WebBuilding

Platforms

Website builder and platform reviews

The short answer

We review 17 platforms, from hosted builders like Wix and Squarespace to self-hosted WordPress, Shopify and AI app builders like Lovable. Each review shows real plan prices, the true 3-year cost and an exit score that tells you what you can take with you if you leave.

Five kinds of platforms

“Website builder” covers tools that work in very different ways. Knowing which kind you need narrows the choice fast.

  • Hosted website builders. Wix, Squarespace and Hostinger’s builder put hosting, design and support in one bill. They are the easiest start and usually the hardest to leave.
  • Design-first builders. Webflow and Framer give designers and marketing teams more control over layout.
  • WordPress. Self-hosted WordPress is a free, open-source CMS you install on your own hosting. WordPress.com is Automattic’s hosted version.
  • Ecommerce platforms. Shopify is built for sites that are mainly a store.
  • AI builders. GoDaddy Airo, Lovable, Bolt and v0 build a site or web app from a written prompt. See the AI builders hub.

Our five newest reviews fill specific gaps: Square Online and WooCommerce for stores, Ghost for newsletters and paid memberships, Duda for agencies building client sites, and Carrd for simple one-page sites.

What every review covers

Each review follows the same order so you can compare them: who it’s for, plans and what they really cost, what you can build, what happens when you leave, gotchas, and who should skip it.

Prices come from each vendor’s official pricing page and are re-checked every three months. We don’t hold test accounts on every platform, so each review says where its facts come from. Our research method has the details.

Two numbers to watch

The 3-year cost. Headline prices leave out the domain after year one, email, paid apps and fees on sales. Each review adds them up.

The exit score. Scores run from 2 for Framer and Square Online to 10 for self-hosted WordPress, WooCommerce and v0. A low score doesn’t make a platform bad. It means moving later takes more rebuilding. See them all in the exit score table.

Not sure where to start?

Answer five questions in the builder finder, or read how to choose a website builder. If you already have two in mind, our comparisons put them side by side.

Questions people ask

Which website builder is best for beginners?

Hosted builders like Wix and Squarespace are the easiest start because hosting, design and support come in one plan. Our best website builders list explains who each one suits.

Is WordPress a website builder?

Self-hosted WordPress is a free content management system you install on your own hosting. It does more than most builders but you handle hosting and upkeep. WordPress.com is the hosted version.

What is an exit score?

A 0 to 10 rating of how much of your site you can take with you if you leave a platform, based on content, design, code, data and domain.

All platform reviews

ReviewSquarespaceSquarespace is a strong pick if you want a polished, all-in-one site and plan to stay for years. Plans start at $19 a month billed yearly ($25 billed monthly), but…$19/mo billed yearlyExit score 5/10ReviewWixWix is a good fit for beginners and small businesses who want a free plan to start, lots of templates and apps, and an AI builder to draft the site. Paid plans start…$17/mo billed yearlyExit score 3/10ReviewWordPress (self-hosted)Self-hosted WordPress is the best pick if you want to own your site outright: the software is free, it runs on any host, and it scores 10/10 on our exit score. The…Free software + hosting from $2.99/mo introExit score 10/10ReviewWordPress.comWordPress.com is the easiest way to get real WordPress without running a server: Automattic hosts it, and every paid plan lets you install plugins. Personal ($4 a…$4/mo billed yearlyExit score 8/10ReviewWebflowWebflow is a strong pick for designers and agencies who want full layout control and a real CMS, starting at $15 a month billed yearly ($18 billed monthly) for a site…$15/mo billed yearly (site plan)Exit score 6/10ReviewFramerFramer is a strong pick for designers and startups who want a polished marketing or portfolio site fast, with plans from $10 a month billed yearly (Basic) and $30 a…$10/mo billed yearlyExit score 2/10ReviewShopifyShopify is the safe default if your website is mainly an online store: plans start at $29 a month billed yearly ($39 billed monthly), and checkout, payments and…$29/mo billed yearlyExit score 5/10ReviewWooCommerceWooCommerce is the best pick if you want to own your online store outright: the plugin is free, takes 0% of your sales and scores 10 out of 10 on our exit score. The…Free plugin + hosting and extensionsExit score 10/10ReviewSquare OnlineSquare Online is the easy pick if you already run your shop or restaurant on Square POS: online orders sync with your register and kitchen, and Square Free costs $0 a…Free plan; Plus $49/mo per locationExit score 2/10ReviewHostinger AI BuilderHostinger's website builder, now called Hostinger AI Builder and sold only inside its hosting plans, is one of the cheapest ways to get a small site or store online,…$2.99/mo intro on a 48-month term (renews $10.99)Exit score 3/10ReviewGoDaddy AiroGoDaddy's website builder is now sold as Airo AI Builder, a prompt-driven tool that generates websites and simple web apps as code. It's one of the cheaper ways to…$9.99/mo billed yearlyExit score 5/10ReviewDudaDuda is a professional website builder made mainly for web design agencies and freelancers who build and manage client sites, with team seats, client billing and a…$19/mo billed yearlyExit score 6/10ReviewCarrdCarrd is the cheapest way to put a simple one-page site on your own domain: Pro Standard costs $19 a year, and all Pro plans are billed yearly only. Pro Lite ($9 a…$19 a year (Pro Standard)Exit score 6/10ReviewGhostGhost is an open-source platform for blogs, email newsletters and paid memberships. Ghost(Pro) hosting starts at $18 a month billed yearly (Starter), but you need…$18/mo billed yearly (Ghost(Pro) Starter)Exit score 9/10ReviewLovableLovable is built for non-developers who want a working web app with logins and a database from everyday-language prompts. Pro costs $20.83 a month billed yearly ($25…$25/mo billed monthlyExit score 9/10ReviewBolt.newBolt.new builds, hosts and deploys full web apps from prompts, with a database, Stripe payments and two-way GitHub sync built in. Pro starts at $25 a month billed…$25/mo billed monthlyExit score 9/10Reviewv0 by Vercelv0 by Vercel turns chat prompts into Next.js apps you can keep in your own GitHub repository, and it scores a full 10 out of 10 on our exit score. Plus costs $30 per…$30 per user a monthExit score 10/10

Keep reading

Best of 2026Best website builders in 2026: 8 picks ranked by real cost and exitFor most small sites, Squarespace is the best website builder: polished templates, built-in commerce and one bill, from $19 a month billed yearly. If you want to own…HubWebsite builder comparisonsOur comparisons put two platforms side by side on price, 3-year cost, design, store and SEO features, AI tools and how easy each is to leave. Each one opens with a…HubWebsite builder finderAnswer five quick questions and get a short list of website builders that fit, with a plain reason for each pick. Then check each pick's review before you buy.HubWebsite builder exit scoresThe exit score rates how much of your site you can take with you if you leave a platform, from 0 to 10. Self-hosted WordPress and v0 score 10, and Framer scores 2. A…GuideHow to choose a website builder: a 5-question frameworkDecide what you are building, who will maintain it, what you can spend over three years, whether you will sell, and how much you could lose if you leave. For most…

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Rank Summit Agency builds and looks after websites for US businesses. Full disclosure: Rank Summit runs this site.

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