Using one of the website builders available on the internet may be the solution you were looking for to have your own website without spending much. If you thought creating a website was only possible for people who know how to code and have design experience, website builders are here to show you the contrary.
With easy-to-use interfaces, drag-and-drop editors, and customization tools, those platforms have simplified how to make pages. They offer an opportunity for businesses from different sectors and sizes to have their domain, promote themselves, and sell online.
Besides, having a website adds credibility to a company, and makes it easier for customers to find you online. But, there is a question, how to choose the best one and know if it's the rith one for you. We though about that to, and that's why we tested the platforms and explore their features to give you a complete review about them.
What Is a Website Builder?
A website builder is a service offered by many software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies that enable people to create their own pages online without having code or design skills. It usually offers multiple tools in a single platform, where the website will be hosted and you can have access to a page editor to customize every sentient of your website and, and update it regularly.
Many website builders provide pre-made templates with different themes, for example, for online stores, restaurants, hotels, businesses, portfolios, and blogs. You choose the template that suits you better and personalize the page according to your needs by adding text, selecting the color palette, placing and sizing images, and much more.
To start using a website builder, you need to access the platform of your choice, create an account, and choose the plan that fits your needs. Then, you will have access to the necessary tools to start making your pages. If you don't have the budget for a paid plan, there are many free wesbsite builders to enjoy.
How Does a Website Builder Work?
A website builder functions as an online platform where you have the tools to create web pages with intuitive editors, often using pre-built templates. Instead of having to use computer codes to make a website from scratch, all you need to worry about is the content and how you wish your pages to look.
Most website builders take care of the coding part, however, some of them allow you to customize this part as well. Those platforms also enable you to not only create pages but also manage and monitor them, so you can update them when you find necessary, like adding more sections to your website at any time, and check the performance through analytics reports.
Key Features to Look For in Website Builders
There are many website builders for you to choose from, which may bring doubts about which is the best one for you. To facilitate the selection process, start by analyzing which platform offers the essential features that are listed below. These are also the features we used as parameters to analyze the website builders
Easy-to-Use Interface
A website builder must be easy to use. You should be able to quickly learn how to navigate through it and enjoy all its tools. This type of software is meant to simplify the process of creating and customizing pages. Use the free-trial periods to test the website builders, and make sure you and your team won't have a hard time using them.
Customization Tools
Adding your brand's identity to your business website is fundamental to having successful pages that convey credibility to your company.
The visitors must be able to associate your brand with the page they are accessing right away, for instance, by visualizing the logo, and other elements that represent your company. The website builder must provide tools that allow you to add those elements.
Hosting and Domain Services
To make it easier to create and manage your website, it's recommended to look for a website builder where you can create or transfer your domain and host your website too. This way you don't need to use other platforms, and can keep control of everything in a single place.
The hosting service is the one responsible for keeping your website live, accessible on the internet without any problem. Most website builders have their own hosting services, so you don't need to use a third party company.
SEO Tools
Counting with SEO tools is a great asset for getting more organic traffic because they increase the chances of having your pages appear on Google's first search result pages. This means when someone looks for a keyword related to the topics you approach, one of your pages can be shown on the results, leading more visitors to your website, which enhances your visibility as a consequence.
Third-Party App Integration
Pay attention if the website builder of your choice allows you to integrate it with software that you like to use to manage your website. For example, it's interesting to have the option to integrate the website with SEO and ecommerce plugins.
Scalability
Choose a website builder that can meet your needs as your company grows. For instance, imagine you intend to receive around 1.000 visitors a month at the beginning of your website, and grow this number at least 10% in 3 months.
The platform needs to support the increase of traffic to prevent problems such as slow loading time, or unavailable pages.
Responsive Design
According to Statista, 60% of the internet population worldwide uses a mobile device to go online. Having a website that is mobile-friendly has become essential, otherwise you can lose considerable traffic.
People should be able to access your pages on desktop computers and mobile devices without losing user experience quality, and this requires responsive layouts. The interface of your website must automatically adapt to mobile devices without you needing to take any extra action to ensure that.
Customer Support
Unforeseen problems such as slow loading time, or broken links can affect your website performance considerably, therefore they need to be fixed as fast as possible. To do that, you must count on effective customer support from the website builder company. Pay attention if they offer 24/7 support, and read the customer reviews to check if they provide good assistance.
12 Best Website Builders Tested by Us
1. Wix
One of the aspects we value most when testing a website builder is how easy it is for someone without experience in creating websites to use it. Wix excels at it by providing a user-friendly interface that enables you to build professional-looking pages.
Its editor stands out. You can create different pages and fully customize them using the drag-and-drop feature. It's possible to add text, images, buttons, videos, interactive elements, and much more. Wix provides over 900 website templates segmented in different categories, such as finance, law, real estate, wellness, fashion, and restaurant.
We also liked the fact that Wix has its own app market where you can download and install several apps to enhance your website services and performance, including the JivoChat app. You may enjoy adding a live chat and chatbot to your website and providing 24/7 customer support.
