Best website builders of 2026, ranked
Website builders: 9 scored on one rubric. B12 leads at 8.7/10, followed by Wix and Squarespace.
- 1 B12The fastest route from a description to a working website: an AI builder that drafts a complete site, store or simple web app from one prompt, then lets you edit it by chatting or clicking. 8.7
- 2 WixThe safest default if you want the most options and the least friction. You trade portability for speed. 8.6
- 3 SquarespacePick it when the site must look considered and you do not want to make design decisions. 8.4
- 4 WebflowThe right answer when you know what you want it to look like and refuse to compromise. 8.3
- 5 FramerThe modern choice for a marketing site that has to feel alive. 8.2
- 6 CarrdUnbeatable for a single page. Choose something else the moment you need a second one. 8.1
- 7 WordPressThe most capable and least convenient option. Right when you want to own everything and have the time to run it. 7.9
- 8 HostingerThe value pick. Watch the renewal price before committing. 7.5
- 9 WeeblyA cheap, simple way to get online, now effectively a front end for Square. Fine for a basic site, dated for anything more. 7.3
At a glance
| Score | From | Free plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| B12 | 8.7 | US$20/mo | Yes |
| Wix | 8.6 | US$17/mo | Yes |
| Squarespace | 8.4 | US$19/mo | No |
| Webflow | 8.3 | US$15/mo | Yes |
| Framer | 8.2 | US$10/mo | Yes |
| Carrd | 8.1 | US$1.58/mo | Yes |
| WordPress | 7.9 | US$0/mo | Yes |
| Hostinger | 7.5 | US$2.99/mo | No |
| Weebly | 7.3 | US$13/mo | Yes |
The top three, in brief
B12
Anyone who wants to go from a description to a finished, working site without assembling it: small businesses, founders, freelancers and teams who need a website, a store or a simple web app live this week, and would rather talk to an AI than learn a design tool.
Wix
A small business or personal site where you want maximum control over appearance without writing code, and where the site is unlikely to be rebuilt elsewhere. The template library is the largest here, so there is usually a close-enough starting point for any sector.
Squarespace
Portfolios, restaurants, studios and service businesses where visual quality is the point and the structure is conventional. If the site is mostly pages, images and a booking or contact path, this is the shortest route to something that looks professional.
How to choose a website builder
Start with what the site has to do, not with the list of features. A portfolio or a restaurant needs to look good and be easy to update. A service business needs booking, forms and perhaps invoicing. A site that will grow into hundreds of pages needs a proper content system. Most bad choices come from picking the builder with the most features rather than the one shaped like the job.
The builders in this category fall roughly along one line, from guided to free. Squarespace makes the design decisions for you and makes them well. Wix lets you place anything anywhere. Webflow and Framer give designers full control over layout. WordPress lets you build anything at all, at the cost of looking after it yourself. B12 and Hostinger lead with AI, generating a complete first draft from a description.
The cost of a year
Headline prices hide three things. Some entry plans cannot take payments at all: Wix Light is $17 a month but cannot sell, so the cheapest Wix plan that can is Core at $29. Some charge a fee on every sale: Squarespace's $19 Basic plan takes 2% of online store sales, which makes it more expensive than the $29 Core plan once you sell about $500 a month. And some prices are introductory: Hostinger's $3.99 a month requires paying four years up front and renews at $16.99, and WordPress.com's first-year prices rise at renewal.
The chart compares a year on the cheapest plan of each builder that can take online payments, at the price you will pay after any introductory period.
Plan price per year
Decide now what you might want to leave with
Lock-in is the part of the decision people regret most. Wix does not let you switch templates once a site exists, and neither Wix nor Squarespace lets you export a working site to another host. Webflow lets you export the code, though not the CMS in working form. WordPress is fully portable between hosts. None of this matters if you are happy where you are, but it is worth knowing before you spend a month building.
Where AI helps
Every builder here now has some form of AI, but it does different jobs. B12 and Hostinger generate a complete first draft of the site from a description, which helps you get past the blank page. Wix combines AI generation with its freeform editor. Framer and Squarespace meter AI through monthly credits. In every case the draft is a starting point: the words that make a customer choose you still have to come from you.
A short decision list
- A good-looking site with minimal effort: Squarespace Core.
- The most flexibility without learning a design tool: Wix Core.
- From a description to a finished site, store or simple web app in minutes: B12.
- A designer who wants full control: Webflow, or Framer for a motion-rich marketing site.
- A site that must grow for years and stay yours: WordPress.
- One page, as cheaply as possible: Carrd Pro Standard.
- The lowest cost over several years, prepaid: Hostinger.
Questions people ask
What is the best website builder?
B12 leads at 8.7/10. The fastest route from a description to a working website: an AI builder that drafts a complete site, store or simple web app from one prompt, then lets you edit it by chatting or clicking.
What is the cheapest website builder?
WordPress has the lowest entry price, from US$0/mo, with a free plan.
Sources
Some links on PlatformZoo are affiliate links, so we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. That never affects a score: every tool is scored on the same rubric before any link is added.