Best website builder

The best website builder allows anyone, whether building your first website or your most recent, to quickly and easily create professional, visually-stunning sites with user-friendly drag-and-drop editors. Whether it's a personal, ecommerce, or business site, you can build it yourself and spend very little doing so.

As a result of an ever-growing market, however, finding the right builder can be challenging. Make sure you bear experience and intentions for your site in mind: easy website builders are ideal for novices, while WordPress plugins via the best web hosting are a more advanced option for those with experience.

You should plan ahead, consider scalability if your site may grow; and be aware of the customer support and service levels you require. Got little to no budget? Free website builders are appealing, but we recommend only using them for trials or testing. They're ideal for simple personal sites, though.

We analysed and ranked the best website builders against these key factors below: see which builders we rated best.

The top 3 best website builders right now

Wix: the best all-round choice

The best website builder available, Wix offers industry-leading templates, an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, and a wide degree of flexibility. The full builder is included with its free plan, while competitive paid upgrades provide ad-free sites and 14-day guarantees.

Shopify: the best website builder for ecommerce

With millions worldwide using Shopify, we rank it highly because it's ideal for ecommerce sites. Its extensive range of third-party apps, its clutter-free interface, and its built-in shopping cart and checkout manager come with extra marketing and security tools.

Editor X: best website builder for developers

A relatively-recent entrant, Editor X offers advanced users and developers a more powerful site creation platform. Full code access, API customisation, and more set it apart as a top option for those with experience.

How much do the best website builders cost?

How much does it cost to build a website? There’s no one set price. Website builders range from free platforms for simple sites, all the way up to professional and advanced services offering high degrees of customisation.

It depends on your needs: expect to pay more for decent ecommerce and business tools. Most charge per month, and pricing is around £5 to £15 a month. For ecommerce, advanced plans start at around £20.

What’s key to remember is that additional tools, plugins, and features cost extra. It’s worth doing research to see what you need, what’s included, and what to budget for separately, and establish if scalability is possible, in case your site needs to grow.

What are the best website builders?

Wix is the best website builder, thanks to a large template library, excellent design flexibility, third-party app integrations, and its leading artificial design intelligence site editor.

Shopify is a leading ecommerce builder offering advanced tools for creating and publishing online stores quickly and simply. Editor X, a relatively new platform in the market, offers developers and those with advanced-level experience the ability to create highly customised, flexible, and top-level websites.

It's also worth considering BigCommerce, Webflow, Bluehost's WordPress website builder, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Elementor, Zyro, HostGator, Weebly, and 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite. All are worth a look thanks to specific focuses including visually-appealing sites, ease-of-use, or connections to web hosts or CMSs.

Our pick of the best website builders, compared

The best website builders you can buy today

Wix

The best website builder, all round

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: Yes
• Ecommerce features: Yes
• Free domain: Yes
• Unlimited storage: No

REASONS TO BUY

• Tons of flexibility
• Great searchable knowledgebase
• Drag-and-drop simplicity

REASONS TO AVOID

• No template switching
• Some third-party apps are expensive
• Wix Editor can be daunting for newbies

Score: 4.5/5

Wix is our pick for the best website builder, ecommerce website builder, and small business website builder. It offers a great selection of advanced features, including three editing interfaces—the Wix Editor, Velo Dev Mode, and Wix ADI.

The Wix Editor is one of the most powerful available. It enables you to drag and drop different elements into pixel-perfect positions. It can be a little confusing to learn to use, but the rewards are worth it. Velo Dev Mode allows you to make changes outside of the template model, and add features that usually require developer input, like custom forms, dynamic pages, and databases.

Wix ADI is much more beginner-friendly. Simply work through a short questionnaire, and a custom site template will be developed based on your answers, which you can customise to your heart’s content.

Standout features include Wix’s App Market, which contains numerous add-ons that add extra functionality; and an industry-leading template library boasting over 500 designs. The full builder is included within the excellent free plan, though bear in mind it has restrictions and limitations, such as Wix ads on your site. Each paid plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Read our comprehensive Wix review.

Wix's pricing plans

Shopify

The best website builder for advanced ecommerce sites

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: No
• Ecommerce features: Yes, advanced
• Free domain: No
• Unlimited storage: Yes

REASONS TO BUY

• Excellent selection of apps and extensions
• Streamlined mobile management app
• Beginner-friendly store management dashboard

REASONS TO AVOID

• High transaction fees with third-party gateways
• Expensive compared to some other options

Score: 4.5/5

If you've any knowledge of ecommerce, you'll have heard of Shopify. Although not a website builder in the traditional sense, it’s one of the best options for advanced online store creation, and is the world’s leading such builder for good reason.

