Best Website Builders for 2024 — My Top Recommendations!
TLDRIn this insightful video, the presenter shares their 10 years of experience reviewing website builders and identifies the top five options for different needs. Squarespace is praised for its intuitive design and wide range of features, making it a favorite for general websites. Wix, with its flexibility and extensive features, is likened to Android, offering more freedom but potentially more complexity. Shopify stands out for e-commerce, excelling in behind-the-scenes functionality and offering a robust app store. Webflow, while having a steeper learning curve, provides the flexibility of coding without the need for it, making it ideal for custom designs. Finally, Carrd is highlighted for its affordability and suitability for one-page websites. The video also touches on WordPress as a CMS, noting its popularity despite the need for more technical expertise. The presenter emphasizes the importance of starting with a tool that fits one's needs and encourages trying free trials to find the right fit.
Takeaways
- 🎨 **Squarespace** is praised for its intuitive design and flexibility with blocks and sections, offering a wide selection of features and themes.
- 🤖 **Wix** is likened to Google's Android for its flexibility but can be less user-friendly, with a vast array of themes and an app market for additional features.
- 🛍️ **Shopify** stands out for medium to large online stores, focusing on the behind-the-scenes functionality and offering a robust app store for e-commerce features.
- 📈 **Webflow** is a design tool that provides coding-level flexibility without the need to code, making it ideal for custom designs but with a steeper learning curve.
- 💰 **Carrd** offers very low prices and is designed specifically for one-page websites, making it a budget-friendly option with simple customization.
- 🌐 **WordPress** is a powerful CMS that requires more technical knowledge and maintenance, offering extensive customization but with the trade-off of complexity and security responsibilities.
- 🔍 The importance of starting with a free trial to determine if a website builder meets your needs is emphasized.
- 💡 The video offers a comparison between Squarespace and Wix, highlighting the differences in user experience and feature sets.
- 📦 Shopify's themes and app store are noted for their ability to keep the core platform clean while providing extensive functionality for e-commerce.
- 📈 Webflow's CMS feature allows for the design of content collections, offering a unique advantage over other builders for database-like structures.
- 🚀 The presenter's personal preference for Squarespace is shared, along with their experience using it for various types of websites.
- 📝 The script stresses the importance of considering the purpose and content of your website when choosing a builder, rather than just the number of pages.
Q & A
How long has the speaker been reviewing website builders?
-The speaker has been reviewing website builders for 10 years since 2013.
What is the comparison between Squarespace and Apple in terms of website builders?
-Squarespace is likened to the Apple of website builders due to its intuitive and thoughtfully designed interface.
What is a key feature of Squarespace that allows for flexibility in page design?
-Squarespace allows users to create pages by adding either sections or individual elements, providing flexibility in design.
How many themes does Squarespace offer for website design?
-Squarespace offers a total of 165 themes for website design.
What is Wix's position in the market compared to Squarespace?
-Wix, like Squarespace, is a market leader for general-purpose website builders and is often compared to Google or Android in terms of flexibility.
What is Wix's main advantage over Squarespace in terms of website building?
-Wix's main advantage is its flexibility, offering more freedom in building a website by adding individual elements.
How many website themes does Wix offer?
-Wix offers a total of 822 website themes.
What is Shopify's primary focus as a website builder?
-Shopify's primary focus is on building online stores, making it ideal for medium to large e-commerce websites.
What is the significance of the Shopify App Store for e-commerce websites?
-The Shopify App Store provides a wide range of additional features that can be added to an e-commerce store, such as review systems, email notifications for out-of-stock items, and more.
What is Webflow known for in the context of website building?
-Webflow is known for its design capabilities, offering a level of customization that allows users to design nearly anything without having to write code.
What is the main limitation of using Webflow for website building?
-Webflow has a learning curve and can be more complicated than traditional drag-and-drop builders, making it less user-friendly for beginners.
What is the primary appeal of using Card as a website builder?
-Card is ideal for one-page websites and offers low prices, making it a cost-effective solution for those with a limited budget.
What is the main difference between a CMS like WordPress and a website builder?
-A CMS like WordPress requires manual installation on a web host and does not provide hosting itself. It is open-source with a vast array of themes and plugins, but it requires more technical knowledge and maintenance compared to a website builder.
Outlines
🌟 Squarespace: Intuitive and Well-Designed Website Builder
The first paragraph introduces Squarespace as a top choice for website builders, comparing it to Apple for its intuitive design. The platform allows users to create pages by adding blocks, which are customizable elements, and sections, which are predesigned collections of blocks. Squarespace is praised for its flexibility, offering a wide range of features like blogging, online stores, and membership options. It also boasts a selection of 165 themes with a modern aesthetic. The pricing is competitive, starting from $16 to $49 per month on an annual plan.
