Best Website Builders for Small Business: What Actually Works

You need a website. You don't want to hire a developer or learn to code. Website builders exist for exactly this reason-but there are dozens of them, and they all claim to be the best.

I've tested the major platforms and talked to small business owners who use them daily. Here's what you actually need to know to pick the right one.

Quick Answer: Which Builder Should You Choose?

Let me save you some scrolling:

The Contenders: Pricing Breakdown

Let's cut to the numbers. Here's what you'll actually pay (prices are for annual billing-monthly costs more):

Squarespace Pricing

Squarespace offers four plans ranging from $16 to $99 per month when billed annually. Here's the breakdown:

The Core plan at $23/month hits the sweet spot for most small businesses. You get zero transaction fees on physical product sales and access to premium integrations. For detailed pricing analysis, check out our Squarespace pricing guide.

Wix Pricing

Wix has a free plan (with ads and no custom domain) plus four premium tiers:

If you want to sell anything online with Wix, you need at least the Core plan at $29/month. Compared to Squarespace's $16 Basic plan that includes basic ecommerce, Wix's entry price for selling is higher.

Hostinger Pricing

Hostinger is the budget king with just two website builder plans:

The catch: those prices require a 4-year commitment paid upfront. Renewal rates are significantly higher (around $11/month). But even then, it's still cheaper than most competitors.

GoDaddy Pricing

GoDaddy keeps it simple with three main tiers:

GoDaddy also has a free plan, but it's extremely limited-you can't even connect a custom domain. The Basic plan is where most small businesses should start.

Shopify Pricing

Shopify focuses exclusively on ecommerce with three standard plans:

Transaction fees vary by plan (2.9% + 30¢ down to 2.5% + 30¢) unless you use Shopify Payments. For high-volume sellers, these fees add up quickly.

What Squarespace Does Better

Squarespace has the best-looking templates, period. Their designs are modern, polished, and they make your business look more established than it probably is. That matters when you're competing with bigger players.

The platform shines for:

What's annoying: The Basic plan has a 2% transaction fee on sales. If you're selling more than $3,200/year through your store, upgrade to Core to avoid those fees. Want a discount? Check our Squarespace coupon page for current offers.

Squarespace's editor uses a grid-based system that prevents you from creating messy layouts. While this feels restrictive at first, it's actually one of the platform's biggest strengths. You simply can't make an ugly Squarespace site-the guardrails keep everything aligned and professional-looking.

The Blueprint AI feature generates complete site structures based on your business type. Answer a few questions about what you do, and you get a fully designed site with placeholder content. It's not magic, but it gives you a solid starting point that would take hours to build manually.

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What Wix Does Better

Wix wins on sheer flexibility. With 900+ templates (compared to Squarespace's more curated selection) and a massive app market, you can build almost anything.

The AI website builder is genuinely useful-answer a few questions about your business and it generates a complete site structure you can customize. Hostinger has similar AI tools, but Wix produces more varied and unique designs from the same prompts.

Wix is better if you:

The downside: That flexibility means you can also make an ugly site. Squarespace's more constrained approach means it's harder to screw up the design.

Wix's app market includes over 300 apps covering everything from live chat to inventory management. Many are free, but premium apps can cost $10-75/month. The variety is impressive-you can add video backgrounds, interactive maps, countdown timers, and custom forms without touching code.

The platform integrates directly with tools like Semrush for SEO analysis, which is valuable if you're serious about organic traffic. You can research keywords, track rankings, and get optimization suggestions without leaving the Wix dashboard.

When to Choose Hostinger

If budget is your primary constraint and you're willing to commit to a longer term, Hostinger delivers surprising value. Their AI tools can generate copy and images, which speeds up the setup process significantly.

The platform works well for simple sites-a basic business presence, portfolio, or blog. For complex ecommerce or advanced functionality, you'll feel the limitations.

Best for: Side hustles, new entrepreneurs testing ideas, businesses that just need something simple online quickly.

Hostinger's AI assistant, Kodee, helps you navigate the builder and suggests improvements as you work. It's not as sophisticated as ChatGPT, but it's helpful for basic questions about adding features or optimizing layouts.

