4 Best Website Builders for Beginners

Building a website used to be a task reserved for developers, but today, you don't need to be a coding wizard to get started.

With the help of website builders - programs or platforms designed for easy website creation - you can now build a website without writing a single line of code.

The great news is there are many website builders available, each with its own pros and cons. In this guide, we've compiled a list of the best website builders for beginners to help you choose the right one for bringing your idea to life.

Read: How to Compare Software

What Makes the Best Website Builder for Beginners?

This list is based on extensive research and testing of more than 40 of the best website builders on the market. You can learn more about our process and what goes into our research here.

From our broader list, we tailored this list to people with little to no experience in website building. So, with that in mind, here are the key criteria we used to assess our picks:

Ease of Use

Some website builders are easier to use than others. This usually depends on the user interface design, the range of available features, and the level of customization options they offer.

Beginners should look for a website builder with a simple drag-and-drop interface, customizable templates, and easy-to-understand navigation. AI features might help as well if you're willing to give up some creative control.

Affordability

Beginners usually work with a small budget, so it's understandable that they need a more affordable option.

We analyzed heaps of data and identified what we believe to be the most budget-friendly choices. Some builders offer free tiers or trials, while others have reasonably priced monthly or yearly subscriptions that make them more affordable.

Minimal Setup

The options we discuss here are designed with simplicity in mind - there's no steep learning curve. If you’re comfortable with drag-and-drop interfaces, you can likely get the hang of these tools just by experimenting.

Minimal setup also means not worrying about purchasing a domain separately or dealing with web hosting configurations. You'll be pleased to know that the builders on this list include everything you need in one package. In other words, you'll be able to create an account and start building your website almost instantly.

Good Support

What does this feature do? How do I resize this image? How do I add a contact form to my website? These are all common questions you might have when you're a beginner.

That's why website builders with the best support - whether via forums, tutorials, phone, email, or chat - took priority in our rankings. We evaluated options based on fast, reliable support that can solve problems in as few interactions as possible.

The 4 Best Website Builders for Beginners

We know you're excited to start building your website, so let's dive right in.

These four website builders are perfect for beginners. They're easy to use, don't need much setup, and offer good support to help you make your first website easily and without too much stress.

1. Hostinger Website Builder – Best Overall

Hostinger is the best overall website builder for beginners. Actually, it tends to rank highly in many of our lists.

As the name suggests, Hostinger will let you host and build your website. It includes free branded email accounts, as well as other essential web hosting features. That makes the whole process of building and managing your website easier.

The intuitive drag-and-drop builder requires no coding skills. It guides you through each design choice, from templates to color schemes to layouts. If inspiration strikes, use the AI image and content generation tools. Some users have managed to create entire sites in less than 60 seconds.

In terms of support, Hostinger has 24/7 access to live chat and email support, as well as an AI-powered assistant that can provide instant solutions.

Finally, if you're looking to sell products on your website, Hostinger is a top ecommerce website builder for beginners too. You can sell directly through the platform, with no transaction fees and support for over 20 different payment methods.

2. Site123 – Best for Ease of Use

Site123 has a neat offer for new users: They will design a website according to your specifications within five business days. The best part is they'll do it for free.

If you choose to do it yourself, it can take less than an hour. This is because Site123 works differently than other drag-and-drop builders. With this platform, you upload your content (or products to sell) and adjust your settings. The site builder does the rest.

If you need to edit anything afterward, you can. One downside is that this website builder has fewer features to play with than other builders. The advantage is that you'll have an easier time designing a website without much confusion.

There's a free plan, which is excellent for beginners. It comes with 250 MB storage and 250 MB bandwidth, which is enough for most small projects. Keep in mind there will be a tag at the bottom of your website saying "Powered by Site123." This can be removed if you pay for a plan.

With Site123, you also get 24/7 live chat support in 16 languages, as well as email support, and lots of resources to help you build your site.

All in all, Site123 offers one of the easiest website builder experiences for beginners, which makes it a fantastic starting point.

