We may receive a commission from our partners if you click on a link to review or purchase a product or service. Click to Learn More
Hostinger is the most affordable website builder, offering budget-friendly plans, extremely discounted introductory deals, and access to advanced features despite the low cost.
After carrying out hands-on testing and analysis on 12 leading builders, it’s safe to say there are a lot of cheap website builders on the market, with competitive deals that can have you building a site for a few dollars per month.
Key Takeaways
- Best: Hostinger is the best cheap website builder overall, with plans starting from just $2.99 per month (for a 48-month subscription).
- Ecommerce: Shopify is the best cheap website builder for selling online, with a plan for only $5 per month if you want to sell on socials.
- Pricing: Cheap website builders can cost under $5, with more advanced cheap plans costing as much as $20-30 per month.
- Limitations: Cheap website builders are almost always missing some key features available, such as ecommerce functionality.
- Hidden fees: Steep renewal costs, domain name charges, and transaction fees for online stores are often found with cheap website builders.
Why Trust Us? Our Research Explained
We take our impartial research and analysis seriously, so you can have complete confidence that we’re giving you the clearest, most useful product recommendations.
Here’s how our website builder research came about, by the numbers:
- More than 300 hours
- Six categories of investigation
- 36 subcategories
- 207 individual evaluations
Along with hands-on testing, the primary categories of investigation included website functionality (35%), design features (30%), user experience (15%), pricing (10%), help and support (5%), and reputation (5%).
In this guide:
- Comparing the Best Cheap Website Builders
- How Much Should a Website Cost?
- Best Cheap Website Builders Reviewed
- What to Look for in a Cheap Website Builder
- Which Website Builders Offer Free Plans?
- Methodology: How We Test Cheap Website Builders
- Verdict: What is the Best Cheap Website Builder?
- Frequently Asked Questions
| Price | Special deal | Cheapest ecommerce plan The cost for a plan that allows users to build and operate an online store | Free plan | Free trial | Transaction fees | Pros | Cons | App store Is there an app store available to utilize third-party integrations? | Templates How many templates are available? | Maximum products The maximum number of products you can sell in an online store | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEST OVERALL  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||
| Hostinger | Shopify | Network Solutions | Squarespace | Wix | ||||||||
| $15.99/month | ||||||||||||
| $2.69/month with code TECH | $1/month for first 3 months | $4.99/month for 1-year contract | $14.40/month with code TC10 | $15.30/month with code TAKE10 | ||||||||
| $3.99/month | $5/month | $28.99/month | $16/month | $29/month | ||||||||
| | | | | | ||||||||
| 14-day free trial | 3-day free trial | | 14-day free trial | 14-day free trial | ||||||||
| None | 2.9% + 30¢ | 5% + 50¢ | 2% (0% from Core plan) | 2.9% + $0.30 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
| | | | | | ||||||||
| 300+ | 900+ | 220+ | 180+ | 2,000+ | ||||||||
| 1,000 | Unlimited | 10,000 | Unlimited | 50,000 |
How Much Do Website Builders Cost?
The starting price of a website builder costs between $3 and $30 per month, while mid-tier and enterprise-level plans can cost between $25 and $300 per month.
The function of the website can also impact the cost. Ecommerce website builders that can build an online store typically start at around $20 per month, while portfolio and blog sites start at between $3 and $15 per month.
What Are the Best Cheap Website Builders in 2026?
Below, we’ll provide an in-depth review of each of our top cheap website builders, with a look at features and pricing. You can use the links below to navigate to your desired section.
- Hostinger — Cheapest overall
- Shopify — Cheapest way to sell online
- Network Solutions — Cheapest option for beginners
- Squarespace — Cheapest for creative businesses
- Wix — Cheapest for quality features
Expert Tip
Cheap and free website builders are an attractive option for businesses that are low in resources, because they allow you to get a site live at little to no cost at all.
However, in our research, we found that these free forever plans are a bit too limited to provide the functionality most businesses need from a website builder in the long run. Product limits, ads, high transaction fees, non-custom URLs all impede your sites ability to showcase your business.
Our advice? Use the free plan as more of an extended free trial rather than a viable solution to your website-building needs. That way, you can test out the platform in a meaningful way to be sure it’s the right fit for you.
Then, when you’re ready, you can get a paid plan to really take your website building seriously. And with prices as low as the ones on this list, hopefully it won’t break the bank.
1. Hostinger: Cheapest Website Builder
- Special deal: $2.69 per month with code TECH (48-month contract)
- Renewal price: From $10.99 per month
- Cheapest ecommerce: $3.59 per month with code TECH (48-month contract)
- Additional costs: Custom domain (after 1st year), AI credits, email marketing sends, taxes
Our research consistently found Hostinger to be the best budget website builder because of its competitive special deal that allows you access to the platform for $2.99 per month, if you’re willing to sign up for a four-year contract.