The tools on offer are excellent, and you'll benefit from an unbeatable range of management, marketing, and general online selling features. These include a built-in shopping cart and checkout manager, alongside marketing and security tools. Shopify is Level 1 PCI DSS compliant, providing top-level security for your customers.

On top of this, there are numerous templates you can base your store on when building an ecommerce website. The beginner-friendly editor is a little limited, but there's full code access if you need to fine-tune designs. Across three plans, there’s plenty of room to scale, with more excellent, additional ecommerce features unlocked as you move up.

Read our detailed Shopify review.

Shopify's pricing plans

Editor X

The best website builder for developers

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: Yes
• Ecommerce features: Yes
• Free domain: Yes
• Unlimited storage: No

REASONS TO BUY

• Excellent selection of developer tools
• Industry-leading design flexibility
• API and database support

REASONS TO AVOID

• Not the best option for beginners
• Templates and apps are limited for now

Score: 4.5/5

With advanced developer tools and a highly-customisable builder, Editor X (owned by Wix) is not only one of the newest, but one of the most powerful builders on the market. Released in early 2021, its top developer tools and advanced customisation include full code editing, custom API compatibility, and database creation and management. It's designed for those with experience, not beginners.

A drag-and-drop editor is stuffed with advanced design features and extras, while 28 extremely flexible templates offer a basic framework that can lead to endless design combinations. Fine-tuning is available via editing of base code files, while access to the Wix App Market offers over 250 apps for integration.

Real-time collaboration tools allow for multiple users on a site at once, while special ecommerce elements include subscriptions, memberships, integrated bookings, and full live chats. Slow customer service response times mark it down a little, though representatives are knowledgeable and helpful. Top-notch self-help resources include a help centre, a training academy, and a community forum.

A basic free-forever plan is ideal for testing Editor X, while there are three site-specific options, and three Business and eCommerce plans, plus a custom Enterprise option for larger stores. While not ideal for beginners, Editor X is one of the best and most powerful website builders currently available for developers.

Read our full Editor X review.

Editor X’s pricing plans

BigCommerce

The best ecommerce website builder for larger online stores

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: No
• Ecommerce features: Yes, advanced
• Free domain: No
• Unlimited storage: Yes

REASONS TO BUY

• Powerful mobile management app
• Zero transaction fees
• Advanced tools for larger stores

REASONS TO AVOID

• Relatively low sales limits
• Small number of free store templates and app library compared to alternatives

Score: 4.5/5

BigCommerce regularly competes with the top ecommerce site and store builders, and differentiates itself with its powerful ecommerce-focused editor, a comprehensive suite of online sales tools, and scalability alongside design flexibility.

Top features include an app library, SEO tools, advanced mobile management, third-party marketplace integrations, and much more. It offers nearly everything needed for creating and managing a new online store, with inventory management, analytics, and much more.

Regularly updated and offering responsive, quick sites and load times, users can test BigCommerce out via a no-obligation 15-day free trial, while four further subscription options offer a growing list of leading features as prices increase. BigCommerce isn't cheap, but it offers an impressive store editor, despite a quite-cluttered interface that takes time to get to grips with.

However, if you're struggling, the platform is known for excellent customer support across live chat, phone, and email, with a friendly and knowledgeable team providing enhanced services. All in all, for top-level online-store focused site creation, BigCommerce is hard to beat.

Read our full BigCommerce review.

BigCommerce's pricing plans

Webflow

The best advanced website builder for complete developer control

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: Yes
• Ecommerce features: Yes (on advanced plans)
• Free domain: Yes
• Unlimited storage: Yes

REASONS TO BUY

• Flexible site editor with breakpoint control
• Built-in CMS
• Integrated development environment

REASONS TO AVOID

• Complex pricing options
• Email support only

Score: 4.5/5

Webflow's extremely capable builder offers flexibility and customisation for web developers and experienced designers, across sites and online stores. Best suited for devs, design agencies, and experienced site creators, it utilises drag-and-drop tech, with CSS and JavaScript accessible via an integrated development environment.

The platform's in-built CMS is a big plus, while editing access for breakpoints is an advantage for designers looking to take total control over look and feel. Ideal for large and data-heavy sites, Webflow also provides a suite of ecommerce tools, the ability to sell physical and digital products, shipping, digital downloads, and more.

