Using one of the best website builders to build a website allows you to create your own site easily, quickly, and without technical knowledge. Building a website used to be limited to developers with such experience, but website builders have enabled even beginners to make and publish sites in hours.
Services cater to all levels of experience, with drag-and-drop editors a top starting point for novice website design, and platforms offering more flexibility provide those with more knowledge with advanced, highly-customizable site creation.
Platforms focus on ecommerce or small business, free blogs, and even sites for photographers and musicians. However, with so many services covering such a wide range of site types, choosing just one of the best website builders can be hard.
Don’t worry though, we’re here to help, and recommend you consider your levels of experience before you start looking. We’ve outlined the best easy website builders for those starting out; if you’ve got extensive experience, consider options like the best web hosting, and content management systems (CMSs) such as WordPress, which uses website builder plugins and WordPress hosting.
We also recommend considering the purpose of your site, the ease of use of various editors, and any scalability you might require in future, plus what level of customer support and service you’ll require.
Below, we’ve ranked and reviewed the best website builders across all of these key elements, as well as pricing, and any additional tools. Read on, and find the best builder for your new website!
What is a website builder?
A website builder offers end-to-end site creation, via a selection of templates, a visual editor, and extra advanced tools. They are generally extremely beginner-friendly, and often provide a drag-and-drop editing interface.
No prior coding or technical experience is required, and they’re a great option if you want to create a simple site quickly. Some offer significantly more design flexibility, and can even provide coding access for advanced editing.
The top 3 best website builders right now
What are the best website builders?
Wix holds top place among the best website builders, thanks to drag-and-drop customization, artificial intelligence design technology, the largest template library available, a built-in image editor, and third-party app integration. Fair pricing provides excellent options, including free domain registration, advertising credit, and a 14-day money-back guarantee, while a detailed free plan only broadens its appeal.
Bluehost’s WordPress website builder is a relatively new entrant to the ranks of top website builders, offering very reasonably-priced site creation for WordPress that packages managed hosting with a simple-to-use, drag-and-drop interface, and access to over 300 templates across three plans.
Squarespace’s highly intuitive editor and responsive, excellently-designed templates justify higher prices, while GoDaddy’s in-house optimized creator is user-friendly, and comes packed with analytics, strong support, and a library of own-brand apps.
Shopify and Weebly’s ecommerce proficiency set a high bar for those looking for online store builders, while web hosts 1&1 IONOS’ and HostGator’s built-in builders are impressive. In turn, online productivity suite Zoho’s competitive Sites builder is relatively new, but well worth considering thanks to its integration with said suite.
Website builder | Lowest pricing plan | Storage | Bandwidth | Ecommerce features? |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wix | $14 a month (Combo) | From 3GB | From 2GB a month | ✔ |
Bluehost | $2.95 a month (Basic) | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✔ (on Online Store plan) |
Squarespace | $12 a month (Personal) | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✔ |
GoDaddy | $6.99 a month (Basic) | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✔ |
Shopify | $29.99 a month (Basic Shopify) | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✔ |
Weebly | $6 a month (Personal) | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✔ |
1&1 IONOS MyWebsite | $1 a month (Starter) | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✔ |
Zoho Sites | $4 a month (Starter) | 500MB | 10GB | ✔ |
HostGator | $3.84 a month (Express Start) | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✔ |
The best website builders you can buy today
Wix is regularly considered the best of the best website builders. With over 500 attractive templates, an extremely powerful editor, and various other features, it brings plenty to the table. Its Wix Editor is arguably the most advanced available, and we found it to be the best ecommerce and small business builder too.
The drag-and-drop interface enables you to place elements in pixel-perfect positions. Personalizing colors, fonts, and other content is extremely straightforward, and designs will really only be limited by imagination. You can also use the Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) for a more straightforward experience.
After answering a few quick questions, Wix will select a custom template, which you can populate and publish online in just hours. Should you want to make changes outside of the template model, Wix offers Velo Dev Mode too, which allows you to add features that usually require a developer, including custom forms, dynamic pages, and databases.
Wix also provides ecommerce tools for those looking to create an online store. You’ll find virtually everything you need to get started, including powerful inventory management tools, multi-channel selling, and subscription and digital product support.
The full website builder is included within the excellent free package, while each paid plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee. Bear in mind that the free plan’s limitations include advertisements on your site and other restrictions: but it allows you to try Wix out before you pay for a subscription.
