best website builder: the top 10 picks for your business


In this post, I’m going to help you choose the best website builder – and give you some tips on how to get the best out of it!

During my professional career, I have made dozens of websites. Some of them were either jokes, unsuccessful blogs, or other random ideas that never gained traction. Others, just like the website you’re reading right now – turned into big projects that I am very proud of.

best website builder


Therefore, in the last two decades, I’ve used plenty of website building platforms, and even coded websites on my own.

And let me tell you – it’s never been easier to build a website than it is right now. And that’s mostly thanks to the big selection of great website builders – like the ones right here.

With a good website builder, even a complete beginner can:

  • Set up a functional website
  • Make it look good on all devices
  • Start selling online
  • Rank high on search engines using elaborate SEO Tools. 
  • And much more!

You don’t need to be a website development expert, or have a lot of money to make something you and your business can be proud of. In fact, there are even some top free website builder options that will be perfect for you.

And in this article, I’ll cover the best website builders you can choose from. So you can make both jokes and unsuccessful blogs, and big projects that will shape your life and career.

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best website builders - list

Each platform that I’ve outlined in this article has its pros and cons, but they’re all solid options to consider if you’re looking for the best website builder for your new site.

The best website builders are:

  • Wix (Versatile all-around website builder). 
  • GoDaddy Website Builder (a very simple to use business solution). 
  • SITE123 (Easiest website builder for beginners). 
  • Squarespace (website builder with the best templates). 
  • WordPress.com (website builder, best for bloggers). 
  • BigCommerce (best website builder for large eCommerce stores)
  • Weebly (a foolproof website builder for ecommerce platforms). 
  • Shopify (Beginner-friendly eCommerce builder). 
  • Gator (website builder offering full editing freedom). 
  • Zyro (best website builder for those on a budget). 


1.wix - world’s most versatile drag-and-drop builder

PROS:

  • Powerful drag-and-drop editor.
  • Comprehensive template library.
  • Great free plan.
  • Beginner-friendly ADI builder.

CONS:

  1. Wix Editor can be confusing for beginners.
  2. Not the best builder for SEO.
  3. Sites built with Wix can’t be exported to other platforms.

Wix is one of the world’s most popular website builders, and for good reason. It comes complete with a great range of tools and features, one of the world’s best editing interfaces, eCommerce capabilities, and a comprehensive App Market. It can be a little more confusing than some other website builders, but it’s worth learning how to use it.

When you sign up for a new website with wix ecommerce, you will be asked whether you want to use the Wix Editor or Wix ADI (artificial design intelligence). If you’re a beginner who wants to get online quickly, I’d recommend choosing Wix ADI.

Ultimately, Wix ADI will guide you through a short questionnaire asking what sort of site you want, how you’re going to use it, and which special features you’re planning to include. Based on your answers, you will be given a custom design template that you can simply repopulate with your own content.

Wix website creation process
Meanwhile, the Wix Editor is a better choice for those who want access to the pixel-perfect builder that Wixx is famous for. It offers significantly more design flexibility than Wix ADI, along with the ability to place different elements exactly where you want them.

However, it’s important to note that the range of options that the Wix Editor offers can make it a little confusing for complete beginners. It’s easy to get lost if you don’t spend a bit of time figuring out how to use it, which means that it’s not the best choice for those who don’t have a lot of time on their hands.

Wix site editor
Wix also comes with a range of great features, including the ability to add an eCommerce store to your website. It certainly isn’t as powerful as dedicated eCommerce builders such as Shopify or BigCommerce, but it’s a great option for small, content-driven online shops.

Wix templates
On top of this, Wix offers numerous other tools, including an App Market, a huge template selection, and a great resource library. I’m not going to go into more details here, but I’d definitely recommend checking them out if Wix appeals to you.

Ultimately, Wix is a decent option for pretty much any sort of website. It comes with an industry-leading editing interface, along with a range of features that make it stand out as a winner in the website building world.

how much is wix?

Wix doesn’t excel on the pricing front, but it does okay. It offers four website building and four business/ eCommerce plans, ranging from $11/month to $500/month. You can also take advantage of its free forever plan to build a simple website at no cost.

To begin with, Wix’s four standard website building plans are great for content-based websites which don’t need advanced business features. They start with the Combo plan ($11/month), which allows you to connect your domain, but gives you limited bandwidth and storage.

Upgrading to the Unlimited ($14/month) or Pro ($19/month) plans will unlock unlimited bandwidth, more storage space, and some great apps. Finally, the VIP plan costs $29/month, but it will give you access to priority VIP support. 

