What Is One Advantage Of A Well-designed Website?

In the modern world, a digital presence is a must for virtually any business that wants to become successful. Social media is a good place to start, but creating your own website presents an even better way to promote your name and begin growing brand awareness.

Up until the past 10 years or so, creating a new website was a difficult process that required a significant amount of skill. However, the invention and growing popularity of website builders has opened up web development to virtually everyone, and they now represent the best way for the average person to create a website. The top website builders are very easy to use, enable rapid site creation, and require little to no tech skill or coding knowledge.

Usually, website builders have some form of drag-and-drop interface that enables you to design your site visually. You will have access to a selection of pre-built website templates, and you won't have to spend a fortune to hire a developer.

Here, we take a closer look at some of the best website builders on the market. By analyzing their prices, main features, user interface, and customer service, among other things, we aim to bring the information you need to select the best website builder for your needs.

Versatility

Easy to edit sites

Beginners

Beginners and SMBs

Getting online fast

Easy-to-build websites

Image-heavy sites

Blogging

Basic websites with design flexibility

Restaurants and retailers pivoting to online sales

From $14 per month

From $2.95 per month

From $6.99 per month

From $3.84

From $4 per month billed annually

From $5

From $16 per month

From $7 per month

From $10 per month, $22.95 after

From free

Yes

Yes May vary by country

Yes and 14-day free trial

No, but paid versions have 1 month free

14-day trial 14-day free trial

Yes

Basic

Built-in tool for advanced editing

Yes (GoDaddy Studio)

Basic

Yes

Basic

Yes

Yes with dedicated plan

Yes (with an Ecommerce plan)

Yes

Basic

Yes

A Closer Look at the Top 10 Website Builders

- Best for Versatility
- Price From $14 per month
- Free version Yes
Wix has a powerful editor, a massive list of templates, and great e-commerce tools. Wix offers a great balance of functionality and simplicity. Wix's smart ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) editor makes creating a complex website with all the bells and whistles as easy as answering a few quick questions. If you do run into problems, Wix's customer support is outstanding and help is available from within the editor. In-depth video tutorials, step-by-step exercises, and examples can guide you if you're the type that likes to figure things out on your own.

With nearly 1,000 great designs, excellent e-commerce tools, and superb support, you'll find Wix offers all the features you need in a website builder. It makes creating and managing a website a cinch. If you want to use Wix's full editor, it might take a little longer to get started as you learn how the interface works, but it's arguably the most versatile website builder available today. Just beware that Wix websites don't always work well on mobile devices without some finetuning and its SEO tools aren't the greatest.
Pros

Great editing tools

Strong e-commerce support

Long list of pre-designed templates
Cons

Editor intimidating at first

Templates can't be changed

Can't export to HTML
- Best for Easy to edit sites
- Price From $2.95 per month
- Free version No
Network Solutions offers businesses all manner of tools and software for managing and running a successful business. Now, you can even build your own site using this popular tool. Network Solutions has both a DIY option and a professional builder plan. Either way, you'll get a free domain name, high-quality design layouts, and personalized email.
Pros

Impressive stock image library

Free domain name and personalized email

Easy point-and-click editor
Cons

Confusing interface

Site and tool could use a makeover
- Best for Beginners
- Price From $6.99 per month
- Free version Yes May vary by country
The GoDaddy website builder is designed for and targeted at beginners with little to no web development experience. It boasts an intuitive, beginner-friendly editor, basic e-commerce tools, and a selection of integrated marketing tools. More advanced users might find the editor a bit too limiting, but it does allow for basic customization.

However, design flexibility is a little limited, the SEO tools are poor, and there are currently only 22 templates available. GoDaddy's prices are competitive, though, and we'd recommend using the free plan to test the platform if you're looking for a simple, beginner-friendly website builder that will enable you to get online fast. GoDaddy's strength lies in the marketing, e-commerce, and other tools as well as its very competitive pricing plans. Top that off with excellent customer service and you get a good option for beginners creating their first site.
Pros

Enables rapid site creation with no special skills

Integrated e-commerce and marketing tools

Very beginner friendly and easy to use
Cons

Design flexibility is quite limited

Poor platform for SEO
- Best for Beginners and SMBs
- Price From $3.84
- Free version No
HostGator's website builder draws from the company's celebrated hosting services to offer users a simple yet more-than-capable website builder. The service combines convenience and professionalism with an easy point-and-click site builder as well as some advanced tools such as SEO and ecommerce capabilities.
Pros

No tech savvy required

SEO tools included

Easy point-and-click site builder
Cons

Not ideal for larger businesses

User support is lacking
- Best for Getting online fast
- Price From $4 per month billed annually
- Free version Yes and 14-day free trial
Site123 is one of the best beginner-friendly website builders we've used. It lacks advanced marketing and SEO features and its design flexibility is limited, but it does a great job of catering to those with little web development knowledge.