It is a little expensive, however. Pricing starts with Combo ($14), which comes with a free domain for the first year, 3GB of storage, and 2GB of bandwidth. Upgrade to Unlimited ($18 a month), Pro ($23 a month), or VIP ($39 a month) for more resources and additional tools. Finally, to access business and online store features, there are three Business and Ecommerce plans (ranging from $23 to $49 a month).
Read our detailed Wix review.
Combo | Unlimited | Pro | VIP | Business Basic | Business Unlimited | Business VIP | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $14 / $168 | $18 / $216 | $23 / $276 | $39 / $468 | $23 / $276 | $27 / $324 | $49 / $588 |
Customer support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | Priority | 24/7 | 24/7 | Priority |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Number of templates | 800+ | 800+ | 800+ | 800+ | 800+ | 800+ | 800+ |
Bluehost’s WordPress website builder, developed and launched in August 2021, brings Bluehost’s web hosting prowess to website building. The builder utilizes many of WordPress’s best features via an easy-to-use block builder, with over 300 themes, integrations with WooCommerce for selling online, and much more.
The drag-and-drop editor makes things easier for less-experienced users, and all plans include managed WordPress hosting for unlimited sites. This means installations and plugins are kept updated for you, while you also get a free SSL certificate and a free domain for one year.
There are three specific website builder plans: Basic, Pro, and Online Store, starting at $2.95 a month for the Basic plan and ranging up to $24.95 a month for Online Store. You have to sign up for either 12 or 36 months, with the first term offering up to 75% off the regular price.
All plans include hosting for unlimited sites, blog post management, and email marketing tools. Pro adds WooCommerce support; Online Store appointment bookings, subscription sales, and discount code generation; and both add 30 additional premium templates.
Bluehost’s builder combines WordPress’s leading elements with top hosting and a simple interface, at reasonable prices. If there’s a negative, it’s that the builder isn’t as flexible when it comes to site layout, but its wider range of content options and ease-of-use rank it highly among the top website builders for WordPress available.
Read our Bluehost WordPress website builder review.
Basic | Pro | Online Store | |
---|---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $2.95 / $35.40* | $9.95 / $119.40* | $24.95 / $299.40* |
Unlimited bandwidth | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Customer suppport | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
Number of templates | 300+ | 330+ | 330+ |
*The Bluehost WordPress website builder is available with a minimum 12-month subscription, and prices will increase on renewal.
Squarespace is known for extremely attractive, professionally designed templates, and although its library is quite small compared to Wix, designs tend to be visually appealing, as well as specifically targeted.
Another standout is its excellent blogging features, such as adding multiple authors, scheduling posts, and creating content from mobile devices, while many templates are targeted at users looking to create a blog. Other impressive elements include ecommerce integrations, search engine optimization tools, and an advanced analytics portal.
However, Squarespace’s editor could certainly be better. It can be quite confusing to use and to navigate, especially for beginners, and even we have trouble from time to time, despite having used it numerous times before. On the cost side, there also isn’t any free forever plan.
Despite this, each of the four paid plans comes with a 14-day free trial, as well as a free domain for the first year, unmetered bandwidth and storage, built-in SSL (secure sockets layer) security, and more. Prices range from $12 a month for an annual Personal subscription to $40 a month with the Advanced Commerce plan.
Read our full Squarespace review.
Personal | Business | Basic Commerce | Advanced Commerce | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $16 / $144 | $26 / $216 | $35 / $312 | $54 / $480 |
Customer support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Number of templates | 110+ | 110+ | 110+ | 110+ |
GoDaddy has a built-in website creator that ships alongside its hosting services. The builder is simple and easy to use, with no third-party app market or add-ons to choose from. While that may be a disappointment for some, others will appreciate the lack of clutter.
The builder boasts excellent support and powerful analytics, two must-have essentials for any growing site. While it’s a little barebones compared to competitors, this streamlined approach means novices can focus on the important things.
The GoDaddy builder’s decent drag-and-drop interface lets you configure your site to your liking, with pre-built templates to choose from if you want to get started quickly. There are extensive tutorials available for new users, as well as a live chat support system for technical problems.
While GoDaddy doesn’t offer an app market, this means all features are built in-house, ensuring complete compatibility and greater security. It’s also worth noting that the base plan doesn’t include marketing or analytics—those are paid add-ons that require a separate plan.
The four premium plans range from $6.99 to $17.49 a month for the first year, and increase to $9.99 to $24.99 a month after. Prices are significantly higher for shorter subscriptions, but all paid plans include a free SSL certificate, the option to connect a custom domain name, a free business email (for the first year), and analytics and editing tools. The more advanced plans add marketing, ecommerce, and business features.
