July 15th, 2026: Although no changes to the entries, I've updated pricing and plan details across this guide to reflect 2026 changes. Also, Weebly's qualifier was changed from "best cheap website builder for beginners" to "best website builder for beginners" to reflect its paid plans no longer being the lowest on the list.
If you've got a small business, then you'll want an online presence. And the best website builders for small business can make that surprisingly easy.
For a small fee, these online platforms enable you to create a professional websites without having any coding knowledge. But which should you choose? We've tested out a variety of website builders to find the ones that offer the best value for money, are easiest to use, and offer good looking templates you can customise to your own needs.
In our view, the absolute best website builder for small business today is Wix. It really is an excellent platform, and if you want to dive into why we think it's the best around, check out our Wix (2025) review.
That said, other platforms have much to offer. So we've brought together a range of options below to you to consider, and they include some web site builders aimed at photographers, to the best website builder for artists specifically. Whatever your creative output, there is something for you in this list.
Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. He has tried and tested a range of website builders, using them to create his own portfolio sites.
The best website builder for small business overall
🔎 Wix Classic strikes the perfect balance between flexibility and ease-of-use, making it our top recommendation for small businesses. Its drag-and-drop editor provides exceptional creative control whilst remaining accessible to non-designers, and the AI-powered tools significantly reduce setup time. ★★★★1/2
Wix Classic remains the gold standard for small business website builders in 2026, combining powerful functionality with remarkable ease of use. In our testing, we found the drag-and-drop editor offers the perfect middle ground between rigid structure and chaotic freedom, allowing precise element placement with intuitive controls that appear as you work. This flexibility far exceeds what's possible in more structured editors, whilst remaining accessible to those without technical skills.
The template selection is truly impressive, with hundreds of professionally designed options spanning every conceivable business category. Creative businesses in particular will appreciate the dedicated sections for photographers, artists, and designers that feature thoughtfully structured layouts optimised for visual portfolios. While you can't switch templates after publishing (a limitation compared to some competitors), the extensive customisation options mean your initial choice can grow with your business.
If you're pressed for time, Wix's AI implementation strikes an excellent balance between automation and creative control. The AI site generator creates surprisingly tailored starter designs based on your specific needs, while the content generation tools produce reasonably natural-sounding text requiring only minimal editing. These features alone can save hours of setup time.
The pricing structure offers good flexibility, starting with a free plan that provides 500MB storage; suitable for smaller sites, though they'll come with Wix branding and limited bandwidth. Most businesses will want at least the Light plan ($17/£9 monthly, billed annually) for a custom domain and 2GB storage, while the Core plan ($29/£16 monthly) adds payment processing and 50GB storage. The Business plan ($39/£25 monthly) unlocks comprehensive ecommerce features with 100GB storage, making it ideal for online shops.
Customer support is exceptional, with 24/7 assistance available via live chat and callback service. During our late-night testing, representatives responded within minutes to queries. The in-editor help system also deserves praise, providing contextual assistance without requiring you to leave your work.
If you're new to web builders, don't have web design skills or are just pushed for time, Wix Classic enables you to build a website quickly and easily. And as long as you're happy with something basic, it's all you really need.
Best for creatives
🔎 Squarespace remains the premier website builder for creative small businesses in 2026, offering exceptionally stylish templates, flexible formats and robust ecommerce capabilities. ★★★★
If you run a creative business, your website's visual appeal serves as your digital portfolio. Squarespace excels here, with the most elegantly designed templates in the market. Crafted by professional designers, these layouts feature clean lines, thoughtful white space and sophisticated typography that will elevate your brand's online presence.
When I tested Squarespace, I was particularly impressed by the consistent quality across all templates. The interface also features helpful contextual guidance with pop-up boxes that appear as you hover over different elements, making the slightly steeper learning curve manageable. On the downside, the Blueprint AI feature currently produces rather basic results, so creatives will want to invest time in the traditional editor for better outcomes.
The platform shines in its ecommerce capabilities, offering seamless integration with ShipStation for shipping label printing, shoppable Instagram posts, and comprehensive inventory management. Its built-in analytics and email campaign tools provide valuable insights and marketing options without requiring additional subscriptions or plugins.
