What is the core difference between BYOB and Durable? #
Pick Durable for an SMB site with CRM plus bookings plus invoicing in one subscription, and pick BYOB for portable SvelteKit code with custom CMS plus data and ZIP export anytime. Durable and BYOB both promise a fast path from idea to live site, but they disagree on what should arrive bundled with the pages. Prices below reflect listings checked in September 2026 in US dollars, so verify at checkout before you commit.
Durable generates an SMB site from business answers in about 30 seconds with CRM plus bookings plus invoicing in the same subscription. The pitch is operations in one place, so a new business gets presence plus pipeline together.
BYOB turns prompts into SvelteKit sites with content systems plus data attached and ZIP export anytime. The pitch is portable output, so the site you ship remains code you can move. The visual edit flow lets you click any element in live preview and describe the change, with a full code editor alongside, as described in the BYOB feature guide (features).
Proof apps show the BYOB shape. A media brand hub lives at Che for OS (live site). A pitch room product lives at My Pitch Room (live site). An agency style presence lives at Turi (live site). A playful consumer concept lives at Pawpal (live site).
So the choice is plain. If bundled business ops matter most, Durable fits. If portable code with custom content systems matters most, BYOB fits.
Try it: Website Cost Calculator — so startup costs stay comparable before committing.
How do BYOB and Durable compare on features? #
Pick Durable for an SMB site with CRM plus bookings plus invoicing in one subscription, and pick BYOB for portable SvelteKit code with custom CMS plus data and ZIP export anytime. Durable generates from business answers in about 30 seconds, hosts on Cloudflare with unlimited traffic, prices from Free $0 through Launch $25 and Grow $49 monthly, and offers no code export. BYOB generates from prompts with visual editing, deploys in one click to Cloudflare in about 30 seconds, and runs Free pay-as-you-go with 100 starter credits where purchased credits never expire. Bundled ops in one purchase favor Durable; portable code you keep favors BYOB.
| Feature | Durable | BYOB |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Business answers that generate an SMB site | Prompt plus visual edit for SvelteKit sites |
| AI depth | Generation tuned for SMB presence and ops | Chat generates pages with data models and app logic |
| Output and code ownership | Hosted site with no code export | Real SvelteKit you can export as ZIP anytime |
| Deploy and hosting | Hosting on Cloudflare with unlimited traffic | One click deploy to Cloudflare in about 30 seconds |
| Custom domains | Free domain on paid plans | Free byob page subdomain with auto SSL and custom domains on paid plans |
| CMS and blog | Business content blocks rather than custom CMS | Custom CMS with blogs generated through chat with real databases |
| Ecommerce | No native catalog for full stores | Stores built as custom SvelteKit apps with no bundled catalog |
| Auth and database | Business records inside the bundled CRM | Better Auth plus D1 with Google sign in and magic links with R2 storage binding and D1 or Supabase with AI generated owner only RLS policies |
| Pricing shape | Subscription plans per business | Free Pay As You Go with starter credits and purchased credits that never expire |
| Free tier | Free $0 | Free $0 with 100 starter credits and 30 day expiry |
| Team and sharing | Plan based seats for staff | Collaborators on Pro and Max with single editor lock and preview URLs |
| Version history | Platform managed revisions | Deploy snapshots with rollback in linear history with no native staging env |
| SEO and performance | Hosted pages tuned for SMB discovery | Prerendered SvelteKit output tuned for page speed |
| Exit path | Rebuild elsewhere since export is absent | ZIP export with standard SvelteKit you can host anywhere |
Pricing specifics keep the contrast honest. Durable lists Free at $0 with Launch at $25 per month monthly or $22 annual and Grow at $49 per month monthly or $41 annual as reported 2026, as listed on its pricing page (pricing). BYOB runs Free $0 Pay As You Go with 100 starter credits and 30 day expiry where $1 equals 100 credits and purchased credits never expire, as listed on the BYOB pricing page (pricing) and explained in the credit guide (credit based pricing). When credits run out on BYOB, AI plus deploys pause while live sites stay online and manual editing keeps working.
