7 Best Website Builder Alternatives to Wordpress
Fed up battling with Wordpress and wondering what else is out there to make your life easier? Then this is the guide for you.
Below I share the seven most frequently recommended website builder platforms that can get you up and running quickly and easily without having to fight with Wordpress.
Most of them include a free version so you can test out whether they are right for you without having to fork out any cash. Although you would probably want to upgrade before going live to get rid of their branding.
Carrd for low cost one-page sites
Carrd is a great way to get online if you just want a simple one-page website. In their free account, you can create up to three responsive drag-and-drop websites using a Carrd domain and with discrete Carrd branding in the footer.
Their paid plans start at just $9/yr (yes, per year!) and allow you to add your own custom domain, while giving you full SSL support, Google Analytics and the ability to add contact, signup and payment forms. Paid plans include no Carrd branding and allow you to build more sites and add more functionality.
When Pauline reviewed Carrd on Angel Rated, she gave it 5 stars and said:
"I think this is amazing value for getting started with an online presence, especially if you only need a simple website."
She thought it would be ideal for those with little comfort with technology, who are on a tight budget and want a no-frills website.
Jimdo for drag-and-drop designs tailored by industry
Jimdo is a German-based company that's been going for over 10 years and has been used to build over 20 million websites!
On their Play plan, you can build a free 5-page website based on designs tailored to your industry. It includes limited storage and bandwidth as well as Jimdo ads and branding.
To add your own domain, remove Jimdo branding and start increasing your storage, bandwidth and website pages, you need to move to a paid plan. These start at $108/yr, increasing up to $468/yr for a professional online shop.
SquareSpace for great templates for both blogging and e-commerce
Possibly the most often recommended alternative to Wordpress, SquareSpace is a great all-in-one platform with beautiful templates.
Rather than having a free plan, you start with a free trial and only pay to publish your website once you've decided that SquareSpace is right for you.
Plans start at $16/mo or $144/yr for their Personal plan, which gives you a free custom domain and unlimited bandwidth and storage. Upgrade to Business for $26/mo or $216/yr to access premium integrations and blocks, complete customisation, marketing features and limited e-commerce.
For further e-commerce features, you'll need either the Basic ($30/mo, $312/yr) or Advanced ($46/mo, $480/yr) Commerce plan.
Both Gabi and Karla gave SquareSpace 5 stars for Ease in their reviews. Karla described it as:
"Thoughtful drag and drop website builder. Gorgeous, clean, modern templates. Templates are also mobile responsive, and can be previewed on different screen sizes. Great for ecommerce, blogging and email marketing."
Strikingly for a basic free online store
Strikingly is another website builder that is great for one-page sites and beautiful templates.
On their free plan, you can build unlimited basic sites (using a Strikingly domain) that include a simple online store with one product.
Their entry-level plan is $12/mo or $96/yr and allows you to connect a custom domain and add up to five products to your store. To remove the Strikingly branding, you will need the Pro plan at $20/mo or $192/yr. This also gives you more site functionality, 300 products in your store, 20 website pages, custom fonts and the ability to add a membership area to your site.
Ucraft for a custom domain on their free plan
Ucraft are the only website builder on this list that allows you to connect your own custom domain on their free plan. You still get some Ucraft branding, but with unlimited bandwidth and 15 website pages (including password protect pages), this is a great free option.
To remove the Ucraft branding, upgrade to their Pro Website plan for $120/yr. This also gives you unlimited pages, advanced website elements, custom fonts, a membership area and basic e-commerce for 15 products. For a full e-commerce website, you'll need their Pro Shop plan at $252/yr which also includes the option to sell digital goods (with a 1GB max file size).
Weebly for ease-of-use and e-commerce functionality
The free plan on Weebly includes lead capture and contact forms, along with a Weebly-branded domain. To connect a custom domain, you'll need their Personal plan at $9/mo or $72/yr.
Upgrade to Pro for $16/mo or $144/yr to remove Weebly ads and add unlimited storage and site search. This plan also allows you to add a shopping cart and accept payments. For advanced e-commerce, their Performance plan at $29/mo or $312/yr includes inventory management, coupons, product reviews, and tax and shipping calculators.
Wix for unlimited pages and 100s of templates
Along with SquareSpace, Wix often gets recommended as the best alternative to Wordpress. Their free plan includes 100s of templates and design features, unlimited pages, an online store, booking system and membership. In return, you get a Wix domain and ads.
To connect your custom domain and remove the Wix ads, upgrade to their Combo plan for $13/mo, which also includes hosting for 30 minutes of video. For greater storage and unlimited bandwidth, you'll need their Unlimited plan at $17/mo.
In her review of Wix, Karen said the following:
"Learning curve isn't super steep. Can hit the ground running. Can build a site without paying for it. I think that Wix is great for what it is and a great option in the world of build-it-yourself websites."
Download the Angel Rated guide to Website Building Software
So, there you have it. The 7 best website builders as recommended by online business owners. Download the Angel Rated Website Builder Software Pricing Guide here so that you have all the information in one place when you need it.
Now it's your turn: be an Angel Review and share your experience
If you've used any of these Website Building tools, then we'd love to read your review of them (the good, the bad and the ugly!). Click through to the relevant product using the links above and hit Write a Review.
Or to see all the options in one place, head on over to this search where you can sort and filter all the tools listed above (and more) to find the one that's just right for you.
And if you're using something that's not listed on Angel Rated, then we'd love to hear from you so that we can get it added.