Best Website Builder in 2022 (Ranked & Reviewed)

The best website builders are easy to use, navigate, and get started.

These builder tools all possess a wide range of features that can be tailored to the requirements of any website.

Lastly, they go the extra mile to ensure that all the support and resources needed to build a successful website are readily available.

So how does one distinguish which is the best website builder? Read on to discover the ins and outs of these powerful tools and choose the best website builder for your needs.

What are the Best Website Builders in 2022?

In the past, one had to be tech-savvy to build or create a website. Website builder software has changed the landscape and has made the process of having a business website a lot easier for the average Joe with no technical skills.

To develop website builder software, you need to know the competition because it is fierce, and it's unlikely many newcomers will gain much traction in this segment. You have to invest in features other web builder tools don't offer. And you need a builder tool that creates an outstanding experience for its user.

• The builders in this article have ensured that you don’t need to possess technical skills or be an expert coder to create your website.
• The website builders mentioned are more than eager to assist you in creating a professional and beautifully designed business website that can take your online business to the next level.

The growth and increased popularity of the website-building industry have presented many options to choose from. However, it can be quite overwhelming to comb through all the options before finding a suitable one for your needs.

We have done our due diligence and have come up with the 13 best website builders for 2022, along with the top five picks carefully classified by how they best benefit you and ranking as the #1 best website builder for this year. You'll find lots of information about each of the best website builder tools to enable you to make an informed decision and resources to get you going.

Our Review and Ranking of the Top Website Builders in 2022!

Zyro is now Hostinger Web Builder

Hostinger's website builder is a newcomer and has taken the web builder community by storm. In our opinion, they are the best website builder.

They offer beginner-friendly tools, a deep commitment to features, designer templates, and the deepest bench of AI tools. Additionally, the drag-and-drop interface is grid-based and relatively easy to use.

Its eCommerce functionality and affordability make it the ideal choice for solopreneurs and SMBs looking for the best eCommerce website builder.

Read our complete Hostinger web builder review for additional information on this powerful builder tool.

Does Hostinger offer email hosting with a paid plan?

Yes, they do. The premium email service is available to all users with an active Hostinger plan.

Does Hostinger offer website images for free?

Hostinger has partnered with Unsplash to enable its users to access 1 million free images when building a website or online store with Hostinger.

Does Hostinger offer website migration to their platform?

No, they don’t. However, they have well-laid instructions on their website to do so. 

Does Hostinger offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. Domain name registration is handled quickly and with no effort needed from you. Once you settle on a domain name and buy it, domain name registration is pretty much instant.

Pros of Hostinger Web Builder

• Aesthetic, pre-built designer templates
• Easy drag-and-drop editor
• Valuable AI tools

Cons of Hostinger Web Builder

• Unable to switch templates after the site is live
• No free plans are available
• Limited photo editing options

Hostinger Web Builder Pricing

Price: ($2.99/month) – Free domain for 1 year, Free email, 24/7 Customer support, and marketing integrations.

Hostinger Customer Support

Hostinger offers customer support through live chat, emails, and social media support.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a giant in the website building space. You can create professional-looking websites without hiring any web designer. Squarespace also offers more features than other website builders.

With their 14-day free trial period, you can create multiple websites that are stunning and professional. You, however, would need to provide them with your credit card details to enjoy the 14-day trial for free.

They have a lot of amazing e-commerce features like inventory management that will appeal to small business owners. With Squarespace, you don’t need technical skills or coding knowledge to make your online store. Yes, it’s that easy!

Does Squarespace offer email hosting with a paid plan?

No, they don’t. You can use an external email hosting service, but Squarespace will still host your site.

Does Squarespace offer website images for free?

Unsplash is integrated with Squarespace, giving you access to a wide variety of royalty-free stock photos under the free collection in the Squarespace image block search function.

Does Squarespace offer website migration to their platform?

Yes, they do. They have a well-detailed section that outlines the steps to follow.

Does Squarespace offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. You can register multiple domains on all trial sites or most paid plans.