However, if there's a drawback, it's complex and expensive pricing. You'll require an Account plan and a Site plan to get the full package, with both priced separately. A free plan is available that covers two sites with two pages, with pricing and features increasing with complexity through to enterprise and ecommerce levels.

It's worth bearing in mind that Webflow is aimed at those with experience, and the time to utilise its complexities and steep learning curve. Despite this, it's incredibly straightforward once you've got your head around it: customer support is only offered via email for most lower-priced plans, but an online directory of tutorials and videos is an excellent additional help.

Read our comprehensive Webflow review.

Webflow’s pricing plans

Bluehost's WordPress website builder

The best website builder for WordPress websites

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: No
• Ecommerce features: Yes (on advanced plans)
• Free domain: Yes
• Unlimited storage: N/A

REASONS TO BUY

• Enables rapid WordPress website creation
• Comes free with all Bluehost shared hosting plans
• Includes versatile editing tools

REASONS TO AVOID

• Can only be used with Bluehost and WordPress.org
• Can’t change template once you’ve started editing
• Poor server response times

Score: 4/5

Bluehost's WordPress website builder is brand new to the market, having been released in August 2021, and it's a great beginner-friendly option. Designed for fast, streamlined site creation, its tidy section-based editor is very easy to use for those with limited experience, via a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) interface.

An excellent introductory tour, top-notch knowledge base, and 24/7 live support provide further assistance. For more advanced users, there's support for custom HTML, CSS, and Javascript code. Various SEO tools, meta text pop-ups, and ecommerce features like online store design are on offer.

One limitation is an inability to switch templates, while performance also poses concerns: if you opt for a high-end shared hosting or WordPress hosting plan, your experience will likely be better. The builder is available with Bluehost via its shared hosting or managed WordPress hosting. There are three specific builder plans, which are similar in terms of pricing to the hosting packages.

While still a newcomer, it’s poised to become an industry leader thanks to streamlined site creation solutions backed by WordPress's powerful CMS. It's an excellent option for beginners, and those wanting to take full advantage of WordPress.

Read our comprehensive Bluehost WordPress website builder review.

Bluehost WordPress website builder's pricing plans

*The Bluehost WordPress website builder is available with a minimum 12-month subscription, and prices will increase on renewal.

Squarespace

The best website builder for professional templates and sites

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: No
• Ecommerce features: Yes
• Free domain: Yes
• Unlimited storage: Yes

REASONS TO BUY

• Stunning templates
• Good integration with marketing tools
• Mobile-responsive themes

REASONS TO AVOID

• Lacks autosave
• Has an initial learning curve

Score: 4/5

Squarespace has long been known for professional templates. Although its library is quite small compared to others, every design is built with modern techniques and standards in mind. These, alongside native tools, add-ons, and a versatile marketing suite, make it easy to see why Squarespace is so popular.

In addition, it offers ecommerce tools to rival the best in the industry. You can sell virtually anything, including digital content, services, and subscriptions. The product categorisation tools are great, to say the least, and you'll be able to manage inventory and orders through the intuitive management dashboard.

However, when it comes to site creation, Squarespace’s editor is far from the best we’ve used. It’s quite counter-intuitive and poorly designed, and you'll likely find it a little confusing to get started with. A free-forever version is also lacking, although a 14-day free trial allows you to test the platform.

Across four paid plans, you get great features including a free domain for the first year, unmetered bandwidth and storage, and built-in SSL security.

Read our Squarespace review.

Squarespace's pricing plans

GoDaddy

The best website builder for absolute beginners

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: Yes
• Ecommerce features: Yes, basic
• Free domain: No
• Unlimited storage: Yes, with high-end plans

REASONS TO BUY

• Straightforward and beginner-friendly
• Fast site creation
• Built-in SEO and ecommerce tools

REASONS TO AVOID

• Overly simple with limited design flexibility
• Basic, generic templates

Score: 4/5

If your top priority is creating an online presence with minimal fuss, we’d recommend GoDaddy, largely thanks to an extremely beginner-friendly, intuitive editor. You won’t have much design flexibility, but that's not necessarily be a bad thing.

With GoDaddy, it’s not unrealistic to get online in just hours. There’s a neat range of tutorials if you run into problems, but the chances of this are low. Underpowered ecommerce tools will bother some, but you get a free domain, 24/7 support, a free SSL certificate, and unmetered storage on all bar the cheapest plan.

