# Best Website Builders in 2026

Source: https://listme.name/best/website-builders

Website builders let people publish a site without writing code, and they differ in hosting, price and how much control you keep. This ranking weighs ease of use and design control first, then hosting ownership, free plans and commerce tools.

## 1. Webflow (score 88.5)

A visual builder that gives designers control over layout and design details, with hosting and team features on paid plans. It has a steeper learning curve than Wix or Squarespace, and usage limits apply on each plan.

- Best for: Designers who want visual control over layout
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Web
- Website: https://webflow.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/webflow

## 2. WordPress (score 87.0)

Open-source software you can host yourself, with a large ecosystem of themes and plugins. It needs hosting, updates and security work, unlike the hosted builders in this list.

- Best for: Open-source sites with plugins and self-hosting
- Free and open source | Web, Self-hosted | open source (GPL-2.0-or-later)
- Website: https://wordpress.org/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/wordpress

## 3. Framer (score 86.5)

A design-first builder with a free plan, AI credits and hosting, and paid plans from $10 per month. Metered AI credits and paid editors make costs rise as a team grows.

- Best for: Interactive design sites with AI-assisted editing
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Web
- Website: https://www.framer.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/framer

## 4. Wix (score 85.0)

An easy free builder with templates, built-in AI tools and a custom domain on Premium plans. Sites stay on Wix's servers, which limits moving them elsewhere.

- Best for: Small business and personal sites built from templates
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Web, iOS, Android
- Website: https://www.wix.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/wix

## 5. Squarespace (score 83.5)

Polished hosted sites with invoicing on all plans and content sales, but no free plan after a 14-day trial. It suits businesses that want a managed site and accept the monthly cost.

- Best for: Managed business sites with built-in invoicing
- Subscription | Web, iOS, Android
- Website: https://www.squarespace.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/squarespace

## 6. Shopify (score 81.0)

Built for online stores, with inventory, staff accounts and plans from $19 per month. Third-party payment fees apply on every plan, and it is heavier than a general website builder.

- Best for: Selling products online with inventory and payments
- Subscription | Web, iOS, Android
- Website: https://www.shopify.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/shopify

## 7. Weebly (score 79.0)

A website builder with a free Basic plan and paid Personal and Professional plans for a custom domain, with Personal from $13 a month billed annually. It suits small sites without code, and the free plan is the entry point.

- Best for: Small businesses that want a free site first
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Web
- Website: https://www.weebly.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/weebly

## 8. Strikingly (score 78.5)

Unlimited free sites, with paid plans that add a custom domain, SSL and product sales, starting at $8 a month billed yearly. Storage and page limits apply on paid plans, and product sales carry a transaction fee.

- Best for: One-page sites and small landing pages
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Web
- Website: https://www.strikingly.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/strikingly

## 9. Carrd (score 77.5)

Simple one-page sites with a free core plan and a Pro plan from $19 per year. It is limited to single pages, so it suits landing pages rather than full sites.

- Best for: A single landing page or link page
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Web
- Website: https://carrd.co/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/carrd

## 10. SITE123 (score 76.5)

A free website builder with templates and an editor, where a custom domain is charged on an annual plan that is paid up front. The homepage does not list free site limits, so check them before choosing it over Carrd.

- Best for: Free site first, custom domain later
- Free plan, paid upgrades | Web
- Website: https://www.site123.com/
- Page: https://listme.name/software/site123

## How to choose

- **Ownership:** WordPress is free open-source software you can host anywhere. The other builders keep sites on their own hosting.
- **Starting free:** Wix, Webflow, Framer, Carrd and WordPress.com have free plans. Squarespace and Shopify start with trials.
- **Commerce:** Shopify is built for online stores. Squarespace can sell content and memberships.
- **Scope:** Carrd suits a single page, while Wix, Squarespace, Webflow and WordPress handle multi-page sites.

## Criteria

- Ease of building
- Design control
- Hosting and ownership
- Price and free plans
- Commerce and extras

## FAQ

**What is the best free website builder?**
Wix and Webflow have free plans to start. Framer's free plan includes a Framer domain and 500 AI credits to try. WordPress is free software if you host it yourself. Weebly, Strikingly and SITE123 also offer free sites.

**Is WordPress free?**
The WordPress software is free under GPLv2 or later. You pay for hosting and a domain, and WordPress.com offers hosted plans with a free tier.

**Which builder is best for an online store?**
Shopify is built for online stores, with plans from $19 per month and a 3-day free trial. Squarespace can also sell content and memberships.

**Is there a website builder with no monthly fee?**
Carrd, Wix, Weebly, Strikingly and SITE123 have free plans, and a custom domain needs a paid plan on each of them. WordPress is free software that you host yourself, which carries hosting costs.

