• 10 tips for building your first website
Whether building your first website or your latest, the best website builders offer quick, simple site creation via easy-to-use, drag-and-drop editors. Many providers clamor for your custom in a growing market, offering range and utility through visually-distinctive templates, high-performance tools, and simple pricing.
Some specialize in ecommerce or small business, while others are WordPress plugins. Certain creators come packaged with the best web hosting services, so you can craft and host a site with the same provider, and for less money. With budget always a key factor in business, costs are key.
Thankfully, most top builders have free trials or free-forever plans, meaning you can try before buying. While free website builders are limited compared to paid plans, they allow you to gain experience and narrow down your options.
All these elements do mean however that it can be a complicated choice. We recommend you take experience levels and requirements into account: an easy website builder may be best; you might know enough to want a more complex, detailed editor; or you like the option of scalability for any future changes.
Ensure you check customer service and support levels, and any additional tools or features. Keep all of this in mind, and read on to see how we ranked the best website builders available, so you can choose the right option for your site.
What is a website builder?
A website builder helps you create a site, whatever your level of experience. Ranging from simple platforms to powerful editors, they're equipped with a drag-and-drop editor, a template library, and additional tools.
Other areas to consider when building a site including understanding what SEO is, what AMP is, and what website cookies are; how to choose a domain name, and what to consider when registering a domain; and how to make your website accessible. These elements will be important for your site to succeed once you've built it.
10 tips for building your first website
The top 3 best website builders right now
What are the best website builders?
Wix is our top choice of the best website builders, thanks to a large template library, excellent design flexibility, third-party app integrations, and a leading artificial design intelligence site editor.
Shopify is one of the leading ecommerce website builders, its industry-leading tools aimed at creating and publishing online stores quickly and simply. Squarespace is the top builder for professional sites, with over 500 high-quality templates, native tools for businesses, and many customization options.
Squarespace, GoDaddy, Elementor, Zyro, HostGator, Weebly, 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite, and Constant Contact are all worth considering for specific focuses on visually-appealing sites, ease-of-use, or connections to web hosts or CMSs.
| Website builder | Lowest pricing plan | Free plan? | Ecommerce features? | Free domain? | Unlimited storage? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | $5 a month (Connect Domain) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Shopify | $29 a month (Basic Shopify) | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Squarespace | $12 a month (Personal) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GoDaddy | $6.99 a month (Basic) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, with advanced plans |
| Elementor (for WordPress) | $49 a year (Essential) | Yes | Yes | No | N/A |
| Zyro | $2.90 a month (Basic) | No | Yes, with advanced plans | Yes, with advanced plans | Yes, with advanced plans |
| HostGator | $3.84 a month (Express Start) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weebly | $6 a month (Personal) | Yes | Yes | Yes, with advanced plans | Yes, with advanced plans |
| 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite | $1 a month (Starter) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Constant Contact | $20 (Email) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
The best website builders you can buy today
Wix is our top choice when it comes to the best website builders, ecommerce website builders, and small business website builders. It offers a great selection of advanced features, including three editing interfaces—the Wix Editor, Velo Dev Mode, and Wix ADI.
The Wix Editor is one of the most powerful available. It enables you to drag and drop different elements into pixel-perfect positions. It can be a little confusing to learn to use, but the rewards are worth it. Velo Dev Mode allows you to make changes outside of the template model, and add features that usually require developer input, like custom forms, dynamic pages, and databases.
Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) is much more beginner-friendly. To use it, simply work through a short questionnaire. A custom site template will be developed based on your answers, and then you can customize it to your heart’s content.
Standout features include Wix’s App Market, which contains numerous add-ons that add extra functionality; and the huge template library, which boasts over 500 designs. The full website builder is included within the excellent free plan, though bear in mind it has restrictions and limitations, such as Wix ads on your site.
Each paid plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee, and pricing starts at $5 a month with Connect Domain, limited to 1GB of bandwidth and 500MB of storage. Combo ($14) has a free domain for the first year, 3GB of storage, and 2GB of bandwidth; while Unlimited ($18 a month), Pro ($23), and VIP ($39 a month) offer more resources and tools.
More advanced ecommerce and business features are available via three Business and Ecommerce plans (ranging from $23 to $49 a month).
Read our comprehensive Wix review, our interview with Head Product Manager Michal Bignitz, and our guide on how to make a website with Wix.
If you've any knowledge of the ecommerce world, you'll have heard of Shopify. Although not a website builder in the traditional sense, it’s one of the best options for building an advanced online store, and is the world’s leading store builder for good reason.
The tools on offer are excellent, and you will benefit from an unbeatable range of management, marketing, and general online selling features. These include a built-in shopping cart and checkout manager, alongside marketing and security tools. Shopify is Level 1 PCI DSS compliant, providing top-level security for your customers.
