Not all website builders are equal because some are more suitable for online selling and others offer greater design customization options. In order to assist you in determining the most suitable one for your needs, we have tested the most popular website builders available. Our evaluation considered the functionalities provided by these builders, their user-friendliness, and the associated costs.
Join us as we explore the top website builders in 2023. We will provide you with all the necessary details to help you choose the most suitable one for your needs and begin crafting an amazing website. Let’s commence the building process!
12 Best Website Builders: Tried & Tested [2023 Update]
1. Wix
Wix is a website builder that is versatile and user-friendly, allowing you to start creating a site without any cost. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and an AI-powered design tool called Wix ADI, along with a variety of templates, making website building accessible to all.
Wix has you covered, whether you are creating a simple website or a comprehensive online store. It is a tool that is designed to adapt to your changing needs. The available tiers depend on the size of your site or your budget.
In addition, Wix is one of the popular website builders available, with current statistics indicating that it is responsible for running 2.3% of all websites.
Ease of use and time investment
Regardless of whether you opt for the WIX AI or utilize your own template, you will ultimately arrive at the Wix editor to finalize the customization of your website.
The Wix editor provides a high level of control for your website, but it can feel more overwhelming compared to Squarespace’s editor due to the simultaneous presentation of numerous options.
If you have previously created websites, you may appreciate the abundance of options available. However, if you are new to website building, you may find it difficult to adapt to the learning process.
2. Squarespace
According to W3Techs [1], Squarespace is the most popular website builder and hosted content management system, powering 2.0% of all websites on the Internet.
Squarespace provides attractive templates for various niches and a user-friendly onboarding process that simplifies website building, even for those without technical expertise.
To begin, Squarespace requires you to select a base template from their collection of 65+ templates. The templates are categorized and generally possess sleek, contemporary and minimalist designs.
After selecting your base template, you will have to make a Squarespace account, which does not require a credit card and you can begin for free, allowing you to try things out.
Once you have created your account, Squarespace immediately directs you to the editor, enabling you to personalize your site.
Ease of use and time investment
You don’t need to be concerned about creating your website’s design from scratch since Squarespace allows you to begin with one of the pre-made templates.
What you will do is use Squarespace’s drag-and-drop editor to perform the tasks in a sequential manner.
- Edit the existing template data
- If desired, add new content, like more text, images, a newsletter form, etc.
3. Weebly
In April 2018, Square acquired Weebly for $365 million. Weebly is a well-established website builder that enables the creation of both regular websites and online stores. Square’s participation is expected to enhance the prominence of the ecommerce aspect.
Weebly powers 0.5% of all websites on the Internet at the moment [1]. In case you are interested in a more detailed analysis, we have a comprehensive post comparing Weebly and Wix.
Just like the rest, the way to begin using Weebly is to create a free account.
Depending on the type of site you are creating, you have the option to select from a range of themes, with the quantity varying based on whether it is a store or a business site.
Ease of use and time investment
After choosing your website theme, Weebly will open the editor for you. To edit existing content, simply click on the live preview. To add new content, you can easily drag it from the options on the left.
Although Weebly’s editor is not as advanced as Wix, it effectively simplifies the process of customizing your site while providing sufficient control.
If you require extra features, you have the option to connect to the Weebly app store.
4. Shopify
Shopify is different because it solely focuses on ecommerce instead of assisting in creating a versatile website. In terms of statistics, Shopify is used by 4.1% of all websites on the Internet, making it the second most popular website creation method, following WordPress with a significant market share of 43.1% [1]. Additionally, Shopify is the second most popular platform for developing an ecommerce store, surpassed only by WooCommerce.
If you are serious about creating an ecommerce store, this website builder is likely your best option, despite not being the best overall.
Shopify functions based on principles that are comparable to other website builders, albeit with a slightly distinct approach.
After signing up for a free Shopify account, a small amount of information will be required. Subsequently, you will be directed to the Shopify dashboard.
This is the place where you will:
- Choose a theme
- Add products
- Install apps for more functionality
Ease of use and time investment
Due to its emphasis on ecommerce, setting up your store on Shopify will require more time compared to a typical website builder.
In addition to the information mentioned earlier, it will also be necessary for you to establish payment gateways, adjust tax rates, and conduct other necessary tasks.
Shopify makes an effort to ensure simplicity. An instance is the Theme Customizer/editor, which facilitates the adjustment of your store. Moreover, despite its ecommerce orientation, additional features such as a blog can still be incorporated.
