Gone are the times of needing to spend 1000’s of kilos getting an internet developer to construct and preserve a web site for your small business. Web site builders make it inexpensive and simple to do it your self, even with none prior experience. With prices that may are available in at underneath £100 per 12 months, and easy templates to get you began, a web site builder is our prime reocmmended approach of making a enterprise website.

So while you’re trying to find your web site builder, you need to guarantee it is extremely practical, provides lovely designs, hundreds rapidly, and equips you with all of the analytics instruments that you must assist your web site site visitors develop. However which web site builder is correct for your small business?

From our first hand person testing, we discovered that Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify are the most effective suppliers to decide on if you wish to create an expert website.

On this complete rating, we offer you all the main points about what every supplier provides when it comes to options, person friendliness, worth for cash, customer support, execs, cons, and extra. Our suggestions are fruit of a whole bunch of hours of in-house product analysis and testing. With our concentrate on what small companies, this information ought to provide the confidence to decide on the web site builder that works finest in your model.

We additionally collaborated with real-life small enterprise house owners to search out out the widespread ache factors, akin to social media integrations, web page loading time, and which platforms had been the most effective at serving to them overcome these obstacles.

Learn on for our tackle the most effective web site builders to decide on for creating your individual enterprise website.

Web site Builder comparability desk

Costs appropriate as of January 2024

Our analysis reveals that the finest web site builder for small companies is Wix. It boasts an unbeatable vary of web site options, has over 800 templates, and provides free 24/7 telephone and stay chat assist. Plus, it is a extremely inexpensive product – its full premium plans begin from simply £7.50 monthly, and you may save 10% of any annual or month-to-month plans utilizing the code “TAKE10” at checkout.

Squarespace is shut behind, providing customers design flexibility and gorgeous templates that actually give Wix a run for its cash.

1. Wix

Greatest all-round web site builder for small companies

What’s it like constructing a web site with Wix?

The principle purpose we have picked Wix as our prime web site builder for small companies is simply how simple it makes issues when creating an expert trying website. Most small enterprise house owners will not have countless time for studying to code their very own website, nor a vast funds for paying an internet developer to do it for you. Wix makes every little thing simple due to its big vary of professional-looking templates. You possibly can select from any of those, then customise as you go by dropping in your individual imagery and textual content.

It is no exaggeration to say that with Wix, you’ll be able to go from having no web site in any respect, to a full, printed web site in underneath a day.

Need to see it in motion? This is an efficient overview video from Wix itself:

We additionally like that Wix is on development with its Wix ADI and Wix Studio capabilities that allow you to construct a web site utilizing AI inside a matter of minutes. All it’s a must to do is give the system some descriptions of your small business and Wix will do the remaining for you.

When that you must regulate your website design, Wix is an intuitive drag-and-drop web site builder that is an awesome choice for these new to web site constructing. We take into account it the simplest platform to make use of, and it is solely narrowly overwhelmed by Squarespace relating to template design and customisability.

The one huge downside with Wix is that when you have printed your website, you’ll be able to’t change the template. This implies that you could’t make any large-scale or common adjustments to your web site at a template degree as soon as it is stay. Should you wished to remodel your template, you’d want to begin from scratch.

Nonetheless, Wix has over 800 gorgeous templates, glorious ecommerce capabilities, and the most effective drag-and-drop software we examined. Because of this whether or not you are utterly new to creating web sites or eager to customize each inch of your on-line id, we expect you will be happy with Wix’s providing.

Wix pricing

Wix is among the finest worth web site builders round, even when it is not the bottom price of all. Now we have a full Wix pricing information that breaks down what you will get for every tier, although the fast model of plans and prices is as follows:

• Wix free plan – £0 monthly
• Wix Mild plan – £7.50 monthly
• Wix Core plan  – £14 monthly
• Wix Marketing strategy – £20 monthly
• Wix Enterprise Elite plan – £119 monthly
• Wix Enterprise plan – Bespoke quote

See our desk, under, for extra on what you get for every Wix pricing level:

Wix versus key opponents

Squarespace: Whereas Wix and Squarespace do many of the similar issues, Squarespace is somewhat slicker within the design of its web site templates. These with a key aesthetic eye might favor to go for Squarespace – say if you happen to’re a photographer, designer or artistic freelancer wanting to point out off the most effective of your portfolio. However, for many customers seeking to create a enterprise web site, Wix trumps Squarespace on ease of use.