Wix pricing
Meanwhile, Wix’s business and eCommerce plans start at $20/month for the Business Basic subscription, which will give you access to a range of great online store features. Upgrading to the Business Unlimited plan will cost $25/month and will unlock more storage and a professional logo creation service.

The Business VIP plan ($35/month) is the best of Wix’s standard Business and eCommerce subscriptions, and it gives you access to everything in the Business Unlimited plan, along with VIP priority support.

Finally, Wix also offers powerful enterprise-level eCommerce solutions through its Enterprise plan, which costs $500/month. It’s a great choice for large eCommerce providers who would benefit from the custom services this plan provides.

Wix pricing
All things considered, Wix’s prices are fair. They certainly aren’t anything special, but the quality of the website builder makes it worth paying that little bit extra. Ultimately, I’d recommend testing Wix out with its Free Forever plan before you commit to a paid subscription.

Wix combines advanced features with a simple website building experience. You get to choose between completely simplicity and extreme customizability - and it manages to do both brilliantly. This is a great option for users of all sizes and goals.


2.godaddy website builder – a simple option for businesses

PROS:

  • Allows you to get online fast.
  • Tidy management dashboard.
  • Ready-to-use website templates.

CONS:

  1. Very basic website builder.
  2. No free forever plan.
  3. Limited scalability.

 

GoDaddy Website Builder may not be brimming with cutting-edge design features – but that’s not why I like it. Its killer feature is the beginner-friendly interface and simple template designsgodaddy website maker.

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend using this builder if you want to build a large, scalable website with more than a few pages. However, it’s a great choice for those who don’t have a lot of time but want to develop a basic online presence.

One of my favorite things about GoDaddy Website Builder is how straightforward it makes starting a new website. Once you’ve signed up for a new account, you will be taken straight to the editor, where you can start customizing your site immediately.

If you don’t like the template that’s provided, you can choose a different one by navigating to the “themes” tab. This tab also allows you to change details such as your color scheme and font pairings.

The “pages and sections” tab will help you organize your site’s content, but it’s worth noting that this platform doesn’t allow you to create sub-pages or sub-menus. This is one of the main reasons why I don’t recommend using it for larger websites.

When it comes to actually editing your content, all you have to do is click on the element that you want to change. Once again, the editing options aren’t very powerful, but you will be able to add the content you want.

Finally, the GoDaddy Website Builder’s management dashboard brings everything together into one place. You will be able to look after your website, online store, marketing, and SEO. On top of this, you will be given recommendations on how to improve your site and online success.

All things considered, this is a great website builder for those who want to get online fast. If you don’t have a specific design in mind, you will be able to choose a template, repopulate it with your own content, and hit the publish button.

how much does godaddy cost?

GoDaddy Website Builder offers four different website building plans which range from $10 to $25 per month. It also provides a one-month free trial for new users, allowing you to test its builder before committing to a subscription.

The platform’s Basic plan only costs $10/month, but it is a little limited. It gives you access to basic website building features, but you won’t be able to access any premium or eCommerce features. Upgrading to the Standard plan ($15/month) will give you full SEO access, along with more email and social media tools.

You can start to unlock more powerful features with the Premium plan ($20/month), while an eCommerce subscription ($25/month) will open up GoCentral’s full range of online selling tools.

For me, GoDaddy’s prices are slightly on the expensive side considering its somewhat limited website builder. However, if you’re looking for a down-to-earth, trouble-free builder, you might be willing to pay a slightly higher cost.

Overall, GoDaddy will the best website builder for smaller operations, that need all the marketing and website management tools in one place. It may be on a costlier side - but it might be very much worth it.


3. site123 – a streamlined way of building complex sites

PROS:

  • Beginner-friendly editing interface.
  • Intuitive management dashboard.
  • Great free forever plan.

CONS:

  1. Relatively poor design templates.
  2. No code access.
  3. eCommerce features are just too simple.

SITE123 is a basic website builder which is targeted at those with little to no web development experience. It sells itself as “by far the easiest free website builder”, and everything about it backs up this claim.

To begin with, SITE123’s signup process is very tidy and straightforward. It’s designed to bring confidence to those without any prior experience with website builders, and it does it well.

For example, when you click on the “new website” button, you will be asked what sort of website you want and what it should be called. Following this, you will be free to edit your site to your heart’s content.

site123 website creation process
Similarly, SITE123 makes the editing process quite intuitive. It comes complete with tips to help you get started, and the editor itself is neatly laid out and easy to navigate.

The menu on the left of the SITE123 editor allows you to modify different parts of your website. You can edit your content and add new elements by clicking on the relevant part of your website, and you can even choose a new template if you don’t like your current one.

