7 Best Website Builders of 2026

Choosing the best website builder for your business ensures your site is secure, reliable, and easy to navigate, and that it has seamless ecommerce features.

The good news is that a variety of affordable, accessible website builders are available—many designed for specific needs. Some are excellent online store site builders, while others are best for portfolios, blogging, or providing a simple, professional online presence. Read on for a breakdown of the top website builders available in 2026.

7 best website builders

1. Shopify
2. WordPress
3. Wix
4. Squarespace
5. GoDaddy
6. Webflow
7. Big Cartel

These top no-code website builders provide the benefits of time savings and simplicity. Instead of learning to code, spend time launching and scaling your small business. 

	Themes	Apps	AI site builder	G2 ⭐️ rating
Shopify	1,000+	16,000+	Yes	4.4
WordPress	1,000+	59,000+	Yes	4.4
Wix	2,000+	800+	Yes	4.3
Squarespace	190+	50	Yes	4.5
GoDaddy	200+	None	Yes	4.1
Webflow	7,000+	300+	Yes	4.4
Big Cartel	12	36	No	4.2

1. Shopify

Shopify is the world’s leading website builder for ecommerce. With affordable plans, beautiful designs, and powerful selling tools, Shopify is the easiest, most reliable way to bring your business online. Millions of businesses use Shopify to sell online, in person, on social media, and across marketplaces.

Use the artificial intelligence (AI) store builder to create a free store design in minutes or get a head start with one of many ready-built themes and templates. Each Shopify store comes with unlimited product listings, the world’s best-converting checkout, shipping and fulfillment tools, and comprehensive analytics. It also comes with access to more than 16,000 apps, and 24/7 customer support. 

Add functionality like appointment booking and the ability to sell digital products and subscriptions through available apps. Plus, Shopify’s online community provides valuable tips and best practices. 

Who it’s for

Shopify is built for ecommerce businesses of all sizes, from solopreneurs to large enterprises. 

Plans and pricing

Shopify plans range from $5 to $2,300 per month, with web hosting services included. Start your Shopify free trial, no credit card required. Get three days free, then the first three months for $1 per month. All plans include unlimited bandwidth, so you won’t pay more as your site traffic increases. 

Features

• AI website builder: Shopify’s website builder generates a personalized storefront with built-in, AI-powered functionality for commerce. 

• AI assistant:Sidekick, generates landing pages and product listings from prompts and provides guidance on everything from shipping to analytics.

• More than 1,000 themes and templates: Jumpstart your website design with professionally designed free and paid themes. 

• Sell digital products and subscriptions: In addition to physical goods, Shopify supports the sale of digital products and subscriptions at no extra charge. 

• Integrated payment processing:Shopify Payments is an integrated payment gateway that accepts all major payment methods. Shopify also works with more than 100 third-party payment providers.

• Extensive app store: The Shopify App Store has more than 16,000 add-ons and integrations.

• Appointment booking apps: Add appointment booking functionality with apps like BookX.

• Access free tutorials: Shopify’s free online courses can help you build and scale your website. 

• Advanced analytics: Track site visitors, sales, customer behavior, and other essential metrics with analytics and reporting features.

• Professional partner network: Shopify’s partner directory helps you hire vetted professionals like designers and coders if you want to level up a simple website design.

• SEO-optimized: Shopify’s built-in SEO tools help the right visitors find your site.

• 24/7 customer support: Enjoy around-the-clock support via email, live chat, and phone.

• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4 

2. WordPress

WordPress started as a blogging platform and remains popular among bloggers and writers. It’s an open-source software, so you can customize your site for any type of business if you’re tech savvy (or you hire a developer). 

You’ll need to upgrade and buy paid plug-ins to add ecommerce functionality (the WooCommerce plug-in adds this) or manage appointment booking, subscription sales, and digital product sales.

Who it’s for

Bloggers, content creators, and technically inclined users who want high customizability.

Plans and pricing

WordPress plans cost $4 to $45 per month, with enterprise pricing starting at $25,000. You’ll need to upgrade to the $8 per month plan to access Google Analytics, and to the $25 per month plan to access priority 24/7 support. Web hosting costs are included.

Features

• AI website builder

• More than 1,000 themes and templates

• Sell digital products and subscriptions through plug-ins

• Integrations with WooPayments, Stripe, PayPal payments, and other major payment processors

• More than 59,000 plug-ins

• Support guides

• SEO tools 

• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4

3. Wix

Wix caters to individuals and small businesses creating simple ecommerce stores or portfolio websites. It has an AI site builder and free themes. 

If you plan to sell products online, Wix has ecommerce functionality in its higher-tier plans, but the platform isn’t specifically built for ecommerce. 

