Cheapest Website Builder

Just because they're cheap doesn't mean they're no good. Read on to learn about the cheapest website builders.

Designing websites used to require coding knowledge and expertise. But that's all changed.

Now, you can create websites using templates and drag-and-drop functionality. And a lot of these website builders are pretty cheap.

The biggest decision to consider is: What's the right website builder for you?

Your answer will depend on your priority. That's why you'll find the best low-cost website builders for e-commerce, blogging, and business below.

Read on to learn about pricing, features, and best-value plans.

What is a Website Builder?

A website builder is a tool you can use to build your own website without needing to code. You typically start with a website template then customize it according to your needs.

Some website builders are drag-and-drop builders. These let you drag and drop elements such as texts and images around the web page.

Other website builders don't let you do this. Instead, they limit you to premade section layouts. You'll just have to input your content to where the elements are placed.

12 Cheapest Website Builders in 2023

If you're planning to build an online store, a professional portfolio, a content-based blog, or a business website, the cheapest website builders can help get you started.

Many of them come with a free plan or trial. Let's start with the one that lets you build an online store for free.

1. Weebly: Starts at $10/mo

CREDIT WEEBLY

Weebly is not only one of the cheapest but also one of the most intuitive website builders out there. It's likely suitable for small businesses, although you can use it for larger ones too.

You can set up a store even with their free plan. This is a unique feature among website builders since others make you pay for this feature.

Their interface is simple, and the themes are minimalistic. They also have a mobile app so you can manage your website on the go.

Pros:

• Easy to use
  
• Simple drag-and-drop editor
  
• Free online store is possible

Cons:

• Hosting is relatively slow
  
• Limited templates

Pricing:^[1]

Weebly has a free plan that let's you create an online store. You can sell unlimited items without worrying about subscription fees! But there is a 3% transaction fee.^[2]

If you decide to upgrade, here are Weebly's plans:

Features:
Depending on the plan you choose, you can get a free domain or connect one you already own. Your site will also come with a free SSL certificate.

And if you have the Professional and Performance plan, you get unlimited storage. That means you don't have to worry about scalability.

Other features you can get are:

• Templates

  There are templates available to you regardless of your industry. You can choose whether you're creating an online store, a blog, a business website, etc.

  If you ever change your mind about something, you can easily switch templates. You won't need to start from scratch.

• Media

  Although limited, there are stock images you can use with Weebly. But you can also place an image through an image URL. And if you have more content to show, you can link a YouTube video and upload audio files and documents.

• eCommerce

  You can sell unlimited items with any plan. And in each item, you can set up item options. If you sell at a physical location, the in-store pickup feature is also available to your customers.

• SEO and Marketing

  Weebly offers basic SEO features. You can add meta keywords and edit page descriptions and URLs. You can also edit the header and footer codes if you need to.

  To market your store, you can offer coupons. Or sell Square gift cards. That way, your customers can easily recommend your store to their loved ones.

  Your website can also connect to your Instagram feed.

• Integrations

  Through the Weebly App Center, you can find integrations you can install to your site. There are apps for boosting traffic, social media, and increasing sales.

How Good is Weebly's Cheapest Plan?
Weebly's cheapest plan allows you to connect your personal domain if you have one. It also offers a free SSL certificate, basic marketing tools to get you started, and unlimited items for e-commerce shops.

Next, let's talk about an affordable all-in-one platform.

2. GoDaddy: Starts at $9.99/mo

GoDaddy is an all-in-one platform being a website builder, a hosting provider, and a domain registrar. That means you can purchase your custom domain right on the same platform.

The website builder has limited flexibility, but that's what makes it simple to use. You can pick a template, then substitute your content as is. But you can also switch section layouts through the premade ones offered.

GoDaddy's website builder is actually called "Websites + Marketing". So expect that there are plenty of marketing features available. We'll talk more about that later.

Pros:

• Free plan and free trial available
  
• No steep learning curve
  
• POS integration
  
• 24/7 customer support

Cons:

• Regular prices can get costly
  
• Website builder has limited flexibility
  
• Higher-tiered plans needed to sell

Pricing:^[3]
GoDaddy offers a free plan. But like other free plans, it comes with limited features. If you're not sure about upgrading, you can opt for the 7-day free trial. This lets you test all the paid features before committing.

When you've made up your mind to upgrade, choose from the following:

You can choose to pay monthly, annually, or every 2-3 years. Year-long plans will get you a discount.

