Following over 300 hours of data collection and hands-on testing of the 12 best website builders in 2025, we can confidently say that Wix is our top choice for both beginners and tech-savvy veterans, thanks to its powerful AI tools, intuitive drag-and-drop editor, and comprehensive range of website features.
Still, Wix won’t be the right choice for everyone. To help you find the best solution for creating your website, we’ve outlined all the key features and considerations of the top website builders in a handy comparison table:
| BEST IN TEST  |  |  |  |  |
| Wix | Squarespace | Hostinger | Shopify | GoDaddy |
| Overall Rating 4.8 | Overall Rating 4.5 | Overall Rating 4.2 | Overall Rating 4.2 | Overall Rating 4.1 |
| Best For Best overall website builder | Best For Easiest website builder | Best For Cheapest starting prices | Best For Top sales features | Best For Quickest setup experience |
| Today's best price | Today's best price | Today's best price | Today's best price | Today's best price |
| Free plan or free trial Free plan | Free plan or free trial 14-day free trial | Free plan or free trial 7-day free trial | Free plan or free trial 3-day free trial | Free plan or free trial Free plan |
| What We Like
| What We Like
| What We Like
| What We Like
| What We Like
|
| What We Dislike
| What We Dislike
| What We Dislike
| What We Dislike
| What We Dislike
|
| AI Features
| AI Features
| AI Features
| AI Features
| AI Features
|
| Number of templates 2,000+ | Number of templates 190+ | Number of templates 150+ | Number of templates 1,000+ | Number of templates 200+ |
| Free custom domain | Free custom domain | Free custom domain | Free custom domain | Free custom domain |
| SEO Outstanding | SEO Outstanding | SEO Above average | SEO Excellent | SEO Basic |
| Social media integration
| Social media integration
| Social media integration
| Social media integration
| Social media integration
|
| Marketing Capabilities AI marketing agent, weekly newsletters, email shout-outs, social post creator, abandoned cart recovery | Marketing Capabilities Weekly newsletters, email shout outs, social post creator, abandoned cart recovery | Marketing Capabilities Weekly newsletters, automatic email shout-outs | Marketing Capabilities Weekly newsletters, email shout-outs, full social media integrations, email campaigns through third-party apps | Marketing Capabilities Weekly newsletters, email shout-outs, social post creator |
| Analytics | Analytics | Analytics | Analytics | Analytics |
| Email marketing $10/mo (+ free plan) | Email marketing $5/mo | Email marketing AI-powered email marketing, $1.99/mo | Email marketing $1/per mo (+ free plan) | Email marketing $1.99/mo |
| Start Free Trial | Start Free Trial | Try Hostinger | Try Shopify | Try GoDaddy |
Key Takeaways🔍
- While it’s important to choose a website builder within your budget, you should also consider how easy it is to use, the quality of features, which templates are available, and how it can help you grow.
- Wix is the most versatile builder with over 2000 templates to suit almost every industry.
- Squarespace is the best choice for services and bookings based businesses and is the easiest to use.
- Hostinger is the most affordable choice with a wide range of AI features.
- Shopify has the best sales features and extremely scalable plans.
- GoDaddy is a beginner-friendly choice for personal or informational sites.
For tips on how to choose a builder based on the comparison table above, refer to our video below:
How We Test Website Builders
Our 2025 website builder ratings are based on a six-point methodology, heavily weighting Website Functionality (30%) and Design Features (25%).
Our 2025 tests involved over 300 hours of data collection. We also carried out hands-on testing with each builder to add unique insights and personal experiences to our review pages.
Our research process covers six core categories, with each given a unique weighting:
- Website Functionality: 30%
- Design Features: 25%
- Pricing: 15%
- User Experience: 15%
- Help & Support: 10%
- Reputation: 5%
We give each website builder tested a score in each category to contribute to the overall rankings you see above. We also have individual rankings to reflect the builders’ suitability for different industries and purposes, including blogging, small business, resumes, weddings, photography, and more.
Top 5 Website Builders Comparison: Features & Pricing
We reviewed the best website builders on the market to determine the top contenders. To summarize the table above, these are our top five builders:
Top Website Builders
- Wix – Best all-in-one website builder
- Squarespace – Easiest website setup
- Hostinger – Cheapest starting prices
- Shopify – Best sales features
- GoDaddy – Quickest setup process
Wix Review
Wix is the best website builder overall, coming with powerful features that are ideal for creating and managing your website. This includes a drag-and-drop editor, AI tools, email marketing, and dependable user support options.
Still, if you’re only looking to create a basic website, a simpler option like GoDaddy will seem less overwhelming than Wix’s feature-packed editor. And since you can’t change your Wix template once your site is live, it won’t be suitable for users wanting to refresh their design often.
Squarespace Review
Squarespace was identified as the easiest website builder to use in our 50 user tests, thanks to its intuitive editor and AI builder. It also has a range of stunning templates and powerful bookings tools, making it a great solution for service-based businesses.
However, Squarespace’s grid guidelines can feel restrictive, so I recommend Wix if you’re looking for total freedom of where you can place elements.
Hostinger Review
Starting at $2.99 per month, Hostinger is the cheapest top website builder we’ve tested by far. Its comprehensive set of AI and marketing tools make it a great option for busy businesses looking to save time and keep costs low.
One thing to note is that, unlike Wix, Hostinger doesn’t have an app market. This means Hostinger isn’t suitable for businesses wanting advanced functionality, especially considering its built-in features are basic.
Shopify Review
Our testing found Shopify to be the best ecommerce website builder on offer, with unlimited product uploads, multichannel selling, advanced shipping tools, and product management features designed for a large inventory. In conjunction with its scalable plans, these features make Shopify a great option for businesses looking to grow.
Despite its powerful tools, Shopify’s steep pricing (starting at $29 per month) isn’t great value for money. On top of this, its three-day free trial is the shortest of any builder on this list, which limits how much you can familiarize yourself with its interface before committing.
GoDaddy Review
GoDaddy is a great option for users on a time crunch due to its speedy onboarding process. GoDaddy also stands out for its powerful AI marketing tools, such as the social post creator and content calendar to help you grow your presence on other channels.
However, GoDaddy’s templates are more basic than others on this list, and its section-based editor – similar to Shopify’s – restricts the level of overall customization.
How Much Do the Top Website Builders Cost?
Use the table below to compare key pricing information for our top five website builders:
| Free plan or trial | Starting price | Cheapest ecommerce plan | Introductory deals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Free plan | $17 per month | $29 per month | • Free custom domain for 1 year |
| Squarespace | 14-day free trial | $16 per month | $16 per month | • Free custom domain for 1 year |
| Hostinger | 7-day free trial | $2.99 per month | $3.99 per month | • 3 months free • Free custom domain for 1 year |
| Shopify | 3-day free trial | $29 per month | $29 per month | • $1 per month for 3 months |
| GoDaddy | Free plan | $10.99 per month | $23.99 per month | • Free professional email for 1 year |
Expert Researcher Opinion: Wix Analysis
I think Wix is the best website builder I’ve tried—it works for pretty much anyone! Whether you’re a designer putting together a portfolio, a small business owner, or someone who needs to take bookings, Wix has so many features to help you out. I love how easy it is to get started, especially with the AI chatbot—it’s like having a web designer guide you through the process, but without the cost! Once you’re on the dashboard, there are tons of useful tools to not only build your site but also manage your whole online presence in one place.
How To Choose the Right Builder
If Wix isn’t the right fit for you, here’s who we recommend our other top builders for:
- Squarespace is second to Wix in our research. Its drag-and-drop editor means it’s the easiest builder to use, while service-based businesses can make use of its powerful bookings tool.
- Hostinger offers the lowest starting price among our top tested builders at $2.99 per month (billed every 48 months).
- If online selling is your goal, Shopify is the most suitable option here, since its sales tools for ecommerce businesses are unmatched.
- Short on time? GoDaddy is a beginner-friendly platform that’s quick and easy to set up with—you can build a site in less than a minute if you’re under time constraints.
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