There are many website builders available, each with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Some popular options include Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, WordPress, and Shopify.
Wix is a user-friendly website builder that offers a wide range of templates and customization options. Squarespace is a visually stunning platform that is ideal for creatives and businesses looking for a sleek and modern design. Weebly is another user-friendly platform that offers drag-and-drop editing and a variety of templates.
WordPress is a popular open-source platform that allows for more advanced customization and flexibility, making it a great option for bloggers and businesses that need more control over their website. Finally, Shopify is an eCommerce platform that is perfect for businesses looking to sell products online, with a wide range of features designed specifically for eCommerce.
Ultimately, the best website builder for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences, so it’s important to do your research and choose a platform that aligns with your goals and budget.
In order to determine the top website builders, we evaluated over 25 options using criteria such as cost, user-friendliness, available features, storage and bandwidth limits, and user feedback. From our analysis, we identified the top 10 website builders, allowing you to select the ideal platform based on your individual requirements and budget.
Weebly
Weebly has secured its position as one of the top website builders due to its affordability, versatility, and user-friendliness. In 2018, Square acquired Weebly, resulting in a merger of Weebly’s drag-and-drop editor and Square’s e-commerce capabilities. As a result, users can now create a small business website using Weebly’s popular editor or opt for an online store and build it with Square’s no-frills e-commerce site builder.
In addition, even if users choose to build their website with Weebly, they can easily add shopping cart functionality later. Weebly also provides hundreds of stylish and mobile-responsive theme designs to help users get started. While adding elements like text boxes and buttons is simple, customization is limited due to the grid-based design system.
Weebly offers generous storage and bandwidth, as well as marketing tools like email and social media, to help users build their audience. Notably, Weebly allows users to switch themes without losing their content, which is an uncommon feature among website builders.
Overall, Weebly is a great website builder option for small businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, creatives, and e-commerce sellers. It’s particularly well-suited for beginners, with its intuitive site editor and professional-looking themes.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy’s website builder is an excellent option for users with no technical expertise. By answering a few questions about their website’s purpose, users can obtain a pre-built site that is ready for customization. Alternatively, they can select a template and use the drag-and-drop editor to add content. Although GoDaddy offers fewer design options than some competitors, their templates are professional-looking and clean.
As an all-in-one domain registrar, web host, and site builder, GoDaddy includes marketing and SEO features. Upgrading to an e-commerce site is also a straightforward process, starting at $14.99 per month with a long-term contract.
One standout feature of GoDaddy’s website builder is its appointment booking tool, making it easy for service-based businesses to accept online bookings. Additionally, GoDaddy utilizes its technology to design a site based on users’ needs, even incorporating stock images related to the site or business theme.
GoDaddy is an ideal choice for small businesses and online stores, offering built-in marketing and SEO tools through the editor or dashboard. However, not all of these tools are included in every monthly plan.
IONOS
While IONOS is primarily known as a web host, its website builder, MyWebsite, competes with some of the most popular standalone builders. The interface is user-friendly, and the drag-and-drop functionality makes it accessible for anyone to use. New users are offered a substantial discount on the first year with IONOS, and subsequent renewals are reasonably priced ($6 per month if paid annually).
However, it’s not immediately apparent that the lowest-priced plan still includes IONOS ads, as is typically the case with free website builder plans. Therefore, upgrading to the Plus plan is necessary to remove them. The lower-priced plan is also somewhat limited in terms of features, lacking the multilingual translation feature, parallax scrolling, photo galleries, and business apps for additional functionality.
One standout feature of IONOS’ Pro plan is the ability to create personalized content for specific visitors. This means that first-time visitors will see something different than returning visitors. You can also set it up to display content differently based on sales, holidays, or other specific events.
IONOS’ website builder may work well for small business websites that are willing to pay a bit more for the mid- or top-tier plans.
Squarespace
Squarespace stands out as one of the best website builders due to its feature-packed platform. It offers a variety of options such as online stores, blogs, portfolio sites, small business websites, and membership sites. While the editor is user-friendly, it may take some time to locate menus and features, as it combines drag-and-drop and point-and-click editors.
