5 Free and Paid Website Builder Software Compared in 2024

Ahh, website building.

Everyone thinks that you have to be an advanced coder to build a website.

However, this has changed lately. With the help of a website builder, you can build a website that matches your company or your personality.

But there is a question we should ask. Do you happen to know the best website builder? If your answer is negative – which is probably – then read this blog post to find more about the best website builders.

1- Wix

General Overview

Let us start this list with a household name, this being Wix. Wix is amongst the first website tools you see when you search for a website builder – in that you have probably heard Wix before even though you might not use it.

One of the best things about Wix is that it utilizes artificial intelligence to help you keep your site simple and user-friendly. This mode, called Artificial Design Intelligence or ADI, is quite helpful to beginners, as it helps you to a basic website with ease.

If you are to create more elegant sites and show your skill level, you can step up to Wix editor. This editor enhances the functionality and assists you in building a website that you have always desired to have. Also, visual previews of page elements come quite handy when deciding which element will look better on your website.

Wix is an all-around website builder tool. With Wix on your site, you can build a website that will suit your brand’s tone and message. 

Pros and Cons

In addition to these, there are certain features that make Wix stand out. These can be listed as;

  • Templates. Wix offers you a variety of templates to choose from and modify. Designs are fabulous, and you can find a template according to the industry you are in.
  • Flexibility. Basically, there is no limitation to your designs with Wix. You can place anything anywhere on your website.
  • App Market. Wix has an app market that offers you different tools and widgets – such as a newsletter tool and a live chat tool. The integration of them into your website is quite simple.
  • Animations. On a website you create with Wix, you can practically animate all the elements you choose.

However, there are certain pain points while using Wix. These are;

  • Templates. Although it offers lots of templates, changing one template from another is a hard task in Wix. But, you can make design changes inside a template.
  • Mobile Loading Speed. The loading speeds of websites created with Wix are good on the desktop. However, when you switch to mobile devices, they can suddenly drop off.

Pricing

The pricing for the Wix can change according to your needs. The free plan has lots of features, and you might not need the premium plans to create a good website. The priced plans are just extensions to the services of Wix, and the pricing starts from $5 per month. 

2- GoDaddy

General Overview

GoDaddy strikes out with its user-friendly interface and is one of the fastest website builders on this list. The design assistant feature creates a website template that you can customize by getting your details.

Simple layouts and guidance make the process of website building quite pleasant and flat-out. However, this simplicity should be taken literally. Meaning that if you are ever to create a more complex website, you might not be successful with your efforts. For small businesses, this should not be a problem, though. 

Pros & Cons

Some factors make GoDaddy a reliable option. These are;

  • Smartphone Optimized Layouts. The layouts provided by GoDaddy are quite responsive for mobile devices.
  • Ease of Use. Just like stated before, using GoDaddy is as easy as drinking water.
  • Marketing. The solutions GoDaddy provides for marketing can be your lifesaver. These tools include blogging, social media tools, etc.

Pricing

GoDaddy offers you a free plan. However, your domain name will include “godaddysites,” and certain features will be limited. In order to remove the domain name and use features fully, you can purchase a plan whose price ranges from $9.99 to $19.99 per month.

3- Squarespace

General Overview

Squarespace is another well-known website builder tool in the industry. The chances are you have seen it as a sponsor of a Youtube video.

Squarespace offers creatives and businesses to build a website where impressive visuals and content meet. Currently, the worldwide web has approximately two billion websites. This means that you have to stand out amongst them with the design of your site. However, it is not a quantity and quality matter with Squarespace.

The functionality and features offered by Squarespace are huge. These features include website building tools, analytics tools, and marketing functions. The list goes on and on. So, long story short, you can find anything your website needs in terms of features in Squarespace.

Maybe the best thing about Squarespace is that it provides its users with an enormous knowledge center. In that center, you can find video, text, and image instructions to create the website you always dreamed of.

Pros & Cons

If you think of building your website with the help of Squarespace, you should know that after you get Squarespace, you will have no problems with;

  • Templates. The template and design library of Squarespace is elegant. The website you build is going to show your brand’s value in an instant. The templates seem like they have been created for perfection.
  • Blogging. If you are to integrate a blog into your website, Squarespace must be one of the website builders you have to consider. The blogging features will make your blog experience more than pleasant.
  • Support. The support team of Squarespace is said to be one of the best in the industry. With live chat, you will get an answer to your every question in an instant. Also, they can send you video instructions to help you accomplish what you ask more easily.
  • Mobile Devices. Provided that you want to make changes to your website on the go, the mobile app of Squarespace is easy to use, and you can make changes whenever you want – just on your phone!
  • Page Limit. Squarespace offers you a page limit of one thousand. This means that your website can have one thousand pages, in theory.

