We might receive compensation from the companies whose products we review. We are independently owned and the opinions here are our own.
The best website builder for most people in 2026 is Wix: it has a usable free plan, hundreds of templates, built-in AI setup, and paid plans from $17/mo billed yearly with a free domain for the first year. Squarespace (from $19/mo billed annually) is the best choice for polished, design-led sites, Hostinger Website Builder is the cheapest at $2.49/mo on a 48-month term, and Square Online is the best free option for local businesses that want to sell online.
We compared nine builders on price, free plans, templates, selling tools and policies, based on each company’s published pricing and documentation.
Updated October 2026.
Go to:
Best website builders at a glance
Prices as published in October 2026. Annual prices are per month, billed yearly.
| Builder | Best for | Free plan | Starting paid price | Billed monthly | Free domain (year one) | Refund or trial | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Best overall | Yes | $17/mo (Light) | $24/mo | Yes, on yearly plans | 14-day money-back | 4.6/5 |
| Squarespace | Design-led sites | No | $19/mo (Basic) | $25/mo | Yes, on annual plans | 14-day free trial | 4.5/5 |
| Hostinger Website Builder | Lowest price | No | $2.49/mo (48 months), renews $10.99/mo | Not applicable | Yes | 30-day money-back | 4.4/5 |
| Shopify | Online stores | No | $29/mo (Basic) | $39/mo | No | 3-day trial, then $1/mo for 3 months | 4.4/5 |
| Square Online | Free site for local sellers | Yes (Square Free) | $49/mo (Square Plus, per location) | Same | Check at checkout | Free plan | 4.3/5 |
| Webflow | Designers and agencies | Yes | $15/mo (Basic) | $25/mo | Not stated | Free Starter plan | 4.3/5 |
| WordPress.com | Blogs and content sites | Yes | $4/mo (Personal) | $9/mo | Yes, on annual plans | 14 days on annual plans | 4.2/5 |
| BigCommerce | Large catalogs, B2B | No | $29/mo (Core) | $39/mo | Not stated | 15-day free trial | 4.1/5 |
| GoDaddy Airo | Fast AI setup | Yes | $9.99/mo (Starter) | Check at checkout | Check at checkout | Free plan | 4.0/5 |
Our verdict: start with Wix if you want flexibility and a free plan to test, Squarespace if design matters most, Hostinger if price is the priority, and Shopify if selling products is the main goal.
How we evaluated the best website builders
We compared each builder’s published pricing, plan limits, free-plan restrictions, e-commerce fees, template libraries, refund and trial policies, and help documentation as of October 2026. We did not build test sites for this guide. Each builder was scored on:
- Ease of use: editor style, onboarding and AI setup tools.
- Design: template quality, mobile layouts and customization.
- Value: price, renewal terms, free plan limits and what is included (domain, SSL, email).
- Features: SEO tools, blogging, forms, analytics, booking and e-commerce.
- Policies and support: refunds, trials, support channels and documentation.
Ratings are our editorial assessment based on those criteria.
The 9 best website builders in 2026
1. Wix: best website builder overall
Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder that lets users design and build sites without any coding skills. It’s easy to use, and any person with basic computer knowledge can use the platform.
Read our full review here.Best for: small businesses, freelancers and creators who want design freedom and a large app market.
Price: Light costs $17/mo billed yearly ($24 monthly), Core $29/mo ($36 monthly), Business $39/mo ($46 monthly) and Business Elite $159/mo. Yearly plans include a free domain voucher for one year, redeemable within 60 days. Wix offers a 14-day money-back guarantee on your first Premium upgrade.
Strengths: Wix’s free plan lets you build and publish on a wixsite.com address before paying. Its drag-and-drop editor, AI site creation and app market cover bookings, events, restaurants, blogs and online stores. Selling starts on the Core plan, and Wix Payments in the US charges 2.9% + 30 cents per card transaction.
Limits: the free plan shows Wix branding and cannot use a custom domain, and costs rise quickly if you add apps. Read our full Wix review.