3. Square – Best for Restaurants and Retailers

Square is the top website builder for restaurants, retailers, and service-based businesses. It allows you to manage everything from invoices to payroll - all from one platform. Plus, you can easily add features as your business evolves. While it's a bit pricier, it's well worth the investment for a website builder that scales with your needs.

Square truly excels in customization. For instance, they have hundreds of available fonts, so you can fine-tune even the smallest details to match your brand's style.

There's a good selection of templates - Square calls them “themes” - to give your website design a head start. This allows beginners to keep it simple.

Square offers different layout styles to show off your items or services in many ways, like the Mega Menus, which is great for sellers with many products or services. You can also add dynamic banners to your site to showcase videos or eye-catching images.

If you have a physical store, Square can work with your point-of-sale system. You can accept in-person payments through Square and then manage inventory, invoices, payroll, and more from one dashboard. This unified platform can transform your hybrid business. As the best ecommerce website builder for beginners, it's worth the higher price.

And Square has reasonably good customer support. It isn’t 24/7 unless you subscribe to the Premium plan, but there’s reasonable coverage here. You’ll also be supported by an extensive collection of articles and tutorials to help you figure things out.

4. ClickFunnels – Best for Coaches and Consultants

Coaches, consultants, and anyone selling high-ticket items have unique website needs, and ClickFunnels is a great choice for these businesses.

We recommend ClickFunnels because it goes beyond just building a website - it enables you to manage your entire business from one platform. While it’s a bit more expensive, it offers a wide range of features, including online course creation and hosting, product sales, sales funnels, email marketing, a built-in customer relationship management system, and much more.

The unified experience also means no constant switching between tools. As your client base and offers grow over time, ClickFunnels scales alongside you.

Yes, it has a learning curve, but it pays off exponentially by centralizing data and automating repetitive tasks. It’s really a no-brainer for service-based entrepreneurs. And ClickFunnels does a pretty good job of providing support as well, with an AI support bot and live email and chat support that spans well beyond the workday.

Honorable Mentions

While the four options mentioned above are excellent for website builders for beginners, a few other noteworthy choices also deserve your attention. You might discover that one of these alternatives better suits your specific needs or preferences.

• Ucraft: Build a website in minutes with Ucraft, which offers a 14-day free trial. It's ideal for selling digital goods and subscriptions.
• 10Web: Known for its AI Website Builder, 10Web allows you to create and host a website on 10Web Hosting, with the added benefit of their PageSpeed Booster. While WordPress can be challenging for beginners, AI makes it easy to create a site in minutes.
• Squarespace: Often confused with Square, Squarespace is a separate platform that lets you sell products online with beautifully designed templates. It also comes with a mobile app for on-the-go management.
• Wix: You've likely seen their ads - Wix allows you to sell products online with ease. It offers more than 900 free, customizable website templates and is user-friendly.
• WebWave: WebWave claims you can build a website in just three minutes with their AI tools. You can choose to create everything with AI, use a template, or start from scratch.
• Dorik: Another AI-powered website builder, Dorik uses prompts to help you develop your site. It includes AI-generated content, both text and images, and supports building websites in any language.

Choosing the Best Website Builder for You

It all comes down to this: the best website builder for you depends on your needs and your budget.

If you need ecommerce capabilities, Square is an excellent, user-friendly option that supports unlimited product listings. Freelancers and non-profit projects on a tight budget should opt for Site123's free tier, which makes website creation a breeze.

Coaches and consultants with digital goods could maximize their potential with the all-in-one ClickFunnels platform. Everyone else looking for an easy yet versatile website builder is well-served by Hostinger, the best free website builder for beginners.

Consider the long-term as well. Your needs may evolve over time. While Site123 works great for simple sites today, platforms like Squarespace or Wix allow seamless upgrades. Their wide range of functionality better supports growing businesses, especially in areas like speed.

And don’t forget web hosting! You might also want to check out our top picks for best web hosting for small businesses.

Compare Your Options

Now you have all the information you need to make a good choice about the best way to build a website for beginners. The next step is to pick one and try it out. Remember, most of these options offer free trials or plans, so you can test them risk-free.

If you need more help deciding, check out our list of best website builders. Or, try out our Comparison Tool to compare top website builders side by side.