If you're starting a business or want to showcase your work to prospective clients, you need a website. Thankfully, you don't need to know how to code to launch a professional-looking site on your own. A good website builder guides you through the process of designing and publishing everything from a blog or portfolio to a full online store.What's the best website builder right now?At ZDNET, we've tested a wide range of website builders to find the best options for different needs and business types. Wix is our top pick for most users, with plenty of options to customize your design; integrate apps and media; and build out marketing and e-commerce tools to promote and sell goods and services. Squarespace is a close competitor for users who value good design, and Shopify can't be beat if you have a large online store. Sort by All The best website builders of 2025 Show less View now at Wix Wix is a widely used and highly popular website builder, and with good reason: The platform is flexible, with lots of design options and features. You can get started with Wix for free, though your website will have a Wix-branded subdomain and Wix ads. The $17-per-month Light plan comes with 2GB of storage space, a free custom domain for one year, and limited marketing tools -- an option for freelancers or business owners who don't sell products or services online, though this certainly isn't the cheapest choice if you aren't bringing in revenue. The Core plan ($29 per month, billed annually) adds e-commerce and online payment features, while the Business ($36 per month) and Business Elite ($159 per month) tiers come with more robust e-commerce, marketing, and storage features.Also: How to set up Bitwarden for personal and work use - and why you should keep them separateIn testing, I used the AI chat assistant to generate design elements, themes, and text by answering a few questions about my business and services. The content and visuals were lackluster, but this feature may be useful if you don't know where to start or want to get your site up quickly. Wix has more than 900 templates if you want to design your website manually, and it's easy to add, drag, drop, and delete page elements and hundreds of embedded apps as well as upload your own media. Alternatively, you can book design and development services through Wix Professionals. One downside: You can't change templates once you've started your design. Instead, you'll have to create a new site.Wix guarantees 99.99% uptime and has caching on by default for faster loading. Wix sites also include SSL certificates and use HTTPS. Finally, Wix offers 24/7 customer support in English via phone and chatbot.Wix features:900+ templates| SSl certification| Google Workspace integration| Wix Professional design services| 24/7 customer support| 14-day money-back guarantee Security 8 Features 8 Price 6 Pros Free and paid plans Extensive library of templates and apps Cons Can't change templates without building a new site Limited storage on lower tiers Wix Best website builder overall 3.8 / 5 Score Wix is a widely used and highly popular website builder, and with good reason: The platform is flexible, with lots of design options and features. You can get started with Wix for free, though your website will have a Wix-branded subdomain and Wix ads. The $17-per-month Light plan comes with 2GB of storage space, a free custom domain for one year, and limited marketing tools -- an option for freelancers or business owners who don't sell products or services online, though this certainly isn't the cheapest choice if you aren't bringing in revenue. The Core plan ($29 per month, billed annually) adds e-commerce and online payment features, while the Business ($36 per month) and Business Elite ($159 per month) tiers come with more robust e-commerce, marketing, and storage features.Also: How to set up Bitwarden for personal and work use - and why you should keep them separateIn testing, I used the AI chat assistant to generate design elements, themes, and text by answering a few questions about my business and services. The content and visuals were lackluster, but this feature may be useful if you don't know where to start or want to get your site up quickly. Wix has more than 900 templates if you want to design your website manually, and it's easy to add, drag, drop, and delete page elements and hundreds of embedded apps as well as upload your own media. Alternatively, you can book design and development services through Wix Professionals. One downside: You can't change templates once you've started your design. Instead, you'll have to create a new site.Wix guarantees 99.99% uptime and has caching on by default for faster loading. Wix sites also include SSL certificates and use HTTPS. Finally, Wix offers 24/7 customer support in English via phone and chatbot.Wix features:900+ templates| SSl certification| Google Workspace integration| Wix Professional design services| 24/7 customer support| 14-day money-back guarantee Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Squarespace Squarespace runs a very close second behind Wix -- it's an excellent choice for building beautiful websites for everyone from freelancers who need a portfolio to small businesses selling products and services. Squarespace plans start at $16 per month, billed annually, which includes a custom domain for one year and basic e-commerce and payment features. Higher tiers -- Core ($23 per month), Plus ($39 per month), and Advanced ($99 per month) -- come with more e-commerce functionality and progressively lower payment processing and transaction fees, as well as a year of Google Workspace. All tiers have unlimited bandwidth and storage. There's no free plan, but Squarespace does offer a 14-day trial period.Also: Why I use virtual cards for online purchases - and you should tooIn testing, I used Squarespace AI for the initial site design and to generate