However, the only disadvantage is the lack of “inline editing”. This implies that unlike other website builders, editing the text is not as simple as clicking on it.
5. Bluehost Website Builder
Bluehost Website Builder stands out among the other website builders mentioned in this list due to its unique feature of not being a standalone platform. Instead, it utilizes WordPress.org to enable users in building a website.
In my opinion, that is actually an advantage. The reason for this is that beginning a website on WordPress.org alone may not be a simple task. Therefore, Bluehost takes care of it for you by providing all the necessary resources in one location.
In order to initiate a WordPress website using Bluehost Website Builder, the initial step is to select a pricing package. After that, you should proceed with choosing your domain name, filling out the necessary account details during the checkout process, and then submitting them.
Step by step, select the Bluehost Website Builder as the primary method for building the website during the setup wizard, and proceed by following the provided instructions.
After completing the setup, you can access your dashboard. Once in the dashboard, you will be able to handle your WordPress sites by performing various tasks such as creating pages, personalizing the design, installing plugins and themes, and adding content.
To customize the design of a site, you have the option of using the drag-and-drop editor provided by the Bluehost Website Builder. You can incorporate pre-built templates and modify each section according to your preferences using the visual interface.
Ease of use and time investment
The Bluehost Website Builder editor is designed in a way that is easy to use for the average user. By utilizing the left-side menu, you have the ability to add elements, establish menus and pages, personalize the design, and review settings.
By following a sequential approach, you have the ability to rearrange various elements to create your own pages. This can be done by either utilizing a pre-designed template or assembling different sections. The customization of each element can be done through the right sidebar.
You have the option to either customize your entire site using WordPress’ default block editor or customizer by clicking on the WP Admin icon in the left menu. This process is equally user-friendly to the Bluehost drag-and-drop editor where you simply click on a block and customize its elements through the right sidebar.
6. WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a platform that offers a convenient method for building websites using the open-source WordPress software. With WordPress powering 43.1% of all existing websites, WordPress.com serves as the most straightforward entry point into the WordPress ecosystem [3].
The open-source software known as WordPress.org is free and can be installed on your own web hosting. It provides a convenient method for creating a website, but it should not be considered a “website builder” since you are responsible for installing and managing the software.
WordPress.com is a service that offers a website builder-like experience for WordPress. It takes care of all the setup and maintenance tasks for you. However, if you subscribe to the WordPress.com Business plan, you retain almost all the flexibility of WordPress, such as the option to install your own themes and plugins*.
You have the capability to incorporate various features to your site by installing plugins. The WooCommerce plugin allows you to create an ecommerce store that is powered by WordPress.
Ease of use and time investment
Although the self-hosted WordPress software is slightly more intricate than typical website builders, the WordPress.com service effectively streamlines processes.
In just a few minutes, the setup wizard can enable you to have a functional website up and running. This might be sufficient for straightforward websites.
One option to consider for more detailed website customization is to install a page builder plugin such as Elementor. By doing so, you will have the ability to design your website visually and easily with a drag-and-drop interface.
7. SITE123
SITE123 is definitely one of the easiest builders available, which is why it is named after the speed at which you can create your site. This could be a preferable option for beginners. It offers over 180 templates that are mobile-responsive and a wide range of apps to enhance your site’s capabilities.
SITE123’s editor is designed in such a way that you can easily create your website by simply clicking on various buttons and prompts within a predetermined structure. Instead of meticulously tweaking each element, you will be able to add and rearrange sections for text, media galleries, and contact information. With this type of editor, your designs will always maintain perfect alignment.
Once you have overcome the learning curve, which may be challenging for those accustomed to drag-and-drop builders, you will be able to build websites at a faster pace compared to Wix. Additionally, you will find various convenient features such as breadcrumbs navigation, automatic categorization of online store products, and a straightforward contact form builder that further expedites the process.
Ease of Use
SITE123’s editor is user-friendly and allows for easy customization of your pages, although it requires some understanding of its functionalities. Initially, our site automatically defaulted to a single page layout, and it took us approximately 20 minutes to realize that we needed to configure the settings of added blocks in order to exclude them from the homepage but retain them in the navigation menus. Once this is understood, constructing your SITE123 demo site becomes significantly quicker. It is possible to create the entire site within an hour, which includes troubleshooting for the initial 20 minutes.
