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We've done real-world user testing, getting feedback from first-timers to creating websites, plus we've done independent assessments of website builder features. Based on our extensive tests, the easiest website builder for beginners to use is Wix, plus it offers regular deals and discounts.
You won't need any coding experience to use it – Wix gives you incredible templates to get started, and it's easy to add your own text and images, plus there's a huge app store for adding advanced features in seconds.
In this guide, we'll be taking a closer look at all the easiest-to-use website builders, rating them on the most important factors, to help you choose how to create your own website for the first time. Plus, we've included even more information on the best tips to know when it comes to creating and paying for a website.
| Test Score | Free plan | Paid plan (monthly) | Try it Today | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BEST ON TEST  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.0 |
Yes (data and URL limitations) | 14-day free trial | Yes (data and URL limitations) | Yes | 30-day free trial | No | Yes |
Starts from $12 | Starts from $6 | Starts from $10.80 | Starts from $5.99 | Starts from $5 | Starts from $4 | |
*Use code ‘TECHCO10' for a 10% discount on Squarespace
Which is the Easiest Website Builder for Beginners?
If you've never built a website before, then the most important thing is finding a tool that makes the whole process effortless. Based on our extensive testing, we believe that the easiest website builder for beginners is Wix, closely followed by Squarespace. Both of these tools can help you create a brilliant, professional-looking website in minutes – and that isn't an exaggeration. Thanks to simple question-and-answer automatic development tools, you can set yourself up with a sophisticated website template in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee.
You're then free to customize the template with your own images, words, and creative preference. The results will blow you away by how easy the process is, and how professional your site will look.
Here's the full list of the easiest website builders to choose — click each name to jump right to its section, or keep scrolling to see them all in turn.
- Wix — Best website builder for beginners, with great-looking templates.
- Squarespace — Offers the best templates on the market, perfect for novices after a stunning site.
- Weebly — A great, easy-to-use option for website builder rookies.
- Site123 — A speedy site builder for getting online in a hurry.
- GoDaddy — Not the best, but a solid offering for building business sites quickly.
- 1&1 Ionos — A good choice if you need to create a multilingual website.
- WordPress — The best website for budding bloggers.
Wix
Best website builder for beginners, with great-looking templates.
Wix is our favorite website builder and scores highly across the board in our testing. It’s super fast to get started with Wix, and brilliantly simple to create a website using one of its top-class templates. It has more than 500 templates on offer which will give you the perfect steer to create your site rather than starting from scratch. Once you've picked your favorite template, you're then free to customize as you see fit with almost total control of all the elements and colors on your pages.
Should that sound like too much work, however, Wix also has its artificial design intelligence (ADI) system. The ADI system will ask you some broad questions about the type of website you want to create from its name to the industry you're going to operate in. By answering these questions, Wix will then spit you out a website shell specifically tailored to your needs.
Once you’ve created the basis of your website, you’ll have access to a plethora of apps and features which will give you the ability to create loads of different types of website – whether that’s for a business, an online shop, or even a blog. Adding these apps and features is easy as well — it's just like downloading an app for your phone but doing it for a website instead.
Pros
- Regular deals and discounts offered
- Incredibly simple to use
- Great value plans
- Easy to preview as you go
- No expertise needed
- Great range of templates
Cons
- Free plan leaves you with a poor URL and Wix adverts
- After publishing with a template, you can't change to another one
Is Wix Easy to Use?
With Wix, you won’t need any experience with website builders, or even web development in general. Its simple but detailed editing system means you’ll be able to create a completely original website without any stress.
It really is simple to add words, images, and videos thanks to the easy menus and user-first principles that make everything feel straightforward. Changing them or moving them around the page is a piece of cake with Wix's drag-and-drop editor. One word of caution, however, is that once you've picked your Wix template, you'll be unable to swap it out for a different template once your site has been published.
If you can write a Word document or put a post on Facebook, you'll feel right at home creating web pages on Wix.
