Website care vs. hosting only: which do you need?

Building the website is step one. Step two is deciding how it will live online, and whether you want updates included.

At Ribbon Interactive, monthly plans begin after your $1,000 website build is complete. You can choose hosting + updates for $79 a month, or hosting only for $30 a month. On both plans the site lives on our server. We keep it online, secure, and backed up. Only website care includes content updates and ongoing care. You can see the official details on our pricing page.

If you are not sure which plan fits, take the short quiz. It uses your answers to recommend one of those two real plans. The table after the quiz spells out the same recommendation in writing, so the advice is still here if JavaScript is turned off.

What’s the difference between website care and hosting only?

Both plans start after the website is built, and on both plans the site lives on our server. You do not get file or CMS access. The difference is whether content updates are included.

Ribbon Interactive monthly plans, and which one the quiz is likely to suggest.

Situation	Suggested plan
You want text, photo, or hours updates included each month	Hosting + updates, $79/month
Your information changes often	Hosting + updates, $79/month
You want a quote from us only when a change comes up	Hosting only, $30/month
You are not sure which plan to pick	Hosting + updates, $79/month (the plan we recommend)
The site will stay mostly the same	Hosting only, $30/month

What’s included with hosting only?

Hosting only is $30 a month after the $1,000 build. It keeps the site online, secure, and backed up, with no updates included. In practice, that means:

• Hosting on our server
• An SSL certificate
• Backups
• No content updates included

Clients do not get file or CMS access. If you need a change — a new photo, updated hours, a text edit — we quote that work per request. You can also switch to the $79/month care plan anytime if you would rather have updates included. This plan is a good fit when the site will stay mostly the same. It is not a good fit if you expect regular new photos, hours, or service copy and want those changes included each month.

What’s included with website care?

Website care — listed on our pricing page as Hosting + updates — is $79 a month after the $1,000 build. It includes:

• Hosting on our server
• An SSL certificate
• Backups
• Content updates and edits
• Ongoing care

This is the plan we recommend for most businesses. A website is more useful when the details stay accurate: new work, seasonal hours, a changed phone number, a new service. Care means you send those updates to us, and we make them.

Who is website care for?

Choose website care if any of these sound like you:

• You would rather spend your time on the business, not on requesting one-off website changes.
• Your services, projects, hours, or offers change more than once in a while.
• You want updates included in a monthly plan instead of quoted per request.
• You want a clear, ongoing relationship after launch, not a site that is left to sit.

If you are on the fence, start with care. It is the recommended plan on our pricing page, and you can always talk with us later if your needs change.

Who is hosting only for?

Hosting only can make sense when the site is straightforward and your information rarely changes. The $30 monthly plan keeps the site online, secure, and backed up. It does not include content updates, and it does not give you access to edit the files. When something does need to change, we quote that work per request, or you can move to website care.

If you already know you will be sending over new photos, hours, or copy on a regular basis, care is the better value even though the monthly price is higher. A site with last year’s hours, an old menu, or a dead phone number is worse than a simple site that is accurate.

Can you host the site somewhere else?

Yes. You keep ownership of your domain. If you already have hosting, or you want to use a different host, we can talk through that. The $1,000 build is still the website. The monthly plans are optional ways to keep it online on our server and, if you choose care, keep it updated.

If you want a sense of the whole investment, including the first-year totals, our post on how much a website costs in Kansas City walks through the build price and both monthly plans together.

What if you’re not sure yet?

Tell us how you actually run the business. We would rather help you pick the plan that fits than sell you a more expensive one you will not use — or a cheaper one that leaves the site stale.

When you start a project, you can mention whether you want care or hosting only. If you are still deciding, say that too. We will reply with next steps and a free consultation.

Frequently asked questions

When do monthly plans start?

Monthly plans begin after your $1,000 website build is complete, not before.

Can I log in and edit the site myself on hosting only?

No. The site lives on our server, and clients do not get file or CMS access on either plan. Hosting only keeps the site online, secure, and backed up, with no updates included. If you need a change, we quote it per request, or you can switch to website care anytime.

Can I switch from hosting only to website care later?

Yes. If you start on hosting only and later want updates included, get in touch and we can move you to hosting + updates.

Do I still own my domain on either plan?

Yes. Clients keep ownership of their domains on both website care and hosting only, and if they host elsewhere.

Which plan do you recommend if I’m undecided?

Hosting + updates for $79 a month. It is the recommended plan on our pricing page, and it covers hosting, SSL, backups, content updates, and ongoing care.