Gone are the days when you need to hire a professional web designer or have coding knowledge to build a website. With technological innovation, it has become a fun and relatively pain-free experience to create a website using free website builders.
Take a look below to see our full list of the 15 best website builders and compare them against each other.
1. Duda
Duda is one of the best website-building tools, ideal for web professionals and agencies of all sizes. It consists of powerful team collaboration and client management tools that can come in handy while building and managing large-scale websites. You can easily build feature-rich websites perfect for desktop, tablet, and mobile. The good news is that it comes automatically optimized for Google PageSpeed.
Duda is perfect for you if you are looking for creative yet straightforward designs. All you ever need is an internet connection to start building your website using this fantastic website builder with absolutely zero technical skills.
It provides a wide range of templates to opt from, which you can edit as per your requirements by altering texts, adding images, creating new pages, and even building your own widgets. Once you have personalized your website, you only have to publish it online. Did you know that Duda hosts your site for you? Can it get any better than this? So, relax and do not worry about extra costs or technical headaches.
Although anyone can use Duda, it is primarily developed for web designers looking to create multiple sites swiftly for clients. But, agencies and freelancers are one of the primary target audiences of Duda.
Let’s now take a look at the Duda Website Builder dashboard below.
For more information on all the sections of the Dashboard, click here.
Features
- Comes with a drag-and-drop site builder
- Gives you the option of posting site comments
- Consists of a content library
- Comprises of stats dashboard
- Ability to perform social sharing
- Gives you access to edit from mobile
- Provides client and team permissions
- Comprises of widget builder
Pros
- Comes with a fantastic range of apps and widgets for you to add or even build yourself
- Get a decent level of creative control, albeit within the template’s limits.
- Robust e-commerce choices, including provisions for digital downloads and membership services.
- All plans come with boundless storage and monthly data transfers.
Cons
- No free plan is available, and the price range of plans available is quite expensive.
- Even though the design features of Duda are plenty, it does not provide several powerful website features.
- During user testing, some users found Duda quite clunky and difficult or confusing when they tried to push the template’s limits.
- Not ideal for those users looking to build a website with total creative freedom
Pricing
There is a 14-day free trial period wherein you can use Duda with limited features. However, four plans are available if you wish to use a complete list of features.
- The basic (ideal plan for buying by site) is priced at $19 per month and billed annually.
- Team (Ideal plan for expanded access) is priced at $29 per month and billed annually.
- Agency (Ideal plan to save at scale) priced at $52 per month billed annually
- White Label Plan (A Make It Your Plan plan) is priced at $149 per month and billed annually.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on August 2023 through their website)
2. Zyro
Folks generally have low expectations for new website builders hitting the market, which is justified in most cases.
Not with Zyro.
While many tools claiming to be website builders never make it far beyond what seems to be a beta stage, Zyro launched with limited functionality back in early 2020.
And it has gone from strength to strength as a builder, with new features rolled out every week.
Of course, Zyro is still relatively young and fresh, so some drawbacks are associated with using it. Yet, for its price and the ease with which you can create a professional website, it’s certainly impressive.
Features
- Zyro recently added some helpful features to help make building even easier, including image galleries and slideshows, navigation editing, and a custom style editor to take even more control of the look of your website.
- The builder lets you edit desktop and mobile views at the same time
- Something that’s unique about Zyro is the artificial intelligence-powered branding tools that will help you give your company and website a unique identity.
- Luckily, all Zyro websites are designed to be search engine optimized (SEO) out of the box, and the platform gives you access to a whole suite of extra tools to help you keep your SEO game on point.
- With the eCommerce Plus package, you can sell via Amazon, Instagram, and Facebook while managing everything from your Zyro store backend.
Pros
- Ease to use. Regardless of their experience building websites, anyone will be able to create a great-looking, professional website with this builder.
- Affordable. With prices running from as little as $11.99 for a website and $14.99 for an online store, price is a big reason to choose Zyro.
- AI tools. If you don’t know where to start with branding and marketing, Zyro will take you by the hand and guide you through what you need to know.
- eCommerce ready. Want to launch an online store? Zyro’s eCommerce functionality is as good as any of its biggest competitors.
- Mobile optimized. Since all websites these days should be built with smartphones and tablets in mind, it’s useful that Zyro has a ‘mobile first’ philosophy.
- Amazing support. Everyone who’s had cause to contact Zyro customer support has reported having a great experience.
Cons
- Grid difficulties. More experienced users may find the grid layout frustratingly limiting to use.
- Too few templates. Being a newer builder on the market, Zyro doesn’t have as many template options as its competitors.
