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đź“ş Title: I tested every website builder. This is the BEST
⏱️ Duration: 1171
👤 Channel: Steve Builds Websites
🎯 Topic: Tested Every Website
đź’ˇ This comprehensive article is based on the tutorial above. Watch the video for visual demonstrations and detailed explanations.
If you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of website builders out there, you’re not alone. With countless tools promising ease, power, and stunning results, how do you know which one is truly right for you? For over 10 years—since 2013—an expert reviewer has personally tested and built live websites with every major platform to cut through the noise. And in this comprehensive guide, we reveal the five best website builders in 2024, based on real-world use, design flexibility, features, pricing, and reliability.
Importantly, no company sponsored this review. Every recommendation comes from firsthand experience—actual sites built, stores launched, bugs encountered, and workflows optimized. Whether you’re launching a portfolio, a blog, a one-page landing site, or a full-scale e-commerce empire, this guide breaks down exactly what each platform offers, where it shines, and where it falls short.
Why Trust This Review? A Decade of Unbiased Testing
The creator behind this analysis has spent the last decade reviewing website builders as both a side hustle and, eventually, a full-time career. This deep, sustained engagement means every opinion is grounded in real usage—not marketing hype. Affiliate links support this work (and may offer you discounts), but editorial control has never been sold. In fact, offers for higher payouts in exchange for biased coverage have been consistently declined because, as the reviewer puts it: “No one’s going to watch a video if it’s obvious I’m a shill for one specific company.”
This integrity ensures that the five platforms covered—Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, Webflow, and Carrd—plus a critical look at WordPress, represent honest, battle-tested insights you can rely on.
Squarespace: The Apple of Website Builders
Squarespace is often described as the “Apple of website builders”—intuitive, thoughtfully designed, and aesthetically cohesive. It’s ideal for users who value clean design, ease of use, and a polished final product without needing advanced technical skills.
How Squarespace’s Editor Works: Blocks + Sections
Squarespace uses a dual approach to page building:
- Blocks: Individual elements like text, images, buttons, or videos that you drag onto the page.
- Sections: Pre-designed collections of blocks that serve as ready-made layouts (e.g., hero banners, feature grids, testimonials).
You can freely resize and reposition blocks on a grid-based system, making layout intuitive while preventing chaotic designs. This flexibility—choosing between starting from scratch with blocks or using prebuilt sections—gives users creative control without overwhelming them.
Key Features You Can Add to Any Squarespace Site
Squarespace goes beyond basic pages with a robust suite of built-in features:
- Blog
- Portfolio
- Online store (e-commerce)
- Appointment scheduling
- Event calendar
- Membership areas
While you likely won’t need all of these, having them available without third-party plugins is a major advantage.
Design & Themes: Minimalist, Bold, and Consistent
Squarespace offers 165 high-quality themes, all sharing a signature aesthetic: ample white space, bold typography, and strong visual focus on imagery. Unlike some competitors with inconsistent theme quality, Squarespace’s themes are uniformly excellent.
Customization is straightforward:
- Choose from preset color palettes
- Create your own custom palette
- Adjust individual element styles (fonts, spacing, etc.)
Squarespace Pricing (2024)
Squarespace offers four annual plans:
| Plan Type | Price (Annual Billing) | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Personal (Website) | $16/month | Blogs, portfolios, personal sites |
| Business (Website) | $23/month | Professional sites with advanced features |
| Commerce (Basic) | $27/month | Small online stores |
| Commerce (Advanced) | $49/month | Full-featured stores with analytics & subscriptions |
Compared to competitors, Squarespace is very reasonably priced for the quality and features offered.
Wix: The Android of Website Builders – Maximum Flexibility
If Squarespace is Apple, then Wix is Android—more flexible, feature-rich, and customizable, but sometimes at the cost of simplicity. Wix and Squarespace are the two market leaders for general-purpose websites, suitable for churches, real estate agents, spas, blogs, portfolios, and more.
Wix’s Freeform Editor: Pixel-Perfect Freedom
Wix’s editor allows you to drag and drop elements anywhere on the canvas—even pixel by pixel. Unlike Squarespace’s grid, this gives total layout freedom, which is powerful but can lead to messy designs if you’re not careful.