Want to know more about Wix? Check out our full Wix review or you can get started with the easiest website builder on the market for free
Squarespace
Offers the best templates on the market — perfect for novices after a stunning site.
If you want your website to look fantastic, Squarespace is the website builder for you. It might only have 91 templates to choose from, but since they’re developed in-house by Squarespace themselves, all of them are beautifully designed.
As such, you'll find yourself wanting to leave them alone for the most part — only adding your own images and changing the text.
Pros
- Get 10% off with code 'TECHCO10'.
- The best-looking templates around
- Great ecommerce functions
- Simple to customize
Cons
- Not quite as easy as Wix for first-timers
- Small range of apps
- No free version
Is Squarespace Easy to Use?
Squarespace is an easy website builder, plus, it's a great platform for running a blog, thanks to its aesthetically pleasing template designs and intuitive text editor.
Using Squarespace to create an online store is just as easy as creating a blog. It has templates designed specifically to work as online stores, and a really straightforward product management system that will let you manage prices and track stock. PayPal, debit/credit card, and Apple Pay payment options are also built-in.
Changing the overall layout of your pages isn't as easy with Squarespace as it is with rivals such as Wix. However, given its overall design excellence, you'll be slightly more reticent to change them. However, our main issue with Squarespace is its slightly confusing system of sub-menus for navigating pages — its pretty easy to get lost in the maze of menus, particularly when you start using it.
With that being said though, you will get used to Squarespace pretty quickly and an initially confusing navigation system shouldn't deter you from a very strong website builder.
Find out more about Squarespace in our full review or take a look at its templates and start building your site today
Weebly
A great, easy-to-use option for website builder rookies
Although good, Weebly isn’t quite as good as Wix. It doesn’t have as many website templates to choose from and its ecommerce functions are expensive compared to Wix.
However, it’s still a fantastic website builder, armed with loads of great aspects for users new to website construction. The templates are flexible, and you can change between them at any time.
Is Weebly Easy to Use?
Like Wix, Weebly also has a very intuitive drag-and-drop editor, allowing for deep customization of your site. You’ll also have access to over 300 apps and plugins which will help make your site work brilliantly for all of your visitors.
Weebly has the benefit of a truly what-you-see-is-what-you-get editor — exactly what you see on the backend of your website is exactly what you'll see when your site is published and live. This makes everything to do with editing your site, from small changes to site-wide overhauls far easier.
Weebly will also let you chop and change your website templates at will, unlike Wix, meaning it is easy to start over should you want to.
Weebly's overall editor isn't the most powerful on the market but it is still a competent website builder and should definitely be worth your consideration.
Pros
- Great selection of templates
- Lots of tools you can add to your site
- Good customization options
Cons
- No editor for mobile version of your site
- Expensive for creating an ecommerce site
Site123
A speedy site builder for getting online in a hurry
Site123 isn't our favorite website builder on the market. In fact, we think it's quite basic and lacks a lot of features compared to more advanced rivals such as Wix or Squarespace.
However, with that bare-bones approach to website creation comes remarkable simplicity. Site123 is one of the easiest website builders on the market because it does the basics so well.
Like Wix, Site123 has a very intuitive ADI service that can build you the shell of a website in literally a few minutes. It also has an unusual, but powerful sidebar-based editing system which makes it very easy to change the layout of your pages and add content to them.
Is Site123 Easy to Use?
Site123 is a good website builder for creating online stores. Nearly all of the setup is done for you with an online store template – all you have to do is add the product information onto your site to start selling.
However, it's not all good news. The templates are a little bit predictable – they're not bad per se, but they lack the wow-factor you would get with a Squarespace template, for example. There are five pricing packages, including a free trial. The cheapest version is seriously limited for features, which is a shame, given that the other packages quickly ramp up in price.
However, if you need to build a website in a hurry, and aren't too fussed about having the latest and greatest features or templates, Site123 is a decent choice.
