Website Builder Comparison Chart | A Side-by-Side Look

Our overall ratings are based on the average score of all ratings combined.

Our scores give you an at-a-glance overview of which service offers you the best features, value, and more.

Find out what areas of website creation our recommended builders are best for

Our ‘Best for’ awards highlight builders which excel in the areas that matter most to our readers. If you don’t know where to start, these awards should help you to quickly identify the builder best suited to your needs.

Tells you how easy and intuitive each builder is to use.

Not feeling confident around technology shouldn’t prevent you from having a website! We’ve rated each builder on how easy it is to pick up and use, so you know how much of learning curve each one has. Why spend hours figuring out which builder is suited to your skills when we’ve saved you the trouble?

The current number of websites powered by each builder.

When it comes to website builders, we really do think that the more users a platform has, then the better it probably is. Think of it like a restaurant – if it didn’t make good food then nobody would eat there! A website builder is the same – if it wasn’t good to use then nobody would use it.

A 14-day free trial.

Having access to a free trial lets you take your website builder for a test drive before deciding if it’s right for you. It’s the best way to get to know a website builder before you commit your time, energy and money to it.

A cost-free subscription plan.

Having access to a free plan lets you take your website builder for a test drive before deciding if it’s right for you. It’s the best way to get to know a website builder before you commit your time, energy and money to it.

The number of different paid subscription plans offered by each builder.

The bigger the choice of plans you have, the better you can tailor your subscription to your needs.

The cost of each service’s cheapest pricing plan. Please note, these are the regular prices – most providers will offer further discounted rates for new customers, but these will only be applicable to your initial sign-up term. Check out each host’s own site for further details.   

The monthly price of each builder’s most popular paid plan (based on an annual subscription).

This highlights the plan that meets most people’s needs and what it would cost. If you’re unsure exactly what your needs are, then opting for the most popular plan is a good rule of thumb. It’s also the closest to a direct price comparison between builders you will get.

A theme defines the look and layout of your site (but not the content).

Having a wide selection of great looking themes to choose from is really helpful when designing your website. It not only helps you create a great-looking site quickly and easily, but you’re free to customize each theme as much or as little as you like in order to really make the design your own.

Responsive themes resize your website automatically so it looks great on different screen sizes + devices, like smartphones and tablets.

Think about how often you browse the internet on your phone – it’s a lot, right? Now think about how many other people are browsing the internet on a mobile device right now. Having access to responsive templates helps to ensure your website looks great anytime, anywhere and on any device.

An editor that lets you specifically edit how your website is displayed on mobile devices.

If you don’t have a responsive theme then the next best option is having a mobile editor. Your site might not auto-optimize itself for different screen sizes, but at least you’ll be able you to tweak your website so that it looks good on the go and keep your visitors engaged.

Gives you an idea of how freely you can arrange layouts and customize the design of your site.

Website builders vary in the amount of drag-and-drop freedom they provide. Knowing how flexible a builder is can save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. If you only want a simple site, you may not want to use a builder with a high level of flexibility. While if you’re after something more complicated, then the more flexible and versatile the better!

Some website builders have tools that help create the first draft of your website and automatically insert content.

Having built in support and AI-aided design can give you a great helping hand if you’re new to website building. Unsure how best to design your website? Or want to get something online fast? This ‘do-it-for-you’ service can be a lifesaver if you’re short on time or struggling for inspiration.

Having a custom domain lets you personalize your website’s URL or address (e.g. www.mycustomdomain.com).

Some website builders offer you a free custom domain when signing up to one of their premium plans. Having a custom (and more personalized) domain not only makes your website look legitimate, but it can also help you stand out and become more memorable to users too! Heck, you’re far more likely to click on www.mycoolsite.com than www.mycoolsite.weebly.com – right? If you want to know more about domain names, check out our domain name guide (Domain name guide).

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts the connection between your website and your visitor, improving privacy and keeping you both safe online. Your website builder will manage this for you.

Having a website that is encrypted not only protects you and your users, but can improve ecommerce conversion rates as your shoppers will trust that their private data is safe with you. It can also boost your SEO and rankings as secure sites are looked favourably on by Google and other search engines.

Being able to control your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) helps you to refine your website in order to improve its visibility online and in search engine rankings

Having more control of your website’s SEO is a great way to improve your search engine rankings, increase visitors to your website, boost sales, and grow your website’s online reputation. It’s a vital piece of the online success jigsaw puzzle.

Enables you to export your website from the builder and move it to a different platform.

Sometimes the builder you chose isn’t right for you in the long term. So rather than build a new website from scratch it can be handy to export your existing one and take it elsewhere. Note: This isn’t offered by all builders though, and if it is, then you may find it limited to certain pages or file types.

If something goes wrong, you have the ability to restore a previous version of your website from a backup.

It’s always good to have a backup (trust us, we’re talking from experience here!). Having one can save you hours if you make a mistake or accidentally delete a page.

Email services enable you to set up an email address using your own personal domain (you@yourcompany.com)

Having an email address linked with your domain makes you look more professional. It also helps make any emails you send appear more legitimate.

Having a mobile app lets you manage your site or online store on the go.

An easy-to-use, reliable mobile app is a powerful feature to have if you want to create your site and post content on the go. Whether you’re a jet-set travel blogger, or making a vital homepage update on the commute to work, mobile apps make it super convenient for you to stay on top of your website.

This feature gives you the ability to set up multiple editor profiles for your website and control their level of access.

Being able to share the workload across multiple editors is an essential feature if you have colleagues or a team or that you want to help manage or build your site. You can set different levels of access for each editor.

Do you have the ability to add and keep a blog on your website?

A blog helps you to create regular, engaging content, which is great for attracting visitors and has SEO benefits (Google LOVES fresh content). Blogging is a really easy way of engaging with potential and existing cutomers, establish yourself or your business as an industry thought-leader, connect people to your brand and create sharable content (who knows, you could even make something that goes viral!).

Enables you to turn your website into an ecommerce store and start selling products. Some builders are designed specifically with ecommerce in mind.

Being able to start an online store has completely transformed how we buy and sell goods (just think of Amazon or eBay). More and more money is being spent online by consumers – so how do you get a slice of that pie? Being able to add ecommerce functionality to your website enables you to turn your website into an online store and start earning some money!

Enables you to send out emails to a database of users who have signed up to receive them.

Being able to send out newsletters is a quick and easy way to keep in touch with your readers and customers. You can send out updates, news, or even promotions or keep your followers engaged!

Enables people to sign up or register to your website and access otherwise restricted content.

This is a helpful tool to have if you want to create a private club or offer exclusive content and classes. You might also just want to restrict access to the general public to make your website more exclusive.

Professional service and platform support via email

Knowing what support you have available when encountering problems can save you a lot of time. And professional guidance can help you build your site the way you want to.

Professional service and platform support via phone.

Professional service and platform support via on-site live chat.

Knowing what support you have available when encountering problems can save you a lot of time. And professional guidance can help you build your site the way you want to.

Lets you get service and platform support from other users in offical forums.

Knowing what support you have available when encountering problems can save you a lot of time. And professional guidance can help you build your site the way you want to.

On-site support that provides helpful articles and “How to” guides.

Knowing what support you have available when encountering problems can save you a lot of time. And professional guidance can help you build your site the way you want to.