The platform includes Google Ads integration that guides you through campaign setup. If you've never run paid ads before, this hand-holding approach removes a lot of intimidation factor. You get ad credit to test campaigns, which sweetens the deal for new businesses.

Why GoDaddy Works for Some Businesses

GoDaddy isn't the most powerful builder on this list, but it excels at getting you online fast. The AI website generator (GoDaddy Airo) builds a complete site in under 10 minutes based on your industry and preferences.

The interface is deliberately simple-almost to a fault. You won't find advanced design controls or complex customization options. But if you need a basic professional site without the learning curve, that simplicity is the entire point.

GoDaddy works best for:

The downsides are real: Limited design flexibility, fewer templates than competitors, and no free domain included (despite being primarily known as a domain registrar). The pricing is competitive, but you'll pay separately for your domain, which feels like a missed opportunity.

GoDaddy's appointment booking and email marketing features work well for service businesses. You can schedule appointments, send automated confirmations, and create simple email campaigns-all without additional tools. For a solo practitioner or small team, this integration saves both money and headache.

When Shopify Makes Sense

If you're primarily selling products-not services, not content, but physical or digital goods-Shopify is purpose-built for you. The platform handles everything ecommerce businesses need: inventory management, shipping calculations, tax collection, abandoned cart recovery, and multi-channel selling.

Shopify excels at:

The trade-off is cost. At $39/month minimum plus transaction fees, Shopify is more expensive than Squarespace or Wix for the same basic website functionality. You're paying for specialized ecommerce tools-if you're not using them, you're wasting money.

Shopify's app store dwarfs every competitor with 8,000+ apps. Need dropshipping integration? There are dozens of options. Want advanced email marketing? Choose from professional solutions like AWeber or Klaviyo. This extensibility means Shopify grows with you, but it also means paying for multiple subscriptions as your needs expand.

The platform's reporting and analytics are substantially better than other builders. You can track conversion rates by product, analyze customer lifetime value, and generate detailed financial reports. For serious ecommerce operations, these insights justify the higher cost.

When to Skip Website Builders Entirely

These tools aren't right for everyone:

WordPress with a page builder like Elementor or Divi offers more customization than any website builder, but requires more technical knowledge. If you have (or can hire) someone comfortable with WordPress, it's worth considering for complex sites.

Understanding SEO Capabilities

Every builder claims great SEO, but the reality varies significantly. Here's what actually matters:

Technical SEO fundamentals: All major builders handle basics like mobile responsiveness, SSL certificates, and clean URL structures. Squarespace and Wix both load quickly thanks to CDN technology. Hostinger includes automatic image compression to improve page speed.

On-page optimization: You need the ability to edit meta titles, descriptions, header tags, and alt text for images. Every builder on this list allows this, but the ease varies. Wix integrates with Semrush for keyword research. Squarespace provides built-in SEO checklists. GoDaddy offers basic but straightforward SEO guidance.

Content management: Blogging capabilities matter if content marketing is part of your strategy. Squarespace has the best blogging features with categories, tags, and scheduled publishing. Wix and WordPress.com also handle blogs well. Shopify's blog functionality is basic-it works, but content marketing isn't the platform's focus.

Site speed: Squarespace consistently delivers fast load times. Wix has improved significantly but can slow down with too many apps installed. Hostinger's lightweight approach keeps sites fast. Page speed affects rankings, so this isn't purely cosmetic.

Schema markup: Advanced users want control over structured data. Squarespace automatically adds schema for products and businesses. Wix allows custom code injection for advanced schema. GoDaddy and Hostinger are more limited here.

The honest truth: For most small businesses, SEO differences between platforms matter less than actually creating good content and getting backlinks. Pick a builder with solid fundamentals (any on this list qualify) and focus on content quality.

Mobile Optimization Reality Check

Over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Your site needs to work perfectly on phones and tablets.

All modern builders create responsive sites automatically, but the implementation varies. Squarespace's templates render beautifully on every screen size with no additional work needed. The grid system ensures layouts adapt gracefully from desktop to mobile.

Wix lets you edit mobile and desktop versions separately. This gives you control but adds work-you're essentially designing two sites. For most small businesses, Squarespace's automatic approach saves time and prevents mistakes.