- Fewer features. Another shortcoming of being so fresh off the production line is that Zyro still lacks some key features other builders have as standard.
Pricing
Zyro’s eCommerce plans are some of the most competitively priced around. There are no hidden fees, and everything like hosting and security are all included in your price plan, so there are no extra costs to consider.
3. Wix
It can be quite a daunting task to create your very first website. However, it becomes straightforward for even a novice user to create a website with Wix’s drag-and-drop interface. That is, even if that person does not have any technical knowledge.
The only thing you need to do is to opt for one of the templates, add your content, and there you are. And you will be surprised to know this: There are 500+ templates neatly divided into categories and subcategories like design or industry type. Hence, it becomes easy to search for the right one.
And as far as the price is concerned, a free option is available. With this option, you can create a website and make it live forever.
However, you’ll need basic bandwidth and storage space of 500MB, restricting the number of people having access to your site and the amount of content that can be included, respectively.
Another good thing about Wix is that the URL you opt for your site will be Wix-branded, i.e., username.wixsite.com/siteaddress. And Wix ads will be displayed on the site.
The paid plans are also quite affordable. Hence, even if you wish to upgrade and get a custom domain, remove the ads, boost your bandwidth & storage, and even add an online store, all that can be done relatively quickly.
Let’s now take a look at Wix’s Website Builder dashboard below.
For more information on all the sections of the Dashboard, click here.
Features
- Comprises of Drag-and-Drop website editor
- Contains 100+ designer-made templates
- You can depend on its free and reliable hosting
- Provides an optimized mobile view
- Gives you the scope to add and organize pages
- Option to use one URL for both website and mobile site
- Comes with personalized Google Mailbox
- Provides site analytics with the help of Google Analytics
- Comprises automatic blog styling
- Comes with an intuitive website builder
- Very easy-to-add blogs
- Comprises of a contact manager
- Comes with a social feed and social buttons
- Create an online store easily using Wix’s website builder tool
Pros
- Comes with exceptional templates with pre-built layouts for different industries
- Compared to other website builder tools that limit the movement of elements, Wix enables you to finish work with perfection.
- Website design tools are driven by AI
- Lets you animate text and other elements.
- Hundreds of website apps can be added to your website
- Provides a smart assistant to create your website
- Automatically creates backup points for your website to restore your important data so it does not get lost.
Cons
- Once you have opted for an initial template, it is not possible to switch to a new one; however, you can change the design within the template.
- The page loading speeds, especially on mobile devices, are relatively slow compared to other website builder tools mentioned on this list.
Pricing
- Free Plan
- Light Plan (Basics) is priced at $16 per month and billed annually
- Core Plan (Engaging Audience) priced at $27 per month billed annually
There are also Business & eCommerce plans, which are essential for accepting online payments.
- Business Basic (To accept online payments) is priced at $27 per month and billed annually.
- Business Unlimited (To grow your business) is priced at $32 per month and billed annually.
- Business VIP (Get the full suite) is priced at $59 per month and billed annually.
- Enterprise (Custom Pricing) $500+
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on August 2023 through their website)
4. Hostinger
Hostinger's website builder is particularly suitable for individuals who are new to website building and those seeking to create uncomplicated or personal websites. The single available plan is remarkably budget-friendly and encompasses essential features like SEO tools and website analytics. However, if you have aspirations for a lasting or expandable solution, you may encounter challenges with Hostinger's constrained builder capabilities.
Features
- The website setup involves the option to construct a site using pre-made templates or starting from scratch.
- The Hostinger Website Builder offers an intuitive and minimalist drag-and-drop editor for building websites.
- The dashboard management is characterized by a clean and minimalistic design for easy navigation.
- Hostinger provides access to hosting plans, SSL certificates, domain names, and more through an intuitive hPanel.
- Various hosting options are available, including cloud, VPS, WordPress, and Minecraft server hosting.
- Users can benefit from robust security features, including Cloudflare-protected nameservers, automatic backups, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
- Hostinger boasts a user base of over 1,597,691 website owners.
- The platform offers unique tools like a copy generator and logo-building tool, reducing the need for external assistance.
Pros
- The service is remarkably budget-friendly.
- Users have access to over 130 responsive templates.
- The inclusion of helpful AI business tools enhances the experience.
- The platform showcases outstanding website performance.
- Free SSL and personalized domains are part of the package.
- Comprehensive Website Hosting services are incorporated.
- The service boasts an excellent uptime record.
- Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it user-friendly.
- A useful photo repository is available.
