We used and tested a number of site builders to make a list of the best top seven. These include some popular names such as GoDaddy, Wix, and Weebly. We examined them from the perspective of users to determine how good they are.
We signed up for the services, created a website to gauge the quality of services and the performance of site builders, and monitored the website to reach a conclusion regarding product quality & cost.
The best website builder received the full 10 points in each category, while the worst received one. Finally, we totaled each builder’s score to produce our definitive top-7 ranking.
It was not easy to pick the seven best website builders. There were hundreds of options to choose from, and they all had some hits and misses. We compared all the products, keeping in mind the cost, to determine the ones that offered the highest value.
Our seven best are: Wix, GoDaddy, Weebly, Site123, Squarespace, uCraft and Webs. Many of these site builders look similar, but they differ offer in terms of quality and cost. Let’s now get to know these in detail.
Wix is heavily promoted and marketed for all the right reasons. If you go out to search for the best website building services, you’ll definitely come across this one.
Wix currently holds over 100 million websites, and while they might not have all been built using the same site builder, a lot of users have toyed with what the builder has to offer. You can start with a free package or buy the cheapest one for as low as $4.5/month. It comes with 3GB web space and 2GB of bandwidth.
GoDaddy, more commonly known as a hosting provider, offers not just domain registration but a nice website builder as well. With 45 million domains hosted on the platform, it’s one of the most powerful options out there.
The website builder comes with ready-to-use blogs that make it fun to create a site. Personal plans start for as low as $5.99/month, but some business plans can be expensive, especially since they’re billed annually. It comes with unlimited web space and bandwidth.
Site123 is quite an affordable option. It offers competitive rates and is easy to use. Do not let the low budget fool you. This site builder offers some kickass features. It may look like an apt option only for beginners but can be quite good for professionals as well.
You can create a site with just a few clicks. The interface is very easy to use and there are dozens of templates to choose from. Moreover, the builder also lets you customize most templates. Better try the free version to understand how it works. The cheapest plan starts for as low as $10.80/month. You get to enjoy 10GB of web space and 5GB of bandwidth with this package.
Weebly is famous among new users as it requires no coding. You can get started right away. Used by over 40 million users, the site builder even offers a 15-day free trial when you pick a paid package. The cheapest plan starts at $8/month and comes with unlimited web space and bandwidth.
Squarespace is not a popular name, but it’s quite a good option thanks to some amazing features that make it the best professional website builder. Made for the big players, it is a little more expensive than most other options on the list. You can, however, save money by subscribing for yearly packages.
It’s said to be one of the safest options out there. You will get to choose from hundreds of templates. All designs are fully editable and offer great customization options. The drag-and-drop feature lets you create a site within minutes. It lets you not only add text but also multimedia with just a single click.
The company does not offer a free version, but you can start with a free trial. The cheapest package starts at $12/month. It comes with unlimited web space and bandwidth.
If you’re starting and not sure of where to begin then give uCraft a try. This simple website builder is relatively a new name but has won a significant number of users with its user-friendly interface.
When you get down to use it, you may find a few things missing; hence it’s a good option for beginners since it doesn’t offer a lot of complicated features. It’s among the easiest to navigate with little to no learning curve. You can drag and drop what you need, and your website will be up and running in no time.
Despite its simplicity, it has a lot to offer including SEO and marketing tools. However, it does not give users the ability to customize themes that most other site builders do. Basic packages start at $6 per month. It comes with unlimited web space and bandwidth.
Webs.com has some excellent features, but it does lack a few important attributes. When you look at the site builder, you will not have much to complain about. The tool is semi-intuitive and works quite well. However, the customer service can be a downer at times.
The cheapest package starts at $5.99/month. You get to enjoy 16GB of space with unlimited bandwidth.
Note: Almost all the website builders offer the free domain name only for the first year. You may have to pay for the domain later on or continue to pay for the site builder. Moreover, consider opting for yearly packages to enjoy lower prices.
Name | Price | Uptime | Load Time | Space | Free Version | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. WIX | $4.50/mo | 99.99% | 271 MS | 3 gb | Yes | 4.9/5 |
2. GoDaddy | $5.99/mo | 99.97% | 147 MS | Unlimited | No | 4.9/5 |
3. Site123 | $10.80/mo | 99.99% | 261 MS | 10 gb | Yes | 4.7/5 |
4. Weebly | $8/mo | 99.97% | 322 MS | Unlimited | Yes | 4.5/5 |
5. Squarespace | $12/mo | 99.62% | 186 MS | Unlimited | No | 4.2/5 |
6. uCraft | $6/mo | 99.87% | 596 MS | Unlimited | Yes | 4.2/5 |
7. Webs | $5.99/mo | 99.86% | 720 MS | 16 gb | No | 3.7/5 |
Unlike other projects of this nature, we signed up for website builder service from each of the providers on this list.
We also analyzed their terms of service to root out any hidden or unfair clauses. We used each service until we knew it inside and out. We noted how easy it was to sign up, navigate the back-end system.
We also set up test websites, monitoring server uptime and the time it took for pages to load.
One of the most vital factors of any website builders is its customer support. That’s why we made a point of communicating with the support staff of each of our top-7 providers. We evaluated the service based on response times, technical knowledge, and more.
Finally, we rated each builder on a scale of one to ten for price, uptime, speed, features, and support. We totaled up each service’s score and ranked them accordingly.
