How Web Design

Best Website Builders for Beginners in 2026

Updated February 2026•4 Builders Tested

I've tested every major website builder on the market, and here's the truth — most of them are built for beginners. You don't need to know HTML, CSS, or anything technical. Pick a template, drag stuff around, and hit publish. The real question is which builder makes that process the smoothest.

Editor's Choice
#1
W

Wix

★4.8/ 5

The leader in website creation.

Best For:small businessportfoliosbeginners
4.8/ 5
Starting at
$16/mo
Visit SiteRead Review
#2
S

Squarespace

★4.7/ 5

The best design templates on the market.

Best For:portfoliosphotographersartists
4.7/ 5
Starting at
$16/mo
Visit SiteRead Review
#3
C

Carrd

★4.8/ 5

Simple, free, fully responsive one-page sites.

Best For:landing pagespersonal profileslink in-bio
4.8/ 5
Starting at
$9/mo
Visit SiteRead Review
#4
W

Weebly

★3.8/ 5

The easiest way to build a website.

Best For:beginnerssmall businesssimple stores
3.8/ 5
Starting at
$10/mo
Visit SiteRead Review

Head-to-Head Comparison

FeatureWixSquarespace
Starting PriceFrom $16From $23
Editor Rating★ 4.8/5★ 4.7/5
Best ForBeginner FriendlyIntermediate
Support24/7 Phone & ChatEmail Only
Money Back Guarantee✓ 14 Days✓ 30 Days

Comparing our top picks: Wix vs Squarespace

What Makes a Website Builder Beginner-Friendly?

Building your first website can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to be. The best builders for beginners share a few critical traits: a visual drag-and-drop editor, professional templates, and zero coding requirements. You should be able to go from signup to a published site in under an hour.

The Most Important Features for Beginners

  • Drag-and-Drop Editor: This is non-negotiable. You should be able to click on any element — text, image, button — and move it exactly where you want. Wix offers a true freeform editor where you can place items anywhere on the canvas, while Squarespace uses a more structured grid system that prevents messy layouts.
  • Templates: A good template library is your shortcut to a professional-looking site. Look for builders with 100+ templates organized by industry (restaurant, portfolio, business, blog). Squarespace is widely regarded as having the most beautiful, designer-quality templates.
  • Built-in Hosting and SSL: As a beginner, you should not have to worry about buying hosting separately or setting up security certificates. All the builders on our list include hosting, a free SSL certificate, and automatic backups.
  • Mobile Responsiveness: Over 60% of web traffic comes from phones. Your site must look great on mobile. Most modern builders handle this automatically, but always preview your site on a phone before publishing.

    • Do You Need a Custom Domain?

    Yes. A custom domain (like yourname.com) costs about $10-15 per year and is included free for the first year with most paid plans. It makes your site look professional and trustworthy. Without one, your URL will look like yourname.wixsite.com, which signals to visitors that you are not serious about your online presence.

    Free Plans vs. Paid Plans

    Every builder on our list offers a free plan, but free plans come with significant limitations:

  • Ads: Most free plans display the builder's branding on your site.
  • No Custom Domain: You are stuck with a subdomain.
  • Limited Storage: Usually 500MB to 1GB — enough for a few pages, not enough for a media-heavy site.

    • For a personal project or hobby site, free is fine. For anything professional — a freelance portfolio, small business, or online store — you should invest in a paid plan. Most start at $12-16 per month.

    Our Recommendations

  • Best Overall for Beginners: Wix — The most intuitive editor with the largest template library. Its AI setup assistant walks you through creating a site step by step.
  • Best for Design Quality: Squarespace — If aesthetics matter most, Squarespace templates are unmatched. The grid-based editor also prevents design mistakes.
  • Best for Simplicity: Carrd — If you only need a single-page site (personal link page, event page, simple landing page), Carrd is incredibly fast and costs just $19 per year.
  • Best Free Option: Weebly — A clean, straightforward editor with the most generous free plan. Good for testing the waters before committing.

    • How to Build Your First Website (Step by Step)

    If you've never built a website before, this is the no-BS walkthrough. I've helped dozens of friends get their first site live, and it takes about 1-2 hours.

    Step 1: Pick Your Builder

    For most beginners, I recommend Wix or Squarespace. Wix gives you total creative freedom with its freeform editor. Squarespace keeps things structured so you can't accidentally make ugly layouts. Both have free trials — try each for 15 minutes and see which feels more natural.

    Step 2: Choose a Template

    Don't overthink this. Pick a template that's close to what you want — you'll customize everything anyway. Focus on the layout and structure, not the colors or images. Every builder has 100+ templates organized by industry.

    Step 3: Replace the Placeholder Content

    This is where most people get stuck. Here's what every page needs:

  • Homepage: A clear headline explaining what you do, one main image, and a call-to-action button
  • About Page: Who you are, what you offer, why someone should trust you
  • Contact Page: A simple form, your email, and optionally a phone number or map

    • Keep it short. Nobody reads long paragraphs on websites.

    Step 4: Connect Your Domain

    A custom domain (like yourname.com) costs about $10-15 per year and is usually included free for the first year with a paid plan. Your builder will walk you through this — it takes about 5 minutes.

    Step 5: Preview on Mobile and Publish

    Before you hit publish, preview your site on a phone. Over 60% of web traffic is mobile. Fix anything that looks weird (text too small, images too wide), then hit that publish button.

    That's it. Your first website is live. You can always go back and tweak things later — nothing is permanent.

    Which website builder is the easiest to use?
    Wix is generally considered the easiest thanks to its freeform drag-and-drop editor and AI setup assistant. Carrd is even simpler if you only need a one-page site.
    Do I need to know how to code?
    Not at all. Every builder on our list is designed for people with zero technical experience. You pick a template, customize it visually, and publish.
    How much does a website builder cost?
    Most builders offer free plans with limitations. Paid plans typically start at $12-16 per month and include a custom domain, more storage, and no ads.
    Can I switch builders later?
    Yes, but it requires some effort. Your domain can be transferred easily, but your site design and content will need to be recreated on the new platform. Choose carefully to avoid this hassle.

    Methodology: We selected these builders based on over 100 hours of testing specifically for beginners. Our rankings consider ease of use, pricing, feature set, and customer support quality.