Awesome Website Builders to Try

‍Need a website, but you have a tight budget! No problem! These top website builders allow you to create a business website yourself, for little or no money. 

Whether you run your business completely online or have a physical storefront too, a business website is a must.

Working with a reputable web design agency guarantees high quality results, but comes with a hefty price tag. Most of these companies will charge you several thousands of dollars for small business web design and development services.

Luckily, free website builders provide a cost-effective alternative to get the professional site you deserve for virtually no money (you’ll just have to pay for a custom domain and hosting). 

Different platforms also have different paid options, including add-ons and plugins that can help your site perform better. However, the prices are generally very affordable and stand at well under $50 a month for web design and hosting. 

While website builders are a terrific resource for many, they come with a couple of downsides. 

Creating a website can be time-consuming, especially if you don’t have a design background. On top of that, a customized web builder template will never measure up to a custom website made precisely for your brand and target audience.

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1. WordPress

Many of the websites you encounter daily are WordPress sites (around 42% of websites worldwide), which goes to show just how popular this solution is.

You should note that there are two versions of WordPress - wordpress.com and wordpress.org. The former is suitable for simpler websites, while wordpress.org is a more advanced website builder that also requires more technical knowledge.

In general though, compared to some other free website builders, WordPress isn’t the easiest to use. However, with a little practice, you can virtually create any website you can think of.

2. Wix

When it comes to being user-friendly, this drag-and-drop website building platform has few contenders. Getting a website with Wix (including hosting services) can cost from $8,50 to $49 per month depending on what pricing option you choose.

Thanks to its vast array of beautiful, pre-designed website templates, Wix is also very popular for creating online portfolios. If you have some design background or decide to get a graphic designer on board, then you can customize website templates or add graphics of your own to create a stunning tailor-made website.

3. Shopify

If you need a website to sell goods or services online, then Shopify is definitely a top-notch solution you need to check out. It scores high for ecommerce options, and online security. When it comes to website design, Shopify doesn’t fall far behind Wix (perhaps only slightly fewer templates or customization options), but it does come with a ton of other useful features, such as apps and widgets that will ensure your website ranks well and help you convert visitors into paying customers.

Of course, it’s also possible to partner with creative agencies and development firms to create something totally custom. For example, the website for Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics is a Shopify website. 

4. Canva

Canva is perhaps the most famous DIY design tool on the web, allowing you to create anything from logos to social media posts and infographics. But did you know you can also use Canva to create a website?

It goes without saying that the options in using Canva here are very limited, so it really only works for very simple websites, and you definitely can’t expect to have the most original or creative web page. However, if you want something quick, easy and simple, you should definitely check out Canva. 

5. Squarespace

The last website builder on our list is Squarespace. This design solution boasts award-winning website templates and truly, with one look at their portfolio, you’ll see plenty of stylish, modern designs many businesses would love to have. 

That said, as with any other DIY service, don’t expect that you’ll end up with something 100% original. Also, compared to Wix and Shopify, Squarespace is a little less intuitive (although with tutorials and some more recent improvements, even beginners can use it to build a website).

Squarespace is quite affordable, with the lowest plan costing $12 per month if paid annually, while the top plan is $40 per month. 

6. Get Response

You may have heard of GetResponse as an email marketing tool. However, it also offers a very simple website builder.

You can choose whether to create a website yourself, or get help from the tool’s AI. The editor is really simple, however the AI tool is not quite as powerful as some of the other options. And considering GetResponse is primarily a marketing tool, some of the marketing features are a bit limited (e.g. you can adjust the meta title and description for the pages, but it lacks other integrations).

7. Webflow

Webflow is one of the most popular website builders for a very good reason - it allows extensive customization and doesn’t require plugins. 

Webflow’s pricing plan is both a pro and con. On one hand, it can be great to have different options and choose the pricing plan that best suits your needs. On the other, it’s quite confusing - you’ll have to dive deep into the meaning of terms like “bandwidth”, “schema markup support”, and “search indexing frequency”. 

