Website Builders for Small Businesses: Top 9 Picks + Expert Tips To Choose the Right One

Selecting the right website builder for small businesses is essential for gaining a competitive edge online. The right platform not only helps you establish a professional presence on a budget but also supports brand growth, lead generation, and product sales. Still, with countless options available, which one is truly best, and how can you use it to achieve the best results?

In this guide, we’ll break down the top platforms and evaluate them from multiple perspectives to help you make an informed, future-proof decision. Right now, keep scrolling to discover more!

What is a Website Builder?

A website builder is a tool that lets you create and publish a website with little or no coding. Instead of dealing with complex code like HTML or CSS, you can use simple editors, templates, built-in hosting, and eCommerce features. This way, you can spend more time on your brand.

Moreover, many website builders for small businesses are tailored with forever-free plans, free trials, or affordable pricing, making them ideal for testing and early setups with limited budgets. 

Learn more: 7 Best Website Builders for Beginners — Features, Pros & Cons

Why Small Businesses Need A Website Builder?

Early-stage teams, startups, and solopreneurs often operate with tight budgets, limited skills and resources, and a strong need to lead the market. Thus, selecting a suitable website builder for small businesses to compete online without the complexity of custom development is essential.  

• Faster time to market

Businesses want to get online fast, whether to test an idea, start selling online, or build trust. With website builders, you effortlessly launch a new website in days or even hours, using themes, drag-and-drop interfaces, built-in hosting, free domains, and AI-powered functionalities. 

• Cost efficiency

Creating a fully custom website or hiring a professional team can be expensive, especially for early-stage businesses, as it involves the costs of design, development, and maintenance. That’s when the significance of intuitive tools that can help launch cheap websites for small businesses becomes apparent. Website builders offer flexible pricing plans, allowing you to select only what you prefer, stay within budget, and scale your website as it grows effectively.  

• Ease of use

Modern website makers stand out with visual drag-and-drop editing, CRO layouts, and guided workflows. Most notably, AI website builders can enable the effortless creation of new stores. Non-technical users can update pages, add products, and publish content instantly if they want.  

• Integration with sales tools/ apps 

If you plan to sell online, the best website builders for small businesses, such as Shopify and BigCommerce, are go-to solutions. They can work well with third-party apps for payments, marketing, shipping, CRM, dropshipping, SMS, and more to ensure a result-driven operation. 

Shopify has its own extensive app store with thousands of third-party apps

Take Shopify as an example: it supports most core e-commerce functions natively, while offering access to its App Store, which features over 8,000 apps built by leading development teams. You can leverage them to automate product fulfillment, create a landing page, implement an effective sales funnel strategy, and develop subscription products without complex setups. 

Learn more: 10 Best Personal Website Builders in 2025 (Paid & Free)

Key Features To Look For In A Website Builder

Whether you prefer a free website builder for small businesses or a paid one to enjoy tailored functions, here’s the key criteria you need to focus on to choose the right platform for your site:  

• User-friendly interface

A clear drag-and-drop editor, intuitive menu structure, preview mode, and minimal reliance on code are strong signals of a well-performing website builder for small businesses. As a result, you can edit text, structure, images, and then launch everything on your web pages in minutes. 

• Flexible, reasonable pricing plans 

The issue of costs is also highlighted here. Most top-rated builders offer apparent pricing, ideally with a free trial and affordable paid plans that can scale alongside your needs. While many select the best free website builder for small business as a profitable starting point, others say that paid tiers often unlock critical functionalities and excellent customer support for their setups. That’s a key aspect for establishing long-term value, rather than focusing on upfront expenses. 

2. Mobile optimization 

Nearly 80% of visits to retail websites worldwide now originate from smartphones, highlighting a dominant mobile-first eCommerce trend. This means that when you choose a website builder, you need to ensure the platform provides a fully responsive and mobile-friendly experience. Without optimizing this aspect, visitors find it difficult to navigate, which can lead to frustration.  

