Writer: Laura Bernheim
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Cristian Lopez
Why go cross-eyed at lines of seemingly indecipherable code when you can quickly turn to a top-notch WYSIWYG web builder?
People just getting started making websites already know that HTML and CSS coding can be hard — and don’t even get us started on PHP or JavaScript. WYSIWYG is another intimidating set of letters that magically results in a beautiful website. The acronym, however, should be a welcome sight: WYSIWYG stands for “what you see is what you get.”
Put simply, a WYSIWYG web builder means what you see on your computer screen as you’re editing your website is exactly what you’ll see when you visit your website in a browser window once it’s published. You can add all sorts of content without messing with any code.
1. Wix Web Builder
The biggest player in the site-builder industry, Wix boasts more than 90 million users and averages 45,000 new signups per day. Wix’s editor is based in HTML5 and offers some of the most flexibility found anywhere among WYSIWYG platform.
PROS
- Top-notch templates
- Lets you animate text and other elements
- Support through website, phone, or email
CONS
- No access to source code
- Can’t switch templates later
- No way to export your website
While many site builders offer templates tailored to specific industries, Wix takes those websites a step further with programs that help hotels book rooms, musicians sell songs, and restaurants take online orders.
Wix.com
Monthly Starting Price $17.00
- Trusted by 250 million websites across 190 countries
- 2,000+ designer-made templates for every industry
- Built-in eCommerce, scheduling, blogging, and events
- Built-in SEO tools, email marketing, and Google/Facebook ads
- 99.99% uptime on multi-cloud hosting with enterprise security
- Get started on Wix now.
Lynn Cadet
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 2 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
2. Weebly Web Builder
Several million people use the incredibly popular WYSIWYG editor, making Weebly one of the most popular options.
Like all WYSIWYG builders, Weebly features a drag-and-drop interface.
PROS
- Responsive templates
- Integrated eCommerce (with paid plan)
- Mobile app lets you edit on the go
CONS
- Limited storage and domains in free plan
- Basic template designs and customization
- Not ideal for blogging
With the limited offerings of Weebly’s free plan, you’ll be better served in the long term by investing in a paid plan — or better yet, a hosting account that includes the Weebly design environment. Our experts took the Weebly interface for a test run, and you can browse our findings in our Weebly review below.
Weebly.com
Monthly Starting Price $0.00
- Online web builder lets you design with ease
- Hundreds of FREE professional-grade themes
- Sell unlimited products for your online store
- FREE tools for SEO, stats, and capturing leads
- Support via phone, chat, and email
- Get started on Weebly now.
Alexandra Anderson
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 500 MB - Unlimited | FREE (w/ paid plans) | 3 minutes |
3. MotoCMS Web Builder
MotoCMS has been a major player in the website builder space since it hit the scene in 2008. The company’s responsive site creation tool and designer-built templates offer users a drag-and-drop environment to develop stunning, professional-grade websites.
Users have access to a number of easy-to-install widgets, including audio and video players, maps, forms, and menus, among others, to develop interactive online interfaces to welcome visitors. And integrations with marketing tools, such as MailChimp and other plugins, allow for seamless communication with your audience.
PROS
- Drag-and-drop functionality
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Fast page load speeds
CONS
- Hosting sold separately
MotoCMS’s lightning-fast content management system is designed for high performance and optimizes page load speeds, which keeps visitors engaged and moving toward conversion. Learn more about all the benefits of leveraging MotoCMS’s tools and templates by reading the full review in the table below.
MotoCMS.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.95
- Custom templates for 60 industries
- FREE 14-day trial for online store
- Easy dashboard for managing order, customers, and products
- Unlimited products with built-in searches and filters
- Multiple payment options and widgets
- Get started on MotoCMS now.
Laura Bernheim
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 50 GB - Unlimited SSD | FREE (1 year) | 7 minutes |
4. Other Free WYSIWYG Web Builders
Although the website builders themselves are free, you tend to get what you pay for. Free plans are a great way to test out a builder’s features and usability, but you will probably need the additional features that come with a paid hosting plan. The vast majority of hosting plans remove restrictions on your domain name and storage and often include add-ons such as eCommerce stores, marketing tools, and WYSIWYG builders for free with a paid hosting plan.
These hosts below use Weebly or other easy-to-use builders we haven’t mentioned above. They’re free with hosting plans, and give your site plenty of room to grow. As you can see below, you don’t have to break the bank for good hosting plans or suffer with the limited features of free website builders.
NetworkSolutions.com
Monthly Starting Price $4.99
- AI builds your website in as little as 6 minutes
- 1 free hour of expert design support included
- Free domain, SSL, and professional email for 3 months
- Built-in email marketing and social media scheduling
- World's first domain registrar, established in 1979
- Get started on Network Solutions now.
Christina Lewis
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 6 minutes |
HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.29
- 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.
Lynn Cadet
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $3.79
- AI-powered setup gets your WordPress site live in minutes
- 200+ themes with built-in eCommerce and WooCommerce
- WordPress.org recommended host since 2005
- Pro services to design, build, and market your site
- 24/7 expert support via live chat, phone, and email
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Sead Fadilpasic
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
More WYSIWYG website builders »
Ready to See What You Get?
Whether or not you want to mess with the code behind your website, WYSIWYG builders will help you get the job done in a fraction of the time.
Take your time with exploring all your options to make sure the website builder you choose will be a great fit for the long haul. Check out the user interface, customer support, and selection of templates to see which excites you the most.
WYSIWYG doesn’t have to be yet another scary acronym in web design — go forth and use it to your advantage. Pick up that old writing passion and start a blog. See if you could turn a hobby into a thriving online business.
Whatever your web-building itch, let a WYSIWYG builder help you scratch it.
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