Today, it’s easier and more convenient to design and launch a website than ever before. With a variety of website builders at your disposal, small businesses and startup entrepreneurs have the opportunity to build and launch a professional website in a matter of weeks, days, or even hours. Website building platforms are now more popular than ever before – as they allow users to easily drag-and-drop design features, choose from loaded templates, and add additional content.
Our analysts reviewed dozens of web hosting providers and website builders to give you the best options. Considering the needs of your website, whether it be a blog, eCommerce site, online gallery, a portfolio, or anything else, and you’ll be sure to find a platform dedicated to your needs and, more importantly, your budget.
Things to consider beforehand
Before you purchase a website building plan, consider some of the following things:
What will the website be used for: is it going to be a simple and minimalist site that delivers enough information with limited visual features.
Additionally, it’s good to think about the usage of the website, i.e., eCommerce, blog, portfolio, etc.
Traffic: if you have a website idea and expect to receive thousands of visitors each day or week, then you’ll need to choose a platform that can offer you maximum disk space, bandwidth, RAM, and server space.
Budget: how much money are you willing to spend, and is it completely necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on a simple blog site that might only receive 50 to 100 visitors each day?
User-friendliness: finally, how capable are you of doing the design and layout by yourself? Find a website builder that offers flexibility, user-friendly features, and design tools, and if you’re just starting – you want to look for a platform that’s dedicated to beginners.
Sitetrail analysts suggest the following:
GoDaddy
Millions of users and subscribers have shared the ease-of-use and basic setup features offered by GoDaddy. Pricing starts around $10.00 – $15.00/month, with the option of choosing a free plan. Free plans are great, especially if you have limited resources, but they can have their limitations.
GoDaddy offers:
- Easy step-by-step setup and building tools.
- Fast and reliable resources at your disposal.
- Marketing tools such as emails, social media, and SEO marketing tools are included in GoDaddy plans.
- The best choice for beginners looking for an easy setup.
Squarespace
Recently Squarespace has exploded in popularity, offering minimalistic and clean design templates. Squarespace is extremely easy to use, and you can look to pay anything from $15.00 – $50.00/month; unfortunately, the platform doesn’t offer any free basic plans.
Squarespace offers:
- Easy setup for writers and bloggers.
- Affordable eCommerce options that are not WooCommerce or Shopify.
- Straightforward design features and tools.
- Great platform for high-resolution images.
Wix
As one of the most popular platforms for beginners, Wix has both pros and cons. Yes, pricing is relatively affordable, $12.00 – $45.00/month depending on the plan you choose, either personal or business – but it also has limited capabilities if you’re using a free or cheaper plan. Wix is the ultimate website builder for beginners, with great step-by-step features and drag-and-drop options.
Wix offers:
- Free plans.
- Nearly 500 different themes to choose from.
- Drag-and-drop features to make the design process easier.
- Wix Market App, where users can purchase or add apps designed by Wix.
- Wix is also perfect for restaurants, retailers, bloggers, and eCommerce sites.
Webflow
Webflow is a combination between traditional coding and new website builders, as it gives more advanced users the ability to code and design their custom site. Businesses often use Webflow in combination with a Webflow agency to streamline their marketing site initiatives. Additionally, Webflow starts with a free basic plan, but after your initial “trial run”, you will need to purchase a plan to launch your site. Plans range from $12.00/month to roughly $200.00/month depending on your needs and what you want included in the plan.
Webflow offers:
- Designer tools allowing you to design with pre-loaded templates and elements.
- Ability to code.
- Design freedom, with more unique yet straightforward features.
- Great customizability options.
Elementor for WordPress
WordPress needs no introduction, as it’s one of the largest website hosting platforms in the world. Additionally, Elementor is an above-average website plugin offered by WordPress and has free plan options, but prices can range from $50.00 – $200.00/month for bigger sites.
Elementor offers:
- WordPress integration and site transfers.
- Compatible with eCommerce sites.
- Great design features and tools offered by WordPress and Elementor.
- A simple interface and a plethora of elements to add to your site.
- Supports additional plugins such as Mailchimp.