The 5 Best Website Builders in 2023 (Site Speed, Features & Usability Tested!)
The best website builders are speedy, easy to use, mobile friendly, and able to fulfill your website's requirement - all at a fair price point.
Looking for the #1 website builder? We recommend Hostinger Website Builder – highly versatile, easy to use, and FAST!
Not everyone loves to code, which is why we’ve reviewed some of the most popular website builders on the market; and handpicked the top 5 capable of building quality websites quickly & easily.
Top 5 Website Builders Of 2023
- Hostinger Website Builder – Best cheap website builder
- Wix – Best all purpose website builder
- Shopify – Best for eCommerce or online store
- Weebly – Best no-frills website builder
- Squarespace – Great for blogs and small online store
Note
- All prices shown are based on the lowest tier plan available with eCommerce functionality and a 12-month subscription rate.
1. Hostinger Website Builder
https://www.hostinger.com/
Server Speed
A+
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$2.99 /mo
Key Features
- Low price point
- Beginner-friendly
- Best-in-market hosting solution
- Grid building
- AI integrated tools
“A true frontrunner, Hostinger Website Builder redefines simplicity by offering a seamless all-in-one web hosting and easy site-building package.”
Coming in tops is Hostinger Website Builder – an excellent drag-and-drop website builder for beginners. Once on the market as ‘Zyro’, this builder was rebranded in February 2023 and now comes packaged into Hostinger’s web hosting plans. The good news is that Hostinger is one of the very best web hosts on the market, so you can expect only the best server speeds and uptime for your site. The downside is of course that if you’re already using another web host – you won’t be able to take advantage of this builder.
But how does Hostinger Website Builder itself fare?
Well, although it has fewer advanced features than some builders out there, to many folks this proves its greatest strength. While the industry focuses on offering ever increasing features, Hostinger keeps the focus on simplicity. Setting up your website is quick and straightforward since there aren’t overly-fancy design tools to distract you or complicate matters. If you’re looking to get your website up and running quickly – you’re all set.
What’s more, their combined Web Hosting and Website Builder plan starts from just $2.99 per month! That means for a price of a standard website builder alone, you’re getting both the drag-and-drop tools to set up your website, and access to one of the best web hosts that money can buy (fun fact: Hostinger was the most sought after web host of 2020)
Hostinger Website Builder Server Speed Performance
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | Sao Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ms | 3 ms | 3 ms | 3 ms | 1 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ms | 2 ms | 5 ms | 2 ms | 2 ms |
What Makes Hostinger Website Builder Great?
- Simplicity Redefined
Hostinger Website Builder is the epitome of pure simplicity, so just about anyone can use it. If you’re familiar with visual tools, you will adapt easily to using it. Even for those of you who are experienced, you may find using Hostinger’s interface refreshing as some of the big name brands may be too complex. Free Plan Available
With Zyro, you have the option to try it out for free and since this is a no-cost plan, you can test it out for as long as you like. Once you’re convinced that Zyro is for you, you can upgrade your plan accordingly.- Hosting is thrown in
Hostinger’s website builder is now part and parcel of Hostinger’s fantastic shared web hosting plans. For the price of a normal web builder, you’re getting a simple builder PLUS exceptionally great website performance thanks to Hostinger’s many data servers worldwide, and fantastic customer support. - eCommerce Site Building on a Budget
Hostinger Website Builder has its great appeal in that it’s likely to be one of the lowest cost of entry into the website building scene.This also includes their eCommerce plans. In general, website builders are not that expensive but those that do offer eCommerce capabilities often price their offerings higher. - Free Tools Provided
Hostinger stays focused on helping you build a core site so they’ve added some nifty features that can help you build very effective ones. There are some useful tools that come with it, namely AI Writer, AI Heatmap and Logo and Slogan Generator. They may be basic, but are more than enough for a small business user or solopreneur. - Starter Templates
Oftentimes the challenging part of building a website is deciding on a design. This is where templates come in. Hostinger Website Builder has a huge number of starter templates. You just need to drag and drop new elements or simply remove anything you don’t want. - Included Free Images – A Bonus!
Imagine how much time you save from searching around for images, worrying about risking copyright infringement. Hostinger Website Builder offers free images and this is an indispensable part of website construction.
The Downside: May Be Too Basic For Some
Hostinger Website Builder’s big strength is also its weakness – its features may not be enough for everyone. If you’re the type who has a very particular idea of what you want your website to look like, and you’d like to customize it down to a tee – you may find Hostinger Website Builder a little too simple to make your craziest, most creative dreams come true.
However, since the pricing is very attractive, we still feel this is the best option for anyone who wants a basic, great looking and fantastically performing website. It’s ideal for beginners. Not only does it get the job done fast – it performs impressively well.
