Pricing · Updated 1 August 2026

Platform lock-in

Platform lock-in means your site only works inside one provider's platform, and you can't take it with you if you switch developers or stop paying the monthly fee. The site is effectively rented, not owned.

Also known as: Vendor lock-in, Site builder lock-in

How lock-in happens

Many cheap "site builders" (certain Wix or Squarespace setups, for example) only work inside that one service. The site can't be exported and moved elsewhere, and if the monthly fee stops, the site disappears entirely.

How to avoid it

Before you commit, ask directly: do you get the code and content if you switch developers or providers later? If the answer is unclear or no, that's lock-in.

Written by Eetu Huotari

Related terms

SaaS SaaS means ready-made software used over the internet for a monthly or yearly fee, rather than bought outright. The cost is low per billing period, but it keeps running for as long as the service is used.Fixed price A fixed price means the project cost is agreed before work starts and doesn't change as the project progresses. You know the total before anything begins, so the invoice never comes as a surprise.Static site A static site is pre-built ahead of time and doesn't pull content from a database on every load. Pages load fast and the platform is light to maintain, since there's no heavy CMS running behind it.

All terms →