3. Fast, reliable hosting and security

You should choose a website builder that can ensure secure hosting, built-in SSL, and strong uptime performance. Slow load times or outages can deter visitors and negatively impact SEO. Moreover, don’t forget to consider security, particularly when handling buyer data and payments. Look for tools that can offer automatic security patches, SSL certificates, and fraud prevention. 

4. Basic and advanced functionalities 

At a minimum, a website maker for small businesses should provide core essentials, including webpage design and structuring, as well as blog/content tools, contact forms, and SEO settings. 

 Integrating your website builder with robust tools like Gem X helps run accurate A/B tests for proper refinement and optimization

Additionally, consider features such as A/B testing, CRM, marketing options, integration with third-party apps, inventory management, subscriptions, memberships, and other relevant functionalities. All of these can ensure the best results for your store's conversion and sales.  

1. Template variety & design flexibility

Different templates help you launch your site quickly. You should choose a builder with modern, industry-specific designs that you can easily customize. This way, your business stands out.   

2. Scalability

Some platforms allow you to seamlessly upgrade by coding and changing to a new pricing plan. For example, Shopify offers Shopify Basic for startups and Shopify Plus for larger enterprises. This scalability ensures you won’t outgrow your platform and need to rebuild elsewhere when your traffic or product catalog expands. 

3. Support and community  

If you run into problems building your site, good support is important. Let’s look for builders that offer live chat or email help, clear guides, active user forums, video tutorials, and 24/7 support.

9 Best Website Builders for Small Businesses

#1. Shopify

It is not only one of the best website creators for small businesses; Shopify stands out as one of the most widely used eCommerce platforms. It offers everything you need to launch an online store, like site design, hosting, payment processing, shipping, app integration, and analytics. Apparently, it is a top-of-mind solution for a wide variety of business formats, including product sellers, service providers, digital product vendors, and even membership-based organizations. 

Shopify is one of the most popular website builders for small businesses, with intuitive tools, an extensive app store, and advanced sales functions 

Pros

• Easy-to-implement templates and a beginner-friendly editor. 

• Various pricing plans are tailored to each stage of growth. 

• 24/7 customer support is available starting from the Basic plan. 

• A 3-day free trial and $1 per month for the first 3 months. 

• Shopify Pay with $0 transaction fees and a free card reader at in-store events. 

• Best-in-class third-party app store of 8,000 options. 

• AI-powered updates, like Shopify Magic and Sidesick, align with technological trends. 

• Built-in omnichannel selling support (online store, social, marketplaces, and POS). 

Cons

• It costs more if you only focus on a standard site without sales functions. 

• Don’t natively host emails as a centralized solution. 

Pricing: $39 - $2,300/month 

Why small businesses should choose Shopify 

Shopify delivers both website building and eCommerce in one hub. For users who want an easy website builder for small businesses, yet also the power to grow their revenues, it is excellent. Also, this platform offers a 3-day free trial and a cost of $1 per month for the first 3 months, which is one of the best deals for testing, saving resources, and getting familiar with this builder.  

Verdict: Shopify strikes the perfect balance between simplicity, power, sales, and scalability. Therefore, it is a go-to choice of many businesses, including early-stage ones and solo sellers. Although it may cost a little more than stripped-down platforms, the added support is valuable. 

Leverage your website design with GemPages Landing Page Builder

You can leverage the performance of your web pages with GemPages Shopify Page Builder. Recognized as one of the best design flexibility tools available to all Shopify users, GemPages gives small teams unmatched control over their layouts, branding, and conversion workflows. You can work with page designs directly inside Shopify, making it easier to build and optimize. 

Here are highlights about GemPages that you should take a look at first before implementing: 

• 200+ CRO-optimized templates for different industries and campaign goals. 

• Gem AI to transform design inspiration into actual structures in a snap. 

• Sales Funnel Builder to build complete funnels with upsell, cross-sell & post-purchase. 

• Seamless integration with third-party apps, plus the Gem X role for advanced A/B tests. 

• Built-in conversion boosters to add urgency, scarcity, and social proof. 

