BuildRocket LabsThe honest comparisons.
7 decisions our clients weigh before hiring anyone, compared fairly — 41 trade-off rows, and 22 concrete profiles we'd turn away across them.
Every page here names its alternative fairly and ends with who should not hire us. That section is not modesty — it is the reason the rest of the page is worth believing. If a comparison never tells you when to walk away, it is an advertisement.
Custom website vs Framer template
We started on a Framer template and left. Measured on our own site: the template scored 56/100 on mobile with a 5.7s LCP; our custom rebuild measures 94/100 mobile, 99/100 desktop. Here's the honest trade-off.
[ updated 2026-07-18 · 6 trade-offs · 3 reasons not to hire us ]Custom website vs Wix
Wix wins on day-one cost and speed to launch; a custom build wins on performance, ownership, and search. The verdict depends on which year of your business you're optimizing for.
[ updated 2026-07-18 · 6 trade-offs · 3 reasons not to hire us ]Custom website vs Squarespace
Squarespace is the most beautiful of the builders — the right pick for portfolios that just need to exist. A custom build wins when the site must convert, rank, and load instantly.
[ updated 2026-07-18 · 5 trade-offs · 3 reasons not to hire us ]Agency vs freelancer vs Fiverr
Fiverr for a fixed small task, a good freelancer for a defined project, a studio when the site is business infrastructure. The honest difference is accountability, not talent.
[ updated 2026-07-18 · 5 trade-offs · 3 reasons not to hire us ]US agency vs global studio
A US agency buys you local presence and same-room meetings at US overheads. A global studio buys senior craft at a structurally lower cost. The honest question is what your project actually needs.
[ updated 2026-07-18 · 5 trade-offs · 3 reasons not to hire us ]DIY website builder vs hiring a pro
DIY when the site just needs to exist and your time is free; hire a pro when the site must produce customers and your hours have a price. The honest math is your time plus the leads a weak site loses.
[ updated 2026-07-18 · 5 trade-offs · 3 reasons not to hire us ]SEO vs AEO
SEO wins ranked positions; AEO wins citations inside AI answers. They share a technical floor and diverge on content — and one common SEO tactic measurably hurts AEO. Neither replaces the other.
[ updated 2026-07-26 · 9 trade-offs · 4 reasons not to hire us ]
Decided? Or still want the honest second opinion?
Every project gets a fixed written proposal before any payment. 50% to start, 50% at launch.