Who it’s for

Freelancers and businesses who want to showcase their work on portfolio sites or build basic ecommerce sites.

Plans and pricing

Wix plans start at $17 per month. Ecommerce functionality is available starting at $29 per month. Web hosting is included in all plans.

Features

• AI website builder

• More than 2,000 templates

• Sell digital products and subscriptions

• Integrated payment processing with Wix Payments 

• More than 800 available apps

• Free tutorials to get started 

• Advanced analytics

• Professional partner network

• SEO tools

• 24/7 customer support

• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.3

4. Squarespace

Squarespace offers more than 190 professional-looking website templates for a quick way to get a site up and running. However, it has limited customization options compared to competitors. 

Squarespace supports memberships and digital content, but transaction fees for them are higher than on other platforms (7% and 5% at the lowest tiers). There’s also a 2% platform transaction fee for physical products for users on the cheapest plan. 

Appointment booking functionality requires an additional fee, which starts at $16 per month.

Who it’s for

Creatives and small businesses building simple websites.

Plans and pricing

Squarespace plans cost $16 to $99 per month, including hosting. 

Features

• AI website builder

• More than 190 templates 

• Sell digital products and subscriptions

• Integrated payment processing with Squarespace Payments

• 50 extensions

• Paid appointment booking integration

• Guides and tutorials

• Advanced analytics

• Professional designers available through Squarespace Marketplace

• SEO tools

• 24/7 customer support

• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.5 

5. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is best known as a domain registrar, but in 2017, the company launched a website builder. GoDaddy’s site builder has AI tools and more than 200 templates to jumpstart your design process, and the platform has basic marketing features like SEO tools. 

GoDaddy works for building a basic site, but it has limitations. There’s no app library and listings are restricted to three options per product and 100 choices per store. 

GoDaddy has integrated appointment booking at its Commerce level ($20.99 per month).

Who it’s for

Businesses with simple products looking for a basic website.

Plans and pricing

GoDaddy Website Builder plans cost $9.99 per month for a basic site, or $20.99 per month for access to features like ecommerce, SEO tools, and appointment booking. Website hosting services are included.

Features

• AI website builder

• More than 200 templates

• Sell digital products and subscriptions

• Integrated payment processing with GoDaddy Payments

• Appointment booking

• Free tutorials 

• Professional design partners

• SEO tools

• 24/7 customer support

• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.1 

6. Webflow

Webflow is a no-code site builder known for its customization options. It might work for people who want to hone every tiny detail of their site—though that might take a while, because Webflow has a higher learning curve than other platforms. 

Webflow has more than 7,000 templates (some free and some paid) and basic ecommerce functionality in paid versions of its platform. These come with higher transaction fees than other platforms’ comparably-priced plans. 

Who it’s for

Experienced web designers and builders.

Plans and pricing

Webflow has a free plan, but it doesn’t include a custom domain name, SEO tools, or the ability to add more than two pages. Paid plans without ecommerce functionality cost $14 to $39 per month, with enterprise pricing upon request. Sites with ecommerce functionality cost $29 to $212 per month. 

Features

• AI website builder

• More than 7,000 templates

• Sell digital products and subscriptions

• More than 300 apps

• Appointment booking apps

• Free tutorials 

• Advanced analytics available as a paid integration

• Professional partner network

• SEO tools

• 24/7 customer support

• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4 

7. Big Cartel

Big Cartel is a simple website builder designed for independent artists and creators selling products like crafts and fine art. It has 12 customizable templates, minimal customizations, and a limited library of 36 integrations. 

Big Cartel caps product listings at five, 50, or 500, depending on the plan, and the least expensive options limit the number of product photographs you can include. Big Cartel has the basics for those selling a few products.

Who it’s for

Big Cartel is for artists and independent creators selling a limited selection of items.

Plans and pricing

Big Cartel has a free website builder that supports up to five products. Features like inventory and shipping tracking come with the $15 per month and $30 per month plans. Hosting is included.

Features

• 12 free templates

• Sell subscriptions natively and digital products through an app

• Payment gateway integrations with PayPal and Stripe

• 36 curated apps

• A few video tutorials

• SEO tools

• 24/7 customer support

• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2 

How does a website builder work?

Website builders simplify creating and managing a website, even without coding expertise or design know-how. Some site builders, like WordPress, specialize in creating content management system (CMS) websites. Others, like Shopify, excel in building ecommerce websites for making sales.

Many site builders listed above include a website hosting service, which stores your website’s data securely online. When you’re first getting started with a website builder, the platform usually gives you a subdomain that includes the platform’s name (i.e., yoursitename.myshopify.com). 