There's a decent free plan available that you can use to test the builder, along with excellent support resources to help if you run into any problems. The prices are a little on the high side, but they certainly aren't a deal-breaker. You can even add a basic store to your new website if required.
Pros

Great selection of well-designed templates

Foolproof, easy-to-use editing interface

Excellent range of guides and tutorials
Cons

Design flexibility is very limited

Ecommerce, blogging, and marketing tools are basic
- Best for Easy-to-build websites
- Price From $5
- Free version No, but paid versions have 1 month free
If poring over lines of code doesn't sound like a recipe for fun to you, then 1&1's website builder, IONOS, could be the best tool that you haven't yet discovered.

This website builder centers around a DIY tool, but users also have the option of receiving professional design help from a member of an expert building team.
Pros

DIY or professional options

Ecommerce support

Multilingual option
Cons

Template based

No free tier
- Best for Image-heavy sites
- Price From $16 per month
- Free version 14-day trial 14-day free trial
Squarespace is an excellent website builder with some of the best designs on the market. Its minimalist interface takes some getting used to, especially if you're already familiar with more complex website building tools. Once you're past that initial learning stage, you can build gorgeous responsive-design websites in no time. Overall, Squarespace's interface strikes the right balance between accessibility and complexity but is probably best suited for people with a decent understanding of computer applications.

Squarespace is relatively pricey, and some important ecommerce features are reserved for the most expensive plans, but it makes up for it with unlimited bandwidth and storage, fully responsive designs, and a fantastic support team that answers quickly (during its slightly limited business hours).
Pros

Great-looking themes

Unlimited bandwidth and storage space

Good blogging features
Cons

Expensive

Abandoned shopping cart recovery requires the top-tier plan

Limited number of templates
- Best for Blogging
- Price From $7 per month
- Free version Yes
WordPress.com takes care of all the hosting, installation, and updating of a WordPress website for you and throws in a competent drag-and-drop website editor to speed the process even more.

It shines for its huge plugin and theme library and industry-leading E-commerce features. But it's a little pricey, so if you're dead set on using WordPress, you might want to check out other hosting companies that offer the same content management system (CMS) for less.
Pros

Massive list of plugins and themes

Powerful E-commerce features

Free-for-life basic plan
Cons

Unintuitive editor

Same CMS can be found cheaper elsewhere

Most templates are for blogging sites
- Best for Basic websites with design flexibility
- Price From $10 per month, $22.95 after
- Free version No
Web.com is a simple website builder that enables you to create a professional website from more than 150 templates. The platform offers decent customization options, but the site editor can feel clunky. In addition, Web.com only offers limited support for marketing and ecommerce.

While Web.com might work well for some basic sites, we think that most users will be better off with an alternative website builder. For a similar price, builders from Weebly, Wix, and GoDaddy offer substantially more features.
Pros

Nicely designed templates

Pre-built content blocks

Includes a blog
Cons

Expensive to unlock essential features

Page editor feels clunky
- Best for Restaurants and retailers pivoting to online sales
- Price From free
- Free version Yes
Square Online is a capable website builder from Square, the payment processing giant. This website builder enables physical restaurants and retail stores to sell online and integrate their existing brick-and-mortar operations. It also works well for online-only stores that want to take advantage of Square's Ecommerce and marketing tools.

Square Online's site design process is simple, although you have limited customization options and there's no drag-and-drop page editor. This platform is packed with features for inventory management, marketing, and customer analytics.
Pros

No coding knowledge needed

Supports contactless ordering and in-store pickup

Excellent inventory management system
Cons

Limited design flexibility

Only works with Square or PayPal for payments

What to Consider When Choosing a Website Builder Platform

When selecting the best site to build a website with, you need to think about your requirements, skill level, budget, and the amount of time you have to dedicate to the site creation process. Keep the following at the front of your mind during the selection process.

Ease of Use

Some website builders focus on useability, while others come with more advanced design tools but are more complex to familiarize yourself with. If you just want to get a basic site online quickly, you are best off with a beginner-friendly website builder like GoDaddy or Site123. But if you want a little more design flexibility and are willing to put some time into the site creation process, a more powerful option like Wix could be best.

Pricing

Before you begin your search for a website builder, set your maximum budget. Weigh up the value for money each builder offers, and ensure you select an option that you can afford.

