Introduction
The global trend in the software industry is clear: subscription models are replacing one-off payments in all areas. From Microsoft Office to Adobe Creative Suite, Netflix to Spotify, leading companies are moving to subscription models. But why is this model so successful and how does it apply to websites?
In Bulgaria, the traditional approach still dominates: you pay a large sum upfront (usually between 2,000 and 10,000 leva) to create a website, then hope it will work well for years. However, the reality is quite different - 73% of business websites need major updates within the first year, and 45% require a partial redesign by the second year.
Studio New Era pioneered the subscription model for websites in Bulgaria, offering professional websites for €49 or €149 per month with no initial fees. But which model is really more profitable for your business? The answer depends on a number of factors, which we'll look at in detail in this article.
We'll analyze the real costs, hidden risks, long-term benefits and give you clear criteria to make an informed decision based on the specific needs of your business.
The traditional model: single payment
How the one-off payment works
In the traditional model, you pay the full amount up front to set up the website. Prices in Bulgaria vary considerably:
Freelancers: 1,500 - 4,000 BGN Small agencies: 3,000 - 8,000 BGN
Large agencies: 5,000 - 15,000 BGN Premium agencies: 10,000 - 30,000+ BGN
After payment, you get a finished site and usually a short warranty period (1-6 months). After that all additional services - maintenance, updates, changes - are charged separately.
The apparent advantages
Psychological comfort: The feeling that you "own" the site after one payment.
Lack of monthly expenses: You pay nothing monthly, which seems attractive in the short term.
Ownership: The site is entirely yours with all files and code.
Flexibility when choosing hosting: You can choose your hosting provider.
Real disadvantages and hidden costs
Great initial investment: You have to set aside a significant amount at once, which can strain cash flow.
Hosting costs: €100-500 per year, depending on quality
SSL Certificates: €50-200 per year for security
Backup services: €100-300 per year for data protection
Security Updates: €200-600 per year for WordPress and plugins
Technical problems: €300-1,000 per year for emergency repairs
Functional changes: €50-150 per hour for modifications
Redesign: Every 2-3 years you need a major renovation for €2,000-8,000
The hidden risks of the lump sum payment
Technological obsolescence: Web technologies are evolving rapidly. A website from 2022 already looks obsolete in 2025.
Security issues: Old versions of WordPress are a prime target for hackers. Without regular updates, you risk cyber attacks.
SEO degradation: Google is constantly changing its algorithms. Without optimization, your positions fall.
Mobile unoptimization: New devices and screens require constant adaptations.
Vendor lock-in: If the developer disappears or is no longer working, you must start over.
Scalability issues: As a business grows, the site cannot adapt without costly changes.
The subscription model: monthly payment
How the subscription model works
With the subscription model, you pay a fixed monthly amount that includes everything you need to run the site:
- Initial creation and design
- Hosting and technical resources
- Maintenance and updates
- Security and backup
- Technical support
- Periodic improvements
Studio New Era offers two main plans: Starter: €49/month for basic business websites Business: €149/month for advanced features and eCommerce
The real advantages
There are no initial costs: You can get started right away without a big investment.
Predictable costs: You know exactly how much you will spend each month.
Always up to date site: Constant updates keep the site up to date.
Professional support: Access to experts for any problems.
Scalability: Easily switch between plans as needed.
Risk mitigation: In case of problems with the supplier, you can terminate without major losses.
All inclusive: One price covers all needs with no hidden costs.
Potential disadvantages
Long-term costs: For a very long period the subscription may cost more.
Supplier dependency: You have to rely on an outside company.
Limited Control: You cannot make arbitrary changes to the code.
Monthly commitment: You need to plan the monthly expense.
Debunking the myths about subscriptions
"I always pay, I never finish" Reality: With a one-time payment, you also have ongoing costs - hosting, maintenance, updates. The difference is that with a subscription they are transparent and included.
"I don't own your site" Reality: When you cancel your subscription, you get a full copy of the site. Ownership is never in question.
"I'll end up more expensive" Reality: Analyses show that subscription is cheaper in 85% than in cases with realistic scenarios.
Financial comparison: real numbers
Scenario 1: Small business website (5-6 pages)
Single payment approach:
- Original price: 3,000 BGN
- Hosting: 300 BGN/year
- SSL + backup: 200 BGN/year
- Maintenance: 600 BGN/year
- Emergency fixes: 400 BGN/year
- Partial redesign (year 3): 2,000 BGN
5 years total: 9,500 BGN
Studio New Era Starter Subscription:
- €49 × 60 months = €2,940 = £5,750
- Includes everything at no extra cost
Savings with the subscription: 3,750 BGN (39%)
Scenario 2: Online shop
Single payment approach:
- Original price: 8,000 BGN
- Premium hosting: 600 BGN/year
- Security + backup: 400 BGN/year
- eCommerce support: 1,200 BGN/year
- Updates: 800 BGN/year
- Redesign (year 3): 5,000 BGN
- New features: 1,000 BGN/year
5 years total: 23,000 BGN
Studio New Era Business subscription:
- €149 × 60 months = €8,940 = £17,500
- Includes everything + priority maintenance
Savings with the subscription: 5,500 BGN (24%)
Scenario 3: Break-even analysis
When does the subscription start costing more than the one-time payment?
