What Is the Best Website Builder? Wix vs Squarespace vs Shopify vs WordPress vs Webflow vs Framer (DIY Site Builders Compared)
The best do-it-yourself website builder depends on what you're building
In this article
There's no single best website builder; it depends on what you're building. In short: Wix is the easiest all-rounder for small businesses, Squarespace is best for polished design-led sites, Shopify is the leader for online stores, WordPress offers the most flexibility and plugins, Webflow and Framer are favourites for modern marketing sites with designer control, and Google Sites is the simplest free option for basic pages. If speed, unique design or complex integrations matter, a custom-built site may outperform all of them.
Website builders compared
| Builder | Ease of use | Design control | E-commerce | SEO | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Very easy | High (drag and drop) | Good | Good | Small businesses, local services, DIY beginners |
| Squarespace | Easy | Polished templates | Good | Good | Creatives, portfolios, boutique brands |
| Shopify | Easy | Themes + apps | Excellent | Good | Online stores of any size |
| WordPress.org | Medium | Very high (themes, builders like Elementor) | Excellent with WooCommerce | Excellent with plugins | Content sites, flexibility, ownership |
| Webflow | Medium to hard | Very high (visual CSS) | Moderate | Excellent | Designers, agencies, marketing sites |
| Framer | Easy to medium | Very high, modern animations | Limited | Good | Startups, landing pages, portfolios |
| Hostinger Website Builder | Very easy | Medium | Basic to good | Basic | Budget sites with AI-assisted setup |
| Google Sites | Very easy | Low | None | Basic | Free internal or simple pages |
| Carrd | Very easy | Medium | Minimal | Basic | One-page sites and link pages |
Features and pricing change regularly; check current plans.
Best website builder by use case
| You need… | Best choice |
|---|---|
| A simple small business site, fast | Wix or Squarespace |
| An online store | Shopify (or WooCommerce on WordPress) |
| A blog or content-heavy site | WordPress |
| A beautiful portfolio | Squarespace or Framer |
| A startup landing page with animations | Framer or Webflow (see What is a landing page?) |
| An agency-built marketing site clients can edit | Webflow or WordPress |
| A free basic site | Google Sites, free plans of Wix/Framer |
| Maximum speed and custom features | Custom-built (e.g., Astro, Next.js) |
What to look for in a site builder
- Ease of editing for whoever will update content
- Templates that fit your industry
- Mobile responsiveness
- Speed and Core Web Vitals performance
- SEO controls: titles, meta descriptions, URLs, redirects, structured data, sitemap
- Integrations: booking, CRM, email marketing, WhatsApp, payments (see What is a webhook?)
- E-commerce features if selling
- AI tools for generating drafts (useful starting point, needs editing)
- Pricing over time, including apps and transaction fees
- Export and lock-in: can you move your site later?
- Support and community
Pros and cons of DIY website builders
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low upfront cost | Monthly fees add up |
| Hosting, security and SSL included | Template look unless customised well |
| Quick to launch | Platform lock-in; migration can be painful |
| Easy updates without a developer | Performance can suffer with heavy apps |
| Large app marketplaces | Advanced features may need paid apps or workarounds |
Website builder vs custom website
| Website builder | Custom-built website | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low | Higher |
| Speed | Good to average | Can be excellent |
| Design uniqueness | Template-based | Fully unique |
| Integrations and automation | Through apps | Anything via APIs |
| Ownership | Platform-dependent | You own the code |
| Editing | Very easy | Needs a CMS or developer |
Many businesses start on a builder and move to a custom or professionally built site when the website becomes a key growth channel. (Costs: How much does a website cost?)
How to find what a website is built with
If you like a site and want to know its platform, see What is this website built with?
Frequently asked questions
What is the best website builder?
It depends on your needs: Wix for easy small business sites, Squarespace for design-led sites, Shopify for online stores, WordPress for flexibility, and Webflow or Framer for modern marketing sites.
What is the best do-it-yourself site builder?
For most beginners, Wix and Squarespace are the easiest DIY builders, with drag-and-drop editing, templates and built-in hosting.
What is the best website builder for small business?
Wix and Squarespace for service businesses, Shopify for retailers, and WordPress if you want long-term flexibility and content marketing.
Is WordPress better than Wix?
WordPress is more flexible and gives more ownership but needs more maintenance. Wix is easier and faster to launch but less flexible and harder to migrate away from.
What is the cheapest website builder?
Google Sites and the free plans of Wix, Webflow and Framer cost nothing; budget builders like Hostinger and Carrd have low-cost paid plans.
Should I use a website builder or hire a developer?
Use a builder for simple sites and tight budgets. Hire a professional when the website drives significant revenue or needs custom design, speed, integrations or automation.
Want a custom website built for your business?
I design and build fast, modern websites that turn visitors into customers, with booking, WhatsApp and automations built in. Tell me about your business.
Start a conversationWritten by Sachin Rawat
AI & automation engineer · websites, apps and motion design
I build AI agents, automations, websites, apps and motion design for businesses. These guides answer the questions people actually search, written from hands-on experience building them.
Work with meMore stories