Every price traced to its source
Website builders, ranked on what they cost and what the data says.
21 website builders set side by side on their true running cost. Each price is taken from the builder’s own pricing page, and the date of our last check is shown with it.
Shopify
4.5The e-commerce platform everything else gets compared to.
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The best website builders, ranked
Ranked on quality, ease of use and price.
- 4.4
From $16/mo
- 4.4
From $1.58/mo
Free version available
Head to head
Every head-to-head we have published
Two providers side by side, on price and on what you actually get.
13 all comparisons
Matched to your project
A portfolio, a store, and a blog need different builders. We sort by what you are making, not by who pays most.
Lock-in flagged
Most builders cannot export your site. We tell you upfront which doors close behind you, before you decorate the room.
AI claims tested
Every builder bolted "AI" onto its homepage in 2026. We separate the genuinely useful from the rebranded template picker.
No sponsored rankings
The site earns from affiliate links, yet the order is settled before any commission is looked at. A free plan lands wherever the data puts it.
Compare the real price of every website builder
Our live index ranks all 21 website builders by what they actually cost.
Compare pricesLowest prices
liveReviews
Our independent verdicts, dated and sourced.
Wix
Wix.com Ltd.
“The best all-rounder for most people. You get the easiest serious editor, an app market for everything, and AI generation that actually produces a usable first draft. Sites can get heavy and the upsells are constant, but no builder covers more ground this well.”Editorial team, via WebsiteShortlist
Framer
Framer B.V.
“The modern favorite. Real design control, the fastest published sites in this lineup, and pricing that undercuts the old guard. The learning curve sits between Wix and Webflow, and for marketing sites that need to look custom and load instantly, it currently wins.”Editorial team, via WebsiteShortlist
Shopify
Shopify Inc.
“If the site exists to sell, this is the platform. The best checkout in the business, an app for every commerce problem, and infrastructure that survives Black Friday. You pay for it in subscription plus fees, and for pure content sites it is the wrong tool.”Editorial team, via WebsiteShortlist
Squarespace
Squarespace Inc.
“The design pick. Best-looking templates in the business, a calm editor, and Blueprint AI that collaborates instead of deciding for you. Less flexible than Wix and pricier than the budget crowd, but nothing makes a portfolio or small business look expensive faster.”Editorial team, via WebsiteShortlist
Insights
Practical guides and explainers to help you pick the right website builder.
Website builder vs WordPress: the ownership question
Convenience against control, and the managed middle path most people miss. The decision in plain language.
The exit question: can you ever leave your builder?
Most builders cannot export a working site. What that means, who the exceptions are, and the two things you must always own.
AI builders in 2026: where the magic ends
The drafts are real time-savers, the sameness is real too. How to use the AI hour wisely, and the credit fine print to check.
What a website really costs per month, tier by tier
From $1.60 one-pagers to $29-plus-fees stores, including the costs the pricing pages forget to mention.
Online stores: compare the fees, not the subscriptions
Shopify, Square Online, and Ecwid compared. Why the transaction-fee line outweighs the plan price as soon as you actually sell.
Budget and one-pagers: sometimes $19 a year is enough website
Carrd, Strikingly, Hostinger, and WordPress.com. The honest budget end, without the upgrade pressure.
Latest news
More newsWix vs Framer in 2026: AI features, design control, and pricing compared
An agency’s detailed comparison lands where our verdict does. Framer for design control and Core Web Vitals, Wix for out-of-the-box features and ease.
AI website builders split into two camps: marketing sites and full-stack apps
The 2026 testing rounds make the divide official. Wix, Squarespace, and Framer generate marketing sites, while Lovable and friends generate working applications. Different tools, different buyers.
Independent test: 8 AI builders tried, 5 failed the real-world brief
A hands-on 2026 test confirms what we see too. AI drafts save real hours, but unedited generated sites share a recognizable sameness and generic copy.
Contrarian take: the best website builders of 2026, and why none of them are AI
A designer argues the editor you live in after the AI draft matters more than the generation gimmick. We largely agree. Judge builders on the editing, not the onboarding.
How to choose a website builder
Work down this list and within five minutes the field narrows to the builder that suits your site.
Frequently asked questions
The questions people ask most, answered short and straight.
What is the best website builder in 2026?
Wix is the best all-rounder for most people: easiest to learn, with the most complete feature set. Squarespace wins on design polish for creatives, Framer on design control and page speed for marketing sites, Shopify on serious e-commerce, and Carrd on simple one-pagers at $19 a year. The right answer depends on what you are building; that is the whole point of this site.
How much does a website cost per month?
A simple one-pager: $19 a year at Carrd. A standard business site: $15 to $30 a month at Wix, Squarespace, or Framer (plus a domain, around $15 a year). A serious online store: $29 to $40 a month at Shopify plus transaction fees. Budget options like Hostinger start around $3 a month on long contracts; watch the renewal price.
Website builder or WordPress: which should I choose?
A builder (Wix, Squarespace) if you want to publish this week and never think about updates, hosting, or plugins. WordPress if you want full ownership, portability, and flexibility, and accept the maintenance that comes with it. The honest middle: WordPress.com offers managed WordPress with builder-like ease from $4 a month.
Are AI website builders any good?
They are genuinely fast for a first draft: Wix and Squarespace generate a usable starting site from a few questions, and Framer’s AI tools speed up real design work. The limits show after the draft: generic copy, sameness across generated sites, and AI credits that quietly meter usage. Treat AI generation as a head start, not a finished site.
Can I move my website away from a builder later?
Mostly no, and this is the industry’s quietest catch. Wix, Squarespace, and most builders cannot export a working site; you can copy text and images, but the design and structure stay behind. Blog posts usually export; pages do not. Plan for it: keep your domain registered where you control it, and keep copies of your content.
How is this site funded?
Sign up with a builder through one of our links and a commission may come our way. Your price stays the same, and it has no bearing on which website builders we recommend. Free plans are listed all the same.
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