The website builder has an impressive range of templates and has won awards for its design. The minimalistic, bold, and modern templates are created by professional designers and are mobile-responsive, eliminating the need to design a separate mobile site.
Squarespace’s standout feature is the ability to enable accelerated mobile pages (AMP) to reduce the load time of blog pages. This is achieved by reducing image size, using a specific font, and removing custom code.
Squarespace is perfect for creatives, such as photographers, designers, and artists, who would benefit from a Squarespace design. Additionally, it’s an ideal choice for online stores, with features like limited availability labels that enhance the user experience.
HostGator
HostGator is a highly affordable option among the best website builders. Its simple-to-use editor is a true drag-and-drop editor that allows you to place elements anywhere on the page. The platform includes email marketing campaign features and lead capture forms, so there’s no need to use separate marketing tools. Even with the lowest-priced plan, you can add an online store, but you’re limited to only three products.
However, compared to its competitors, HostGator’s templates appear to be a few decades older. Most of them are too minimalistic, with very little actual design. On the other hand, this offers you a blank canvas to create a unique website design.
Standout feature: HostGator offers an in-depth tutorial to help you get started with its editor. While other website builders have similar features, HostGator’s tutorial is highly detailed, and you’re unlikely to require customer support.
Who should use it: HostGator is ideal for personal projects, blogs, or simple small business websites. The platform is affordable and has an easy-to-use editor, but its template options are limited.
Wix
With a wide range of plans and features, Wix is a popular website builder suitable for anyone from beginners to advanced users. While the free plan is available, users must bear Wix branding and are limited to a subdomain. The entry-level plan provides access to free apps for additional functionality, but with some restrictions.
Higher-tier plans provide advanced features such as SEO and analytics tools, a logo maker, and an events calendar. Although e-commerce plans can be expensive, they come with additional features.
Wix boasts an extensive collection of over 900 templates created by professional designers. While some of them may look outdated, most of the templates are modern and suitable for various industries.
Standout feature: One of Wix’s standout features is its large library of designer templates, providing users with a variety of options to choose from.
Who should use it: Wix is an excellent choice for new small business owners, especially those interested in starting an online store. Although the e-commerce plans may seem expensive, they are on par with competitors.
Shopify
Shopify is primarily designed for building e-commerce websites. All of the paid plans come with built-in shopping carts and marketing features to help you sell online. While there are only nine free e-commerce templates available, dozens of premium templates are available for purchase, typically costing around $100.
The editor is not a true drag-and-drop editor, which may take some time to learn. It’s more of a point-and-click navigation system, but it’s easy enough to figure out and use after spending some time with the tools.
One standout feature of Shopify is the Shopify Lite plan, which costs $9 per month and allows you to add a buy button to an existing website, a Tumblr blog, or even sell in person with the Shopify point-of-sale mobile app.
Shopify is ideal for serious e-commerce small businesses that want to build a full-fledged online store. It’s not just a website builder; it’s designed for selling products online. Brick-and-mortar businesses that want to sell their inventory online will find Shopify to be an ideal solution.
Zyro
Zyro is a website builder that boasts one of the lowest introductory prices on the market. However, to take advantage of this low cost, users must agree to a four-year contract. The platform offers more than 100 free templates to choose from, with clean designs that make use of hero images as a focal point.
Zyro’s drag-and-drop editor is straightforward and includes basic elements needed to create a website for personal or professional use. However, keep in mind that the low-tier plan has limitations, including 3 GB of bandwidth for data transfer and 1 GB of storage for site files. Additionally, there’s no shopping cart feature available on the lowest-priced plan, although Zyro offers e-commerce plans for those who need it.
One standout feature of Zyro is its ability to import an existing website to its platform quickly and easily. The tool pulls in the content from the site and allows users to plug it into a new design.