🤖 Wix: Flexible and Feature-Rich Website Platform
The second paragraph discusses Wix as a market leader alongside Squarespace, emphasizing its flexibility and comparison to Google's Android. Wix provides a high degree of freedom in designing pages through individual elements and sections. It offers numerous features including blogging, e-commerce, and multilingual support, with an app market adding extra functionalities. Wix has a vast theme library of 822 options, though some may feel outdated. The platform's pricing starts at $16, with e-commerce plans ranging up to $159 for the business elite plan. Wix is noted to sometimes have features that require fine-tuning, but it remains a strong choice for users seeking more control.
🛍️ Shopify: Specialized E-commerce Solution
The third paragraph focuses on Shopify as the go-to platform for medium to large online stores. Unlike general website builders, Shopify's strength lies in its robust back-end functionalities for e-commerce, such as handling taxes, credit cards, and shipping. It offers a theme editor and an app store for additional features like customer reviews and email notifications. Shopify's themes are available for free or at a premium, and its pricing starts at $29, scaling up to $299 for more established stores. While it can be expensive, Shopify is recommended for serious e-commerce ventures.
🎨 Webflow: Advanced Design Tool for Custom Websites
The fourth paragraph highlights Webflow as a design tool that has gained popularity for its ability to create custom websites without coding. Webflow allows users to design with HTML and CSS through a user interface, offering a high level of design flexibility. It features a CMS for creating content collections and connecting them to the website design. Webflow's themes are available for free or at an additional cost, and its plans range from $14 to $212, reflecting its focus on design and customization. It is acknowledged to have a learning curve but is ideal for those seeking advanced design capabilities.
📝 Card: Budget-Friendly Option for Single-Page Websites
The fifth paragraph introduces Card as an affordable website builder designed specifically for single-page websites. It offers a straightforward editor with elements for building pages and subtle animations for a clean and professional look. Card is easy to use and customizable, though it lacks some features found in more comprehensive builders like Wix and Squarespace. It is an excellent budget option, with pricing remaining low despite other builders increasing their costs. Card encourages a minimalist approach to website design, which can be more effective for readability and user engagement.
⚙️ WordPress: Powerful CMS for Expert Users
The final paragraph discusses WordPress as a content management system (CMS) rather than a traditional website builder. It is open-source and has a vast array of themes and plugins, but it requires more technical expertise and manual maintenance. WordPress is noted for its ability to create complex and customized websites for those with the time and skills to manage it. While it may not be as user-friendly as other options, WordPress's popularity is attributed to its flexibility and the ability to create high-quality websites with it. The video offers links for further learning about WordPress.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Website Builders
💡Squarespace
💡Wix
💡Shopify
💡Webflow
💡Card
💡WordPress
💡Themes
💡Blocks and Sections
💡E-commerce
💡App Store
💡Content Management System (CMS)
Highlights
The presenter has been reviewing website builders annually since 2013, offering a decade of expertise.
Squarespace is likened to the Apple of website builders, known for its intuitive and thoughtful design.
Squarespace allows users to choose between adding sections or individual elements to create pages.
Squarespace includes a wide selection of features such as blogging, online stores, and event calendars.
Squarespace boasts 165 high-quality themes with customizable color palettes and individual element styles.
Pricing for Squarespace ranges from $16 to $49 per month on an annual plan, considered reasonably priced.
Wix is described as the Google or Android alternative to Squarespace, offering more flexibility but potentially less user-friendliness.
Wix provides an app market for adding various features to a website, with 822 themes available.
Wix's pricing starts at $16 and goes up to $159 for the Business Elite plan, with a competitive edge against Squarespace.
Shopify is recommended for medium to large online stores, with a focus on the 'behind the scenes' functionality.
Shopify's strength lies in its app store, offering a wide range of features for e-commerce stores.
Webflow is praised for its design capabilities, allowing for complex designs without coding.
Webflow's CMS feature allows for the design of content collections, providing a unique advantage over other builders.
Card is highlighted for its affordability and focus on one-page websites, with a variety of themes and customization options.
WordPress is a CMS rather than a website builder, offering extensive customization but requiring more maintenance and security management.
The presenter emphasizes the importance of starting with a tool and using free trials to discover what works best for the user.
The video concludes by reminding viewers that the quality of a website depends on the builder's skills and not solely on the tool used.
Transcripts
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