and refine text. The tool is more collaborative than a chatbot, which led to a more visually appealing site than what I got with Wix's AI builder. It was also easier to add and edit page elements and text. If you create your site manually, Squarespace has fewer templates than some other site builders, but this makes the choice less overwhelming. Plus, you can change templates anytime without starting your site from scratch. Overall, Squarespace's interface is clean and easy to navigate and produces a beautifully designed website.In terms of performance and security, Squarespace has 99.9% uptime and page caching, and your site includes an SSL certificate and HIPAA-compliant scheduling via Acuity if needed. Squarespace doesn't have phone support, but you can connect with customer service 24/7 via email and chat (only live during specific hours).Squarespace features:SSL certificate| HIPPA-compliant scheduling with Acuity| AI site builder| Squarespace Design services| 14-day free trial Pros Visually stunning designs E-commerce payment features on all plans Unlimited bandwidth and storage on all plans Cons No phone support; limited live chat hours No completely free tier Squarespace runs a very close second behind Wix -- it's an excellent choice for building beautiful websites for everyone from freelancers who need a portfolio to small businesses selling products and services. Squarespace plans start at $16 per month, billed annually, which includes a custom domain for one year and basic e-commerce and payment features. Higher tiers -- Core ($23 per month), Plus ($39 per month), and Advanced ($99 per month) -- come with more e-commerce functionality and progressively lower payment processing and transaction fees, as well as a year of Google Workspace. All tiers have unlimited bandwidth and storage. There's no free plan, but Squarespace does offer a 14-day trial period.Also: Why I use virtual cards for online purchases - and you should tooIn testing, I used Squarespace AI for the initial site design and to generate and refine text. The tool is more collaborative than a chatbot, which led to a more visually appealing site than what I got with Wix's AI builder. It was also easier to add and edit page elements and text. If you create your site manually, Squarespace has fewer templates than some other site builders, but this makes the choice less overwhelming. Plus, you can change templates anytime without starting your site from scratch. Overall, Squarespace's interface is clean and easy to navigate and produces a beautifully designed website.In terms of performance and security, Squarespace has 99.9% uptime and page caching, and your site includes an SSL certificate and HIPAA-compliant scheduling via Acuity if needed. Squarespace doesn't have phone support, but you can connect with customer service 24/7 via email and chat (only live during specific hours).Squarespace features:SSL certificate| HIPPA-compliant scheduling with Acuity| AI site builder| Squarespace Design services| 14-day free trial Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Shopify If you have a business with product inventory or that sells goods and services, Shopify should be on your radar. The platform makes it easy to build a digital storefront for customers, whether they're buying in person, online, or via social or digital marketplaces. Shopify plans start at $29 per month, billed annually, with additional tiers at $79 and $299 per month. A more expensive plan comes with lower processing fees, greater shipping discounts, and additional staff accounts, so if you have a higher sales volume and more inventory, the savings could easily offset the increased annual fee. There's also a $5-per-month Starter subscription for users who sell products via social, such as Instagram or WhatsApp. Shopify doesn't have a fully free tier, but it does offer a three-day free trial followed by one month for $1, so you can try it out before you commit.Also: If you want your Amazon affiliate links to count, don't do thisShopify's website builder isn't as intuitive to use or as easy to customize as some other platforms, and though there are nearly 240 themes to choose from, only a handful are free. There is a guided setup wizard for adding products, designing your storefront, and setting up payments and shipping, as well as basic AI tools for generating text and media for your site. If you need additional support to get up and running, you can hire a professional through Shopify's partner directory. All plans have unlimited bandwidth and storage, page caching, and an SSL certificate, as well as robust marketing and e-commerce features for both in-person and online sales, such as inventory tracking, point of sale, abandoned cart recovery, and email marketing. Shopify promises 99.99% uptime and 24/7 customer support via live chat if any issues arise.Shopify features:SSL certificate| 99.99% uptime| Basic AI tools| 24/7 customer chat support| Three-day free trial Pros Robust e-commerce features on all plans Significant shopping discounts Email marketing tools Cons Not as intuitive as other platforms If you have a business with product inventory or that sells goods and services, Shopify should be on your radar. The platform makes it easy to build a digital storefront for customers, whether they're buying in person, online, or via social or digital marketplaces. Shopify plans start at $29 per month, billed annually, with additional tiers at $79 and $299 per month. A more expensive plan comes with lower processing fees, greater shipping discounts, and additional staff accounts, so if you have a higher sales volume and more inventory, the savings could easily offset the increased annual fee. There's also a $5-per-month Starter subscription for users who sell products via social, such as Instagram or WhatsApp. Shopify doesn't have a fully free tier, but it does offer a three-day free trial followed