Best Website Builders Of 2025: I Tested The Top Tools And Found Your Perfect Fit

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ZDNET's reviewers walk weeks to months testing each merchandise aliases work connected this list, utilizing them for some mundane tasks to much performance-intensive work. We purpose to springiness you a position into really each action could fresh into your life and workflow, and nan pros and cons of their various features.

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If you're starting a business aliases want to showcase your activity to prospective clients, you request a website. Thankfully, you don't request to cognize really to codification to motorboat a professional-looking tract connected your own. A bully website builder guides you done nan process of designing and publishing everything from a blog aliases portfolio to a afloat online store. 

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What's nan champion website builder correct now?

At ZDNET, we've tested a wide scope of website builders to find nan champion options for different needs and business types. Wix is my apical prime for astir users, pinch plentifulness of options to customize your design; merge apps and media; and build retired trading and e-commerce devices to beforehand and waste equipment and services. Squarespace is simply a adjacent competitor for users who worth bully design, and Shopify can't beryllium hit if you person a ample online store. 

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The champion website builders of 2025

Wix is simply a wide utilized and highly celebrated website builder, and pinch bully reason: The level is flexible, pinch tons of creation options and features. You tin get started pinch Wix for free, though your website will person a Wix-branded subdomain and Wix ads. The $17-per-month Light scheme comes pinch 2GB of retention space, a free civilization domain for 1 year, and constricted trading devices -- an action for freelancers aliases business owners who don't waste products aliases services online, though this surely isn't nan cheapest prime if you aren't bringing successful revenue. The Core scheme ($29 per month, billed annually) adds e-commerce and online costs features, while nan Business ($36 per month) and Business Elite ($159 per month) tiers travel pinch much robust e-commerce, marketing, and retention features. 

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In testing, I utilized nan AI chat adjunct to make creation elements, themes, and matter by answering a fewer questions astir my business and services. The contented and visuals were lackluster, but this characteristic whitethorn beryllium useful if you don't cognize wherever to commencement aliases want to get your tract up quickly. Wix has much than 900 templates if you want to creation your website manually, and it's easy to add, drag, drop, and delete page elements and hundreds of embedded apps arsenic good arsenic upload your ain media. Alternatively, you tin book creation and improvement services done Wix Professionals. One downside: You can't alteration templates erstwhile you've started your design. Instead, you'll person to create a caller site. 

Wix guarantees 99.99% uptime and has caching connected by default for faster loading. Wix sites besides see SSL certificates and usage HTTPS. Finally, Wix offers 24/7 customer support successful English via telephone and chatbot. 

Wix features: 900+ templates | SSl certification | Google Workspace integration | Wix Professional creation services | 24/7 customer support | 14-day money-back guarantee 

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Squarespace runs a very adjacent 2nd down Wix -- it's an fantabulous prime for building beautiful websites for everyone from freelancers who request a portfolio to mini businesses trading products and services. Squarespace plans commencement astatine $16 per month, billed annually, which includes a civilization domain for 1 twelvemonth and basal e-commerce and costs features. Higher tiers -- Core ($23 per month), Plus ($39 per month), and Advanced ($99 per month) -- travel pinch much e-commerce functionality and progressively little costs processing and transaction fees, arsenic good arsenic a twelvemonth of Google Workspace. All tiers person unlimited bandwidth and storage. There's nary free plan, but Squarespace does connection a 14-day proceedings period. 

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In testing, I utilized Squarespace AI for nan first tract creation and to make and refine text. The instrumentality is much collaborative than a chatbot, which led to a much visually appealing tract than what I sewage pinch Wix's AI builder. It was besides easier to adhd and edit page elements and text. If you create your tract manually, Squarespace has less templates than immoderate different tract builders, but this makes nan prime little overwhelming. Plus, you tin alteration templates anytime without starting your tract from scratch. Overall, Squarespace's interface is cleanable and easy to navigate and produces a beautifully designed website. 

In position of capacity and security, Squarespace has 99.9% uptime and page caching, and your tract includes an SSL certificate and HIPAA-compliant scheduling via Acuity if needed. Squarespace doesn't person telephone support, but you tin link pinch customer work 24/7 via email and chat (only unrecorded during circumstantial hours). 