Hostinger Website Builder In Action
- Read our complete Hostinger Website Builder review for more information.
- Visit our Hostinger Website Builder test site.
2. Wix
https://www.wix.com/
Server Speed
A+
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$17.00 /mo
Key Features
- True drag & drop
- 500+ templates
- Great mobile editor
- Useful extras
- Huge app market
“Wix takes the gold as a modern website builder.”
Wix’s equipped with many attractive templates and has an amazing editor which makes it great even for beginners to build an awesome and powerful website.
Wix has been around for some time and thus has its perks due to the versatility it offers. Wix is great equally with both personal and eCommerce sites.
Although Wix’s support services are somewhat lacking, the core features offered are so strong that you may want to seriously look into this.
Wix Server Speed Performance
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | Sao Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 ms | 30 ms | 96 ms | 189 ms | 141 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 237 ms | 173 ms | 124 ms | 30 ms | 108 ms |
What Makes Wix Great?
- Marketing Tools Come with Wix
Wix is equipped with SEO Management which is great as it resolves many difficult aspects of hosting a new website. For new website owners, SEO can be one of the most difficult aspects of hosting a website. But with Wix? No worries at all. Just click on the Wix SEO and you’ll be guided through the steps to make it work. - Wix Sites are Really Fast
Among all the website builders I have reviewed, Wix certainly has by far the best speed performance. Speed has a heavy weightage when you are deciding on the right website builder as a slow website speed affects search ranking and visitor experience. Not only are Wix websites nimble, the building tool itself is fast and very responsive. - Wix Redefines Mobile Friendliness
Wix has a powerful mobile editor that allows you to modify your website to be mobile-friendly. Unlike other website builders that may turn your template adaptive, Wix mobile is far more powerful because you can work on a completely different mobile layout compared to your full website design. - Wix has Huge App Market
The basic Wix builder allows you to construct the framework of a website and fill it in. This is very basic. However, if you want more, you can always get from the Wix App market. The market has many add-on applications which range from simple to complex in nature that allow integration with third-party web tools.
The Downside: No Running From Wix
Once you’ve created your website with Wix, you can’t move your business elsewhere easily.
The thing is Wix doesn’t allow you to export your sites, so in essence you either start anew or stay with Wix. This is because Wix’s templates cannot be edited. Its online store does not include free/basic plans too.
Its support can be improved though and its low-end plans come with bandwidth limits. Having said this, Wix is still easy and great to use.
Wix In Action
- Find out more at our detailed Wix review.
- Visit our Wix test site.
3. Shopify
https://www.shopify.com/
Server Speed
A+
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$29.00 /mo
Key Features
- Excellent onboarding
- Good marketing tool
- 3rd party app access
- Community support
- Multi-channel selling
“Shopify, a true winner for eCommerce sites, offering users a robust way to sell.”
While simple website builders build simple websites, Shopify on the other hand is on a whole level altogether.
It specializes in helping users build eCommerce websites and has a whole ecosystem to support that. So if you wish to expand your business to include eCommerce, Shopify is a great place to start.
Although the price is on the higher end, this is justifiable as it’s a solid solution for eCommerce and is compatible with other sales channels.
Shopify has more than 1,000,000 businesses using it. This is of no surprise as its rapid-built technology combined with the tools, offer customers a one-stop solution to successful sales online.
Shopify Server Speed Performance
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | São Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ms | 1 ms | 2 ms | 2 ms | 3 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ms | 1 ms | 70 ms | 2 ms | 2 ms |
What Makes Shopify Great?
- Start Quickly with Ease
Shopify provides a great onboarding experience as it guides you clearly right from the start. It offers a streamlined intelligent site building process via asking you a few questions, which will then quickly move on to giving you something real to work on. But should you wish to jump right in, the system is simple enough to use directly. - Integrate with Retail Shops
This is excellent for those of you who already have brick and mortar stores. Shopify gives you the option to extend your business to the digital sphere. Their complete integration capability helps to merge your inventory and control over all your sales channels into one. - Many Apps to Extend Functionality
Shopify has a massive number of third-party apps that can work with your online store. Although they’re not produced by Shopify, they’re approved for use on the platform. These Apps provide you with many functions that can help you with almost anything. So, you can quickly and easily extend the functionality of your online store. - Supports Multi-Channel Sales
Selling online through your store is great but if you have the option to expand your store’s reaches to other channels, why not? Thanks to Shopify you can now sell through multiple channels. Ranging from Point-of-Sales in retail to Facebook, you can now rake in more opportunities to make money.