Shopify: Should you’re seeking to construct an internet retailer, then Shopify is the finest ecommerce web site builder we would suggest. Its sensible vary of options are extremely optimised for retailer stock administration and taking funds throughout numerous gross sales channels. Wix is not any slouch, although – Wix Ecommerce is our second-ranked on-line retailer builder. However Shopify is narrowly the higher choice.

WordPress: Should you’ve the time and experience for getting underneath the bonnet of your web site, then WordPress will allow you to code and customise with better freedom than Wix. This is not one thing that every one busy small enterprise house owners will need to do, after all. However, for the sheer artistic freedom of breaking away from templates and customising a singular website, WordPress is tough to beat.

GoDaddy: Whereas we take into account Wix to supply higher options and templates, there is not any arguing that you could get a website up and stay in document time with GoDaddy. A easy, streamlined method guides you from scratch with GoDaddy’s web site builder – arguably, it is extra restricted than the artistic freedom you et with Wix, however a small enterprise proprietor in a rush might admire GoDaddy’s no-nonsense method and good worth plans.

Learn our in-depth Wix overview for extra data

2. Squarespace

Greatest for design flexibility & artistic companies

Squarespace pricing

Squarespace’s pricing plans are pretty simple, and cut up between the principle web site builder tiers and the ecommerce plans:

• Private: £12 a month – not really useful for enterprise websites
• Enterprise: £17 a month – consists of ecommerce performance with 3% transaction charges
• Commerce Primary: £23 a month – ecommerce performance with 0% transaction charges
• Commerce Superior: £35 a month – superior performance for on-line promoting and delivery with 0% transaction charges

You possibly can learn our devoted Squarespace pricing web page for an in-depth take a look at the completely different plans.

Squarespace versus key opponents:

Wix: This can be a powerful one to name. We’d say general that Wix is the simpler web site builder to make use of, and it is the one we would suggest prime for small companies. However, Squarespace has Wix licked relating to the attractiveness of its web site templates. That is to not say Wix’s templates are in any approach fundamental or ugly – however Squarespace is head and shoulders above all opponents on the design entrance. We might additionally say that Wix is the higher alternative for ecommerce, although you’ll be able to actually create a superb on-line retailer with Squarespace, too. Learn our Wix vs Squarespace for small companies information to be taught extra about how they every stack up.

Shopify: As we talked about in our Wix abstract, above, Shopify is pretty much as good because it will get relating to creating an internet retailer. Whereas a Squarespace on-line retailer will look the half due to these sensible templates, Shopify makes issues simply that bit simpler behind the scenes, due to its peerless gross sales capabilities and stock administration.

WordPress: We positively favor the templates Squarespace provides you to when constructing a website from scratch, to these you need to use with WordPress. However, if you wish to get caught into the coding and actually let unfastened with the design and technical setup of the location, WordPress is the best way to go. That is nice information if you happen to’re a assured web site designer, however if you happen to’d reasonably concentrate on operating your small business, then we would steer you in direction of the far easier-to-use Squarespace.

Learn our in-depth Squarespace overview for extra data

3. GoDaddy

Greatest for ease of use and ease

GoDaddy pricing

Godaddy’s plans differ in price relying on whether or not you select to pay yearly or month-to-month:

• GoDaddy Primary plan prices £7.99 monthly (annual price is £4.99 monthly).
• GoDaddy Customary plan prices £11.99 monthly (annual price is £7.99 monthly).
• GoDaddy Premium plan prices £16.99 monthly (annual price is £11.99 monthly).
• GoDaddy Ecommerce plan prices £19.99 monthly (annual price is £13.99 monthly).

For a deeper perception into the completely different GoDaddy pricing plans and what they provide, go to our GoDaddy pricing web page.

