Best website builder to check out in 2020
The best website builder for single-page websites plus more.
1. Strikingly
When Strikingly says no code needed, it really means it. With thousands of sites launched from this platform, it has grown into a highly trusted internet company that enables small businesses, startups and individuals to create unique online spaces. Strikingly features a highly expansive collection of website templates suited for various industries. Users get a good amount of freedom in terms of customizing their websites. While many website builders tend to limit features on free accounts, Strikingly offers a lot of features including ecommerce and forms. It is possible to create a free online store on this platform so if you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of online selling, you can do it on the best website builder free of charge.
The free account offering comes with unlimited websites and a solid subdomain: yoursite.mystrikingly.com. The best part is that free websites do not come with intrusive ads.2. Wix
Wix is widely known as a powerful website builder that features an intuitive drag-and-drop website editor and a large collection of professional website templates. Beginners will find its AI powered interface helpful in getting a good start on their website projects. If you’re a more seasoned designer, you can also start with a blank canvas and create your website from there. It also comes with integrated apps that lets users create fully-functional websites in a few minutes. One of the glaring downsides of Wix, however, is the intrusive ads showing up on free websites. You will want to pay for the premium plan to go ad-free.
For free accounts, Wix offers free subdomains but it’s not as SEO friendly as the best website builder. When you create a website on this platform, your URL comes in this format: username.mywixsite.com/websitename.
User-friendly AI-powered interface
Easy to use and feature-rich website builder
3. Weebly
Weebly is one of the best website builder software for paid accounts and offers a good amount of features for its free plans including ecommerce and unlimited pages. The website builder features an impressive drag-and-drop site editor. The provided free subdomain is also good: yoursite.weebly.com. The only few downsides we found are the intrusive ads on free websites. Some users also complain that the free plan is not offered in their country so plan offerings are not consistent across different locations in the world.
4. Carrd
Wix is widely known as a powerful website builder that features an intuitive drag-and-drop website editor and a large collection of professional website templates. Beginners will find its AI powered interface helpful in getting a good start on their website projects. If you’re a more seasoned designer, you can also start with a blank canvas and create your website from there. It also comes with integrated apps that lets users create fully-functional websites in a few minutes. One of the glaring downsides of Wix, however, is the intrusive ads showing up on free websites. You will want to pay for the premium plan to go ad-free.
For free accounts, Wix offers free subdomains but it’s not as SEO friendly as the best website builder. When you create a website on this platform, your URL comes in this format: username.mywixsite.com/websitename.
Another contender for best free website builder for one-page websites
Oldie but a goodie.
5. Wordpress.com
Wordpress is one of the more popular website builders that has been around for ages. Like many of the other best website builders, you can create free sites on this platform and upload assets such as videos, images and embedded content. It also features an easy to understand user interface that does not require you to learn code to run it. Wordpress has its own collection of templates for beginners but you can also create your own website from the ground up if you have the technical expertise.
6. Webflow
Webflow is a fairly powerful website builder but it may not be ideal if you’re looking for a platform that is easy to use. The website editor comes with a steep learning curve - you’re going to need to devote some time to learning the fundamentals of website design. But if you’re looking for a flexible platform, this is one of the best free website builder options that are worth trying. What makes it stand out from other site builders is its integrated CMS. It lets users create custom content types, define article collections and add articles.
Packs a punch but with a learning curve.
Connect your custom domain to a free plan.
7. Ucraft
One of the main reasons why you would consider using Ucraft is it’s one of the few website builders that allow you to connect a custom domain to a free website. You will still need to spend about $15 a year to get your own domain but the cost isn’t so bad if you’re looking to create a personalized website. Ucraft also has a strong list of features including SEO tools and SSL. However, creating a full-featured website for free wouldn’t be possible on this platform. It doesn’t have a blogging feature and advanced customization options for site templates available. And the biggest downside is its glaring full-width ad that remains visible as visitors scroll through your site.
8. Jimdo
Jimdo gets the award for the best website builder in terms of simplicity of features. If you’re looking to create a very minimalist website, free from fluff and with just straightforward content, this platform is an ideal option. Users build their sites by stacking sections together but they cannot add new elements. The free subdomain is not so bad, however: yoursite.jimdosite.com and overall, it’s a suitable option for beginners who want a one and done website.
Website building made too simple.
Worth a look if you’re definitely seeing yourself switch to a paid plan soon.
9. Wix
One of the main attractive features of Wix is that it offers a blank canvas to let your web design dreams come to life. It is a good platform for paid plans but not so much for free accounts because of its intrusive ad that scrolls alongside the user. For seasoned web designers looking to try this platform out before committing to a paid plan, it might be a good option just to see how they would get on with the site editor. But if you’re planning to stick to a free account for a long time, there are better website builders elsewhere. The free subdomain is also not as SEO friendly as the best free website builder options in this list. The URL comes in this format: username.wixsite.com/yoursite.
10. XPRS
XPRS made it to this year’s list of the best website builder because it doesn’t include ads on its free websites. It’s hard to find a site builder that can do this for free. As a website building platform, however, users note that the site editor can be improved. It is not as user friendly as the other options on this list and the options can be quite overwhelming to a beginner. It does offer a good collection of modern themes and templates. The subdomain is also not as SEO friendly and cannot be edited. Your URL on this platform will come in this format: im-creator.com/free/username/websitename.
A rare find if you want a free website without ads
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