Hostinger also has no transaction fees for ecommerce users (on its $3.99/month Business plan), a growing suite of AI tools, and it offers the fastest site loading times out of all the builders we tested.
How much does Hostinger cost?
| Plan | Special deal | Price (4-year contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed for 48 months | Price (1-year contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed annually | Price (1-month contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed monthly | Ecommerce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | Business | ||||
| $2.69/month with code TECH | $3.59/month with code TECH | ||||
| $2.99/month | $3.99/month | ||||
| $3.99/month | $4.99/month | ||||
| $11.99/month | $18.99/month | ||||
| | |
Pros
- AI-generated site using a natural language prompt
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Language translations capabilities
Cons
- No app market for third-party integrations
- Bulk of AI tools aren't available on cheapest plan
- No free plan (14-day free trial)
- Premium: $2.99/month (48-month term)
- Business: $3.99/month (48-month term)
- Get 10% off with code TECH
2. Shopify: Cheapest Way to Sell Online
- Special deal: $1 per month for 1st three months
- Renewal price: From $29 per month
- Cheapest ecommerce: $29 per month (billed annually)
- Additional costs: Custom domain, templates, apps, transaction fees
Shopify is the best ecommerce website builder on the market, but most of its pricing plans are quite expensive. It made the list, however, because Shopify offers a great introductory deal where you can get your first three months for just $1 per month (if you sign up for an annual contract).
Shopify also has a basic and limited Starter plan for only $5 per month. The Starter plan is built for selling products via socials and WhatsApp, but you won’t get access to the actual Shopify website building platform.
How much does Shopify cost?
| Plan | Price (1-year contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed annually | Price (1-month contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed monthly | Ecommerce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Grow | Advanced | |
| $29/month | $79/month | $299/month | |
| $39/month | $105/month | $399/month | |
| | | |
Pros
- Vast selection of third-party integrations and apps
- Range of customer support including phone, live chat, and 24/7 options
- Excellent generative AI features to craft content
Cons
- Messy interface between backend and frontend
- No free domain, must pay extra
- Short 3-day free trial to try platform before you buy
- Starter plan: $5/month
- Basic plan: $29/month
- Grow plan: $79/month
- Advanced plan: $299/month
- Plus plan: $2,300/month
- Transaction fees from 2.9% + 30¢
3. Network Solutions: Cheapest Option for Beginners
- Special deal: $4.99 per month (billed annually)
- Renewal price: From $15.99 per month
- Cheapest ecommerce: $13.99 per month (billed annually)
- Additional costs: Custom domain (after 1st year), email, SSL certificate
With a special deal price of only $4.99 per month for a one year contract, we found that Network Solutions, formerly Web.com, to be an excellent low-cost website builder. Plus, it offers a lot of built-in features, including a social calendar, logo builder, and post generator, to help you get your website off the ground.
After the first year, you’ll face renewal costs, with the cheapest plan costing $16 per month, which is the same price as more functional website builders, like Squarespace.
How much does Network Solutions cost?
| Plan | Price (1-year contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed annually | Price (1-month contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed monthly | Ecommerce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website | Website + Marketing
| eCommerce
| |
| $4.99/month | $7.99/month | $13.99/month | |
| $1.99/month | $3.99/month | $9.99/month | |
| | | |
Pros
- Intuitive interface
- Comprehensive free plan
- Mobile and tablet optimization is impressive
Cons
- Image editing capabilities are pretty basic
- Unable to switch templates
- Slow loading time
- Website: $4.99/month
- Website + Marketing: $7.99/month
- eCommerce: $13.99/month
4. Squarespace: Cheapest for Creatives
- Special deal: $14.40 per month with code TC10
- Renewal price: From $16 per month
- Cheapest ecommerce: $16 per month (billed annually)
- Additional costs: Custom domain (after 1st year), email, Acuity Scheduling, transaction fees
Squarespace offers affordable website builder plans for creatives, businesses, and online stores, with prices ranging from $16 to $99 per month (billed annually). While more expensive than our cheapest option Hostinger, all of Squarespace’s plans include ecommerce, making it a great option for SMBs that don’t want to splurge on a dedicated ecommerce platform, like Shopify.
You’ll also get access to the easiest drag-and-drop editor we’ve tested, built-in tools for scheduling appointments and email marketing, as well as no transaction fees from the Core plan.
