If you’ve ever started down the rabbit hole of researching website builders, you know that feeling of being both excited and totally overwhelmed. There’s a dizzying array of options, each promising to be the easiest, the most beautiful, the most everything. How the heck are you supposed to choose?
Here’s the thing about website builders: they’re not one-size-fits-all. Some excel at simple brochure-style sites but stumble if you have complex e-commerce needs. Others are amazing for visual businesses, but a pain if you want to blog. The “best” builder is the one that’s the best fit for YOU.
This guide aims to demystify the landscape. We’ll look at 10 popular website builders in 2024, breaking down their pros, cons, and the kinds of businesses they’re ideal for. By the end, you’ll feel empowered to pick a platform that’ll help you launch your website with confidence, not confusion.
Brand Sewa Tips
- Focus on the Big Picture: Features and pricing change. Consider this a starting point, encouraging readers to always check the builder’s current offerings.
- The Power of Hands-On: We’ll cover a lot of ground, but there’s no substitute for trying a builder’s free trial to see if it ‘clicks’ for you.
1. Wix
Overview: Wix is a mainstream favorite known for its ease of use and wide range of features. It caters to a broad audience, helping users create portfolios as well as online stores. It offers unmatched website features, a large library of stunning templates, and an easy-to-use editor.
Standout Pros:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- Extensive library of professionally designed templates
- Excellent image and video handling
- Comprehensive e-commerce platform
Potential Cons:
- Limited customization
- Above average prices
- Can’t change a template once you’ve chosen it
- Only 2GB storage with the cheapest plan
Best Suited For: Small businesses, personal websites, beginners, and those looking to create portfolios as well as online stores.
Plugin or App Library: Wix offers a variety of apps and plugins to add different features and functions to your website. Some of the popular ones include Tidio Live Chat, Site Search, and PayPal Button. Wix’s App Market consists of many plugins exclusively available for Wix users.
Pricing Tiers: Wix offers a free option, with paid plans ranging from $16 to $159 per month.
Support Paid & Community: Wix provides extensive support to its users. If you run into questions or issues,
- Wix has an extensive Help Center filled with thousands of articles to help you build your website.
- Wix’s dedicated team of professional Customer Care experts is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance and support.
- Wix also has a community of users where you can find additional help and advice
Please note that the prices and features mentioned are as of 2024 and may have changed. Always check the official website for the most up-to-date information.
2. Squarespace
Squarespace is a design-oriented platform known for its beautiful templates and intuitive interface. It’s an all-in-one website builder that’s great for creatives, individual users, and new business owners.
Standout Pros:
- High-quality, professional-caliber templates
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth
- Fully integrated eCommerce on most plans
Potential Cons:
- No phone support
- Upgrading from Squarespace version 7.0 to 7.1 requires a site rebuild
- No free plan available
Best Suited For: Artists, photographers, and other visually-oriented businesses.
Plugin or App Library: Squarespace offers a variety of plugins and extensions to add different features and functions to your website. Some of the popular ones include Lightbox Anything, Mega Menu for 7.1, Secondary Navigation for 7.1, and Aiko Testimonial Slider.
Pricing Tiers: Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial, with paid plans ranging from $16 to $49 per month.
Support Paid & Community: Squarespace provides extensive support to its users. It has an extensive Help Center filled with thousands of articles to help you build your website. For more assistance, Squarespace’s dedicated team of professional Customer Care experts is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance and support. Squarespace also has a community of users where you can find additional help and advice.
Please note that the prices and features mentioned are as of 2024 and may have changed. Always check the official website for the most up-to-date information.
3. WordPress.com
WordPress.com is the hosted version of the popular CMS, WordPress. It’s a powerful and flexible website builder that requires a bit of a learning curve, but it’s worth learning if your website is a big part of your business strategy. It’s best for sites with loads of content, especially if you’re willing to upgrade to one of its top-tier plans.
Standout Pros:
- Excellent blogging features
- Thousands of themes and plugins
- High level of customization
Potential Cons:
- Requires some learning to master the editor
- More expensive compared to other website builders
Best Suited For: Websites centered around a blog, and sites where blogging isn’t the focus.
Plugin or App Library: WordPress.com offers a variety of plugins and extensions to add different features and functions to your website. Some of the popular ones include Elementor, Beaver Builder, Oxygen Page Builder, Themify, Brizy, Thrive Architect, SeedProd, Divi, and Visual Composer.
Pricing Tiers: WordPress.com plans start at $4 a month for the Personal plan. It comes without ads, lets you connect a custom domain, and lets you offer premium content (e.g. newsletters) to paying subscribers. Premium ($8 monthly) adds a couple of marketing tools and premium themes. Business ($25 monthly) adds custom plugins and advanced SEO features. The eCommerce plan for $45 lets you build an online store and you can receive payments and integrate shipping options.