The interface, in general, is not completely intuitive, so you might have to explore a bit to locate precisely what you’re seeking. However, if you encounter an issue, the live chat service is quite responsive and helpful as they provided an answer within a span of less than 20 minutes.
The interfaces for each feature, such as the blog and online store, are relatively easy to use. Although they may not appear as modern as Wix or Squarespace, it does not affect the appearance of the websites created using this builder.
8. Webador
Webador is specifically designed for individuals who do not have the intention of creating a groundbreaking website that will revolutionize the industry. Rather, it caters to those who simply want to create a straightforward website to advertise their business without incurring large expenses or sacrificing quality.
Webador stands out for its simplicity. While it’s not the first builder to claim that you can create a complete website in a matter of minutes, it distinguishes itself by actually fulfilling that promise through its responsive user interface, tools for customizing the entire site, and a wide range of drag-and-drop widgets organized into well-defined categories.
In addition to its speed, Webador offers a user-friendly dashboard for beginners to efficiently manage small e-commerce shops or blogs. Moreover, you can enhance visitor engagement through various high-quality widgets offered by Webador, including custom forms, five-star product/service feedback buttons, and digital maps.
If you are on a budget and want to create a simple and attractive website, Webador is an excellent choice as it is one of the most affordable builders available in the market.
Ease of Use
Setting up a website with Webador is easily done. It will only take you approximately 10 minutes to learn how to create a website, even if you have no prior experience with website builders. If you do have previous experience, a quick look should suffice.
The user interface (UI) is designed to be easy to understand and have clear labels, which assist you in efficiently editing various elements of your website. The tabs labeled Settings, Webshop, Pages, Design, and Editor perform the exact functions you would anticipate. Specifically, the design tab is excellent for swiftly making extensive alterations to the overall ambiance of your website. It allows you to modify the color scheme and fonts in line with your desired tone.
9. 1&! IONOS Site Builder
IONOS’ MyWebsite Now builder is less complicated compared to other builders on this list. Rather than bombarding you with a multitude of features, IONOS prioritizes granting you authority over the fundamental elements of your website’s design.
Even though your IONOS website may not appear basic or lack functionality, IONOS handles the complicated elements of site building to ensure a highly efficient user experience. In our testing, building a site with IONOS was both the quickest and most cost-effective option.
While IONOS may not offer as many features or templates as other builders, its designs are more sleek and stylish. Although the customization options are somewhat restricted, this is not a significant issue considering the high-quality initial options available. With IONOS, it is possible to create a visually appealing website.
Rather than having separate plans specifically for e-commerce, IONOS provides online store packages that can be added to any plan. This choice also establishes IONOS as one of the most affordable options for e-commerce. It is ideal for constructing a basic online store with essential features.
Ease of Use
IONOS offers two distinct website builders: MyWebsite Now and MyWebsite Creator. While MyWebsite Creator is primarily designed for experienced developers and designers, we have concentrated our attention on MyWebsite Now, considering it as the user-friendly choice for beginners. It has been discovered that MyWebsite Now is incredibly easy to use, exceeding expectations.
The process of setting up is extremely easy. All you have to do is choose a template and start clicking. It doesn’t take much time to understand and become familiar with MyWebsite Now, particularly if you have prior experience using a website builder.
Occasionally, we found ourselves a little confused with the way IONOS works. For example, there is a distinction between adding and editing items. To add something to your section (such as a button), you need to enter the Section editor, then go back a step to customize it. Once you understand it, it is fine, although it can be a bit counter-intuitive.
10. Web.com
Web.com is a comprehensive and multifunctional platform that offers a user-friendly interface. The editor provides a range of tools to modify every element of your website at different levels of intricacy. This feature proves to be exceptionally adaptable for individuals with varying levels of expertise. For beginners, it is possible to create a basic site within a few minutes or dedicate a bit more time to customize it according to personal preferences.
Web.com provides a range of useful tools for various types of websites. These tools include features for SEO, marketing, e-commerce, blogging, and more. Additionally, if you do not want to handle the design aspect, you have the option to pay a fee and hire a professional web designer to create your ideal site. Even after the designer completes their work, you can continue using the classic editor and maintain control over the final version of your site. By choosing this option, you can enjoy the advantages of professional design while still having the ultimate decision-making power.
Because it is not flawless, the editor lacks the ability to excel in any specific aspect despite its impressive versatility.