- All plans offer unlimited storage and bandwidth.
Cons
- Users are unable to switch templates easily.
- The range of photo editing options could benefit from expansion.
- A free tier is notably absent.
Pricing
1. Website Builder Plans
2. Web Hosting Plans
3. VPS Hosting Plans
4. Cloud Hosting Plans
5. Dreamhost
Dreamhost is easily one of the top 3 website builder tools for the year 2021. The reason is that it is quick, reliable, and provides friendly customer support. That is one of the primary reasons for 1.5 million websites being hosted on Dreamhost. The fantastic thing is that Dreamhost's hosting plans have a website builder for WordPress (known as Boldgrid). This makes WordPress.org site creation and management effortless.
It consists of 200+ modern-looking templates to select from. You can efficiently utilize the different building blocks available while creating your site. These include images, text, buttons, videos, sliders, forms, and maps. With its editor’s help, you can quickly adapt to different styling options like borders, padding, background images, or shadows. It is one of the most reliable website builder tools, especially if you wish to start at an affordable price and don’t mind using WordPress.
Let’s now look at Dreamhost’s Website Builder dashboard in the video below.
Features
- Provides all its customers with free daily backups regardless of the plan you opt
- Provides a free SSL certificate to every site it hosts, which protects your visitors’ personal information
- Does not track bandwidth or traffic as each of its plans comes with the unmetered transfer, so technically, there is no bandwidth limit.
- One-click installs enable you to set up a Dreamhost account with your WordPress site in a single click.
- Dreamhost automatically keeps a tab on any software updates rolled out by WordPress
- Dreamhost offers support through callbacks, tickets, forums, live chat, and its help center.
Pros
- It’s the most affordable quality website builder tool I have tested.
- The minimum storage space you receive on opting for any plan is 30 GB, while others even offer unlimited storage space, which is ideal for media-savvy sites.
- Comes with dedicated WordPress hosting packed with handy features like automatic WordPress updates and one-click installs
Cons
- No option to call Dreamhost directly; instead, you can request a callback, reach out through live chat, by submitting a ticket, or using its online help center
- The uptime offered by Dreamhost is 99.95%, which is not terrible, yet providers like HostGator guarantee 99.99% uptime
- In case you are a business looking for its own dedicated server, brands like HostGator, Bluehost, or InMotion have far better features
- I would definitely not recommend Dreamhost for cloud hosting, as you can’t even set your own resource limits
Pricing
1. Website Builder Plans
2. VPS Hosting Plans
3. DreamPress Plans: Managed WordPress Hosting
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on August 2023 through their website)
6. WebSelf
WebSelf is an easy-to-use website builder that allows you to create a website, blog, or online store in just a few clicks. Indeed, start the creation process with one of our beautiful templates. They have numerous website templates for businesses, blogs, and online stores.
Take a look! Then, customize your template with your content. Their website builder is intuitive. You only need to drag and drop elements. You can add titles, texts, pictures, maps, videos, forms, etc. Also, we have section templates to help you create your website quickly and easily.
Like most website builders, WebSelf offers hosting. It is also possible to create a website or a blog for free. It is perfect if you want to try our website builder or if it is your first site.
Features
- Drag and drop website builder
- Many responsive website templates
- Blog manager
- Online store manager
- Accept online payments with Stripe or PayPal
- Web hosting included
- All WebSelf sites use the HTTPS protocol
- Multilingual websites available with premium plans
- Comes with a free subdomain; a free domain is available with the annual premium plans.
Pros
- User-friendly website builder
- Affordable
- Access to many website templates
- Possibility of creating a website for free
- Online store and blog builders
- No transaction fees for online stores
Cons
- Limited customization
- Does not come with apps
- Once chosen, it is not possible to change the template
Pricing
WebSelf allows you to create a free 5-page website or blog. They also have different pricing plans:
Basic: This allows you to create a 10-page website, have a free domain name for one year (with the annual plan), 4Go of bandwidth, and two email addresses: $8.95 per month when billed annually or $10.95 when billed monthly.
Pro: This allows you to create a 50-page website, have a free domain name for one year (with the annual plan), 20Go of bandwidth, two email addresses, a multilingual website, and no advertising: $13.95 per month when billed annually or $16.95 when billed monthly.
eCommerce: This allows you to create a website with unlimited pages, have a free domain name for one year (with the annual plan), 50Go of bandwidth, two email addresses, a multilingual website, an online store, and no advertising: $18.45 per month when billed annually or $22.95 when billed monthly.