Learn more: 

• How to Use GemPages to Design Beautiful Blog Templates on Shopify

• Top 12 Shopify Privacy Policy Generators: A Comparison & A Guide from Experts

#2. Weebly (Square Online) 

This website builder for small businesses began as a simple drag-and-drop platform designed for non-technical users to create a new site. In 2018, Square (now Block Inc.) acquired Weebly and has since folded its eCommerce and POS tools into the unified Square Online ecosystem.

Weebly’s user-friendly interface makes building websites easy and affordable

Pros

• Very budget-friendly: free and low-cost plans.

• Easy-to-use interface, ideal for beginners.

• Basic eCommerce functions (e.g., adding products, accepting Square payments). 

• Hosted solution with SSL included. 

Cons

• Limited scalability for extensive product catalogues and advanced features.

• Fewer templates and design flexibility.

• Support and feature updates appear less frequently. 

Pricing: $0 - $19/month 

Why small businesses should choose Weebly (Square Online) 

Weebly enables solo sellers to establish an online presence quickly and affordably. Moreover, because it ties into Square’s payment + POS ecosystem, if you already use Square in-person, then using Weebly makes for a seamless online/offline commerce link without complex setups. 

Verdict: If you don’t need an advanced scale yet and you’re priority is simplicity and cost control rather than full-fledged growth features for eCommerce sales, Weebly is a top-of-mind choice. 

#3. Wix 

Wix is a cloud-based website builder that empowers users to create, customize, and publish websites with minimal or no coding required. It offers a drag-and-drop editor, AI-assisted design tools, an app market, hosting, and fundamental commerce functionalities to launch a new store.

Wix offers a flexible drag-and-drop builder with thousands of design templates

Pros

• A highly user-friendly editor and over 2,000 free website templates. 

• Email marketing with the cheapest plan.

• Keyword support from Semrush. 

Cons

• Feature bloat for absolute beginners. 

• Slow loading times. 

Pricing: $0 - $159/month

Why small businesses should choose Wix 

Users can strongly benefit from Wix’s Mailchimp partnership to create personalized messages without another app or extension. Wix also stands out with AI features to offer quick site copy (e.g., product descriptions), design suggestions, theme assist, and image auto-enhancement. As a result, small businesses can access a robust website builder to meet their custom needs. 

Verdict: Wix is one of the best website platforms for small businesses seeking to create a site quickly, with a focus on design quality. In other words, if you prefer building your brand presence rather than growing an enterprise-grade commerce system, Wix will be a strong candidate. 

#4. GoDaddy 

GoDaddy evolved from a domain registrar and hosting service into a website builder designed for simplicity and speed, especially standing out with great social tools for promoting your store. Impressively, users can make tweaks in the mobile editor while controlling their traffic on the go. 

GoDaddy enables fast setup with domain and hosting included 

Pros

• Budget-friendly plans for startups and small teams. 

• Strong mobile app and hosting management. 

• AI enhancements for website creation, inventory tools, and smarter catalogs.  

• Quick onboarding and built-in social tools. 

Cons

• Lacks quality designs for leveraging your website presence

• Limited functionality for both sales and designs. 

• Basic SEO support. 

Pricing: $0 - $23.99/month

Why small businesses should choose GoDaddy 

GoDaddy provides a website builder that handles domain, hosting, and SSL automatically, eliminating the need to piece together separate vendors. Many teams also impress with the ability to populate the social media calendar with GoDaddy’s AI Social Post Creator, identify the right days to post, and even review your scheduled content to ensure high conversion results. 

Verdict: If you are a side hustler or micro-entrepreneur seeking affordable websites and need to establish a presence quickly with reliable hosting services, GoDaddy is a good fit. Furthermore, if you already have domains or hosting with GoDaddy, consider using it to save time and effort.   

#5. Squarespace

This platform is one of the top-rated website makers for small businesses to offer services or schedule appointments online. Squarespace provides a range of templates, sleek design elements, and quality content tools to create a stylish website that instantly captivates visitors.

Squarespace’s polished templates help creative and service brands stand out

Pros

• Beautiful templates and a strong design system to showcase visual identity. 

• Ease of use and unified platform.

• Integrated tools for service businesses with built-in booking/scheduling, blogging, etc. 

