15 Best Website Builders for Small Business (Feb. 2024): Hosting & eCommerce

Best Website Builders For Small Business

Don’t let the fear of creating a website intimidate you from launching your next big idea — the best website builders for small business are geared for entrepreneurs to get their idea off the ground without getting bogged down in learning how to code.

If you’re an aspiring web entrepreneur ready to launch your vision and start turning profits online, you’re not alone. Roughly 60% of small businesses have websites, according to a recent survey, with most spending less than $10,000 to get up and running. Competition to earn the business of the 1.6 billion consumers purchasing goods online is stiff, which is why it’s integral to develop a well-designed site built with the end user in mind.

Luckily for you, the cash-strapped dreamer, you can make a major splash with a website builder that costs much, much, less. Here, we’ll break down the best website builders on the market for small businesses in terms of their ease of use, ecommerce functionalities, and price points.

Best Overall Website Builders for Small Business

All business owners are also consumers, so it should be no secret that sound design is an important element in attracting customers. We’ve all had the joy of navigating poorly crafted sites with slow load times and less-than-stellar aesthetics. So, when developing your small business’s online presence, user experience should be top of mind, especially when considering that nearly 60% of consumers prefer to engage with beautifully designed content.

But don’t worry. You don’t need a four-year degree in graphic design to implement best design practices into your business site. A number of hosts offer website builders as part of their web hosting packages, and those listed below represent the industry’s best. These no-code development tools offer drag-and-drop environments and templates that require no programming skills to get a professional-grade site up in minutes. Be sure to read the full reviews linked in each table to learn how these site builders can help you showcase your brand online.

1. Wix.com

Wix Review

Monthly Starting Price $0.00

  • No coding skills needed with drag-and-drop builder
  • 100s of templates with niche-specific designs
  • Add features via the App Market and Wix Events
  • Easily create ecommerce functionality easily
  • Great way to build small sites on a budget
  • Get started on Wix now.

WEBSITE BUILDER
RATING
4.9 ★★★★★ Our Review

Wix: Our Expert's Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): Website building is where Wix shines. The thousands of templates, the intuitive editor, the industry-leading designs that cater to a variety of specific fields and use cases — all these facets represent a platform that excels at facilitating easy web design for the non-tech-savvy user. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
14-day FREE trial 2 GB - Unlimited FREE (1 year) 4 minutes

2. IONOS.com

1&1 IONOS Review

Monthly Starting Price $1.00

  • No coding skills necessary with MyWebsite Creator
  • Free domain name or transfer your existing site
  • FREE social media and marketing widgets
  • Pro templates with pre-filled text and images
  • Multilingual support and tools for SEO
  • Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.

WEBSITE BUILDER
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

1&1 IONOS: Our Expert's Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): If you're in need of a one-stop shop for designing and launching a website, you should be pleased to hear that 1&1 IONOS offers its own custom website building tools for both desktop and mobile devices. In addition to a free domain and email address, along with unlimited storage space, the 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite platform includes all the essentials for starting a site from scratch. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB - Unlimited FREE (1 year) 5 minutes

3. Hostinger.com

Hostinger Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.49

  • Drag-and-drop design from custom tools
  • FREE access to hundreds of specialized templates
  • Built-in ecommerce and payment processing
  • Easily switch among widescreen, desktop, tablet, and mobile previews
  • Support for 31 languages and 99.9% uptime
  • Get started on Hostinger now.

WEBSITE BUILDER
RATING
4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

Hostinger: Our Expert's Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): Whether you're taking your first foray into website hosting or are a developer looking to save some time, a strong website builder can dramatically streamline the creation process and enable users to launch a website in five minutes or less. Fortunately for customers, Hostinger has invested heavily in crafting an impressive visual editor sure to appeal to users of all levels of experience. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 50 GB SSD - 200 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 3 minutes

4. HostGator.com

HostGator Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.64

  • Drag-and-drop design with the Gator™ site builder
  • Hundreds of mobile-friendly templates
  • FREE hosting, domain name, and SSL certificate
  • Easily add a blog, store, and social media
  • Analytics portal helps gauge site performance
  • Get started on HostGator now.