Webflow also offers great collaboration options, so it’s very popular with startups and small agencies. It also integrates well with Figma, in case you want to create a more custom website. 

However, compared to the alternatives, Webflow is probably not the best ecommerce solution. It only supports payment over Stripe, which is not available in all countries. So, is definitely something to consider if you need an ecommerce website.

8. Weebly

Weeblyis one of the best options for small business owners looking to sell online. This site builder has a free plan that supports ecommerce. So if you’re on a tight budget looking to launch a profitable business fast, this could be a great choice. 

This is another easy drag and drop builder that will allow people with no design or coding experience to create a site in minutes. However, compared to the likes of Wix, you’ll work in a more rigid structure - you can’t drop the elements wherever you want.

Still, this could actually be a benefit for those without any design experience (and it also helps to avoid issues with mobile-responsive design). 

Although Weebly claims all of its templates are mobile responsive, some users found issues with slower loading times and inconsistent formatting. 

Finally, although Weebly lacks in areas like SEO in marketing compared to some of the other competitors, it does have a solid library of apps and plugins that can help bridge this gap. 

9. GoDaddy

You’ve probably heard of GoDaddy as the most famous hosting provider. However, it also has a useful website builder. If budget is a major concern for you in choosing a website builder, you should know that this is one of the most affordable options out there.

For under $10 a month, you can get a fully functional website, along with a custom domain and a SSL certificate.

However, don’t expect the same level of customization as some of the more expensive options. GoDaddy doesn’t have a drag-and-drop editor, so adapting existing templates is rather limited. Also, compared to Wix, Shopify and Squarespace, the level of design quality is quite a bit lower.

10. Hostinger

Just like GoDaddy, Hostinger is primarily a web hosting platform that also offers website building services. 

The website design subscription also comes with a free domain, and 24/7 support. You can choose to build your site with the help of AI or customize a template. Bear in mind that you’ll only get access to the full scope of AI tools with the more expensive pricing plan. AI tools include blog writer, image generator, SEO tools, heatmaps, and more. 

Although it doesn’t have an extensive library, the design of the available templates is quite good.

Hostinger also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, if you have some time to spare it’s definitely worth testing out.

11. Dorik

Dorik is a CMS (Content Management System), blogging platform, and website builder. It has a free plan and three other paid tiers. They’re currently running a promotion for a one-time payment for life-membership (which definitely works out a lot cheaper than paying monthly).

It has the usual drag-and-drop editor, and a decent library of templates. It also has one of the more powerful AI-design tools. You can literally write a short paragraph about the website you need and this tool will generate one for you. The more specific you are (e.g. color scheme, logo design, fonts, etc.) the better the results! 

One of the main drawbacks in Dorik’s pricing plan is the number of blogs. Content marketing is one of the most popular marketing tactics nowadays, and many businesses produce several blog posts a week. So, the 200 post limit with the most affordable pricing plan can be limiting. 

12. BigCommerce

Another strong contender in the ecommerce field, BigCommerce is one of the best website builders to launch your online store. It’s definitely not the most affordable option, but it does allow you a lot of freedom to customize your store experience. There’s also a 30-day free trial.

The platform allows you to accept multiple payment options, create multiple storefronts, sell over social media, and more. When it comes to actual website creation, BigCommerce can feel a little less intuitive than the rest. However it offers powerful marketing and analytics tools which could be especially important for running a successful online store. 

The pricing plans are also dependent on your profit rates. Also, useful features, such as abandoned carts only come with the more expensive plans.

13. Friday

This relatively new website builder is a great option to try for first-time business owners. There are several reasons for it. Friday is very easy to use and has a straightforward pricing plan - just one plan for $50 a month.

Although it’s not the most affordable option out there, it includes all the features you could possibly need to build a powerful online presence: total customization and control, unlimited bandwidth, SEO tools, contact forms, multi-language websites and much more.

The templates library is not that diverse. Still, it’s quite extensive and will give you a good idea of what your website or online store can look like. 