Cons

• No POS integration and not suitable for complex inventories. 

• Fewer third-party plugin options. 

• Limited scalability compared to the other rivals. 

Pricing: $0 - $99/month

Why small businesses should choose Squarespace

Spacequre’s polished templates to create a premium look across industries, while built-in tools like Acuity Scheduling make it easy to take bookings online. Moreover, it features Blueprint AI and an intuitive editor, enabling the delivery of a creative, service-based site within 10 minutes.  

Verdict: Squarespace is a top pick for visually lead brands and service-driven businesses. While it’s less flexible than platforms like Shopify for large-scale eCommerce, its high-quality design and ease of use make it a top-of-mind solution for well-presented business websites. 

#6. BigCommerce

The next website builder for small businesses is BigCommerce, an open SaaS platform that offers robust backend capabilities and is known for its focus on growth rather than site creation. That’s why you can find a broad range of eCommerce features, such as multi-storefronts, B2B functionalities, open APIs, and global payments to leverage your performance on online sales.

BigCommerce provides advanced features to develop a great website for B2B

Pros

• Special eCommerce tools for B2B businesses. 

• Strong SEO and global scalability (e.g., 250 payment currencies). 

• Multi-channel support for Google Shopping, Amazon, Instagram, eBay, etc. 

• Free 15-day demo and a 10-minute meeting to analyze custom needs. 

• 24/7 technical support and assistance with phone, chat, and email. 

Cons

• Steeper learning curve to master tools and interface. 

• Price and complexity may be higher than those of other builders. 

Pricing: $29 - $299/month & Custom plans 

Why small businesses should choose BigCommerce

BigCommerce excels at enabling users to expand into multiple markets, handle complex selling models (like B2B and wholesale), and support global payments to scale beyond a basic site. This highlights its role in supporting early-stage teams in launching new products in foreign markets, where they can enjoy a lot of global commerce features at no extra transaction fees. 

Verdict: BigCommerce stands out due to its potential for future-ready growth in global markets. In other terms, if you’re only getting started with a minimal website and no ambitions to scale, you can choose something simpler with more budget-friendly plans. Otherwise, BigCommerce is a top choice for selling and evolving your brand across global markets or multi-store operations. 

Learn more: Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which Is The Better Platform In 2025?

#7. Bluehost

Over recent years, Bluehost, a renowned web-hosting company, has offered a site builder or website-creation tool aimed at small businesses. This builder is often used with WordPress, but it is not truly “a drag-and-drop” editor; thus, many users find it a bit hard to navigate smoothly. 

Bluehost’s WordPress-friendly tools make launching a content-rich business site easy

Pros

• Strong hosting reliability and integration with WordPress. 

• Good support (e.g., 24/7 support and a free domain for the 1st year). 

• Affordable starting pricing plans for small teams. 

Cons

• Limited site-building functionality compared to dedicated website builders.

• Hosting and renewal pricing complexity. 

• Some limitations apply to server locations, particularly outside the US. 

Pricing: $3.99 - $141.19/month

Why small businesses should choose Bluehost

This platform enables you to launch a website quickly without juggling multiple vendors, offering built-in hosting services, domains, and SSL certificates. Additionally, the strong integration with the WordPress system enhances the efficiency of blogging and SEO, maximizing site visibility. 

Verdict: For small teams prioritizing cost-efficiency, ease of setup, and a trustworthy hosting base, Bluehost is a wise choice. It may not offer the same level of intuitive editor or advanced storefront scalability as some other builders, but for getting online affordably, it can work well.  

#8. Hostinger 

Similar to GoDaddy and Bluehost, Hostinger also expands its services with site-building tools. Its builder is geared toward beginners who want to publish a professional-looking presence with simplified UI, built-in AI features, and very affordable pricing. However, if you want to effectively grow your eCommerce sales and scalability, Hostinger is not the ideal solution to get started. 

 Hostinger’s AI-driven website builder helps beginners launch a site quickly

Pros

• Very low entry price (from $2.99/month in many cases) for the builder + hosting bundle. 

• Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor and AI-powered tools. 