Read our full GoDaddy website builder review and our GoDaddy web hosting review.
Basic | Standard | Premium | Commerce | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $14.99 / $83.88 | $19.99 / $125.88 | $24.99 / $167.88 | $29.99 / $209.88 |
Customer support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
Number of templates | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Shopify is the ultimate ecommerce platform, with over one million merchants using its services across 175 countries, While you can expect ecommerce features from builders such as Wix and Weebly, these pale in comparison to Shopify’s.
Its builder helps create an online store in a matter of minutes, and you can take advantage of an extensive collection of third-party apps for new features and functionality. This helps the builder stay clutter-free, while allowing you to opt for specific features your store requires. Pricing starts at a relatively expensive $29 a month, and ranges up to $299 a month across three plans.
Excellent additional elements include a built-in shopping cart and checkout manager, and marketing and security tools. With cybersecurity one of the biggest concerns for online shopping, Shopify is Level 1 PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant, meaning it’s extremely safe for you and your customers.
If you’re looking to build a traditional site or blog however, you are out of luck. In turn, while excellent for small businesses, larger ecommerce stores may want to look to more dedicated solutions like WooCommerce or BigCommerce. A 2.4% to 2.6% transaction fee is applicable on each purchase made too, which might be a turn-off for some.
Read our full Shopify review.
Basic Shopify | Shopify | Advanced Shopify | |
---|---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $29 / $313.20 | $79 / $853.20 | $299 / $3,229.20 |
Customer support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Number of templates | 70+ | 70+ | 70+ |
Alongside Wix, Weebly is probably the most widely recognized name in the website building space. It provides a range of site creation tools, and has become known for extremely attractive templates and excellent ecommerce elements, the latter thanks to its acquisition by ecommerce giant Square.
Ecommerce is probably Weebly’s largest selling point, with much of its site builder dedicated to creating an online store. A large percentage of available designs include some sort of store, which means that getting started can be as easy as adding content and hitting publish.
Weebly’s editor is a little limited, however. It uses a drag-and-drop interface, but you can only move elements into pre-coded positions. But if you’re not too fussy about pixel-perfect editing, this will help keep things simple. In the long-term, a pivot towards Square’s own ecommerce store builder is seeing new customers funnelled towards it. Existing Weebly customers will still be supported with features and functionality, though.
When it comes to pricing, there are seven plans including the free-forever plan, which enables you to create a site and online store, but you can’t connect your own domain. The cheapest Personal plan ($6 a month) adds custom domain support and more advanced ecommerce tools, while the Professional ($12) and Performance ($26) plans offer even more powerful ecommerce features.
Read our full Weebly review and our Square Online review.
Personal | Professional | Performance | Pro | Business | Business Plus | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $9 / $72 | $16 / $144 | $29 / $312 | $18 / $216 | $35 / $420 | $46 / $552 |
Customer support | Email and forums | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Number of templates | 50+ | 50+ | 50+ | 50+ | 50+ | 50+ |
1&1 IONOS is one of the largest web hosting providers in Europe, hosting 20 million sites, and its website builder features an array of templates and great functionalities for businesses of all sizes.
Its huge collection of themes are categorized neatly by industry and genre, so whether you’re a real-estate developer or a travel agency, you’re bound to find something for your needs. The built-in targeted content system even allows you to display specific messages to different visitor demographics.
Using this builder requires absolutely no coding knowledge—the drag-and-drop editor allows you to make any changes you need. There are eight plans available across different site types: three for basic builders, ranging from $1 a month (the Starter plan) to $10 (the Pro plan), with pricing options within these for sites with or without ecommerce functionality (ranging from $1 to $25 a month).
1&1 IONOS also offers three plans that offer design advice and consultation, ranging from $30 to $60 a month, alongside MyWebsite Now and Creator, two plans that offer a website builder packaged with marketing tools. These begin for free for the first month, increasing to $17 and $23 respectively thereafter, but offer a free domain for a year, a free SSL certificate, and emails.
The drawback is the lack of a free plan, although a paid trial is available for new users for one month. Another factor worth considering is that some themes may not be responsive to screen size.
Read our 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite website builder review.
