White label is a product or service made by one company and sold by another under its own name. The end customer only sees the brand of whoever sold it to them. With websites, it lets a freelancer or an agency sell sites under their own brand without building or maintaining the technology.
You see it every day without noticing: the store-brand cereal at the grocery store, a small bank's app built by a tech vendor, the hosting your agency "offers." This guide explains how it works, how it differs from private label, and what to check before you sell websites under your own brand.
Why it's called white label
The name comes from products that left the factory in plain white packaging, with no brand, so each store could put its own label on them. In software and services, the idea is the same: the product arrives "blank" and the reseller presents it under their name.
Examples of white label products
| Industry | Example |
|---|---|
| Food | A grocery store's store-brand products, made by another company |
| Beauty and personal care | Generic lotions and shampoos that each brand packages with its own label |
| Electronics | Headphones and chargers that several brands sell almost identically |
| Software | Platforms agencies sell as their own: email, CRM, websites |
| Financial services | Cards or payment apps run by one provider and sold under another company's name |
White label vs. private label
People use them interchangeably, but they're not the same thing:
| White label | Private label | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A generic product that several resellers sell under their own brand | A product made to order for a single brand |
| Exclusivity | No: other people sell the same product | Yes, or close to it |
| Also called | Rebranded or unbranded | Store brand or own brand |
| Software example | A website platform used by lots of agencies | A custom system built for one company |
| Cost to get started | Low | High |
People who sell websites almost always work with white label: a shared platform that each reseller presents under their own brand.
How white label works for websites
For websites, white label works in three parts: the provider supplies the technology (site builder, hosting, and security), you handle the client relationship and the price, and your client sees their website under their own brand. The provider charges you per month or per site, and you charge whatever you decide:
- The provider supplies the technology: the site builder, hosting, security, and updates.
- You handle the client relationship: you sell, provide support, set the price, and bill.
- Your client sees their website with their brand. If there's a dashboard or an email, they see your brand, not the provider's.
You charge your client whatever you decide. The provider charges you, usually per month, per site, or both. In how much to charge for a website, we explain how to set your price.
Levels of white labeling
Platforms remove their branding to different degrees. Check which level the one you use is at:
| Level | What your client sees |
|---|---|
| No white label | "Made with [platform]" in the footer |
| Unbranded site | Their website on their domain, with no mention of the platform |
| Dashboard with your brand | If they log into a dashboard, they see your logo and your domain |
| Full white label | Emails, invoices, and support under your name |
For many freelancers, the second level is enough: the business owner rarely logs into a dashboard and only looks at their website. A dashboard with your brand matters more when you have lots of clients or give them access.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| You don't build or maintain the technology | You depend on the provider: if they raise prices or shut down, it affects you |
| Your brand grows, not the provider's | Other resellers sell the same product |
| You can charge a monthly fee, the same way the platform charges you | You can only customize what the provider allows |
| Serving your fiftieth client costs the same as serving your first | If the provider has a problem, your client comes to you |
What to check before choosing a platform
- How much it costs to grow. Some platforms raise prices sharply once you pass a certain number of sites, or save white labeling for their most expensive plan.
- What happens if you leave. Whether you can take your clients' sites, the code, and the domain with you.
- How much work it leaves to you. Whether you have to design and edit every website yourself or the platform builds it.
- Whether it lets you measure results. A report of clicks and calls for each site helps you keep clients.
- Whether it bills in your currency and offers support in your language.
If you already have clients, maintenance also changes depending on the platform. We explain it in website maintenance cost.
FAQ
What does white label mean?
White label means a product or service that one company makes and another sells under its own brand. The end customer only sees the reseller's brand. In software, it lets an agency sell websites, email, or a CRM as if they were its own without building the technology.
What is a private label brand?
A private label brand is a product made to order for a single brand, which sells it under its own name. Unlike white label, the product is usually exclusive to that brand and made to its specifications. Products with a grocery store's name on them are the most common example.
What's another name for private label?
Private label is also called "store brand" or "own brand." It refers to products one company makes for another, which sells them under its own name. At the grocery store, they're the products with the store's brand on them, made by a supplier whose name doesn't appear on the package.
What are some white label products?
There are white label products in almost every industry: store-brand food and drinks, cosmetics and shampoos, headphones and chargers, and in software, email platforms, CRMs, and websites that agencies sell under their own name. In every case, the manufacturer stays hidden behind the reseller's brand.
Why is it called white label?
It's called white label because products used to leave the factory in plain white packaging, with no brand, so each store or reseller could put its own label on them. In software and services, the idea is the same: the product arrives "blank" and the reseller presents it with their own name and logo.
What's the difference between white label and a reseller?
A reseller resells another company's product, sometimes with the provider's brand still visible. White label is when they resell it under their own brand and the provider stays hidden. For example, an agency can resell hosting with the provider's brand on it, or sell it as its own service under white label.
How white label works at The Biz Layer
The Biz Layer is a platform for freelancers, social media managers, and small agencies that sell websites to local businesses and charge them a monthly fee. Your brand is out front and we stay in the background: in The Biz Layer, your clients' websites carry the business's name and logo, and there's no mention of us on their domain.
The code for every site is yours and you can take it with you. You set the price and bill your client directly. A plan with your own brand on the dashboard is on the way. Check out the plans. If you're just getting started, how to sell websites to local businesses walks you through the whole process.