10 Best Website Builders For Small Businesses Compared

Does creating a small business website seem intimidating or time-consuming? We’re here to help you compare the best website builders to make running your small business easier!

Having a small business website is more important than ever. While social media is great, it’s also limiting. Plus, creating a website makes your business more professional.

But, hiring someone to build a website can be expensive. At the same time, finding the time to learn how to run an entire website, especially if it involves code, is too much.

Small business website creator software takes the burden off your shoulders.

Can I Create a Business Website for Free?

Free business website creators often have limitations and don’t look professional.

Plus, many “free” website creators aren’t free when you look deeper. Using a free website platform for small businesses usually means:

• You can’t use your domain
• Your website has ads you can’t control
• You may have to pay for templates and add-ons
• You don’t have complete control over your site
• Having to pay for things you weren’t expecting

That said, we DO include a few free options in our list of business website builders because “free” doesn’t always mean “bad.” Pay attention to what’s on offer and make sure your chosen business website creator fits your needs.

Best Website Builder for Small Business

In this roundup, we look at the best options for creating a website for your business. If you’re interested in a specific builder, click the links below to go straight to it:

1. Self-Hosted WordPress : Best Website Builder for Small Business Overall
2. Web.com : Best DIY Business Website Builder for Beginners
3. HubSpot Website Builder : Best for Marketing Automation
4. Wix : Best Quick Business Website Creator With Simple Templates
5. GoDaddy Website Builder : Best for Creating Simple Sites
6. Gator Website Builder : Best Affordable Website Builder
7. MemberPress : Best Membership Site Builder
8. Weebly : Best Freemium Website Platform for Small Business
9. BigCommerce : Best Business Website Builder for eCommerce
10. Squarespace : Best Business Website Creator for Modern Designs

1. Self-Hosted WordPress : Best Website Builder for Small Business Overall

About 40% of the internet runs on WordPress . It’s the world’s most popular content management system (CMS) because it’s flexible, scalable, and easy to use.

There are two versions of WordPress: WordPress.org and WordPress.com . WordPress.org is self-hosted and free, while WordPress.com has a variety of pricing levels.

We recommend creating a website for your business using self-hosted WordPress.org. This could be the best website builder for your small business because it’s flexible and free.

Pros of Self-Hosted WordPress for Your Small Business Website

WordPress is open-source, so it’s available on most web hosting platforms . For example, Bluehost , an official WordPress partner, has a one-click install.

This program intends to make creating a website for your business simple. It offers thousands of pre-made, customizable WordPress themes for every niche.

WordPress drag-and-drop page builders give you more control over your small business website.

We recommend SeedProd , an easy-to-use, WordPress-exclusive website builder. This website creator can make things more manageable, starting at $39.50 per year.

WordPress has thousands of plugins . These give your website extra functionality. Many of these tools have paid Pro plans, but several offer free versions or trials.

You can use plugins to personalize and improve your small business website. A few plugin options include:

• Customizable Web and Contact Forms
• eCommerce Stores
• Google Analytics
• Online Courses
• SEO Tools

While WordPress is popular with bloggers, it isn’t only for blogging. Creating a website for your business is more than possible!

Tons of brands use WordPress . Some big names include TechCrunch, The New York Times Company, and Microsoft News.

This business website builder ensures your site is search engine-friendly. You can also use plugins like All in One SEO to ensure your content follows the best SEO practices to rank higher.

WordPress integrates with almost every online platform or tool. This lets you build everything from blogs to massive eCommerce websites.

You can even design a custom “coming soon” page using SeedProd. This can help you build your audience while creating a website for your business. You don’t need to wait for your site to go live!

Another significant benefit of WordPress is its popularity. It comes with a huge, helpful community and plenty of resources.

Cons of Self-Hosted WordPress for Your Small Business Website

Creating your business website with WordPress is only the beginning. Next, you’re in charge of maintaining your website.

That includes backing up your site and updating WordPress and its plugins. Some of this is manual work.

One way to solve this is with managed WordPress hosting . This option lets someone else look after the technical aspects of running your site.

Self-Hosted WordPress Pricing

Self-hosted WordPress is free.