WEBSITE BUILDER
RATING
4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

HostGator: Our Expert's Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): Setting itself apart from the scores of competitors that rely on white-labeled website builder solutions, HostGator spent the time to painstakingly craft its own platform. Gator provides a frustration-free experience that pairs the simplicity of drag-and-drop design with the company’s powerful and respected web hosting services. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - 40 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 4 minutes

See more top website builders »

Best eCommerce Website Builders for Small Business

The eCommerce space offers a prime opportunity for entrepreneurs to set up shop without the overhead that comes with a brick-and-mortar operation. However, the fierce competition in eCommerce gives many would-be business owners second thoughts about entering the marketplace. Big players, like Amazon, employ experienced development teams dedicated to designing high-performing online retail spaces.

But that doesn’t mean the small guy has to be left out of this cash-cow market. SMBs and startups may not have the manpower of Amazon, but they can still source effective site design tools built specifically for eCommerce. The hosting providers below deliver an array of features, such as shopping carts, PCI-compliant checkouts, and marketing solutions, that small businesses can leverage to create optimal online shopping experiences. Be sure to read the full reviews in the tables — they’ll help you decide which host and site builder is best to power your web presence.

5. IONOS.com

1&1 IONOS review

Monthly Starting Price $1.00

  • Drag-and-drop online store builder for $1/mo
  • Quickly sell products, services, and digital goods
  • Cross-platform selling integrations with social media, Amazon, Google, and eBay
  • Built-in metrics, promos, and coupons
  • Track competitors' Google and social media activity
  • Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.

ECOMMERCE
RATING
4.9 ★★★★★ Our Review

1&1 IONOS: Our Expert's Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): The online store builder from 1&1 IONOS gives entrepreneurs a full suite of selling and marketing tools at their disposal — and all for a ridiculously low price. The company’s lightning-fast architecture and tools for SEO and marketing metrics will make your customers’ buying experience quick and enjoyable. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days Unlimited SSD FREE (1 year) 4 minutes

6. Nexcess.net

Nexcess review

Monthly Starting Price $12.67

  • Code-free design tools for eCommerce stores
  • Templates for retail, food, clothing, and services
  • Custom WordPress integrations and optimizations
  • 24/7/365 support via phone, chat, and email
  • Try StoreBuilder with a 30-DAY FREE TRIAL
  • Get started on Nexcess now.

ECOMMERCE
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

Nexcess: Our Expert's Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): Designing, deploying, and maintaining an online store is best done with a quality host. Nexcess created a one-of-a-kind site builder exclusively for optimizing online stores. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 30 GB - 100 GB New or Transfer 5 minutes

7. A2Hosting.com

A2 Hosting review

Monthly Starting Price $11.99

  • 20 times faster performance that boosts sales
  • 80+ software options: Magento, OpenCart, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, and others
  • Fully managed WordPress and server environments
  • Worry-free migration and 24/7 support
  • DDoS protection and layered security measures
  • Get started on A2 Hosting now.

ECOMMERCE
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

A2 Hosting: Our Expert's Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): For those who understand the importance of page load speed and sales, look no further than A2 Hosting. The company boasts premium storage, optimized security, and one of the most diverse portfolios of one-click software installations we’ve seen. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD New or Transfer 4 minutes

8. Bluehost.com

Bluehost review

Monthly Starting Price $1.99

  • Shopping carts or managed WooCommerce
  • Product reviews, discount codes & manual orders
  • WordPress email marketing via Creative Mail
  • FREE apps for forums, mailing lists, and polls
  • Unlimited storage with FREE marketing credits
  • Get started on Bluehost now.

