10 Best Website Builders in 2024
We evaluated 40+ providers to determine the best website builders in the following list.
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Best Overall
Hostinger Website Builder
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Hostinger offers a website builder that’s integrated with its hosting services, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. It’s suitable for beginners and those looking for an all-in-one hosting and building solution.
In top 3 for
Pros
Good customer support
Unlimited bandwidth and no traffic limit
Offers huge discounts for long-term contracts
Cons
No LMS capabilities
Not ideal for multilingual websites
SITE123
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SITE123 is designed for simplicity, enabling users to create websites quickly without any design or technical experience. It’s a popular choice for small businesses and individuals looking for a straightforward, no-fuss website builder.
In top 3 for
Cons
Very limited bandwidth & storage
Square Online
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Square Online extends its renowned payment processing system into website building, primarily focusing on ecommerce sites. Perfect for small to medium-sized businesses, it offers an integrated approach to online sales and payments.
In top 3 for
Pros
Unlimited bandwidth, storage and no traffic limit
Ucraft
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Ucraft specializes in offering sleek, template-driven website building with a focus on landing pages and simple sites. It’s a great choice for those seeking a minimalist approach with strong design elements.
Pros
Unlimited bandwidth, storage, and no traffic limit
Cons
No WAF
Squarespace
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Squarespace is the go-to platform for creatives seeking a blend of simplicity and sophistication. Known for its elegant design templates and powerful eCommerce capabilities, it enables users to build visually compelling, professional websites effortlessly.
In top 3 for
Pros
Unlimited bandwidth, storage, and no traffic limit
- Our ranking applies to each individual plan that a provider offers. Subsequently, the scores of each plan are merged using a dynamically weighted model.
Are you caught in a maze of website builders, not knowing who to believe or which to select for your online presence? In a world full of choices, it can be hard to navigate the waves of seemingly similar offerings.
You are not alone. In fact, most people either dive blindly into the battle or rely on word-of-mouth recommendations. It does not have to be this way.
Evaluating website builders is among the most complex niches that we rank on our platform.
The challenge is to rank providers equally while eliminating subjectivity as much as possible. However, with so many different use cases for building a website, different user situations, skill levels, preferences, and technical specifications, it’s almost impossible to do so.
Therefore, we have focused our research on the very basics and taken a broad approach. This results in a ranking that covers the most versatile solutions.
To find a tailored website builder for your specific needs, it’s essential to know more details about your situation and where you want to go with your website. Without exactly understanding your situation and goals, it makes absolutely no sense to pick any website builder. Therefore, we strongly recommend you use our Finder Tool, which covers exactly that, to lead you to the perfect website builder for your needs.
Let's get back to the overall best website builders, starting with a general definition.
What Is a Website Builder?
Website builders act as the bridge between your vision and an engaging online presence. These platforms streamline the process of creating a website, removing any barriers standing between you and your virtual dreams. Back in the day, setting up a website was reserved for the tech-savvy, as you needed to know how to code. This is a thing of the past, thanks to modern-day website builders, which come with drag-and-drop interfaces, simplifying the process for even complete beginners.
Moreover, visual appeal is a crucial element of website design. If you don't have an eye for aesthetics, these builders provide countless customizable templates and layouts to get you up and running in no time. You can utilize these pre-built designs and tweak them to make sure your website still stands out from the crowd.
Many website builders also come with various features like an ecommerce integration and SEO tools, which are things that are incredibly important for smooth sailing as a business. Imagine being able to integrate secure payment systems with just a few clicks. Or tap into valuable analytics data that helps drive traffic toward your business. That power lies at your fingertips with the best website builders.
Finally, note that these platforms aren't just for commercial use either. They cater to anyone looking to leave their mark on the digital world, be it artists seeking portfolio space or hobby bloggers wanting to share their thoughts globally.
What Makes the Best Website Builder?
Our quest for excellence has led us through a rigorous research operation. It's a process that guarantees fairness and reliability for all providers.
The first part involves identifying all the website builders on the market. We then assess what they bring to the table by laying out features and specifications relevant to the field of website building. What follows is categorizing the most important features and collecting the data for all website builders to ensure comprehensiveness.
Our team didn't stop with the publicly available information. Identifying gaps in each offering led us down another path: contacting providers' customer support teams directly. This enabled us to fill in the missing blanks in our data matrix while also observing the responsiveness and quality of provider assistance.
Every step until now has been about gathering valuable data. What followed next was standardizing it to remove any inconsistencies. Once we had a clearer picture of what we were working with, we started forming an overall score for the best website builders using the following criteria and weights.