GoDaddy versus key opponents

Wix: We might spotlight a richer function set as one of many primary causes to decide on Wix over GoDaddy. You’ve got a greater number of design templates to decide on between with Wix, and extra artistic management relating to customising them. However, there is a flip-side to that coin. Should you do not need to get caught in to the nitty gritty, and simply need to get a handsome, dependable web site stay, quick, you then actually cannot miss with GoDaddy. It helps time-poor small enterprise house owners to attain every little thing they want with minimal friction.

WordPress: You possibly can virtually consider WordPress as the alternative of GoDaddy, in some regards. The place GoDaddy will enable you to launch a website with out breaking a sweat, WordPress will encourage you to sweat the small stuff. Need to code and customise? WordPress is your pal. Need to get on with operating a enterprise, not understanding methods to create a web site for it? GoDaddy has your again.

Squarespace: GoDaddy and Squarespace are fairly intently related, today. For years, Squarespace would have been the much better alternative due to its a lot slicker design templates – and that is nonetheless largely true. However GoDaddy’s personal templates are catching up quick. They don’t seem to be fairly as customisable, so these with a design-eye may favor to stay to Squarespace. That stated, GoDaddy is considerably cheaper, particularly if you happen to pay for an annual or multi-year plan.

Learn our in-depth GoDaddy overview for extra data

4. Shopify

Greatest for devoted gross sales options when promoting on-line

Shopify pricing

Shopify is not essentially the most inexpensive net builder obtainable for small companies, however you do get loads of bang in your buck. Different web site builders will mean you can promote on-line for cheaper plans – the distinction is that Shopify is oriented in direction of those that are severely seeking to scale their enterprise and need to entry extra superior ecommerce options.

• Shopify Starter – ranging from £5 monthly, Shopify Starter is a superb easy choice for these that do not have the time to hassle with coding or design. Nonetheless, this tier is admittedly aimed toward these seeking to promote by way of their social feeds, reasonably than by creating an internet retailer. For that activity, you will want one of many higher-paid plans, under.
• Primary Shopify – from £19 monthly (billed yearly), this plan is nice for small companies with a low month-to-month gross sales quantity. It consists of fundamental stories, as much as 4 reporting places, and two employees accounts.
• Shopify – from £49 monthly (billed yearly), the Shopify plan offers you extra highly effective reporting instruments and the flexibility to create country-specific domains to optimise your worldwide web optimization. That is nice for rising and worldwide on-line companies.
• Superior Shopify – from £259 monthly (billed yearly) you will get your fingers on a customized report builder, decrease bank card charges, and third-party calculated delivery charges. This highly effective plan is finest for giant on-line shops with a world presence and a considerable buyer base.

Head to our devoted Shopify Pricing web page to be taught extra about the advantages and disadvantages of every tier

Shopify versus key opponents

Wix: Shopify and Wix are our two prime platforms for constructing an internet retailer. We might extremely suggest both if you happen to’re seeking to promote on-line, however, relying on the size and desires of your small business, one might go well with you higher than the opposite. Should you’re constructing a small or boutique retailer, then Wix might show preferable – it has a bigger number of templates, which you’ll simply customise, and its much less complicated gross sales instruments might higher go well with a smaller-scale enterprise. Should you’re seeking to scale quick, then Shopify wins out based mostly on sheer depth of gross sales options. It provides every little thing you’d want for promoting merchandise on-line, analysing your buyer shopping for habits, managing your retailer stock, and tying every little thing in with buyer database and call administration. You are able to do all of the above on Wix, too, via numerous apps and plug-ins, however Shopify provides a holistic ecommerce platform that is laborious to beat.

WordPress: You possibly can construct a completely featured on-line retailer utilizing WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin, which is freely obtainable to WordPress customers. However, there’s lot of coding to get your head round to do that all justice. Whereas WordPress has templates to assist you, they have a tendency to require extra experience to customize. Shopify’s templates are much more approachable for customers who do not know methods to code, or for enterprise house owners that do not have lots of time to place apart into creating an internet retailer. Your ecommerce website will look sensible on Shopify; it might probably additionally look first-class if constructed on WordPress, however you will should put in much more work to get it trying that approach.