These were some of the best website builders out there. However, you can’t blindly pick one. What’s right for one person may not be right for the other. Check below some tips on how to choose a website builder.
Technically speaking, a website builder is for anyone who wants to build a website. However, the fact remains that not everyone uses site builders to develop websites. Some people use third-party tools to get the job done and some even use coding.
You should consider using a website builder if you intend to start a website or blog, but you have no coding knowledge or the budget to hire a professional. A website builder makes it easier to build a site. You need no coding or HTML knowledge as most good site builders come with drag and drop options and pre-built themes that you can use for your site.
They’re right for anyone from an entrepreneur to an artist to a big or small company.
You will need a website to build one. Most paid site builders offer free domain names if you buy a premium package. It may be a nice idea to choose such a plan as it may help you save money even if it appears to cost more on paper.
Some site builders also offer free domains, such as yourname.wix.com. They’re an extension of the same domain and do not look very professional. Similarly, you may even purchase a domain from a third-party site and direct it to your hosting or site builder.
You will find dozens of website builders that promise to be free, but in reality, they’re not. A lot of site builders reviewed in this article offer free versions, but when you get down to use it, you will eventually feel the need to spend money.
Here Are Some Drawbacks of a Free Site Builder:
No Domain Name
You may opt to choose a free domain name, such as yourname.weebly.com but you will find it difficult to taste success with such kind of domain.
You cannot build a business or create a name with this URL. You will eventually have to buy a domain that will cost you about $10, depending on the extension and name selected.
Some site builders offer free .com domain names when you purchase a premium package. Some of these packages can be as low as $10, which means you aren’t paying anything for the site builder so do consider opting for a paid package.
Plan Limitations
There are no free lunches in this world. It’s quite understood that you’ll have to do without a few features if you opt for a free site tool, especially when there’s a paid version available.
Most companies offer free versions to lure people into buying a paid version. The bulk of free site developers only offer basic features and a limited number of options, such as the low amount of themes with no customization.
You will have to buy a paid version to get access to more themes or customize them as needed. You may eventually have to opt for a paid version.
Little Control Over Your Site
What’s the point of having a website if you cannot control it? When you choose a free option, you’re risking all your hard work as you may lose your website anytime.
The company is not liable to provide you with the needed security. Plus, some are notorious and known for disabling or deleting free websites for one reason or the other.
It’s not really worth the hassle so consider opting for a paid version.
Don’t expect to be the #1 preference when you’re not a paying customer. You’ll get poor customer service and may even have to face downtime. Issues like these can prevent your website from finding success.
Some companies will charge a fee if you build an eCommerce store without subscribing to a premium package. Eventually, you may end up paying the company more in commission than you’d pay for a premium package so do consider this option.
Free site builders offer limited features and some may not even be able to create responsive or mobile-friendly sites. With over 50% traffic now coming through mobile devices, there’s a dire need to have a mobile-friendly site.
The main purpose of a website builder is to make it possible for you to design your site without having to hire professional help or learn to code. With drag-and-drop options, you can make changes to a theme as desired and make your site without any trouble.
Website builders can help you save a lot of time. You get access to hundreds of themes that you can change as per your likes to create the site of your dreams. There’s no need to waste time thinking of a design and building one from scratch.
Most website builders offer you a complete solution under one roof. You will not have to go anywhere else to buy hosting, domain, SSL certificates, etc. since most known website builders offer all these features. Some, however, may come at an additional fee.
Most premium website builders offer detailed guides. Plus, some even offer phone and email support in case you face an issue. This can be of great help for people who are not tech savvy or who do not know much about website development.
Many site builders come with free features including free domain names, emails, and SEO tools. Hence, they may even let you save money in the long-run.
Website builders allow you to earn money as most are e-commerce ready. You can build your store in no time and start to earn money right away.
While some website builders are apt for professional sites, most may not be able to handle big sites with 300 or more pages.
It can be quite difficult to shift from one provider to another once your site goes live. This is because not all companies let you download your site or move to another provider.
Website builders are great, but they don’t offer everything. For example, it may not be possible to create databases using a site builder.
There’s huge risk involved as your fully reliant on one provider. If anything happens with your provider, your website may go down as well.
A website builder is a software or tool – usually available online – that lets you build your site without requiring manual coding. Most modern website builders come with drag and drop features and pre-built themes so you can make and upload your site in no time.
A website builder lets you build a website and upload it directly to the server. Some builders let you connect to any hosting provider, but some may only allow you to upload a site to their own hosting company. When you choose an online website builder, pay attention to where it lets you publish the site.
We have reviewed seven of the best website builders above. While they all have their own benefits, it’s hard to pick one. The right option depends on your needs. For example, if you’re low on budget, then you can go for Site123. Similarly, if you have the budget and you want a big site then Squarespace may be a better option.
Similarly, if you need a WP site, then you should opt for a WordPress website builder.
Again, this depends on a number of factors. A site builder that offers the following features is said to be good for SEO:
Wix and Weebly are quite popular in this regard as they come with some kickass SEO tools and mobile-friendly themes.
uCraft is a good option as it is an easy website builder and offers no complex functions. However, if you want a detailed website then GoDaddy can be a better choice.
These were seven of the best website building platforms out there. Pick one according to your needs and create your website in no time. Since most come with trial versions, it may be a good idea to first give it a try before purchasing a premium plan. We hope this guide helps you come to an informed decision.
What do you think of our top-7 ranking? Do you have some experience with any of the website builders featured in this review? Let us know!