Support Paid & Community: WordPress.com provides extensive support to its users. It has an extensive Help Center filled with thousands of articles to help you build your website. For more assistance, WordPress.com’s dedicated team of professional Customer Care experts is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance and support. WordPress.com also has a community of users where you can find additional help and advice.
4. Shopify
Overview: Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform designed to help businesses create their own online stores. It’s known for its robust set of features, ease of use, and scalability, making it a top choice for businesses of all sizes.
Standout Pros:
- Comprehensive e-commerce features, including multichannel integration and a customizable checkout
- Over 8,000 apps available for added functionality
- Excellent support for various payment options
- Built-in email marketing and SEO tools
Potential Cons:
- Reliant on third-party apps for some functionalities
- Limited number of free themes
- High transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments
Best Suited For: Businesses with extensive inventories looking to scale their operations and take things to the next level.
Plugin or App Library: Shopify offers a vast app store with over 8,000 apps to extend the functionality of your online store. Some popular apps include HubSpot CRM for personalized marketing, Claspo for widget creation, and Spocket for faster shipping options.
Pricing Tiers: Shopify offers a range of pricing plans to suit different business needs. The Basic plan starts at $29 per month, the Shopify plan is $79 per month, and the Advanced plan is $299 per month. There’s also a Starter plan for $5 per month and a Plus plan that starts at $2,000 per month.
Support Paid & Community: Shopify provides extensive support to its users. It has a dedicated support team available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance. You can also hire a Shopify Expert to help build your website or look through Shopify’s educational resources, including online courses, webinars, and blog posts.
5. Webflow
Webflow is a professional website builder that offers powerful features ideal for most users and website types. It’s known for being extremely customizable, making it an incredible option for creatives, perfectionists, or those who are detailed or design-oriented.
Standout Pros:
- Highly customizable, no-code site editor
- Quick learning curve
- Easy collaboration tools for teams
Potential Cons:
- Free plan is highly limited
- Price plans can be confusing
Best Suited For: People who have tried simple website builders like Wix and Squarespace, but want more freedom when it comes to designing specific elements on a website.
Plugin or App Library: Webflow offers a variety of plugins and extensions to add different features and functions to your website. Some of the popular ones include Active Campaign Email Marketing Plugin and Chatwoot Live Chat and Client Communication Plugin.
Pricing Tiers: Webflow pricing starts at $14 per month for its general small business website builder, while its general CMS plan costs $23 per month. There’s also the general Business plan, which starts at $39 per month, as well as the general Enterprise plan, which has no public pricing.
Support Paid & Community: Webflow provides extensive support to its users. It has an extensive Help Center filled with thousands of articles to help you build your website. For more assistance, Webflow’s dedicated team of professional Customer Care experts is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance and support. Webflow also has a community of users where you can find additional help and advice.
6. Weebly
Weebly is a user-friendly website builder known for its simplicity and allowing users to sell online for free. It’s an excellent option for anyone looking to create a website without the need for technical expertise.
Standout Pros:
- User-friendly and easy to navigate
- Good ecommerce offering – sell unlimited products, get shipping labels, and abandoned cart emails
Potential Cons:
- Pricing may very quickly increase
- Somewhat limited design possibilities
Best Suited For: Small businesses that are interested in establishing a basic online presence.
Plugin or App Library: Weebly offers a variety of plugins and extensions to add different features and functions to your website. Some of the popular ones include Active Campaign Email Marketing Plugin and Chatwoot Live Chat and Client Communication Plugin.
Pricing Tiers: Weebly pricing starts from $0/mo in its Free plan. Weebly’s other plans are Connect, Pro, Business, and Business Plus which costs $10/mo, $12/mo, $25/mo, and $38/mo respectively which will be billed annually.
Support Paid & Community: Weebly provides extensive support to its users. It has an extensive Help Center filled with thousands of articles to help you build your website. For more assistance, Weebly’s dedicated team of professional Customer Care experts is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance and support. Weebly also has a community of users where you can find additional help and advice.
7. Duda
Duda is a popular, yet lesser-known website builder that is most aligned with meeting the needs of small web design businesses. It provides a very easy way of building sites at scale quickly. It’s not necessarily geared towards individuals looking to build a single business website, but agencies building sites on behalf of clients.
Standout Pros:
- Well-designed, modern templates
- AWS hosting included
- Client management features, including client billing
- Widget builder for added functionality
Potential Cons:
- Does not include a free domain name
- Not the most affordably priced
- Limited support hours
Best Suited For: Small to large businesses and freelancers that need to build websites quickly for clients.
Plugin or App Library: Duda offers a variety of plugins and extensions to add different features and functions to your website. Some of the popular ones include Odin, which allows Duda customers to bundle Duda along with other Odin services and enables direct integration with website plan infrastructure.
Pricing Tiers: Duda offers four pricing tiers. The Basic plan starts at $19 per month with annual billing for one site with unlimited storage and bandwidth. The Team plan is $29 per month with annual billing. The Agency plan is $59 per month with annual billing. There is also a white-label plan starting at $149 per month with annual billing, which uniquely includes a client management portal.
