Can you take your website with you? Export and lock-in for 21 builders in 2026
Every builder makes it easy to move in. This table records how hard it is to move out, read from each provider’s own help pages. In our check, 6 of 21 let you download the built site, 10 export only content or products, and 2 offer no export at all.
Yes
6
of 21 builders
Partial
10
of 21 builders
No
2
of 21 builders
Not verified
3
of 21 builders
Export per website builder, best exit first
Yes, partial and no, in that order; alphabetical within a group.
| Provider | Export | What comes with you | What stays behind | Domain transferable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10WebBackup archive (download link sent by email, valid for 12 hours) | Yes |
| Nothing listed | Yes |
| CarrdZIP with HTML, CSS and JS | Yes |
|
| Not verified |
| DudaZIP with HTML, CSS, JS and media (sites up to 1 GB) | Yes |
|
| Not verified |
| LovableZIP with the source code (React and TypeScript project) | Yes |
|
| Not verified |
| MobiriseFolder with HTML, CSS, JS and assets | Yes |
|
| Not verified |
| WebflowZIP with HTML, CSS, JS and images | Yes |
|
| Not verified |
| Ecwid by LightspeedCSV | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| FramerCSV or JSON (CMS, via plugins) | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| GemPages.gempages template file | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| Hostinger Website BuilderDirect push into a WordPress site (version 6.5 or higher), no file download | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| ShopifyTheme ZIP | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| ShowitWordPress XML (blog only) | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| SquarespaceWordPress XML (.xml) | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| StrikinglyCSV (products) | Partial |
|
| Yes |
| WixCSV (products) | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| WordPress.comWordPress XML (WXR) | Partial |
|
| Not verified |
| IONOS Website Buildernone (IONOS suggests Save page as in the browser or HTTrack) | No | Nothing documented |
| Not verified |
| Jimdonone | No | Nothing documented |
| Yes |
- Yes
- The provider documents a download of the built site (pages as HTML, CSS and JavaScript, or the full source) that can run on another host.
- Partial
- Only parts come out, such as posts, pages as text, products or page templates. The built site or its design stays behind.
- No
- The provider states there is no export, or only points at copying pages by hand.
- Not verified
- We found no official page that answers the question, so we publish no verdict.
Builders where we could not verify export
For these 3 builders we found no official page that says whether the site can leave. They get no verdict, and their tool pages carry no export sentence, until a page turns up. What we did find is noted per provider.
- GoDaddy Website Builder
We found no official GoDaddy help page that says whether a Websites + Marketing site (pages, design) can be exported; only the product CSV export is documented. The quote comes from the US English version of the same help page, read on October 1, 2026. The domain transfer-away page returned HTTP 403 (Access Denied).
- SITE123
The FAQ category page we fetched contains no statement about export, and we could not locate the specific support article that answers the question. No verdict without a page.
- Square Online
The article URL for item import and export answered twice with the Support Center home page instead of the article, so we could not read Square's own wording. No verdict without a page.
Where each verdict comes from
The sentence we leaned on, per provider, with a link to the page it came from. Providers change their help pages without notice, so the provider’s page always wins over ours.
- 10WebYes
“Backups can be downloaded directly from the dashboard. After clicking the download icon, you will receive a popup notification that a download link will be sent to your email.”
https://help.10web.io/hc/en-us/articles/360016388951-10Web-Backup-Service
- “This method retains all website data and settings, but does not automatically remove the site from the original account.” https://help.10web.io/hc/en-us/articles/25664744743570-How-To-Transfer-A-Website-From-One-10Web-Account-To-Another
- “Yes, you can transfer your domain 60 days after the registration date. Please contact our Customer Care team to request the transfer code.” https://help.10web.io/hc/en-us/articles/21272034030994-Can-I-Transfer-a-Domain-Purchased-from-10Web-to-Another-Registrar
10Web hosts ordinary WordPress, so a backup is the site. The separate article on exporting AI-recreated pages rendered without body text in both of our fetches, so any caveat about pages needing the 10Web Builder plugin is not recorded here.
- CarrdYes
“If you need to download a copy of a site, the unminified HTML, CSS, and JS source code for any of the sites on your account can be downloaded by following these steps”
https://carrd.co/docs/sites/downloading
The documentation page carries the label Requires Pro Plus or higher, so the cheaper Pro tiers do not get the download.
- DudaYes
“Exporting a site means downloading a .zip file that contains your published site’s content including the files that appear on your live site, including HTML, JavaScript, CSS, images, and media files.”
https://support.duda.co/hc/en-us/articles/26519246857495-Site-Export
The page opens with Available on Agency plan and higher, so the single-site Basic plan we list does not include it. Only account owners and staff can export, and the site must be published first.
