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Best Website Builders 2019 – So Easy Your Grandma Could Use Them 👵

Nathan Finch——Last Updated on

Total: 1.5K

Website builders have come a long way since the earliest days of internet. Those of you who are familiar with the names Dreamweaver or Frontpage know what I’m talking about. These two proprietary software packages were the first popular attempts at What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) drag-and-drop website editing. Dreamweaver was eventually purchased by Adobe and remains a popular builder for experienced developers who don’t mind the steep learning curve, while Frontpage, which used to be included in Microsoft’s Office suite, was discontinued around 2003 because nobody liked it.

Seriously. Nobody. Liked. It. Sorry Micosoft 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Luckily for online entrepreneurs everywhere, the site building industry kept evolving because the masses 1) did not want to learn how to code, and 2) paying a legitimate web developer to build your website is pretty freakin’ expensive (around $2000).

Recent years have seen an explosion in both selection and functionality of drag-and-droppers, though there is a vast quality difference between the best of the best and what you might find in the picked over rest.

The problem arises that a layperson – perhaps such as those reading this article – are not familiar enough with the spectrum of site builders to be able to tell at a glance which are quality products and which are not worth the time it takes to open an account. Our mission with the following reviews is to help uncover the sneaky good builders and avoid the ones almost guaranteed to cause grief should you be unfortunate enough to get trapped in their DIY website development hell.

But first, I’m pretty sure you want to ask me a question, so go ahead…

But First – What About Web Developers?

Better? Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

There’s no question a qualified web developer can crank out a professional-looking website. There’s also no question you will likely pay anywhere from $2,000 and up, depending upon the features and functions you need. If you have more money than time, by all means pay a pro to build your web presence, but don’t lose track of the reality that you will probably pay again and again for maintenance and content updates at whatever the hourly rate is, which could easily be in the $50 to $100/hour range.

Now before a horde of web designers/developers get their undies in a bunch, I’ll be the first to say that they provide a necessary service and obviously one that is valued enough that an entire industry has sprung up around the idea. The presumption would be that if some dude or dudette is charging $5,000 to set up a website, there’s a market of people on the other end willing to pay it.

The often overlooked other side of the equation is that a quality DIY website builder can get you the same end result – a professional website – for less than fifteen dollars a month (generally), and you could update the thing any time you wanted at no extra cost. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the modern site builder. 🙌

Who Are Website Builders Great For?

If you have a pulse and are over the age of two, there’s a good chance you have all the necessary intellect and hand/eye coordination to build a website with a drag-and-drop editor. Seriously, if you can turn on a computer and navigate your way to the any website, a DIY website builder should be well within your skillset. In fact, plenty of entrepreneurs in the following fields have already made use of site builders:

  • Small business owners
  • Artists
  • Photographers
  • Accountants
  • Writers
  • Musicians
  • Pet groomers
  • Melbourne Hipsters

You get the idea…

I could go on wasting more pixels with an even longer list, but I bet you see where I’m going. It doesn’t matter whether you want to create a simple personal blog, full-blown eCommerce site, or something in-between; good site building software can get you from idea to execution in short order.

Our Review Process 🕵️

How did I evaluate all these website builders? My, you’re full of questions today, but I don’t mind telling. Here is the process implemented with each builder on the list.

If you'd like to see more about our tests see our live uptime tracking here.

  1. Narrowed my targets to 10 by perusing legit sites like PCMag.com
  2. Opened an account with real money. (used free accounts for Wix/Squarespace)
  3. Built a quick website to put the builder though its paces
  4. Monitored (ongoing) each test site’s speed and uptime – some are downright terrible.
  5. Checked each builder’s REAL cost – not just the advertised nonsense

Regarding that last point, the website builder industry, like every other industry in the world, loves to quote a bare bones price that is technically feasible but leaves you lacking many critical options and features. My analysis includes the actual cost to get a usable website online.

Keep in mind I’m not here to shout from the rafters that every builder is full of charlatans. They call it a business because eventually they have to earn money. Charging a fee for service doesn’t make them bad; I just want you to know the costs involved in finishing and uploading a website you can actually use.

✅Let's get into the reviews to find the best website in Australia. ✅

Website builders have come a long way since the earliest days of internet. Those of you who are familiar with the names Dreamweaver or Frontpage know what I’m talking about. These two proprietary software packages were the first popular attempts at What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) drag-and-drop website editing. Dreamweaver was eventually purchased by Adobe and remains a popular builder for experienced developers who don’t mind the steep learning curve, while Frontpage, which used to be included in Microsoft’s Office suite, was discontinued around 2003 because nobody liked it. Seriously. Nobody. Liked. It.