Despite being easy to use, the editor was not designed specifically for absolute beginners. Additionally, while it does provide a wide range of features for e-commerce, it is not comparable to dedicated e-commerce builders. However, if you are an intermediate user seeking a flexible builder, Web.com is a formidable choice.
Ease of Use
It is not necessary to be a professional website designer to understand how to use Web.com. However, it is not recommended as the easiest option for beginners, nor as a fast and simple tool for creating a website in a short amount of time. This is not solely because it has a difficult learning process. Theoretically, it is possible to create a basic site in a few steps, but the advanced features that make Web.com valuable require some technical knowledge.
If you are not interested in the design details, tools such as spacing, nested design, and responsiveness may appear unnecessary and overly technical, although they can greatly influence the creation of an appropriate design for your site. Web.com highly prioritizes these tools.
Web.com is in a difficult position because it is not suitable for absolute beginners, yet it does not offer advanced features desired by professional designers and agencies. Nonetheless, it presents its tools in a user-friendly and easy-to-understand manner, making it a useful platform for beginners to begin exploring design concepts.
Despite being glitchy and not as intuitive as Wix or Squarespace, the editor provided by Web.com is advanced and accessible for web design intermediates.
11. Duda
Duda provides a range of design features, including direct CSS editing and breakpoint editing, which are available on all pricing plans. These advanced design features are suitable for agencies and independent professionals using the platform. Additionally, Duda offers various features for client work, such as custom backend branding and the ability to make hassle-free changes to websites.
Does this imply that it is not useful for the average user? Definitely not! While there is a fairly difficult learning process involved, Duda provides an easy-to-use editor for anyone interested in web design – as long as they are willing to invest the time to ensure accuracy.
Duda’s Flex mode is quite impressive as it allows you to personalize your website by simply dragging and dropping pre-designed sections or even modifying CSS manually.
Ease of Use
To put it simply, Duda is not the most user-friendly website builder. However, when a builder receives a lower ranking in terms of ease of use, it is typically due to issues such as poor design, a cumbersome user interface, or confusing navigation. Duda, on the other hand, does not experience these problems. In fact, the Duda editor is responsive, straightforward, and simple to navigate – its only downfall is that it is not specifically designed for the average user.
Duda caters its products to experienced designers, which offers a diverse range of (very) useful tools. However, without prior web design experience, the sheer number of tools can become overwhelming. To aid in learning, Duda offers “Duda University,” a comprehensive knowledge base that teaches important aspects of Duda and web design. Nevertheless, the learning process can still be quite challenging.
12. Hostinger Website Builder
The Hostinger Website Builder is both user-friendly and offers a high level of creative freedom. Additionally, it stands out for its exceptional speed. Its key features include a drag-and-drop editor and a wide range of ready-made templates, allowing users to quickly transform their ideas into a complete website within an hour. Moreover, Hostinger’s servers ensure excellent performance speeds.
Hostinger aims to assist you in every possible way. The website builder provides robust tools to guide you at each step of the construction process, offering AI-generated templates and an AI writer to help you complete your site with authentic content.
If you are considering building an e-commerce site, Hostinger provides widgets for categories, bookings, custom discounts, and marketing options right from the start. Due to the fact that it offers only one fairly inexpensive plan, the Hostinger Website Builder is among the most affordable choices for constructing an e-commerce site.
Regrettably, there are not many options available to enhance Hostinger’s features as it lacks an app market and has limited third-party integrations. However, it remains an excellent option if you seek to quickly create an affordable, secure, and visually appealing website.
Ease of Use
The Hostinger website builder is extremely user-friendly. Even as a beginner, it only took me less than five minutes to understand the basics. One drawback is that Hostinger doesn’t provide a helpful checklist or step-by-step guide, but it is easy to navigate through the clicking and scrolling process. The platform is designed intuitively.
Hostinger does things slightly differently from other website builders, which may cause a few moments where you can get stuck. For instance, buttons may not be in the exact expected locations. However, this may only be a concern for those with prior experience and may not pose a problem for complete beginners.
Hostinger provides a range of AI tools to further simplify your life. These tools include an AI business name generator, a slogan generator, a blog title generator, and an AI writer that can generate SEO-friendly content for you when you lack inspiration.
The text it produced wasn’t very exciting, but it could be useful for overcoming writer’s block and finding inspiration when starting from scratch.