- LovableYes
“You can download your project’s full source code at any time. On paid plans, everyone with edit access to the project can click Download codebase at the bottom of the file panel to save the entire project as a .zip file.”
https://docs.lovable.dev/features/code-mode
Lovable builds web apps rather than brochure sites; you get code, not a hosted page bundle, and need somewhere to run it. Enterprise admins can switch the download off for regular members.
- MobiriseYes
“You can publish your site to folder, and then you will have .html pages with the files.”
https://mobirise.com/help/can-you-export-the-html-and-css-stylesheets-from-mobirise-203.html
- “To host it locally on your PC with following hosting on the web server.” https://mobirise.com/help/local-host-369.html
Mobirise is a desktop application, so the output is always on your own computer; there is no hosted site to leave. Mobirise sells no domains, which is why the domain column is unverified rather than yes.
- WebflowYes
“On paid Workspace plans, you can export your site’s HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and assets to back up your code, provide it to your client, or host it anywhere you like”
https://help.webflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/33961386739347-How-do-I-export-my-Webflow-site-code
The export is gated by the Workspace plan, not the Site plan: the help page states that Site plans do not include code export. Attribution is not required on the exported site.
- Ecwid by LightspeedPartial
“You can export your whole catalog or individual products from your online store. The data will be downloaded in the form of CSV files.”
https://support.ecwid.com/hc/en-us/articles/8677667799452-Exporting-your-store-catalog
Plan availability on the page: Venture, Business, Unlimited. The free plan is not in that list.
- FramerPartial
“Framer does not offer HTML export for self-hosting. Sites built in Framer rely on platform-managed services that power performance, optimization, and publishing features behind the scenes.”
https://www.framer.com/help/articles/can-i-export-my-website-to-html-and-self-host-it/
- “Every Framer site is published as standard HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and static assets. You can download these files at any time and move them to any hosting provider.” https://www.framer.com/help/articles/porting-your-data-from-framer/
Two Framer help articles disagree with each other on the same day: the FAQ says there is no HTML export, the data portability page says the published files can be downloaded and moved. Neither describes an export button. We record both quotes and score it partial until Framer resolves the contradiction. The domain transfer-away URL we tried returned 404.
- GemPagesPartial
“Next, the export file ( .gempages ) will be downloaded to your device.”
https://help.gempages.net/articles/export-import-templates
GemPages is a page builder inside Shopify, so the domain question belongs to Shopify, not to GemPages. The page states that only store owners can export templates with images included.
- Hostinger Website BuilderPartial
“Not everything can be exported. For example, you can’t export website styles and layout, online store, integrations, forms, collected submissions, or SEO settings.”
https://support.hostinger.com/en/articles/6572573-website-builder-how-to-export-content-to-wordpress
The page now calls the product Hostinger AI Builder and describes the export for sites built in manual mode. The only exit route is into WordPress; the help center's index lists a Transfer Domain From Hostinger section, but the article we tried returned 404.
- ShopifyPartial
“Theme downloads don't include your store's products, collections, menus, pages, blog posts, images, or other files in Content > Files.”
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/managing-themes/downloading-themes
Shopify's help center runs a bot check; the theme page rendered on the second attempt. The separate product CSV export page returned HTTP 403 on both attempts, so the product export is not counted here even though Shopify's manual index lists it. A purchased theme stays licensed to the original store.
- ShowitPartial
“Showit designs and templates are exclusive to Showit hosting and are not offered to be exported or used with a different web host.”
https://learn.showit.com/en/articles/4785318-export-wordpress
The blog and the site are two different things at Showit: the blog is WordPress and exports like WordPress, the site itself is not offered for export. The Basic Blog tier only has the default WordPress export tool.
- SquarespacePartial
“You can export certain content from your Squarespace site into an .xml file. This is useful for importing content to WordPress. Not everything will export, as many features rely on our platform’s JavaScript and CSS.”
https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206566687-Exporting-your-site
The export exists for one destination (WordPress) and the help page lists the page types that stay behind. A trial site cannot export at all. The domain transfer-away article we tried returned 404.
- StrikinglyPartial
“Unfortunately, we don't allow exporting of sites yet. We do hope to have this function in the future!”
https://support.strikingly.com/hc/en-us/articles/215047067-Leaving-Strikingly-Export-Site
- “You can now export your store’s products to a CSV file, which can be opened in Excel or Google Sheets.” https://support.strikingly.com/hc/en-us/articles/900000841023-Export-Products-to-CSV
The leaving page also covers the domain: a domain bought through Strikingly stays yours and can be transferred away by asking support, though email addresses on it stop working.