Who should use it: Zyro is a great option for those who are creating their first website and don’t plan to add a lot of content. The platform’s editor is user-friendly, and the price is attractive. However, users will need to register their own domain, and it’s a long-term commitment to take advantage of the low price.
WordPress.org
To clarify, we recommend the open-source free content management system (CMS) from WordPress.org as a website builder, not the site builder of the same name at WordPress.com. WordPress is a popular CMS that offers a lot of flexibility and freedom in building your site.
It’s important to note that you need to secure web hosting separately if you choose to use WordPress. There are over 8,000 free WordPress themes available, as well as many paid themes.
While WordPress’ site builder is easy to use, it only includes basic elements. However, there are tens of thousands of free plugins that can be added to extend your site’s functionality.
Standout feature: WordPress is highly customizable, offering more flexibility than any other website builder. However, you may need to hire a freelancer to help with coding or learn how to use plugins to achieve your desired results.
Who should use it: WordPress is suitable for those with some tech knowledge who want a customized website with the freedom to choose their own web hosting. It’s suitable for info-only sites or online stores. However, it’s not as straightforward as all-in-one website builders.
Duda
Duda stands out among the best website builders due to its simplicity, flexibility, and unique features. Its lowest-priced plan costs $14 per month without any introductory discounts. To add an e-commerce store, you need to pay an extra $7.25 per month, making it one of the pricier options among top website builders.
Duda doesn’t limit bandwidth or storage like most site builders for small businesses. The editor has drag-and-drop functionality and is easy to use. Most elements are basic, with some advanced features. Duda provides over 100 pre-built templates that you can customize to your liking. All designs are mobile-responsive, modern, clean, and professional.
The standout features of Duda include the ability to create rules for site visitors, with specific content showing for visitors who are geographically near your business. There’s also a content library that enables you to import content from an existing client’s website into a new design.
Who should use it: Duda is recommended for freelance web designers or agencies. It’s a bit too expensive for personal projects and has specific use cases. Duda could be an excellent choice if you have multiple businesses that need several websites or if you run a design or development agency.
What is a Website Builder?
A website builder is a software tool or online platform that enables individuals or businesses to create and publish a website without the need for advanced coding or web design skills. Website builders typically provide a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop tools and customizable templates that allow users to create a website quickly and easily.
They often offer a variety of features such as hosting, domain registration, SEO optimization, e-commerce functionality, and analytics. Website builders can be a cost-effective and efficient way to create a professional-looking website for personal or business use.
How Does A Web Builder Work?
Website builders are typically online platforms that allow users to create and design a website without requiring advanced technical knowledge or coding skills. Here are the general steps of how a web builder works:
- Choose a Template: Website builders offer pre-designed templates for different types of websites, including blogs, portfolios, online stores, and more. Users can choose a template that best suits their needs and preferences.
- Customize the Design: Once a template is chosen, users can customize it by changing colors, fonts, layouts, and adding images, videos, and other elements. Most website builders offer drag-and-drop functionality, allowing users to move elements around easily.
- Add Content: Users can add text, images, videos, and other content to their website. Most website builders offer pre-designed content blocks that users can easily add to their site.
- Optimize for Search Engines: Website builders offer tools to optimize websites for search engines, such as adding meta descriptions and tags, optimizing images, and creating SEO-friendly URLs.
- Publish the Site: Once the design and content are finalized, users can publish their website to the internet. Most website builders offer hosting services, but users can also choose to host their website with a separate provider.
In summary, website builders simplify the website creation process by offering pre-designed templates, drag-and-drop functionality, and user-friendly interfaces.
How to Choose the Best Website Builder
Choosing the best website builder for your needs can be a daunting task, as there are many options available in the market. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing the best website builder:
- Ease of use: Look for a website builder that is easy to use and has an intuitive interface, even if you have no coding experience. It should offer drag-and-drop functionality and allow you to customize templates to create a unique design.
- Features: Consider the features you need, such as e-commerce functionality, blogging capabilities, SEO tools, and social media integration. Choose a website builder that offers the features you need to build the website you want.
