% for each full year paid (to 50% at most). Example: Eddy at month 12 is $0 left + $1,791 ownership fee = $1,791. We'll confirm your exact figure in writing before you decide. Once you buy your site, it's yours, and Eddy's monthly work stops unless you keep him on.
What happens after a buyout?
After a buyout you choose one of three: Managed Hosting at $79/mo (no changes included; Update Credits $89 each); keep any Eddy plan at the normal full price ($129/$249/$499), without launch credits or the redesign refresh; or self-host, with a $290 handover fee. There's no discounted owner tier.
Is hosting optional on a one-off build?
No. Hosting can't be waived on one-off builds. First 30 days free, then 12 monthly payments. It keeps the site patched, backed up and monitored.
Can I pay for a plan yearly?
Yes. Pay for the year upfront and you get one month free.
Do these prices include GST?
Elphick Digital isn't registered for GST, so no GST is charged. The price you see is the total. They're in Australian dollars.