• A good support record and reliable security performance. 

• 24/7 customer support services. 

Cons

• Limited scalability and design customization depth.

• Template switching and migration issues. 

• A less mature system due to the lack of third-party integrations and specialized add-ons. 

Pricing: $2.99 - $29.99/month 

Why small businesses should choose Hostinger

Hostinger offers a comprehensive bundle of hosting, builder, domain, and SSL services in one place, reducing vendor complexity and speeding up the launch process. Its built-in suite of AI-powered tools also engages customers by saving a lot of time and effort in publishing a site. 

Verdict: Undoubtedly, Hostinger represents an excellent value entry point for small businesses looking to establish an online presence at a low cost. Yet, keep in mind that it doesn’t cover enough robust features to manage large catalogs (>600 SKUs) or deep custom integrations. 

#9. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is not a native website builder for small businesses; it is an open-source plugin designed to integrate seamlessly with WordPress, enabling online commerce. Therefore, if you already use WordPress (or plan to), WooCommerce can transform your blog platform into a full-fledged online store, offering strong control, a robust plugin system, and SEO capabilities. 

WooCommerce transforms WordPress websites into fully customizable online stores

Pros

• Free core plugin with no monthly fee for the plugin itself. 

• Highly customizable with thousands of themes and plugins.

• Excellent for SEO, as it structures your content and commerce in one platform. 

• A lot of payment gateways, product types, and multiple storefront support. 

Cons

• WordPress knowledge requirement.

• Costly when you add premium themes, extensions, and performance hosting. 

• No built-in customer support for the plugin itself. 

Pricing: Free & Hidden costs 

Why small businesses should choose WooCommerce

If your team is already comfortable with WordPress, your business can benefit from WooCommerce’s potent blend of control, scalability, and deep customization. As it integrates seamlessly with thousands of plugins, you can tailor everything, from design and checkout to marketing and automation, without needing to switch platforms. Its SEO-friendly foundation makes it ideal for content-driven brands, while flexible product support helps stores grow easily. 

Verdict: WooCommerce is a strong candidate for small businesses that value customizability, SEO results, and long-term scalability while minimizing their upfront investment. Furthermore, WooCommerce remains one of the strongest open-source solutions, offering full design control. 

Learn more: Wordpress To Shopify Migration: All You Need To Know

What Is The Best Website Platform? A Quick Comparison Table

How To Select The Right Website Builder (Expert Tips)

Below are our suggestions to help you narrow down website builders for small businesses:  

If you’re creating an online store

• Choose a platform with a strong commerce infrastructure and a proven track record. 

• Priorize secure payments, strong app ecosystem, real-time analytics, SEO+marketing support, multi-store & multi-channel coverage, and dedicated, 24/7 customer support. 

• Our picks: Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. 

If you’re on a budget/early stage

• Select a lightweight and affordable platform that best suits your needs.

• Prioritize low monthly cost, free SSL & domain, built-in hosting, and CRO templates.

• Our picks: Weebly, Hostinger, Wix, and GoDaddy.  

If your site is content-first 

• Choose a blogging-native platform or built in partnership with WordPress

• Prioritize elegant templates, SEO structure, and a strong content editor. 

• Our picks: GoDaddy, WordPress + WooCommerce, and Bluehost. 

If you expect to scale

• Select a builder with in-depth operational ability, flexibility, and scalability. 

• Prioritize multi-storefront capability, integrations + API access, and automated workflows. 

• Our picks: Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. 

Learn more: Magento vs. Shopify vs. Woocommerce vs. Bigcommerce 

Conclusion

With the 9 top-rated website builders for small businesses above, you’re now equipped to make an informed decision based on your goals, budget, and technical comfort. The key is to choose a platform that supports your current needs while leaving room for growth for eCommerce sales. 

Don’t forget to prioritize ease of use, scalability, and access to tools that help you control content, marketing, and user experience. When selected thoughtfully, your website becomes more than a digital storefront; it becomes a long-term asset that drives search visibility and trust. 

Visit GemPages blogs to read more tips and tricks for website design and optimization with us!

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