- Templates: Look for a website builder with a wide range of templates to choose from. Templates should be customizable and mobile responsive, so your website looks great on any device.
- Pricing: Consider your budget when choosing a website builder. Most website builders offer a range of plans, so choose one that fits your budget and offers the features you need.
- Support: Look for a website builder with good customer support. Choose one that offers a knowledge base, tutorials, and live support, so you can get help when you need it.
- Scalability: Consider the scalability of the website builder. Choose one that allows you to upgrade to higher plans as your website grows, and offers the flexibility to add new features and functionality as your business evolves.
- Reviews: Look for reviews and feedback from other users to get an idea of their experience with the website builder. This will help you make an informed decision when choosing the best website builder for your needs.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website?
The cost to build a website can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the type of website, the complexity of the design, the features and functionalities needed, and whether you hire a professional developer or use a website builder.
If you choose to use a website builder, the cost can range from free to a few hundred dollars per year, depending on the platform and the features you need. For example, some website builders offer free plans with basic features, while others charge a monthly fee for more advanced features such as e-commerce functionality, custom domain names, and more storage and bandwidth.
If you hire a professional developer or a web development agency to build a custom website, the cost can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars or more. The cost will depend on the complexity of the design and functionality, the experience and expertise of the developer, and the time required to build the website.
It’s important to consider your budget and your specific needs when choosing how to build your website, and to research the costs associated with each option before making a decision.
Web Design Trends As a web designer, keeping up with design trends can help you deliver your clients’ desired results on the first attempt. Here are some significant 2023 web design trends that we expect to gain popularity in the coming year.
Motion Design Trends The top trend we have observed is a shift towards designs that incorporate motion in some way. Adding active design elements is an excellent way to grab visitors’ attention, pique their interest, and with numerous ways to implement them, you are sure to find something meaningful and even enjoyable to use.
Prioritizing Download Speeds According to Google, more than half of mobile users abandon a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Ensuring ultra-fast download speeds provides a better user experience, encouraging users to stay on your site and increasing your potential for sales.
Content Loading A website can load in its entirety upon arrival, or only load the content that the client is accessing—also called smart or lazy loading. Smart loading enables a company website to operate faster and more efficiently than non-smart loading competitors.
Individualized Content Using user data trends and location services can assist web developers in creating a more personalized online experience for their consumer base, thus increasing a company’s conversion potential.
Accessibility and Availability The demand for creating digital content accessible and usable for everyone is increasing. For example, when designing a web page, it is essential to consider accommodations for neurodivergent individuals, consumers with disabilities, and those with visual or auditory impairments.
Here are some tips to help you build a successful website:
- Define your purpose and goals: Before you start building your website, define what you want to achieve with it. Set clear goals and objectives that align with your business or personal aspirations.
- Understand your audience: Your website should cater to the needs and preferences of your target audience. Research their behavior and demographics to create a website that resonates with them.
- Keep it simple: A cluttered website can be overwhelming and confusing for visitors. Keep your design and content simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate.
- Focus on user experience: Make sure your website is optimized for a great user experience. This includes fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, easy navigation, and clear calls-to-action.
- Use high-quality content: Your content should be informative, engaging, and relevant to your audience. Use high-quality images, videos, and copy to create a compelling website that keeps visitors coming back.
- Optimize for search engines: Make sure your website is optimized for search engines by using relevant keywords, meta tags, and descriptions. This will improve your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.
- Build a strong brand identity: Your website should reflect your brand identity through your color scheme, typography, and logo. Consistency in branding builds trust and credibility with your audience.
- Engage with your visitors: Encourage visitors to engage with your website by including social media links, a blog, or a contact form. This will help you build a community around your brand and create loyal customers.
- Measure your success: Use analytics tools to measure your website’s performance and track your progress towards your goals. This will help you identify areas for improvement and optimize your website for better results.
By following these tips, you can build a successful website that meets the needs of your audience and helps you achieve your goals.