Website Builders

How to choose a website builder

What kind of site are you building?

A portfolio or one-page profile fits Carrd or Framer. A business site fits Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy Website Builder or Hostinger Website Builder. A store fits Shopify. A design-heavy marketing site fits Webflow or Framer. Durable generates simple sites with AI from a short prompt.

What does the plan really include?

Compare custom domain, storage, bandwidth, number of pages and e-commerce features. Entry plans often show a platform banner or block custom domains. Look at transaction fees on store plans, because they apply on top of payment processor fees.

What happens at renewal?

Intro prices cover the first term, then plans renew at list price. Compare the renewal cost, not the first-year offer.

Can you export or move the site?

Closed builders often do not let you export a working site, which makes leaving expensive. If portability matters, check what you can download, or consider self-hosted WordPress instead.

SEO and performance basics

All major builders support titles, descriptions and sitemaps, but they differ on page speed and on how much code control you get. Test a demo site in a speed tool before committing.

How much design freedom do you need?

Template-based builders like Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy Website Builder are quick but restrict layouts. Webflow and Framer give finer control and a steeper learning curve. Choose based on who will edit the site after launch.

What about email, forms and integrations?

Check whether business email, contact forms, booking and newsletter tools are built in or require third-party apps. Apps often carry separate monthly fees that add to the plan price.

Which one should you pick?

Choose Shopify for a store, Carrd for a simple page, Framer or Webflow when design control matters, and Wix, Squarespace or Hostinger Website Builder for a general small-business site. If you expect to grow into custom features or want full ownership, consider WordPress on your own hosting instead.