How much does Squarespace cost?
| Plan | Special deal | Price (1-year contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed annually | Price (1-month contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed monthly | Ecommerce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Core | Plus | Advanced | |
| $14.40/month with code TC10 | $20.70/month with code TC10 | $35.10/month with code TC10 | $89.10/month with code TC10 | |
| $16/month | $23/month | $39/month | $99/month | |
| $25/month | $36/month | $56/month | $139/month | |
| Limited | | | |
Pros
- Easiest website builder to use across our research
- Plenty of content-focused features for blogging
- Integrates with Acuity for booking and appointments
Cons
- Limited language support for international businesses
- AI site builder creates fairly generic output
- No autosave feature for website editor
- Basic: $16/month
- Core: $23/month
- Plus: $39/month
- Advanced: $99/month
- 10% off with code TC10
- 14-day free trial
5. Wix: Cheapest for Quality Features
- Special deal: $15.30 per month with code TAKE10
- Renewal price: From $17 per month
- Cheapest ecommerce: $29 per month (billed annually)
- Additional costs: Custom domain (after 1st year), email, third-party apps, transaction fees
As our best website builder overall, Wix doesn’t let its users down when it comes to price, offering the best value for money with its free forever plan and premium options. Its four paid plans range from $17 to $159 per month (billed annually), and the builder runs regular 50% off deals for new users.
You get a lot for your money with Wix, including access to over 2,000 free templates, a drag-and-drop editor, AI performance data for your site, and agentic commerce support.
How much does Wix cost?
| Plan | Special deal | Price (1-year contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed annually | Price (1-month contract) The price per month you'll pay if you choose to be billed monthly | Ecommerce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Light | Core | Business | Business Elite |
| $0 | $15.30/month with code TAKE10 | $26.10/month with code TAKE10 | $35.10/month with code TAKE10 | $143.10/month with code TAKE10 |
| $0 | $17/month | $29/month | $39/month | $159/month |
| $0 | $24/month | $36/month | $46/month | $172/month |
| | | | | |
Pros
- Unrivaled selection of website features across design, sales, and support
- AI features can create a site in 60 seconds
- Quality free forever plan available
Cons
- No template switching once published
- Number of features can be overwhelming for some beginners
- Steep price increase for scaling businesses
- Light: $17/month
- Core: $29/month
- Business: $39/month
- Business Elite: $159/month
- 10% off any plan with code TAKE10
- Free plan
How To Choose the Best Cheap Website Builder
When choosing a website builder, be sure to consider:
- Features: Cheap website builders are always missing some kind of key features, like ecommerce functionality, to make up for the cost.
- Scalability: Some cheap website builders are just stepping stones for larger, more expensive plans, while others are standalone cheap options with no room for growth.
- AI tools: Many AI features are put behind paywalls, so make sure your cheap website builder offers the features you want at the right price point.
- Renewal costs: Many cheap website builders are only affordable for a limited time, so make sure that you won’t incur unwanted charges when that time period is up.
- Transaction fees: Low cost website builders for building an online store are great, but transaction fees can cut into your profits in a serious way.
- Reliable help and support: Some website builders have premium support reserved for the pricier tiers.
Which Website Builders Offer Free Plans?
Free website builders are common, with popular providers like Wix, GoDaddy, and Square Online offering free forever plans that allow users to create, edit, and publish websites at no cost.
These free plans often come with serious limitations that hamper the long term success of your site, though, including no custom URL, ads on your site, and high transaction fees for ecommerce sales.
Methodology: How Do We Test Cheap Website Builders
As part of our research process, we carry out hands-on testing and impartial research regularly to ensure our reviews reflect the latest features and pricing. We rate our website builders based on six key criteria:
- Website functionality (35%): The capabilities and functionalities offered by a website builder, e.g. blog functionality, SEO capability, and marketing capacity.
- Design features (30%): The aesthetic appeal and visual layout of a website created using a website builder.
- User experience (15%): How user-friendly and intuitive a website builder is for people with varying levels of technical expertise.
- Pricing (10%): The balance between the cost of a website builder and the benefits it provides.
- Help and support (5%): The assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance.
- Reputation (5%): This is the feedback and ratings given by customers who have used a particular website builder.
Naturally, we pay close attention to the pricing category when it comes to recommending cheap website builders. We take into account pricing plans, as well as the features you get for your money, but our overall rankings focus on the cheapest introductory prices.
Verdict: What Is the Best Cheap Website Builder?
Based on our user testing, research, and analysis, the best cheap website builder is Hostinger. Not only does the website builder offer capable paid plans for as little as $2.99 per month, but it has some great features, including a neat AI website builder, AI blog generator, and all-round great user experience.
Next up was Shopify. The ecommerce stalwart has an intro plan, limited to social selling, that starts at just $5 per month. And, when you’re ready to upgrade to one of Shopify’s core website plans, you can get your first three months for just $1 per month.