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Nabee Studio vs a marketing agency: which is the better fit?
A good agency brings a bench of specialists and a lot of experience. For many small and mid-size businesses, though, the usual setup means paying separately for ads, the website, and care, with different people behind each.
In short
- Typical agency pricing: ad management at $750–$1,200 a month plus setup, a custom website at $4,500+ up front, and care at $100–$300 a month (typical published ranges, 2026).
- An agency wins when you need services beyond the website and Google and Meta ads: PR, broadcast, large content programs, or a big multi-channel budget.
- Nabee runs the website, care, and Google and Meta ads as one team on Growth for $990/mo, with no build fee and no cut of spend.
Where an agency is the better call
- Wide scope: PR, TV, radio, events, influencer programs, or large content teams.
- Big budgets across many channels: when you need a dedicated account team and specialists for each platform.
- Brand campaigns: big creative productions for launches or rebrands.
Where the usual agency setup costs more
- Several bills: ad management, the website build, hosting, and care are often separate contracts, sometimes with separate firms.
- Percentage of spend: some agencies charge a share of your ad budget, so their fee grows when you spend more.
- Handoffs: the ads team needs a landing page and waits on the web team, or on another vendor.
- Account ownership: some agencies run ads in their own accounts, so the history stays with them when you leave.
Side by side
| Typical agency | Nabee Growth | |
|---|---|---|
| Ad management | $750–$1,200 a month, plus setup | Included |
| Website | $4,500+ up front, often a separate project | Custom site included, no build fee |
| Care and hosting | $100–$300 a month | Included |
| Fee on ad spend | Sometimes a percentage | None |
| Ad accounts | Varies | Yours from day one |
| Monthly total | Several line items | $990/mo |
Agency figures are typical published ranges, 2026. Ad spend is extra in both cases; at Nabee you pay Google and Meta directly (we suggest at least $500/mo per platform).
Choose an agency if / choose Nabee if
- Choose an agency if you need many channels beyond Google and Meta, brand campaigns, PR, or a large dedicated account team.
- Choose Nabee if you want the website, care, and Google and Meta ads run as one system by one team, with one monthly price and your accounts in your name.
More detail: agency vs in-house: the real numbers and studio vs traditional agency.
Common questions
How much does a marketing agency charge for ads?
Typical published ranges in 2026 are $750–$1,200 a month for ad management, plus a setup fee, with the website and care billed separately. Some agencies charge a percentage of ad spend instead.
When is a traditional agency better than Nabee?
When you need services beyond the website and Google and Meta ads, like PR, broadcast, events, or large content programs, or a big multi-channel budget with a dedicated account team.
Does Nabee take a percentage of ad spend?
No. You pay Google and Meta directly, and our fee is the flat monthly plan.
What does Nabee's Growth plan include?
Your custom website, hosting and care, Google and Meta ads run for you, 2 landing pages, 4 fresh ad sets a month, conversion tracking, a live dashboard, and a monthly call, for $990/mo.