Wix offers a complete set of tools not only to design a website but also to manage it. You will count on an SEO assistant that shows how your pages are performing on Google, indicates issues, and provides recommendations to improve your results. There is a dashboard dedicated to marketing where you can manage your strategies to promote your website in a single place and connect with your social media pages.
Every Wix plan includes a custom domain, reliable web hosting, AI creation tools, and 24/7 customer care.
Key features:
- Pre-built website templates
- Drag-and-drop editor
- SSL certificate
- SEO tools
- Analytics
- Responsive design
2. Wix AI
Website Builders - Wix AI
We have also tested the AI-powered tools released by Wix for you. The whole point of using AI in this case is to save time and create high-performance pages automatically. Therefore, they must be easy to use. Wix doesn't disappoint on that and provides efficient AI solutions.
You can use AI in the Wix editor to design your site theme, generate sections and content, and edit texts. The AI theme assistant works as a chat, where you tell the AI what changes you want to make. For example, you can ask to change the color theme to match your brand's logo, the AI will show you options, and all you have to do is choose the one you prefer.
The AI text generator also works similarly. You describe the type of text you need, and the AI will write it for you. Once the text is ready, you can request changes, such as changing the tone of voice, rephrasing, or shortening it.
The AI feature to generate a section is also a useful one. First, you select the type of section you want to add to your website, like "about", "services", or "contact", and describe the text to be included. Then, the AI will generate options of the same section for you to choose from.
Key features:
- AI-powered
- Easy to use
- Responsive design
- Suffle layouts
- Customization tools
- Built-in business solutions
- Optimized to load fast
- Escalable and reliable web hosting
- Business growth solutions
- 24/7 customer support
3. WordPress
Website builders - WordPress
Launching a website with WordPress is quick and simple. With an intuitive dashboard, we believe the platform is easy to navigate through and enables beginners to design and manage websites without any hassle. We like the WordPress editor for its simplicity and ready-to-use templates that can be personalized, but don't require design expertise.
It's possible to choose the color palette, layout, typography, and add multiple elements as you wish. Each page is separated into blocks, such as galleries, paragraphs, lists, buttons, and you have the option to edit each one of them individually. WordPress also gives you the option to edit your website structure, so you can add multiple types of pages and create navigation menus.
If you want to create an ecommerce website, it's necessary to add a specific plug-in, like WooCommerce. The good news is that the integration works seamlessly, and you will be able to manage everything in the same dashboard. Speaking of integrations, WordPress has thousands of plugins, free and paid, that you can install to add extra functionalities to your website and enhance its performance, including the JivoChar app.
Key Features:
- Customizable themes
- Mobile-friendly design
- 24/7 customer support
- Search engine optimized
- SEO tools
- In-depth stats
4. SITE123
Website builders SITE123
SITE123 offers a free plan with 250 MB storage, 250 MB bandwidth, and a subdomain, which can be a good choice if you have a small business or want to launch a personal website. However, if you want to open an online store, you will need to opt for a paid subscription. The premium plan includes a free domain for one year, 3 GB storage, and 3GB bandwidth.
The drag-and-drop editor is easy to use, as you can choose the type of website you want to build, start with a pre-built template, and personalize it by adding and customizing different pages.
It provides mobile-friendly designs, and you can check how your website will look on mobile devices. SITE123 also allows you to connect with multiple plugins, like Google Analytics, Pinterest, and, of course, JivoChat.
SITE123 also has analytics features where it's possible to keep track of important metrics that show how your pages are performing. Another feature we find very advantageous is that SITE123 has its own cloud hosting, so you don't have to pay for a separate hosting service.
Key features:
- Intuitive website editor
- Responsive web design
- Free hosting
- SEO tools
- Sell online
- 24/7 customer support
5. HostGator
Website builders - Hostgator
With a 45-day free trial, HostGator provides solutions not only to create your website as you wish but also allows you to choose the shared hosting plan that suits your company better. To design your website, you just need to answer some questions and Gator Builder will automatically make your pages using an optimized and industry-specific layout .
It also offer management tools for inventory, shipping, and taxes, to create your ecommerce. HostGator has analytics features as well, which enable you to measure and keep track of important metrics, and know your audience's behavior.
Key features:
- Intelligent builder
- Easy analytics
- Image Library
- Mobile responsiveness
- LogoMaker
- Search optimized
- 24/7 customer support
6. Bluehost
With Bluehost, you can build a personalized website using AI tools that simplify the whole process. You can change the colors, add pictures, texts, graphic elements, and much more.
To ensure the quality of your website, Bluehost provides automated security updates, data backup protection, and 24/7 customer support. If you encounter any issues, you can rely on specialized assistance.
You can install multiple plugins on the website, too. To help you increase organic traffic, the platform provides SEO tools, and you can check the performance of the pages with the analytics dashboard.
Key features:
- Free domain
- Free SSL
- Free CDN
- Pre-built templates
- Insightful analytics
- Automated security updates
- Backup data protection
- 24/7 support
- SEO tools
- Powerful plugins
7. Webnode
Website builders - Webnode
Webnode gives you two options to create a website. You can choose from more than 150 pre-designed templates and add your content, or answer a few questions and let the AI generate your website automatically.
