Living in the digital era means one important thing whether you're a business owner, write a blog or want a personal website: you better have an online presence if you want anyone to notice you. In 2021 all you need to get started is a well-known website builder to help you and you'll have a professional looking site live in no time.
With so many worthwhile options to choose from, it's worth comparing what the best website builders have to offer before you commit to one. This includes deciding what you need the site for, comparing the different features and templates offered and then deciding how much you want to spend.
Most of these website builders offer deals with their annual plans, often with huge discounts, so make sure to take advantage of this and take your website to the next level this year.
A Closer Look at the Top 10 Website Builders
- Best forTemplates and features
- PriceFrom $14.00 per month
- Free versionYes
Wix has got hundreds of templates to choose from, delightfully simple drag-and-drop editor functionality, and packs a lot of features even into its free accounts. Without an ounce of design know-how, you can create, edit, and upload your own website in a relatively short amount of time.
Pros- Comprehensive free version
- Easy to use for anyone
- Best-in-class reputation
Cons- Templates are rigid, not very flexible
- Confusing pricing structure
- Best forEasy to edit sites
- PriceFrom $2.95 per month
- Free versionNo
Network Solutions offers businesses all manner of tools and software for managing and running a successful business. Now, you can even build your own site using this popular tool. Network Solutions has both a DIY option and a professional builder plan. Either way, you'll get a free domain name, high-quality design layouts, and personalized email.
Pros- Impressive stock image library
- Free domain name and personalized email
- Easy point-and-click editor
Cons- Confusing interface
- Site and tool could use a makeover
- Best forEasy custom website with business tools
- PriceFrom $9.99 per month
- Free versionYesMay vary by country
GoDaddy’s website builder (named GoDaddy Websites + Marketing) is all about speed. The successful domain registrar stripped away all the complex functionality, confusing terminology, and unnecessary frills to create a simple and smart website builder that anyone could use to create professional websites in minutes. GoDaddy's artificial design intelligence tool will learn about your business and suggest design edits to help make your website put its best foot forward.
Pros- Artificial design intelligence for smart design tweaks
- Create a complete site from zero in minutes
- Competitive pricing plans
Cons- Limited customization and features
- Blog feature needs more functionality
- Best forBeginners and SMBs
- PriceFrom $3.84 per month
- Free versionNo
HostGator’s website builder draws from the company’s celebrated hosting services to offer users a simple yet more-than-capable website builder. The service combines convenience and professionalism with an easy point-and-click site builder as well as some advanced tools such as SEO and ecommerce capabilities.
Pros- No tech savvy required
- SEO tools included
- Easy point-and-click site builder
Cons- Not ideal for larger businesses
- User support is lacking
- Best forSite design with lots of extras
- PriceFrom $12.80 per month billed annually
- Free versionYesand 14-day free trial
Site123 is cleverly-named to tell businesses exactly what they can get: a website builder that will help you build your own customized site as easy as 1, 2, 3. In fact, this system is wonderfully simple to use. Site123 comes with a robust set of features that can give your website an obvious edge over the competition. Tools like website design, booking scheduler, logo designer, responsive web templates, and SEO tools really create a comprehensive package for a reasonable price.
Pros- Flexible pricing plans and subscriptions
- SEO, design, logo, and more tools built-in
- Responsive designs
Cons- Pricey upgrades
- Limited control over functionality
- Best forEasy-to-build websites
- PriceFrom $5 per month
- Free versionNo, but paid versions have 1 month free
If poring over lines of code doesn’t sound like a recipe for fun to you, then 1&1’s website builder, IONOS, could be the best tool that you haven’t yet discovered.
This website builder centers around a DIY tool, but users also have the option of receiving professional design help from a member of an expert building team.