Hostinger and GoDaddy also handle mobile responsiveness well, though with fewer customization options. Shopify's themes are thoroughly tested on mobile devices, which makes sense given how many people shop on phones.

Test your site on actual devices before launching. Design that looks great on your laptop might have readability issues on a small phone screen. All builders offer preview modes, but nothing beats checking the real thing.

Integration Capabilities

Your website doesn't exist in isolation. It needs to connect with other tools you use daily.

Email marketing: Most builders integrate with major email platforms. Squarespace includes email marketing tools in Core plans and above. Wix connects with Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and others through its app market. For more advanced email automation, check out tools like AWeber or Lemlist for cold email campaigns.

CRM systems: If you track customer relationships, integration matters. Shopify connects with major CRMs through apps. Wix offers native CRM functionality. For B2B businesses needing serious pipeline management, consider dedicated tools like Close or Monday.com.

Analytics: All builders integrate with Google Analytics, but built-in analytics vary widely. Squarespace's analytics are comprehensive without being overwhelming. Shopify's reports are industry-leading. Wix and GoDaddy offer basic traffic metrics. For advanced tracking, consider WhatConverts to connect calls, forms, and chats to marketing campaigns.

Payment processing: Squarespace uses Stripe and Square. Wix accepts multiple payment providers. Shopify pushes you toward Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe) but supports others. GoDaddy integrates with major payment gateways. Transaction fees vary-read the fine print.

Social media: All builders let you add social sharing buttons and embed feeds. For serious social media management, you'll want dedicated tools like Taplio for LinkedIn or Tweet Hunter for Twitter/X.

Hidden Costs to Watch

The monthly price isn't the whole story. Watch for:

Domain renewals: Most builders include a free domain for the first year. Squarespace domain renewals run $20-$70/year depending on the extension. Wix charges around $17.35/year for a .com. GoDaddy's domain renewal rates are competitive but watch for auto-renewal pricing that's higher than the first year.

Email: Squarespace includes a year of Google Workspace on the Core plan. Wix charges $6/month extra. GoDaddy bundles email with some plans. If professional email matters to you, factor this in. See our guide on email marketing for small business for more options.

Apps and integrations: Both Wix and Squarespace have app marketplaces. Many apps are free, but premium ones can add $5-75/month to your costs. Shopify's app ecosystem is the largest but also the most expensive-budget $50-200/month for essential apps as you scale.

Transaction fees: Squarespace Basic charges 2% on sales. Wix Core has no transaction fees but higher base cost. Shopify charges 2.9% + 30¢ unless you use Shopify Payments. Run the math on your expected sales volume.

Annual vs monthly billing: Monthly billing costs 50-60% more. If you're testing a platform, fine. But plan to pay annually once you commit. The savings are substantial-Squarespace's Basic plan is $16/month annually but $29/month if you pay monthly.

Payment processing: Credit card processing fees are separate from transaction fees. Expect to pay 2.5-3.0% + 30¢ per transaction depending on your plan and volume. These fees go to payment processors (Stripe, Square, PayPal), not the website builder.

Premium templates: Most builders include templates in your subscription, but some charge extra for premium themes. Shopify themes can cost $140-350 for professionally designed options. Squarespace and Wix include all templates at no extra cost.

Support and Learning Resources

When something breaks at 9 PM before a big launch, support quality matters.

Squarespace offers 24/7 email support and live chat during business hours. Response times are usually under a few hours. The knowledge base is comprehensive with video tutorials and step-by-step guides. The community forum is active, though not as large as WordPress's.

Wix provides 24/7 callback support-you request a call and they phone you back within minutes. Live chat and email support are also available. The Wix Help Center includes thousands of articles and video tutorials. For popular features, you'll find detailed walkthroughs.

Hostinger offers 24/7 live chat support in multiple languages. Response times are generally fast, though complex technical questions sometimes require escalation. The knowledge base is decent but not as comprehensive as larger competitors.

GoDaddy provides 24/7 phone support, which is rare among website builders. This is valuable if you prefer talking to someone rather than typing. Chat and email support are also available. The guidance hub offers basic tutorials for common tasks.