7. Domain.com
Domain.com is best renowned as a domain registrar. It also consists of a small range of shared hosting and WordPress plans. Its starter plan provides unlimited disk space, subdomains, five FTP users, ten databases, and a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
The bandwidth for all plans is described as “scalable.” As per the quotes by the company, the traffic outgrows shared hosting. The company no longer provides VPS hosting, so I am unsure what your options might be. Although according to the company, they can support 99.5% of customers without facing any serious issues. So, it is safe to assume that it’s unlikely to affect most people.
Here’s a video that gives you the complete detail on creating your site with domain.com’s website builder.
https://content.endurance.com/vid/websitebuilder_getting_started_%20v1_2.mp4
To get more information on creating your site, click here.
Features
- Provides 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Offers support through telephone for U.S. customers (toll-free) or live chat
- Support department open 24x7
- Provides public access to knowledge base covering all the aspects of hosting accounts, access, and passwords
- Comes with an essential user guide and a range of tutorials
- Domain.com offsets its energy use with 150% wind power on top of planting trees for new accounts
- Offers green certificates for sites hosted by Domain.com
- Different types of hosting accounts have separate control panels which aid shared hosting customers get access to DomainCentral, an in-house custom control panel
- Easy subscription to SImpleScripts service, although it may cost you extra dollars
- Get SSL certificates on Domain.com at an additional cost
- Comes with an intuitive drag-and-drop page builder tool, which is a blessing if you are new to web hosting
Pros
- Cost-effective rates for both shared and VPS hosting plans
- Domain.com is a top domain registrar, and the good news is that these services tie directly into your hosting account
- The company has worked for years to reduce the environmental impact
Cons
- Not appropriate for sites with a high volume of traffic
- Does not provide premium features offered by several other providers, like a free CDN
- Provides minimal CMS support as you can install WordPress and Joomla, but not PrestaShop or several other popular systems
Pricing
(Note: Pricing was last checked on January 2021 through their website)
8. Gator by HostGator
If you wish to get online fast and don’t care about your site’s look as long as it looks fairly decent and does the job, I recommend Hostgator. It’s a hosting provider; however, it even provides an excellent web builder service called Gator. It includes a drag-and-drop editor like Wix’s and 150 templates to choose from.
It comes with a very user-friendly interface. However, Hostgator's features are limited compared to other website builder tools mentioned in this list. A prime example is that if you are looking to develop a blog, you do not have the option to schedule the posts or enable visitors to add comments apart from the Facebook comments.
Features
- All HostGator shared hosting accounts come with CPanel, the world’s most popular hosting control panel, which makes it easy to use and offers extensive support options for beginners and advanced web developers alike
- Lets you install WordPress and Joomla with the help of a single click
- Supports Joomla and WordPress CMS for maximum versatility
- Its Baby Plan and Business Plan lets you add an unlimited number of domains to your shared hosting plan
- No bandwidth limit, which means you will never be charged bandwidth overage fees or need to worry about traffic shutting down the website
- Provides unlimited disk space, which means you can upload as many files as you desire without worrying about the space left on your server
- Hatchling and Baby HostGator Include SSL certificates, while higher-level plans cover private SSL certificates for maximum security
- Prevents you from losing your site with the help of an automatic domain renewal feature
- Whether you need a dedicated server, a VPS, or basic shared hosting, HostGator has it all covered for you
- Supports reseller hosting, which enables users to sell their own hosting plans over HostGator servers
Pros
- Provides excellent uptime and offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee
- CPanel is available to all HostGator accounts, which makes all the web management tools easily accessible
- Easy sign-up process
- Provides different features like reseller hosting, VPS hosting, and Dedicated Servers
- The competitive pricing structure of different plans
- Excellent customer service
- Offers unlimited bandwidth and disk space
Cons
- Domain names are not freely available
- A small section of HostGator users have faced certain issues like downtime, customer service, and other problems but these are isolated problems experienced by very few users.
Pricing
HostGator website builder comes with three different pricing plans:
- Website Plan (Starting at $4.95 per month)
- Website + Marketing (Starting at $7.95 per month)
- Online Store (Starting at $13.95 per month)
- Online Marketplaces (Starting at $19.95 per month)
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
Cloud Hosting Plan consists of three pricing options:
- Hatchling Plan (Starting at $3.75 per month)
- Baby Plan (Starting at $4.50 per month)
- Business Plan (Starting at $6.25 per month)
For more information on cloud hosting plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on January 2021 through their website)
9. GoDaddy
Go Daddy is one of the most prominent website-building tools available. The company consists of every imaginable website-connected product in its portfolio. It is one of the largest domain names and hosting service providers across the globe. Hence, it is no surprise that the company has its own website builder.
