Could you take your website with you?
Compare DIY builders, subscription websites, and custom work by the files, accounts, and control you keep.
What “owning a website” actually means
Content ownership and site portability are separate questions. Wix says your content belongs to you, while the working Wix site must run on Wix servers. Squarespace exports certain content to an XML file, but not every page type, layout element, or style setting.
For a completed TMN Creative website project, our published terms say clients receive ownership of the website files and project assets created specifically for them after full payment, as defined in the signed agreement. Domains, hosting, third-party licenses, integrations, and optional software have their own terms.
If you left tomorrow, what would you take?
Ask for a plain answer to each part. “You own your website” is too broad to tell you what happens when you change providers.
Domain
The address people know, plus the registrar account and DNS access needed to point it somewhere else.
Ask: Is the domain registered in my account, and can I change its DNS?
Words and images
Your copy, photos, logo, articles, and other content. Licensed fonts or stock assets can carry separate restrictions.
Ask: Can I download the originals and reuse them elsewhere?
Working site files
The design, templates, code, and assets needed to run the site, not just a text export or screenshots.
Ask: Will I receive deployable files or source code, and who can host them?
Hosting and analytics
The accounts that serve the website and measure visits, plus access to any forms, leads, or integrations.
Ask: Which accounts are mine, and how do I transfer or reconnect them?
Editing system
A CMS can be part of your site, a licensed third-party service, or software maintained by your provider.
Ask: Does the editor move with the site, or can I export its content?
Exit process
A practical handoff includes timing, credentials, files, redirects, and clarity on what stops working.
Ask: What happens on cancellation, and is there a handoff fee?
Should you build it yourself?
DIY tools are useful. The deciding factor is how much work the website needs to do for the business.
Build it yourself when
- You need a simple first site and can write and maintain it yourself.
- Your services, audience, and buying path are straightforward.
- You value the convenience of the platform more than the ability to move the working site intact.
Bring in a studio when
- Prospects compare your expertise, proof, and fees before they call.
- You have several services, locations, audiences, or approval steps to organize.
- Existing pages, articles, URLs, or search visibility need a careful move.
- You want direct access to the people writing, designing, and building the site.
A custom build gives a team more implementation control. Search rankings and AI recommendations still depend on the usefulness, clarity, and reputation of the business and its content.
How 4 common arrangements handle a move
Read the current plan or project agreement before deciding. These are practical differences, not a claim about every provider.
Wix
DIY website builder
You write and arrange the site within Wix. The content you build belongs to you. Wix says the functioning site must remain on its servers.
Good for a fast start and self-managed edits. A move to a different host requires rebuilding the site. Read Wix's explanation.
Squarespace
DIY website builder
You write and arrange the site within Squarespace. Its export produces an XML file for certain content, mainly for WordPress import.
Useful for a contained site you want to edit yourself. The export excludes several page types, style settings, custom CSS, and drafts. Review the export list.
Subscription provider
Agency or managed platform
Another team may write, build, host, and update the site for a recurring payment. Ownership and exit rights depend on the agreement you sign.
Ask for a sample handoff before signing. Confirm domain control, content export, design and code rights, cancellation timing, and any transfer fee.
TMN Creative
Founder-led custom studio
Trevor and Taylor shape the site around your buyers. Website files and project-specific assets transfer after full payment under the signed agreement.
Projects start at $2,250. Full Site Rebuild starts at $3,750, and Custom Studio Build starts at $5,000. Compare the scope.
Wix and Squarespace descriptions reflect their published help pages checked Sep 25, 2026. Subscription-provider terms vary by company and contract.
What TMN hands over
We build the website with you, then define its files, accounts, editing tools, and ongoing services in the project agreement. You can see the published boundaries before asking for a proposal.
- Project filesWebsite files and assets created specifically for the completed project transfer after full payment, subject to the signed agreement.
- Your accountsClient-owned domains, hosting, analytics, data, and third-party service accounts remain yours.
- EditingFull Site Rebuild and Custom Studio Build can include a client-owned CMS for agreed content when needed, with fields and handoff defined in the proposal.
- Site careOngoing care is scoped separately. Ending it does not change ownership of files already transferred after full payment.
The optional Managed Publishing Portal is maintained TMN software. Its application and source code stay with TMN while your content remains yours, with an export process on cancellation.
The work is public. You can inspect it.
These are live client sites and published case studies, with the decisions behind each build visible.
A platform change has more to protect than the appearance of a homepage. For Hilpan Moxie, the published archive kept all 29 article URLs. That is the kind of detail we look for when planning a rebuild. See the migration guide.
Ask any website company these 7 questions
You can take this list into a sales call, including one with us. Ask to see the answers in the agreement.
- Who registers and controls the domain?
- Who owns the copy, photos, design, and site files after payment?
- Can another provider host the working site without rebuilding it?
- What can I export from the CMS, and in what format?
- Which accounts, integrations, licenses, and subscriptions stay active if we part ways?
- What happens to URLs, redirects, analytics, and form leads during a move?
- How long does the handoff take, and is there a transfer fee?
For a broader pre-launch review, use our website redesign checklist.
Common questions about website ownership
Do I own a website I build on Wix?
Wix says the content you build on Wix belongs to you. Wix also says the functioning site must run on Wix's servers because it relies on Wix's technology and services. You can use a domain registered elsewhere, but you cannot move the Wix site intact to another host.
Can I move a Squarespace website to another host?
Squarespace provides an XML export for certain content, mainly for importing into WordPress. Its export guide says other page types, style settings, custom CSS, drafts, and several block types do not export. Plan for a rebuild of the parts the export does not carry.
What if I stop paying a website subscription company?
The answer depends on your agreement. Ask who controls the domain and hosting, which files you receive, whether the design and code can run elsewhere, what content exports, and when service ends. Get those answers in writing before signing.
What do I own after TMN Creative builds my website?
After full payment for a completed website project, clients receive ownership of website files and project assets created specifically for their project, as defined in the signed agreement. Client-owned domains, hosting, analytics, data, and third-party accounts remain theirs. Third-party licenses and optional software follow separate terms.
Does a custom website automatically rank better than Wix or Squarespace?
No. A custom build gives the team control over structure, content, performance work, redirects, and technical details. Search visibility still depends on relevance, useful information, competition, and the site's wider reputation. No platform or studio can guarantee AI recommendations.
Do I have to pay TMN Creative every month to keep my website files?
No. Ending site care does not change ownership of website files and project assets already transferred after full payment. Site care is month to month unless the applicable agreement says otherwise, and hosting or other services still need an active provider.
Show us the site you have now.
We'll review it and build a custom homepage preview so you can see what a focused redesign could look like before committing.
Already have a detailed brief? Discuss your project.