With the first option, once you choose the template that best suits your needs, you will be redirected to Webnode's editor, where you can add and edit pages using the drag-and-drop feature.
If you choose to use AI, you need to tell what your business type is and your specialty, then the AI will give you some design options to choose from and personalize the details. If you don't like the options, you can ask to get more designs.
You can manage your website in a single dashboard and add different types of plugins as well. One feature that caught our attention is the "backup & recovery", as it prevents you from losing your content.
Another valuable feature is the option to add administrators and editors to your website project. The platform allows you to assign roles and responsibilities, while you maintain control over the settings.
Key features:
- User-friendly website builder
- Reliable hosting
- SEO tools
- HTTPS for safe browsing
- Edit on any device
- Pre-built templates
- Responsive design
8. GoDaddy
Website builder - GoDaddy
We were gladly surprised by the GoDaddy onboarding experience. Once you create an account, you have to answer some questions about the type of website you want to build. After that, the platform delivers a layout for your website based on your responses. Then, you can use the editor to edit the pages as you wish.
There is a step-by-step guide that shows what each tool serves for and how to use them, which facilitates the whole process. Another interesting feature is the checklist that helps you ensure you aren't forgetting any important details before publishing your website.
If you are looking to build an online store, GoDaddy enables you to do that and manage your ecommerce using the platform. It also provides marketing tools such as the "SEO wizard" that identifies terms customers are looking for and helps you to add them to your content.
We also liked the "Appointment" tools offered, which are very useful if you want to enable bookings through your website. You can see the upcoming booking on your dashboard, active services, and coupons, and manage them as it suits you.
Key features:
- Customizable themes
- Backup and restore
- Image library
- SEO tools
- Web analytics
- Marketing tools
- Sell on Facebook and Instagram
9. Pixpa
Website builders - Pixpa
It's necessary to pick a pre-built template to begin building a website through Pixpa. There are several options segmented into categories like photography, art & design, fashion & style, and business & services. This website builder stands out as a great option for professionals who want to have a website as an online portfolio.
The templates are fully customizable and mobile-friendly. Once you select the option that suits your needs, you will see that it's easy and quick to create and edit the pages, as the platform provides an intuitive interface and tutorials. You can also include an online store on your website using this platform.
The "SEO Manager" tool deserves to be highlighted, as it enables you to implement the best practices that will help your pages be found and rank better in search engines like Google. Another interesting feature is the "Marketing Popups" that you can use to create special campaigns, such as to invite your visitors to subscribe to your newsletter.
Key features:
- Made for creators
- Pre-built templates
- 24/7 customer support
- 15-day free trial
- Responsive design
- Fully customizable
- SEO tools
10. Strikingly
Website builders - Strikingly
Strikingly's admin dashboard is well-organized, which makes it much easier to find the tools you need to manage and keep track of your website performance. Besides, you can add multiple contributors, assign roles, and allow them to edit and add content to your pages.
The website editor is user-friendly, with multiple responsive template options to choose from. On the side menu, you will find all the controls to personalize the pages and change the color palette, typography, and images as you wish.
It's possible to add interactive elements as well to make your pages more appealing, and develop different sections, including a blog and online store.
If you need help creating your website, Strikingly offers tutorials and counts on 24/7 customer support. The free plan includes 5 GB monthly bandwidth, 500 MB total storage per site. You can create 5 pages per site, and an online store with one product per site, but it allows you to build unlimited free sites.
Key features:
- Easy-to-use website editor
- Ecommerce built-in
- Analytics
- HTTPS built-in
- 24/7 customer support
11. Webflow
Website builders - Webflow
Webflow gives you three options to start building your website. You can use an AI site builder, customize a pre-built template, or use a blank site and do everything from scratch. Since the AI feature was recently launched, we were curious to know if its features are actually efficient.
First, the AI asks you to define the type of website you want to develop, and to tell as much about your business as you can. Based on that, they suggest a structure for your home page with multiple sections, like a navigation bar at the top, a list of key offerings, a call to action, a FAQ, contact forms, and so on.
Don't worry about flexibility; you can change every element as you wish. The AI also suggests the brand style, voice, and tone. Once the layout is ready, it's time to add your own content. Webflow also allows you to invite other people to collaborate on your website and assign roles to them, but this feature isn't available on every plan.. The free plan offers 50 form submissions (lifetime), 1GB bandwidth, web app hosting, a Webflow.io domain, and an AI assistant.
Key features:
- Website editor
- SEO tools
- CMS
- Fast and reliable hosting
- Create and manage an ecommerce
12. HubSpot
Website builders - HubSpot
With HubSpot, you count on a free drag-and-drop website builder. You can create your website without any coding or technical skills. The editor is easy-to-use and enables you to personalize all the pages.
To facilitate this task, you can choose a pre-built template. As you build every page, enjoy the preview tool to make sure the website is exactly as you want it to be. HubSpot also provides you with a free SSL certificate.
Key features:
- Drag-and-drop website builder
- Intuitive editor
- Pre-built themes
- SSL certificate
- Free blog maker