Squarespace overhauled its pricing structure in early 2026, replacing the old Personal, Business and Commerce tiers with four simpler plans: Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced. Basic starts at $16 (£12) monthly, billed annually, and covers portfolios and blogs without ecommerce. Core, at $23 (£17) monthly, is the plan most creative small businesses will want: it unlocks selling with a 3% transaction fee, plus custom CSS and full marketing tools. Once you're selling more than a few hundred dollars a month, Plus at $39 (£29) monthly removes that transaction fee entirely and is usually the better value. The Advanced plan at $99 (£79) monthly is aimed at high-volume stores needing subscription selling and advanced shipping tools, and is overkill for most creative businesses.
For creative businesses that understand that visual presentation directly impacts customer perception, Squarespace's premium positioning is justified by its superior design quality and comprehensive feature set. If budget is your main concern, consider Wix for a good middle-ground option or Weebly for even cheaper pricing.
"It's a great choice for creatives needing an impressive visual showcase thanks to its beautiful templates and excellent ecommerce features. Just be aware the plan names changed recently, so don't be thrown if you see Core and Plus where you were expecting Business and Commerce."
Best ecommerce
🔎 Shopify is the go-to web builder for building serious ecommerce sites, thanks to its robust sales features and ease of setup. In our 2025 review, we found it highly effective for growing businesses, though its design editor feels restrictive, and pricing adds up quickly. ★★★★
If you're focused on online selling, rather than just creating a portfolio or blog, Shopify should top your shortlist. It’s a dedicated ecommerce platform with powerful tools for selling across social, marketplaces and in person, plus an extensive app ecosystem that covers everything from SEO to loyalty schemes.
That said, as I noted in my review, it’s not without its quirks. There are only a couple of dozen free themes, which is fewer that on many platforms, and the section-based editor doesn’t offer full creative freedom. Still, setup is fast, with a clear checklist and product-first workflow that gets you trading quickly, even if you’re new to ecommerce.
Shopify’s features are tightly focused on retail, including inventory tools, discount codes and abandoned cart recovery. There’s also Shopify Magic, which uses AI to write product descriptions and marketing copy; ideal if content creation isn’t your strong suit. Mobile tools are solid, and support was impressively responsive in our tests.
This platform works best for those who want a solid, no-fuss way to sell, especially at scale. It’s pricier than some rivals, but the depth of sales functionality more than justifies the cost if ecommerce is your priority. For more, read my full 2025 Shopify review.
"Shopify makes it a lot quicker to set up an online store than say, WooCommerce, which requires you to manage your own hosting, install WordPress, and configure multiple plugins."
The best quick option
🔎 GoDadddy offers the fastest route from nothing to a functional website through its AI-powered builder. It trades creative control for simplicity, making it ideal for time-poor business owners who just need something online quickly. Beware of the renewal price hikes, though. ★★★
GoDaddy's Website Builder takes a fundamentally different approach to site creation compared to its competitors. Rather than asking you to select from templates, it simply poses a series of questions about your business needs and uses AI to automatically generate a tailored website. For complete beginners intimidated by other platforms, this is revolutionary.
In my testing, I was able to have a basic site structure ready in minutes; far faster than with any other builder. The platform's streamlined approach eliminates the paralysis of choice that often plagues first-time website creators. You'll still need to add your own images and text, but the framework is created for you, based on your responses.
The platform particularly shines in its onboarding process. A helpful 'Next steps' feature provides a personalised checklist of tasks needed to complete your site, with direct links to the relevant tools. For nervous newcomers, this guided approach removes much of the guesswork from website creation.
However, this simplicity comes at a significant cost to creativity. Once your site is generated, customisation options are severely limited compared to rivals like Wix or Squarespace. The block-based editor keeps everything neatly organised but lacks drag-and-drop functionality, meaning sections remain fixed in their positions. The result is websites that tend to look somewhat generic regardless of industry. Also, the lack of an app marketplace means you're limited to GoDaddy's built-in features with no option to expand functionality through third-party integrations.
GoDaddy's pricing is worth approaching with caution. Promotional first-year rates on the entry Basic plan start from around $6 (£4.99) monthly, but that's introductory only, and GoDaddy's own published standard rate outside of sales periods runs closer to $21 (£16.99) monthly. Renewal increases of 60% or more are common, and some plans can more than triple by the second year. As ever with buying subscriptions online, check the exact current promotional price and the renewal rate on GoDaddy's own pricing page before signing up, since both shift often.
Overall, though, if you've been paralysed by the complexity of other website builders and just need something functional online quickly, it's a strong choice.
With its AI-powered setup and clear guidance, GoDaddy is the fastest way to get online for those with zero technical knowledge. Just budget for what you'll actually pay from year two onwards, not the headline rate.
