Best Website Builders in 2023

Choosing the correct website builder is critical to your company’s long-term success. The top website builders can help you achieve your objectives, whether selling things online or developing a brand. This article provides a review and ranking of 11 website builders, along with my top five recommendations, to help you select the best one for your needs.

What is a Website Builder?

Website builders designed with a drag-and-drop interface to enable users to create websites without requiring advanced coding skills. Included in these platforms are features like photo and video storage, custom domain options, hosting, and the ability to integrate third-party tools such as shopping carts and lead capture tools. Advanced plans may also feature personalized email addresses and SEO analytics tools for next-level marketing campaigns.

How to Choose the Best Website Builder

Most builders have two to four price categories, each with its features. This makes comparing services challenging because it impossible to compare apples to apples, but that one of the reasons we put together this simple guide!
With an annual subscription, you can get an excellent individual website for roughly $8 to $10 per month. Most e-commerce plans cost $20 to $25 per month, with premium options costing up to $300 per month if you need an enterprise-style package with numerous editors and VIP-level assistance.
Storage and bandwidth are generally unrestricted; however, certain companies like Wix scale storage capacity based on plan tier. Even the cheapest package includes a decent quantity of data (3GB of storage and enough bandwidth to support 5,000 visitors monthly).
Finding the best website builder boils down to what you searching for after significant considerations like pricing and storage answered. The questions below will help you prepare to shop like an expert and choose the most acceptable website builder for your needs.

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website?

Choosing a platform is only one part of the jigsaw for creating a website. Hosting expenses, domain names, SEO analytics, bespoke email options, graphic design, and other factors considered. You might even want to engage a content manager to ensure your site updated regularly, so new visitors will find it interesting. To understand your site’s cost, you should examine all web design costs.

Web Building Essentials

Forbes Advisor has created a list of additional services you may require to get your website up and running. For more information, consult the following guides:

• Best Web Hosting Services
• Best Domain Registrars
• Best SSL Certificate Services

11 Best Website Builders in 2023

1. Wix

In the fight for website builder supremacy, Wix is the front-runner. It is the most popular platform, with over 110 million websites created. This famous website builder also offers the most tools, capabilities, and flexibility.

Wix offers an AI-powered automatic website creator on one end (“Wix ADI”) that requires minimal user involvement, all the way up to Wix Corvid, an open development platform for complex applications such as Javascript, databases, and data-driven dynamic pages. We advocate sticking to one lane (e.g., Wix ADI, particular templates, or design-from-scratch) for the best experience. Maintaining consistency across your landing page and website design can be tough if you start with a template and then decide to change it completely.

Like many competitors, Wix offers a basic website builder plan that allows users to construct a free website starter site with advertisements. You can upgrade to a premium, ad-free site if you like what you see with the free website builder. Pricing is competitive with a $16-per-month “Combo” package that meets most demands for a personal website. Wix offers a $59-per-month “Business VIP” e-commerce website package for your online store if you require an e-commerce website builder for your online business. You must account for a domain separately because those fees do not include one. If you want statistics and analytics, you must pay for a Google Analytics subscription account or use a third-party tool because Wix doesn’t have one.

Although being the clear pick of most reviews, Wix has a few flaws. Wix is one of the few website builders with data limits for each plan tier. If you want to upload unlimited photographs and videos or expect more than 5,000 monthly visitors, make sure you do the math before choosing a plan.

Also, the editor’s freedom and range of options can be overwhelming for those who don’t have the time or inclination to make many small decisions. Web design flexibility means you’ll need to be more hands-on with the format and layout than more structured or limited editors where you can’t go too far outside the lines.

2. Squarespace

Squarespace reminds us of the popular guy in high school: showy and stylish on the outside but lacking substance on the inside. In terms of simplicity of use, we found it between Wix and Weebly, while reviewers generally praised the quality of the design options. Small to medium-sized enterprises that desire a well-designed page and flexibility for e-commerce expansion with lower transaction fees are where we believe it will flourish.

The Squarespace editor may require more time to become familiar with compared to Wix or Weebly due to its less user-friendly interface.. It comes with many add-ons, website templates, and tools, and the universal style editor and powerful photo editing are helpful. The responsive website editor ensures that your site looks great on any device, but unlike Wix or Duda, you won’t be able to make mobile-specific changes. We also discovered that helpful and attentive customer service received consistently excellent evaluations, which should ease business owners’ minds.