Squarespace: We would not name out Squarespace as being the most effective ecommerce platform all spherical, and it actually would not have the depth of options that make Shopify such a powerhouse for promoting on-line. However, its secret weapon is the vary of gorgeous templates that Squarespace provides. Should you’re making a retailer to promote clothes, artwork, equipment or something the place visuals will make an important impression along with your clients, then you can wow them from the phrase go along with Squarespace.

5. Site123

Greatest for website velocity and cupboard space

Site123 pricing

This one’s simple to elucidate. Site123 provides a free tier, which is not strictly splendid for making a small enterprise website anyway – that is one for bloggers, not entrepreneurs.

Should you’re able to spend, the premium Site123 tier is $12.80 monthly.

Site123 versus key opponents

Wix: Wix might not supply as a lot cupboard space as Site123, until you push up the Wix pricing plans, however the depth of options you get from Wix is way superior. In addition to many extra templates (Wix has over 800) to select from when constructing your website, Wix has a richer app retailer for including integrations, and a a lot slicker editor software for customising your website.

Squarespace: Site123’s designs are reasonably present up by Squarespace. The standard of the web site templates you get from Squarespace depart Site123’s within the mud. If you wish to impress your clients from the second they land in your web site, then Squarespace actually is the most suitable choice.

Shopify: Should you’re constructing an internet retailer, Site123 is not a powerful choice. We might steer you in direction of Shopify for its depth of gross sales options and its glorious ecommerce website templates. Shopify is usually a little intimidating for first-timers, so, if you happen to’re constructing a smaller, boutique retailer, then the ecommerce plans from Wix or Squarespace could also be excellent for you.

6. WordPress.com

Greatest worth for web optimization options

WordPress.com pricing

The WordPress plans have a simple pricing construction. We would not suggest the Private plan for enterprise customers. Should you’re a small enterprise with a website that does not anticipate heavy site visitors (suppose 1000’s of tourists monthly) then the Premium plan might go well with higher than the Marketing strategy:

• WordPress.com Private – £3 monthly
• WordPress Premium – £7 monthly
• WordPress Enterprise – £20 monthly

WordPress.com: The Verdict

Should you’re looking out for a strong web site builder that has a stellar providing of web optimization options, WordPress.com might be the choice for you. It comes outfitted with just about all of the web optimization options on supply available in the market, so in case your objective is to spice up your natural attain via web optimization, WordPress.com can be a logical alternative.

Nonetheless, understand that WordPress.com would not essentially have the most effective vary of web site options or design functionalities, so that you may really feel a bit restrained when making an attempt to scale your website.

7. Hostinger

Greatest low-cost web site builder

Hostinger: The Verdict

If you wish to get your web site up and operating with minimal fuss (and with loads of assist do you have to want it), Hostinger is the web site builder for you. As a substitute of providing you a bewildering array of templates, Hostinger simply chooses certainly one of its easy however efficient web site designs for you based mostly in your solutions to a couple questions.

Nonetheless, this simplicity does come on the expense of in-depth options and design flexibility – companies after a extra complicated web site might need to look elsewhere.

How to decide on a web site builder

Each web site builder appears to make the identical boasts – ‘gorgeous templates,’ ‘glad clients,’ and ‘get on-line with ease’ amongst them. And it is true, quite a lot of web site builders will enable you to do a lot the identical factor – create a web site for your small business or private model.

However, there are some key variations in how they go about this, and a few manufacturers have higher strengths than others. Under, we’ll speak you thru a number of the primary concerns when making a website with a web site builder.

What sort of website are you making?

That is significantly key to your alternative of web site builder. Do you simply want a easy touchdown web page or two to elucidate your small business and methods to get in contact? Or, are you creating an internet retailer with 1000’s of merchandise listed to promote? In addition to affecting which website builder it’s best to select, these sorts of questions have fairly an impression on how a lot cash it’s best to spend to make your website (see part under).