The good thing about the company is that it offers a simple online website builder with hosting included. It provides an excellent platform for beginners, especially with its user-friendly interface with customized mobile optimization features. It also consists of a dashboard that enables you to opt for multiple languages apart from English. You can check out numerous help videos to set up your site and customize it according to your needs.
Features
- Consists of a simple editor with hundreds of pre-set sections
- GoDaddy app lets you edit your website from any mobile device on the go
- Consists of a few built-in integrations to enhance the functionality of your site
- Comprises an impressive suite of tools to assist in customizing your website
- Consists of the GoDaddy insights feature and custom action plans to select a few business objectives to be accomplished
- Includes a search engine visibility feature to optimize your site’s keywords, site title, Meta descriptions, and header text
- Enables you to conduct email marketing by adding an existing subscriber list manually or importing a CSV file
- Provides access to different tools and add-ons
- User-friendly from SEO to website building
- Simple point-and-click editor for immediate action
- Comes with an automatic backup and site history tab to restore previous versions by clicking “Settings” and then “Site History.”
- Provides streamlined account management through the dashboard
- 24x7 support in the form of phone and live chat
Pros
- User-friendly website builder
- Choice of selecting from more than 100 designer-made templates
- Gives you the chance to change the template at a later time
- Consists of an online store module
- Comprises an AI module that gives a score and suggests improvements
- Consists of a blogging module
- Provides one month trial with all features enabled
Cons
- Everything cannot be edited with the help of the builder interface
- There are multiple sellups as you go through the signup process
Pricing
You can avail yourself of its free plan with no credit card required. However, if you wish to utilize all the website builder tool features, you need to opt for premium plans. There are four plans available when it comes to website plans.
- Basic (Ideal for personal use) priced at $3 per month when billed annually
- Standard (Ideal for new businesses) priced at $5.per month when billed annually
- Premium (Ideal for growing businesses) is priced at $8.per month when billed annually
- Ecommerce (Ideal for selling online) is priced at $14.per month when billed annually
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on January 2021 through their website)
10. Shopify
Shopify is perhaps one of the best website builder tools for small businesses. The reason is that it provides eCommerce-first features and overall ease of use. If you’re looking to build an eCommerce store to sell your products on your business site, I recommend the Shopify eCommerce platform.
The good thing about Shopify is that it can easily cater to customer bases across the globe. It even provides multiple payment gateway options. And if you are worried about handling tax calculations and printing shipping levels, this ingenious website builder will do that job for you.
It is the most used website builder due to its robust synced inventory, free selling tools, stylish templates, live support, and a POS module. This makes Shopify a perfect choice for online stores.
Let’s now take a look at the Shopify Website Builder dashboard below.
For more information on all the sections of the Dashboard, click here.
Features
- A fantastic eCommerce website builder module that’s effortless in use
- Provides unlimited product listings
- Comes with an advanced report builder
- Comprises 70+ professional themes
- Supports multiple sales channels
- Ability to send custom gift cards
- Comes with a free SSL certificate
- Gives you the option to provide discount codes
- Integrates with apps that extend Shopify’s core feature-set
- Supports multiple languages, taxes, and currencies
- Comes with certified PCI compliance
- Employs liquid templating language
Pros
- A fantastic website builder, especially for small businesses if you wish to make the most out of your eCommerce store
- Consists of several tools like a QR code generator, privacy policy generator, business card creator, purchase order template, and much more.
- Gives you the option to visit the Shopify Exchange Market to purchase a running eCommerce business
- Provides high-class support through live chat and support tickets, and the company has a class-apart knowledge base.
- Comprises an extensive catalog of Shopify apps
Cons
- In case eCommerce is not a component of your business, Shopify will not give the right results.
- Does not consist of a good blogging module
Pricing
Shopify provides a 14-day trial period with no credit card required. You need to pay a premium price if you wish to get a complete list of features. It comes with three distinct pricing plans:
- Basic Shopify (Consists of all the basics for starting a new business) is priced at $23.5 per month
- Shopify (Consists of everything you need for a growing business) priced at $87.5 per month
- Advanced Shopify (Consists of advanced features for scaling your business) priced at $355 per month
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on August 2023 through their website)
To get started with your 15-day trial period, click on the “Start free trial” tab on the extreme right-hand side of this page.
11. Squarespace
Squarespace is one of the best website builder tools that is a blessing for creative professionals like designers, artists, and photographers. The good news is that the creative community has accepted Squarespace with open arms as it consists of beautifully designed templates.
