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Best website builders to supercharge your businessDiscover the top options to make a site without needing advanced knowledge
Our Top Picks- 1Best overallWix website builderRead review £9Buy now 2Best budget website builderHostinger website builderRead review £1Buy now
- 3Best creative website builderSquarespace website builderRead review £12Buy now 4Best ecommerce website builderShopify website builderRead review £19Buy now
There was a time when creating a website was a bit of a headache. It involved either coding it from the ground up or paying for software that was complicated and expensive. Nowadays, thanks to the best website builders, these roadblocks are long gone – it's quick and easy to get a website up and running, regardless of previous experience.
But which website builder should you use? As a tech journalist, I’ve spent some time researching and using many of them, narrowing down the list to a handful of the best options. The names that made the list are heavyweights you will have heard of: Wix, Hostinger, Squarespace and Shopfiy. The ones that stood out were easy to use and had extra features, such as help with SEO. Ultimately, the one you choose should depend on what you personally prioritise – whether that's affordability, or the best tools for ecommerce.
Read on and I’ll take you through my experiences with each website builder, so you’ll know what your money will get you.
Best VPS hosting 2026, reviewed by a tech expert
The best website builders in 2026 are:
- Best website builder overall – Wix: From £9 per month, Wix.com
- Best budget website builder – Hostinger: From £1.49 per month, Hostinger.com
- Best creative website builder – Squarespace: From £12 per month, Squarespace.com
- Best ecommerce website builder – Shopify: From £19 per month, Shopify.com
How I tested
I spent considerable time checking out each of the entries below (and others not featured). I went through each step of the process from signing up to creating a basic website through each website builder’s method, and then seeing how easily I could tweak and customise it.
During this testing time, I also looked at what features each website builder provides and evaluated how useful they actually are. I researched prices for each plan and learned the market so I could determine what was good value. There are more details on the testing process at the bottom of this article.
1Wix website builder
- BestOverall
- PlansWebsite builder
- Storage2GB to unlimited
- BackupsAutomatic
- Domain includedYes, for one year on all but the Light plan
- Why we love it
- Incredibly beginner-friendly
- Quick actions panel is genuinely helpful
- Great business tools
- Take note
- Can get expensive
- A bit limited
2Hostinger website builder
- BestBudget website builder
- PlansWeb hosting, website builder, cloud hosting, VPS hosting
- Storage20GB to 400GB
- BackupsDaily, weekly, and on demand depending on plan
- Domain includedYes, for one year
- Why we love it
- Very flexible
- Inexpensive
- Varied options for website building
- Take note
- Not quite as user-friendly as a dedicated website builder
- Need to commit to a long time for best discount
3Squarespace website builder
- BestCreative website builder
- PlansWebsite builder
- Storage30 mins of video to unlimited
- BackupsAutomatic
- Domain includedYes
- Why we love it
- Beautiful website designs and templates
- Beginner-friendly dashboard
- Extensive free trial
- Take note
- Restrictive
- Potentially expensive
4Shopify website builder
- Bestecommerce website builder
- PlansSolo entrepreneurs, small teams, complex businesses
- StorageUnlimited
- BackupsAutomatic
- Domain includedYes
- Why we love it
- Perfect for small businesses
- Extensive online store features
- 24/7 support
- Take note
- Only suitable for online selling
- Expensive
The verdict: Best website builders 2026
The best website builder for most people is undoubtedly Wix. It’s incredibly easy to use even if you’re not great with technology, and its results typically look great. You’ll have a website up in no time and Wix offers plenty of ways to help you refine it and also improve your SEO – which is crucial for being high on Google search rankings.
However, if you want flexibility, go for Hostinger. It is also fantastic and it’s much more affordable in many cases. Its website builders are still very good (if not quite as attractive as Wix’s offerings), and being able to upload files via the file manager and create your website the traditional way is useful.
If you have more specific needs such as highlighting an attractive portfolio of work or selling products, that’s where Squarespace and Shopify come in. Shopify is the website builder that any online store needs, while Squarespace looks beautiful. Both cost more than either Wix or Hostinger, but you get good features in exchange.
How the best website builders were tested
When spending extensive time with the best website builders, I had to consider a few key elements to make sure that they were tested the right way. Here are the factors I considered while evaluating what constituted the best website builders:
- Ease of use: Potentially the most important thing about a great website builder, you need it to be easy to use. Drag-and-drop options are a big deal here but you also want it to be simple enough to make changes to your domain, as well as set up ecommerce elements and other arguably trickier parts of web design. I looked at all this and also looked at how easy it was to make changes to my plan, and add a domain to my website. I also evaluated any insights or advice given throughout the process from each website builder.
- Features: Tied into ease of use, I wanted to check that each of the best website builders had all the features you need for a website. That can be as simple as a good-looking site, but I also checked for plugins such as ecommerce elements, video carousels, how easy it was to add blog posts, and everything else imaginable. I looked at the ideal options for the new website but also checked that there was room for expansion when it comes to your business or personal project growing.
- Value for money: I wanted to see which website builders represented good value for money. That doesn’t automatically mean these are the cheapest, but that they’re worth your financial investment. I looked out for any potentially hidden charges and also compared them to the competition to check you’re not paying over the odds for what you get.
- Performance: I wanted a website builder that was quick to enact my ideas, and I also wanted a resulting website that loaded quickly. I looked at reliability figures and speed. That came down to server performance and potentially-messy code. Basically, I wanted everything to run smoothly for me and my userbase.
Why you can trust our reviews
Jennifer Allen is an expert in tech and websites, and has reviewed everything from VPS options to email hosting services. She also writes gaming and console reviews for IndyBest. During her testing process, Jennifer evaluated everything from website building features and changing a hosting package to value for money.
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