Listed here are a couple of pointers from our personal analysis and time spent testing the most effective web site builders available on the market:

• Should you’re creating an internet retailer: then your finest choices are Wix (for smaller, boutique shops), Shopify (for bigger shops that deal with greater volumes of transactions) and Squarespace (for design-focused shops promoting clothers, artwork and equipment). Any of those platforms provides you with every little thing that you must course of on-line funds, handle your retailer stock, and create a genuinely spectacular shop-front to wow your clients. You may have to pay extra for an ecommerce retailer, with costs usually ranging from £20 monthly. You may additionally have to consider transaction charges in your gross sales.
• Should you’re making a easy enterprise data website: then you’ll be able to’t go fallacious with Wix, GoDaddy or Squarespace. Each of those manufacturers supply unbelievable templates for making a touchdown web page or two that allow you to describe your small business – whether or not it is a building agency, consultancy or restaurant. You possibly can then simply customise your website with your individual phrases, imagery and logos. You possibly can create a website like this in underneath a day, and the prices are usually decrease, usually within the £10-£15 monthly vary.
• Should you’re making a portfolio website: to point out off your designs, photographs or inspiring examples of your previous work, we would extremely suggest Squarespace. Its lovely templates may give you a professional-looking website with spot-on visuals which can be sure to impress.

How a lot time do it’s a must to spend on making a website?

As a time-strapped enterprise proprietor, if you happen to’re creating a web site for your self, you then’re not going to need to spend countless weeks and months getting it prepared. That is why web site builders are the proper assist.

Should you’re eager to get a website stay, and quick, then you need to use the AI-assisted web site constructing processes from the likes of Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy. These will usually ask you a couple of questions on the kind of website you are seeking to construct, and ask you to feed again on types of design you do or don’t love. You may then be provided a number of templates to select from, and you may be taking a look at a skeleton model of your website in a matter of minutes.

You possibly can then customise this skeleton structure with your individual imagery (changing the placeholder pictures) and textual content. Should you do not have already got a enterprise emblem, a number of the web site builders may even enable you to create one, for an added price. After all, this customisation step will be as fast or as thorough as you’d prefer it to be. You possibly can chip away at it slowly earlier than feeling able to publish, or throw every little thing collectively as quick as potential and nonetheless produce a professional-looking website inside a day or two.

If, nonetheless, you need to actually get underneath the hood of your website, then it’s possible you’ll need to take longer with the customisation and with including integrations and deeper options. Constructing an internet retailer tends to take longer, due to the method of importing (or creating) a product stock and establishing the gross sales course of and methods to take funds. You may discover a web site builder will assist you all through, with clear tutorials and teady-made templates for integrations, however it’s positively greater than a day’s work to create an internet retailer. Assume weeks, reasonably than months, although!

Code versus no code

If you wish to get underneath the hood of your website and delve into the coding and customisation, you then’ll discover most web site builders make this potential. Nonetheless, if that is your degree of experience, it might be higher to decide on WordPress over typical web site builders akin to Wix or Squarespace. Because of its countless skill to allow you to customise, WordPress is the extra highly effective software for superior customers to depend on.

However, anybody who lacks this degree of experience would do higher to keep away from WordPress and belief a web site builder. A software akin to GoDaddy can have your website up and operating for you with out ever requiring you to go close to the code. Wix may protect you from the complexities of coding, however preserve the choice there for you if you happen to ever determine you want it.

The beauty of web site builders is that they democratise entry to constructing websites – you do not have to be skilled or technical to create one thing that genuinely appears to be like spectacular.

How a lot do you need to spend?

After all, the reply to that is normally “as little as you will get away with” – enterprise overheads are dreadful sufficient as they’re.

You needn’t lay our a fortune to create a powerful web site utilizing any of the instruments we have included on this web page. As a normal rule of thumb, count on to spend within the area of the next:

• For a fundamental enterprise or restaurant website: from £7 – £15 monthly (paid yearly)
• For a small on-line retailer: round £20 monthly is typical
• For a bigger ecommerce retailer: prices can rise to over £200 monthly for bigger on-line shops processing quite a lot of transactions

There are some extra prices to contemplate, too

• Buying a site with your small business title within the URL (from round £10 per 12 months, however this could rise significantly for in-demand domains)
• Getting a enterprise electronic mail handle: this may usually price round £5 per handle, monthly
• Internet hosting your web site: some web site builders will embody this totally free; in any other case, it might probably price over £50 per 12 months for a small website with out an enormous quantity of trfafic

How does a web site builder work?