On top of this, you can also edit the desktop, tablet, and mobile versions of your site individually, which is great if you want to present your content in slightly different ways on different devices.

However, it’s important to note that many of SITE123’s features require a premium subscription before you can access them. These features include the plugin library, multi-language functionality, and the ability to add complex menu structures.

Meanwhile, the SITE123 dashboard provides access to a range of tools, including various marketing and SEO options. You can also connect a custom domain and manage your mailbox here.

All things considered, SITE123 is a great choice for beginners who are looking for an intuitive website builder that’s both simple and feature rich. I’d recommend signing up for a free plan and exploring the builder and then upgrading to a paid subscription if you think it’s right for you. 

how much site123 costs?

Although SITE123’s free forever plan is good enough for small personal websites, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan if you want to develop a professional online presence. There are four plans available, with standard prices ranging from $12.80 to $34.80 per month.

Note that, at the time of writing, SITE123’s high-end plans were on sale for half of their normal price. In my experience, sales like this are quite common, so it would be worth keeping your eyes open if you’re thinking about using it.

Upgrading from the Free Forever to the Basic ($12.80/month) plan will give you access to significantly more server resources and the ability to connect a custom domain. The Advanced plan (normally $19.80/month) opens up email marketing and multilingual features, on top of everything included with a Basic subscription. 

SITE123’s higher end subscriptions start with the Professional plan, which costs $28.80/month and includes access to a range of basic eCommerce features. Finally, the Gold plan costs $34.80/month, and will give you access to everything SITE123 has to offer.

SITE123 isn’t the most advanced website builder by any stretch of the imagination, and because of this, I found its prices a little high. However, if you’re willing to pay for the convenience of a basic, beginner-friendly website builder, it could be a good option.

If you have an idea but don't possess the required design skills to turn it into reality - SITE123 is the best website builder for you. You can use it to make a website that's uniquely yours, even if you're a complete beginner.

4. squarespace – best templates in the website builder industry

PROS:

  • Beautiful design templates.
  • Central management hub.
  • Unlimited bandwidth and storage.

CONS:

  1. No free forever plan.
  2. Confusing editor.
  3. On the expensive side.

If you plan to have a website that’s all about the visuals, you need a website builder that’s all about the visuals as well. And this precisely why I like Squarespace. It’s unapologetically pretty, and proud of it.

However, Squarespace certainly isn’t the most beginner-friendly website builder on this list, and I’ve always found its editor a little hard to work with. For me, it isn’t very well designed, which makes it quite confusing at times. It’s still more than possible to use Squarespace without any special tech skills – just be prepared to spend a little longer finding your way around.

Luckily, Squarespace more than makes up for its weak points with its great range of native features and impressive templates. In my opinion, it offers some of the best themes in the industry. Squarespace prides itself on being at the forefront of modern design trends, and every template in its library is professionally made and extremely attractive.

As you can see, Squarespace also heavily categorizes its website templates. This is great for those who don’t know what sort of design they want, as it allows precise filtering by website type.

To start building a website with Squarespace, you can either sign up and follow the prompts or simply choose a template and begin editing it. I’d recommend exploring a few templates and choosing one which stands out.

If you’re in a hurry, you can simply repopulate the template you choose with your own content and hit the publish button. Your website certainly won’t be unique, but you can rest assured that it will still look great.

However, you can also make edits to your overall design with the Squarespace editor. Using the menu to the left of the editing window, you can change everything from your color scheme to your font pairings and menu style.

It’s also worth noting that Squarespace combines its editor and management interface, which allows you to access a range of important tools, including marketing, eCommerce, and analytics, from one central hub. 

It’s worth noting – Squarespace’s editing interface is unlike any other website builder out there. So it might take you a little bit of time getting used to everything. Luckily, once you get past the initial curve, it’s going to be smooth sailing.

how much does squarespace cost?

Unfortunately, Squarespace falls down slightly on the pricing front. It isn’t the cheapest website builder in the industry, and it offers no free subscriptions. Plans range from $12 to $40 per month, with a two-week free trial and annual discounts of up to 30% available.

At the cheaper end of the spectrum, the Personal plan ($12/month) will allow you to create a simple website but doesn’t include any eCommerce or marketing tools. Upgrading to the Business plan will cost you $18/month and gives access to simple eCommerce features.

Meanwhile, the Basic Commerce subscription ($26/month) allows you to use more online selling tools, while the Advanced Commerce plan ($40/month) will unlock Squarespace’s entire range of features.