2. Squarespace: best for design-led websites
Squarespace is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) program that allows people to build and host a website. The company has added e-commerce, domain name tools, and lots of analytics. It also replaced backend coding with simpler drag-and-drop features.
Read our full review here.Best for: portfolios, creatives, restaurants and service businesses that want a polished site with little effort.
Price: Basic costs $19/mo billed annually ($25 monthly), Core $29/mo ($39 monthly), Plus $49/mo and Advanced $99/mo. Annual plans include a free domain for a year, and there is a 14-day free trial with no card needed. Annual plans can be refunded within 14 days, minus the domain fee.
Strengths: Squarespace templates are among the most refined available, and every paid plan can sell. Commerce transaction fees are 2% on Basic and 0% on Core and above, and Squarespace Domains (which took over Google Domains customers) makes domain management simple.
Limits: there is no free plan, and the editor gives less freeform control than Wix. See our Squarespace review.
Start a Squarespace free trial
3. Hostinger Website Builder: best budget website builder
Hostinger offers feature-rich plans that many small businesses find helpful, provided they understand how to use them. Tutorials and some tech support is provided. It offers scalable virtual servers, WordPress-friendly optimizations, and backups for websites. Hostinger has some of the best web infrastructure too.
Read our full review here.Best for: cost-conscious small businesses and first-time site owners.
Price: Hostinger’s Premium plan, which includes the website builder, costs $2.49/mo on a 48-month term ($119.52 upfront) and renews at $10.99/mo. The Unlimited plan ($3.49/mo, renews $16.99/mo) adds e-commerce with 0% transaction fees.
Strengths: Hostinger Website Builder (formerly Zyro, whose site now redirects to Hostinger) includes AI tools to generate layouts and text, a free domain for a year, hosting, SSL and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Hostinger has also folded its Horizons AI app builder into these plans.
Limits: the lowest price requires a four-year prepayment, and there is no free plan. Read our Zyro (Hostinger Website Builder) review.
4. Shopify: best for online stores
Those who want to sell online and combine that with a physical store can find all they need to manage both options with Shopify. Shopify has set the pace in e-commerce with a website builder, point-of-sale hardware, and customer chat options.
Read our full review here.Best for: businesses whose main goal is selling products online.
Price: Basic costs $29/mo billed yearly ($39 monthly), Grow $79/mo and Advanced $299/mo. New stores get a 3-day free trial, then $1/mo for three months on most plans. Shopify’s $5 Starter plan is no longer available to new stores.
Strengths: Shopify has the deepest selling toolkit of any builder, including inventory, shipping, taxes, point of sale and thousands of apps. With Shopify Payments, US online card rates start at 2.9% + 30 cents on Basic.
Limits: using a third-party payment gateway adds a 2% fee on Basic, and apps add monthly costs. See our Shopify review.
5. Square Online: best free website builder for local sellers
Square Online builder is an easy-to-use website builder that lets users create attractive online stores. It provides businesses with a simple and straightforward way to get online and start selling. Square Online has grown to include advanced mobile processing solutions like analytics, reporting, payroll, point of sale, recurring payments, invoices, and multiple apps.
Read our full review here.Best for: restaurants, retailers and service businesses that want to sell online and in person.
Price: Since Square’s unified plans launched in October 2025, websites and online ordering are included in Square Free ($0), with online card payments at 3.3% + 30 cents. Square Plus costs $49/mo per location and lowers online rates to 2.9% + 30 cents; Square Premium costs $149/mo.
Strengths: you can publish a store on a free square.site address and start taking payments without a subscription, with inventory synced to Square’s point-of-sale system.
Limits: design options are simpler than Wix or Squarespace, and the free plan uses Square’s subdomain. See our Square Online review.
6. Webflow: best for designers and agencies
While Webflow can be used by anyone for a webpage, it’s the web designers who build sites for other people who seem drawn to it. That’s because it’s a no-code builder, meaning it’s a user-friendly way to create a site without knowing a thing about HTML, CSS, or the working knowledge of a web developer.
Read our full review here.Best for: designers, agencies and marketing teams that want pixel-level control and a powerful CMS.