The Downside: Price, Of Course
Equipped with such power unfortunately comes with a potentially serious drawback; Shopify’s attention to details can get too overwhelming at times. So, if you’re new to eCommerce, you can find this somewhat intimidating.
Shopify also has one of the biggest prices tagged to it. The basic plan only allows maximum 2 staff accounts. Furthermore, transaction fees apply unless you utilize Shopify Payments. Additionally, there’s no free plan beyond 14 days.
Shopify In Action
- Learn more at our full Shopify review.
- Visit our Shopify test site.
4. Weebly
https://www.weebly.com/
Server Speed
A+
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$12.00 /mo
Key Features
- Drag & drop
- Integrated SEO
- Good mobile editor
- Lead capturing
- App marketplace
“Weebly is a versatile, rapid and efficient website builder.”
Weebly’s editor doesn’t offer as many visual previews as others but it has many stylish templates and a great general undo function. Additionally, there are plenty of features that help heaps.
Although Weebly is another great website builder, unfortunately, it feels as if Weebly has lost its direction and they lack in focus. However, it still works fine and is an excellent choice.
Weebly Server Speed Performance
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | São Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ms | 76 ms | 133 ms | 171 ms | 198 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 238 ms | 143 ms | 111 ms | 76 ms | 144 ms |
What Makes Weebly Great?
- Excellent Editing Features
There are many templates available, which help you get started faster. This is their huge advantage. Their ‘drag and drop’ is very easy to use. You can add almost anything to your website. Ranging from simple text blocks to complex rich media, everything is right under your nose. - Works on Mobile Too
Weebly excels in being mobile responsive. Aside from having a mobile editor, they have a full-fledge mobile app that enables you to build your website from your mobile device. - Feature Enhancement is Limitless
Weebly not only offers its own features, but also the features offered by other developers. There are many add-on tools that cover a massive eCommerce market from which you can choose from; anything from simple analytics to advanced marketing. - Many Bonus Extras
All paid plans come with a free domain and there are also many free apps on their App Marketplace that offer attractive features such as MarketGoo which gives you free SEO analysis reports on your website.
The Downside: Erratic Performance
Unfortunately, their website performance is erratic and inconsistent, which can prove downright frustrating.
The editor’s interface is underpowered. The provided support is somewhat limited.
However, it still has its set of appealing strengths.
Weebly In Action
- See our in-depth Weebly review.
- Visit our Weebly test site.
5. Squarespace
https://www.squarespace.com/
Server Speed
A
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$18.00 /mo
Key Features
- eCommerce friendly
- 60+ templates
- Swappable themes
- Mobile optimised
- G Suite integration
“Squarespace is great for blogging and medium-sized markets.”
When you start to venture into using Squarespace, you’ll find its editor to be rather peculiar. Along with restrictive layouts, Squarespace may take time to master.
However, the lovely templates, powerful features and great support cannot be ignored.
Squarespace drops somewhat in ranking as it has a higher starting price with less features. However, it could still be a good choice.
But as a whole, this could be a tough fight with other website builders that have more to offer at a better price.
Squarespace Server Speed Performance
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81 ms | 38 ms | 96 ms | 247 ms |
| Sao Paulo | Bangalore | Sydney | Japan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 157 ms | 288 ms | 273 ms | 393 ms |
What Makes Squarespace Great?
- It’s Easy to Use
The drag and drop interface remains the redeeming quality of Squarespace as this is crucial to a seamless website building experience. You can easily customize the location of the elements. This gives you more control over your website, unlike other website builders that restrict your element locations to pre-set ‘blocks’. - Good Overall Website Speeds
In general, Squarespace websites perform well from all corners of the globe. Speed was slightly slower than tests done from US-based servers but overall, 151 ms obtained from Japan is nothing to be sneezed at. - Excellent Supporting Resources
With over 60 designer templates available, you can get started immediately with Squarespace. Bear in mind that website builders are to help you build websites with minimal effort and quickly.
The Downside: No Free Lunch Here
Although there are over 60 templates available, this figure is still deemed as small as compared to other website builders.
The layout control is somewhat limited too. The interface does take time to learn and sadly, the feeling with Squarespace is that it isn’t focused enough. The offered price is rather average with no opportunities for extensive testing.
All these may pose a problem to meeting the needs of the digitally matured US market.
Squarespace In Action
- Read our Squarespace review.
- Visit Squarespace official site to learn more.
The World Grows in Digital Competitiveness
In this technology-rich era, it is of no surprise that we are in the midst of a technological revolution in which artificial intelligence, 3D printing, virtual reality and other technologies are converging. This will undoubtedly impact every industry and every economy around the globe.