Features:
Unfortunately, GoDaddy doesn't offer a free domain for a year. But you can connect your custom domain. Your site will also come with a free SSL certificate.

Here are the other features you can get:

• Templates

  GoDaddy's templates are well-designed. They are modern and will make your website look professional. They're also mobile-friendly so your customers can view them on any device.

• Media

  There's a library of stock photos you can use as cover images or as place holders when editing your site. Of course, you can also upload your own images.

  What gives GoDaddy an edge is that it comes with a Studio. You can edit your images on there or create your own logo.

• eCommerce

  You can sell physical and digital products with GoDaddy. And when you sell digital products, you can sell eBooks, music, etc.

  There's also an appointment feature for service businesses. You can set up one-time appointments, one-time events, or recurring ones.

  These are great features if you're selling an online course or offer 1-on-1 consultations.

• Blog

  GoDaddy doesn't have the best blogging features. But they are there should you need them.

  Keep in mind that you can't have different headings such as H2s to H6s. That means it's not suitable for content businesses. Using headings and subheadings is good for SEO after all.

• SEO and Marketing

  GoDaddy is packed with marketing features. You can create and schedule social media posts on its calendar, for example. You can even create the post on the same dashboard through their templates.

  You can also create digital ads and email marketing campaigns. That way, your customers are updated of your new releases.

  Also, GoDaddy has an SEO wizard. But it's features are limited to inputting keywords. Use them to edit page titles, descriptions, and other content.

• Customer engagement

  GoDaddy Conversations and Connections provide a great way to connect with your customers. The Conversations dashboard lets you respond to messages from Facebook, Instagram, and SMS in one place. You can also download the mobile app to reply on the go.

  If you offer memberships on your site, then Connections will come in handy. It's where you can get an overview of your members and customers.

  Your customers can create an account to be a member. But you can also choose to only allow memberships through an invite. Through memberships, you can share private pages to your audience.

• Integrations

  You can connect your site to Google AdSense and Google Analytics. This will help you profit through ads and gather more data on your site visitors respectively.

How Good is GoDaddy's Cheapest Plan?
All of GoDaddy's paid plans, not just their cheapest one, come with unlimited storage and bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, and even a professional Microsoft email valid for one year.

You also get access to their various marketing tools right out of the gate. You can connect to one social media platform on the cheapest plan. It even allows for 100 marketing emails to be sent every month.

Let's say you don't like the limitations GoDaddy has on its website builder. The next option offers more flexibility.

3. Wix: Starts at $16/mo

Wix is another popular website builder that's good for both content-driven websites and online stores. Like Webflow, their templates are more unique and aesthetically pleasing compared to competitors.

The editor comes with preset layouts you can easily update, such as an About page, Contact, Promotion, Services, etc. This way, you won't need a lot of brainpower when deciding what a page will look like.

The website builder is also easy to use. Even without tutorials, you'll be sure to figure out how to make your way around it. It's a flexible drag-and-drop builder that doesn't follow a fixed grid, so you can move elements around easily.

Pros:

• Free plan available
  
• Scalable and flexible
  
• AI tool available
  
• 24/7 customer service

Cons:

• Can't switch templates
  
• Not mobile responsive by default
  
• Pricer plans compared to competitors
  
• Relatively slow website builder

Pricing:^[4]
Wix offers a free plan. You can test out the interface if it works for you.

If you decide to upgrade, you can choose from the following Website plans:

Wix has separate pricing plans for eCommerce stores. If that's what you're planning to create, here are the prices for those plans:

Features:
Wix offers a free domain for a year, but you can also connect a domain you already own. You'll also get a free SSL certificate.

Storage limits vary depending on the plan you choose. You can get from 2 GB to 100 GB of storage.

Here are other things you can get:

• Templates

  Wix has industry-specific templates so you can easily choose one that fits your needs. For example, if you're creating a portfolio, there's a template for that. Are you a travel service business? There's a template for that too.

  There are over 800 templates to choose from, so you won't run out of options.

  Although the website builder comes with a grid, it can serve as your guide instead of a limitation. You can generally place elements such as buttons anywhere on the page.

• Media

  You can upload videos and images to your Wix site. They'll be optimized and resized for better website performance. Keep in mind that your video storage will be limited depending on the plan you choose.

