Top Website Builder Software: Which One Actually Makes Sense for Your Business
Let's cut through the noise. You need a website, you don't want to code it yourself, and you're trying to figure out which builder won't waste your money or your time.
I've used all of these platforms for various projects. Here's what actually matters when picking a website builder—and which ones are worth your attention.
Quick Comparison: What You'll Actually Pay
Before we dive into features, let's talk money. Here's what you're looking at for entry-level plans (billed annually):
| Platform | Starting Price | Ecommerce Starting Price | Free Plan? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squarespace | $16/month | $16/month (with 2% fee) | No (14-day trial) |
| Wix | $17/month | $29/month | Yes (limited) |
| WordPress + Hosting | $3-5/month | $3-5/month | No |
| Webflow | $14/month | $29/month | Yes (limited) |
| Shopify | $29/month | $29/month | No |
Now let's break down what you actually get for that money.
Squarespace: Best for Design-First Businesses
Squarespace is the easiest website builder to use, with an intuitive interface and drag-and-drop editor. Their templates look genuinely professional out of the box—not "template-y" like some competitors.
Squarespace Pricing Breakdown
- Basic: $16/month (annual) or $25/month (monthly) - 2 contributors, 30 min video storage, 2% transaction fee on sales
- Core: $23/month (annual) - Removes transaction fees on physical products, unlimited contributors, 5 hours video storage
- Plus: $39/month (annual) - Better for growing ecommerce, customer accounts, inventory tracking
- Advanced: $99/month (annual) - Abandoned cart recovery, advanced shipping, API access
All annual plans include a free custom domain for the first year. After that, domain renewals cost $20-70/year depending on the extension.
Who Should Use Squarespace
Photographers, designers, restaurants, service businesses, anyone selling a limited number of products. The Business plan is ideal for displaying your work, creating a home for your business, and selling products on a small shop page.
Who Should Skip It
If you're building a large ecommerce operation, Squarespace's Advanced plan at $99/month doesn't add a whole lot of functionality for businesses building a website. You'll want Shopify instead.
For a deeper dive on costs, check out our Squarespace pricing guide or see how it compares to Wix.
Wix: Most Flexible for Non-Designers
Wix offers a free plan with no time limit, plus more design flexibility than most competitors. The Core plan at $29/month offers 50GB storage, basic e-commerce features, payment processing, and scheduling, plus 5 site collaborators.
Wix Pricing Breakdown
- Free: $0 - 500MB storage, Wix ads on your site, no custom domain
- Light: $17/month - Custom domain, 2GB storage, no ecommerce
- Core: $29/month - 50GB storage, ecommerce, booking features
- Business: $39/month - 100GB storage, 10 collaborators
- Business Elite: $159/month - Unlimited storage, advanced features
The Catch With Wix
Wix doesn't offer a free trial for Premium plans, but there is a 14-day money-back guarantee. The free plan is genuinely free forever, but your site will have Wix branding and ads. Most yearly or multi-year Premium plans come with a 1 year free domain voucher.
Also worth noting: the Light plan has no ecommerce features or payment processing. You need at least the Core plan ($29/month) to sell anything online.
Who Should Use Wix
Small businesses that want maximum design control without code. The drag-and-drop editor is more flexible than Squarespace—you can literally place elements anywhere. Good for portfolios, local businesses, and service providers.
See our full breakdown in the Squarespace vs Wix comparison.
WordPress: Most Powerful (With a Learning Curve)
WordPress powers over 40% of all websites. It offers unmatched customization through themes, plugins, and full access to your site files. But it requires separate hosting and ongoing maintenance.
What WordPress Actually Costs
WordPress itself is free, but hosting and domain names are paid services. Here's what you'll typically spend:
- Hosting: $3-5/month for shared hosting (Bluehost, Hostinger) or $25-50/month for managed WordPress hosting
- Domain: Usually free first year with hosting, then $10-20/year
- Themes: Free to $100+ one-time
- Plugins: Many free, premium ones range $50-300/year
Bluehost is WordPress.org's longest running recommended host and offers WordPress pre-installed with plans starting around $4.79/month for the first year.
The Trade-Off
Website builders offer an all-in-one, beginner-friendly environment, while WordPress gives you maximum flexibility and control. You're responsible for updates, security, and backups—though good hosting providers handle much of this.
If you want a tool that lets you build a website in a single day, use a builder. Choose WordPress if you're willing to spend a weekend learning the ropes.
Who Should Use WordPress
Bloggers, content-heavy sites, anyone who needs extensive customization, businesses planning to scale significantly. Also great if you want to own your data—you can export your entire database and move hosts anytime.
For design work without code, check out our Canva tutorial.
When to Choose Each Platform
Choose Squarespace if:
- You want beautiful design without hiring a designer
- You're selling fewer than 100 products
- You don't want to think about hosting, security, or updates
- You're a creative professional (photographer, artist, consultant)
Choose Wix if:
- You want a free plan to start with
- You need more design flexibility than Squarespace offers
- You're running a local service business with booking needs
- You want built-in marketing tools from day one
Choose WordPress if:
- You're building a content-heavy site (blog, news, resources)
- You need complete control over your site
- You're comfortable with (or willing to learn) some technical basics
- You're planning for serious scale
Choose Shopify if:
- Ecommerce is your primary focus
- You're selling 100+ products
- You need robust inventory management
- You want to sell across multiple channels (Instagram, Amazon, etc.)
What About Webflow?
Webflow sits between traditional website builders and WordPress. It gives designers pixel-perfect control without code, but has a steeper learning curve than Squarespace or Wix.
Starting at $14/month for a basic site plan, it's priced competitively. But unless you have design skills or are willing to invest time learning, you'll get faster results with Squarespace.
See our Squarespace vs Webflow comparison for more detail.
Features That Actually Matter
Forget the long feature lists. Here's what will actually impact your day-to-day:
SSL Certificate
All the platforms above include free SSL (the padlock in browser). Don't pay extra for this anywhere.
Mobile Optimization
Squarespace and Wix handle this automatically. WordPress depends on your theme—most modern themes are mobile-responsive.
SEO Tools
Built into all platforms. Squarespace includes basic SEO tools that help improve basic search visibility without requiring technical setup. WordPress has more advanced options through plugins like Yoast.
Customer Support
Squarespace and Wix offer 24/7 support. WordPress support depends on your host—Bluehost offers 24/7 support by in-house WordPress experts.
The Bottom Line
For most small businesses, I recommend Squarespace. At $16/month for the Basic plan (with selling capabilities) or $23/month for Core (no transaction fees), you get professional design, solid ecommerce, and zero maintenance headaches. The Core plan gives you access to impressive sales tools for a cheaper price than Wix or Shopify.
If you need more flexibility or want to start free, Wix is your best alternative. Just budget for the Core plan ($29/month) if you ever want to sell online.
WordPress remains the power user's choice, but only makes sense if you have the time to learn it or the budget to hire someone who knows it.
Whatever you choose, start with a trial or free plan before committing. All these platforms let you build and test before paying—use that time wisely.