Also, it is important to note that Squarespace has a few drawbacks. These are;

  • Sub Sections. When creating an intricate website that has subsections, you can only create one subsection under a menu item. This is a problem if you want to have multiple subsections under a menu.
  • Page speeds. Although the templates of Squarespace are near perfect, we can not say the same thing for their page speeds – especially for mobile devices. This can result in a higher number of people leaving your website.

Pricing

Squarespace does not support a free plan. However, they offer you fourteen days of the free trial. After your free trial ends, as long as you like what you have seen, you can get Squarespace at prices starting at $14 per month.

4- Weebly

General Overview

Weebly skips all the mumbo jumbo to create your website quickly. First, you can answer simple questions for Weebly to help you build the website you want. Then, you are ready to start.

The main advantage of Weebly is that it offers excellent features for people who are building their website to start an e-commerce business. For example, you have the option of creating a website that has an online store. This online store includes a shopping cart, secure checkout, an inventory tracker, and a product search tool.

Due to its great support service, the experience of Weebly does not make you feel left alone. Even if you do not get the right answer for you via live chat or email support, you can always count on the various resources it provides you – such as step-by-step guides.

Pros & Cons

These features can make you get Weebly’s services;

  • Ease of Use. There are millions of website builders that claim they are easy to use. However, this is true for Weebly.
  • Responsive Themes. The themes offered by Weebly are quite responsive, even for mobile devices.
  • App Center. The ability to integrate both Weebly’s own and third-party apps is fascinating due to its app center. 
  • Team. If more than one person is working on the website, you can assign them as editors and work collaboratively on the website.
  • Membership. When you create a website with Weebly, you can set some sections as special to members.

However, the following may make you not use Weebly;

  • Design Flexibility. This is quite limited in that you can’t move website elements freely. Although it provides a good website structure, you might prefer total freedom of choice.
  • International Websites. If you aim to build a website in order to provide service for international purposes, Weebly might not be the right choice for you.

Pricing

You can totally use Weebly without paying a cent, but it will show Weebly ads on the website and you will not have a proper domain name – the domain name will contain Weebly. If you don’t want these on your website, you have to pay $6 for the personal plan. This price goes up to $26 according to the plan you choose.

5- Zyro

General Overview

Zyro is another simplistic website builder in this list. It is especially useful for the ones who do not have in-depth experience with building websites. The drag-and-drop editor assists you to easily select the design features you want. Plus, the AI writer it has can create text content for you – which means that you will have no problem with thinking about texts.

The interface of Zyro is quite user-friendly; you can start building your website immediately. In order for you to build your website in an instant, Zyro does not offer countless templates; rather, it offers you an adequate number of templates that have excellent designs. This way, you can create a great-looking website with ease.

The tools Zyro provides are efficient for small businesses in that it does not overwhelm you with lots of features. You will only have the features that are necessary for your business to thrive – which also, in turn, will not make your website building process quite pleasant. 

Pros & Cons

The aspects of Zyro that make people purchase its services can be listed as;

  • AI Tools. Suppose you have created a website before you know that it involves so much legwork. AI tools, in this regard, make you free of this legwork.
  • Commissions. One of the most striking aspects of Zyro is that it does not charge you any commission fees with your online store. So, all the revenue is yours.
  • Templates. Although mentioned before, it is of significance to say that the templates provided by Zyro help you a lot.

However, there are some problems with Zyro that can deter you from purchasing it.

  • Support. Being easy to use does not mean you will have problems. And when you face them, you might not get support as fast as other website builders.
  • Templates. The problem starts when you launch your website. After launching, you can’t switch from one template to the other.

Pricing

There are four paid plans of Zyro starting from $3.49 per month. It also offers you a free account to create a website. However, if you ever are to launch the website, you have to purchase one of their plans. Although each of them offers the same basic features, the extensions might be worth purchasing a higher plan.

Here you have it. These 5 will do the work for your business to be present on the internet with a website that will suit your company. Each of them has its respective benefits. Now, it is up to you to purchase the one that will suit you the best. Until next time!

Frequently Asked Questions


What is the best site builder software?

It can change according to your needs; however, Wix is considered the best site builder software overall.


Who is the best free website builder?

If we look at both free and paid versions, we can say that Wix is the best free website builder.


Which is the easiest website builder?

Wix and GoDaddy are accepted by different people and organizations as the easiest website builders in the industry.


Can I build my own website for free?

Of course, builder tools such as Wix and GoDaddy help you build your website for free.

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Serhat Erdem

Serhat Erdem

Serhat is the Creative Content Writer of UserGuiding, a code-free product walkthrough software that helps teams scale user onboarding and boost user engagement.