• eCommerce

  Regardless of your type of business, Wix can help you out. You can list unlimited products on your online store, or set it up for dropshippping. You can also offer subscriptions and collect recurring payments.

  Are you an artist-entrepreneur? You can get your artworks printed on products or sell them outright.

• SEO and Marketing

  Wix gives you basic and advanced SEO features. Some of the things you can do include adding meta tags, editing URL slugs, setting up 301 redirects, etc.

  To help promote your site, you can also get ad vouchers. You can have $500 for Google ads and $100 for Bing ads.

• Integrations

  Wix offers other services such as email marketing, the creation of social posts and Facebook ads, or client management. These are all available through Ascend plans that can be integrated with your site.

  You can shop around the Wix App Market to add more features. Use apps to analyze traffic, add other design elements, and promote your content. You can also download the mobile app to manage your website on the go.

How Good is Wix's Cheapest Plan?
Wix doesn't have the cheapest plans, but it still gives great value for your money. Aside from access to the Wix editor, you can get a free domain, an SSL certificate, and the ability to connect a custom domain and remove ads.

Their Combo plan comes with 3GB of storage as well.

Is Wix too much? This next one will definitely take a step back to simplicity.

4. Jimdo: Starts at $9/mo

Jimdo is great for small business who are just starting out. But because of its limitations, it's not suitable for larger businesses. It's also not so scalable compared to its competitors.

The free plan will help you play around with the website builder. But even if you upgrade, all the storage, bandwidth, and products would still be limited. If you want anything unlimited, you'll have to get the VIP plan, the most expensive plan.

Keep in mind that Jimdo recommends selling up to 100 products only - which could be more than enough for a small business.

Pros:

• Free plan available
  
• Advanced SEO features
  
• Affordable higher-tiered plans

Cons:

• No free plan for an online store
  
• Limited website pages
  
• No app market for integrations

Pricing:
There are different pricing plans whether you're creating a simple website or an online store.^[5]

Plans for simple websites:

Plans for an online store:

Features:
Unfortunately, you can only get a free domain if you subscribe to one of the paid plans for an online store. But you can connect your own domain and have your professional email address. Unless, of course, you stick with the free plan.

The storage you get depends on the plan as well. You can get from 5 GB to an unlimited amount of storage. As for the bandwidth, you can get from 10 GB to unlimited bandwidth.

Here's what else you can get with Jimdo:

• Templates

  There are templates you can choose from, but they're not categorized per industry. However, if you answer the Q&A portion at the start of creating your site, then Jimdo will suggest templates to you based on your industry and answers.

  Keep in mind that for Website plans, the number of web pages you can create are limited. You can get from 5 to 50 pages. This makes it not suitable for blogs.

  Also, the website builder doesn't have a drag-and-drop functionality. You'll have to substitute your content to the premade sections.

• Media

  You can access an image library of free stock photos. And just like other website builders, you can upload photos and link videos with Jimdo.

• eCommerce

  Jimdo recommends selling up to 100 products. There are no transaction fees and you can accept payments from PayPal, debit, and credit cards.

  You can also add services and make use of the appointments feature. That way, your site can help you take on more clients.

• SEO and Marketing

  What's great with Jimdo is that you get advanced SEO features. Yes, you can customize meta titles, descriptions, and have a mobile responsive site. But you can also customize 404 pages, redirects, and have up-to-date site maps.

  Jimdo can also help you list your business but for an additional price of $4/mo (except for those with a VIP plan). And if you want to get found across different platforms, it will cost you $18/mo.

• Integrations

  Unfortunately, Jimdo doesn't have an app market you can browse. To add third-party software, you'll have to add the necessary code manually. You can use the widget or HTML element in the website builder.

How Good is Jimdo's Cheapest Plan?
Jimdo's cheapest plan allows for 10 website pages and up to 5GB of storage. It's very limited, but it still comes with SEO tools and website statistics to get you started.

You can also use their free logo creator and the website builder's branding capabilities.

Does Jimdo's limitations put you off? This next one can be what you're looking for.

5. WordPress: Starts at $4/mo

CREDIT: WORDPRESS

WordPress is one of the most flexible website builders. With over thousands of themes and plugins, you're sure to create a website unique to your needs.

You can design through drag-and-drop editors, but you can also use custom codes for your site. If you have an idea of what you want to do, there's likely a plugin for that.

You can upgrade plans without difficulty. Migrating from different hosts is also easier through export and import tools.