Squarespace offers a $14-per-month Personal plan with unlimited storage, bandwidth, a domain, a $23 Business website plan with complete contributors, a Gmail pro account, and an e-commerce store builder. You can choose between $27 and $49 per month for an “Online Store” package, with the latter including extras like abandoned shopping cart recovery and gift cards. It’s worth noting that the $27 online store plan has no transaction costs while being significantly above the market rate for an e-commerce site. Those savings for our online store could pile up depending on your monthly sales volume.

Squarespace’s website represents what you can expect from its products: a clean, professional, and attractive look without the layers of design power or freedom that other builders provide.

3. Weebly

With 50 million websites developed, Weebly flies under the radar compared to Wix, yet it has some good choices depending on your needs. Weebly is a good David to Wix’s Goliath if you want a basic and easy-to-use website editor, a large site (more than 25 to 30 pages), unlimited storage, site mobility, and economical yet robust online store options.
The editor is one of the most uncomplicated website builders to use, yet the site still looks fantastic despite the minimal learning curve. Because of its simplicity, the editor offers fewer add-ons and design freedom, and it lacks the variety of possibilities and mobile customization that a builder like Wix has. Despite this, we never found such limits restrictive throughout our testing. It could, however, come up for a high-octane web designer.

Weebly’s rates are comparable to competitors such as Wix or Squarespace. Still, its free plan is among the most generous among free website builders, with your domain name available for just $6 per month (albeit with Weebly ads). Its $12-per-month plan includes an ad-free website with analytics and commerce capabilities, while the $26 plan adds extra store features such as tax and shipping calculations, inventory management, and discounts.

Weebly is a solid choice for people with a limited time investment, and its commerce features outperform competitors like Wix and Squarespace. For individuals who are hesitant to commit to a website builder because they won’t be able to pick up and leave later, Weebly offers the opportunity to export site files so you can migrate to another server, which is a rare feature in the site builder world.

4. Duda

With about 15 million websites developed, Duda is a minor player than the other builders above, focusing on a specialized market segment: designers and design agencies. It caters to individuals and groups who create many websites. Still, with a robust and easy-to-use builder and various unique features, it become a viable alternative for anyone wishing to establish an online presence.

Mobile site customization, thorough data analytics (e.g., sophisticated metrics like form submissions, time on page, and bounce rate), and user personalization allow you to present particular messages effortlessly or offers to users based on the time of day, their location, or their browsing history. It also has multi-language support and a free e-commerce add-on that lets you sell up to ten things.

Duda’s pricing is comparable to Wix and Weebly’s main competitors, with the Basic plan starting at $14 per month. At $22, you can add up to four editors to your site (instead of just one with Basic), get comprehensive analytics, and start using Duda as a white-label/custom-branded builder, another of Duda’s selling features. Its $44-per-month “Agency” package includes four websites and the ability to download site files for portability,  intended for web designers building pages for many clients.
Duda is pricey, but it fills some of the gaps left by the major providers, such as analytics, multilingual capabilities, improved personalization, and mobile customization.

5.GoDaddy

GoDaddy best known for bespoke domain names and web hosting. Therefore, it’s only natural that the company also offers website builder software. “Websites + Marketing” a mouthful, but it a similar templatized experience to the other options on this list to get a primary site up and running in under an hour.
Email and social media marketing, PayPal payments, and an SSL certificate are all included in the free tier. The $12 monthly package is the most basic; $22 adds extended support for appointments, and the $25 monthly Ecommerce plan adds online shop functionality, including some remarkable product listing and delivery features. These rates reflect regular monthly fees. However, new customers can save money by signing up for an annual contract.
Even though GoDaddy recognized for selling domains, a domain not included in those prices and purchased separately. Overall, GoDaddy’s current website builder is an improvement over its now-defunct GoCentral tool. Similarly, upgrading to a free tier removes the 30-day time limit from your experience, allowing you to test the waters and discover if GoDaddy is perfect for you.

