Best tools · Development
Best website builders
Drag-and-drop sites for businesses and portfolios. 5 tools in this list, 3 with a free plan.
How this list is ranked. Tools are ordered by how strongly they are built for this job (as tagged in VERILO’s catalogue), then by editorial score and editor rating. Affiliate relationships and featured status are never inputs.
- 01
Framer
Built for itDesign-canvas website builder with CMS, animations and hosting for marketing sites and portfolios.
4.3From $5/moFree plan- This is a core use case of the product.
- Includes AI content generation, Real-time collaboration, Templates
- 02
Squarespace
Built for itDesign-led website builder with commerce included on every plan for selling products, services and content.
4.2From $19/moFree trial- This is a core use case of the product.
- Includes AI assistant, Templates, Reporting & dashboards
- 04
Figma
Supports itCollaborative browser-based UI design, prototyping and developer handoff platform.
4.8From $20/moFree plan- Possible, but other tools on this list are more purpose-built.
- Includes AI content generation, Real-time collaboration, Comments & mentions
- 05
Shopify
Supports itHosted ecommerce platform for building an online store and selling online, in person and on social channels.
4.7From $39/moFree trial- Possible, but other tools on this list are more purpose-built.
- Includes AI assistant, API access, Webhooks
How to choose
Decide how much design freedom you need. Wix gives the most drag-and-drop freedom and an AI site generator; Squarespace offers design-led templates with commerce on every plan; Framer is built for designers who want to publish real sites from a design canvas.
Think about leaving before you start. Wix templates cannot be switched once a site is built and Wix sites cannot be exported to another host, so a site you expect to redesign or move needs planning up front.
If selling is the main job, a commerce platform such as Shopify is built for it; a website builder's store suits a small range of products or services alongside the site.
Common questions
- Can I build a website for free?
- Wix has a free plan that shows Wix branding, which is enough to try the editor, and Framer's free plan shows a Framer badge on a framer.app subdomain. Squarespace has no free plan but offers a 14-day trial.
- Which website builder is easiest for a beginner?
- In VERILO's editorial assessment Wix is the easiest to pick up, scoring 5 out of 5 for ease of use, with Squarespace at 4 and Framer at 3. Framer rewards design experience more than the other two.
5 tools compared. Each listing shows when its information was last reviewed; prices can change, so check the vendor’s pricing page before you decide.