That said, registering your own domain name and using shared hosting come with fees, and this is the way most truly professional websites go.

We recommend Bluehost, where you can get started for $2.75 per month with a free domain. (Bluehost can also function as a WordPress builder at $2.95 per month.)

Get started with WordPress today!

2. Web.com : Best DIY Business Website Builder for Beginners

Web.com is an easy-to-use, do-it-yourself website builder. It allows anyone to create a professional small business website.

It makes creating a website for your business simpler via a drag-and-drop builder. Plus, there are tons of website templates to get you started.

Web.com should be expensive. But, it has one of the lowest starting prices, securing its place on our list of best website builders.

Pros of Web.com for Creating a Website for Your Business

Web.com is great because of how user-friendly and affordable it is. Your first month is only $1.95, including a domain name and professional email address.

You can choose a template and use the drag-and-drop builder to customize your site.

Web.com also comes loaded with tools to help market your small business website. These include resources for SEO and integrations with third-party tools.

Cons of Web.com for Creating a Website for Your Business

The domain name you get is only valid for a year, and you must renew it for a fee each year after this. To cancel it, you need to call them.

The Starter package has significant limitations, particularly if you need eCommerce functions. But, the upgraded levels are still less expensive than the average site.

Web.com Pricing

• Starter: $1.95 for the first month; $10 per month afterward
• Marketing: $2.95 for the first month; $15 per month afterward
• eCommerce: $3.95 for the first month; $20 per month afterward

Get started with Web.com today!

3. HubSpot Website Builder : Best for Marketing Automation

HubSpot Website Builder is a drag-and-drop builder with marketing automation tools and CRM. You can optimize your website for every device and personalize it for every visitor.

All this makes its spot on the best website builders for small businesses list a no-brainer!

You can use pre-built templates to create posts, landing pages, site pages, and emails.

A unique feature of the HubSpot website builder is its adaptive testing. This lets you choose up to 5 different versions of a web page. HubSpot monitors and determines the best website for your small business.

Pros of HubSpot Website Builder for Your Small Business Website

One of the best parts of the HubSpot website builder is the integration with its CRM. This lets you use customer data to create a personalized experience for each visitor.

All content is on one platform. So, you don’t need to jump around to different places to make everything work.

Though HubSpot is simple, it’s also comprehensive. It has features like email marketing, live chat , and adaptive testing, which many don’t.

Cons of HubSpot Website Builder for Your Small Business Website

If you want an online store or a complex business website, a platform like WordPress.org could be better. HubSpot is a bit simpler.

At the same time, beginners might find the extra features a bit intimidating. Decide if you need marketing automation features before buying.

HubSpot Website Builder Pricing

The program starts at $25 per month.

Get started with HubSpot Website Builder today!

4. Wix : Best Quick Business Website Creator With Simple Templates

Wix made our list of best website builders because of its Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI). ADI digs through the web for information on your business.

This responsive website builder has a clean appearance, built-in SEO, and marketing tools.

Pros of Wix as a Website Platform for Small Business

Wix offers over 800 templates, clip art, icons, and an app market starting at the free level. You can add access to more apps, videos, and more at higher levels.

This platform also has SEO, email capture and marketing, social posting, and Facebook ad tools.

They also have hundreds of customizable templates available. These templates let you create a website for your business in minutes.

Some versions of Wix also allow you to translate your site into different languages.

Cons of Wix as a Website Platform for Small Business

Wix uses absolute positioning (as opposed to responsive design ). This means elements don’t always adjust to different screens. So, it isn’t the best for different sizes of screens or SEO.

Also, if you move your site away from Wix , it can be pretty complicated to make it happen.

Wix Pricing

Wix offers a free option and 8 premium plans divided into 3 categories:

• Website Plans: $14 to $39 per month
• Business and eCommerce Plans: $23 to $49 per month
• Enterprise Plans: Customized to your needs

Get started with Wix today!

5. GoDaddy Website Builder : Best for Creating Simple Sites

GoDaddy is one of the most popular domain name registrars and hosting service providers. With GoDaddy Website Builder , you can create a business website, including GoDaddy hosting.