Earnings disclosure: Some of the products we reviewed on this page contain affiliate links. We use those proceeds to help cover costs of maintaining the website and doing research. Thanks again for your support. 

Luckily for online entrepreneurs everywhere, the site building industry kept evolving because the masses 1) did not want to learn how to code, and 2) paying a legitimate web developer to build your website is pretty freakin’ expensive.

Recent years have seen an explosion in both selection and functionality of drag-and-droppers, though there is a vast quality difference between the best of the best and what you might find in the picked over rest.

The problem arises that a layperson – perhaps such as those reading this article – are not familiar enough with the spectrum of site builders to be able to tell at a glance which are quality products and which are not worth the time it takes to open an account. Our mission with the following reviews is to help uncover the sneaky good builders and avoid the ones almost guaranteed to cause grief should you be unfortunate enough to get trapped in their DIY website development hell.

But first, I’m pretty sure you want to ask me a question, so go ahead…

If you’re looking for the quick and easy answer to the top website builder, I’d definitely say that Wix is the best choice for the job. Not only is it extremely easy to use, it’s UX is perfectly designed to be intuitive to anyone looking to build a new site. Support is great as well and there is a ton of info online about how to setup each of the elements. It’s also cheaper than a couple of the other options out there.

While we do run a web agency, Wix has been our main recommendation to new website owners based on its pricing and easy of use.

Check Wix

IS IT BETTER TO HIRE A WEB DEVELOPER?

Better? Maybe. Then again, maybe not. There’s no question a qualified web developer can crank out a professional-looking website. There’s also no question you will likely pay anywhere from $2,000 and up, depending upon the features and functions you need. If you have more money than time, by all means pay a pro to build your web presence, but don’t lose track of the reality that you will probably pay again and again for maintenance and content updates at whatever the hourly rate is, which could easily be in the $50 to $100/hour range.

Now before a horde of web designers/developers get their undies in a bunch, I’ll be the first to say that they provide a necessary service and obviously one that is valued enough that an entire industry has sprung up around the idea. The presumption would be that if some dude or dudette is charging $5,000 to set up a website, there’s a market of people on the other end willing to pay it.

The often overlooked other side of the equation is that a quality DIY website builder can get you the same end result – a professional website – for less than twenty bucks a month (generally), and you could update the thing any time you wanted at no extra cost. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the modern site builder.

ARE YOU QUALIFIED TO USE A SITE BUILDER?

If you have a pulse and are over the age of two, there’s a good chance you have all the necessary intellect and hand/eye coordination to build a website with a drag-and-drop editor. Seriously, if you can turn on a computer and navigate your way to the any website, a DIY website builder should be well within your skillset. In fact, plenty of entrepreneurs in the following fields have already made use of site builders:

  • Small business owners
  • Artists
  • Photographers
  • Accountants
  • Writers
  • Musicians
  • Pet groomers
  • Landscapers

You get the idea…

I could go on wasting more pixels with an even longer list, but I bet you see where I’m going. It doesn’t matter whether you want to create a simple personal blog, full-blown eCommerce site, or something in-between; good site building software can get you from idea to execution in short order.

THE REVIEW PROCESS

How did I evaluate all these website builders? My, you’re full of questions today, but I don’t mind telling. Here is the process implemented with each builder on the list.

  1. Narrowed my targets to 10 by perusing legit sites like PCMag.com
  2. Opened an account with real money
  3. Built a quick website to put the builder though its paces
  4. Monitored (ongoing) each test site’s speed and uptime – some are downright terrible
  5. Checked each builder’s REAL cost – not just the advertised nonsense

Regarding that last point, the website builder industry, like every other industry in the world, loves to quote a bare bones price that is technically feasible but leaves you lacking many critical options and features. My analysis includes the actual cost to get a usable website online. Keep in mind I’m not here to shout from the rafters that every builder is full of charlatans. They call it a business because eventually they have to earn money. Charging a fee for service doesn’t make them bad; I just want you to know the costs involved in finishing and uploading a website you can actually use.

And for the short attention spans in the reading audience, here’s a snapshot of the comparison chart for the 10 site builders on the list. Below that we’ll get into the reviews.