It consists of lots of white space, which enables you to showcase your portfolio of work elegantly. No other website builder can match them. However, if you think that Squarespace is only about portfolios, then you are wrong. It also consists of useful tools that can come in handy while launching an online store or blog. This includes templates for other businesses, like media & entertainment, non-profits, food, health & beauty, and more.
All of the Squarespace templates can be customized according to your needs. Its drag-and-drop web-building interface is very smooth to use. It even sends useful prompts whenever you hover over the mouse. However, the system is not as smooth as Wix’s, but the good news is the templates available are good-looking. Also, Squarespace is comparatively more expensive than most web builders on this list. The only glitch is that it does not have any free plan, although there is a 14-day free trial period.
Let’s now take a look at Squarespace’s Website Builder dashboard below.
Features
- Consists of modern templates
- Gives you the option to switch templates
- Comes with seamless drag-and-drop management
- Consists of Dropbox file synchronization
- Comprises of social links and style editor
- Gives you the ability to perform direct editing
- Consists of custom CSS
- Comes with built-in mobile websites
- Consists of a responsive image loader
- Provides the content downloading option
- Comprises of the custom WYSIWYG editor
- Comes with a mobile information bar
Pros
- Comprises of scintillating templates that are optimized for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets
- Squarespace mobile apps enable you to effortlessly edit pages, blog posts, and eCommerce functions with the help of a single click.
- Provides an option to restore deleted posts and pages for a maximum of 30 days
Cons
- Not the fastest builder to create a website and so you need to get accustomed to it.
- The editor feature is more of a manual task as you will be prompted to save your work after every change as it does not auto-save on its own
Pricing
There are four plans available.
- Personal priced at $16 per month (Save 30% annually)
- Business priced at $23 per month (Save 30% annually)
- Basic Commerce is priced at $27 per month (Save 25% annually)
- Advanced Commerce is priced at $49 per month (Save 24% annually)
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on January 2021 through their website)
12. Weebly
Weebly is one of the best website builder tools that enables anybody to build a website of their own swiftly and effortlessly. It is quite popular among businesses with over 12 million registered users. The reason is that it is a free website builder that is damn easy to use.
With the help of this free website builder, you can quickly build scintillating websites in a quick turnaround time. Creating the most amazing websites through this platform is possible even if you do not have any programming language. If you would like to build business websites, eCommerce websites, blogs, or general interest websites, Weebly is a perfect website builder.
Yes, the free version of Weebly indeed has limited access to interesting website builder tools. However, you can always opt for its Pro plan to build highly creative websites. I feel that Weebly's free version is more than enough to create highly engaging websites.
Features
- Comes with a drag-and-drop website builder
- Consists of responsive templates
- Very easy to publish blogs and articles
- Comes with a free subdomain, which is a huge plus
- Provides 24x7 customer support in case of any concerns
- Easily create an eCommerce store
- Lots of app integration for value-addition
- Consists of the full-width page editor
Pros
- Very easy to customize the templates
- Integration with other apps and add ons
- Very intuitive and easy to use
- Highly affordable
- Weebly is continuously improving and adding new features
- Meets the security standards
- Consists of an auto-save function in case of connection failure so that your work does not get lost
- Consists of strong community support to resolve queries and find ideas
- Very easy to execute SEO ideas and update them regularly
Cons
- Some users have complained about the platform being glitchy and needing a refresh.
- Certain formatting and placement options cannot be customized, which can be very frustrating to certain users (especially those acquainted with WordPress)
- Uploading images takes time, and you cannot work on another part of your site; otherwise, your work will not get saved.
- Detailed customization in the HTML can be done, but it may result in overconfidence amongst users, especially those without any prior coding experience.
Pricing
There is a free option available for essential use. However, if you wish to take advantage of all its features, you need to pay a premium price. There are four plans available.
For Websites
- Free (For basic use) with zero cost
- Personal (For connecting a domain) is priced at $10 per month when paid annually.
- Professional (For groups & organizations) priced at $12 per month when paid annually
- Performance (For small businesses & stores) priced at $26 per month when paid annually
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
For Online Stores (Same as websites)
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on August 2023 through their website)
13. WordPress.org
WordPress is one of the best website makers available online. You will be surprised to know this: According to W3techs, WordPress has 61.8% of the CMS market share — more than all other systems (e.g., Drupal, Joomla) combined. And there is a reason for that.
