Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Website Builder Hosting
Alexandra Anderson
Contributing Expert
WordPress powers more than 43% of all websites, making it the most popular platform for building blogs, business sites, and online stores. While WordPress is extremely flexible, beginners often have questions about how it compares to drag-and-drop website builders and how to get started.
Below we answer some of the most common questions about WordPress website builder hosting.
Q: Is WordPress the Best Website Builder Platform?
A: It’s pretty impossible to unilaterally say which is the best website builder platform for every website owned by every human across the globe. That’d be like asking, “Which is the best movie genre?” Uhh, what’s your current mood? How do you feel about slapstick comedy? Are you blissfully single or in a contented relationship? How old are you? The list of qualifying questions goes on…
First off, do I think WordPress is the best? To be frank, yes, I do. I think it has a steep but feasible learning curve that can be tackled by first-time site owners and is loved by longtime developers. There’s something to be said for its popularity, too. The broad user base means you have a wealth of free expertise at your fingertips via community forums.
However, let’s clear up one common misconception: WordPress is inherently a blogging platform. When we in the hosting realm hear “website builders,” we automatically think Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, or some other drag-and-drop or browser-based interface for website creation. In similar form, WordPress often gets lumped in with two other open-source software scripts, Joomla and Drupal, which are actually content management systems.
The thing of it is, blogging platforms, drag-and-drop website builders, and content management systems all serve the same purpose: They allow non-programmers to design webpages, organize content, and publish intellectual property to the web. WordPress, Wix, Magento, or some proprietary website builder created by your host all help you build a website.
All that being said, I do think WordPress is the best if you’re building a professional website or you intend to create a lot of pages and hopefully drive a lot of traffic to them.
If you’re just looking to casually blog, publish your résumé, or host a photo gallery, website builders tailored to novice users (such as Wix) will suffice.
Q: How Should I Compare Website Builders?
A: Generally speaking, the idea of website builders came about as a way to simplify what was considered a convoluted and overwhelming process for many folks. So ease of use is an obvious make-it-or-break-it point.
Here’s just a sampling of the assets we look for in the top builders:
- Easy setup (preinstalled or single-click installations)
- Pricing (low-cost packages, high-quality end results)
- Customization options (number of themes, eCommerce integrations, and other functionality)
- Out-of-the-box settings for SEO, security, and scalability
- Support (forums, knowledge bases, community support, or host-specific support)
However, website builders aren’t just useful to the coding clueless. These days, web developers use website templates as a way to save time at the initial site setup stage, and some say website builders are the next generation of that efficiency strategy. Any way you slice it, we expect the best website builders to be easy to get started with, cost-effective, well-supported, and secure.
Q: Can I Get WordPress Website Builder Hosting for Free?
A: We get it. Free WordPress hosting is a tempting offer. Why pay for something you can get for free? Free web hosting isn’t a bad choice for students or test projects, but you may be better off choosing a paid web host instead. We’ll explain.
To start, a free plan can’t compete with the resources, security, and features offered by paid plans. Free domain names, SSL certificates, web design tools, and stellar WordPress support cost money to provide. A free hosting provider simply can’t pay for these features unless it has income. A web host may make up for this by placing ads on your site or offering severely limited service, which isn’t worth it.
Here are the general pros and cons of free web hosts:
Pros
- No Cost
- Great for Students & Dev Test Projects
- Switch Providers Any Time
Cons
- Hosts May Place Ads On Your Site
- Storage and Bandwidth Limits
- No Custom Domain Name
- Fewer Features and Customizations
The best WordPress hosting plans in the business offer top-notch features for little more than $5 a month for shared hosting. If you opt for managed WordPress hosting, you’ll have to pay a little more, but you’ll get even more hands-on support from the experts. To summarize: choose an affordable web hosting provider instead of a free one.
Q: Can I Just Download a Website Builder WordPress Plugin?
A: There’s a plugin for everything — from calendar widgets to caching for performance and, yes, website building. With certain tools, you can actually transform the controversially intimidating WordPress interface into a point-and-click, drag-and-drop, what-you-see-is-what-you-get website editor.
Let’s briefly explore some of the most popular website builder software for WordPress.
- Elementor – One of the most widely used drag-and-drop WordPress builders with thousands of templates.
- Divi Builder – A powerful visual builder included with the Divi theme.
- Beaver Builder – A beginner-friendly page builder known for its stability and flexibility.
Q: Do I Need WordPress to Use a Website Builder?
A: No, you don’t necessarily need WordPress to use a website builder. Many website builders — such as Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify — include hosting, templates, and drag-and-drop editing tools in a single platform.
However, WordPress remains one of the most flexible website-building platforms available. When paired with a hosting provider and a page builder plugin such as Elementor or Divi, WordPress allows users to create highly customizable websites without writing code.
For beginners who want maximum control and scalability, WordPress website builder hosting can be an excellent choice.
More Popular Guides for WordPress Site Building
Fortunately, you’ve stumbled into one of the web’s leading sources for WordPress wisdom and wit. Our team of WP gurus has poured hours and hours and thousands of words into narrating a virtual tour of the wonderful world of WordPress.
Below you’ll find a smattering of the guides we’ve published in recent years:
- Guide to WordPress hosts, themes, and plugins
- Installing a WordPress theme tutorial
- Guide to other WordPress website builder tools
Building a WordPress website is an exciting new challenge, whether you’re doing it for the first time or the 15th. I hope the tips, tools, and additional resources we’ve provided here today will empower you to launch that online presence you’ve been wanting. And be sure to check back in with us, as we’re constantly cranking out fresh content on all things WordPress!
