Should Hosting Be Part of Your Agency Deal?
By CodexierPublished 5 min read
Many agencies offer to host the website they build, often bundled with maintenance for a monthly fee. It is convenient: one supplier, one invoice, one number to call when the site is down. It can also mean paying a markup for something you could buy directly, and discovering at the worst moment that you do not control your own site. This guide weighs the two and shows how to keep ownership whichever you choose.
What agency-managed hosting includes
'Hosting' in an agency offer can mean very different things. Compare offers by what is actually done each month, not by the word on the invoice.
| Level | What you get | What you are really paying for |
|---|---|---|
| Resold hosting | Server space on the agency's account | A markup on hosting |
| Managed hosting | Server, SSL, backups, uptime monitoring | Setup and monitoring |
| Hosting plus maintenance | The above plus updates, security fixes and small changes | Ongoing work by people who know the site |
| Full service | The above plus content help, reporting and priority support | A retainer |
Markup and convenience
Agencies buy hosting at trade or bulk prices and resell it. A markup is normal; it pays for the time to set up, monitor and support the server. It becomes a problem only when the markup is large and nothing else is included. Ask for the underlying provider and plan, then compare with buying it yourself. Our guide on web hosting costs shows the typical ranges.
- Convenience: one contact when something breaks, no finger-pointing between host and developer
- Speed: the agency can fix issues directly without asking for access
- Expertise: the agency knows how the site is built and what it needs
- Cost: a markup on hosting you could buy directly
- Dependency: problems if the agency is slow, closes or you want to leave
Lock-in risks
Lock-in is the real risk, and it rarely shows until you want to leave. The warning signs are an agency-owned hosting account, a domain registered in the agency's name, a custom CMS only they can run, and contracts without an exit clause.
| Warning sign | Why it matters | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Domain in the agency's name | They control your address and email | Registration in your company's name |
| Hosting on the agency's account with no export | Moving means rebuilding | Right to a full export of files and database |
| Proprietary CMS or platform | No one else can maintain it | A standard platform, or code handover on exit |
| No termination terms | Notice and handover are unclear | Notice period and a handover obligation in the contract |
Our guide on who owns your website goes through the ownership questions in detail.
Keeping the account in your name
The cleanest setup is simple: your company owns the hosting account and the domain, and the agency gets its own access as a technical contact or team member. You pay the host directly, or the agency invoices it at cost, and the agency charges separately for the maintenance work. If you want to change supplier, you remove one user.
- Register the domain in the company name with your own registrar login
- Open the hosting account in the company name, or ask for it to be transferred
- Give the agency a named user, not your own login
- Store all credentials in your own password manager
- Keep a current backup somewhere you control
If the agency insists on hosting on its own account, get the right to a complete export and transfer written into the contract, with a timeframe.
Questions to ask
- Which hosting provider and plan is used, and where are the servers located?
- Whose name is the account in, and can it be transferred to us?
- What exactly is included each month: updates, backups, monitoring, fixes?
- How often are backups taken, where are they stored and when was a restore last tested?
- What is the response time when the site is down?
- What happens on termination: notice, export, transfer and cost?
- Is a data processing agreement in place for personal data on the server?
Answers to these questions tell you more than the monthly price. Our guide on questions to ask a web agency covers the rest of the relationship.
Our approach, and when you do not need us
We prefer that hosting and domain are in your name, and we charge for the maintenance work itself. Our monthly maintenance package covers updates, backups, monitoring and fixes on hosting you control; prices are on our pricing page.
If your site is a simple static page that rarely changes, you may need no maintenance deal at all: a reliable host and an annual check can be enough. Book a short call if you want to review your current setup.
Frequently asked questions
Is it bad if my agency hosts my website?
Not necessarily. It can be convenient and cost-effective if the price reflects real work and you keep ownership. It is risky when the account, domain and code are in the agency's name and there are no exit terms.
How do I find out who owns my hosting account?
Ask your agency for the provider name and the account holder, and check the domain's registrant with the registrar. For .se domains, the registry's lookup shows the holder.
Can I move hosting without moving maintenance?
Usually, yes. The agency can maintain a site on hosting you own, as long as they have access. Many agencies prefer it, because responsibilities become clearer.
What does a fair markup look like?
There is no fixed rule. Compare the agency's hosting price with the provider's list price and weigh the difference against what is included in setup, monitoring and support.
Not sure who controls your website?
On a short call we go through where your domain, hosting and code live today, and what to change so you stay in control.
Book a free 15-minute call