Which option actually costs less?
There is no universal winner. Compare the same workload and period, including employee costs, provider fees, setup, tools, media spend and your own management time. Coaching requires someone inside your business to execute; an agency quote may not cover every task.
This index is Chris Heidlebaugh’s comparison framework—not a salary survey, agency-rate study or claim of guaranteed savings. Verified nationwide cost ranges are not currently available here.
Three ways to get marketing done
| Compare | In-house | Agency | Coach + internal execution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Execution | Your employee executes; you manage priorities and coverage. | An external team executes the work defined in your contract. | A coach guides and trains; your owner or employee still does the work. |
| Costs to check | Recruiting, supervision, specialist gaps and staff turnover. | Scope limits, add-on charges, coordination and contract commitments. | You need implementation capacity; coaching is not a substitute for execution. |
| Ownership | Internal knowledge can stay with the business; document processes and access. | Confirm domain, accounts, data, creative rights and handover terms in writing. | Skills can remain in-house; clarify rights to training materials and tools. |
Your total-cost comparison
Enter actual salaries and quotes. A zero means no additional cost; a blank stays uncalculated. Entries stay on this page only and are not submitted.
In-house
Use only the share of salary devoted to marketing.
Benefits, employer taxes and other employment costs; use your actual rate.
Recurring outside fees; do not repeat costs already included elsewhere.
Recruiting, onboarding, website work or a fixed training program.
Only additional costs not included in the fee.
Management, approvals and coordination; separate from employee hours.
Total cash outlay
Not calculated
- Cash monthly equivalent
- —
- Owner time (non-cash)
- —
- Cash + owner time
- —
Agency
Use only the share of salary devoted to marketing.
Benefits, employer taxes and other employment costs; use your actual rate.
Recurring outside fees; do not repeat costs already included elsewhere.
Recruiting, onboarding, website work or a fixed training program.
Only additional costs not included in the fee.
Management, approvals and coordination; separate from employee hours.
Total cash outlay
Not calculated
- Cash monthly equivalent
- —
- Owner time (non-cash)
- —
- Cash + owner time
- —
Coach + internal execution
Use only the share of salary devoted to marketing.
Benefits, employer taxes and other employment costs; use your actual rate.
Recurring outside fees; do not repeat costs already included elsewhere.
Recruiting, onboarding, website work or a fixed training program.
Only additional costs not included in the fee.
Management, approvals and coordination; separate from employee hours.
Total cash outlay
Not calculated
- Cash monthly equivalent
- —
- Owner time (non-cash)
- —
- Cash + owner time
- —
Use 1–60 whole months and nonnegative values. Results are planning scenarios, not expected ROI or tax advice.
Methodology: compare like with like
- Monthly labor = allocated annual salary ÷ 12 × (1 + employer cost percentage ÷ 100).
- Total cash = (monthly labor + recurring fee + additional tools/production + ad spend) × months + one-time setup/training.
- Owner opportunity cost = monthly oversight hours × hourly value × months. This is not an additional cash payment.
- Cash monthly equivalent spreads setup across your chosen period; it is not a quoted subscription price.
Scope a common deliverables list: service pages, reviews, AI/search visibility, social, ad management, creative, tracking and reporting. Check whether tools, media, website builds and specialist support are included. Do not count the same expense twice. The calculator assumes constant costs, excludes financing and future price changes, and does not model tax deductions, revenue or lead quality.
Published offer context—not market averages
Digital Marketing Coach lists the Insourced Marketing Blueprint™ at $18,000 and Done With You execution at $5,000/month; DIY training is a monthly membership hosted on Skool. These are this provider’s published starting prices, not nationwide coaching or agency benchmarks. A fixed training program is not a recurring retainer, and training does not include your employee’s labor or media spend.
Check current pricing, scope and terms →
Disclosure: Chris offers training and execution services. Compare independent quotes and your actual implementation capacity; this page does not establish that coaching is always cheaper or better.
Questions to ask before choosing
- Should coaching replace an agency?
- Only compare that option if your team can execute the same work. Include internal labor, tools and oversight alongside coaching fees.
- Does the lowest cost mean the best value?
- No. Check scope, accountability, quality, capacity and ownership. Measure qualified leads and booked jobs separately; this calculator predicts neither.
- Where should I start?
- Use the Heidlebaugh Hierarchy: website foundation, reviews, AI search visibility, organic social and then paid ads. The priorities remain the same regardless of who does the work.
Citation & sources
Heidlebaugh, C. (2026). In-House vs. Agency vs. Coach Cost Index. Digital Marketing Coach. https://digitalmarketingcoach.com/research/in-house-agency-coach-cost-index. Updated 2026-10-18.
Cite this page for its total-cost methodology, not for observed salary or agency-rate data. Offer prices are sourced from the linked pricing page as of 2026-10-18; all calculator values are supplied by the reader.
Back to Research
Written & reviewed by
Chris Heidlebaugh — Digital Marketing Coach & author of Digital Marketing for DIYers
- 25+ years in marketing
- Author of Digital Marketing for DIYers
- 20,000+ students taught
- Home services specialist
- M.S., Computer Science
- B.S., Internet Marketing
- College professor, digital marketing
- Owner of multiple seven-figure marketing agencies
- Published author and speaker
- Published:
- Last updated:
- Reviewed for accuracy:
- by Chris Heidlebaugh (Marketing delivery models and total-cost comparison methodology)
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