On top of this, there are numerous templates that you can base your store on. The beginner-friendly editor is a little limited, but there's full code access if you need to fine-tune designs. Across three plans, there’s plenty of room to scale. Pricing starts at a relatively expensive $29 a month and ranges up to $299, with more excellent, additional ecommerce features unlocked as you move up.
Read our detailed Shopify review, how to build a website with Shopify, and our comparison of Wix vs Shopify.
Squarespace has long been known for its professional templates. Although its library is quite small compared to other platforms, every single design is built with modern techniques and standards in mind. These excellent templates, alongside native tools, add-ons, and a versatile marketing suite, make it easy to see why Squarespace is so popular.
In addition, it offers ecommerce tools to rival the best in the industry. You can sell virtually anything, including digital content, services, and subscriptions. The product categorization tools are great, to say the least, and you will be able to manage inventory and orders through the intuitive management dashboard.
However, when it comes to site creation, Squarespace’s editor is far from the best we’ve used. It’s quite counter-intuitive and poorly designed, and you will likely find it a little confusing to get started with. A free-forever version is also lacking, although a 14-day free trial allows you to test the platform.
Across four paid plans, you get great features including a free domain for the first year, unmetered bandwidth and storage, and built-in SSL security. The Personal subscription is cheapest at $12 a month for an annual plan, while Advanced Commerce costs $40 a month.
Read our Squarespace review and our comparison pitting Wix vs Squarespace.
If your top priority is creating an online presence with minimal fuss and quickly, we’d recommend GoDaddy. It's grown rapidly over the past few years to gain this spot, largely thanks to its extremely beginner-friendly, intuitive editor. You won’t have much design flexibility, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing.
With GoDaddy, it’s not unrealistic to expect to get online in a couple of hours. There’s a neat range of tutorials if you run into problems, but the chances of this are low at best. Underpowered ecommerce tools will bother some, but you benefit from a free domain, 24/7 support, a free SSL certificate, and unmetered storage on all bar the cheapest plan.
There’s one free and four premium plans, ranging from $6.99 to $17.49 a month, scaling up to $9.99 to $24.99 on renewal. The free plan allows you to create a simple site with a branded GoDaddy domain, but is quite limited. Prices are higher for shorter subscriptions, but all allow you to connect a custom domain name, and offer a free business email for the first year, plus editing and analytics tools. More advanced plans add marketing, ecommerce, and business-related features too.
Read our full GoDaddy review; our GoDaddy web hosting review; how to make a website with GoDaddy, and our comparison of GoDaddy vs Wix.
Known more as a plugin, Elementor is one of the most powerful WordPress website builders. It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, and you can put together your new site without any coding.
There are numerous third-party integrations you can take advantage of, along with a neat free plan that provides access to the basics. This offers enough tools for you to comprehensively test the editor, including over 40 widgets, 30 templates, and basic support. However, you'll need to sign up for a separate web hosting account before you can harness Elementor's full power, and purchase a domain name.
There are five premium plans ranging from $49 to $999 a year, with the main differences being support and the number of sites you can create (one with an Essential plan, and up to 1,000 with an Agency plan). The three most expensive plans allow you to create an Expert Profile with which to showcase your portfolio.
Read our Elementor review, our WordPress review, how to make a website with WordPress, and our comparison of WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace.
Zyro is designed for those who want to build a simple site without spending too much time or money. Start with one of more than 150 templates, add your own content, and hit publish. There are also a number of AI tools available, including an writer, brand name generator, and a logo maker, providing users with an affordable, straightforward site creation process.
It doesn’t have a free-forever plan, which is a disadvantage if you wanted to try the service out, but paid plans are among the most affordable we’ve seen. You can sell products through your site, but keep in mind that ecommerce tools are basic at best. The blogging tools are decent, though, and all users benefit from 24/7 support.
Packages start at $8.90 a month, with ecommerce features available for $19.90, and all come with free hosting and a free domain name for one year, with plans able to be paid annually or monthly. When it comes to ecommerce, the most expensive plan (eCommerce Plus) costs $25.90 a month, but you pay no commission on sales. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans too.
Read our comprehensive Zyro review and our interview with CEO Giedrius Zakaitis.
If you want something that offers similar power to Wix without high prices, HostGator’s Gator Builder is a great option. Although there’s no free-forever plan, you can build a new site for just a few dollars a month. Note, though, that prices will increase when you renew your contract.
One thing that stands out is its excellent drag-and-drop editor. This enables you to create the exact site you want, as you can position any elements with pixel-perfect precision. On the downside, templates are average at best. Many are outdated, and you'll need to do a significant amount of work to make them look professional.
However, a free domain name and SSL certificate, plus unmetered storage and bandwidth, are attractive features. Three plans (Express Start, Express Site, and Express Store) range from $3.84 to $9.22 a month, though premium support is only available by phone and chat on mid- and top-range plans.
Free analytics are available on all plans, which is handy for smaller businesses. Advanced users might find the lack of specialized tools disappointing, such as dedicated email marketing, while it offers relatively basic blogging.