Price: The free Starter plan includes a webflow.io subdomain, two static pages and 50 CMS items. Basic costs $15/mo billed yearly ($25 monthly), and the new Premium plan $25/mo ($39 monthly). E-commerce plans start at $29/mo billed yearly with a 2% transaction fee.
Strengths: Webflow produces clean, fast sites with advanced interactions and a structured CMS, and it is popular with professional designers.
Limits: the learning curve is steep for beginners, and e-commerce is more limited than Shopify. See our Webflow review.
7. WordPress.com: best for blogs and content sites
Best for: bloggers, writers and publishers who want WordPress without managing hosting.
Price: WordPress.com has a free plan with a subdomain and ads. Personal costs $4/mo billed annually ($9 monthly), Premium $8/mo, Business $25/mo and Commerce $45/mo. Annual plans include a free domain for one year, with refunds within 14 days on annual plans.
Strengths: it runs the same WordPress software that powers 39.6% of all websites (W3Techs, October 2026), with hosting, security and updates handled for you. Higher plans add plugins and full WooCommerce.
Limits: lower plans restrict plugins and themes, and payments on lower tiers carry platform fees.
8. BigCommerce: best for large catalogs
While it may not be the biggest name in the industry, BigCommerce has put itself into the limelight by offering several features like search engine optimization (SEO), web hosting, customer groups, and segmentation. It is one of the most versatile platforms for global sales, using multiple currencies, payment, and versatile shipping options.
Read our full review here.Best for: growing retailers, multi-channel sellers and B2B stores.
Price: Core costs $29/mo billed annually ($39 monthly) for online sales up to $30,000 a year, Growth $79/mo for up to $100,000 and Scale $299/mo. There is a 15-day free trial and no BigCommerce fee when you use an embedded payment provider.
Strengths: strong built-in catalog features, multi-channel selling and B2B tools.
Limits: annual sales caps push you to higher plans as you grow, and it is overkill for non-store websites. See our BigCommerce review.
9. GoDaddy Airo: best for fast AI setup
GoDaddy is a great service for those who want professional sites that adapt to mobile views and are easy to pull together. It isn’t for those who want to be super creative regarding appearance and who need extra features and plugins to do that. It has limited phone editing and mobile customization that might annoy some.
Learn moreBest for: small business owners who want a simple site generated by AI in minutes.
Price: According to GoDaddy’s own published guidance (June 2026), the Airo AI Builder has a free tier (one published site, no custom domain), Starter at $9.99/mo billed annually, Professional at $24.99/mo with e-commerce, and Ultimate at $99.99/mo.
Strengths: Airo uses AI credits to generate a starter site and copy from a short description, and keeps your domain, email and website in one GoDaddy account.
Limits: fewer design controls than Wix or Squarespace, and e-commerce requires the Professional tier. See our GoDaddy Website Builder review.
What features should you look for in a website builder?
Lots of templates to choose from
Look for modern, mobile-friendly templates designed for your industry, and check how much you can customize them.
Ease of use
Test the editor on a free plan or trial. Drag-and-drop editors (Wix) give more freedom, while section-based editors (Squarespace, Square Online) are harder to break.
SEO features
You should be able to edit page titles, meta descriptions, URLs and image alt text, set redirects, and get an automatic sitemap.
Image library
Built-in free stock photos and image editing save time and licensing costs.
Customer support and tutorials
Check for 24/7 chat or email support, a searchable help center and video tutorials.
Blog functionality
If you plan to publish content, look for categories, tags, scheduling and RSS. WordPress.com and Wix are strong here.
Form builder
Contact forms, booking forms and newsletter sign-ups should be built in.
Website analytics
Built-in traffic and sales reports, plus easy Google Analytics and Search Console connections.
E-commerce features
If you plan to sell, compare transaction fees, payment options, inventory tools, shipping and taxes. Builders range from basic checkout to full stores. See our guide to the best e-commerce website builders.
How much does a website builder cost in 2026?