Like Squarespace, Wix supports both:
- Individual elements (text, images, buttons, forms)
- Pre-designed sections (e.g., contact forms, galleries, pricing tables)
Wix App Market: 800+ Features at Your Fingertips
Wix’s biggest strength is its App Market with 822+ integrations. You can add:
- Blogging
- Online store
- Live chat
- Multi-language support
- Email marketing
- Booking systems
However, not all apps are polished. For example, the multilingual app has a poor rating on Wix’s own app store, illustrating a key weakness: “Things don’t always just work.” The reviewer recounts adding an online store only to have the navigation break—a fixable issue, but frustrating for non-technical users.
Themes & Design Customization
Wix offers 822 themes—far more than Squarespace—but quality varies. Some are modern and sleek; others feel outdated. Still, customization is easy:
- Adjust global color palettes with one click
- Modify individual element styles
Wix Pricing (2024)
| Plan | Price (Annual) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Light | $16/month | Basic website, no online store |
| Core | $27/month | First e-commerce plan |
| Business | $32/month | More store features |
| Business Elite | $159/month | Advanced e-commerce, automation, VIP support |
The jump to the Elite plan is steep, but reflects Wix’s push into enterprise-level features.
Squarespace vs. Wix: Which Should You Choose?
It often comes down to preference:
- Squarespace: More intuitive, better design consistency, smoother experience.
- Wix: More features and flexibility, but can be overwhelming; occasional bugs.
For most users, Squarespace feels more “finished.” For power users who want every possible option, Wix delivers—if you’re willing to troubleshoot.
Shopify: The E-Commerce Powerhouse
While Squarespace and Wix can handle small stores, Shopify is purpose-built for e-commerce. It’s the best choice for medium to large online stores selling physical products.
Shopify’s Page Editor: Simpler Than It Looks
Shopify uses a basic text editor (similar to Microsoft Word) for content pages. At first glance, it seems “underwhelming” compared to Wix or Squarespace—but that’s by design. Most e-commerce sites only need three core pages:
- Homepage
- Category pages
- Product pages
For these, Shopify provides a visual theme editor (not drag-and-drop, but intuitive) to customize layouts without coding.
Where Shopify Truly Shines: Behind-the-Scenes Magic
Shopify excels at handling the complex infrastructure of e-commerce:
- Payment processing (credit cards, PayPal, etc.)
- Automatic tax calculations
- Shipping label generation
- Inventory management
- Email receipts and notifications
“After building several online stores, I’ve learned to just use Shopify. They make all the behind-the-scenes stuff so much easier.”
Shopify App Store: Endless Customization
Shopify’s App Store is a game-changer. Need any of these?
- Customer review system
- Email alerts for restocked items
- Gift wrapping upsell
- Advanced product filtering
- Search result boosting
All are available as third-party apps. This modular approach keeps Shopify’s core interface clean—unlike competitors like Volusion, which cram every feature into one cluttered panel.
Shopify Themes & Pricing
Themes:
- 12 free themes
- 160+ premium themes (one-time purchase, ~$100–$180)
Pricing (2024):
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Shopify | $29/month | Startups, small stores |
| Shopify | $79/month | Growing businesses |
| Advanced Shopify | $299/month | High-volume stores needing lower transaction fees & staff accounts |
Remember: Themes and apps cost extra, so total costs can add up. But for serious e-commerce, Shopify is worth the investment.
Webflow: For Designers Who Want Code-Level Control (Without Coding)
Webflow has surged in popularity as a visual development tool that bridges the gap between website builders and hand-coded sites. It’s not for beginners—but it’s revolutionary for designers and developers.
Webflow = Visual HTML + CSS
Webflow isn’t just drag-and-drop. It’s a visual interface for HTML and CSS:
- Elements you drag = HTML structure
- Styling panels = CSS rules
This means you can design virtually anything—from Apple-style landing pages to complex animations—without writing code.
Webflow CMS: Dynamic Content Made Easy
One of Webflow’s standout features is its built-in CMS (Content Management System). You can:
- Create “collections” (like databases) with custom fields (e.g., Name, Video URL, Article Body)
- Design templates that pull data from these fields
- Auto-generate pages (e.g., a help center with dozens of articles)
Example: The reviewer built a software company site (Atlas) with a help center. Each article page pulls from CMS fields—something not possible in Squarespace, Wix, or Shopify.
Learning Curve & Best Use Cases
Webflow has a steep learning curve—comparable to Photoshop or Final Cut Pro. It’s ideal if you:
- Need pixel-perfect, custom designs
- Want responsive breakpoints for mobile/tablet
- Require advanced interactions and animations
- Prefer not to code but need developer-level control
If terms like “breakpoints” or “CMS collections” intimidate you, start with Squarespace or Wix instead.