14. Jimdo

Jimdo is very similar to Wix in many respects. Just like Wix it has different sets of pricing plans for website and online stores. Next it also has its own logo creator and a solid library of templates that you can customize fully.

Although Jimdo is quite affordable and has very similar pricing to Wix, it has fewer features so it doesn’t offer quite the same value for money.

However, it does score a bit higher as a free website builder, as it gives you more bandwidth than Wix. However, you’re limited to 5 pages on a website (which can be quite enough for a simple business site or a portfolio website).

15. Webnode

This slightly less known free website builder is a great user-friendly option to try. It has some terrific free website templates and a powerful AI tool that will make design and content creation a breeze.

The clean interface without confusing sidebar menus will get you working on your site in no time. Simply click on the elements you wish to change, such as images, icons or text. You can use assets from their vast design library or upload custom elements. 

The pricing plan is pretty straightforward and affordable. So, Webnode is really one of the best options for creating your first website. 

16. Hubspot CMS

Is there anything you can’t do with Hubspot? Well, the powerful marketing automation tool also includes a content management system to create and update your website. 

Despite the fact that Hubspot is quite expensive as an all-in-one marketing too, they actually have a free website builder.

It uses powerful AI technology that can generate a highly professional website from a simple prompt. As you might expect, Hubspot excels in SEO and marketing respect. The dashboard also provides you with tips on how to improve your site (e.g. by adding links, meta data, etc.), which is not something you’ll find with most website builders.

So, how much do you have to pay to have a custom domain and a live site? Hubspot has an extensive (and often confusing) pricing structure, which makes sense considering how many services and solutions they offer.

However, you can get a pretty good set of features for just $15 a month. This includes a custom domain, AI blog writer, forms, up to 30 website pages with mobile optimization, SEO recommendations, website analytics and payment integration (available for US customers only). 

How to choose the best website builder?

As you can see, there’s no shortage of great website building solutions, whatever type of website, company size, or industry you might be interested in.

But with so much choice, it can be difficult to decide what are the best website builders for you. Here’s a quick overview to help you decide

BEST TEMPLATES

✅Wix

✅Canva

EASIEST TO USE

✅Wix

✅Canva

✅Weebly

BEST FOR ECOMMERCE

✅Shopify

✅BigCommerce

BEST FOR BLOGGING

✅Squarespace

BEST FOR SEO

✅Hubspot

✅Friday

MOST AFFORDABLE

✅WordPress

✅Wix

✅Weebly

On top of that, here are a few other things to note before choosing the best website builders for yourself:

1. Do you want a free website? Some services offer quite a lot even with their free plan, although you always have to pay for a custom domain. However, bear in mind that every serious business will need to upgrade to a custom domain eventually.
2. How much time do you want to spend designing? Working in a more rigorous framework will shorten the design process, but limit your creative capabilities.
3. What are your traffic expectations? Many builders offer different pricing plans based on bandwidth (i.e. the amount of traffic on your site). So, if you rely heavily on content marketing, you should explore options that don’t limit you in this respect.
4.  What features do you need? Do you want to integrate all your marketing efforts in one place? Do you need to connect your social media to your site? While most of these website builders have these options, the pricing and how you can add them differs. So you should do your research.

Are website builders worth it?

We’ve mentioned at the beginning that creating a website with site builders can be a lot more time-consuming than it might seem at first. Templates are a great resource to get your started, but they always need customization.

Depending on your skill level, this can take up hours of your precious time. Not to mention that you can end up with a website that fails to inspire action or connect you with the right target audience. Talk about a waste of effort!

For a much more effective alternative, give unlimited website design a try. You get all the perks of a professional web design service, at a fraction of the cost. Unlimited revisions are also included in the flat monthly fee, so you can be certain your website will be 100% to your liking! 

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Danica Popovic

Having lived and studied in London and Berlin, I'm back in native Serbia, working remotely and writing short stories and plays in my free time. With previous experience in the nonprofit sector, I'm currently writing about the universal language of good graphic design. I make mix CDs and my playlists are almost exclusively 1960s.