Table of contents
Intro
If you want to build a website and don’t want to dig around in code, and all that complicated HTML/CSS and Javascript (Opposite of me, I love to code). If you just need a website fast and get it up and running as quickly as possible, this post is for you because here, I’m reviewing the best website builders that I had to work with (This website wasn’t made with a website builder). You may have heard some names like Google Sites, Wix, Weebly, WordPress.org, and Webflow, but you have no idea what these are.
Webflow
Webflow is intuitive and very focused on design which is the reason that many like it. It also has every tool necessary to start a blog using just the free version, which I think is quite lovely of Webflow, since this is not the case with WordPress.com, where you have to pay to do something. Webflow also offers everything a builder should have and as I said earlier it is especially focused on animation and design. If you can animate something with code, you can animate it with Webflow. The learning curve is pretty steep, but you can watch their youtube tutorials on how to get started. Writing blog posts is also supported, but I would recommend something else because Webflow is much more powerful and complex.
In Webflow, almost everything happens in their visual website editor that allows you to run and experience your site. It is drag and drop similar to Weebly but is much more advanced than that since it allows for complex animations to take place.
Pricing:
Starter: Limited Free Version to get a look around
Basic: $14/month. Everything you need to start a simple site
CMS: $23/month. Best for a content-driven website
Business: $39/month. Best for a high-traffic website
Enterprise: Custom price. Best for a massive website
There are also some e-commerce plans that I won’t mention here, but you can read all about them on their website
WordPress.org
You’ve probably heard about WordPress since it is currently the most popular website builder on the web. There are two versions of WordPress, WordPress.mco, and WordPress.org.
The Difference is that WordPress.com can be obtained on the web and WordPress.org is the open-source downloadable version of WordPress which is free, though you do have to pay for hosting and a domain. WordPress is very powerful similar to Webflow and everything functions through the plugins that you can install. Plugins are extensions that customize the WordPress code allowing for new features. Plugins are WordPress’s strength and weakness, they allow for customization, but also open the door for hackers making WordPress very insecure since anyone can make a plugin. WordPress also has excellent features if you’re looking forward to starting a blog because that is what WordPress is best at since it has initially been created as a place to start a blog, but now it’s capable of so much more. You can create everything be it a business website or an ecommerce store.
Pricing:
Free open source
Have to pay for Hosting and Domain
Wix
Wix has become a new WordPress alternative that is more on the simple side. It has a very intuitive and easy-to-use interface, everything you need for starting an Ecommerce store or a simple blog, but sadly isn’t so suitable for a big business website such as g2.com. Wix also has built-in monetization and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which allows you to rank higher on Google. Out of all 5, the interface of Wix is the best since WordPress is a bit older and could change its interface completely and Webflow’s interface is comparable but not as simple and easy-to-use as Wix. I would recommend using Wis if you want to start a blog and want a clean experience since it is very easy to manage your blog posts with Wix. It also offers customer support if that’s something you’re looking for.
Pricing:
All-in-one deals (Include domain and hosting, though you can get custom hosting)
Includes several Ecommerce plans which I won’t cover here.
Enterprise: Contact Wix
VIP: $46/month
Pro: $27/month (most popular)
Unlimited: $22/month
Combo: $16
Weebly
Weebly is a perfect no-code website builder for beginners, it offers a generous free plan if you’re not planning to spend any money on your website, though it does come with a yoursite.weebly.com domain. Weebly is also easy to use just like Wix, though I found it difficult to drag everything in the right place, it could still be perfect for you. The interface isn’t well designed, but I’m being a perfectionist here because I’m a web designer, so I would give the interface 8/10. I find it quite annoying that I can’t return to the home page to look at the other pricing plans, but you probably don’t need to do that.
Pricing:
Free: $0/month
Personal: $10/month
Professional: $12/month
Performance: $26/month
Google Sites
Google Sites is a website builder that creates straightforward websites. The good thing about Google Sites is that it allows you to create a website and not pay for anything except the domain name and the files are all stored on Google Drive. I wouldn’t recommend using it for advanced projects such as big business websites, but it has all the tools you need to create a one-pager that doesn’t need complex animations and integrations which Webflow makes possible. Google Sites has an intuitive and minimalistic interface just like all other Google products making it very easy to use. If you want to start a blog I would also recommend Google Sites because you don’t need the best design ever to display text and write articles.
Pricing:
Free(files on Google Drive)
Have to Pay for a domain name
Conclusion
These five website builders are the best that you can currently find on the market. You have a lot of options: Webflow for complex websites, Wix for a simple blog, and Google Sites for a one-pager. There are other website builders too which I didn’t cover here so check them out too.