There’s one free and four premium plans. The free plan allows you to create a simple site with a branded GoDaddy domain, but is quite limited. Prices are higher for shorter subscriptions, but all allow you to connect a custom domain name, and offer a free business email for the first year, plus editing and analytics tools. More advanced plans add marketing, ecommerce, and business-related features too.

Read our full GoDaddy review, and our GoDaddy web hosting review.

GoDaddy's website builder pricing plans

Elementor (for WordPress)

The best website builder for advanced WordPress websites

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: Yes
• Ecommerce features: Yes
• Free domain: No
• Unlimited storage: N/A

REASONS TO BUY

• Streamlined WordPress website creation
• Very competitively priced
• Great range of editing tools

REASONS TO AVOID

• Somewhat unorganised and confusing to use
• The free option is quite limited

Score: 4/5

Known more as a plugin, Elementor is one of the most powerful WordPress site builders. It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, and you can put together your new site without any coding.

There are numerous third-party integrations, along with a neat free plan that provides access to enough tools to comprehensively test the editor, including over 40 widgets, 30 templates, and basic support. However, you'll need to sign up for a separate hosting account, and purchase a domain name.

There are four premium plugin plans, with the main differences being support and the number of sites you can create (up to 1,000 with an Agency plan). The three most expensive plans allow you to create an Expert Profile with which to showcase your portfolio.

Read our Elementor review.

Elementor's pricing plans

*Monthly billing isn’t available. All subscriptions must be paid on an annual basis.

Zyro

The best website builder for simplicity and value

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: No
• Ecommerce features: Yes, with advanced plans
• Free domain: Yes, with advanced plans
• Unlimited storage: Yes, with advanced plans

REASONS TO BUY

• Inexpensive plans
• Easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder
• Excellent uptime

REASONS TO AVOID

• Cannot change templates
• Limited design elements

Score: 4/5

Zyro, the site builder from leading web host Hostinger, is designed for those who want to build a simple site without spending much time or money. Start with one of more than 150 templates, add your own content, and hit publish.

There are a number of AI tools available, including an writer, brand name generator, and a logo maker, providing an affordable, straightforward site creation process. You can sell products, but keep in mind that ecommerce tools are basic at best. The blogging tools are decent, though, and all users benefit from 24/7 support.

It doesn’t have a free-forever plan, which is a disadvantage if you wanted to try it out, but its paid plans are among the most affordable we’ve seen. Packages all come with free hosting and a free domain name for one year, with plans able to be paid annually or monthly. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee, too.

Read our comprehensive Zyro review.

Zyro's pricing plans

*Pricing after the first year, which sees respective monthly pricing of £1.10, £2.94, and £11.79 a month

HostGator's Gator Builder

The best website builder offering value for money

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: No
• Ecommerce features: Basic
• Free domain: Yes
• Unlimited storage: Yes

REASONS TO BUY

• Very competitive prices
• Powerful drag-and-drop builder
• Unmetered storage and bandwidth

REASONS TO AVOID

• Deceiving price structure
• Limited blog features

Score: 3.5/5

If you want similar power to Wix without high prices, HostGator’s Gator Builder is a great option. Although there’s no free-forever plan, you can build a new site for just a few dollars a month. Note, though, that prices will increase when you renew.

One thing that stands out is its excellent drag-and-drop editor. This enables you to create the exact site you want, and position any elements with pixel-perfect precision. On the downside, templates are average at best. Many are outdated, and you'll need to do a significant amount of work to make them look professional. Advanced users might find the lack of specialised tools disappointing, such as dedicated email marketing, while it offers relatively basic blogging.

However, a free domain name and SSL certificate, plus unmetered storage and bandwidth, are attractive features available across three plans, though premium support is only available by phone and chat on mid- and top-range plans. Free analytics are available on all though, which is handy for smaller businesses.

Read our full HostGator review.

Gator Builder's pricing plans

Weebly

The best website builder for simple online stores

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: Yes
• Ecommerce features: Yes, advanced
• Free domain: Yes, with advanced plans
• Unlimited storage: Yes, with advanced plans

REASONS TO BUY

• Mobile-responsive templates
• Helpful SEO guides
• Very easy to use

REASONS TO AVOID

• Limited drag-and-drop functionality
• No site design assistant

Score: 3.5/5

Weebly is one of the world’s most popular website builders, and it’s easy to see why. It boasts a great selection of professionally-designed templates, alongside some of the best ecommerce and online tools available via Square Online, which should give you confidence in its reliability and usefulness.