Starter | Plus | Pro | |
---|---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $5 / $60 (basic) – $12 / $144 (ecommerce) | $10 / $120 (basic) – $20 / $240 (ecommerce) | $15 / $180 (basic) – $35 / $420 (ecommerce) |
Customer support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✔ (with ecommerce) | ✔ (with ecommerce) | ✔ (with ecommerce) |
Number of templates | 400+ | 400+ | 400+ |
Zoho is famous for its all-in-one productivity suite, much like Microsoft 365, and its website builder—Zoho Sites—is efficient and powerful, offering over 190 templates and a code editor for those with the knowledge to get stuck in behind the scenes.
The interface is surprisingly user-friendly, and therefore easy for newbies to access. There are also a good deal of in-house add-ons for marketing and customer management, which businesses will appreciate. While there’s no forever free plan, the two paid plans are reasonably priced, with a lot of scope for scaling via paid add-ons as your site expands.
Starter ($5 per site a month) has restrictions on storage, bandwidth, and maximum file size, as well as the number of pages your site can have, but it’s sufficient for a simple website. Pro ($17 per site a month) has much higher limits, alongside additional tools like built-in newsletter subscriptions and blog scheduling.
In terms of paid add-ons, you can also add more pages ($50 a year), contributors ($20 a year), and a portal for 1,000 members ($50 a year) should you need to. You can also take advantage of the entire Zoho office suite, including project management and database creation software.
There are a few downsides, especially when it comes to compatibility, however, as there isn’t a lot of support for third-party applications. Thankfully, Zoho’s office applications are able to plug many of these holes with equally good alternatives.
Read our Zoho Sites review.
Starter | Pro | |
---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $5 / $8 (per month) | $17 / $23 (per month) |
Customer support | 24/7 (with extra payment) | 24/7 (with extra payment) |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✖ | ✖ |
Number of templates | 190+ | 190+ |
HostGator is a popular web host, and its Gator Website Builder uses a drag-and-drop interface to help generate simple sites. You can easily combine columns, text boxes, images, videos and other simple elements to create mobile-friendly websites.
There are more than 200 templates to choose from, with each one completely customizable and allowing for endless personalization. There’s a built-in library of stock photographs included too, as well as a series of video tutorials if you need a step-by-step guide. It offers three plans, namely Express Start, Express Site, and Express Store, ranging from $3.84 to $9.22 a month.
Premium customer support via phone and chat comes with hosting plans, while free analytics are also available, which will be particularly useful for smaller businesses. Advanced users, conversely, may find the lack of specialized tools irritating. There are no dedicated email marketing tools, while blogging tools are relatively basic.
Ultimately, Gator Website Builder is a good choice for small businesses, but not for bigger companies.
Read our HostGator review.
Express Start | Express Site | Express Store | |
---|---|---|---|
Cost per month/year | $3.84 / $110.64 | $5.99 / $147.47 | $9.22 / $239.76 |
Customer support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Store builder | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Number of templates | 200+ | 200+ | 200+ |
Easy website builders are the best choice for beginners
How to build a website with…
If you’re a complete beginner, then you might want to choose a website builder that makes it as easy as possible to create and launch a site from scratch. Most are fairly simple to use via drag-and-drop editors, though not all are designed with beginners in mind, or those without time or budgets to dedicate to site creation.
Selecting an easy website builder requires you to consider a series of important factors. These include performance, main features, support, ease of use, and pricing plans available should you need more advanced tools. In this section, we discuss leading easy website builders, measuring each against these key factors to help you make the right choice.
The best easy website builders available right now
Easy website builders: Features
When comparing the four platforms mentioned above, we found all come with drag-and-drop editors, decent template libraries, and a range of website SEO and marketing tools.
Wix is arguably the most powerful builder on the market, and one of its site-building tools, Wix ADI, makes things very easy for beginners. When you begin editing, you’ll have access to various business-specific features. Add an online store, take bookings, or even accept donations from fans with a suite of add-ons.
Weebly has what we call an “idiot-proof” editing interface: templates are so attractive and well-designed that you’ll have to try hard to build a site that doesn’t look good. It’s also known for powerful ecommerce tools, designed to help even the most inexperienced build their own online store, and there’s also an excellent built-in analytics platform and detailed documentation.
GoDaddy is arguably the easiest builder we’ve used, but its features are a little limited. For example, its template library is very small, and designs are far from the best. Similarly, while it has tools to create an online store, these are very much on the basic side. However, its ease of use is unparalleled.
Site123 is up there with GoDaddy as one of the easiest builders available. However, it offers slightly more powerful tools, including advanced SEO elements, business-specific templates, and a mobile-first design.