Deploy flow is quick on both. BYOB ships one click deploy to Cloudflare in about 30 seconds with a free byob page subdomain plus auto SSL, as described in the deployment guide (deployment). Durable includes hosting on Cloudflare with unlimited traffic and a free domain on paid plans.
Auth plus data marks the deeper split. BYOB assembles Google sign in managed or with your own client and magic links with no external provider, as described in the auth guide (auth). Files plus records arrive through R2 binding with D1 or Supabase behind AI generated owner only RLS policies, as described in the storage guide (storage). Durable keeps business records inside its bundled CRM with bookings and invoicing. BYOB does not bundle CRM with bookings and invoicing, so teams connect separate ops tools.
Where does Durable win? #
Durable wins when a new business needs presence with pipeline in one purchase. The bundled ops suite removes several buying decisions at once. For solo operators who sell time, that consolidation has real appeal.
Durable also wins on day one speed for standard SMB shapes. Answer questions about the business and receive a coherent site with copy plus sections plus contact paths. Owners who dislike blank canvases will feel looked after.
Pick Durable when bundled ops outweigh code control. Service shops plus clinics plus local pros who live on bookings will value the suite. If the site mainly needs to capture demand and track clients, staying inside one system is rational.
One honest caution. No code export means the platform is the home. If later needs call for custom data models or a move to owned infrastructure, the rebuild starts from zero. That tradeoff deserves weight before you invest months of content.
Who should pick BYOB? #
Pick BYOB when the site must grow into a content platform. Custom CMS with blogs arrives through chat on real databases, and portals with member areas follow the same path. Founders plus marketers plus operators who publish often will feel the difference.
Pick BYOB when portable output matters. Prompt led drafts with visual refinement compress the path from idea to URL. ZIP export anytime plus standard SvelteKit output means leaving stays possible, so commitment feels light.
Pick BYOB when auth plus storage should arrive assembled without ops lock in. Better Auth plus D1 with Google sign in and magic links removes provider setup. R2 binding with D1 or Supabase covers files plus records while the code stays movable.
The honest limit sits in sharing plus history. Collaborators join on Pro and Max with a single editor lock and preview URLs plus deploy snapshots with rollback. There is no native staging env, so teams use the preview URL or second project pattern, and history stays linear with no branches.
What are the trade-offs? #
Durable bundles presence plus pipeline in one subscription while BYOB delivers portable code you keep. Durable wins day-one speed for standard SMB shapes with bookings and invoicing included; BYOB wins when the site must grow into a content platform with auth plus data on real databases. The honest split is convenience against ownership: Durable has no code export so leaving means rebuilding, while BYOB has no bundled CRM so ops need separate tools. Pick Durable when bundled ops outweigh code control, and pick BYOB when portable output with ZIP export decides.
What is your next step? #
List the pages you need with the records you must store. If bookings with invoicing top that list, trial Durable with real business answers and test the CRM on day one. If content with portable code tops that list, paste the brief into BYOB and ship the first draft to the free byob page subdomain, then refine by clicking any element and describing the change.
Experience AI website building
What did we learn building this? #
We build and host on SvelteKit with one-click deploys from the dashboard to the edge, so the BYOB column above describes behavior we operate daily. Pricing math comes from the credit bundles and plans on the pricing page. Where Durable wins, we say so, because the wrong fit costs both sides.
For teams weighing Durable, the deciding test is one real project in preview, not a feature grid.
Who this is for (and who should skip it) #
This comparison helps small businesses choosing between an instant Durable site and a BYOB build you can steer. If you want control over code, design, and growth path, BYOB gives you the wheel.
Pick Durable if you need something online tonight with almost no input. Pure speed wins for simple presences, and you can rebuild properly later.
- Best for small business owners wanting control over code and growth path.
- Best for beginners needing a simple presence online tonight.
- Best for startups testing copy now with plans to rebuild properly later.