6.WordPress

When most people talk about WordPress, they usually speak to WordPress.org, which offers free, open-source software. That’s quite strong, but it takes time to master and still necessitates the acquisition of a website server and domain name. If you interested in learning more about WordPress.org’s advanced features, we recommend starting with a tutorial or guides like those found on WPBeginner or WebsiteToolTester.

The website builder on WordPress.com is unique. It similar to the other builders mentioned above, except it aimed mainly at bloggers and writers. Although the WordPress website editor is limited compared to other platforms, it is simple to set up and includes all you need for blogging. It’s also worth noting that it’s not as simple to use as Wix or Weebly’s drag-and-drop website builders.

While there is a free alternative, it is a fundamental bundle with only 0.5GB of storage and a limit of 10,000 monthly visits. The Pro plan adds 50GB of storage and 100,000 monthly visitors for $15 per month. It also includes over 50,000 plug-ins, such as forms and calendars, premium themes, expert support, and the option to sell things with WooCommerce.
WordPress designed for bloggers who don’t want or need to spend much time on website design, but it feels pretty constrained for most other applications. However, anyone searching for a more robust off-the-shelf CMS (content management system) should check into Joomla and Drupal. Both are less user-friendly than WordPress, although they provide more excellent customization choices. According to at least one CNET editor, Drupal and Joomla also provided better page loading speeds.

7. Shopify

If Wix is the clear pick for most website-building needs, Shopify is the e-commerce store’s equivalent. The platform provides a simple and user-friendly approach to getting an e-commerce internet shop up and operating online. It assists business owners with their e-commerce tools along the process. For most “e-tailers,” Shopify is an excellent place to start, albeit, like Wix, it isn’t great for every case.

Like most other commerce-oriented builders, Shopify’s platform is centred on your product and sales information. Fortunately, even if you have little expertise in setting up a retail business, Shopify’s procedure ensures you don’t skip a step by guiding you through inventory, customer information, tax, and shipping costs. Shopify provides 24-hour phone and chat assistance and an active online community forum if you have any more questions.

Shopify doesn’t have a lot of plan options because its user base is pretty defined, and its costs are higher than the market average. The $29-per-month “Basic Shopify” plan covers most of the essentials for an online store, while the $79-per-month program includes gift cards and extra staff accounts. It was difficult to justify the $50 upgrade from basic to standard, but considering the lower transaction fees and delivery discounts, it might make sense. They also have a $299-per-month option if you run a more significant business.

Shopify’s primary flaw is most likely its pricing model. The extra expenditures are worth it if you want help, guidance, and a builder who will handle most technical intricacies.

And while the numerous apps offered are appealing, they can quickly add up if you’re using BigCommerce’s premium features. Suppose you’re still undecided after looking at the various e-commerce capabilities. We recommend calculating the total cost of extra add-ons and transaction fees based on your sales and comparing it to competitors like BigCommerce, which has more product variants and combinations and lower prices.

8.BigCommerce

BigCommerce is suitable for medium- to large-scale online stores that may benefit from the lack of additional transaction costs and the ability to create limitless product variants. Although the store site builder is not as simple to use as Shopify’s, the time you spend

learning it could save you a lot of money in the long run.
The editor provides many options and versatility when you’re just starting, but it can be intimidating for newbies, comparable to Wix. Those features and tools, such as product variants and tax rates, will likely come in helpful as you grow or if you’re currently at scale if you have some experience.

BigCommerce’s price tiers are $30 (Standard), $80 (Plus), and $300 (Pro), although the features available at each level differ. Even the cheapest BigCommerce account costs $30 and has unlimited users, capacity and storage, items, and no transaction fees. Your e-commerce site can also be linked to eBay, Google Shopping, and Amazon. The sales thresholds are where the price becomes tricky: Annual sales of less than $50,000 are only supported by the Standard plan, while Plus supports up to $150,000 and Pro up to $400,000. So, the more sales you make, the more money you save on transaction fees, but after you have enough sales, you must upgrade to the next plan tier.

Calculating based on your product inventory and predicted sales will be worthwhile, as with any online store builder. No transaction fees — they even have an agreement with PayPal where you can save an extra 0.5 per cent to 1% — struck us as a critical deal-maker, depending on your size. If you’re a more prominent company, take advantage of the 15-day sample and give BigCommerce a chance.