Shopify's support is legendary-24/7 phone, email, and live chat with knowledgeable staff who understand ecommerce. The Shopify Help Center is extensive, and the community forums are extremely active. Shopify Academy offers free courses on everything from store setup to advanced marketing.

Real-World Performance: Load Times Matter

Site speed affects both user experience and search rankings. Here's how these builders perform:

Squarespace sites consistently achieve fast load times thanks to built-in CDN and optimized code. Average load times hover around 1-2 seconds for typical sites. The platform automatically compresses images and uses lazy loading.

Wix has improved dramatically after years of criticism about speed. Modern Wix sites load in 2-3 seconds on average. However, installing too many third-party apps can slow things down. The platform uses CDN infrastructure and automatic optimization.

Hostinger sites load quickly due to the platform's lightweight approach. Average load times are under 2 seconds. The AI tools automatically optimize images, and the hosting infrastructure is solid for the price point.

GoDaddy sites load reasonably fast at 2-3 seconds average. The simplified feature set means less code to load, which helps. Performance is consistent but unremarkable.

Shopify sites are optimized for ecommerce, with average load times around 2-3 seconds. Large product catalogs with high-resolution images can slow things down if not properly optimized. The platform provides image optimization tools and CDN delivery.

For comparison, Google recommends pages load in under 3 seconds. Sites taking longer risk higher bounce rates and lower search rankings. All these builders meet that threshold with proper setup.

Security and Reliability

Your website needs to stay online and stay safe. Here's what you get:

All major builders include SSL certificates at no extra cost. This encrypts data between your site and visitors-it's non-negotiable for any site collecting information or processing payments.

Uptime guarantees vary. Squarespace and Shopify both maintain 99.9%+ uptime. Wix claims similar reliability. Hostinger and GoDaddy also deliver solid uptime, though occasional brief outages happen with any platform.

Automatic backups are crucial. Squarespace automatically backs up your entire site continuously. Wix provides automatic backups but manual restore. Shopify backs up everything automatically. GoDaddy and Hostinger include backups in paid plans.

Security updates and patches happen automatically with all these platforms. This is a massive advantage over self-hosted solutions like WordPress, where you're responsible for updating everything.

Two-factor authentication is available on Squarespace, Wix, and Shopify. This adds important account security. GoDaddy and Hostinger support 2FA as well. Always enable this-account takeovers are no joke.

DDoS protection and malware scanning run automatically in the background. These aren't features you interact with, but they protect your site from common attacks. All major builders invest heavily in infrastructure security.

Comparing Template Quality

Templates are your starting point. Quality varies significantly:

Squarespace offers around 190 templates, all professionally designed and modern. The aesthetic tends toward minimalist and elegant. Every template works for any purpose-the structure adapts based on how you use it. The limited selection is actually a feature: you can't choose a bad template.

Wix provides 900+ templates across every conceivable category. Quality ranges from excellent to mediocre. The sheer variety means you'll find something that fits your industry, but you'll need to sift through options. Templates are categorized by industry, making browsing easier.

Hostinger includes around 150 templates covering common business types. They're modern and functional but not as polished as Squarespace's. For the price point, they're perfectly adequate. The AI builder can customize templates based on your preferences.

GoDaddy offers a smaller selection of templates focused on common business types. They're clean and professional but limited. The AI website builder generates custom designs that often look better than the standard templates.

Shopify themes number around 200, split between free and paid options. Free themes are functional but basic. Premium themes ($140-350) are professionally designed with advanced features. For serious ecommerce, investing in a premium theme pays off in conversion rates.

Important note: Once you choose a template on most platforms, switching later ranges from difficult to impossible without rebuilding. Pick carefully at the start.

Content Creation Tools

You need to create content-pages, blog posts, product descriptions. The editor experience matters:

Squarespace's block-based editor feels intuitive once you understand it. You add content blocks (text, images, videos, buttons) and arrange them within the grid. The design tools let you adjust spacing, colors, and fonts without code. For businesses that value design, this approach produces consistently beautiful pages.