Pros
- Incredibly quick setup and ADI features
- Good ecommerce features
Cons
- Slightly dull templates
- Confusing navigation options
GoDaddy
Not the best, but a solid offering for building business sites quickly
GoDaddy is a big name in the world of website development, and perhaps best known for its website hosting and 24/7 on-the-phone support.
As with Site123, GoDaddy isn't our favorite website builder on the market. However, what it lacks overall design control and features, it makes up for in the simplicity of creating a site.
Is GoDaddy Easy to Use?
GoDaddy has had a few drawbacks in previous years, but the brand has come a long way when it comes to offering an easy-to-use website builder. These days, it has arguably one of the best AI-powered website builders out there. As a user, you simply answer a few questions about what type of website you're looking to build, and in a few simple steps, it creates a slick-looking draft website for you.
Such a tool isn't unique to GoDaddy – most of the brands on this list have an ADI of their own. however, GoDaddy's is impressively intuitive and will feel effortless to first-timers.
That said, GoDaddy has a somewhat restrictive page editor, which prohibits any major changes to the website template. For beginners, this may not matter at all, but for more advanced users, it could create frustration. To add elements to the page, you click a big plus button and you'll be presented with a list of options to add which are tailored to the type of site you're trying to build.
However, moving them around and changing the design of each element is a pain. In short, it's simple to build a site with GoDaddy but not to change one.
GoDaddy's website builder is completely focused on building websites for businesses and online stores — to the point that it makes no sense to try and build a different type of site. However, GoDaddy's exclusionary focus on these types of sites doesn't make it a good overall option for small businesses — we'd sooner recommend Wix or, for stylish online stores, Squarespace.
Pros
- Offers a powerful and speedy ADI option
- An easy-to-use editor
Cons
- Lacks real in-depth customization options
- Very few apps or plugins to add extra functionality
- Singular focus on business websites
1&1 Ionos
A good choice if you need to create a multilingual website
1&1 Ionos is a bit of a mixed bag, with some features that may feel perfectly easy for beginners plus others that will please more advanced users. However, its templates aren't the most up-to-date on the market and its blogging interface is lacklustre, to say the least.
1&1 Ionos has some very affordable pricing plans, the most expensive of which costs just $15 per month. However, 1&1 Ionos offers no free package, which makes it feel like taking a leap of faith when signing up.
Is 1&1 Ionos Easy to Use?
Generally, 1&1 is a website builder that has something for everyone, whether you're a first-timer, or more comfortable with website coding.
It has some good features, including an in-depth page editor and easy-to-access HTML and CSS code. 1&1 Ionos also makes it really easy to create a multilingual website – this is something that not all website builders do, so it can be really useful if your business, for example, operates in multiple countries.
1&1's editor lends you a lot of control over the design of individual pages. You can element colors, padding, and even using videos or images for backgrounds for text boxes.
However, 1&1 Iono's templates are pretty dated. The editor will help you abate some of the tired designs but you can only get so far — if you don't feel confident attempting a complete overhaul of your website template, we'd look to Wix or Squarespace.
Pros
- Has an in-depth editor with lots of customization options
- Offers multilingual functions
- Easy-to-access HTML and CSS code
Cons
- No free package
- No ecommerce functions
- Outdated templates
WordPress
The best website for budding bloggers.
If you're looking to build a blogging or publishing site, WordPress should definitely be on your shortlist. However, its talents don't extend to other types of websites.
To be clear, we're talking about WordPress.com, not WordPress.org — this is an important distinction, as the two sites function quite differently. WordPress.com offers a more guided experience, more akin to a traditional website builder. However, WordPress.org offers greater freedom for customization, but you'll have to find hosting separately. You can read more about the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org here.
Is WordPress.com Easy to Use?
If you choose to go with WordPress.com, you'll find yourself equipped with a blogging-focused website builder which offers both a good range of templates and a straightforward, easy-to-use blog post editor.
You'll also be joining a large, engaged community of users who'll be able to show you the WordPress ropes. However, a number of more advanced features are reserved for the more expensive pricing plans, and you don't have as much control over your site's design as what most website builders offer.