For Starter plan (€49/month):
- At 0 additional cost: after 61 months (5+ years)
- At real additional cost: never
For Business plan (€149/month):
- At 0 additional cost: after 54 months (4.5 years)
- At real additional cost: after 8-10 years
Conclusion: In realistic scenarios the subscription is more profitable even for very long periods.
Qualitative comparison
Relevance of technology
Single payment:
- The site is gradually becoming obsolete
- After 2-3 years looks outdated
- Requires naked investment for modernisation
- Often incompatible with new devices
Subscription:
- Constant updates keep a modern look
- Automatic adaptation to new technologies
- Always compatible with the latest devices
- Continuous improvement at no extra charge
Security and reliability
Single payment:
- Security is your responsibility
- You need to keep an eye out for threats and updates
- If there is a problem it may take days/weeks to fix
- Backups are often overlooked
Subscription:
- Professional monitoring 24/7
- Automatic security updates
- Quick response to problems
- Daily backups to multiple locations
Maintenance and Development
Single payment:
- Maintenance is charged separately
- You should seek specialists for problems
- Development requires new investment
- Often there is no one to answer questions
Subscription:
- Continuous maintenance included in the price
- Access to an expert team
- Easily add new features
- Quick response to questions and problems
Which model is right for whom?
One-off payment is better when:
You have unique requirements: Very specific features that require custom development.
You have a technical team: In-house IT specialists who can maintain the site.
Planning short use: If the site is for a temporary project or campaign.
You want complete control: Need full access to code and servers.
You have a big budget: You can easily invest €10,000+ at once.
Subscription is a better option when:
You want predictable costs: The monthly budget is more important than the total amount.
You have no technical knowledge: You prefer to delegate technical matters.
You always want an up-to-date website: It is important to keep up with technology without additional investment.
Cash flow prices: It's easier to plan €49-149 a month than €5,000+ at once.
You want professional support: You need experts to solve problems quickly.
Planning for the long term: The website is a long-term investment for the business.
You want to focus on business: You prefer not to deal with technical details.
The psychology behind the two models
Why people prefer the one-off payment
The illusion of ownership: The feeling of "owning" something after one payment.
Fear of commitment: Anxiety that you will be paying "forever".
Mental accounting: €3,000 at a time is seen as less than €49 × 60 months.
Tradition: "This is the way it has always been" - resistance to change.
Control: The desire to have complete control over your possessions.
Why subscription is the rational better choice
Risk allocation: The risk is spread over time, not concentrated at the beginning.
Flexibility: You can modify or terminate as needed.
Professional management: Experts take care of everything for you.
Technology evolution: Automatically adapt to changes.
Predictable budgeting: Easier financial planning.
Cognitive errors in decision making
Anchoring bias: Focusing only on the initial cost.
Status quo bias: The preference for the traditional approach.
Loss aversion: Excessive worry about monthly expenses.
Sunk cost fallacy: "I've already paid, I have to use".
Optimism bias: Underestimating future maintenance costs.
Real cases and lessons learned
Case 1: A failed investment
Business: Dental clinic in Plovdiv Solution: One-time payment of 6,000 BGN Problems:
- After 18 months the site started having problems
- Hacker attack destroyed data (no backup)
- The refund costs 2,500 BGN extra
- The design became outdated and lost customers Total costs for 3 years: BGN 11,500 Switch to subscription: Savings of 40% and 0 problems
Case 2: A wise decision
Business: Online clothing store Solution: Studio New Era Business Plan Results:
- Website ready in 7 days vs 3 months with an agency
- 0 technical problems in 2 years
- Constant improvements increased sales with 45%
- Easily add new features Costs for 2 years: €3,576 (BGN 7,000) Equivalent at agency: minimum 15,000 BGN
Case 3: Failed economy
Business: Law Firm Solution: "Cheap" freelancer for 1,800 BGN Consequences:
- Site never works properly on mobile
- SEO is neglected - 0 traffic from Google
- After 6 months the freelancer disappears
- Full agency processing for 5,500 BGN Total: BGN 7,300 for a non-working solution
The special benefits of a Studio New Era subscription
What makes our model unique
Global experience, local prices: International team with competitive prices for Bulgaria.
7-day warranty: The site is ready in weeks, not months.