A country’s ability to navigate these changes and to build competitiveness needed, will not only determine its future but also its geopolitical position. The IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (WDCR) 2020 measures how fast the digital transformation was for 63 countries and scores each country based on knowledge, technology and future readiness.
The US retained its top spot thanks to access to capital and an emphasis on robotics. However, much of the world also grew significantly in digital competitiveness. For example, Sweden and Denmark excelled in knowledge building.
Why the Need for Website Builders?
Website builders are essential tools for building websites, blogs, and online stores, even for those with limited technical knowledge. They simplify the process and make it quick and hassle-free. While they offer a range of features, they may be more expensive than traditional shared web hosting.
Similar to using a word processor, website builders contribute to the digitization of developing and developed countries, helping them stay relevant in the digital age. In the past, website builders were basic tools that assisted non-technical users in creating simple static websites.
However, with the growth of the internet and digital devices, the online landscape has transformed into “retail 2.0,” prompting businesses to establish an online presence for revenue growth. Modern website builders have evolved significantly, offering comprehensive product packages and end-to-end support for online businesses. They now provide powerful marketing tools and facilitate online transactions and inventory management.
- Staying in front of the game
A website builder is essential for taking your business online and promoting its growth. In digitally advanced countries like the US, having a website builder is crucial for establishing and managing a strong online presence.However, with the market evolving, new and competitive website builders are emerging, each with its own unique offerings. Some providers may have lower prices but higher transaction fees, while others may be more user-friendly and offer valuable additional features required by many websites.
- Encourage international tourism
The tourism industry attracts millions of tourists annually, who explore natural wonders, cities, landmarks, and entertainment venues worldwide. In the US, the travel and tourism sector generated over $1.6 trillion in 2017 and supported 7.8 million jobs. By 2023, it’s projected to receive around 95.5 million international visitors annually, almost double the 2000 figure.To cater to the growing number of travelers researching destinations online, businesses in the tourism industry can benefit from website builders. These tools allow quick and easy establishment of a digital presence, expanding global reach. Display travel packages, accommodations, and scenic tours on your website, and enable online pre-booking and e-ticketing. By utilizing a website builder, you not only promote your business but also showcase the beauty of your country to the world, benefiting both your enterprise and the tourism industry.
- Removing the middleman
In ever-changing business environments that consist of people from all walks of life, not many can dig deep into their pockets to pay for customized and dedicated IT services. Since website builders are easy to use and implement, you can literally learn it up within minutes.You won’t have to rely on any middleman or be held ransom by them, as you are independent enough to build your own website. It also removes the concern of passing what may be sensitive internal data to outsiders.
- Focus more on real business
Should you decide to engage a web development company, you’ll still need to allocate your time to work with them to ensure the website development runs smoothly. So, instead of spending your time and effort this way, why not use a website builder and get things moving your way and faster?As such, with more time in hand, you can put your time into better use by focusing on your business, which you should in the first place.
How To Choose A Good Website Builder?
The challenges in ranking top website builders are complicated since so much depends on the needs of individual users.
As such we have broken down some of the key areas for ease of reading. Let’s look into the elements that contribute towards an excellent website builder:
- Speed
Speed is the core requirement of any website, from smaller blogs to massive online stores. Since it greatly determines the success of any website, speed is one of the key requirements of any deal. Website builders not only help you create your website but since they also act as your hosting platform, your website speed is also affected. - Ease of Use
Bear in mind that the most powerful website builder in the world is useless if it isn’t user-friendly enough to be used without a steep learning curve. Ideally, it should offer all the mainstream features in website development and also is so simple to use that instructions aren’t necessary. - Mobile Support
With the explosion of mobile devices, it is no wonder that search engines like Google are placing enhanced focus on mobile friendliness. Therefore, website builders should at the very least be able to give you the functions needed to make your website mobile friendly. - eCommerce Feature
This is essential for any online store as they require the ability to process transactions. After all, this is an eCommerce world now, so website builders must come with eCommerce features. Take note that not all transaction processing is equal and they do come at various costs to the website owner. - Price & Notable Extras
All website needs differ and as such, there are often subtly different features which one website builder offers over another that distinguishes it. Of course, a big focus would be on the price. Each brand has their own unique characteristics and finding the ones that stand out for you is important.
Verdict: Which Website Builder Is Best In 2023?
Let’s do a quick recap on our top 3 website builders:
Server
Speed
Overall
Rating
Price
(USD/MO)
While most people may not find the pricing to be so much of a great concern, there are still some who place price as their number one priority when considering a website builder.
However, despite more developed countries being at the front in terms of digital competitiveness, others are not exactly that far behind.
So if you wish to continuously compete on the global stage and stay relevant at all times, you may need to look beyond pricing.