There are two kinds of web site builder: offline and on-line. On-line is the most well-liked, and it may be opened in your laptop as simply as beginning a brand new search tab. Then again, offline web site builders are for apps you’ll be able to obtain which means you do not have to be ‘on-line’ to have the ability to edit your web site. We suggest the net model just because it requires no coding, is extra person pleasant, and would not take up house in your software program from having to obtain an app. Bear in mind all the web site builders on this record are on-line.

Web site builders usually use a easy drag-and-drop interface so that each side of the web site is versatile and adaptable. It then converts each change you make on the entrance finish (the half that customers will see) into code for the backend (the half that controls a website’s construction, information, logic).

To make issues even simpler, on-line web site builders supply templates or themes based mostly on the kind of web site you are attempting to create.

For instance, in case you are a dentistry agency, Squarespace (our primary platform for templates) provides you with an acceptable, clean-looking theme to edit from – saving you time and due to this fact cash.

What kinds of companies are web site builders appropriate for?

Web site builders supply customers a DIY platform, serving to them keep away from the necessity to rent a third-party net designer. This implies they are usually favoured by small or microbusinesses that simply want a easy digital shopfront to begin promoting or promoting from.

One other enchantment for this group is that you could get set it up rapidly. Wix is an instance of a web site builder that could be very simple to make use of and is nice for these eager to launch a aspect hustle or do not have quite a lot of free time.

Ecommerce web site builders are a selected subgenre of web site builder. These instruments mean you can arrange an internet retailer and management issues like product stock, gross sales, and promotions from one house. This makes them a preferred alternative amongst on-line retailers or dropshipping firms.

How we check web site builders for small companies

We examined 10 web site builders to judge them when it comes to performance, usability, accuracy, and aesthetics so we are able to take advantage of helpful suggestions to small UK-based companies.

Our rigorous testing course of means these merchandise have been scored and rated in six primary classes of investigation and 33 subcategories – the truth is, we lined 251 areas of investigation in whole. We then gave every class rating a ‘relevance weighting’ to make sure the product’s last rating completely displays the wants of our Startups.co.uk readers.

Our primary testing classes for web site builders are:

Web site Options: the capabilities and functionalities provided by a web site builder, e.g. weblog performance, web optimization functionality, and advertising capability.

Design: the aesthetic enchantment and visible structure of a web site created utilizing a web site builder. It encompasses features akin to web page templates and customisable themes.

Buyer Rating: exterior buyer opinion; the suggestions and rankings given by clients who’ve used a selected web site builder – the market place and fame a web site builder holds.

Ease of Use: how user-friendly and intuitive a web site builder is for individuals with various ranges of technical experience.

Worth for Cash: the stability between the price of a web site builder and the advantages it supplies. It considers elements akin to pricing plans, subscription fashions, and obtainable options.

Assist and Help: the help and assets obtainable to customers after they encounter points or want steering whereas utilizing a web site builder.

The Startups product testing course of

Our verdict and subsequent steps

Though all the web site builders that function on our record have their strengths and weaknesses, it’s Wix that comes out strongest as the most effective general alternative for constructing a small enterprise web site.

Squarespace runs Wix shut, and arguably betters it relating to the attractiveness of its templates – making it an awesome alternative for artistic companies. And, if you happen to’re seeking to create an internet retailer, then Shopify provides an distinctive depth of gross sales options that may set you up for big progress.

Whichever web site builder you select, be certain it suits the wants of your small business and your ambitions to scale in future. Many web site builders supply free plans and free trials, so it is simple to check out a couple of and discover one which works for you. With AI-powered web site builders letting you see what your website may appear to be in just some minutes, there’s by no means been a greater time to dive in and see what you’ll be able to create.