Pros of Squarespace Website Builder

• Great customer support
• Back end design is super easy to navigate
• Wide variety of templates and beautiful designs

Cons of Squarespace Website Builder

• No support for third-party apps, extensions, and plugins
• Their prices are on the high side
• General lack of modern marketing tools

Squarespace Pricing

Personal: ($14/month) – Free custom domain, SSL security, unlimited bandwidth, 24/7 support, and much more.

Business: ($23/month) – Professional email from Google, premium integration and blocks, advanced features for checking website analytics, and much more.

Basic Commerce: ($27/month) – Full access to Squarespace video studio app, sell unlimited products, checkout on your domain, and much more.

Advanced Commerce: ($49/month) – Sell subscriptions, advanced shipping, advanced discounts, and more.

Squarespace Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Squarespace is rated as one of the website builders with the best customer support. They offer support through email, live chat, a chat with the support assistant, SquarespaceHelp on Twitter, and finding outage updates on its status page and Twitter.

Duda

If you’re looking to build an eye-catching website, you should seriously consider this site builder because they have one of the better website designs.

Duda has many impressive features, like its multilingual capability and excellent drag-and-drop functionality. Duda makes it so easy for its customers to cater to international clients. What’s not to love?

Does Duda offer email hosting with a paid plan?

Duda currently doesn’t host email accounts, and you will need to go through another provider to implement custom email capability.

Does Duda offer website images for free?

Duda has an editor where you have access to a wide variety of free photographs that you can use to represent your brand.

Does Duda offer website migration to their platform?

Yes, they do. Duda offers data migration, manual migration, and fast migration.

Does Duda offer domain registration?

No, they don’t. However, they listed a few registrars where you can purchase your domain. You can purchase a domain with a Google domain or Hover domain. However, if you choose to register with another registrar apart from the ones specified, ensure the registrar you choose supports CNAME records and 301 redirects.

Pros of Duda

• Flexible and easy to use
• Great for multilingual websites
• Easy customization

Cons of Duda

• Lack of SEO tools
• Limited app store
• Site porting is not allowed to a different host

Duda Pricing

Basic: ($14/month) – 1 website included, sites hosted on AWS, email support.

Team: ($22/month) – 1 website included, sites hosted on AWS, phone, chat & email support, Your brand on every part of the platform, Access to team & client management features, and so much more!

Agency: ($44/month) – 4 websites & AWS hosting included priority support via phone, chat & email, Your brand on every part of the platform, Access to team & client management features, and so much more.

Custom: (Contact support for more info) – Tiered discount pricing, access to Duda’s robust API, Single Sign-On (SSO), integration with external datasets, onboarding & account management, and more.

Best Duda Deal

Free: Duda does not offer a free website builder.

Trial: Duda offers a 14-day free trial to test the team plan.

Guarantee: You get a 30-day money-back guarantee on any paid Duda plans.

Sale: Duda is not running any promo campaigns at the moment.

Duda Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Duda has a satisfactory customer service rating of 4.0/5, which is pretty solid in this space. They offer customer support through phone calls, emails, and live chat.

Check out Duda

Wix

This drag-and-drop builder software holds a top spot for being the fastest website builder in our tests. That means a lot when page speed is critical for achieving organic search engine rankings.

This simple website builder offers a free plan for life that you can use to create a professional website. You can create a simple website within minutes from scratch using their drag-and-drop website builder.

It is a perfect choice for small business owners. The inventory management feature also makes it a great e-commerce website builder. With their advanced eCommerce functionality, you can sell online with ease. They also have great SEO features for a higher ranking.

This most popular website builder has one of the most straightforward customizable templates and is an excellent choice for bloggers to build a free blog site. You can build a drag-and-drop website within minutes using Wix.

Does Wix offer email hosting with a paid plan?

No, they don’t. However, once you have your domain, you can purchase a Google Workspace plan and get a custom email address using your domain. Wix is in partnership with Google to give you 30GB of drive storage and other features.

Does Wix offer website images for free?

Absolutely! There are tons of royalty-free images to choose from; however, Wix images are available for digital use only within the platform.

Does Wix offer website migration to their platform?