Squarespace features: SSL certificate | HIPPA-compliant scheduling pinch Acuity | AI tract builder | Squarespace Design services | 14-day free trial 

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If you person a business pinch merchandise inventory aliases that sells equipment and services, Shopify should beryllium connected your radar. The level makes it easy to build a integer storefront for customers, whether they're buying successful person, online, aliases via societal aliases integer marketplaces. Shopify plans commencement astatine $29 per month, billed annually, pinch further tiers astatine $79 and $299 per month. A much costly scheme comes pinch little processing fees, greater shipping discounts, and further unit accounts, truthful if you person a higher income measurement and much inventory, nan savings could easy offset nan accrued yearly fee. There's besides a $5-per-month Starter subscription for users who waste products via social, specified arsenic Instagram aliases WhatsApp. Shopify doesn't person a afloat free tier, but it does connection a three-day free proceedings followed by 1 period for $1, truthful you tin effort it retired earlier you commit. 

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Shopify's website builder isn't arsenic intuitive to usage aliases arsenic easy to customize arsenic immoderate different platforms, and though location are astir 240 themes to take from, only a fistful are free. There is simply a guided setup wizard for adding products, designing your storefront, and mounting up payments and shipping, arsenic good arsenic basal AI devices for generating matter and media for your site. If you request further support to get up and running, you tin prosecute a master done Shopify's partner directory.  

All plans person unlimited bandwidth and storage, page caching, and an SSL certificate, arsenic good arsenic robust trading and e-commerce features for some in-person and online sales, specified arsenic inventory tracking, constituent of sale, abandoned cart recovery, and email marketing. Shopify promises 99.99% uptime and 24/7 customer support via unrecorded chat if immoderate issues arise. 

Shopify features: SSL certificate | 99.99% uptime | Basic AI tools | 24/7 customer chat support | Three-day free trial 

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Weebly and Square Online are 2 related alternatives for business owners looking for a no-cost (or low-cost) website builder pinch e-commerce and trading features. Weebly was acquired successful 2018 by Square, nan costs processor, and free scheme users tin waste an unlimited number of items via unafraid online checkout, pinch further features for illustration in-store pickup and inventory guidance arsenic good arsenic email and chat support. 

Confusingly, signing up pinch Weebly really requires you to create a Square account, and you'll beryllium routed to nan Square website builder. If you antecedently had a Weebly site, , but caller users will default to nan Square interface. Alternatively, you tin motion up for Square Online's free plan, which will get you to a akin endpoint. Note that location are very constricted template and customization options disposable for free sites via either relationship type. 

Weebly's free tier does person a fewer different important limitations: You get conscionable 500MB of retention and can't link to aliases adhd a civilization domain. For that, you'll request to upgrade to nan $10-per-month Personal plan. Your tract will besides show Square ads unless you person a Professional aliases Performance subscription ($12 aliases $26 per month, respectively). On nan Square Online side, nan free scheme doesn't look to person immoderate retention limits, but nan $29-per-month Plus scheme and $79-per-month Premium scheme travel pinch a batch much features. 

Weebly/Square Online features: Custom domains connected paid plans | SSL certificate | Chat and email customer support

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GoDaddy is known for its domain registration and hosting services, but its website builder is besides worthy of information -- particularly if you've ne'er made a website before. You tin get started for free pinch a GoDaddy subdomain, aliases you tin upgrade to nan $10-per-month (billed annually) Basic scheme to get a civilization domain and basal email marketing. The Premium plan, priced astatine $15 per month, comes pinch nan expertise to judge online payments and assignment booking arsenic good arsenic email trading features, aliases you tin take nan Commerce scheme ($21 per month) for GoDaddy's afloat e-commerce suite. GoDaddy offers a seven-day free proceedings of its premium features, and you don't suffer your activity if you fto nan proceedings expire earlier upgrading to a paid tier. 