Noteworthy features include advanced site stats, SEO tools, customisable email templates, and full inventory management. One downside is a somewhat limited editor, which constrains you to pre-coded element positions. You can still drag and reorder, but you won’t benefit from pixel-perfect editing other platforms offer.

There are six plans, including a free-forever package that allows you to create a site and online store, though you can't connect your own domain. It's worth noting that in the long-term, there's a pivot towards Square's own ecommerce store builder, with new Weebly customers funnelled to it. However, existing customers will still be supported with features and functionality.

Read our Weebly review.

Weebly's pricing plans

*Price when paid annually

1&1 IONOS MyWebsite

The best website builder offering all-in-one cheap plans

SPECIFICATIONS

• Free plan: No
• Ecommerce features: Yes
• Free domain: Yes
• Unlimited storage: Yes

REASONS TO BUY

• Affordable ecommerce plans
• Easy to make a professional-looking site
• Cross-sell on Facebook, Instagram, and more

REASONS TO AVOID

• Only 18 templates to choose from
• Cannot drag and drop content elements

Score: 3.5/5

1&1 IONOS MyWebsite is an affordable, beginner-friendly builder backed by a great selection of templates, and the power of Europe’s largest hosting provider. It comes with one of the best template libraries available, where you'll find designs for virtually any type of site, including portfolios, ecommerce stores, and simple blogs.

Additional tools include access to a range of stock photos to make your site stand out from the crowd, alongside numerous SEO and marketing features, while the blog manager is one of the best available. The editor is also excellent, boasting an intuitive yet powerful interface.

On the downside, there’s no free-forever plan or trial, but there's a paid trial for one month for new users. There are a range of plans available covering basic builders, ecommerce options, design advice and consultation, and marketing tools, emails, and a free domain and SSL certificate.

Read our 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite review.

1&1 IONOS MyWebsite's basic builder pricing plans

The benefits of the best website builders

• You can build a site without any programming or technical experience or skills. Builders are designed for users with limited prior knowledge, utilising drag-and-drop technology to enable absolutely anyone to build their own website.
• Builders enable site creation in mere hours, thanks to simple user interfaces coupled with built-in template libraries and the option to pre-populate webpages, as well as applications and tools available from the outset to add unique features.
• So much about site creation can seem expensive, but top builders offer this service for little to no monthly cost. For simple personal sites, free website builders are ideal, though they’re not recommended for professional business sites.
• Third-party or native integrations and add-ons mean that if you need a feature for your site, a given builder will either have that feature pre-installed and in-house, or it’ll have an app store that you can download and install tools from.

The best easy website builders for beginners

Easy website builders offer streamlined site creation, and can be used with little to no coding or technical experience. Some of the best website builders are easier to use than others, or are more suited to creating business sites. Most have different focuses, while certain builders are aimed at different audiences.

Look for advanced online store creation tools that enable you to sell online, creating avenues for increased income. Keep an eye out for marketing tools, which are always a bonus. The ability to accept online bookings will be crucial for many, and high-quality SEO is important to help people find you online.

Platforms like Wix are excellent, but complicated editors can make them a little difficult to use. On the other hand, builders like Site123 are extremely easy to use, but don’t always have a lot more to offer. After testing countless options by creating our own basic sites, below is our list of the best easy website builders available.

What are the best easy website builders?

Wix combines power and an intuitive user interface. Excellent tools include a logo maker, online booking support and store features, and over 500 themes. The ADI editor requires little experience and gets sites online quickly; while the Wix Editor's industry-leading drag-and-drop flexibility is more complicated, but great for beginners looking for design freedom.

Shopify is targeted at beginners, offering streamlined online store creation with industry-leading ecommerce tools like discount code support and advanced analytics. Its editor is limited, but designed for those with little online selling experience. It's best for creating ecommerce sites, and isn't viable for standard business sites.

GoDaddy's beginner-friendly editor is extremely straightforward, site creation only taking a few hours. While it has limited design flexibility, it's ideal for beginners. Integrated marketing and ecommerce tools include business directory listings and booking features; order management and inventory tools are basic, so it's not ideal for larger stores or sites.

Elementor adds drag-and-drop functionality to WordPress sites, harnessing the CMS' power without its native editor, and offering business templates, WooCommerce store integrations, and more. However, sites require technical knowledge to create and manage, and you'll need to buy the best WordPress hosting and a domain name separately.

Finally, Site123 boasts a beginner-friendly editor, a great selection of templates, and basic online store creation via integrated ecommerce tools like free professional email accounts, online booking support, and event ticket sales. There's not much customisation available, so it's great for beginners who want to get online fast.