Best web builder for beginners
🔎 Weebly is easy to use, making it perfect for beginners. Whilst customisation options are limited and there's no AI assistance, the platform is affordable and can have you online within an hour. ★★★½
In our testing, we found Weebly remarkably straightforward to use, with absolutely no technical skill required. We built a complete site with multiple pages in under an hour, which is impressive by any standard. The drag-and-drop editor keeps things simple, and at no point did I feel overwhelmed by options.
The platform offers a genuinely useful free tier that includes 500MB storage and the ability to sell unlimited physical products. Yes, your site will display Weebly adverts and have a weebly.com subdomain, but for small businesses just establishing their online presence, this could be all you need to get started.
For those requiring more, the paid plans have risen since our last review, now starting at $13 (£10) monthly when billed annually. This gives you a custom domain connection and the ability to sell digital goods. The Professional plan at $16 (£13) monthly adds unlimited storage, site statistics, and removes ads. At this price point, though, Weebly no longer clearly undercuts Wix's Light plan, so it's worth comparing the two directly for your specific needs before assuming Weebly is the cheaper option.
Weebly's design flexibility comes with compromises regardless of price. There are only 68 themes (a stark contrast to Wix's 800+) and the customisation options are quite limited. There's also no universal undo button (a surprising omission), and I encountered occasional bugs during my testing, particularly when attempting to preview themes or edit on tablets. On the plus side, you get automatic mobile responsiveness, a straightforward form builder, and the ability to download an archive of your site, making it easy to migrate elsewhere if needed. The ecommerce capabilities are surprisingly robust, too, even on the free plan.
Overall, Weebly is ideal for beginners who value simplicity and affordability above all else. For more advanced users seeking greater design flexibility or AI tools, you'll want to look elsewhere. To read more , see our Weebly review.
The limited design options mean it's not for everyone, but it's still one of the simplest ways to get a basic site up and running.
Best AI-powered
🔎 Hostinger has evolved dramatically with its AI-powered website builder, offering excellent value for businesses wanting to establish an online presence quickly. Its AI-generated content and images make it possibly the fastest path to a professional website. ★★★★
Hostinger offers a revolutionary approach to website building with its AI-powered platform. This service has transformed dramatically since our 2020 review, with the introduction of comprehensive AI tools that generate entire websites from simple prompts. Nowadays, Hostinger's prices also make it one of the most affordable options for creatives, though the limitations on customisation may frustrate design-focused professionals.
Hostinger's package now includes AI-generated images and text, an intuitive drag-and-drop builder, marketing integration, SEO tools, free SSL security, and multi-language support. Perhaps most impressive is the AI Heatmap feature that analyses layouts to predict visitor attention patterns—valuable for optimising your portfolio.
You can get started with Hostinger for as low as £2.99/mo for the Premium plan (over 48 months), which includes a free domain name, AI website builder tools, and 25GB storage for up to 25 websites. The Business plan at £3.99 increases this to 50 websites and 50GB storage.
Hostinger allows you to bypass the traditional website building process entirely, with AI generating content and imagery instantly. Meanwhile, the platform still includes integrated marketing and ecommerce functionality for selling products and managing orders, plus analytics to track customer engagement. There's no free plan, but a seven-day trial lets you explore the platform before committing.
See our full Hostinger review (2025)
"With the AI-powered Hostinger Web Builder, you don't even have to add your own images and text! Your website comes with AI generated text and images, which you might not even have to change. Even if you do, you can generate fresh AI images just by typing new prompts."
Best for WordPress
🔎 Bluehost has long specialised in integrating with WordPress. This makes it a good option for businesses that want more freedom to customise their site and aren't afraid of a more hands-on approach to designing it. ★★★½
The website builder services we've listed so far are easy to use, but aren't hugely customisable. If you're looking for a more bespoke online presentation of your creative business, consider the web builder from Bluehost, one of our favourite web hosting services. There's no free version or free trial, but the prices overall are quite competitive.
Bluehost runs on top of WordPress, which gives you countless options to add some finesse to your site using any of the thousands of WordPress plugins available. The Bluehost Wondersuite integrates AI to help you build a site even faster, and is included in every plan. When we reviewed it, we found it easy to use; certainly a lot easier than building a WordPress site from scratch. And we appreciated the availability of 24/7 customer support, along with some excellent email marketing and analytics tools.
Overall, Bluehost Website Builder is a great website builder for building a site based on WordPress. For more info, see our Bluehost web builder review.