When you’re ready to upgrade from a free domain to your own domain name, you can either register a domain through your website builder or import one from an existing website or domain registry service.

Top website builders provide:

• Themes and templates. Customizable themes and templates give you a head start on your website design. Adapt themes to fit your visual brand identity by adding your logo and customizing fonts and colors.

• Drag and drop site builders. These let you drag and drop elements like text boxes and buttons onto your site—no coding knowledge required. 

• AI site builders. These tools help you draft your site layout and write on-page text like headers. AI site builders offer a balance of quick setup and customization. 

Once you’ve designed and added content to your site, you may want to add interactive features like sales functionality or appointment booking. Some website builders have these features, while others may allow you to add them via plug-ins and apps. 

For example, as your Shopify store grows and your needs become more complex, you can add apps like BookX (for appointment booking) and Judge.me (for product reviews).

When your site is ready, hit the Publish button and celebrate. After launch, monitor the website’s performance using your builder’s analytics tools to track visitor behavior and refine your site. 

Key features to look for a website builder

• Scalability
• Ease of use
• SEO tools
• App libraries
• Customization
• Analytics

Choosing a home for your website is a lot like finding the right place to live. You need somewhere that’s easy to make your own, simple to maintain, and capable of accommodating changes down the line. 

Here’s what to look for in a website builder for your small business:

Scalability: Can it grow with your business? 

If your goal is to build a simple portfolio site, a free or low-cost website builder might meet your needs. But if you’re dreaming of building a bustling online store or dynamic content hub, choose a website builder that can scale with your business as your needs change. 

To determine if a website builder is scalable enough for your needs, consider:

• Product listing limits. Some plans limit the number of product listings.

• Transaction fees. Some platforms offer lower-cost plans with higher transaction fees. Shopify doesn’t charge transaction fees at any plan level.

• Feature limitations. Identify features you need now and in the future. For example, maybe you don’t need marketing software yet, but will in the future. Platforms like Shopify offer built-in marketing tools with every plan, but other platforms require you to upgrade or purchase an additional subscription.

• Bandwidth and memory limits. Some website builders limit memory and bandwidth by plan, which can affect site speed. Confirm the website builder has sufficient bandwidth and storage to handle increased content and traffic as you grow. 

Ease of use: Is it easy to set up and manage your site?

The ideal website builder should make it easy to set up and manage your site. 

For easy setup, look for: 

• AI site builders to aid in initial site creation

• Customizable templates to speed up the design process

• Drag-and-drop editors that eliminate the need for coding

The more integrated features a platform has, the less third-party tools you need to research, purchase, and manage.

Seek out platforms with detailed video tutorials and guides to help you set up and run your own website. Platforms like Shopify also have large user communities that provide insights in forums. 

SEO tools: Can customers find your site?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of making your site more appealing to search engine algorithms. The goal is to appear at the top of search or cited in generative engine results. Most website builders offer built-in SEO features that can help drive traffic to your site. 

Look for these specific features: 

• Automatic sitemaps generation 

• Free SSL certificates (important for SEO and site security)

• Customizable title tags, meta descriptions, and structured data capabilities 

App libraries: Can you extend your site’s features?

If you’re building a simple portfolio site, you might not need a lot of special features such as subscription sales, appointment booking, and paywalled content. But if you sell things or operate a more complex business online, those features may be essential.

Before you choose a platform, verify if your website builder has the functionalities you need—either built-in or in its app library.

Customization: Can your brand stand out?

While most website builders provide customizable templates, some are limited in the creative flexibility they offer. To construct an ecommerce website design that displays your distinctive brand identity, you’ll need a site builder that lets you customize elements like color scheme, font, and graphic elements. 

Look for site builders with:

• A variety of template options to avoid generic layouts 

• Deeper design flexibility through custom coding access (API, CSS, and HTML) if you have the technical expertise

Choosing a website builder with highly customizable design features can pay dividends. Sara Mote, cofounder of design firm Mote Agency, describes design like a conversation between you and your customers.

“Design has the power to captivate an audience, convey information, and evoke emotions, which directly impact consumer decision making,” says Sara. “Simply put, good design increases the quality of those conversations. It helps create a seamless and engaging experience, which in turn reinforces brand identity and drives performance metrics like sales and customer retention.”

Analytics: Can you measure and improve performance?

Website analytics can tell you about your site’s traffic sources and visitors’ behavior. For example, what do they search to find your website? How long do they spend on each page? If they leave immediately, it could indicate a mismatch between their intent and what’s on the page.

Not all platforms offer the same depth in their analytics reports, but more detailed information can provide you with the information you need to refine and improve your site. Look for sites with advanced analytics to make sure you have the data you need to continuously improve your website.