Pros- DIY or professional options
- Ecommerce support
- Multilingual option
Cons- Template based
- No free tier
- Best forProfessional websites
- PriceFrom $12per month
- Free versionNo14-day free trial
Squarespace does an excellent job of delivering a top-quality website builder experience. For one thing, the templates are crisp, clean, and professionally designed. It’s also nice the way Squarespace conveniently organizes templates by industry and genre, so you can quickly pick one based on your requirements.
Pros- Professional quality and design
- Great mobile app
- Blogging app with commenting, multi-author, and more
Cons- No third-party app integrations
- Shallow menu hierarchy
- Best forSites with lots of features
- PriceFrom $4 per month
- Free versionYes
If you love the thought of building a site on WordPress but not the prospect of lining up and comparing a variety of hosting companies, then WordPress.com might be the solution for you. WordPress.com’s premium plans allow users to access almost all the themes and plugins available to WordPress CMS users—and there’s even a special version to support eCommerce users.
Pros- Most WordPress features
- Special eCommerce version
- Add plugins and themes
Cons- No custom domain on free tier
- No control over underlying infrastructure
- Best forDIY website builder
- PriceFrom $1.95per month, $22.95 after
- Free versionNo
Web.com lets you choose between a DIY website builder or a professionally built site. If you’re a do it yourself kind of business owner, you’ll appreciate the easy to use platform. Drag-and-drop editor, image library with thousands of choices, and customizable content blocks all add up to a fast and painless design process.
Pros- DIY or pro build design options
- 24/7 phone support
- Launch your site in 15 minutes
Cons- Very limited template selection
- Difficult to make complex edits
- Best forPeople with no coding knowledge
- PriceFrom $12 per month
- Free versionYes
Square Online Store helps power your online business with tons of eCommerce features. It’s incredibly user-friendly, so even those without any tech or coding skills will have an easy time creating a website. It gives e-commerce merchants a variety of tools to grow their businesses, including connecting their store to social media, integrating SEO best practices into individual products, and a start-to-finish shopping, shipping and inventory management system.
Pros- No coding knowledge needed
- Supports syncing with internal inventory-tracking systems
- Integrates with Square payments and other solutions
Cons- Online stores available for US and Canada residents only
- Loading times can be slow depending on inventory
Finding the Right Website Builder for Your Needs
Hiring a professional to build your website costs around $2,000 on average. Any change you need to make after that will require additional payments.
Using a website builder is significantly less expensive. And these days, you hardly need the technical prowess of a designer to create clean, elegant, fully functional websites that are more than capable of presenting your business or blog in a professional light. With simple drag-and-drop design technology, easy-to-use templates, and even algorithmic design programs, the laymen is more than equipped to create their own website.
What to Consider When Choosing a Website Builder Platform
The best website builder is the one that best fits your needs. Ask yourself some of these questions about your new website:
- What type of site will it be?
- What key features do you need?
- Are you running an online store?
- What is the vibe of your business?
Free Website Builders: How Do They Work?
If you just want to build a basic site without an online store, then a free website builder is an excellent way to get started. Most top website building programs listed above offer a free version, which may be enough if you're looking to set up a basic site. However, if you want to upgrade your site, it may be worth investing in a paid subscription so you can take advantage of all the features available. Here are some of the pros and cons of using a free website builder:
Pros
- A free website builder could give you just what you need to get started
- Get a professional-looking website without a lot of bells and whistles
- You have the option to upgrade to a paid plan when you outgrow your existing storage limit, need more options, or want particular features
Cons
- Free website builder plans come with much less storage and slower load time
- There are fewer practical tools, if any
- Websites built on free plans don’t have their own unique URLs, instead they have the website builder’s name in the URL, for example: yourname.wixsite.com
- Free websites also includes advertising and the branding of the company hosting your page
Other Website Builders We Reviewed
This list of 10 website builders is composed of companies that chose to partner with Top10.com. In total, we reviewed over 30 brands when doing our research into website builders, with new brands being reviewed on a regular basis. Interested in learning about the features, templates and pricing of some big website builders that don't appear on this list? Check out more details about these big names:
