For the best website builder, Wix is our top choice overall, catering to both beginners and tech-savvy veterans with its comprehensive website features and design tools.
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.
- Shopify has the best sales features and extremely scalable plans.
- GoDaddy is a beginner-friendly choice for personal or informational sites.
- Hostinger is the most affordable choice with a wide range of AI features.
If you’re not sure which builder is right for you, our comparison chart allows you to compare the key features that matter and find the best solution for creating your website:
| 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 |
| Starting from | Starting from | Starting from
$2.99 + 3 months free (48-month term) | Starting from | Starting from $9.99 |
| 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
|
| Number of templates 2,000+ | Number of templates 180+ | Number of templates 150+ | Number of templates 200+ | 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 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 No built-in email markeitng | Email marketing $1/per mo (+ free plan) | Email marketing $1.99/mo |
| AI Features
| AI Features
| AI Features
| AI Features
| AI Features
|
| Try Wix | Try Squarespace | Try Hostinger | Try Shopify | Try GoDaddy |
For tips on how to choose a builder based on the comparison table above, refer to our video below:
How We Test Website Builders
The chart above compares the top website builders on the market. But how did we choose the best platforms and rank them?
We aim to provide you with the most accurate and honest information possible, which is why we regularly review and test website builders to bring you up-to-date recommendations.
Our 2025 tests involved over 100 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.
Comparing Website Builders: Our Top Choices
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 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.
What our researchers think...
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.
Of course, it won’t be the right fit for everyone, which is why we’ve shared a side-by-side look with other top contenders:
- 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.
- For fantastic pricing, Hostinger is a strong contender, with website building plans starting from as little as $2.99 per month (billed annually).
- 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.
If you’re still unsure which builder is right for you, get a personalized website builder recommendation from our one-minute quiz:
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