Yes, they do. The Cart2Cart app helps you migrate to Wix from over 80 e-commerce platforms to enable you to create your dream online store.

Does Wix offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. Not only can you search for a domain name and register, but you also get a 1-year free domain voucher when you sign up for a yearly premium plan.

Pros of Wix Website Builder

• Beginner-friendly and easy to use
• Great customer service
• Very attractive and well-designed templates

Cons of Wix Website Builder

• Absence of unlimited plans
• The drag-and-drop designs tend to inhibit creativity
• The Wix starter plan doesn’t remove ads from your site

Wix Pricing

Website Premium: (Starting at $4.50/month) – Custom domain, Free SSL certificate, 1 GB Bandwidth, 500 MB Storage space, and 24/7 customer care.

Business & eCommerce Premium: (Starting at $17/month) – Secure online payments, custom domain, free domain for 1 year, remove Wix ads, unlimited bandwidth, and much more!

Wix Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Wix has been awarded a 4.1 rating by Glassdoor, which is good. Wix offers support through their online help center, support ticket, and social media channels.

Weebly

Note: Weebly is now officially Square E-Commerce after being acquired by Square.

Weebly is a great option for your website needs, not just because of their high-quality free plan but because they offer great pricing, good functionality, and a fantastic user experience. This drag-and-drop website builder is also very easy to use.

You won't need professional web designers if you use Weebly. Weebly's features make it very easy to create a stunning professional website. Using Weebly, you can add photo galleries to your website or build offers for your customers.

With all the fantastic designs and features available on the platform, you can’t go wrong with Weebly!

Does Weebly offer email hosting with a paid plan?

No, they don’t. Email hosting is not included in their plan. However, you can add an external email service like Google Workspace.

Does Weebly offer website images for free?

No, they don’t; however, Weebly has a list of free image resources that you can use on your Weebly website.

Does Weebly offer website migration to their platform?

Yes, they do. They not only help you migrate to their platform but also assist you to migrate to another builder if you’re unsatisfied with their services.

Does Weebly offer domain registration?

Absolutely! You can also host your domain for free and manage your domain comfortably without leaving the Weebly platform.

Pros of Weebly Website Builder

• You can build and manage your website from your mobile device using the Weebly mobile app
• Great site speed
• Inbuilt SEO tool

Cons of Weebly Website Builder

• Limited blogging tools
• Migrating to a new platform is difficult
• Limited themes to choose from

Weebly Pricing

Free Plan: ($0/lifetime) – Create beautiful sites with their easy-to-use tools.

Connect Plan: ($5/monthly) – This allows you to connect a domain.

Pro Plan: ($12/monthly) – Includes professional site features.

Business Plan: ($25/monthly) – Fully integrated eCommerce.

Business Plus Plan: ($38/monthly) – Advanced eCommerce features and email marketing.

Weebly Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Weebly has been given a good rating so far for its customer service. They offer customer support through Phone, Live Chat, or Support tickets.

We’ve rated and reviewed our top 5 best website builders for 2022. There's no stopping now. We've outlined 8 additional options if you want something to satisfy a unique use case or love website builders. Read on to learn what additional options may suit your needs.

Here are eight additional website builders that can work based on your needs.

GoDaddy

This popular website builder is the most beginner-friendly builder I know. Even Forbes has recognized them as having one of the easiest-to-use site builders. GoDaddy is also very popular as a web hosting provider.

With all the attractive features and tools available on their platform, Godaddy might be a great choice for most website owners. They are also great for you if you want to build an online store. This website builder offers excellent eCommerce functionality.

Does GoDaddy offer email hosting with a paid plan?

Yes, they do. Each plan has different tiers and add-ons depending on what you need. There isn’t clear pricing information on this subject matter; we suggest you contact their customer support.

Does GoDaddy offer website images for free?

Yes, they do. GoDaddy has a built-in collection that contains thousands of royalty-free stock photos.

Does GoDaddy offer website migration to their platform?

Yes, they do. You’ll be required to go through the process of setting up your account, downloading your website, uploading your website, previewing it, and making your site live with them.

Does GoDaddy offer domain registration?

