Why We Chose Subscription Pricing: A Transparent Look at Our Model
When we started Umka Software, we had the same pricing problem every agency faces: how do you charge for websites in a way that's fair for everyone?
The traditional model is broken. Clients pay thousands upfront, then disappear. We build something, hand it over, and hope it doesn't break. The client gets stuck with hosting bills, maintenance headaches, and no one to ask when something goes wrong.
So we flipped it. Instead of charging €299 once and saying "good luck," we charge €29 per month with a 6-month minimum commitment. Here's why that works better for everyone.
The Problem with One-Time Payments
Let me paint you a picture. Client pays €299 for a landing page. We build it, launch it, and they're happy. Fast forward six months. Their business changed, but the website didn't. They need updates. They call us. We quote them €200 for changes. They're frustrated. They paid for a website, why does everything cost extra?
Or worse: they paid for hosting separately, set it up themselves, and now their site is down. They don't know what to do. They call us in a panic. We help, but it's not our hosting – we're troubleshooting someone else's infrastructure. It's a mess.
One-time payments create a disconnect. We build, deliver, and move on. The client owns the problem, but doesn't have the tools to solve it. Nobody wins.
How Subscription Pricing Works
Here's our model: you pay monthly, and we handle everything. For a landing page, that's €29/month. For a multi-page website, €49/month. For an e-shop, €99/month.
What's included? Everything. Website maintenance. One update per month. Hosting. You don't pay anything else. We handle the technical stuff so you can focus on your business.
The minimum commitment is 6 months. After that, you can cancel anytime with no penalties. We're not trying to lock you in forever – we just need enough time to make sure everything works smoothly.
Why This Works Better
For Clients: Predictable Costs
You know exactly what you're paying every month. No surprises. No "oh, you need hosting, that's €20/month extra." No "we need to update your site, that'll be €200." It's all included.
Budgeting becomes easy. €29 per month is something you can plan for. €299 upfront plus €200 for updates plus €20/month for hosting plus... it gets complicated fast.
For Clients: Your Site Stays Current
Websites need maintenance. They break. They need updates. With one-time payments, every fix costs extra. So clients avoid fixing things until they're broken. Their site gets outdated. Performance suffers.
With subscription, we handle maintenance automatically. One update per month is included. Your site stays current. It stays fast. It stays secure. You don't have to think about it.
For Clients: You Have a Partner, Not a Vendor
When you pay once and disappear, you're a transaction. When you pay monthly, you're a relationship. We're invested in your success because your success is our success.
If something breaks, we fix it. If you need a small change, we handle it. If you have questions, we answer them. You're not just buying a website – you're buying peace of mind.
For Us: Sustainable Business
One-time payments are feast or famine. We get a big payment, then nothing for months. That makes it hard to plan. Hard to hire. Hard to invest in our team.
Monthly subscriptions create predictable revenue. We can plan ahead. We can invest in our tools and processes. We can hire better people. That makes us better at what we do.
For Us: Better Alignment
When we get paid once and move on, our incentives are misaligned. We want to finish fast and move to the next project. The client wants ongoing support and updates.
With subscriptions, we're aligned. We want your site to work well because you'll keep paying. You want it to work well because it's your business. We both win when things work.
For Us: We Can Afford to Do Things Right
One-time payments encourage cutting corners. Speed over quality. Finish fast, move on.
Subscriptions encourage doing things right. We invest time in proper setup. We write better code. We document everything. Because we'll be maintaining it for years, not just handing it over.
The 6-Month Minimum: Why It Matters
Six months might seem arbitrary, but it's not. Here's why:
First month: We build and launch. There's always something to fix.
Months 2-3: We optimize. Performance tweaks. SEO improvements. The real work happens after launch.
Months 4-6: We stabilize. Everything settles. Patterns emerge. We catch edge cases.
By month 6, your site is stable, optimized, and running smoothly. That's when you actually get value from the subscription. Before that, we're still working out the kinks.
After 6 months, you can cancel anytime. No penalties. No hoops to jump through. We're confident that by then, you'll see the value. If you don't, you shouldn't be paying.
Real Numbers: Why €29/Month Makes Sense
Let's break down what €29/month actually covers:
- Hosting: €5-10/month (we use good infrastructure)
- Maintenance: 2-3 hours/month of our time at our rates
- Updates: 1 update per month included
- Support: Quick fixes, answers, troubleshooting
If you paid for this separately, you'd pay more. If you tried to do it yourself, you'd spend hours. €29/month is actually a good deal.
For us, €29/month × 6 months = €174. That's less than the €299 one-time price, but we make it up in volume and retention. Clients stay longer than 6 months. The math works.
What Happens After 6 Months?
After 6 months, you can cancel anytime. Most clients don't. Here's why:
By month 6, your site is running smoothly. You're seeing results. You're getting updates. You're not dealing with hosting headaches. Why would you cancel?
The clients who do cancel usually have a reason: they're pivoting their business, shutting down, or moving to a different solution. That's fine. We designed it that way.
The Alternative: One-Time Payment
You can still pay one-time if you prefer. Landing page: €299. Multi-page website: €499. E-shop: €1,199.
But here's what you don't get: hosting (you pay separately), ongoing maintenance (you pay per update), support (you pay per hour), and peace of mind (you can't buy that).
For most clients, subscription makes more sense. But if you're technical, have your own hosting, and want to manage everything yourself, one-time works too.
Common Concerns (And Our Answers)
"What if I want to cancel after 3 months?"
You can't cancel before 6 months. That's the minimum commitment. But here's the thing: if you're not happy after 3 months, something is wrong. We should fix it, not part ways. The 6-month minimum ensures we have time to make things right.
"What if I want to own my site?"
You do own it. The code, the design, everything. If you cancel, you can take it with you. We'll export everything. You're not renting – you're paying for service.
"What if I need more than 1 update per month?"
We can discuss it. Sometimes it's a small change we do for free. Sometimes it's a bigger project that costs extra. We're reasonable. The "1 update per month" is a baseline, not a hard limit.
"What if you go out of business?"
We're well-funded and growing. But if we did shut down, you'd get notice. You'd have time to export your site. You're not locked in – you own your code.
The Bottom Line
Subscription pricing works because it aligns our interests with yours. We succeed when you succeed. We want your site to work well because you'll keep paying. You want it to work well because it's your business.
Traditional pricing creates a one-time transaction. Subscription pricing creates an ongoing partnership. And partnerships work better than transactions.
If you're thinking about a website, check out our process page to see all our pricing options. We're transparent about everything. No hidden fees. No surprises. Just good websites at fair prices.
This article reflects our actual pricing model and business philosophy. If you have questions about our pricing or want to discuss your project, reach out to us. We'd love to talk.