At the end of the day, every builder is different. The important things to understand are that they can be both powerful and easy to use, and that different platforms will be better suited to different needs.
Easy website builders: Performance and ease of use
Performance is a key consideration for business owners wanting to create their own site. Some builders require a high level of technical knowledge to use properly, while others are extremely intuitive, and are designed specifically for beginners.
All four options excel on ease of use. Site123 and GoDaddy are arguably the easiest. Both are a little limited, but are perfect for businesses and owners who just want to get a simple site online as fast as possible.
Wix is a little more complicated, but the Wix ADI tool is definitely a great option for beginners. You’ll be guided through a short questionnaire asking about your goals, what sort of site you want, and what design features you want to be included. Then, you’ll be provided with a custom template you can customize through the drag-and-drop editor.
Weebly is slightly more complex than Site123 or GoDaddy, but advanced editing features and great ecommerce tools make it a top option for beginners nonetheless. Creating your site may take a little longer, but ongoing management is extremely easy due to the attractive web dashboard.
Easy website builders: Support
Ultimately, the customer service you get will largely depend on the builder you decide to use. Most come with extensive knowledge bases and resource libraries, but live support options can vary extensively.
For example, Weebly’s support is limited to email and live chat during US business hours. However, users with a high-end Performance or Professional plan will have access to direct phone support, and Performance subscribers get priority access.
On the other hand, Site123 offers excellent 24/7 live chat support. Its customer service agents are friendly and responsive, and we’ve never had anything other than a positive experience when dealing with them. The key point here is pay careful attention to customer service options before committing.
Easy website builders: Pricing and plans
As with everything else, prices tend to vary significantly between different builders.
Wix, Weebly, Site123, and GoDaddy offer free website builders: others only have paid options. Free trials are available from those that don’t offer free plans though, so you can try before buying, and it’s clear free builders are adequate for simpler sites or smaller personal projects.
These have pros and cons, however. Wix’s free-forever plan allows you to access the full website builder, but has common limitations including adverts, the inability to connect a custom domain name, and restricted storage and bandwidth. If you’re looking for ecommerce or marketing features, or want a professional business site, a premium plan is always best.
One very important thing to note is that cheaper plans are often much more limited. While Weebly’s Personal plan is $6 a month, it doesn’t include advanced ecommerce tools, has limited storage, and includes built-in advertising. We’ve already mentioned pricing for Wix, GoDaddy, and Weebly; Site123’s four paid plans cost between $12.80 and $34.80 a month.
Remember, though, that the cheapest option won’t necessarily be the best, especially if you’re planning a functional business site.
Easy website builders: Which is best?
The take-home message is that powerful and easy to use aren’t mutually exclusive when building a website.
Some of the world’s most popular builders, like Weebly and Wix, are also among the best for beginners. Other popular options, such as Site123 and GoDaddy, are designed specifically to be easy to use: neither offers extremely powerful features or advanced editing tools, but provide the opportunity to create a new site in hours. Read our Site123 review to learn more.
All things considered, there’s absolutely no way to label any one builder as the best for beginners. There are numerous options available that are easy to use, and every business has different requirements. The bottom line here is, do your research: don’t be afraid to sign up for a trial, build a website for free, and test different platforms. Take time choosing the best easy website builder for your site.
Website builders FAQs
Which online website builder is best? What’s the best cheap website builder?
Wix is the best website builder available, and the best cheap website builder. It’s extremely popular, and its huge template library of over 500 designs offers excellent design flexibility. New users have the choice of the Wix Editor or ADI interfaces, providing a scale between more complex drag-and-drop customizability and an extremely straightforward, artificial intelligence-led service.
What’s the difference between a website builder and web hosting?
Traditionally, web developers had to create code for a new site, then upload this to a web host’s servers, where it would be delivered to visitors. The same principles still apply, and many high-end sites are still built like this. However, the best website builders offer all-in-one site creation solutions that simplify things significantly, with various tools, an editor, and web hosting included.
WordPress vs website builders: which is better?
How to choose and buy the best website builder for you
How we review the best website builders
Should I use a free website builder?
Next steps when choosing website builders and hosting
Take some time to discover the differences between web hosting, WordPress, and website builders, to find out their distinctive elements and establish which you’d need. If you’re considering WordPress, it’s worth taking a look at our WordPress review to learn more about the leading content management system.
Take some time to understand what web hosting is, and look into how to choose a web hosting service if you need one. We’ve got a range of guides covering the best web hosting and the multiple other hosting types available.