ECOMMERCE
RATING
4.7 ★★★★★ Our Review

Bluehost: Our Expert's Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): Trusted by millions, Bluehost is an excellent choice to host your ecommerce-focused website — especially if you’re a fan of WordPress and WooCommerce. The hosting company offers a free domain the first year, with tons of easy installations for shopping carts, web applications, and other advanced features. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 5 minutes

See more eCommerce website builders »

Best “Almost Free” Website Builders for Small Business

Most startups hit the ground with very tight budgets. And, considering that nearly 80% of all small businesses begin as projects of self-employed entrepreneurs, keeping overhead costs low is a prerequisite for success. Though today’s digital business landscape removes the need to maintain a physical storefront, the cost of hiring developers to build your site and paying a host to power it can add up fast.

Luckily, the hosting providers below deliver low-cost plans that include industry-leading website builders as part of their packages. For just a few bucks per month, you can get a professional-grade business site online within minutes and start reaching your customers. Take a look at our complete reviews of these budget-friendly hosts in the tables that follow.

9. Hostinger.com

Hostinger Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.49

  • Unlimited everything, from storage to databases
  • FREE site builder & WP performance upgrades
  • FREE daily or weekly backups
  • Custom control panel and auto-installation scripts
  • SSH access & unlimited FREE SSL certificates
  • Get started on Hostinger now.

CHEAP
RATING
4.9 ★★★★★ Our Review

Hostinger: Our Expert's Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): As the shared hosting market becomes increasingly saturated, unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts have become surprisingly average. Hostinger, however, extends the routine, expected metrics to greater lengths — the number of websites, databases, FTP users, subdomains, and parked domains are all unrestricted for most customers. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 50 GB SSD - 200 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 3 minutes

10. HostArmada.com

HostArmada Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.49

  • FREE cPanel integration and Softaculous apps
  • Auto daily backups and web application firewall
  • Reliable and redundant cloud servers
  • FREE SSL encryption and website migration
  • 99.99% uptime guarantee
  • Get started on HostArmada now.

CHEAP
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

HostArmada: Our Expert's Review

Lynn Cadet (HostingAdvice.com): HostArmada’s cloud network spans four continents, with datacenters in Europe, the US, Asia, and Australia. Its server redundancy and website optimization features allow users to run stable and performant sites for end users across the globe while running a simplified hosting environment. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
45 days 15 GB SSD - 40 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 3 minutes

11. ScalaHosting.com

ScalaHosting Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.95

  • 1-click install for WordPress, Drupal and 400 others
  • Unlimited email accounts, databases & bandwidth
  • 24/7 tech support for beginners and pros alike
  • 12-month or 36-month plan at $2.95 /month
  • Anytime unconditional money-back guarantee
  • Get started on ScalaHosting now.

CHEAP
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

ScalaHosting: Our Expert's Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): It's tough to argue with a shared hosting service that comes with all-SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth, databases, and email accounts. ScalaHosting provides all the above and several other premium features for a very affordable price. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - 50 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 6 minutes

See more budget-friendly website builders »

Best Free Website Builders for Small Business

Research shows that perceived value may hold more weight with consumers than a product’s actual value — and for good reason. When an offering or bargain-basement price seems too good to be true, it usually is. However, in the hosting realm, some providers deliver free web hosting packages that include ample bandwidth and storage, and site builders to get a small business site off the ground.

Wix and Weebly both offer robust free plans with industry-leading site builders and templates perfect for web entrepreneurs with no coding experience. Each host’s free site builder provides a drag-and-drop environment and hundreds of customizable themes to help develop your brand’s online presence.

However, there are a few catches with the free options. These hosts’ zero-cost plans require site owners to use host-specific domains (e.g. wix.com/my_business_name or weeby.com/my_business_name), and host-branded ads will be displayed on free sites. A better option would be to spend a few extra dollars per month and get your own custom domain, remove host-branded ads, and increase access to eCommerce and marketing solutions. Check out the full Wix and Weebly reviews in the tables below to learn more.