How to choose the best easy website builder

Before you decide, make a list of the tools and features you require. Price is an important consideration, and if you’re looking for something cheap, you'll want to go for a builder like GoDaddy.

Consider whether online store support is required. Shopify is a clear leader here, although most builders come with ecommerce features. The ability to accept online bookings is also important for many businesses: again, most builders include this, but Wix and GoDaddy's excellent tools stand out.

Design flexibility is crucial for those who'd like full freedom to customise their site. The Elementor/WordPress combination is great for this, and Wix doesn’t do too badly either. These two platforms are also great for blogging, another factor that'll be important to many business owners.

Once you’ve listed your requirements, create a shortlist of the most attractive options. We’d recommend starting with the platforms we’ve outlined. Almost all of the best website builders have a free version or free trial, enabling you to test them before committing.

It’s worth putting in the time to test a few options before settling on your favourite. Everyone’s needs are different, and a large part of your choice will come down to simple personal preference.

Website builder FAQs

Want to find out more about website builders? In our frequently asked questions below, we aimed to answer some of the most commonly-asked queries relating to website builders, to help you appreciate how they work and what benefits you can enjoy from creating your own site with one of these leading platforms.

What is a website builder?

A website builder helps you create a site, whatever your level of experience. Ranging from simple platforms to powerful editors, they're equipped with a drag-and-drop editor, a template library, and additional tools.

What's the difference between website builders and web hosting?

Website builders offer all-in-one site creation, usually including hosting, technical management, and everything else needed to set up a new site. This means you'll be able to focus on designing your site and adding quality content to it.

Web hosting stores your files and data on a host's servers, and delivers them to visitors when they load the site. You'll need to use a CMS like WordPress to create and manage your site if you take this route. It's generally a little more difficult, and is less attractive for absolute beginners.

WordPress vs website builders: what's the difference?

WordPress and website builders help design, create, and publish sites. However, they have a lot of differences: for one, builders offer technical management, hosting, security, and often a domain. All you need to worry about is designing and maintaining your site.

WordPress is an open-source CMS designed to help you create and manage your site, and can’t be used without a third-party web host. However, it provides more technical freedom and control, though you should ensure you don't fall into the trap of making the most common WordPress website mistakes.

In general, you should use a website builder if you’re thinking about creating your own site. Most require no coding knowledge, are ideal for beginners, and offer the fastest option, making them a great choice if you want to spend less time and money.

Free website builders vs paid website builders: what's best?

When comparing free website builders vs paid, it's worth noting free builders can be useful, but only in certain cases. You can build a website for free via trials or free plans, but even the best free website builders have limitations like branded subdomains, advertising, and heavily restricted bandwidth and storage.

They usually aren't the best option for business or commercial sites, or for anything beyond small personal projects. However, they're a great way to test a platform before committing.

What is a good free website builder?

Wix is the best option for a free website builder, as the full website builder is included. Remember however that you will be constrained by very limited storage and bandwidth, and will have to have a branded Wix domain and advertising on your site.

What's the best cheap website builder available?

Our top cheap website builder is HostGator’s Gator Builder, which offers subscriptions starting from just $3.84 a month. This entry-level package gets you access to the platform’s powerful drag-and-drop editor, along with a free domain, a free SSL certificate, and basic online store tools.

How to choose from the best website builders

Selecting one of the best website builders can be hard. Plan your site's intended purpose, look, and budget, and consider the specific nature of your business. Research the best options, and take advantage of free-forever plans and trials to test different services.

Builders are generally aimed at beginners, and are quite easy to use. Even complex services start off simply: select a template, personalise the design, and add content. Pay attention to tools included: most offer some form of online store, but choose specialists for strong ecommerce support and tools. Bear after-sales support in mind, especially if you're less technically-minded: look for live chat and phone support.

Finally, most top builders have strong features and simple editors, so don't compromise on quality for ease of use.

How we review the best website builders

When reviewing the best website builders, we make sure to test the builder and editor on our own custom sites. That way, we can find out where these tools sit on the user experience scale, between overly simple or too complex. We also test site uptime and response times, because these are key to performance, and any issues might cost you dearly down the line.

Additionally, we explore features and trial customer support responsiveness, and establish pricing details, as some initial term costs can increase later on.

Next steps when choosing a website builder

If you're just starting out, learn how to build a site from scratch. Wondering whether you need a website for your small business? Look at why you need one; see some top tips for creating a small business website; explore the top tools needed; and discover the foundations of a successful small business site.