Design & Features

Platforms like Wix and HostGator's Gator Builder come with excellent design and website building features as well as hundreds of templates. In fact, they are two of the more complex builders on the market, largely because of the power their editors offer. But for many, a simpler builder that offers fewer features will be a better choice.

Customer Support

When you're creating your first website, the chances are that you will run into some sort of problem. This is where great customer support comes into play. Look for responsive live chat, email, and phone support, along with a decent knowledge base or help center.

Data Ownership & Portability

With many website builders, you won't actually have any ownership over your site files and other data. Migrating to another platform is sometimes impossible. Keep this in mind if you are likely to want to export your site and/or its data at any point in time.

Free Website Builders: How Do They Work?

Many website builders offer a free forever subscription option that enables you to create a new website without spending a cent. These may appear like great choices at first glance but remember, nothing is ever truly free.

Using a free website builder has several limitations. Usually, you will have a very small amount of storage, a limit on the number of pages you can add to your site, and some restrictions on the design and management tools you can access.

You may also be stuck with a platform-branded subdomain. In the case of Wix, for example, this looks something like "yoursite.wix.com," which is far from professional. Many website builders will place adverts on your website if you use their free plan, and some will limit the available customer service options.

At the end of the day, free website builders can be useful for testing platforms, creating simple personal websites, or learning how to build a website from scratch. However, we would highly recommend paying a few dollars per month for a premium subscription if you want to build a high-quality business website.

Other Website Builders We Reviewed

BoldGrid

BoldGrid is among the best page builder plugins for WordPress.org. It's not strictly a website builder, but rather enables drag-and-drop editing for WordPress websites.

Bookmark

Bookmark offers beginner-friendly, AI-powered website building solutions. It does a great job of coupling advanced features with an intuitive, easy-to-navigate designer and management interface.

Domain.com

Domain.com is one of the more basic website builders we've used, but it comes with a beginner-friendly editor that's designed to help you get online as fast as possible.

Hibu

Digital marketing agency Hibu offers a selection of website creation solutions. It's not a website builder, and it doesn't allow you to create your own site, but you will benefit from the experience and know-how of Hibu's developers.

HostPapa

Although it's better known for its hosting solutions, HostPapa offers a basic website builder designed for beginners who want to create simple sites.

IM Creator

The IM Creator website builder is arguably the best website creator for creatives. It's absolutely free for students and artists, and it boasts a powerful editor that is admittedly a little confusing to get the hang of.

iPage

iPage certainly isn't the most powerful website generator on the market, but it's an excellent option for those on a tight budget.

Jimdo

Jimdo is one of the more popular website makers. The Jimdo Dolphin editor is beginner-friendly and powered by AI technology, while the Jimdo Creator offers much more design flexibility and code access.

Register.com

Register.com offers website building solutions alongside its hosting and domain registration services, but its site creator is very limited and one of the most expensive options we've seen.

Shopify

Shopify is a beginner-friendly website builder that's designed specifically for online stores. It's one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in the world, and it's backed by a suite of online selling and store management tools.

SimpleSite

SimpleSite is exactly what its name suggests—a simple and easy website builder, albeit one that lacks the power to create anything more than a very basic website.

SiteBuilder

SiteBuilder is a competitively priced, beginner-friendly website builder that's useful for creating basic online stores or websites. It's one of the simpler options we've tested, and it seriously lacks design flexibility.

Site.pro

Site.pro's drag-and-drop website builder offers decent design flexibility, the ability to add an online store, and the choice of more than 200 templates to get started with.

SiteW

SiteW boasts great design flexibility and very competitive prices, but its editor is quite confusing to get started with, and its e-commerce tools are effectively useless.

Website.com

The Website.com website builder is one of the most powerful we've used. It boasts a large selection of templates, a very flexible builder, and impressive e-commerce tools.

Weebly

Weebly is arguably the best website builder for SEO. It's backed by a selection of professionally designed templates, comes with great e-commerce tools, and features a foolproof editor.

Zyro

The best website builder for blogging should include a range of blog tools, reporting, and analytics features, and streamlined management tools. Zyro does this well, and it's a great option for those looking to start a simple blog.

Conclusion

There are dozens of website builders on the market, and finding the right one for your needs can be a little complicated.

Before you go on to select the right builder for your needs, we'd suggest sitting down and identifying your exact requirements, budget, and amount of time available to create a site. Take advantage of free forever plans to test different platforms, and ensure that any option you shortlist has the tools you require.

Daniel Blechynden

Contributing to the likes of top10.com, TechRadar and Tom's Guide, Daniel's writing focuses on technology, science, and dependable reviews. He has been a regular critic of software and products from various industries for several years, often utilizing his academic background in the sciences.