Pros of GoDaddy Website Builder for Your Company

You don’t need technical knowledge to use GoDaddy Website Builder. Pick one of their templates and use the drag-and-drop editor to customize it.

You can add contact forms, videos, and social media links. It also includes some built-in marketing tools, including SEO and email marketing functions.

This business website creator works on any screen, including your phone or tablet.

Another cool feature of GoDaddy Website Builder is GoDaddy InSight . This tool gets insights and recommendations based on data from millions of users. You get an Insight Score to help you make your small business website even better.

Cons of GoDaddy Website Builder for Your Company

Compared to some business website builders, GoDaddy Website Builder offers fewer features.

It’s also not the best for content-rich websites. It’s better for building a simple site with a few pages.

If you want to move your site from GoDaddy to a different platform in the future, it’s not easy to do.

GoDaddy Website Builder Pricing

• Basic: $6.99 per month ($11.99 per month upon renewal)
• Standard: $10.49 per month ($15.99 per month upon renewal)
• Premium: $13.99 per month ($21.99 per month upon renewal)

Get started with GoDaddy Website Builder today!

6. Gator Website Builder : Best Affordable Website Builder

Gator Website Builder makes it easy to create a simple website with a few clicks. Plus, it’s among the cheapest high-quality business website builders available today.

Pros of Gator Website Builder as a Business Website Creator

Gator Website Builder boasts no learning curve, with a library of themes to choose from. The drag-and-drop software makes it easy to add images, videos, Google Maps, and more.

This platform includes free hosting, a domain name, analytics, and an SSL certificate. Those certificates keep your site secure and more SEO-friendly .

If you already have a website, Gator Website Builder doesn’t make you start from scratch. They make transferring your site as easy as possible.

Cons of Gator Website Builder as a Business Website Creator

Gator Website Builder doesn’t have a ton of advanced features. If you want to open an eCommerce site or have lots of bells and whistles, this wouldn’t be the best choice for you.

Additionally, you sign a 3-year contract up front. You can cancel before renewal, but there may be a fee. (That said, it’s still cheaper than many hosts when you add up the yearly prices.)

Gator Website Builder Pricing

• Hatchling Plan: Starts at $2.75 per month
• Baby Plan: Starts at $3.50 per month
• Business Plan: Starts at $5.25 per month

As you sign a 36-month contract, this means the prices (without add-ons) range from $169.13 to $265.27 when you sign up.

Get started with the Gator Website Builder today!

7. MemberPress : Best Membership Site Builder

Do you want a business website where visitors register for exclusive content? Then you need MemberPress .

MemberPress is a WordPress plugin for building stunning membership sites. You can accept payments, sell digital downloads, and control who sees your content.

Pros of MemberPress for Creating a Business Website

Since MemberPress runs on WordPress (which you’ll need to add to your site in order to use MemberPress), it has a lot of flexibility..

With a MemberPress site, you can:

• Set up your membership site in minutes
• Generate recurring subscription revenue
• Manage your site members and give them access to content based on membership level
• Integrate with other plugins
• Use any WordPress theme

It can even create online classes, including quizzes.

MemberPress offers high-quality customer support to help you build and maintain your site.

Cons of MemberPress for Creating a Business Website

MemberPress is a bit pricier than some business website builder options on this list.

Because it runs on WordPress, you’re responsible for software updates and backups.

MemberPress Pricing

• Basic: $179 per year
• Plus: $299 per year
• Pro: $399 per year

Get started with MemberPress site builder today!

8. Weebly : Best Freemium Website Platform for Small Business

Weebly is often listed among the best free website builder software because it’s hard to argue with that price tag!

Pros of Weebly as a Business Website Builder

In creating a website for your business with Weebly, you can use SEO and lead generation features. But, you may have to upgrade to a paid version to gain full access.

This platform allows your small business website to be mobile-friendly with responsive templates.

Upgrading lets you use Weebly with your domain. Otherwise, you’ll have a domain including Weebly in the URL.

You get site search, HD audio and video, and membership options with different plans.

Cons of Weebly as a Business Website Builder

It’s more accurate to call Weebly a “freemium” website platform than a free one.

For instance, the basic, free level has some rudimentary eCommerce functions. Still, the paid versions are likely to make customers far happier.