If you want to build a medium-sized business website that can accept online payments, Squarespace could be a good option. However, I find the Personal plan quite expensive for basic sites, and I’d probably go with a better-known eCommerce platform if you want to build an online store.

Overall, Squarespace offers brilliant templates, and a lot of features, covering everything from design and SEO to marketing and sales. It aims to be a reliable package for users of all skill levels - and nails that handsomely.


5. wordpress.com – a website builder for bloggers

PROS:

  • Simple block-based editor.
  • Affordable basic subscriptions.
  • Great plugin and theme libraries.

CONS:

  1. Limited design flexibility.
  2. Low-end plans are quite constrained and inflexible.

In the past, WordPress.com was known as an industry-leading blogging platform. While it retains these qualities today, it has expanded its services to include a range of website building and online store features.

But before I continue, it’s important to differentiate between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Basically, WordPress.org is an open-source content management system (CMS) that allows you to create and manage your own website. You will own and control all of your files, but you will also be responsible for finding a website hosting with email, managing security, and keeping your software up to date.

WordPress.org content management system
On the other hand, WordPress.com is a website builder which makes use of the WordPress.org CMS software. Unlike WordPress.org host, it’s fully hosted and managed, which means that all you need to do is build your website, hit the publish button, and make sure that things continue to run smoothly over time.

In many ways, WordPress.com is aimed at complete newbies to the website building space. Starting a website is as simple as clicking the “start your website” button and following the prompts. Once you’ve done this, you will be able to begin editing.

Now, WordPress.com is quite unique in the fact that it uses a block-based editor rather than a drag-and-drop interface like most modern website builders. This means that its design flexibility is somewhat limited, although it’s also quite foolproof.

One of the things I don’t like about WordPress.com is that many of its higher-end features are only available with its more expensive subscriptions. This is a little annoying, especially if you only want to build a basic personal or business site.

For example, the WordPress plugin library contains thousands of great apps and plugins that you can use to extend the functionality of your website. However, it’s only available for people who subscribe to ecommerce business or eCommerce plan.

All things considered, WordPress.com is a decent website builder that’s best suited to smaller sites. Although the design flexibility and customizability of its editor is somewhat limited, this will suit those with little design experience or time.

costs of wordpress.com

WordPress.com is an interesting website builder to look at in terms of its pricing. It offers a free plan along with four paid plans costing between $4 and $45 per month. Some of these plans offer great value for money, but others are simply too expensive for what they offer.

To begin, WordPress.com’s Free Forever subscription is quite constrained, with a branded subdomain and limited access to most tools and features. Upgrading to a Personal plan will cost you $4/month, providing access to a custom domain and customer support.

If you want a simple portfolio or personal website, then the Premium plan ($8/month) could be the right choice. It opens up access to more advanced tools, including CSS code editing.

However, the Business plan, which costs $25/month, starts to get a little expensive. It does provide access to the WordPress plugin and theme libraries, along with basic eCommerce tools. But, you will have to spend $45/month on the eCommerce plan if you want to build a successful online store, which is simply too much in my opinion.

Ultimately, WordPress.com is a great choice for smaller, basic websites which can use either the Personal or Premium plan. However, it becomes a little expensive for larger sites or online stores.

WordPress.com is a perfect website builder for bloggers, looking to spread their thoughts far and wide. And if you're looking just for that, it's pretty affordable as well.

Read more: wordpress.com review - is the beginner-friendly version worth it?

6. bigcommerce – best website builder for bigger online stores

PROS:

  • Scalable online store builder.
  • Powerful selling tools.
  • Suitable for beginners and large companies alike. 

CONS:

  1. Relatively expensive.
  2. Not the most beginner-friendly platform available.

BigCommerce is one of the world’s leading eCommerce website builders. Due to its highly scalable, cloud-based software and extremely powerful selling tools, BigCommerce ipo is arguably the best website builder for large, enterprise-level online stores.

At the same time, BigCommerce includes features that make it an acceptable choice for smaller stores. Its builder isn’t too complicated, and being a popular platform, it has plenty of online resources to help you if you run into problems. 

One of my favorite things about BigCommerce is that it makes it possible to scale your store over time. This means you can start out small and then upgrade as you gain traction and begin to grow.

Similarly, I like the fact that you can integrate a BigCommerce store with your WordPress.org website. I won’t go into detail about this, but it basically allows you to host resource-intensive store processes on the BigCommerce platform, leaving your WordPress.org hosting free for the rest of your website.

On top of this, using BigCommerce opens up a range of multi-channel selling streams. Along with your dedicated online store, you will also be able to quickly sell on platforms like Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping, Facebook, and Instagram.

