Compare the Best Website Builders of 2026
Eight builders, one five-page small-business site — contact form, blog, three-product shop — built on each by the same person and timed, then speed-tested on mobile. Prices are annual billing and include a domain where the builder does.
Last Updated: Sep 2026Suggested website builders for you
WWix
Good
8.4
Put anything anywhere; 900 templates and 300+ ap...Learn More
We Recommend
SSquarespace
Very Good
8.8
Templates a designer would not be embarrassed by...Learn More
HHostinger Website Builder
Good
8.2
Cheapest three-year cost of any builder with a c...Learn More
All 8
Free website builderAi website builderWebsite builder for small businessEcommerce website builderEasiest website builder for beginnersCheapest Website Builders With a Custom DomainWebsite builder for blogsWebsite builder for portfolios
1
Squarespace (Core) - The best-looking templates in the test and an editor that keeps them looking that way — our test site was finished fastest and scored highest on mobile Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Templates a designer would not be embarrassed by, and guardrails that stop you breaking them
- Fastest build in our test — 94 minutes
- Best mobile PageSpeed of the hosted builders
Very Good
8.8
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$23 · checked Sep 11
Basic $16/mo, Core $23/mo billed yearly; free domain first year
Trial (14 days)
2
Wix (Core) - The most freedom and the most features — 900 templates, an app market, an AI builder — with a free plan to start on Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Put anything anywhere; 900 templates and 300+ apps
- AI site generator built our first draft in minutes
- Free plan to learn on
Good
8.4
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$29 · checked Sep 11
Light $17/mo, Core $29/mo billed yearly; free plan with ads
Yes
3
Hostinger Website Builder (Premium) - An AI builder that made a usable first draft from three sentences, bundled with hosting for under $3 a month on the long term Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Cheapest three-year cost of any builder with a custom domain
- AI generator produced a credible draft with copy and images
- Fast mobile pages on Hostinger's hosting
Good
8.2
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$2.99 · checked Sep 11
From $2.99/mo on a 48-month term, renews at $7.99; domain free first year
No (30-day money-back)
4
Shopify (Basic) - The store platform everything else imitates: checkout, payments, shipping, taxes, POS and thousands of apps — for a shop first and a website second Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Best checkout conversion tooling, abandoned-cart recovery and shipping labels
- Shop Pay and POS for in-person sales
- Thousands of apps; scales from one product to enterprise
Good
8.1
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$29 · checked Sep 11
Basic $29/mo billed yearly; 2.9% + 30¢ card fees; 2% extra without Shopify Payments
Trial (3 days, then $1/month for 3 months)
5
Webflow (Basic site plan) - A visual front-end for real HTML and CSS: the most design power of any builder, for people willing to learn how the web is built Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Any layout you can design, with clean exportable code
- Fastest mobile pages in the test
- CMS collections for structured content
Fair
7.9
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$14 · checked Sep 11
Basic $14/mo, CMS $23/mo billed yearly; free Starter
Yes (subdomain)
6
WordPress.com (Premium) - Managed WordPress with the block editor and the best blogging tools here — and the only builder you can leave with your whole site Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- The best blogging and content tools of any builder
- Export the whole site and move to any WordPress host
- Cheapest paid plan with a domain: Personal $4/mo
Fair
7.8
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$8 · checked Sep 11
Personal $4/mo, Premium $8/mo, Business $25/mo billed yearly; free plan with ads
Yes
7
GoDaddy Website Builder (Basic) - The fastest way to a plain, tidy site — sections you fill in rather than a canvas — with GoDaddy's marketing tools and phone support Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Simplest editor in the test; our site was live in 79 minutes
- Phone support 24/7
- Marketing tools — email, social posting, appointments — bundled
Fair
7.6
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$9.99 · checked Sep 11
Basic $9.99/mo billed yearly; free plan
Yes
8
Weebly (Personal) - The old reliable, now owned by Square: a simple free plan, cheap paid tiers and Square payments — but little development in years Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Sell on every plan, including free, with Square
- Simple editor a beginner learns in minutes
- $10 a month with a domain
Fair
7.0
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$10 · checked Sep 11
Personal $10/mo billed yearly; free plan
Yes
Frequently asked questions about website builders
Website builder or WordPress?
A builder (Wix, Squarespace, Hostinger) hosts, secures and updates the site for you and is finished in an afternoon. WordPress (WordPress.com here, or self-hosted on a host from our hosting ranking) is more flexible and cheaper at scale but you maintain it. For a brochure site, a builder; for a content site you will grow for years, WordPress.
Can I move my site later?
Mostly no. Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and Hostinger do not export a working site; you export content and rebuild. WordPress.com and Webflow export code or content you can host elsewhere. Register your domain with a separate registrar so at least the address moves with you.
Which is best for an online store?
Shopify, by a distance, if the store is the business: payments, shipping, taxes and apps are built for it. Squarespace and Wix handle a small catalogue well inside a broader site. Watch transaction fees — Wix and Squarespace charge on lower plans; Shopify charges if you do not use Shopify Payments.
How do you test website builders?
One person builds the same five-page site — home, about, services, blog with two posts, contact form, and a three-product shop — on each builder from a blank account, timed. We then run Google PageSpeed on the finished mobile site, test the form and a checkout, and price the plan that allowed all of it over three years with a domain.
*Scores: Design & templates 25 · Ease of use 25 · Features & ecommerce 20 · Performance & SEO 15 · Value 15; score = Σ ÷ 10, ties break on the earlier test date. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.
#1 Squarespace8.8 · $23
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