Full Disclosure: This article contains referral links. Some people call them affiliate links. What it means is that, if you click on one and end up buying a product or service afterwards, I earn a small commission. Before you fly off the handle and swear I’m Satan’s lapdog, please remember I’m spending my own money to test these website builders so you don’t waste yours on a bad product. It also helps me stay motivated to bring you awesome unbiased reviews. Know that don’t recommend anything I haven’t tried. I highly value my online integrity and transparency.

How did I evaluate all these website builders? My, you’re full of questions today, but I don’t mind telling. Here is the process implemented with each builder on the list.

  1. Narrowed my targets to 10 by perusing legit sites like PCMag.com
  2. Opened an account with real money
  3. Built a quick website to put the builder though its paces
  4. Monitored (ongoing) each test site’s speed and uptime – some are downright terrible
  5. Checked each builder’s REAL cost – not just the advertised nonsense

Regarding that last point, the website builder industry, like every other industry in the world, loves to quote a bare bones price that is technically feasible but leaves you lacking many critical options and features. My analysis includes the actual cost to get a usable website online. Keep in mind I’m not here to shout from the rafters that every builder is full of charlatans. They call it a business because eventually they have to earn money. Charging a fee for service doesn’t make them bad; I just want you to know the costs involved in finishing and uploading a website you can actually use.

And for the short attention spans in the reading audience, here’s a snapshot of the comparison chart for the 10 site builders on the list. Below that we’ll get into the reviews.

Full Disclosure: This article contains referral links. Some people call them affiliate links. What it means is that, if you click on one and end up buying a product or service afterwards, I earn a small commission. Before you fly off the handle and swear I’m Satan’s lapdog, please remember I’m spending my own money to test these website builders so you don’t waste yours on a bad product. It also helps me stay motivated to bring you awesome unbiased reviews. Know that don’t recommend anything I haven’t tried. I highly value my online integrity and transparency.

1. Wix (Best Overall/Easiest to Use)

No longer a novelty among website builders, Wix has evolved beyond the hobbyist playground into a place where real, live websites intended for actual use are produced daily. The editor is easy to figure out and there are customization options out the wazoo. A REALLY good place to get your website going cheaply.

Check Wix.com
  • 300+ quality templates
  • Huge knowledge base archive
  • Ad-free option at only $8.50/month
  • Fast sign-up and activation
  • Awesome support
  • Incredibly easy to use
Pros

Probably the best signup experience – quick and painless

Cons

Websites look great but add-on prices could kill you, especially $5/month email

2. Squarespace (Not Great, Not Bad)

To be totally honest, SquareSpace is probably suited for visual artists more than any other demographic. The templates are good but to you’ll need access to a steady supply of high-resolution images for best results. Like Wix, you’ll have to cough up an extra $5/month for email. A fully loaded website runs about $18/month, which is higher than most on this list.

Visit SquareSpace.com
  • 40 very modern templates
  • Great for visual businesses
  • 24/7 live chat and email support
  • FREE domain and privacy settings
Pros

Excellent uptime and loading speed; fast account activation.

Cons

The builder’s learning curve can be challenging

3. Sitebuilder (One of The Good Guys)

Let’s get the suspense out of the way. Siteground is the top dog of site builders IMHO. They’re not looking to reel you in and forget you. The company realizes that they don’t succeed unless their customers do, and this philosophy is reflected in the intuitive nature of the builder and the heap o’ plenty quality templates.

Visit Siteground.com
  • Good uptime and page loading speed
  • FREE domain and email account
  • 1,200 templates
  • Easy blog functionality
Pros

$80/year is a good price

Cons

Slow account activation on the weekend (3 hours) was a little irksome

4. Boldgrid (Cheap but With A Steep Learning Curve)

The VERY interesting thing about this builder is that it runs on the WordPress framework, which gives it the myriad of customizations inherent with this massively popular CMS platform. Great for any kind of website – online store, website, or just a blog. Pretty excited to see how this one develops in the future.

Visit BoldGrid.com
  • Build ANY type of website
  • Choose from 3,000 WordPress themes
  • Very low cost ($4.17/month)
  • FREE domain, email, eCommerce
Pros

 Thanks to WordPress, design options seem endless

Cons

To repeat, the learning curve can be frustrating

5. Weebly (Should Be Better Than It Is)

Thanks to the miracle of marketing, Weebly enjoys high name-recognition, but the editor comes up short in regard to features and functions. Thanks to these limitations, it might be hard to come up with a website that wows people. At $12/month, the price is good. Can’t go with a glowing recommendation, but I can say you could do worse!