BigCommerce multichannel selling
Although I haven’t even scratched the surface in terms of the features that BigCommerce offers, you should be beginning to realize how powerful it is.

bigcommerce store builder

But, even the most feature-rich website builder won’t be attractive if it doesn’t come with a usable editor. Luckily, BigCommerce compares well to other website makers in the business. It isn’t as powerful as Wix or as beginner-friendly as GoCentral, but it’s not too complicated.

To begin with, BigCommerce allows you to customize every aspect of your store’s theme. For example, you can change the appearance of your product pages, add new elements to your headers and footers, and edit the mobile and desktop versions of your store separately.

At the same time, adding products to your BigCommerce store is quite straightforward. You will be able to enter basic information about each product individually while specifying things like product variations, prices, and inventory levels.

All things considered, BigCommerce’s website building and customization options are more than acceptable. You will have quite a lot of design flexibility when you use it, and adding new products is fast and efficient.

how much does bigcommerce cost?

For many people, BigCommerce’s prices will simply be too high. It offers a 15-day free trial for new users, but after this you will have to sign up for a paid plan. These range from $29.95 to $249.95 per month, and you essentially get what you pay for.

At the lower end of the spectrum, BigCommerce’s Standard plan will cost you $29.95/month. It includes basic eCommerce tools, an intuitive shipping engine, and up to $50k worth of sales per year.

Upgrading to the Plus ($79.95/month) or Pro ($249.95/month) plans will open up more features and higher sales volumes. All plans come with 0% additional fees, multi-channel selling, and the ability to create coupons and discounts.

Finally, BigCommerce also offers a high-end Enterprise plan. This is designed for large online stores with over $400k per year in sales, and will be custom priced according to your situation.

BigCommerce is expensive – there’s no other way to put it. However, it’s relatively high prices are more than justified by the powerful eCommerce tools it offers.

BigCommerce apps is an option worth considering if you’re planning to build a large online store that will grow over time. It's a sizeable investment - but the advanced tools might just be worth it.

Read more: sitebuilder review - was a massive refresh worth it?

7. weebly – a simple website builder for online stores

PROS:

  • Attractive design templates.
  • Great eCommerce features.
  • Foolproof editor. 

CONS:

  1. Somewhat limited design flexibility.
  2. Limited scalability for online stores.

Weebly offers a great website building experience and comprehensive eCommerce tools. It’s known for its selection of professionally designed templates, but it has so much more to offer than just that.

For starters, Weebly is tidy and modern. It doesn’t come with the most powerful editing interface around, but it’s essentially “idiot proof”, which means that even those with the most limited tech and design skills will be able to use it without any problems.

On top of this, Weebly makes it easy to get started, with a website creation process that will guide you every step of the way. It begins by asking you what sort of website you want, and then gets into questions about your planned content and long-term goals.

While you’re working through these questions, you will be asked to select a theme for your website. Now, Weebly doesn’t have the largest template library in the business, but it more than makes up for this with the quality of its designs.

Every theme is regularly maintained and updated so that it remains in line with modern trends, which means that you can essentially select a template, add your own content, and hit the publish button (if you want to save time).

However, you can also customize your design as much or as little as you need to. You can add new sections via the menu on the left of the editor, edit existing elements by clicking on them and following the prompts, and add apps and customize your theme, among other things, via the menu bar at the top.

I do enjoy using the Weebly website editor, and for me it remains the easiest website builder for those with limited design skills. I’d recommend signing up for a free plan and giving it a go – I don’t think you will be disappointed.

weebly ecommerce

Along with its great website builder and attractive designs, Weebly also offers quite powerful online store tools. Although it doesn’t compare with dedicated eCommerce providers such as Shopify or BigCommerce, it’s a great choice for those who want to build a small- to medium-sized content-based store.

One of the things I like about Weebly eCommerce is its clever analytics and marketing tools. You can connect the Weebly Promote email marketing platform to enhance your productivity, but you will find a number of useful native tools as well.

Weebly also offers things like shipping calculators, an intuitive inventory management interface, and integrated customer reviews. You can accept payments with major gateways including Stripe, Square, and Paypal, and the checkout comes complete with an automatic tax calculator.

In reality, Weebly does pretty well when it comes to eCommerce. I’d recommend it for those who want to take advantage of its attractive designs to build small- to medium-sized online stores.

how much is weebly?

When it comes to prices, Weebly excels as one of the top website makers. It offers five paid plans ranging from $4 to $38 per month, which makes it one of the more affordable website builders available. On top of this, it also comes with a great free forever plan which allows users to publish basic websites at no cost.