WordPress is an open-source platform that you can easily download for free and install on any web server under your control. You can also avail lots of free add-ons, plug-ins, and themes that you can install on your site within seconds. The good news is that you can even extend its feature. All in all, WordPress is a dream come true for DIY users on a global scale.
Features
- Comes with a free Content Management System (CMS)
- Consists of thousands of plugins and free WP themes that aid you in developing a good-looking and functional website
- Lots of tools and resources have primarily been created to integrate with WordPress
- By merely installing certain plugins, you can have all the features needed on your sites like SEO optimization, online stores, amazing effects & animations, multimedia integration, embedded video & audio files, portfolios, advanced & modern widgets, impressive sliders, social buttons, lots of design templates & layouts, and many other features.
- It comes with an easy-to-use interface with the ability to edit almost anything from the user-friendly and intuitive dashboard.
Pros
- Consists of thousands of plugins and tools which aid you in enhancing your site’s performance
- You can easily customize everything on the site with the option of depicting the things you want to showcase on your site.
- Comes with endless extension and customization possibilities
- In case you are a developer, it gives you the scope to create your own tools effortlessly, utilize them in WordPress and showcase them to the community
Cons
- Not a friendly option for first-time users as you need prior knowledge of domain setup and web hosting, among other things
- To make your site feature-rich, you need to find and install a handful of plugins on your own
Pricing
Although WordPress is a free website builder. You need a host to develop a WordPress site. Here’s a breakdown of the essential costs you will likely encounter while making a website using WordPress.org. It can be challenging to figure out how much it will cost. Instead, you need to consider an associated base cost, including hosting, domain, and SSL certificate. It has been observed that real people need to spend a bit more this way.
Here’s a chart that will provide you with the pricing details.
| Sr. No. |
Feature List |
Price |
One-off, monthly, or annually? |
| 1 |
Domain Name |
$12 |
Annually |
| 2 |
Hosting |
$2.95 - $49.95 |
Monthly |
| 3 |
Pre-made Themes |
$0 - $200 |
One-off |
| 4 |
Plugins |
$0 - $1,000 |
A mixture |
| 5 |
Security |
$50 - $550 |
A mixture |
| 6 |
Developer Fees |
$0 - $1,000 |
One-off |
(Source)
(Note: Pricing was last checked on January 2021 through their website)
WordPress has recommended Bluehost since the year 2007 as their hosting partner. Click here if you wish to use Bluehost as your hosting partner to launch your WordPress website.
14. WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a website platform that has been developed apart from the open-source WordPress software. The good thing about this fantastic website builder tool is that you do not have to get your hands dirty by installing just about anything. Simply relax and create your account at WordPress.com and start building your website with a minimalistic interface.
This does not mean that WordPress.com does not consist of modern designs. In fact, a wide array of designs are available for different types of websites. You can even utilize various features that you will ever need to develop a simple website. If you wish to create an eCommerce module on your website, you can offer products online for your small business.
Although its site builder features are not as advanced as some of the website builder tools we have mentioned in this list, it's still a great way to start with your website.
Features
- Contains a knowledge base with a search feature to assist you in getting started
- Easily connect your site to your social media pages so your new posts can be shared on your newsfeed.
- Ability to add widgets to showcase your social feed on your website
- In-built analytics to check out the activities on your website
- Opt for premium plans to get access to SEO tools and custom domains
- Simply type in your site name and pick the best available URL
- WordPress is a thoroughly secured place to protect your site
- Consists of a restore feature that can come in handy during sudden crashes of the site
Pros
- Considered to be the best alternative for a blogging site thanks to its specific templates and features to ensure the success of your blog
- Contains tons of tailored features to ensure the smooth functioning of your blog site
- Sensible pricing options wherein you can either build and develop your blog for free or opt for an upgrade for more advanced features
Cons
- If you are not looking to publish blogs, then you are going to struggle
- Although WordPress.com is much more user-friendly than WordPress.org, you still need to know specific codes to make the most out of it
Pricing
There is a free plan available that aids in creating fascinating and simple websites in minutes. However, some premium plans are available if you wish to make the most of this platform. There are four plans available.
- Personal (Ideal for personal use) priced at $2 per month billed annually
- Premium (Ideal for freelancers) is priced at $4 per month and billed annually
- Business (Ideal for small businesses) priced at $9 per month billed annually
- Enterprise (Custom Pricing)
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on August 2023 through their website)
15. Webflow
Webflow is a comprehensive website builder that aims to empower designers, creative professionals, and entrepreneurs to curate for the web. The company provides a wide array of products designed to aid people in getting up and running with a scintillating, fully-customizable web page without forsaking quality or flexibility.