Review: GoDaddy

Getting nan basics of your website successful spot is easy pinch GoDaddy Airo, nan platform's AI tool. From there, you tin spell done a guided setup wizard to get oriented to nan interface. Though location aren't arsenic galore template aliases customization options arsenic you get pinch immoderate different website builders, it's easy to adhd and edit on-page elements either manually aliases pinch AI support. GoDaddy besides has design, SEO, and trading services for hire. 

GoDaddy promises 99.9% uptime, and you get 24/7 entree to customer support via phone, text, and chat, a imaginable trading constituent for caller users. 

GoDaddy features: 99.9% uptime | SSL certificate | AI tract builder | 24/7 customer support | Seven-day free trial 

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Wix is my top prime for building a website, pinch its extended options for customization, user-friendly platform, and telephone support. Here's really nan champion website builders compare: 

Website builderFree plan?Free trial?Cost per period (first year, billed annually)Customer supportKey feature
Wixx (14-day money-back guarantee)$17–$15924/7 telephone + chatTemplate and customization options
Squarespacex14 days$16–$9924/7 email + chatCollaborative AI builder
Shopifyx3 days$29–$29924/7 chatDiscounted costs processing and shipping fees
Weebly/Square Online14 days$10–$79Chat + emailSquare integration
GoDaddy7 days$10–$2124/7 phone, text, chatCustomer support

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Choose this website builder…

If you want…

Wix

An all-around coagulated website builder pinch a scope of value points and customization options.

Squarespace

A design-forward website builder for showcasing portfolios and blogs.

Shopify

A level pinch robust e-commerce and trading devices for your online shop.

Weebly/Square Online

A free action for trading products and services pinch Square integration.

GoDaddy

A beginner- and budget-friendly website builder.

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When selecting a website builder, you'll first want to find nan intent of your website. An online shop pinch hundreds of beingness products successful inventory will request a different solution than a freelance creation portfolio aliases blog. You whitethorn besides see nan pursuing factors: 

  • Pricing: You tin build a website for free if you don't mind immoderate limitations (like a branded subdomain), but premium plans are disposable astatine a scope of value points depending connected functionality and features. 
  • Features: Basic website builder plans let you to put together a elemental website to showcase your business aliases your work, while others travel pinch much robust e-commerce and trading features to scope customers and thrust sales. 
  • Design: Some website builders person hundreds of templates and apps to customize your tract and group it apart, while others person much constricted options. If you aren't judge what you want your tract to look for illustration aliases request to get it up and moving quickly, see platforms pinch bully AI tools. 
  • Customer support: If your website is your business, you'll want speedy entree to customer support erstwhile you request it successful nan arena thing goes incorrect (or you request thief pinch setup aliases attraction questions). 

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To find nan champion website builders, I identified nan devices and services disposable and compared their features, costs, and wide acquisition arsenic good arsenic personification feedback. I also conducted hands-on testing to find easiness of use. 

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A website builder is simply a comparatively speedy and cost-effective measurement to get your website up and running. Website builders let you to create master pages without paying for civilization creation and improvement aliases needing to study really to code. Some website builders connection much robust e-commerce and trading integration and AI devices arsenic good arsenic design, development, and optimization support for an further fee. 

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The costs of building a website varies wide based connected nan features and customization included successful your plan. There are a fistful of website builders disposable for free, though you'll typically beryllium constricted to a subdomain reside and visible branding. E-commerce and trading devices whitethorn require an upgrade to a much costly plan. The basal plans for our apical website builders scope from $3 to $29 per period for nan first twelvemonth (and whitethorn summation upon renewal). Of course, you'll salary moreover much if you prosecute an agency for creation and development. 

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GoDaddy is my pick for beginners, acknowledgment to its cleanable and easy-to-navigate interface, adjuvant AI tools, competitory pricing, and 24/7 customer support options. Plus, you tin get started pinch GoDaddy for free. 

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Most website builders merge AI tools for selecting a creation aliases layout aliases generating matter aliases images. That said, immoderate AI assistants are amended than others. For example, Squarespace's collaborative AI offered much options for personification feedback than Wix's AI chatbot. GoDaddy's Airo is 1 of nan much user-friendly AI interfaces.  

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Other website builders worthy considering

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