Wix's drag-and-drop editor offers total freedom-place anything anywhere. This flexibility is powerful but dangerous. Without design constraints, it's easy to create cluttered, unprofessional pages. The editor includes alignment guides and responsive breakpoints to help maintain visual order.

Hostinger's editor is straightforward and simple. You add sections, choose layouts, and fill in content. The AI writing assistant helps generate copy for pages and blogs. For quick setup without a learning curve, it works well.

GoDaddy's editor prioritizes speed over sophistication. You edit content in place with minimal design controls. This simplicity helps you launch fast but limits creative expression. The AI tools generate content that's decent starting point quality.

Shopify's editor focuses on products and collections. Creating standard pages is simple but basic. The rich text editor handles blog posts adequately. For complex page layouts, you'll need apps or custom code.

For advanced content marketing, consider pairing your website builder with dedicated tools like Descript for video content or Canva for graphics.

Blogging Capabilities

If content marketing matters to your business, blogging features vary widely:

Squarespace has the best blogging platform among website builders. You get categories, tags, author profiles, scheduled publishing, and excerpt control. The commenting system works well. RSS feeds generate automatically. For businesses where content drives traffic, Squarespace delivers.

Wix blogging is functional with categories, tags, and social sharing. The editor handles text, images, and video easily. Scheduled posts and drafts work as expected. It's not as feature-rich as dedicated blogging platforms but handles most small business needs.

WordPress.com remains the blogging gold standard. If content is your primary focus, the added complexity might be worth it. The platform includes advanced publishing tools, SEO plugins, and endless customization.

Hostinger's blog functionality is basic but adequate. You can publish posts with images and formatting. Categories and tags work. For businesses that blog occasionally rather than daily, it suffices.

GoDaddy's blog feature is bare-bones. You can publish posts with basic formatting and images. Advanced features like scheduled publishing or extensive SEO controls are limited. It works for occasional updates but not serious content marketing.

Shopify's blog is clearly an afterthought. You can publish posts and that's about it. The platform focuses on selling products, not publishing content. If blogging matters significantly to your business, choose a different platform.

Ecommerce Capabilities Deep Dive

If you're selling online, these differences matter:

Product limits: Squarespace allows unlimited products on all paid plans. Wix allows unlimited on Business plans and up. Hostinger's Business plan caps products at 1,000, which is fine for smaller catalogs. GoDaddy limits vary by plan. Shopify allows unlimited products on all plans.

Payment options: Squarespace integrates with Stripe and Square. Wix supports multiple payment providers. Shopify has 100+ payment gateway options. GoDaddy works with major providers. More options mean you can choose based on fees and features.

Inventory management: Shopify excels here with SKU tracking, low stock alerts, and multi-location inventory. Squarespace handles basic inventory adequately. Wix includes solid inventory tools. Hostinger and GoDaddy offer basic inventory features suitable for small catalogs.

Abandoned cart recovery: This email automation can recover 10-20% of lost sales. Shopify includes it on all plans. Squarespace offers it on Plus and Advanced plans. Wix includes it on higher tiers. GoDaddy and Hostinger don't offer this feature natively.

Discount codes and promotions: All platforms support basic discount codes. Shopify and Squarespace offer advanced promotional options like automatic discounts, buy-one-get-one deals, and tiered pricing. Wix handles promotions well. Hostinger and GoDaddy are more limited.

Digital products: Selling downloads, courses, or memberships? Squarespace handles digital products elegantly with automatic delivery and access control. Wix supports digital products through apps. Shopify works but isn't optimized for purely digital sales. For serious digital product businesses, consider specialized platforms or LearnWorlds for online courses.

Shipping calculations: Shopify leads with real-time carrier rates, dimensional weight, and custom shipping zones. Squarespace offers flat rate, calculated shipping, and local pickup. Wix includes shipping calculators. Hostinger and GoDaddy provide basic shipping options.

Marketing Tools Comparison

Getting traffic to your site requires marketing tools:

Email marketing: Squarespace includes email campaigns in Core plans with templates and subscriber management. Wix integrates with major email providers through apps. Shopify connects with powerful platforms like Klaviyo for advanced automation. GoDaddy includes basic email marketing on premium plans. For sophisticated email marketing, consider dedicated platforms like AWeber.