The company easily answers your question: How to build a website by developing visually appealing projects that deliver high quality with less complexity? Compared to Wix, this website builder has a steeper learning curve. Hence, it is more appropriate for experienced users already familiar with tools like Adobe Dreamweaver.
Webflow provides all-inclusive documentation like video tutorials. It even consists of a designer section that provides comprehensive information about the platform’s advanced coding capabilities.
Learn about how to create an exclusive member dashboard in webflow (using MemberStack) by watching the video given below:
Features
- Comes with an exclusive visual website builder that utilizes drag-and-drop functionality and lets you tune up every little detail about the elements of the page
- It lets you build your design based on a CSS grid, which is handy, especially if you are an advanced user.
- Accepts custom codes
- More than 200 web fonts are available that provide exceptional typography control
- Fully responsive (scales up your image to make them fit)
- Comprises of 3D transformations and animations which come in handy to make your website stand out from the crowd
- Comes with integrated CMS features, which means that you can add content like blog posts, portfolio items, etc. in a hassle-free manner
- Comprises an eCommerce module
- Consists of great SEO and Open Graph settings
- Comes with features that enable you to create sites for clients and then bill them from Webflow
- Integration with Google Analytics, Google Optimize, Zapier, and MailChimp
- Provides email support for paid accounts and prioritized support for team supports
- Comes with community support through an online forum for free accounts
Pros
- Comes with the most potent page customization tool available in the industry
- A free version is available.
- Provides you total creative control over your design
- Consists of more than 100 website templates
- Comprises of online store module
- A dream come true for advanced users
- You can use it to build sites for clients
Cons
- Does not provide the option to change the website template once you select one
- Not a tool for a beginner, as building design from scratch can be difficult.
- Provides only email support
Pricing
A free plan is available. However, the only glitch is that it does not allow you to connect your domain but can only utilize a subdomain from Webflow. It does not give you the ability to get rid of the Webflow badge, and you’re limited to a maximum of 500 views per month. There is also a limitation of 50 CMS items that you can opt for and only two static pages. You can launch a maximum of two websites while opting for the free plan.
If you wish to utilize all the features of Webflow, you need to opt for one of the premium plans. There are two plans available when it comes to website plans.
- Site Plans (Ideal for personal sites, blogs, and business websites)
- eCommerce Plans (Ideal for enabling checkout on your domain)
The Site Plans can further be divided into four plans.
- Basic (Ideal for a simple site that does not need a CMS priced at $14 per month paid annually, or $18 paid monthly)
- CMS (Ideal for a blog or other content-driven site priced at $23 per month paid annually, or $29 paid monthly)
- Business (Ideal for a higher traffic marketing site or blog priced at $39 per month paid annually, or $49 paid monthly)
- Enterprise (Ideal for bringing Webflow to your company with exclusive features. For pricing details, click here)
The eCommerce Plans can be further divided into three plans.
- Standard (Ideal for new businesses getting off the ground priced at $29 per month billed annually, or $42 billed monthly)
- Plus (ideal for higher volume businesses that need additional features priced at $74 per month billed annually, or $84 billed monthly)
- Advanced (Ideal to scale and reach new heights for your online business priced at $212 per month billed annually, or $235 billed monthly)
For more information on website builder pricing plans and their features, click here.
(Note: Pricing was last checked on January 2021 through their website)
Concluding Thoughts
As you can see from the list mentioned above, many viable options are available for everyone to create an effortless and quick way to answer the question: How to build a website? However, before selecting one of the best website builder tools, I would suggest looking at the pros and cons mentioned above and then taking the wise call. I hope the information furnished in this write-up will help you select the best website builder tools in the year 2021.
FAQ
Is there a free website builder?
Yes! You can build a Google Site at just zero cost. Plus, you get all its features for free since it doesn't have pricing tiers. Wix is one of the most popular free website builders. Its fully-hosted, easy-to-use platform offers an easy drag-and-drop editor, an extensive collection of apps, and professional templates.
What are website builders used for?
A website builder is software that allows you to build a website without coding experience. You can do everything you need to by yourself without needing a designer or developer. With the specially developed drag-and-drop website builder software, you can simply choose from a vast range of templates and customize them in line with your brand vision!
What are the advantages of website builders?
It’s user-friendly. It’s cost-effective. Modifying the website is easy. No coding knowledge is needed. It’s easy to update content. It requires little time and effort.
How to select the best website builder for your company?
Ease of Use Pricing Design & Features Customer Support Data Ownership & portability
Till we meet again…..