Check out our HostGator review, and our comparison pitting HostGator vs IONOS vs GoDaddy.
Weebly is one of the world’s most popular website builders, and it’s easy to see why. It boasts a great selection of professionally designed templates, and some of the best ecommerce and online tools available via payment giant Square, which should give you confidence in their reliability and usefulness.
Noteworthy features include advanced site stats, SEO tools, customizable email templates, and full inventory management. One noteworthy downside is the somewhat limited editor, which constrains you to pre-coded element positions. You can still drag and reorder them, but you certainly won’t benefit from pixel-perfect editing like some platforms offer.
There are seven plans, including a free-forever package that allows you to create a site and online store, though you can't connect your own domain. The cheapest, Personal ($6 a month), adds custom domain support and more ecommerce tools, while Professional ($12) and Performance ($26) offer advanced ecommerce options.
Read our Weebly review, our comparison pitting Wix vs Squarespace vs Weebly, and our interview with Square Online's ecommerce product lead Katie Miller.
1&1 IONOS MyWebsite is an affordable, beginner-friendly builder backed by a great selection of templates, and the power of Europe’s largest hosting provider.
It comes with a range of top features, including one of the best template libraries available. You'll find designs for virtually any type of site, including portfolios, ecommerce stores, and simple blogs. In addition, you have access to a range of stock photos you can use to make your new site stand out from the crowd.
There are numerous SEO and marketing tools, and the blog manager is one of the best available. The editor is also excellent, boasting an intuitive yet powerful interface. On the downside, there’s no free forever plan or free trial, but there's a paid trial for one month for new users. With prices starting at just $5 a month, this is a relatively minor flaw.
There are eight plans, including three for basic builders, ranging from $1 (Starter) to $10 a month (Pro), with ecommerce options (from $1 to $25). Three more offer design advice and consultation (from $30 to $60), while the MyWebsite Now and Creator plans offer marketing tools, emails, and a free domain for a year and free SSL certificate, and are free for the first month ($17 and $23 after).
Read our 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite review.
Constant Contact is one of the world’s most powerful email marketing platforms. However, it also comes with a neat little website builder, which makes it a great option for those who plan to focus on email marketing in their overall strategy.
One particularly interesting feature is the AI-powered builder. To take advantage of this, simply answer a few basic questions, and then the platform will deliver a custom template based on your needs. Edit this, add your own content, and hit publish to get online in record time.
On the downside, Constant Contact doesn’t offer a free domain, and the editor is far from the most powerful. A free plan lets you try it all out, but doesn’t let you publish your site. Four premium plans are available across a different price structure to most builders, as these all focus on email marketing primarily.
All website building tools, including ecommerce, are available with Email ($20), while Email Plus ($45) adds more advanced email marketing tools, and Ecommerce Pro ($195) adds powerful, AI-driven email marketing.
Read our full Constant Contact review.
The best easy website builders for business
Easy website builders offer streamlined site creation, and can be used with little to no coding or technical experience. Some of the best website builders are easier to use than others, or are more suited to creating business sites. Most have different focuses, while certain builders are aimed at different audiences.
Look for advanced online store creation tools that enable you to sell online, creating avenues for increased income. Keep an eye out for marketing tools, which are always a bonus. The ability to accept online bookings will be crucial for many, and high-quality SEO is important to help people find you online.
Platforms like Wix are excellent, but complicated editors can make them a little difficult to use. On the other hand, builders like Site123 are extremely easy to use, but don’t always have a lot more to offer. After testing countless options by creating our own basic sites, below is our list of the best easy website builders for business.
What are the best easy website builders?
How to choose the best easy website builder
Before you decide, sit down and make a list of the tools and features you require. Price is an important consideration, and if you’re looking for something cheap, you'll want to go for a builder like GoDaddy.
Consider whether online store support is required. Shopify is a clear leader here, although most builders come with ecommerce features. The ability to accept online bookings is also important for many businesses: again, most builders include this, but Wix and GoDaddy's excellent tools stand out.
Design flexibility is crucial for those who'd like full freedom to customize their site. The Elementor/WordPress combination is great for this, and Wix doesn’t do too badly either. These two platforms are also great for blogging, another factor that will be important to many business owners.
Once you’ve listed your requirements, create a shortlist of the most attractive options. We’d recommend starting with the platforms we’ve outlined. Almost all of the best website builders have a free version or free trial, enabling you to test them before committing.
It’s worth putting in the time to test a few options before settling on your favorite. Everyone’s needs are different, and a large part of your choice will come down to simple personal preference.
Website builder FAQs
What's the difference between website builders and web hosting?
WordPress vs website builders: what's the difference?
Free website builders vs paid website builders: what's best?
What is a good free website builder?
What's the best cheap website builder available?
How to choose from the best website builders
How we review the best website builders
Further reading on website builders
Read our full Site123 review, and our guides covering how to build a site from scratch, and how to build an ecommerce website. Read our insights into the top tools needed, what we consider the foundations, and why you need a small business website.
