Small-business website builders, chip by chip
Plain write-ups on the platforms a small business builds its site on - what each editor lets you move, what the plan really costs, and what you keep if you leave.
Head-to-heads, shortlists and reviews of Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, GoDaddy and the ZenBusiness builder, sorted into the nine fields below.
First reads
Read these first
Choosing a Website Builder: The Full Buyer's Guide (2026)
Which website builders include hosting and a domain in one plan?
Read the guide ExplainerWhat Should a Small Business Website Include?
Does a website builder or hiring a web designer make more sense for a new business?
Read the explainer ShortlistBest Website Builders for Small Business (2026)
What's the best website builder for a small business?
Read it How-toHow to Get a Business Website Live in a Weekend (2026)
What's the easiest way to get a simple business website online this week?
Follow the steps ShortlistBest Website Builder If You Have No Technical Skills (2026)
What's the best website builder for someone with zero tech skills?
Read it Head to headWix vs Squarespace (2026)
What's the best website builder for a small business?
Read itNine fields cut into this deck
Editors, templates, checkout, hosting, pricing, search, migration, booking, and the question of building it yourself or hiring it out.
Drag-and-drop builders
The editors themselves - how much layout control each one gives you, and where the template stops bending.
BWL-02 · field 02 of 09Templates and themes
What a starter template actually locks in, and how far a small business can take one before it needs custom work.
BWL-03 · field 03 of 09Selling and checkout
Carts, payment processing and transaction cuts, for shops small enough that the cut matters.
BWL-04 · field 04 of 09Domains and hosting
What is bundled, what is billed separately, and what you keep if you leave the platform.
BWL-05 · field 05 of 09Plans and what they cost
Where the tiers split, which features sit behind the next one up, and what renewal looks like.
BWL-06 · field 06 of 09Speed, SEO and structure
Page weight, metadata control, redirects and the parts of the URL structure a builder will not let you touch.
BWL-07 · field 07 of 09Moving a site in or out
Exports, content portability, and what a platform hands back when you take the site elsewhere.
BWL-08 · field 08 of 09Booking, forms and email
The built-in tools a service business ends up needing, and when a separate tool is the cheaper answer.
BWL-09 · field 09 of 09Building it or hiring it out
Where a builder stops being the sensible option and a designer or a developer starts.
No scores on any chip
Reference codes mark a chip’s place in the deck and nothing else. Where builders get ordered here, they are ordered in words with the reasoning shown, and no chip is printed as the best of the deck.
Prices quoted, not guessed
Plan prices, limits and transaction cuts move constantly. Prices here are taken from each vendor’s own pricing page and carry their date; where a vendor does not publish one, the page says so.
Affiliate links disclosed
Some links earn a commission. That never sets the order of the deck, and it is stated on every page where it applies.
Covered in detail in How to Get a Business Website Live in a Weekend, Wix Review for Small Business and Website Builder Terms, Explained.
Questions
Start from the question you have
- What's the best website builder with built-in appointment booking?Shortlist
- How do I build a website that shows up on Google for my local business?Shortlist
- Are AI website builders good enough for a real business?Head to head
- What's the most affordable way to get a professional-looking business site?Head to head
- Which website builders include hosting and a domain in one plan?Review
- Do I need a website for my small business, or is social media enough?FAQ
The full list