GoDaddy, the world’s largest and most trusted domain registrar, empowers people like you with creative ideas to succeed online.

Pros of GoDaddy

• Fast loading speed
• Easy app installation
• Easy to use

Cons of GoDaddy

• Overpriced
• Few style customizations
• Complicated SSL management

GoDaddy Pricing

Basic: ($9.99/mo. paid annually | $11.99/mo. when you renew) – Website security (SSL), custom domain connection, 24/7 support, and much more.

Premium: ($14.99/mo. paid annually | $21.99/mo. when you renew) – SEO, 3 social media platforms, guidance and analytics, and much more.

Commerce: ($16.99/mo. paid annually | $24.99/mo. when you renew) – SEO, unlimited social media platforms, branded content creator, and much more.

Commerce Plus: ($29.99/mo. paid annually | $44.99/mo. when you renew) – SEO, unlimited social media platforms, branded content creator, and much more.

GoDaddy Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Glassdoor awarded GoDaddy a 4.0/5 rating, which is quite good. GoDaddy offers its award-winning customer support through phone calls and live chat.

WordPress

This site builder is the most flexible and the best for SEO. WordPress plays very nicely with Google; they even have plugins for advanced SEO optimization.

With its fast site speed, plugins that enhance functionality,  easy customization of metadata, and crawling sites that are easy for search engines, WordPress isn’t the most popular CMS system for nothing!

Does WordPress offer email hosting with a paid plan?

WordPress.com offers an affordable, robust, hosted email solution called Professional Email, which gives you the ease of managing email from your WordPress.com account. Feel free to contact their customer support for more information.

Does WordPress offer website images for free?

WordPress has a free library of over 40,000 high-quality photos (courtesy of Pexels) in your WordPress.com Editor. It's available to every WordPress.com member.

Does WordPress offer website migration to their platform?

No, they don’t. However, they have a well-detailed explanation of how you can successfully migrate to their platform. Click here to learn more.

Does WordPress offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. Its annual and 2-year plans come with a free domain name credit for one year of registration.

Pros of WordPress

• Great for SEO
• Responsive themes
• A large number of plugins

Cons of WordPress

• Frequent theme and plugin updates
• Slow speed
• Customization is difficult

WordPress Pricing

WordPress Free: ($0/monthly) – Start your free WordPress.com website. Limited functionality, 1GB storage, and visits.

WordPress Pro: ($15/month) – Custom domain names, unlimited plugins, 50GB storage, premium support, and more.

WordPress Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

WordPress has a 4.3/5 customer support rating. They offer customer support through phone calls, documentation, support forum, and live chat support.

WordPress has always had a reputation for being on top of its game, and in 2022, its future seems quite promising. Considering all WordPress has to offer, you’ll realize that they are one of the most powerful site builders in this space.

Webflow

If you love designing, this website builder may be the perfect option. It has many advanced features that may require the user to have technical skills.

Webflow allows websites to be coded visually, managing all the code behind the scene. Another good thing about Webflow is that it offers a fully integrated CMS.

Does Webflow offer email hosting with a paid plan?

No, they don’t. You can keep your current email hosting service or set up a new one through any email service provider.

Does Webflow offer website images for free?

Yes, they do. They offer free stock photos that you can use for your personal or business needs.

Does Webflow offer website migration to their platform?

No, they don’t. However, you can get more information about it on their website.

Does Webflow offer domain registration?

No, they don’t. You can’t transfer your domain, but you can connect any domain you own to a Webflow site by pointing that domain to the Webflow servers using its DNS records.

Pros of Webflow

• High-level security
• Plan flexibility
• Powerful designs

Cons of Webflow

• Requires some level of technical skills
• Limited code customization
• Traffic limit on some plans

Webflow Pricing

Basic Site Plan: (Starting from $12/month) – Custom domain, 0 CMS items, 50 GB bandwidth.

Standard eCommerce Plan: (Starting from $29/month) – 500 items, 2% transaction fee, $50K annual sales volume, all CMS plan features.

Webflow Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Their customer support seems to be average and nothing too spectacular. They offer customer support through phone calls and email.