Webflow Pricing (2024)
| Plan Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Starter (CMS) | $14/month |
| Core (CMS) | $23/month |
| E-commerce Basic | $29/month |
| E-commerce Plus | $49/month |
| E-commerce Advanced | $212/month |
Themes: Free starter themes + premium third-party themes (paid).
Note: High-end plans have become significantly more expensive in 2024—a trend the reviewer calls a “success tax.”
Carrd: The Budget-Friendly One-Page Wonder
If all other builders feel too expensive or complex, meet Carrd—a minimalist tool for one-page websites only. And that’s its superpower.
Why One Page Is Often Enough
Most websites suffer from information overload. Visitors scan, not read. A single-page layout can actually improve clarity and conversion. Examples of successful Carrd sites:
- Personal portfolio
- Newsletter landing page
- Startup MVP landing page
- Event promo page
Instead of a bloated “About” + “Services” + “Contact” structure, Carrd encourages you to distill your message into one scrollable experience.
Carrd’s Editor: Simple But Surprisingly Customizable
Carrd uses a straightforward element-based editor:
- Add text, images, buttons, forms, etc.
- Style each element individually
- No prebuilt sections—but easy to arrange
It lacks advanced features (no blog, no e-commerce), but for a focused landing page, it’s more than enough.
Carrd Pricing: Unbeatable Value
Carrd offers just two plans:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Lite | $19/year | 5 sites, basic features |
| Pro | $49/year | Unlimited sites, forms, e-commerce (via third-party), custom domains |
Yes—$19 per year. While every other builder raised prices in 2023–2024, Carrd kept costs low. For solopreneurs, freelancers, or anyone testing an idea, it’s a no-brainier.
WordPress: The Open-Source Giant (Not a Website Builder)
WordPress powers a huge portion of the web—from Time.com to small business sites. But it’s not a website builder. It’s a CMS (Content Management System) that requires separate hosting.
Key Differences: WordPress vs. Website Builders
| Feature | Website Builders (Wix, Squarespace, etc.) | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Included | You must buy separately (~$5–$30/month) |
| Updates & Security | Automatic | Manual—you’re responsible |
| Themes/Plugins | Curated, tested | 50,000+ free/paid options (quality varies) |
| Ease of Use | Beginner-friendly | Steeper learning curve |
The WordPress Trade-Off
Pros:
- Unmatched flexibility and scalability
- Total ownership and control
- Vast ecosystem of plugins (WooCommerce for e-commerce, Elementor for page building)
Cons:
- “It rarely just works.” Themes break, plugins conflict, updates fail.
- You must manage security, backups, and performance
- Can become complex and time-consuming
WordPress is best for users with technical skills or access to developers. For everyone else, a true website builder is safer and faster.
How to Choose the Right Website Builder for You
Don’t overthink it. The reviewer’s advice: Just start building.
- Pick a tool that matches your primary goal (e.g., Shopify for e-commerce, Carrd for a landing page).
- Use the free trial (all major builders offer one).
- Build a rough version of your site.
- If it feels right, stick with it. If not, try another.
Remember: Good websites can be built with “bad” tools, and bad websites with “good” tools. The platform matters less than your content, clarity, and purpose.
Final Verdict: The 5 Best Website Builders of 2024
- Squarespace: Best for design-focused sites (portfolios, blogs, small stores).
- Wix: Best for maximum features and flexibility (if you don’t mind occasional bugs).
- Shopify: Best for serious e-commerce (physical products, scaling stores).
- Webflow: Best for designers who want code-level control without coding.
- Carrd: Best for ultra-simple, one-page sites on a budget.
Affiliate Transparency & Support
This guide is supported by affiliate commissions (at no extra cost to you). If you use the reviewer’s links to sign up, they may earn a small fee—which funds continued testing and unbiased reviews. These links sometimes include exclusive discounts, so check the original video description for deals.
Key Takeaway: Start Now, Perfect Later
The biggest mistake is waiting for the “perfect” tool. Just begin. Build something—even if it’s rough. You’ll learn more in one hour of doing than in ten hours of researching. And with free trials available, there’s no risk.
After 10 years of testing every website builder, the conclusion is clear: the best tool is the one that helps you ship your site.
