Best Overall: Wix

• Starts at $16.00/mo.
• Hundreds of design themes
• Connect hundreds of apps
• Super customizable
• 24/7 customer care

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Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Despite facing some stiff competition, Wix emerged as the clear winner of our website testing. This drag-and-drop DIY website builder has it all: it’s easy to use, creates beautiful websites, and lets you customize almost anything you can think of. In fact, we gave it top marks on usability, design, and customizability. Plus, it has great security features to keep your site and your customers safe online.

Wix has also stepped up with a partnership with Deepcrawl, introducing advanced SEO tools specifically designed for Wix users-an exciting addition that is now available within the Wix app store.

However, Wix is not exactly perfect for any small business. All-around service, Wix is, but its pricing is competitive, rather than the cheapest, and maybe it does not offer as many plugins or eCommerce advanced features as some of the other platforms. Maybe you're working on a tight budget or running something that's more of a giant eCommerce operation. In that case, you may want to consider other options on our list.

However, Wix combines quality, ease of use, and versatility in one, making it the top pick for most small businesses.

Best Budget Pick: Weebly

• Starts at $0.00/mo.
• Dozens of design themes
• Intuitive dashboard
• Low learning curve
• 24/7 customer support

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Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Competition is tough, but Weebly stands out as the best budget options for any small business that wants to begin to set up their online presence. The drag-and-drop interface makes it incredibly easy for a beginner to use and place a totally professional-looking site together without having to write any code. They offer a good variety of features, including dozens of design templates and integrations with many apps, making it a good choice for small business people who need a functional website within an affordable budget.

While Weebly is certainly behind the powerful companies that offer host of advanced features, it is certainly one of the top contenders for any small business with a tight budget. Its eCommerce tools are marvelous for someone wanting to just begin selling on the internet while its price are one of the lowest in the industry.

However, its customization feature is not flexible compared to others such as Wix, and it definitely does not scale as a business that will take off in a few minutes. But for people who just need a basic website with essential eCommerce capabilities without breaking their bank account, this is a great option.

Weebly is perfect for those with budget budgets who want an easy website builder with the key features and amazing support.

Shopify: Best for Online Stores

• Starts at $39.00/mo.
• 70+ themes
• Online tutorials
• 24/7 customer support

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Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Shopify comes number one among the destinations of entrepreneurial ventures interested in creating a professional, high-performance store. With powerful eCommerce functionalities, high scalability, and ease of use, Shopify helps every entrepreneur start and grow an online business. It provides all the users with the easy-to-use interface offering powerful tools to manage the inventory and a system to manage payments and orders simultaneously.

While it's one of the more expensive website builders, Shopify's more advanced features, reliability, and enormous app ecosystem make it a clear leader among the online store options.

Squarespace: Best Value for Small-Scale Ecommerce

• Starts at $16.00/mo.*
• Tons of built-in tools
• Simple, beautiful online store or blog
• 24/7 customer support

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Squarespace is perfect for small webstores because many built-in eCommerce functions are available to make running the business seamless. You can accept credit card payments, keep tabs on customer data, issue gift cards, and much more-all without requiring third-party plugins.

Squarespace also integrates with a variety of plugins for even more advanced eCommerce capabilities. These may include features for reviewing clothing swatches, keeping track of inventory, or even product highlightings—that is actually perfect for stores with specialized product lines.

For example, while it is not ideal for a big store that does high-volume sales, it has everything small stores need to be successful. From handmade candles, custom jewelry, and niche accessories, Squarespace is an excellent tool in showcasing stunning, user-friendly designs for displaying your products.

Simple to use drag-and-drop interface and very good-looking templates that make the process of creating an online, professional store so easy. The learning curve is a bit steeper for some users, and SEO tools are not as advanced compared to other websites. Other than this, most core functions are available, but advanced ones can be relatively hard to find in rather deep tabs and menus that require getting accustomed to.

Overall, Squarespace is a great contender for smaller eCommerce websites that need to come off well-designed, with strong functionality, while also being intuitive. It's a good fit for businesses that want a beautiful website with robust eCommerce features sans the bulk of larger platforms.

GoDaddy: Fastest setup

• Starts at $9.99/mo.*
• Menu-based website builder
• Low learning curve
• Super affordable starting price
• 24/7 support

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GoDaddy is one of the fastest website builders around if you want to get up and running in no time. Creating a fully functional site could be done within 38 minutes using its user-friendly interface.

However, speed comes at a cost. GoDaddy offers fewer customization options than many other website builders, and while the designs are functional, they aren't as polished or visually striking as those from more design-focused platforms. So, if you’re aiming to build a highly customized blog or a visually stunning online store, GoDaddy may not be the best fit.

If you only want a simple website, maybe just for a local lawn care service or just an easy way to sell handmade goods online, GoDaddy really stands out because the setup is extremely fast and easy. Suitable for smaller businesses that need no different features but want to get online quickly.

While not the most feature-intensive option, GoDaddy is well suited for users who value speed and ease of use at the expense of deep customization and advanced eCommerce tools.

BigCommerce: Best for Large-Scale Ecommerce

• Starts at $29.00/mo.*
• Ecommerce-dedicated builder
• Flexible platform
• 24/7 tech support

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BigCommerce is a great powerhouse for eCommerce website development. It's a fully dedicated, scalable platform designed to keep up with your growth needs, and it's equipped with a powerful set of built-in tools for managing all aspects of your online business-from product listings to shipping, payment processing, and POS integrations.

BigCommerce offers very strong features and wide app integrations. It is, therefore, suited to handle large product catalogs and high order volume. In this regards, it is solid for businesses planning for growth. It is priced at a tier level that an increase in tier will respectively means an increase in the business accompanied by advanced features.

The only flip side of this perfect platform is that there is no free version, so it is a paid plan. Its customer reviews seem mixed. Also, if you have a small online store and are just getting started with an e-commerce platform, you may first consider other free or cheaper alternatives.

BigCommerce starts at $29.00 per month in 2024. That can be a more significant investment, but for businesses that are scaling or who have a significant amount of inventory, the robust tools and features it offers make it well worth it. It is great for the serious eCommerce entrepreneur that wants to grow the store quickly.