Visit Weebly.com
  • FREE email
  • Instant signup and activation
  • Multiple methods of support
  • Comparatively low cost
Pros

Dead simple editor to please the technophobes

Cons

At $25/month once you go over 25 products, the eCommerce store leaves an expensive taste in my mouth

6. Jimdo (Very Sparse Theme Selection)

Jimdo has 17 themes to choose from. That’s not a typo. In a world where other site builders offer hundreds and even thousands, I’m not overly impressed with this paltry selection. To make matters worse, the themes included are basic and hard to work with, which completely undermines the reality that the editor isn’t too bad. For anything other than a basic website, this one does not come recommended.

Visit Jimdo.com
  • Fast page-loading and uptime
  • Clean builder interface
  • Email and eCommerce included
  • $7.50/month price
Pros

Best uptime (99.96%) of any site builder on the list

Cons

The basic plan only supports a 15 product online store – more than that requires the $20/month plan

7. Doodlekit (Fun Name – Not Much Else)

I thought I had crash-landed in 1995 when I started looking at the themes. Yep, they’re that bad. Plus the editor is as unintuitive a piece of software as you’re likely to find. Everything feels old, musty, outdated, and forgotten. Don’t believe me? Take advantage of the free trial period and tell me you don’t agree.

Visit Doodlekit.com
  • 170 themes
  • FREE domain and unlimited email
  • eCommerce functionality
  • $10/month
Pros

Price = Reality

Cons

There was a two-day wait for account activation

8. Webs (Expensive and Inefficient)

Another trip into the mists of prehistory. The 500 themes offered by Webs are brutally unimpressive. Nothing about this editor caught my attention in a good way either. Though features abound, none of them are anything anyone would actually want to use. To increase your eCommerce to anything over 25 items costs $22.99/month.

Visit Webs.com
  • 500 themes to choose from
  • eCommerce functionality
  • FREE domain and 3 email accounts
  • 10% annual discount off advertised price
Pros

The premium plan earns you 24/7 support,which you’ll probably need

Cons

Loading speed makes a sloth look positively speedy

9. Yola (Another Horrible Choice)

Testing site builders has become pure torture at this point, but I’m not going to stop now. As we continue down to the bottom of the list, themes continue to look uniformly bad. Have you ever used a software where it’s easier to start the entire project anew than make a change? That’s Yola.

Visit Yola.com
  • 215 templates
  • Instant sign-up and account activation
  • 24/7 live chat and tutorials
  • $8.33/month price is on the low side of average
Pros

At least it’s not #10

Cons

The add-ons and upsells never stop

10. Web (As Bad As It Gets)

In the interest of complete honesty, I didn’t actually test Web after a bit of preliminary research. I feared it would be like lighting my money on fire or just giving it away. In lieu of a review, let’s call this a Public Service Announcement. Web is horrible. Here is my evidence.

  1. Unhappy customer stories are everywhere online. ‘Nuff said.
  2. You have to call to cancel an account. NOBODY does that anymore.
  3. No plan details on their website. You have no idea what you’re getting.
  4. 2,500 themes seem to have been stolen from failed kindergarten art projects.
  5. Did I mention you have to CALL to cancel?!

Conclusion: You’d be better to cash out your retirement plan and let it all ride in Vegas before giving Web a single penny.

In the interest of complete honesty, I didn’t actually test Web after a bit of preliminary research. I feared it would be like lighting my money on fire or just giving it away. In lieu of a review, let’s call this a Public Service Announcement. Web is horrible. Here is my evidence.

  1. Unhappy customer stories are everywhere online. ‘Nuff said.
  2. You have to call to cancel an account. NOBODY does that anymore.
  3. No plan details on their website. You have no idea what you’re getting.
  4. 2,500 themes seem to have been stolen from failed kindergarten art projects.
  5. Did I mention you have to CALL to cancel?!

Conclusion: You’d be better to cash out your retirement plan and let it all ride in Vegas before giving Web a single penny.

Let’s Summarize All This…

On one hand, SiteBuilder is a solid choice if you want good all-around experience at a reasonable price. On the other hand, run as far away from Yola and Web as you can. The others in the middle have their good points and bad. A lot depends on what kind of website you’re in the market for. For example, Wix is a good eCommerce choice, while SquareSpace might fit your needs if you’re into visual design.

There you have it. The mysteries of website builders revealed for your consideration. Good luck!

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