If you're shopping for a clinic website, you'll hit the same three options. They're not equal — and the "cheapest" often costs the most in lost patients.
The three options, side by side
| Option | Upfront | Ongoing | Time to live | What you own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free template (Google Sites, a FB page) | $0 | $0 | 1–2 days | Nothing portable; looks templated |
| Paid builder (Wix, Squarespace) | $0–$200 | $15–$30/mo | 1–3 weeks (you build) | Your content, but locked to their platform |
| Agency | $3k–$10k | $30–$200/mo (hosting care) | 1–3 months | A site, if the contract is clear |
| Clinic starter (us) | $199 one-time | $0 | 5 business days | The site, fully |
Free templates
Free is free, and for a brand-new solo practitioner it's better than nothing. The catch: a Google Site or a Facebook page doesn't rank well, can't take bookings natively, and signals "hobby" to patients comparing you with a polished competitor. Use it only as a 2-week placeholder.
Paid builders (Wix / Squarespace)
These are genuinely good for a hands-on owner. You'll spend real hours dragging blocks, and you're locked into their monthly fee and their booking limitations. Fine if you enjoy building — expensive and slow if you don't.
Agencies
An agency is right when you need custom integrations, a patient portal, or a multi-location brand site. For a clinic that mainly needs "a bookable page that looks legitimate," a $5k build is hard to justify when patients can't tell the difference from a clean $199 one.
The trade-off that actually matters
It's not "cheap vs expensive." It's time-to-bookable and what you own. The clinic that can take an online booking next week — and owns the page — wins the patient the other clinic loses to phone tag.
Fuyunxiong Health builds online starters for TCM & acupuncture clinics. tcm@lieke-ai.com