- WixPartial
“Your Wix site is a standard HTML5 site, and is built with Wix’s technology. In order for your site to work properly, it needs to be hosted and operated on Wix's servers.”
https://support.wix.com/en/article/exporting-or-embedding-your-wix-site-elsewhere
- “You can export your store products - along with all their data - to a CSV file.” https://support.wix.com/en/article/wix-stores-exporting-your-product-list
The help page frames the site as something that only works on Wix hosting; the only documented download is the product list. The domain transfer-away article we tried returned 404, so domain portability stays unverified.
- WordPress.comPartial
“Your export file will include your posts, pages, and comments but will not include your theme design, customizations, or plugins.”
https://wordpress.com/support/export/
The server answered HTTP 403 to our fetch, but the rendered page carried the full article (last reviewed August 11, 2026, according to the page). Media stays behind unless the new site can still reach the old one. The domain transfer URL we tried returned a page-not-found.
- IONOS Website BuilderNo
“For technical reasons, website projects created with a website builder from IONOS cannot be used outside the IONOS infrastructure. This article explains how you can still export content.”
The page is valid for MyWebsite Now, MyWebsite Creator and MyWebsite. What it calls export is saving the public pages from a browser, page by page. The domain transfer URL we tried returned 404.
- JimdoNo
“At Jimdo, there is also no option for creating a backup of your website yourself.”
- “If you want to transfer your domain from Jimdo to another host, you’ll need the AuthCode for it. You can use this code to start the transfer of your domain to your new provider.” https://help.jimdo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005533903-How-do-I-transfer-my-domain-to-another-host
Both pages sit in the Creator help center; the backup article also covers Dolphin, the newer Jimdo editor. Email accounts do not travel with the domain.
- GoDaddy Website BuilderNot verified
“Export your products from your Websites + Marketing online store as a .csv file to manage your products in a spreadsheet.”
https://www.godaddy.com/help/export-my-online-store-products-into-a-csv-file-40373
We found no official GoDaddy help page that says whether a Websites + Marketing site (pages, design) can be exported; only the product CSV export is documented. The quote comes from the US English version of the same help page, read on October 1, 2026. The domain transfer-away page returned HTTP 403 (Access Denied).
- SITE123Not verified
No usable statement on the fetched page.
https://www.site123.com/support/cat/faq
The FAQ category page we fetched contains no statement about export, and we could not locate the specific support article that answers the question. No verdict without a page.
- Square OnlineNot verified
No usable statement on the fetched page.
https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/7110-import-export-and-batch-update-square-online-products
The article URL for item import and export answered twice with the Support Center home page instead of the article, so we could not read Square's own wording. No verdict without a page.
Cite this data
According to the WebsiteShortlist export and lock-in table, 6 of 21 website builders let you download the built site, 10 export only part of it and 2 offer no export at all (https://websiteshortlist.com/data/export-lock-in).
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with attribution and a link. Machine-readable version:
https://websiteshortlist.com/data/export-lock-in.jsonFrequently asked questions
Which website builders let you export the whole site?
In our check, 6 of 21 builders document a download of the built site as files you can host elsewhere: 10Web, Carrd, Duda, Lovable, Mobirise and Webflow. Each comes with a catch listed in the table, usually a plan requirement or features such as forms that stop working once the files leave the platform.
What does a partial export mean in practice?
It means the words and the products leave, but the site does not. A partial exporter typically hands you posts, pages as text, images or a product spreadsheet, while the layout, styling and templates stay on the platform. You rebuild the design somewhere else and pour the content back in. 10 of the 21 builders fall into this group.
Can I keep my domain when I leave a website builder?
Usually yes, but we only mark it yes where the provider's own help page says so; in this check that is 10Web, Strikingly and Jimdo. The safer habit is to register the domain with a registrar you control and only connect it to the builder, so leaving never involves a transfer at all.
Methodology
For each of the 21 builders we track, we looked for the page in the provider’s own help center or documentation that answers one question: can a customer export the site, and what is in the export? We fetched that page, kept a copy of it, and quoted the sentence the verdict rests on. Third-party reviews, forum posts and our own memory were not used as a source. Where the page contradicted another page from the same provider, both quotes are shown.
A builder scores yes when the built site can be downloaded as files that run elsewhere, partial when only content, products or templates come out, and no when the provider says there is no export or only suggests copying pages by hand. A plan requirement does not lower the score but is noted. Builders without a page that answers the question are listed separately as not verified rather than guessed.
This table is one input into our rankings. How the rest works, including why a commission never moves the order, is in how we rank. Prices live in the separate Price Index.