Support Paid & Community: Depending on your specific plan, FAQs, email, chat, and telephone support are available for users. Here’s an overview of what support comes with each plan: Basic Plan: email support. Team Plan: email, chat, and phone support. Agency Plan: priority email, chat, and phone support
8. Zyro
Zyro is an affordable, stable, and user-friendly website builder that stands out as one of the most cost-effective options compared to other website builders. It’s a solid choice to quickly get your business online, as it offers a good range of features such as eCommerce functionality, and AI and marketing tools. It has a library of over 130 simple and customizable templates.
Standout Pros:
- User-friendly and easy to navigate
- Good eCommerce offering – sell unlimited products
- AI tools for creating relevant content
Potential Cons:
- Pricing may very quickly increase
- Somewhat limited design possibilities
Best Suited For: Individuals and small businesses looking to establish a basic online presence.
Plugin or App Library: Zyro does not have a specific plugin or app library. However, it does offer AI tools to help you build a website with relevant elements and content without delay.
Pricing Tiers: Zyro’s pricing plans are very affordable. For example, if you opt to pay annually, the Website plan will cost you only $3.29/month, and the Business $4.99/month. The price drops to $2.99/month for the Website and $3.99/month for the Business plans if you pay two years in advance. The month-to-month price of the Website plan is $11.99/month and the Business plan is $14.99/month.
Support Paid & Community: Zyro offers 24/7 customer support by email and live chat. During testing, it was found that users could connect to a representative in just over a minute. For design help, Zyro has a comprehensive online support center that includes over 200 tutorials, complete with screenshots.
9. BigCommerce
Overview: BigCommerce is a scalable and convenient tool, with a host of built-in features designed to help business owners thrive online. It’s a powerful, adaptable, and user-friendly platform, designed to scale with various business models.
Standout Pros:
- Comprehensive entry-level ecommerce features
- Multi-storefront feature value
- Ease of Selling in Multiple Currencies
- Availability of Third-Party Real-Time Shipping Calculations
- Strong SEO Features & Unlimited Staff Account Provision
- Flexibility for Varied Product Variants & GDPR-Compliant Cookie Consent Feature
Potential Cons:
- Steeper learning curve compared to more simplified ecommerce platforms
- Limited free themes
Best Suited For: Businesses aiming to start or grow their online presence.
Plugin or App Library: BigCommerce offers a variety of plugins and extensions to add different features and functions to your website.
Pricing Tiers: BigCommerce offers four pricing tiers, ranging from $29 per month for the Standard plan to $299 per month for the Pro plan – with custom pricing options available too. The Standard plan is meant for ecommerce sites that are just starting up. The Plus and Pro plans offer increased maximum sales caps and more advanced sales features, such as abandoned cart recovery.
Support Paid & Community: BigCommerce provides 24/7 support through Chat, email, and phone channels. To receive support, Users need to provide a support pin that is located in the help section of the platform. BigCommerce provides various blogs, articles, and tutorials to help users get started with the platform.
10. Relume.io
Relume.io is an AI-powered website builder that enables you to give proper and efficient work to your website every time. It’s a website builder that has been working for Webflow and Figma users to build a well-performed website. With over 154.6k total social media followers, you can easily conclude how well-recognized this company is.
Standout Pros:
- AI-powered site builder
- Efficient and creative design process
- Works with Webflow and Figma
Potential Cons:
- Limited free themes
- Pricing may quickly increase
Best Suited For: Businesses and freelancers that need to build websites quickly for clients.
Plugin or App Library: Relume.io offers a variety of plugins and extensions to add different features and functions to your website. Some of the popular ones include Odin, which allows Relume.io customers to bundle Relume.io along with other Odin services, and enables direct integration with website plan infrastructure.
Pricing Tiers: Relume.io offers three pricing plans: Free, Starter ($38 per month), and Pro ($48 per month). The Free plan is great for users who just want to build a simple site. The Starter plan is suitable for those who want to create advanced sites. The Pro plan is ideal for teams and professionals.
Support Paid & Community: To get assistance, please join the Relume.io Slack community and send a preview link of your Webflow project along with a description of your problem to one of their experts.
Conclusion
While this guide has covered the top 10 website builders of 2024, it’s important to remember that there are many more options out there. Each builder has its own unique features and benefits, and what works best for one person might not work as well for another. Therefore, we encourage you to do further research if none of these options seem like the perfect fit for you.
One of the best ways to determine if a website builder is right for you is to take advantage of free trials. These allow you to get hands-on experience with the builder and see if it ‘clicks’ for you. Remember, your needs will evolve over time, and what’s right for you now might change in the future – and that’s okay!
We’d love to hear from you! If you have a favorite website builder that wasn’t included in our top 10, feel free to share it in the comments. We’re always interested in learning about new and effective tools.
Remember, the right tools can make all the difference when it comes to building a successful online presence. So take your time, do your research, and choose the website builder that’s the best fit for you and your business. Good luck!