9. Zyro

Zyro might be a fantastic option if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly website builder that won’t break the bank.

They have a lot of themes and designs to choose from to get you started and eCommerce options for small enterprises. Zyro’s no-code platform makes it simple to get the website you want without any coding knowledge. You may also modify your site with their drag-and-drop editor or hire one of their experienced designers.

Their customer service is also excellent, with representatives available all day to assist you.

10. Web.com

Web.com makes it simple to construct your website. You can have a site up and operating in no time with professional-looking designs.
They can also assist with web design, search engine optimization, and pay-per-click advertising. This implies that you will have a website and individuals visiting it.
Web.com is ideal for those just starting a blog, portfolio, or online business. It’s also a terrific option for seasoned marketers who don’t want to deal with the difficulty of building a website from the ground up.

11. Elementor

Elementor has a dynamic visual editor designed to empower the website builder who seeks adaptability. Users can create or tweak their website using the platform’s straightforward drag-and-drop interface.

Users of Elementor may quickly design and build attractive, professional WordPress websites at scale this way. Elementor customers can choose from thousands of pre-designed, fully responsive website designs as WordPress website builders. They can also use the popular Hello theme from Elementor.

Hello is a super’ WordPress starter theme that is lightweight, simple, and blank and can be adjusted to match any design concepts or end-user needs.

Conclusion

That concludes my list of the best website builders. Because there are 74 alternatives, I’ve narrowed the list down to the best so you can pick the perfect one for your company or internet brand. I recommend starting with Zyro if you seek the most excellent website builder. Squarespace has some of the best designs and templates. Shopify is an attractive option if you require an e-commerce website to sell things online.

People Also Asked

What’s a Mobile-Responsive Site?

A mobile-responsive website automatically adapts images, text, and design components to appear swiftly and appropriately on a mobile phone. According to Google Analytics, more than 60% of traffic in the United States is portable. Thus your site must be mobile-friendly.

What is AMP?

Your blog should be AMP-optimized to guarantee it loads rapidly on mobile devices. The acronym AMP refers to accelerated mobile pages. It’s a Google (and many other collaborators) initiative to improve the user experience by speeding up mobile traffic. Use the AMP feature if your website builder has one. It will most certainly help you rank higher in search engines, but it will also improve the experience of your site visitors.

What is Dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a popular e-commerce business model in which you don’t have to buy or store goods. You basically “shop” for things to sell and then place them in your internet store. When someone buys anything from you, they pay the retail price you specify, you pay the wholesale amount, and the order   then routed to the drop shipper, who fills it. It’s a low-cost and simple method to get started with e-commerce.

Website Builder vs. Web Designer: What’s the Difference?

Website builders are software platforms that allow you to develop and deploy websites in whatever configuration you want. Users of all skill levels can use these as long as they have a vision for how they want their site to look. However, many professional web designers are qualified professionals who can handle this task themselves using coding or a website builder.
A designer’s vision for what appears excellent on screen may be superior to people who do not work in the creative sector. If you’re unsure how to structure your site, you could wish to hire a designer.

Website Builder vs. CMS: What’s the Difference?

Although not always, a website builder is an all-in-one solution that includes web hosting, a domain name, and a site editor. A content management system, or CMS, is a tool for managing blog entries, photographs, videos, and other types of information on a website. A CMS, such as WordPress, can have a site editor. Thus site builders frequently include one.

Why Do Website Builders Have App Markets?

App markets are available in the top website builders, allowing you to expand the functionality of your site. You want to add email marketing and popups to your website, for example, but if such functions aren’t built into your website builder, you able to do so with an app or plugin. Some programs and plugins are free, while others have monthly or annual subscription fees.

What is a Theme or Template?

The terms template and theme frequently used interchangeably. They’re pre-made designs that generally feature a header, footer, and menu navigation with the most frequent pages (home, about, contact, and blog). Wix calls its pre-built design templates, while WordPress calls them themes. There isn’t much of a difference.

Why Do Website Builders Include SSL Certificates?

A secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate is a file that encrypts data transfers between a website and its visitors. As a result, the SSL certificate protects that information when someone visits.  your secure website or submits information in any field (forms, login, password, credit card information). Having that security on your site for end-users is critical, but it also helps with search engine rankings.