SEO tools: Wix integrates with Semrush for keyword research and competitive analysis. Squarespace provides SEO checklists and optimization guidance. Shopify includes solid SEO fundamentals with app options for advanced features. Hostinger offers AI-powered SEO suggestions. GoDaddy provides basic SEO guidance.

Social media integration: All builders let you add social buttons and embed feeds. Wix offers social media management tools. Squarespace auto-posts to social platforms. Shopify enables selling on Instagram and Facebook. For serious social media marketing, use dedicated tools like Taplio for LinkedIn growth.

Analytics and reporting: Squarespace provides beautiful analytics dashboards showing traffic, popular pages, and sales. Wix offers solid analytics with conversion tracking. Shopify's analytics are comprehensive with detailed sales reports and customer insights. GoDaddy and Hostinger provide basic traffic metrics. All integrate with Google Analytics for deeper analysis.

Ad campaign management: Hostinger includes Google Ads integration with guided setup. Wix connects with Facebook Ads and Google Ads. Shopify supports multi-channel advertising. For advanced campaign management, consider tools like Marketing 360.

Multi-User Access and Collaboration

If multiple people need to work on your site, contributor access matters:

Squarespace allows unlimited contributors on Core plans and above. You can set permissions for different users-some can edit everything, others only blog posts. This flexibility works well for teams. The Basic plan limits you to two contributors.

Wix provides 5 collaborators on Core plans, increasing to 10 on Business and unlimited on Business Elite. Permission levels control who can edit what. For larger teams, the higher plans become necessary.

Shopify includes 2 staff accounts on Basic, 5 on Shopify, and 15 on Advanced. Additional accounts cost extra. Staff permissions are granular-you can limit access to specific sections like orders or products.

Hostinger and GoDaddy have more limited multi-user capabilities. These platforms work best for solopreneurs or very small teams. For businesses with multiple departments touching the website, Squarespace or Shopify make more sense.

Migration and Platform Lock-In

What happens if you want to switch platforms later?

The hard truth: Migrating between website builders is painful. Most don't play nicely with each other. You can export content (blog posts, products), but design and structure need rebuilding from scratch.

Squarespace allows you to export content in XML format. You can import this into WordPress relatively easily. Moving to Wix or other builders requires manual work.

Wix makes exporting difficult by design. You can copy content manually but there's no one-click export. This lock-in is frustrating if you outgrow the platform.

Shopify exports product data easily in CSV format. Customer data and order history export cleanly. Migrating your products to another ecommerce platform is straightforward. Design work still needs redoing.

GoDaddy and Hostinger don't make migration particularly easy either. Export options are limited. Content needs manual copying.

The lesson: Choose carefully at the start. Switching costs time and money. Test platforms thoroughly during free trials before committing.

Industry-Specific Considerations

Different businesses have different needs:

Restaurants: Squarespace offers excellent menu and reservation integrations. Wix includes restaurant-specific templates with online ordering. GoDaddy's appointment booking works for reservations. Consider platforms like Toast for full restaurant management.

Professional services: Squarespace's Acuity scheduling integration handles appointments beautifully. Wix includes booking features. GoDaddy offers basic appointment scheduling. For complex scheduling needs, Contractor Foreman works for contractors.

Photographers/creatives: Squarespace's image-focused templates showcase portfolios perfectly. Wix offers creative templates with gallery features. Shopify works if you're selling prints. For client management and bookings, combine with dedicated tools.

Consultants/coaches: Squarespace handles course sales and membership content. Wix supports coaching sites with booking and payments. For serious online course platforms, LearnWorlds or Trainual for team training offer more features.

Retail stores: Shopify dominates with POS integration for physical locations. You can sell online and in-person with unified inventory. Squarespace and Wix work for smaller retail operations but lack Shopify's depth.

B2B companies: Squarespace or Wix work well for lead generation sites. Integration with CRMs like Close and Capsule helps manage sales pipelines. For complex B2B needs, custom solutions might be necessary.

Accessibility Compliance

Your website should be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Beyond being the right thing to do, accessibility compliance is legally required for many businesses.