Weebly’s most basic paid subscription, the Connect plan, costs just $4/month. It essentially allows you to connect a custom domain to your website, but you will be stuck with limited storage and Weebly advertising. The Starter plan ($8/month) offers slightly more features, while the Pro subscription ($12/month) lets you accept payments and start a basic online store.

If you’re serious about running a successful online store, you should upgrade to the Business plan. It will cost you $25/month, but it unlocks most of Weebly’s eCommerce business features.

Finally, the Business Plus subscription comes in at $38/month and adds abandoned cart emails and a real-time shipping calculator. It also gives you free access to Weebly Promote, Weebly’s native email marketing platform.

For me, Weebly is quite fairly priced, especially if you want to build a basic but professional website. I’d recommend signing up and playing with its free subscription to help you decide whether it’s the right platform for you and your needs.

Overall, Weebly is a great solution for small businesses looking to sell online. Sure, it's simple to use, but it's also powerful enough to run all of the required day-to-day operations. Talk about a balance.

8. shopify – a powerful website builder for all online retailers

PROS:

  • Powerful online store builder.
  • Impressive eCommerce tools.
  • Comprehensive help center.

CONS:

  1. No free subscription.
  2. Quite expensive for those on a tight budget.

If you know anything about the world of eCommerce, you’ve probably heard of Shopify.

It’s one of the world’s leading online store builders, powering over a million stores with its extremely powerful selling tools and a beginner-friendly store editor.

The great range of features that Shopify offers is just one of the reasons why it has become so popular. For example, it provides access to a range of management tools, including dropshipping integrations, customer profiles, and automatic refunds. You can find a full list of Shopify’s features on its website.

Similarly, the Shopify app store builder is quite beginner-friendly and easy to use, especially when compared to other large eCommerce builders such as BigCommerce. I particularly like the fact that it allows you to base your store on a pre-designed template and make as few or as many changes as needed.

Shopify also gives you access to your store’s code files. This means you can fine-tune your design and add custom code snippets where necessary.

Meanwhile, the Shopify store management dashboard is very comprehensive, providing guidance for those with little eCommerce experience. You can access everything from data and analytics to your inventory management portal from one central hub.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Shopify offers a great range of helpful tutorials and guides through the Shopify Help Center. You can also post questions on the shopify aktie Community Forum or get direct answers by contacting the customer service team.

All things considered, Shopify is the world’s most popular eCommerce platform for a reason. It’s great for beginners and seasoned online sellers alike, with impressive tools and a powerful management hub designed to simplify the entire eCommerce process.

shopify can be…expensive

Although Shopify might appear quite expensive at first glance, its prices are more than justified considering the powerful features it includes. Its plans range from $29 to $299 per month, and it also offers an obligation free two-week trial.

Newbies to the eCommerce world will benefit from the Shopify Basic plan, which costs $29/month. It includes everything you need to create an online store, including access to free templates and standard selling tools.

Upgrading to the Shopify plan will cost you $79/month and includes lower transaction fees. It also gives you access to gift card tools and a range of professional reports.

Finally, the Advanced Shopify plan, which costs $299/month, comes complete with Shopify’s full range of top-tier features. These include an automatic shipping calculator and advanced analytics, along with even lower transaction fees.

On top of this, Shopify also offers enterprise-level eCommerce solutions with its Shopify Plus subscription. Shopify Plus is essentially a custom solution for very large online stores, and it therefore comes with a custom pricing structure.

Shopify is expensive, there’s no doubting that. However, it also includes some of the best eCommerce tools available, and its subscription fees should be negligible once you’re running a successful store.

Overall, Shopify is the best website builder for those that are seriously focused on selling online. The website-building capabilities are great, but even they don't match the way this platform manages online sales.

9. gator – design freedom for a good price

PROS:

  • Powerful drag-and-drop builder.
  • Free forever plan.

CONS

  1. eCommerce features are limited.
  2. Builder can get messy if you’re not careful.

HostGator is known as one of the world’s leading web hosting providers. However, it recently launched its own website builder, the Gator builder. To me, Gator is one of the only website builders that comes close to Wix in terms of its customizability, and it’s also quite affordable.

Like Wix, Gator offers an intuitive drag-and-drop editor which allows users to place elements exactly where they want them. Although this is great when it comes to design flexibility, it also means that it’s very easy to get it wrong if you don’t have much experience.

On top of this, Gator also offers a range of templates to help you get online fast. Simply choose the design you like and start editing. HostGator website builder - drag and drop site editor. 