by one month for $1, so you can try it out before you commit.Also: If you want your Amazon affiliate links to count, don't do thisShopify's website builder isn't as intuitive to use or as easy to customize as some other platforms, and though there are nearly 240 themes to choose from, only a handful are free. There is a guided setup wizard for adding products, designing your storefront, and setting up payments and shipping, as well as basic AI tools for generating text and media for your site. If you need additional support to get up and running, you can hire a professional through Shopify's partner directory. All plans have unlimited bandwidth and storage, page caching, and an SSL certificate, as well as robust marketing and e-commerce features for both in-person and online sales, such as inventory tracking, point of sale, abandoned cart recovery, and email marketing. Shopify promises 99.99% uptime and 24/7 customer support via live chat if any issues arise.Shopify features:SSL certificate| 99.99% uptime| Basic AI tools| 24/7 customer chat support| Three-day free trial Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Weebly Weebly and Square Online are two related alternatives for business owners looking for a no-cost (or low-cost) website builder with e-commerce and marketing features. Weebly was acquired in 2018 by Square, the payment processor, and free plan users can sell an unlimited number of items via secure online checkout, with additional features like in-store pickup and inventory management as well as email and chat support.Confusingly, signing up with Weebly actually requires you to create a Square account, and you'll be routed to the Square website builder. If you previously had a Weebly site, you can still use the Weebly editor, but new users will default to the Square interface. Alternatively, you can sign up for Square Online's free plan, which will get you to a similar endpoint. Note that there are very limited template and customization options available for free sites via either account type.Weebly's free tier does have a few other important limitations: You get just 500MB of storage and can't connect to or add a custom domain. For that, you'll need to upgrade to the $10-per-month Personal plan. Your site will also show Square ads unless you have a Professional or Performance subscription ($12 or $26 per month, respectively). On the Square Online side, the free plan doesn't appear to have any storage limits, but the $29-per-month Plus plan and $79-per-month Premium plan come with a lot more features.Weebly/Square online features:Custom domains on paid plans| SSL certificate| Chat and email customer support Pros Free tier with e-commerce features Square integration Cons Limited design themes Low storage on free Weebly plan Weebly and Square Online are two related alternatives for business owners looking for a no-cost (or low-cost) website builder with e-commerce and marketing features. Weebly was acquired in 2018 by Square, the payment processor, and free plan users can sell an unlimited number of items via secure online checkout, with additional features like in-store pickup and inventory management as well as email and chat support.Confusingly, signing up with Weebly actually requires you to create a Square account, and you'll be routed to the Square website builder. If you previously had a Weebly site, you can still use the Weebly editor, but new users will default to the Square interface. Alternatively, you can sign up for Square Online's free plan, which will get you to a similar endpoint. Note that there are very limited template and customization options available for free sites via either account type.Weebly's free tier does have a few other important limitations: You get just 500MB of storage and can't connect to or add a custom domain. For that, you'll need to upgrade to the $10-per-month Personal plan. Your site will also show Square ads unless you have a Professional or Performance subscription ($12 or $26 per month, respectively). On the Square Online side, the free plan doesn't appear to have any storage limits, but the $29-per-month Plus plan and $79-per-month Premium plan come with a lot more features.Weebly/Square online features:Custom domains on paid plans| SSL certificate| Chat and email customer support Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at GoDaddy GoDaddy is known for its domain registration and hosting services, but its website builder is also worthy of consideration -- especially if you've never made a website before. You can get started for free with a GoDaddy subdomain, or you can upgrade to the $10-per-month (billed annually) Basic plan to get a custom domain and basic email marketing. The Premium plan, priced at $15 per month, comes with the ability to accept online payments and appointment booking as well as email marketing features, or you can choose the Commerce plan ($21 per month) for GoDaddy's full e-commerce suite. GoDaddy offers a seven-day free trial of its premium features, and you don't lose your work if you let the trial expire before upgrading to a paid tier.Review:GoDaddyGetting the basics of your website in place is easy with GoDaddy Airo, the platform's AI tool. From there, you can go through a guided setup wizard to get oriented to the interface. Though there aren't as many template or customization options as you get with some other website builders, it's easy to add and edit on-page elements either manually or with AI support. GoDaddy also has design, SEO, and marketing services for hire.GoDaddy promises 99.9% uptime, and you get 24/7 access to customer support via phone, text, and chat, a potential selling point for new users.GoDaddy features:99.9% uptime| SSL certificate| AI site builder| 24/7 customer support| Seven-day free trial Security 8 Features 8 Price 8 Pros Free tier and budget-friendly paid plans Easy-to-navigate user interface Comprehensive