Best Website Builders for Small Business: What Actually Works

You need a website. You don't want to hire a developer or learn to code. Website builders exist for exactly this reason—but there are dozens of them, and they all claim to be the best.

I've tested the major platforms and talked to small business owners who use them daily. Here's what you actually need to know to pick the right one.

Quick Answer: Which Builder Should You Choose?

Let me save you some scrolling:

The Contenders: Pricing Breakdown

Let's cut to the numbers. Here's what you'll actually pay (prices are for annual billing—monthly costs more):

Squarespace Pricing

Squarespace offers four plans ranging from $16 to $99 per month when billed annually. Here's the breakdown:

The Core plan at $23/month hits the sweet spot for most small businesses. You get zero transaction fees on physical product sales and access to premium integrations. For detailed pricing analysis, check out our Squarespace pricing guide.

Wix Pricing

Wix has a free plan (with ads and no custom domain) plus four premium tiers:

If you want to sell anything online with Wix, you need at least the Core plan at $29/month. Compared to Squarespace's $16 Basic plan that includes basic ecommerce, Wix's entry price for selling is higher.

Hostinger Pricing

Hostinger is the budget king with just two website builder plans:

The catch: those prices require a 4-year commitment paid upfront. Renewal rates are significantly higher (around $11/month). But even then, it's still cheaper than most competitors.

What Squarespace Does Better

Squarespace has the best-looking templates, period. Their designs are modern, polished, and they make your business look more established than it probably is. That matters when you're competing with bigger players.

The platform shines for:

What's annoying: The Basic plan has a 2% transaction fee on sales. If you're selling more than $3,200/year through your store, upgrade to Core to avoid those fees. Want a discount? Check our Squarespace coupon page for current offers.

Try Squarespace Free for 14 Days →

What Wix Does Better

Wix wins on sheer flexibility. With 900+ templates (compared to Squarespace's more curated selection) and a massive app market, you can build almost anything.

The AI website builder is genuinely useful—answer a few questions about your business and it generates a complete site structure you can customize. Hostinger has similar AI tools, but Wix produces more varied and unique designs from the same prompts.

Wix is better if you:

The downside: That flexibility means you can also make an ugly site. Squarespace's more constrained approach means it's harder to screw up the design.

When to Choose Hostinger

If budget is your primary constraint and you're willing to commit to a longer term, Hostinger delivers surprising value. Their AI tools can generate copy and images, which speeds up the setup process significantly.

The platform works well for simple sites—a basic business presence, portfolio, or blog. For complex ecommerce or advanced functionality, you'll feel the limitations.

Best for: Side hustles, new entrepreneurs testing ideas, businesses that just need something simple online quickly.

When to Skip Website Builders Entirely

These tools aren't right for everyone:

Hidden Costs to Watch

The monthly price isn't the whole story. Watch for:

Domain renewals: Most builders include a free domain for the first year. Squarespace domain renewals run $20-$70/year depending on the extension. Wix charges around $17.35/year for a .com.

Email: Squarespace includes a year of Google Workspace on the Core plan. Wix charges $6/month extra. If professional email matters to you, factor this in. See our guide on email marketing for small business for more options.

Apps and integrations: Both Wix and Squarespace have app marketplaces. Many apps are free, but premium ones can add $5-75/month to your costs.

Transaction fees: Squarespace Basic charges 2% on sales. Wix Core has no transaction fees but higher base cost. Run the math on your expected sales volume.

Annual vs monthly billing: Monthly billing costs 50-60% more. If you're testing a platform, fine. But plan to pay annually once you commit.

Making the Final Decision

Here's my honest take after testing these platforms:

Choose Squarespace if: You want something that looks professional without much effort, you're a service business or creative, and you value simplicity over customization. The $23/month Core plan gives most small businesses everything they need.

Choose Wix if: You need maximum flexibility, specific app integrations, or plan to add complex features over time. Be prepared to spend more time on design decisions. The $29/month Core plan is the starting point for most businesses.

Choose Hostinger if: Budget is tight, you need something simple, and you're comfortable with a long-term commitment for the best rates.

For comparing Squarespace to alternatives, see our detailed breakdowns: Squarespace vs Wix, Squarespace vs WordPress, and Squarespace vs Shopify.

Bottom Line

For most small businesses, Squarespace at $16-23/month or Wix at $17-29/month will handle everything you need. Both have free trials—use them. Build a few pages, test the editor, check if your must-have integrations exist.

Don't overthink this. A good-enough website that's live beats a perfect website that never launches. Pick one, build it, and iterate based on what your actual customers need.

Start Building with Squarespace →