Not everyone finds Weebly’s drag-and-drop builder easy to use.

But, the main disadvantage of using Weebly is getting locked into their platform. If you want to change website platforms later, you may have to re-create your site from scratch.

Weebly Pricing

• Personal: $6 per month
• Professional: $12 per month
• Performance: $26 per month billed

9. BigCommerce : Best Business Website Builder for eCommerce

BigCommerce is one of the best websites for small businesses needing eCommerce functions. It’s designed for online sales. The BigCommerce platform powers Burrow, Skullcandy, and large brands.

Pros of BigCommerce as a Business Website Creator

BigCommerce could help launch an eCommerce store without worrying about technical aspects.

Even beginners may find it easy to create their stores with stunning templates. You can find dozens of responsive designs for different industries.

You can customize your small business website with integrated apps . They offer features like shipping and inventory solutions, reviews, and email marketing automation .

BigCommerce has 99.99% uptime and protection from hackers and DDoS attacks. This can help customers feel safe and stay engaged.

Cons of BigCommerce as a Business Website Creator

You need to upgrade to get some eCommerce features, including:

• Google customer reviews
• Abandoned cart recovery features
• Stored credit cards
• Advanced product search and filtering

Want to know how BigCommerce stacks up to other eCommerce platforms? Check out our comparison of Magneto, Shopify, and BigCommerce .

BigCommerce Pricing

• Essentials: $29.95 to $299.95 per month
• Enterprise: Tailored to your needs.

Get started with BigCommerce

10. Squarespace : Best Business Website Creator for Modern Designs

Squarespace made our list because users love its beautiful designs and ease of use.

Pros of Squarespace for Your Small Business Website

Squarespace aims to be manageable if you’re creating a website for your business for the first time.

Its basic plan lets you set up a 20-page website. You can use Squarespace with a custom domain for free for the first year. Plus, it’s hosted, so Squarespace keeps your site updated.

You also get an SSL certificate, analytics, and eCommerce features with that package. It also lets you sell unlimited products and accept donations.

Other plans offer inventory management, accounting, checkout functions, cart recovery, and eCommerce reporting.

Cons of Squarespace for Your Small Business Website

Some people find a learning curve, though Squarespace’s support can help solve issues.

If eCommerce is essential to your business, you need one of the more expensive plans.

Squarespace Pricing

• Personal: $14 per month
• Business: $23 per month
• Basic Commerce: $27 per month
• Advanced Commerce: $49 per month

What’s the Best Website Builder for Small Businesses?

We’ve narrowed down our choices for the best website platforms for small businesses. So, which should you use to create a website for your business?

It depends on your goal. But, let’s look at our choices for the best overall and best eCommerce website builders.

Best Overall Business Website Builder

WordPress is our pick for the best website builder for small businesses. It’s flexible, scalable, and easy to use.

With four out of ten websites running on WordPress, there’s a community to provide help.

Best eCommerce Business Website Builder

BigCommerce wins for the best eCommerce website builder. We love its user-friendliness, professional designs, and expert functionality.

What Comes After Picking a Business Website Creator?

We recommend building your email marketing list and audience before launching your site.

The sooner you start building your list , the more leads and conversions you can see.

OptinMonster, a premium WordPress plugin, has advanced targeting features for effective marketing. Regardless of which website builder you choose, we want to help your business grow.

Our targeting features include:

• Exit-Intent Technology : Grabs visitors’ attention before they leave your small business website
• Page-level Targeting : Lets you create page-specific offers relevant to your customers
• Onsite Retargeting : Shows different offers to people who’ve seen previous marketing campaigns

OptinMonster also integrates with major eCommerce platforms and industry-leading email marketing services .

With our range of templates and themes, you can create a unique website for your business. OptinMonster lets you build high-converting marketing campaigns matching your company’s design.

Start Your OptinMonster Account Today!

Resources for Your Small Business Website

We hope you enjoyed this post on the best website builders for small businesses. If you did, check out the following resources:

• Best Email Service Providers for Small Business (Compared)
• List Building Tools You Need to Try Today
• Small Business Email Marketing: 7 Tips for Growth

These articles have more information to help grow your small business.