WordPress doesn't offer the same level of creative control over your site that many of its rivals do. You'll be much more tightly bound to your website template, with little ability to change the colors or structure of your pages. You'll also need to be more au fait with HTML and CSS to truly control your WordPress site but, of course, this takes a while to learn and master.
Pros
- Great for bloggers and publishing sites
- Easy to get started
- Huge user community
Cons
- WordPress.org might be a better option
- Not a worthwhile choice for non-publishing/non-blogging sites
- Slightly inflexible editor
How We Rated the Best Website Builders for Beginners
As we mentioned above, our research and reviewing are completely independent and impartial. We base our ratings on a mix of subjective user trials and objective comparisons between the different website builders.
Ease of Use
For starters, when looking at the ease of use factor for each website builder, users are given a set of instructions to create a website.
Once finished, the users rate the builders on how easy it was to complete each instruction – and whether they had to reach for the support pages. The users are a mix of website builder novices and seasoned veterans, which makes our ratings balanced and comprehensive.
Features
When it comes to comparing the features offered by each website builder, our research team conduct exhaustive desk research to construct a feature map for each builder. This allows for objective, side-by-side comparisons of the number of features.
Based on this user testing, we can also assess the relative quality of the features available on each website builder — for example, most website builders offer app marketplaces and integration, but that doesn't mean they're equally good.
Customer Support
Another key element of a good software service is great customer support.
Support details we looked for with each website buildler included whether or not support is available via email, phone, live chat, or online help guides and videos. We also looked at if the support was 24/7 or during set business hours.
Ranking
Every function is ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, along with factors like pricing flexibility, the number and breadth of customer service options, and our findings on the ease of use. Once we have a final number, we condense it down to a five-star rating — you can find our rating for each website builder in the table at the top of this article.
While some aspects of each review will always be subjective and based on our reviewers' opinions, the end result of our ranking system is a fair comparison between how each service stacks up to the rest.
| Test Score | Number of templates | Portfolio sites | Business sites | Ecommerce sites | Pros | Cons | Features | Design Flexibility | Value for Money | Help and Support | Customer Score | Ease of Use | Free plan | Paid plan (monthly) | Try it Today | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BEST ON TEST | | | | | | | |||||||||||
4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.0 | |||||||||||
Over 500 | 91 | 56 | 188 | 8 | 433 | 290 | |||||||||||
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4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | |||||||||||
3.7 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 2.0 | |||||||||||
4.4 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.7 | |||||||||||
5.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.2 | |||||||||||
5.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 2.7 | 2.7 | |||||||||||
4.3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.3 | |||||||||||
Yes (data and URL limitations) | 14-day free trial | Yes (data and URL limitations) | Yes | 30-day free trial | No | Yes | |||||||||||
Starts from $12 | Starts from $6 | Starts from $10.80 | Starts from $5.99 | Starts from $5 | Starts from $4 | ||||||||||||
*Use code ‘TECHCO10' for a 10% discount on Squarespace
Building a Website For the First Time: What You Need to Know
When you come to building your first ever website, you should remember these five key things:
- Use a website builder – They're cheaper than web developers, and give you a website you know how to use. The best builders are listed above.
- Pick the right website builder for you – We like Wix, due to its prices, range of features, and ease of use. See how it ranks against rivals in our website builder comparison table
- Know exactly what you want from your website – Think about the people you want to visit your site, and what they should do once they're there.
- Don't be intimidated – Most website builders offer loads of help and support options, so you'll be able to fix any problems.
- Build happy – This is your site, your portal to the entire internet, so make it fun!
It can be tricky to know where to start when it comes to building a website – particularly if you've never done it before. In the following sections, we're going to answer all the questions you might have when starting out.
How To Make Your Own Website For The First Time
Before you do anything, you’ll have to pick a website builder to build your site with. We’re generally big fans of Wix here at Tech.Co – it’s super easy to use while allowing you loads of creative control. However, some website builders, such as Site123, make the initial construction of your website ludicrously simple – although they do rob you of some editing capabilities.