Pricing
Generally speaking, you don't want to break your budget but also need a product that offers value. This delicate balance often means that price is one of the first considerations people have. Thankfully, numerous packages are out there, ranging from inexpensive versions with basic functionalities to premium plans with plenty of features. Visit this page to learn more about how we considered pricing and which website builders are the cheapest.
Features
The best website builders should offer a specific set of features that let you create a truly unique online presence for your desired vision. Of course, the features you need will entirely depend on the type of website you're creating and its purpose. Naturally, features typically work in parallel with pricing, so the more features you need, the higher your bill might be.
We focused on the core capabilities, making it clear which provider can be used for what and where they have their limitations. Here you can learn more about the features we looked into.
Integrations
Your website doesn't operate in isolation. It's part of an ecosystem interconnected with other digital platforms, such as social media channels or email marketing software. This is where integration comes into play. They streamline operations by allowing communication between these services.
Built-in integrations usually work with the click of a button. However, many website builders also allow you to add custom code for more challenging integrations, and the ability to use an API can open even more doors to connect your website builder with tools and services.
Learn more about integrations and how we considered them in our evaluation here.
Technical Specifications
Another part of choosing your website builder is not getting charmed by its visuals. Choosing software based only on its cosmetic offerings might leave you grappling with insufficient storage, problematic bandwidth caps, or less-than-ideal hosting situations down the line. These could all impact site performance and accessibility.
We reviewed each option's technical specifications, such as their used CPU, traffic limits, etc. You can learn more about them here and see who offers the most in terms of technicalities. Smaller businesses may only need basic solutions, but growing businesses often require more power to support their expanding operations.
Customer Support
Your website is essentially an online storefront that needs to be available 24/7. Without customer support, you could leave it vulnerable to various technical issues or security threats. You may lose access to your website, or customers may experience difficulty visiting it.
What kind of support does your chosen website builder provide? Is it phone, email, or live chat support? Can you get help with technical issues or general queries about the software quickly? It's essential to have a customer support team available when the unexpected happens. The quality of your interaction with them can make or break your website experience.
We looked into which builders offer the best customer support and included our findings on this page.
Ease of Use
We recommend opting for software with an intuitive interface to ensure everything works as expected. This matters whether you're tweaking design elements using clearly labeled tools or integrating third-party services within a few clicks. The ease of navigation should always save time rather than demand extra effort.
Depending on who builds your website, you want to ensure the software makes it easy for beginners. Some providers offer tutorials and walkthroughs, while others have a straightforward interface, so you can easily get it up and running.
Learn more about the easiest website builders and how we evaluated their ease of use here.
The 10 Best Website Builders
How to Choose the Best Website Builder for Your Needs
Based on what you've read so far, you might be tempted to simply take our number one overall pick and run with it. But the truth is that different people have different website-building needs. For instance, a startup may need more scalability options, while an individual may just need a bit of creative freedom in an easy-to-use environment.
Before you choose a website builder, reflect on your specific requirements. The perfect match should align with your future goals. If you want to build an online store, ensure the website builder you select supports what you need for it. Maybe you own a restaurant. In that case, look for options that simplify reservations and menu display.
Consider Your Technical Skills
You don't have to be a tech wizard, but considering your technical capabilities is probably a good idea. Some platforms appeal more to beginners without coding knowledge, whereas others are built for designers and tech-savvy users who enjoy full control over HTML and CSS.
Time is money; think about how much time you can allocate to learning a new platform, then choose a provider accordingly.
Review Your Budget
While some people can spend generously, others are on a tight budget. If you have enough spending power for premium services and long-term plans – great. If not, there are still many high-quality, cost-effective solutions out there.
If you are still indecisive, use our Comparison Tool and give our Finder Tool a try to match you with the best solution.
Nikkole E.
Updated: Sep 30, 2024
UX designer and funnel expert, helping businesses turn visitors into customers. When not designing, I'm busy tending to my succulent garden (a collection of low-maintenance plants).
FAQ
Can I create an online shop using a website builder?
Yes, many website builders offer ecommerce features or integrations that make setting up an online shop easy. However, if you’re just after an online store, we recommend looking specifically for ecommerce platforms instead. As for plain website builders, some providers have their own ecommerce plans while others integrate with third-party solutions like WooCommerce, and Magento to provide an even more robust solution.
How long does it take to build a website using a website builder?
This largely depends on how complex you want your site to be. For basic websites, you might be ready in just a few hours since you can use a premade template and add your own content. For more complex sites, however, it could take several days or even weeks. The level of personalization and customization you choose will determine how long it takes to build the website.
Do I need any technical knowledge to use a website builder?
No, most options are designed for beginners without programming experience. Website builders use a simple visual interface where you select elements and place them as you want on your site, also known as drag and drop.