Squarespace templates include good accessibility fundamentals-semantic HTML, keyboard navigation, screen reader support. The platform generates alt text prompts for images but doesn't enforce them.

Wix has improved accessibility features significantly. Templates meet WCAG 2.1 guidelines. The platform includes accessibility tools for checking contrast ratios and keyboard navigation.

Shopify themes generally comply with accessibility standards. The platform provides guidance on making your store accessible. Third-party apps can audit your site for issues.

Hostinger and GoDaddy have basic accessibility features but less comprehensive than larger competitors. If accessibility compliance is critical for your business, thoroughly test any platform before committing.

Making the Final Decision

Here's my honest take after testing these platforms:

Choose Squarespace if: You want something that looks professional without much effort, you're a service business or creative, and you value simplicity over customization. The $23/month Core plan gives most small businesses everything they need.

Choose Wix if: You need maximum flexibility, specific app integrations, or plan to add complex features over time. Be prepared to spend more time on design decisions. The $29/month Core plan is the starting point for most businesses.

Choose Hostinger if: Budget is tight, you need something simple, and you're comfortable with a long-term commitment for the best rates. Perfect for side hustles and testing business ideas.

Choose GoDaddy if: You need to launch fast with minimal learning curve, prefer phone support, and want a no-frills solution. The $14.99/month Premium plan works for most service businesses.

Choose Shopify if: Ecommerce is your primary focus, you're selling significant volume, or you need advanced inventory and shipping features. The $39/month Basic plan is where serious online stores start.

For comparing Squarespace to alternatives, see our detailed breakdowns: Squarespace vs Wix, Squarespace vs WordPress, and Squarespace vs Shopify.

Testing Before You Commit

Every platform offers free trials. Use them:

Squarespace gives you 14 days free with no credit card required. Build your entire site during the trial. Only pay when you're ready to launch.

Wix offers a free plan forever, though with limitations (ads, no custom domain). Test the editor and features before upgrading. Premium plans have 14-day money-back guarantees.

Hostinger provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. Since there's no free plan, this refund window lets you test risk-free.

GoDaddy offers a 7-day free trial for Website Builder. Not a huge amount of time, but enough to test the basics and see if it fits your needs.

Shopify provides a 3-day free trial plus a discounted first month. This gives you time to set up products and test the platform before full commitment.

During your trial, actually build your site. Don't just browse features-create pages, add content, test the editor. Connect your domain. Try the mobile view. Imagine using this platform for the next few years.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't make these errors that cost time and money:

Choosing based solely on price: The cheapest option often costs more long-term when you need to migrate or pay for workarounds. Factor in your time and future needs.

Picking too much platform: Shopify is overkill if you're selling three digital products a month. You'll pay for features you don't use. Match the platform to your actual needs.

Not checking mobile: Always preview and test on real mobile devices before launching. What looks great on desktop might be unusable on phones.

Skipping SEO basics: Fill in meta descriptions, add alt text to images, create a clear site structure. These foundational steps matter more than advanced SEO techniques.

Building the perfect site before launching: Done is better than perfect. Launch with a good-enough site and improve based on real user feedback.

Forgetting about backups: Even with automatic backups, export your content regularly. Platform issues happen. Having your own backup saves headaches.

Not reading renewal pricing: Many platforms offer discounted first-year pricing that jumps significantly at renewal. Budget for the real long-term cost.

Bottom Line

For most small businesses, Squarespace at $16-23/month or Wix at $17-29/month will handle everything you need. Both have free trials-use them. Build a few pages, test the editor, check if your must-have integrations exist.

If you're primarily selling products with significant inventory, Shopify justifies its higher cost. If budget is your primary concern and you're comfortable with a simpler platform, Hostinger delivers surprising value. If you need to launch quickly without fuss, GoDaddy's simplicity is its strength.

Don't overthink this. A good-enough website that's live beats a perfect website that never launches. Pick one, build it, and iterate based on what your actual customers need. You can always add features or switch platforms later if your needs change dramatically.

The best website builder is the one you'll actually use. Start with a clear understanding of what you need now (not someday), test the platforms that match those needs, and commit to launching. Your business needs an online presence today, not a perfect website in six months.

Start Building with Squarespace →