Once you’ve picked your website builder, you’ll have to choose from their selection of website templates. These give you a rough guide, almost like a blueprint for your site, so you’ll be able to make your website unique without having to start from scratch.
Indeed, making your website unique is generally pretty painless. It’s almost like editing a PowerPoint presentation – in fact, most website builders use drag-and-drop editors which allow you to plonk text, images, and more exactly where you want them.
If you think this website’s design (right) looks like it might be out of your league, you’ll be pleased to know it’s only a few clicks away! It was one of Wix’s 500+ template options, and if, for example, the orange background isn’t quite to your liking, you can completely reconfigure the design. If you’re planning on using this website for an existing business, you can also upload any logos or adapt designs to fit your current branding.
When you’re happy with your template and have adapted it to suit your needs and look the way you want it to, it’s always worth previewing it before you publish – just to make sure everything is looking correct!
How Much Does it Cost to Create a Website?
Probably less than you think. Most website builders have packages that start at around $5 per month, with the most expensive packages costing between $25-40 per month. Naturally, the more you pay, the more features you’ll have access to.
While the cheapest packages will allow you to create a viable website, the most popular packages generally sit around the $8-15 per month mark. These will free your site from the website builder’s own branding, allow you access to features like analytics tracking and even ecommerce functions. If you want to create a really top-drawer website – whether to improve your business, grow your blog, or get your name out there – you’ll likely need these features.
With the $30+ per month packages, it’s generally not worth fretting about the features you might be missing out on. These packages give you access to really high-end features, such as currency conversion for international product shipping, or even the chance to have your site reviewed by a web design professional.
Free Websites
Should you want to, you can even create a website without paying a penny. A lot of website builders — including Wix — offer free trials, so you can have a play around with the builder before committing to a monthly outlay.
It’s not all good news with a free site, however. When it comes to publishing it, you’ll likely have to put up with adverts from your website builder of choice along the side, which won’t make your site look as professional. You’ll also be missing out on some really useful features which could make your website better for your users, help make you more money, or give you more exposure.
And since studies show a great ecommerce experience is linked to higher customer satisfaction and stronger purchase intention, a good site will more than atone for its cost.
Read more – 5 Reasons You Should Never Make a Website for Free
Should You Pay For a Website Developer?
We don’t want to say that you shouldn’t, under any circumstances, pay for someone to build your website for you. However, we are struggling to think of situations where it would be better to opt for a website developer ahead of a good website builder tool.
Nowadays, website builders allow ordinary people, like you and me, to create world-class websites in a way that simply wouldn’t have been possible 10-15 years ago.
Moreover, website builders are almost always cheaper than opting for a website developer. You won’t have to pay a large deposit upfront, nor will you have to pay an excessive monthly or yearly retainer on a contract that could span multiple years. Instead, you’ll have complete control of your payment options on a month-to-month basis, which can be turned on or off as and when you feel like it.
You won’t be beholden to the scheduling and workflow of your developer, either. If something breaks, you won’t need to raise a ticket to get it fixed – you, and we mean you (you built the site, after all), can fix it as soon as you spot it. You’ll also be able to update or change the site whenever you feel like it or add functionality quickly as your site grows.
One downside, though, is that using a website builder will require slightly more of your time. Got more money than time? Hiring a website developer could be right for you. But, by creating the site yourself, you will be able to make the exact site you want, rather than a developer’s approximation of your requests. And, you never know, you might even enjoy it.
Read more – How Much Does a Website Designer Cost?
Verdict: Easiest Website Builder for Beginners
Our second pick for the best website builder for beginners is Site123, as it offers the highest ease of use after Wix, with decent customer service and high customer satisfaction scores.
Frequently Asked Questions
The third and final option is to pay even more for a website design agency to do the job, but this option is best only for those who need a unique feature, like a custom-designed searchable database. For most, a website builder is the quickest way to get a website up and running.
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