Considering how advanced this website builder is – having a bit of coding or technical skills will go a long way to helping you make the most of the platform.

Webnode

Anyone interested in going global with their business or brand should look into this site. It allows you to create a multilingual website and is quite affordable.

It’s beginner-friendly and has a lot of unique functionalities, not to mention the eye-catchy template. It’s a good choice for e-commerce entrepreneurs.

Does Webnode offer email hosting with a paid plan?

Yes, they do. Webnode offers two e-commerce packages starting at $12 a month. These plans include email accounts, form builders, membership capabilities, premium support, and more.

Does Webnode offer website images for free?

Webnode is in partnership with Pixmac, where you can access tons of royalty-free pictures for your website.

Does Webnode offer website migration to their platform?

Yes, they do. In their help section, they explained how to do so well.

Does Webnode offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. When you register your domain with Webnode, you become the domain’s sole owner. No one else can use your domain. It will remain yours for as long as you pay for its registration.

Pros of Webnode

• Easy to use
• SEO tools
• Multi-lingual support

Cons of Webnode

• Functionality is not up to par
• No app market
• Outdated theme templates

Webnode Pricing

Limited Plan: ($3.90/month) – 200 MB storage, 1 GB bandwidth, premium customer support, and much more.

Mini Plan: ($7.50/month) – 1-year free domain, 1 GB storage, 3GB bandwidth, and much more.

Standard Plan: ($12.90/month) – 1-year free domain, 3 GB storage, 10 GB bandwidth, and much more.

Profi Plan: ($22.90/month) – 1-year free domain, 7 GB storage, unlimited bandwidth, and much more.

Webnode Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

So far, Webnode has received glowing reviews for its customer service, so it’s safe to conclude they have good customer service. They offer customer service through email, social media, and self-service support.

Webnode may not be as popular as other builders like Wix, but they possess many good qualities that shouldn’t be ignored.

Joomla

This website builder is so good that they have won an award for being the best content management system.

Joomla is SEO-Optimized and has a lot of powerful applications and software that make it all easier!

Does Joomla offer email hosting with a paid plan?

Yes, they do. They offer email hosting through extensions.

Does Joomla offer website images for free?

Joomla has a good number of gallery extensions where you can have access to lots of images for free.

Does Joomla Offer website migration to their platform?

No, they don’t. However, you can use external sites like CMS2CMS to migrate to Joomla.

Does Joomla offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. However, you may need to go through some protocols before you register.

Pros of Joomla

• SEO tools
• Beginner-friendly
• Great for Ecommerce

Cons of Joomla

• Free templates
• Backward capability
• Free extensions

Joomla Pricing

Bundle Subscription: (Starting from $99/month) – Access to all extensions, 12 months of support, 12 months of updates, 1 Joomla site, and 72-hour support response time.

Single Subscription: (Starting from $29/month) – 6 months support, 6 months updates, 1 Joomla site, 72-hour support response time, Monday till Friday, and much more.

Joomla Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Joomla has a good customer service rating, as most people are satisfied with their services. They offer customer support through phone and email.

Joomla has many e-commerce features that should excite any e-commerce entrepreneur. They may not be the cheapest, but they’re worth looking into.

Jimdo

If you’re not willing to spend much on a website builder but also need a high-quality website- Jimdo is a good fit.

This website builder has many amazing features and functionalities that make it easy to build a professional eye-catch website for your business needs.

Does Jimdo offer email hosting with a paid plan?

Yes, they do. With paid plans for Jimdo Creator websites, you can create a personal email account for your domain.

Does Jimdo offer website images for free?

No, they don’t. However, they have a list of providers where you can download royalty-free images.

Does Jimdo Offer website migration to their platform?

Yes, they do. They have a well-detailed explanation of how to go about it.

Does Jimdo offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. You can register a domain directly through the menu of your Jimdo Creator website.

Pros of Jimdo

• Time-efficient
• Mobile optimization
• Ease of use

Cons of Jimdo

• No import/export functionality
• Limited customization tools
• Not suitable for US markets

Jimdo Pricing

Start: ($9/month) – All base features, .jimdosite.com subdomain, domain included, ad-free.