One thing I will note is that Gator’s templates tend to be a little on the simplistic side, which means that you will need to put in some work to achieve a unique, professional look.

Once you do get started, Gator makes things easy. Clicking on the “create a site” button will take you to a template selection page, and once you’ve chosen a design you will be taken directly to the editor. 

In all honesty, the Gator editing interface is one of my favorites. It’s intuitive, cleverly designed, and very easy to navigate. You can edit individual elements by clicking on them and using a pop-up menu, while your global design can be modified via the “design” tab on the left of the editor.

On top of this, the Gator editor allows you to view and edit the mobile version of your website and add an eCommerce store if needed. You can also create regular blogs and access a range of statistics and analytics tools.

There is one important thing that I need to mention. As a consequence of its flexibility, the Gator builder offers no protection against ugly or cluttered designs. If you’re not careful, you will end up with different elements on top of each other (as in the screenshot below) or large empty spaces with nothing at all.

But, this shouldn’t be a problem if you’re careful and willing to spend a bit of time designing your website.

All things considered, the Gator website builder is great. I love the design flexibility it offers, and I’m a big fan of its beginner-friendly interface. I’d recommend taking advantage of its free plan to test the builder out if you think it might suit your needs.

gator pricing

Along with a great free forever plan, Gator offers some of the most competitive prices in the industry. At the time of writing, its three plans cost between $3.84 and $9.22 per month, but these prices will double after the first payment term.

At the cheaper end, Gator’s Starter plan costs $3.84/month and allows you to connect a custom domain, remove Gator advertising, and access advanced analytics tools.

Upgrading to the Premium plan ($5.99/month) will give you priority support, while an eCommerce subscription ($9.22/month) allows you to add an online store to your website.

All things considered, Gator’s subscriptions are extremely competitive. The Starter plan should be sufficient for most small- to medium-sized websites, and the eCommerce plan will allow you to create a basic online store.

Use Gator if you want the freedom to build your website just the way you want to. This platform allows you to roam free - if that gives you excitement and not anxiety, Gator is the best website builder to pick.

10. zyro – ultimate simplicity on a shoestring budget

PROS:

  • Probably the cheapest website builder out there.
  • Modern-looking sections and elements.
  • Very easy to use.

CONS:

  1. eCommerce features not as cheap anymore.
  2. Pretty limited customization experience.


Recommended for: A simple no-frills website building experience.

Zyro is relatively young – only growing out of its beta-sized shoes in 2021, it’s the most recent website builder on this list.

And that’s a good thing – because this is a modern, versatile platform, built from the ground up to make beautiful-looking websites. There are no legacy tools and outdated themes, built when phones still had keypads on them.

Everything looks, feels, and is brand new.

best website builder zyro homepage
So, what’s it like building a website with Zyro?

Effortless. After choosing one of the several dozen available themes, you’ll immediately get transported to a drag-and-drop interface. There, you’ll be able to add new elements to your site.

best website builder zyro builder
And also add new sections, allowing you to craft a website further.

best website builder zyro section
The simplicity does have its price – while you can painlessly make some very pretty pages, you’re given a pretty limited range of customizability.

There are only 9 elements you can add. Moving away from the style of your template and making something uniquely yours will also be a challenge. That’s because all Zyro sections try to suit the style of your existing template.

But really, it that actually such a bad thing?

Zyro helps you make a simple, functional, and stylistically coherent website. And the best part is: you wouldn’t tell by looking, but Zyro is stupid cheap – far and away the least expensive option on this list.

zyro is cheap. seriously cheap

If you’re on a budget, then Zyro is the best website builder for you. Starting at just $1.99/month, the premium plans have a solid list of features. For instance, on that price, you’ll be allowed to connect your own domain and will also get rid of builder’s own ads – making the website entirely yours.

best website builder zyro pricing
But I’d certainly recommend going a step further. The Unleashed plan starts at $3.49/month (so, it’s still cheaper than anything else on this list), and will include live chat, and marketing capabilities, as well as include unlimited resources and a free domain.

Finally, eCommerce – you can also use this website builder to sell online. Starting at $14.99/month, this is not as mouthwatering as a deal as other plans – but it’s still a very solid option for anyone to consider.

Zyro is a modern platform that's both easy to use, and amazingly affordable. The limitations of the builder are obvious - but if you're looking to make a simple, yet beautiful website in just a few minutes, this is the best website builder for you.

what is a good website builder?

Every one of the ten options outlined on this list is a good website builder, but that doesn’t mean that they will all be suited to your needs. There’s no such thing as the best website builder for everyone, which means that you need to consider a number of things when choosing a provider to create your site with.