Most website builders cost between about 5 and 0 per month for a small business site when billed annually, based on October 2026 pricing. Here is how the tiers typically break down:
- Free plans (/bin/bash): Wix, Square Online, Webflow, WordPress.com and GoDaddy Airo let you publish on a subdomain with the builder’s branding. Good for testing, not for a business.
- Entry plans (about $4 to $19 per month): connect your own domain and remove branding. Examples are WordPress.com Personal ($4), GoDaddy Airo Starter ($9.99), Webflow Basic ($15), Wix Light ($17) and Squarespace Basic ($19). Hostinger Website Builder costs $2.49/mo if you prepay 48 months.
- Business and commerce plans (about $29 to $49 per month): add online payments, lower transaction fees, more storage and marketing tools. Examples are Wix Core, Squarespace Core, Shopify Basic and BigCommerce Core at $29, and Square Plus at $49 per location.
- Advanced plans ($79 and up): for high-volume stores and teams, such as Shopify Grow, BigCommerce Growth and Wix Business Elite.
Monthly billing costs noticeably more: Wix Light is $24 instead of $17, Squarespace Basic $25 instead of $19, and Shopify Basic $39 instead of $29. Also budget for a domain after any free first year, professional email, and paid apps or extensions. Our guide to website costs has a fuller breakdown.
Website builder vs. WordPress: which should you choose?
A hosted website builder bundles hosting, design tools, security and support in one subscription, so it is the fastest way to launch. WordPress.org is free, open-source software you install on your own web hosting, which gives you more control, thousands of plugins and the freedom to move hosts, but you handle updates and security.
Choose a builder if you want a site live this week with minimal upkeep. Choose WordPress on a good host if you plan a content-heavy site or need custom functionality. Our step-by-step guide on how to build a website compares both routes, and our CMS guide covers the trade-offs in more depth.
Before you start, check that your name is available as a domain and on social media with Namechk, or generate ideas with the business name generator.
FAQs
What is the best website builder for beginners in 2026?
Wix is the best website builder for most beginners in 2026 because it has a free plan to practice on, a flexible drag-and-drop editor, AI site creation and paid plans from $17/mo billed yearly. Squarespace is easier to keep looking polished, starting at $19/mo billed annually, and Hostinger Website Builder is the cheapest at $2.49/mo on a 48-month term.
What is the difference between a CMS and a website builder?
A content management system (CMS) such as WordPress.org is software you install on your own hosting and extend with plugins and themes, giving you full control but more maintenance. A website builder such as Wix or Squarespace is a hosted service that bundles hosting, templates, security and support, so it is easier to use but less flexible and harder to move.
How long does it take to build a website with a website builder?
A simple site with five to eight pages can go live in a few hours to a weekend with a website builder, especially if you use an AI setup tool and have your text and photos ready. Larger sites or online stores with many products take longer, so plan time for testing forms, checkout and the mobile layout.
Are there free website builders?
Yes. Wix, Square Online, Webflow, WordPress.com and GoDaddy Airo all have free plans. Free sites use the builder’s subdomain, show its branding and have storage or page limits. Square’s free plan is unusual in letting you sell online. To use your own domain, you need a paid plan.
Which website builder is best for an online store?
Shopify is the best website builder for a dedicated online store, starting at $29/mo billed yearly with deep inventory, shipping and app support. Square Online is best for local businesses that also sell in person and want a free plan, while Squarespace Core ($29/mo billed annually, 0% transaction fees) suits small design-led shops.
Do website builders include a free domain?
Many do for the first year on annual plans. Wix, Squarespace, Hostinger and WordPress.com include a free domain for one year when you pay annually; Wix requires you to redeem it within 60 days. Shopify does not include a free custom domain. After the first year, the domain renews at the provider’s standard price.
Can I move my site from one website builder to another?
Usually not directly. Hosted builders such as Wix, Squarespace and Shopify use their own formats, so switching normally means rebuilding the design and copying content, although blog posts and products can often be exported. Your domain can always move: if it is registered in your name, you can point it to a new builder or host at any time.
CHK_ YOUR NAME RIGHT NOW
Use our engine to quickly check your content right now!