Bluehost Website Builder is an exciting option for anyone who wants the power of WordPress but the simplicity of a drag-and-drop website editor.
FAQs
Does my business need a website?
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Almost every business needs an online presence now, including physical ones, as most customers research or shop online before they buy. Social media alone isn't enough: it limits your ability to sell directly and process payments, and even a strong Instagram presence works best alongside a website you can link products to.
A website also gives you more control. You'll appear in Google search results, can run ad campaigns, and get a unique URL that's easy for customers to find and remember. It looks more professional too, which builds trust when people are handing over their money.
Do I need to learn how to code?
No. Every builder in this guide is designed for people with zero coding skills. You'll make creative and functional choices, but the technical work is handled for you. That means you can launch something clean and effective without the time or cost of learning to code. If your business outgrows a builder later, you can deal with that when it happens.
Do I need to hire a web designer?
Not necessarily. Before website builders, your only options were learning to code or paying a designer; both slow, expensive routes. Builders now offer a third way: a simple interface, a template to start from, and drag-and-drop editing, usually with domain and hosting included, all for a few pounds a month.
If you'd rather not touch your website at all, a designer is still worth hiring; either to run it for you, or to set it up and teach you to manage it yourself. It comes down to how hands-on you want to be, and your budget.
What should a small business website include?
Every business is different, but most sites need a homepage introducing what you do, an About page, and a Contact page with your address, phone number, email and social links. Beyond that, consider pages for products or services, an online shop, FAQs, testimonials or case studies, and a blog or news section for updates.
Only plan pages you can realistically keep updated: a site full of stale content does your business more harm than good. See our guide to making an artist website for more.
Do I need to learn about search engine optimisation (SEO)?
Not in any depth. Most builders, Wix and Weebly among them, include their own traffic and SEO tools, so you can track performance without learning the subject from scratch. Shopify is the exception: it requires a Google Analytics 4 account, though that's straightforward to set up.
You can also connect Google Analytics to most builder-made sites to complement their built-in tools. Even a basic grasp of your traffic can help you see what's working and improve results over time.
What's the best website builder for small business?
Overall, we've picked Wix as the best website builder for small business because it's affordable, easy to use, and clearly focused on small business use. Its web building interface is very easy and intuitive for non-techies. There are more than 500 business templates to choose from, covering almost every type of enterprise you can think of, from finance and law to farming and gardening.
Do I need hosting as well as a web builder?
Hosting is where your website's data lives, so anyone online can access it. You do need it, but every builder on this list includes it in the price. So you won't need to arrange or pay for it separately.
We prioritise platforms with beautiful, usable templates that showcase creative work well, and check whether the best designs sit behind a paywall. Ease of use matters just as much: we look for a gentle learning curve, backed by solid learning materials and, ideally, an active user community.
We test support directly, asking real queries and timing how fast and how well they're answered. We also assess key features like SEO, ecommerce and email marketing integrations, checking they genuinely solve the problem they promise to.
Finally, we weigh up pricing: whether a platform offers real value for money, and whether a free trial lets you test it before committing.
How to choose website builders for small business
Start with your website's main purpose: is it a portfolio, an online shop, or somewhere for people to book appointments? That answer shapes everything else.
Next, think about how central the website is to your business. If it's mainly a digital calling card, the simplest builders will do the job. If you need more (contact forms, email marketing, SEO tools, an online store), check our reviews for exactly which builders offer what. More features aren't automatically better; pick what your business actually needs. Want to be found on Google? Prioritise SEO tools. Want to sell online? Make sure ecommerce is built in.
Most builders offer free trials, demos, or money-back guarantees, so try before you commit. A short hands-on test will tell you more about whether a platform suits you than any review can.
How we test website builders for small business
I've used website builders for years as a photographer, and for this guide I tested every builder on the list from scratch, building a mock website on each one over two months.
I started as a small business owner would: signing up, working through onboarding, and checking whether pricing was clear and fair. Then I built a full site on each platform, judging how good and customisable the templates were, how flexible the drag-and-drop editor felt, and how well the finished site worked on mobile.
I tested core features (blogging, contact forms, SEO tools, ecommerce) for how intuitive and capable they were, then tried the support channels myself, from knowledge bases to live chat, to see how quickly problems got solved. Finally, I looked beyond the builder itself, at marketing tools, third-party integrations, and how well each platform would scale as a business grows.
What we look for in website builders
