Web Performance & Accessibility vs Website Design
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — web performance & accessibility compared with website design.
Last revised
Both sit under Web Design & Development, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
The quick verdict
In short More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. Web Design & Development sets that out.
Side by side
| Web Performance & Accessibility | Website Design | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $1,200.00 per audit | From $4,800.00 per project |
| Typical turnaround | 1–3 weeks | 1–4 weeks |
Choose Web Performance & Accessibility if
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $1,200.00 per audit against $4,800.00 per project for website design
- Your deadline suits 1–3 weeks rather than 1–4 weeks
- The job is specifically accessibility audit (WCAG 2.2 aa), which sits under this one
- The job is specifically accessibility remediation, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically caching & CDN setup, which sits under this one
Choose Website Design if
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $4,800.00 per project against $1,200.00 per audit for web performance & accessibility
- Your deadline suits 1–4 weeks rather than 1–3 weeks
- The job is specifically design system build, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically email template design, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically Figma to HTML conversion, which sits under this one
What each one is
- Web Performance & Accessibility Measured against field data rather than lab scores, and against real assistive technology rather than an automated score. You get the findings, the fixes and the audit trail.
- Website Design Research, wireframes, interface design and design systems — decided before anyone picks a typeface, because a flow that does not work cannot be styled into working.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
Web Performance & Accessibility starts at $1,200.00 per audit and website design at $4,800.00 per project. Complexity and volume move both, and the cheaper unit is not always the cheaper job.
Which is faster?
Web Performance & Accessibility typically runs 1–3 weeks and website design 1–4 weeks. Volume moves both more than the choice does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Web Performance & Accessibility — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- Website Design — the same for the alternative
- Web Design & Development pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — a free technical review of one page, written up, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
