What Is a Website Builder?
A website builder is a hosted platform that lets you design and publish a website through a visual editor — no coding required. You pick a template, customise it with your content, and publish directly from the platform. Hosting, security, and software updates are all handled for you.
The tradeoff is flexibility. Website builders are faster and easier than building on WordPress, but they offer less customisation and you don't own your infrastructure the way you do with a self-hosted setup.
The 5 Questions to Answer Before You Choose
1. What is the primary purpose of your site?
A portfolio, a local business site, a blog, and an online store all have very different requirements. Squarespace excels for portfolios and creative brands. Shopify is purpose-built for selling products. Wix handles almost everything but is particularly strong for small business sites with booking and local SEO needs. Webflow is the choice for designers who want code-level control without writing code.
2. How much design control do you need?
Most builders use templates as a starting point. Wix lets you drag elements anywhere on the page — maximum flexibility, but can produce messy layouts. Squarespace enforces a grid structure that makes it harder to break the design. Webflow gives you full layout control using CSS concepts visually. If you are non-technical and want something that looks good without effort, Squarespace wins. If you want full creative control, Webflow or Framer.
3. Do you need ecommerce?
Most builders support selling products but the depth varies significantly. Shopify is the only builder genuinely built for high-volume ecommerce. Squarespace Commerce and Wix eCommerce work well for small catalogues. Webflow Ecommerce handles custom store designs but lacks the app ecosystem Shopify has. If selling is central to your business rather than a side feature, start with Shopify rather than retrofitting ecommerce onto a general builder.
4. What is your budget?
All major builders have paid plans starting between £10 and £40 per month. Free plans exist on Wix and Webflow but include platform branding and limited features. Budget for at least a paid entry plan to get a custom domain and remove ads. Squarespace starts at £13/month, Wix at £9/month, Webflow at £14/month for basic sites. Factor in domain costs (around £10–15/year) and any app or plugin fees on top.
5. Will you need to hand it off to a client or team member?
If you are building for someone else to manage, ease of use matters more than feature depth. Squarespace has the most intuitive content editing experience for non-technical users. Wix is similarly accessible. Webflow has a steeper learning curve but offers a dedicated Editor mode for clients. WordPress remains the most universally understood CMS if the client already has experience.
Platform Comparison at a Glance
Wix — Best for: flexibility, small business sites, beginners. Weakest at: performance on complex sites, SEO depth.
Squarespace — Best for: design quality, portfolios, restaurants, small ecommerce. Weakest at: third-party integrations, advanced customisation.
Webflow — Best for: designers, agencies, marketing sites needing custom animations. Weakest at: beginners, steep learning curve.
Shopify — Best for: ecommerce, product-led businesses. Weakest at: non-ecommerce content, blog-heavy sites.
WordPress.org — Best for: maximum flexibility, content-heavy sites, developers. Weakest at: maintenance burden, setup complexity.
Red Flags to Watch For
Be cautious of builders that lock your content and make exporting difficult. Check whether you can export your content if you want to leave. Ask whether your domain is portable or tied to the platform. Check renewal pricing — introductory rates are often significantly lower than year-two costs.
Our Recommendation
For most small businesses and individuals: start with Squarespace if aesthetics matter, Wix if you want the most flexibility and free plan, or Shopify if you are primarily selling products. Only move to Webflow or WordPress if you have specific requirements those platforms cannot meet.