Here, I’ve outlined some of the most important things to keep in mind, but remember to do your own research before settling on any one builder.

ease of use

First up, it’s important to choose a website builder that you’re comfortable working with. There’s no point in using a complicated editing interface or platform if you don’t have the skills to take advantage of its features.

Some website builders excel on the ease-of-use front. For example, Site123, GoCentral, and Constant Contact all market themselves to people with little experience, and they all make use of very beginner-friendly editors.

However, it’s also worth knowing that, in general, the simpler website builders are also the least powerful. Try to find the right balance between ease of use and customizability.

features and tools

It’s also worth considering the tools and features you want your website builder to offer. Ultimately, this will depend on the type of website you want to build and how much functionality you want it to have.

Some things to look out for include:

  • eCommerce and online selling tools.
  • Marketing and social media integrations.
  • Analytics and data collection features.
  • Niche add-ons such as music players or booking systems.

As you can imagine, each website builder offers its own unique set of tools and features. However, Wix, WordPress.com, and BigCommerce excel here, with great selections suitable for all types of websites and online stores.

ecommerce capabilities

If you want to be able to sell products or accept online payments, you will have to use a website builder with eCommerce capabilities. Although most of the platforms that I’ve explored in this article include some sort of online store builder, their quality varies.

When creating an online store, I’d recommend using either a dedicated eCommerce builder, such as Shopify, or a website builder with an eCommerce focus, such as Wix or Weebly. Each of these three platforms offers great online selling tools that will allow you to maximize the effectiveness of your store. 

beautiful and responsive designs

In addition, consider how important your overall design is when you’re building a new website. If your main goal is to get online fast, you might not be too worried about your site’s exact appearance.

However, if creating an attractive, responsive design is a priority for you, it’s worth looking for a builder that excels in this area. Wix comes with a huge template library, and its powerful drag-and-drop editor streamlines the design process.

Similarly, both Weebly and Squarespace are known for their professional, industry-leading themes which are both attractive and feature rich.

RELIABILITY

On top of everything else, reliability should be a priority when you’re choosing a website builder. A good builder should guarantee almost one hundred percent uptime and decent server speeds.

As expected, HostGator’s Gator builder is a leader here, with industry leading speeds and great uptime guarantees. Both Wix and Weebly are quite reliable as well, and I have no problems recommending either of them.

AFFORDABLE PRICE

Finally, it’s important to set a budget and stick to it. There’s no reason to spend a fortune on a website builder subscription, especially if you’re only planning on creating a basic personal or business site. In some cases, you might even be able to get away with using a free plan.

If you’re looking for an affordable yet powerful website builder, I’d recommend one of Wix, Weebly, or Constant Contact. But, remember to explore your options fully – you might decide to go with a more expensive provider such as BigCommerce if it fits your needs better.


best website builder – summary

If you want to build a website on your own, you will need to use either a content management system (CMS) or a website builder. In my opinion, website builders are the best choice for beginners without a lot of tech experience, and I’ve explored my ten favorites in this article.

Choosing the best website builder for your needs can be difficult. There’s no “one size fits all” solution, so it’s important to be aware of your options. Different platforms offer different features, and each of the builders here is suitable for specific groups of people.

Wix is one of the most famous popular website builders in the world due to its powerful drag-and-drop editor and huge template library. GoCentral and Site123 are much simpler, but both pride themselves on allowing users to get online in a matter of hours.

If you want to build an eCommerce store, both BigCommerce and Shopify are decent options. Weebly also comes with powerful eCommerce integrations and, along with Squarespace, it offers some of the best templates available.

Meanwhile, Constant Contact and Gator are two of the more affordable website builders, and both come with impressive editing interfaces aimed at beginners. wordpress.org hosting UK Finally, WordPress.com is a great choice for those who want to take advantage of the powerful WordPress.org CMS without the hassle of setting up hosting.

As always, remember to do your own research before you settle on a website builder. Spend a bit of time, narrow down your options, and consider testing out a couple of your favorites.


10 best website builders: recap

  1. Wix – Best website builder for versatility and design flexibility.
  2. GoDaddy Website Builder – Best for getting online fast.
  3. SITE123 – Best website builder for beginners.
  4. Squarespace – Best for native management features.
  5. WordPress.com – Best for blog-focused websites.
  6. BigCommerce – Best overall online store builder.
  7. Weebly – Best for attractive, professional templates.
  8. Shopify – Best for eCommerce beginners.
  9. Gator – Best for extensive beginner-friendly customization.
  10. Zyro – Best for those looking to save money.


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