customer support Cons E-commerce available only on the most expensive plan GoDaddy Best website builder for beginners 3.9 / 5 Score GoDaddy is known for its domain registration and hosting services, but its website builder is also worthy of consideration -- especially if you've never made a website before. You can get started for free with a GoDaddy subdomain, or you can upgrade to the $10-per-month (billed annually) Basic plan to get a custom domain and basic email marketing. The Premium plan, priced at $15 per month, comes with the ability to accept online payments and appointment booking as well as email marketing features, or you can choose the Commerce plan ($21 per month) for GoDaddy's full e-commerce suite. GoDaddy offers a seven-day free trial of its premium features, and you don't lose your work if you let the trial expire before upgrading to a paid tier.Review:GoDaddyGetting the basics of your website in place is easy with GoDaddy Airo, the platform's AI tool. From there, you can go through a guided setup wizard to get oriented to the interface. Though there aren't as many template or customization options as you get with some other website builders, it's easy to add and edit on-page elements either manually or with AI support. GoDaddy also has design, SEO, and marketing services for hire.GoDaddy promises 99.9% uptime, and you get 24/7 access to customer support via phone, text, and chat, a potential selling point for new users.GoDaddy features:99.9% uptime| SSL certificate| AI site builder| 24/7 customer support| Seven-day free trial Read More Show Expert Take Show less What is the best web builder? Wix is our top pick for building a website, with its extensive options for customization, user-friendly platform, and phone support. Here's how the best website builders compare:Website builderFree plan?Free trial?Cost per month (first year, billed annually)Customer supportKey featureWixx (14-day money-back guarantee)$17$15924/7 phone + chatTemplate and customization optionsSquarespacex14 days$16$9924/7 email + chatCollaborative AI builderShopifyx3 days$29$29924/7 chatDiscounted payment processing and shipping feesWeebly/Square Online14 days$10$79Chat + emailSquare integrationGoDaddy7 days$10$2124/7 phone, text, chatCustomer support Show more Which is the right website builder for you? Choose this website builderIf you wantWixAn all-around solid website builder with a range of price points and customization options.SquarespaceA design-forward website builder for showcasing portfolios and blogs.ShopifyA platform with robust e-commerce and marketing tools for your online shop.Weebly/Square OnlineA free option for selling products and services with Square integration.GoDaddyA beginner- and budget-friendly website builder. Show more Factors to consider when choosing a website builder When selecting a website builder, you'll first want to determine the purpose of your website. An online store with hundreds of physical products in inventory will need a different solution than a freelance design portfolio or blog. You may also consider the following factors:Pricing: You can build a website for free if you don't mind some limitations (like a branded subdomain), but premium plans are available at a range of price points depending on functionality and features.Features: Basic website builder plans allow you to put together a simple website to showcase your business or your work, while others come with more robust e-commerce and marketing features to reach customers and drive sales.Design: Some website builders have hundreds of templates and apps to customize your site and set it apart, while others have more limited options. If you aren't sure what you want your site to look like or need to get it up and running quickly, consider platforms with good AI tools.Customer support: If your website is your business, you'll want quick access to customer support when you need it in the event anything goes wrong (or you need help with setup or maintenance questions). Show more How we test website builders To find the best website builders, we identified the tools and services available and compared their features, costs, and overall experience as well as user feedback. We also conducted hands-on testing to determine ease of use. Show more FAQs on website builders What's the average cost of building a website? The cost of building a website varies widely based on the features and customization included in your plan. There are a handful of website builders available for free, though you'll typically be limited to a subdomain address and visible branding. E-commerce and marketing tools may require an upgrade to a more expensive plan. The basic plans for our top website builders range from $3 to $29 per month for the first year (and may increase upon renewal). Of course, you'll pay even more if you hire an agency for design and development. Show more Should I use a website builder? A website builder is a relatively quick and cost-effective way to get your website up and running. Website builders allow you to create professional pages without paying for custom design and development or needing to learn how to code. Some website builders offer more robust e-commerce and marketing integration and AI tools as well as design, development, and optimization support for an additional fee. Show more What's the most beginner-friendly website builder? GoDaddy is our pick for beginners, thanks to its clean and easy-to-navigate interface, helpful AI tools, competitive pricing, and 24/7 customer support options. Plus, you can get started with GoDaddy for free. Show more Are there alternative website builders worth considering? If none of our recommendations are quite what you're looking for, there are a number of other website builders to check out: Show more Further ZDNET Tech Coverage Smartphones Smartwatches Tablets Laptops TVs Other Tech Resources ZDNET Recommends