Grow: ($15/month) – All Start plan features, search engine optimization (SEO), visitor statistics, and personalized support within 4 hours.

Unlimited: ($39/month) – Everything in lower plans, unlimited storage, professional design analysis, and premium support within an hour.

Jimdo Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Most of Jimdo’s users have attested that they have good customer service, so it’s safe to say their customer support is excellent. Jimdo offers customer support through email, call center, social media, and self-service support.

DreamHost

If you’re a fan of WordPress, you’d like DreamHost. This website builder is built on WordPress, and their block-based system makes creating and customizing your site easy.

This is a non-traditional option on this list as they don't have a builder tool; they offer WordPress as the builder tool with a built-in framework to provide standards for building the site. You don't pay for a web builder; you pay for web hosting.

Using WordPress as a website builder is ideal for business owners who want an affordable solution without compromising the quality of their website. The WordPress CMS used here is not the WordPress.com version; it is the fully hosted .org version, or full CMS.

Does DreamHost offer email hosting with a paid plan?

Yes, they do. However, not all plans come with an email hosting feature.

Does DreamHost offer website images for free?

No, they don’t. However, they have referred its users to providers like Unsplash to download royalty-free images to use on the site.

Does DreamHost offer website migration to their platform?

Yes, they do. Their website migration team will help you migrate your site to DreamHost in no time.

Does DreamHost offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. They allow you to register multiple domain names in a single sign-up through their panel.

Pros of DreamHost

• Unmetered bandwidth to deal with high-traffic situations
• WordPress pre-installed
• Free automated WordPress migrations

Cons of DreamHost

• No staging environment with shared plans
• No on-demand backups or 1-click restore
• Many features incur additional fees

DreamHost Pricing

Shared Starter: (Starting from $1.99/month for a promotional period and then renews at $5.99/mo.) – 1 website, buy a .com for $7.99, low traffic per month, WordPress pre-installed, new free automated WordPress migrations, and more.

Shared Unlimited: (Starting from $3.95/month for a promotional period and then renews at $10.99/mo.) – Unlimited websites, free domain included with certain extensions, free WP migrations, unmetered bandwidth.

Managed WordPress (Starting from $16.95/month) – 1 managed website, free domain included, including .com. Premium starter WP sites and unlimited email.

DreamHost Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

DreamHost has a good customer rating, as a lot of its users have positive things to say about them. They offer support through email, live chat, social media support, forum support, and self-service support.

DreamHost may have some flaws, but overall, they’re a decent solution for some businesses. If you’re into content creation like blogging, give DreamHost a look. 

Web.com

This website builder is an additional option in the space for websites, eCommerce sites, and more. Their intention is to allow small businesses an even playing field with the bigger and more expensive options available.

Web.com is one of those builders that makes website creation extremely easy for its users; it keeps reinventing itself and is always coming up with new ways to serve its users better.

Does Web.com offer email hosting with a paid plan?

Yes, they do. They offer a business email account plan and a Google Workspace account plan. The price starts from $3.49/month.

Does Web.com offer website images for free?

Yes, they do. They have over 2 million free images and hundreds of templates.

Does Web.com offer website migration to their platform?

No, they don’t. However, you can employ the service of an external provider like CMS2CMS to migrate.

Does Web.com offer domain registration?

Yes, they do. Domain name registration is quick and easy. After searching for the name you want, you’ll receive a list of available options, similar names and recommended alternatives. Once you’ve selected and registered the name and extension you like, it’s all yours.

Pros of Web.com

• Easy to use
• Great customer support
• Affordable

Cons of Web.com

• Limited customization tools
• Can’t create a site without using a template
• No SEO tools on the lowest plan

Web.com Pricing

Website Essentials: ($1.95 for 1st month, then renews at $14.99/mo.) – DIY website builder, thousands of stock images, hundreds of design layouts.

Business Essentials: ($3.95 for 1st month, then renews at $19.99/mo.) – Everything in the starter, business profile in dozens of local directories, search engine submission to Google, Yahoo, Bing, and much more.

eCommerce Essentials: ($9.95 for 1st month, then renews at $32.99/mo.) – Everything in marketing, selling up to 50 products, accepting credit cards with a secure shopping cart, tracking and managing orders easily.