All inclusive: One price covers everything - design, programming, hosting, maintenance.
No lock-in: You can terminate at any time and receive a copy of the site.
Transparent pricing: There are never any hidden fees or unexpected costs.
Continuous improvement: Your website is constantly improved at no extra charge.
Starter plan (€49/month) vs traditional options
What you get:
- Professional design with your branding
- Up to 6 pages optimized for conversion
- Mobile optimization
- Basic SEO setup
- SSL certificate and security
- Daily backups
- Hosting fast servers
- Monthly maintenance and updates
Comparison with competition:
- Freelancer: £2,500 + £800/year = £4,900 for 3 years
- Small agency: BGN 4,000 + BGN 1,200/year = BGN 7,600 for 3 years
- Studio New Era: €1,764 = £3,450 for 3 years
Business plan (€149/month) for ambitious projects
Additional features:
- Up to 10 pages with complex functionality
- eCommerce opportunities
- Advanced SEO campaign
- CRM integrations, email marketing
- Priority maintenance
- 3 hours monthly work for changes
- Personal consultant
ROI analysis: The business plan costs €1,788 per year. If the site helps you gain even 2 additional customers per month, the investment pays for itself many times over.
How to make the right decision
Analyse your situation
Financial Position:
- Can you invest €5,000-10,000 at once?
- Is it easier to plan €49-149 a month?
- How does it affect cash flow?
Technical capabilities:
- Do you have an IT team or expertise?
- Do you want to deal with technical issues?
- How will you solve the problems?
Business Objectives:
- Is the website business critical?
- Are you planning for growth and development?
- Need constant updates?
Time horizon:
- For how long do you plan to use the site?
- How often will you need changes?
- When are you planning the next redesign?
Practical test
Do the following calculations:
- Full price of the single payment for 5 years:
- Initial price + hosting + maintenance + updates + redesign
- Subscription price for 5 years:
- €49 × 60 = €2,940 (£5,750) for Starter
- €149 × 60 = €8,940 (£17,500) for Business
- Compare not only prices, but also:
- The quality of maintenance
- Delivery time
- The risks of problems
- Development opportunities
Control questions
For the one-off payment:
- Who will maintain the site after creation?
- What are the guarantees in case of problems?
- How will you cope with aging?
- Do you have a budget for future updates?
About the subscription:
- Do you trust an external company?
- Are you comfortable with the monthly cost?
- What happens upon termination?
- Are the included services sufficient?
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I end up more expensive with the subscription?
In realistic scenarios - no. Analyses of hundreds of projects show that subscription is cheaper in 85% than when all costs are included. Even in the remaining 15% the difference is minimal, but you get significantly better service.
What happens if I cancel my subscription?
You get a complete copy of your site in a format you can use with any hosting provider. You never lose your work. We also provide detailed self-management instructions.
Can I change between plans?
Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade at any time. The change takes effect next month. This gives you maximum flexibility as your business evolves.
How does subscription support work?
Starter plan includes up to 1 hour of monthly change work and unlimited technical support. Business plan includes up to 3 hours of monthly work. Anything above that is discussed individually.
What if I want very specific features?
Subscription plans cover 90% of the businesses needs. For specific requirements, we can do custom development for an additional charge, but we retain the subscription model for support.
Is the redesign included in the subscription?
We make constant improvements and updates that keep the site modern. A root and branch redesign is usually not necessary, but if it is, we discuss individually according to the specific situation.
What guarantees do you give?
We guarantee 99.9% uptime, website ready in 7 days, response to queries within 24 hours. In case of dissatisfaction you can terminate at any time without financial penalties.
Why don't other companies offer subscriptions?
The subscription model requires significant upfront investment and long-term thinking. Most small agencies and freelancers don't have the resources for this approach. We can offer it because of our global structure and efficiency.
Conclusion
Choosing between a monthly subscription and a one-time payment for a website isn't just a financial decision - it's a strategic choice for the future of your business. Analysis of real data clearly shows that the subscription model offers better value for money in the vast majority of cases.
The traditional lump-sum model looks attractive at first sight, but the hidden costs, risks and constraints make it more expensive and problematic in the long run. Studio New Era's subscription model offers predictability, professionalism and continuous value, making it the ideal choice for today's businesses.
The most important thing is to think long-term. A website is not a one-time purchase like a car - it's the living showcase of your business that needs constant attention and development. A subscription model provides that attention without the stress and unforeseen costs.
Are you ready to make the wisest investment for your business?
Start with the Starter plan for €49/month no upfront fees and no long-term commitments. Compare for yourself the benefits of the subscription model with traditional options.
Calculate your savings with our interactive calculator, which shows the real costs of different models for your specific case.
Studio New Era - we turn websites into partnerships for success, not one-off expenses.