Hostinger offers a relatively minimalist set of features, which contributes to its ease of use as there is not a lot to grasp. However, it may lack a specific feature you are seeking.
What to Look For In The Best Website Builders
Ease of Use
A good website builder should be easy to use, enjoyable, and intuitive. Most website builders offer a “getting started” tour. Once the setup phase is complete, you should easily find all the necessary tools without any difficulty. It should not be a struggle to understand the capabilities and limitations of each tool.
Making changes to the most important parts of a website should be simple. This implies that customization choices should not be buried deep within multiple layers of navigation. Moreover, there must be easily accessible and reliable support options that can offer prompt solutions.
Rephrasing the text while maintaining the same meaning: Rephrase the text below step by step, ensuring no new information is added or removed. Obtain bonus points if a builder automatically saves your progress and provides continuous prompts for crucial steps, such as publishing your website or linking it to a domain.
Design Flexibility
If you want your website to be unique and not appear like other templates, you will likely need to start with a template. However, the top website builders offer a wide range of templates to choose from, such as Wix which provides over 900 options. Additionally, these website builders provide customization tools that allow you to transform the template into something with its own distinct appearance and identity. The specific aspects it should possess are:
- Plenty of initial templates to choose from
- Full control over color scheme
- A wide range of fonts
- Lots of options for page layouts and/or blocks
During the testing phase, we observed that drag-and-drop site editors generally provide the highest level of flexibility. This can be observed in the test results, although it is worth mentioning that other types of editors also offer ample design freedom.
Pricing
The focus of this criterion is not primarily on the actual cost but on the value it provides. After conducting a comprehensive comparison of website builder prices, we concluded that while some site builders offer incredibly low-priced plans, if their highest-priced plan offers only half the features found in another builder’s most basic plan, it does not give them an advantage.
To obtain the best value, opt for a website builder that offers a broad range of features at a reasonable price. It should provide multiple plan options, enabling you to tailor it to your specific requirements. For example, while Squarespace may not be the most inexpensive option, its extensive offerings make it highly regarded for its value. Click here to view the latest plans they offer.
It is common for higher-tier plans to offer either more bandwidth and storage or access to advanced e-commerce features. Understanding your site’s requirements will assist you in evaluating the worth of these plans as you go through the outcomes.
Additional Considerations
Although the outlined criteria are the most important for comparing website builders, a few bonus features are believed to enhance certain site builders. Each of these features alone would not give a builder a higher ranking, but when combined with other strong features, they make these builders even more formidable.
When considering additional aspects, it is important to ensure they are genuinely beneficial rather than just being presented as impressive features. Here are some other factors we took into account:
- SEO capabilities: Most site builders help you optimize your title tags and meta descriptions, but the ones that have extra technical features, like auto-generating robots.txt files or sitemaps, are really helpful.
- Plenty of apps and integrations: This has more to do with function than design. A good site builder should be able to offer you the capabilities you need, ideally by integrating with other tools or software you’re already using, like MailChimp for email campaigns.
- A truly unique feature: Some builders have standout features that are unique to them and can’t really be compared with others. These are noted in the results for each builder.
E-Commerce Builder or Regular Builder with E-Commerce Features?
E-commerce builders, such as the last three options mentioned, primarily concentrate on providing advanced online store capabilities. While their online store features outperform regular website builders, other aspects of website creation tend to become cumbersome in comparison.
Regular website builders offer e-commerce capabilities as an additional feature rather than as their main service. However, some regular builders, such as Squarespace, now provide remarkable e-commerce features. These include the ability to easily create a strong blog, multiple landing pages, and a large quantity of photos or videos.
After comparing regular website builders and e-commerce builders, we have concluded that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The choice of builder should be based on the main objective of your website.
If your primary objective is to promote and sell products, an e-commerce builder can offer additional payment choices, simplified product upload and categorization, and occasional shipping offers. It’s not necessary to be a big retailer to reap the benefits of these builders – Etsy sellers and local shops or boutiques can also find numerous advantages in utilizing them.
If you have a blog or personal website that aims to sell a limited number of products, such as books or online courses, using a regular builder with e-commerce functionality will meet your requirements and maintain the functionality of your online store.
If you are a retailer and want to expand your site with a blog or other content, many e-commerce builders provide integration with other platforms or website builders. Therefore, your site can benefit from both aspects. This combination could be the suitable option for you.
