Kit Digital vs. web subscription: an honest comparison for SMBs
Got a Kit Digital website that generates zero leads? We compare both options with real numbers: what each model includes, what it really costs, and what return to expect.
Key points
If you run a business in Spain and took advantage of the Kit Digital programme to get a website, you’re probably in one of two situations: either the website generates zero enquiries, or you’ve realised you need someone to maintain and rank it, but the Kit Digital provider has vanished.
You’re not alone. 67% of websites created with Kit Digital subsidies are abandoned after the first year. In this article, we compare both options with real numbers: the Kit Digital model (subsidised website + abandoned) and the subscription web model (professional website + monthly growth).
What Kit Digital actually includes
Kit Digital is a Spanish government subsidy programme for SMB digitalisation. Segment I (10-49 employees) offers up to 12,000 EUR, and Segment II (1-9 employees) up to 6,000 EUR for web presence.
What you typically receive:
- WordPress website with a commercial template (Divi, Elementor, Avada)
- 5-8 standard pages (home, services, about us, contact)
- Basic text (often generic, minimally adapted)
- Contact form
- SSL certificate
- .es or .com domain
What it does NOT include:
- SEO strategy or keyword research
- Content optimised for search engines
- Blog or content plan
- Maintenance after the first year
- Security updates
- Multilingual support (most are Spanish-only)
- AI search engine positioning (ChatGPT, Perplexity)
- Performance optimisation (most score below 50 on PageSpeed)
Real cost to the client: 0 EUR (the subsidy covers it). But the website’s value reflects exactly what was invested in strategy and content: zero.
What a professional web subscription includes
Let’s take serpixel (Clever European Business, S.L.) as an example, representative of what a subscription web agency offers:
Phase 1 (months 1-4): design and launch
- 100% custom design (no templates)
- Development with Astro 6 + Vercel (reference technology)
- Professional multilingual content (CA/ES/EN minimum)
- 12 initial SEO blog articles
- Schema.org and structuring for AI search engines
- Optimised Google Business profile
- 100/100 PageSpeed performance
- Domain and hosting included
Phase 2 (month 5 onward): ongoing growth
- 4 SEO blog articles per month (48/year)
- Monthly technical maintenance (updates, security, performance)
- Monthly positioning and metrics report
- Content changes and updates included
- Continuous performance and security monitoring
- AI search engine positioning (GEO)
Investment is quoted after a discovery session tailored to your case (all prices exclude VAT, with no large upfront payments).
The comparison in numbers
| Factor | Kit Digital | Web subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 cost | 0 EUR (subsidised) | Monthly fee, no upfront investment |
| Design | WordPress template | Custom, from scratch |
| Pages | 5-8 standard | As needed |
| Blog | Not included | 12 initial + 4/month |
| SEO | Not included | Research + execution |
| Languages | 1 (Spanish) | 3 minimum (CA/ES/EN) |
| Maintenance | 1 year included, then nothing | Monthly, always |
| PageSpeed | 30-60 (typical) | 95-100 (guaranteed) |
| Security updates | Until subsidy ends | Monthly, always |
| AI search positioning | No | Yes (GEO) |
| Code ownership | Depends on provider | Client’s (month 5) |
| Post-launch support | Usually non-existent | Dedicated team |
The cost of doing nothing
This is where the comparison gets interesting. The Kit Digital website costs 0 EUR, but what’s the cost of having a website that generates no business?
A real example from the construction sector in Catalonia:
A renovation company in the Berguedà with a Kit Digital website receives zero online enquiries. Their competitor, with an optimised website, receives 8-12 monthly enquiries. If each enquiry has a 20% conversion rate and an average project value of 3,000 EUR, the company with the optimised website generates:
- 10 enquiries x 20% conversion = 2 projects/month
- 2 projects x 3,000 EUR = 6,000 EUR/month additional revenue
The cost of not having a working website: 6,000 EUR/month in lost revenue. The cost of a monthly web subscription is a small fraction of that figure: when the website actually works, the return compounds month after month.
Obviously, not every sector has the same potential, but the pattern is clear: a website that ranks on Google generates a return far exceeding its cost.
When Kit Digital is enough
Let’s be honest: not every business needs a website that generates leads. If your business:
- Runs exclusively on referrals and word of mouth
- Doesn’t depend on the internet for new client acquisition
- Only needs a page with address, phone number, and hours
- Has no significant online competition
In that case, a basic Kit Digital website may be sufficient. The problem is that many businesses that DO depend on their website for client acquisition chose Kit Digital expecting a professional website, and now find themselves with a template that generates nothing.
When you need a web subscription
If your business:
- Receives (or should receive) client enquiries through the website
- Competes with other companies that do appear on Google
- Needs presence in more than one language
- Wants to reduce dependence on paid advertising (Google Ads)
- Needs the website to convey professionalism and trust
- Seeks measurable results and monthly growth
In that case, investing in a professional website with maintenance and monthly content is amply justified by the return generated.
How the transition from Kit Digital works
The process is simpler than it seems:
- Free audit: we analyse your current website (performance, SEO, content, security) and explain exactly what you’d change.
- New website from scratch: we design and build a new website with modern technology (we don’t “patch” the WordPress).
- Content migration: we recover useful content from the old website and optimise it.
- URL redirects: we ensure Google doesn’t lose existing indexation.
- Monthly growth: from launch, 4 SEO articles per month and continuous maintenance.
The entire process completes in 4-6 weeks. The old website can stay live while the new one is being built.
serpixel: the alternative to Kit Digital
At serpixel, we created the subscription web model precisely for SMBs left without support after Kit Digital. Our approach:
- Custom design: every website designed from scratch for your business. No templates.
- Modern technology: Astro 6 + Vercel, the fastest web stack on the market. Not WordPress.
- Integrated SEO and GEO: positioning on Google and AI search engines from day one.
- Monthly content: 4 blog articles that rank your website for new searches every month.
- No upfront investment: monthly subscription. No surprises.
- Code ownership: yours from month 5. No lock-in.
Want to know what a professional website could do for your business? Let’s talk.