A more robust eCommerce package is also offered at a higher price point. Annual plans save 60% off monthly.

Web.com Customer Support

How is it rated & what types of support are offered?

Web.com has many positive ratings, indicating that consumers are generally satisfied with its services. They offer customer support through a phone call and support ticket.

Website Builder Speed Tests

We ran 12 of our 13 best website builders through speed testing on GTmetrix.com. We could not verify the platform that the GoDaddy website is built on using BuiltWith, so it was not included in our testing.

All websites use their respective platforms (web builders) as content management systems (CMSes). Our tests revealed some interesting findings. Joomla was the fastest site in our tests, but the Joomla website builder software is arguably the most difficult to use.

Excluding Joomla, Wix was the fastest website builder, followed by WordPress.com and then Jimdo. The slowest website in our tests was Webflow.

How Have Website Builders Changed Over the Years?

If you’re a millennial or part of the early Gen Z, you’ll agree that the Internet is not what it used to be. What was once a mysterious concept has now been widely embraced and accepted as the future.

We fondly recall when a page could take minutes to load, and most of its content had a 5th-grade air around it. The Internet became more appealing when many realized they could have their web page on the Internet.

Before the advent of the online website builder that we have today, there were years of other offline website builders that felt revolutionary at the time. In the prime days of the Internet, some business-savvy individuals developed software to aid non-programming beginners in creating visual web pages.

Several offline website builders sprung up from FrontPage, the first software of that nature to be created, to Dreamweaver, which Adobe later acquired. This software had to be installed on a computer and opened like other applications before website creation could commence.

One of the most significant downsides of offline website builders were having to log into the software anytime you needed to make changes and re-upload back to the web.

During this period, some companies developed online website creators. Companies like Tripod, Yahoo Geocities, and Lycos Angelfire were some of the major ones. With this new invention, there was no need to install anything, as their service could be accessed through a website browser.

Though their technology wasn’t outstanding, it helped to get the job done, especially for those who couldn’t afford the luxury of hiring a web developer. It also caught the attention of several non-programming supporters, which led most website hosting companies to trot out some online website creation tools.

As technology has advanced, website creation has been made far easier than it used to be. The tools and functionalities are also much easier to use and much more affordable. Thus, the dawn of the drag-and-drop website builder.

What are some of the Most Popular Features of Website Builders?

We owe it to website builders for making website creation a seamless process. There are a lot of unique features that make website creation a walk in the park. However, there are some widely accepted features that every “best” website builder should have. Below is an outline of some of the features.

• Easy to use
• Customization
• SEO-friendly
• Top-notch website security
• Robust template selection
• Mobile responsive

Let's break down each of these to understand how they fit into the website builder equation.

Easy to use

One of the widely accepted features of most website builders is that they should be easy to use and beginner-friendly. A total newbie should be able to easily navigate through the interface and get a hang of its tools and functionalities without writing a single line of code. It should be easy to make changes in their design without disrupting the entire process.

Customization

Many people fear that if they use the service of a website builder, their website will look like everyone else’s. You have nothing to fear because a good website builder will have a lot of customization features that will help you tailor your business website design to your needs.

SEO-friendly

A good website builder should have built-in SEO features to optimize content and social share functionalities to direct visitors to their pages. Many website builders say they put SEO first but don't deliver once you look under the hood.

Top-notch website security

I can’t stress enough the importance of using a website builder that protects your website with an SSL certificate. This will ensure that your data and sensitive customer information are protected.

Wide assortment of templates

The first step to building your website is to select a template. A good website builder enables you to customize your template to your taste to create a peculiar page for your brand.

Mobile responsive

All website builders should be responsively built and have a mobile-friendly interface for the users. Any builder that doesn't isn't built mobile responsive in 2022 can't be considered within the category of the best website builder.

How do you Choose the Right Website Builder for your Needs?

Different users have different motivations for building a website. As a result, you must choose a website builder that caters to those needs.

There are some factors to consider before choosing a website builder. I’ll list and explain some of those factors below.