Wix.com

Wix Review

Monthly Starting Price $0.00

  • Start designing for FREE
  • FREE domain with most plans
  • Drag-and-drop templates, specific to industry
  • Exhaustive knowledgebase of articles
  • Huge app market available
  • Get started on Wix now.

CHEAP
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

Wix: Our Expert's Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): Wix is known as a web-leading site builder service that's one of the most affordable — because getting started is absolutely free and about as easy as processes get. You can log in via Facebook or your Gmail account and be editing your new web property within minutes. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
14-day FREE trial 2 GB - Unlimited FREE (1 year) 4 minutes

Weebly.com

Weebly Review

Monthly Starting Price $0.00

  • All-in-one hosting and drag-and-drop builder
  • Start designing for FREE, upgrade whenever
  • Easily build a blog, personal site, or online store
  • 100s of FREE templates for websites
  • $100 credit toward Google advertising
  • Get started on Weebly now.

CHEAP
RATING
4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

Weebly: Our Expert's Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): Weebly is a well-known name in the cheap shared hosting space — not necessarily due to competitive pricing but because several of the web's leading low-cost hosting providers have opted to include Weebly software for free, adding value to their existing offerings. It's worth noting Weebly does offer a free plan, but websites are found on a Weebly subdomain and display Weebly advertising. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 500 MB - Unlimited FREE (w/ paid plans) 3 minutes

See more free website builders »

Best WordPress Website Builders for Small Business

Whether you’re a blogger, running an SMB, or dipping your toes in the eCommerce market, odds are good you’re using WordPress to power your online presence. In fact, the open-source software is the engine driving nearly 30% of websites today.

The reasons for WordPress’s popularity are varied. But many turn to the CMS because it’s free and easy to use, and delivers almost 55,000 plugins that allow for complete site customization. While a number of hosting providers offer WordPress packages, not all can boast of the high-quality managed services and support delivered by the providers below. These hosts’ WordPress plans have been specifically tailored to power the open-source software. And, with automatic software updates and security patches, site owners can concentrate on their core business missions rather than the technical complexities of managing their web hosting services.

14. Bluehost.com

Bluehost review

Monthly Starting Price $1.99

  • Weebly website builder or 1-click WordPress install
  • Service endorsed by the WordPress Core team
  • goMobi mobile website builder available
  • $200 in ad credits to kickstart your marketing
  • Our visitors get 63% off WordPress hosting
  • Get started on Bluehost now.

WORDPRESS WEBSITE BUILDER
RATING
4.9 ★★★★★ Our Review

Bluehost: Our Expert's Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): The options for building a beautiful, professional website from scratch abound with Bluehost. Whether you’re interested in the popular WordPress website builder, drag-and-drop Weebly, or mobile-specific goMobi, Bluehost’s plans have you covered…. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 7 minutes

15. A2Hosting.com

A2 Hosting review

Monthly Starting Price $2.99

  • Get started with WordPress with a single click
  • A2-optimized caching and WordPress plugins
  • Ultimate power & performance with Turbo Servers
  • FREE Cloudflare content delivery network
  • Advanced security, including a FREE HackScan
  • Get started on A2 Hosting now.

WORDPRESS WEBSITE BUILDER
RATING
4.9 ★★★★★ Our Review

A2 Hosting: Our Expert's Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): One of the few independent hosting providers left in the game, A2 Hosting touts servers primed for performance. The team has built numerous A2-optimized technologies in-house, including WordPress-specific plugins and caching tools. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 50 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD New or Transfer 4 minutes

See more WordPress website builders »

Build Your Site and Online Presence With These Hosting Providers

The moral of the story: While the online business space is crowded, it’s now more important than ever to grab your share of the market — and access to site-building tools doesn’t have to be a barrier to entry.

The site builders and hosting packages presented here are the perfect starting points for web entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to get sites up and running without coding knowledge or hiring expensive development teams. Be sure to take a look at our complete list of the best website builders in the industry.

Advertiser Disclosure

HostingAdvice.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation from many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across the site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). HostingAdvice.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.

Our Editorial Review Policy

Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.