• Free trial or package
• Company reputation
• Site capacity
• Customer support
• Specific features

Below is an explanation of each factor to help you identify your motivations.

Free trial or package

I always encourage people seeking to employ the service of a website builder first to ascertain if they offer a free trial or package of the services they render. This will enable you to test out the functionalities and all the essential features of the site without incurring any cost.

Company reputation

You’ll save yourself a lot of time, money, and stress if you carry out a little research to find out what others are saying about that particular website builder. Check out the reviews and reputation for that website builder platform to determine if you’ll move forward with them or not.

Site capacity

Choosing a site builder that can handle a heavy influx of traffic is essential. I urge you to test the waters with a small business website builder package, and when your business grows and your traffic gains momentum, you can easily opt for a higher-level plan that will suit your needs.

Customer support

I’m pretty sure you won’t want to be in a position where you’re stuck, and customer service isn’t responding. This is why you should ensure that the website builder you choose should have excellent customer service.

An excellent way to determine if a site builder has good customer service is to check their reviews to know what others think about them. Also, you can try communicating with them through the different channels on their platform to know how well and fast they respond.

Specific features

You should always go for website builders with full “plugin” shops that enable you to add pop-ups, maps, subscription forms, and more. If you opt for a good website builder, you can add functionality along your growth path.

Even an online store can be added at a later time if needed. So don't feel you have to buy into everything from day one. Build your site as you would your business, taking time to verify your needs and building upon success.

Using a Website Builder to Create Your Website

Let’s face it, creating your website is a big deal. It’s a big step that every business owner makes to push their business to the next level.

When deciding to create a website, some people opt for the services of a web designer, while others roll up their sleeves and build it themselves with the help of a website builder.

Website builders are becoming more popular than website design agencies, and more and more people are beginning to adopt their services. However, despite how great website builders may seem, it’s safe to say they have some downsides.

Let's break down some significant pros and cons of using website builders to create your website.

Pros of using a website builder

Coding Skills Are Not Required

This is perhaps the most significant advantage of using a website builder. You do not need to know anything about coding or possess technical skills, nor do you need to hire an expert. Website builders were created for noobs who know nothing about HTML and CSS.

Affordability

Regarding affordability, website builders always have an edge over website design agencies. Website builders are the best option when you create your website, not just because it’s affordable, but because you get so much value for such a little token!

Easy to Use

This is another significant advantage of website builders. When using a website builder, you click, drag, then drop. Website builders rely on a drag-and-drop interface to make it easy for a total newbie to create their website with just a few clicks!

Professionalism

You must have heard the saying, “First impressions matter.” Well, it holds in this case. When visitors enter your site, you have just one chance to impress them. According to research, 48% of people judge credibility by the appearance of your website. If you aren’t good with website design, I suggest you hire an expert.

Additionally, over 60% of people have decided on your business is a viable option by evaluating your website and overall digital presence. You have to ensure the design meets the professionalism of your brand and your desire to meet customer satisfaction.

Poor Customer Support

Don't expect much from their customer service if you’re using a free website builder. Sadly, most website builders give preferential treatment to paid customers. That doesn't mean free plans are bad, don't expect to be calling online support at 2 am because your online store isn't working.

Lack of SEO Tools

When using a website builder, remember that you only have complete control over your designs, not the code. Some website builders do not have a structured codebase, and this can be damaging to improving your on-page SEO, which enables you to rank higher in search engines.

Best Website Builder for 2022 Wrap-up

It is not easy to choose the best website builder. Factors like price, support, features, eCommerce functionality, and ease of use are all important. How your website looks and works is paramount as it aligns with your particular needs.

To select the right website builder, the first step that you can do is try out their free plans. Compare the features, ease of use, and pricing of the website builders. Take advantage of a free trial of the premium plans if offered.

The best website builders provide complete control over your website and eliminate the need for web designers to create your website. The best website builder has deep functionality and is always adding more to stay up-to-date with where the internet is heading rather than where it was.

Any of these website builders can work for your use case if you use the information provided and do your due diligence to ensure you are getting the best website builder!