Pros:

• Free plan available
  
• Jetpack on all plans
  
• Dozens of free themes for all plans
  
• Earn ad revenue through WordAds

Cons:

• One plan applies to one site only
  
• Limited free features
  
• Paid premium themes

Pricing:^[6]
WordPress comes with a free plan. But if you really want to make the most out of the platform, it can be worth it to upgrade.

Choose from:

Features:
You get a free domain for a year with any paid plan. Or you can just connect one you already own. Your site will also have unrestricted bandwidth.

And as per usual, your site gets a free SSL certificate. You don't have to go for a website builder that doesn't offer one. Many website builders provide this for free.

Unlike Jimdo, WordPress lets you create an unlimited number of pages. You can also have unlimited users in any plan. Yes, including the free plan.

Here's what else you can get:

• Templates

  There are free and paid themes with WordPress. You can view one for Blogs, Business, Podcasts, and even single-page websites.

  Technically, WordPress isn't a "drag-and-drop" builder. It's a Content Management System (CMS). But you can install and use many drag-and-drop builders with it such as Elementor, SeedProd, and Thrive Architect.

• Media

  WordPress has a media library where you can view and upload your images, videos, audio, and documents. And if you're looking for a free photo library of stock photos, there's one as well. You can access Pexels and choose from over 40,000 images.

• eCommerce

  You'll need WooCommerce to set up an online store. And it comes with the Commerce plan. You can sell physical and digital products, and subscriptions.

  You also get features on inventory management, sales reports, and easy checkouts. And you can accept payments in over 60 countries. This makes the website builder suitable for large and international businesses.

• Blog

  If your main priority is to create a blog, then you can't go wrong with WordPress. It has the complete features. You can add headings and subheadings, images, and post categories.

  You can also use the plugin Yoast SEO to optimize your posts. And you can schedule posts.

• SEO and Marketing

  You get SEO tools through Jetpack, which is a plugin that comes with your WordPress site. You can create custom title formats, meta descriptions, etc.

  To help market your site, you can send newsletters and share your content on social media. WordPress offers the features for both.

• Security

  WordPress has plenty of security features thanks to Jetpack. You get real-time backups and one-click restores. And to protect your site and accounts, you also get brute-force protection and spam protection.

  Other features include malware protection, DDOS mitigation, site activity log, etc.

• Integrations

  You'll find over 60,000 plugins for WordPress. That is A LOT of added functionality. If you have an online store, you also get to integrate with top shipping carriers like UPS.

How Good is WordPress's Cheapest Plan?
WordPress's Personal plan includes 6GB of storage and lets you make an unlimited number of pages on your site.

There will be an ad in the footer, however, that says "Powered by WordPress.com." This can be edited to show only the WordPress logo if you like, making it as subtle as possible.

The cheapest plan also gives access to 100 free templates. Plugins and SEO tools are only available with the higher and more expensive tiers.

Okay, but what if you want to create more than 1 website? Can you?

6. Hostinger: Starts at $1.99/mo

Hostinger's website builder is one of the most flexible on this list. It's a drag-and-drop feature so you're not stuck with a premade section layout. You can input your brand colors, resize images, edit font styles and sizes, etc.

But if you do prefer to keep editing simple, premade sections are available. You can still use them as-is.

Also, you can count that your site will be mobile-responsive.

Pros:

• Create up to 100 websites
  
• 30-day money back guarantee
  
• 24/7 customer support

Cons:

• No free trial or free plan
  
• Can't switch templates

Pricing:^[7]
Hostinger is actually a hosting service provider. Its website builder is available for all its hosting plans.

Here's what you can choose from:

You can get annual or up to 4-year plans.

Features:
Unfortunately, not all plans get a free domain. They're only available for Premium and Web Hosting. But you do get a free SSL certificate regardless of your plan.

What's different with Hostinger is that you can have up to 100 websites! Add to that the 100 free professional emails you can create.

Here's what else you can get:

• Templates

  Hostinger has a library of well-designed and modern templates. You can use one for a simple website, an online store, a portfolio, etc. But you can also start with a blank template if you prefer.

  Just keep in mind that you can't switch templates if you change your mind. Otherwise, you'll have to start from scratch.

• Media

  There's a library of royalty-free images you can use. But, of course, you can also upload your own images. To market your content better, you can also add YouTube or Vimeo video links.

• SEO and Marketing

  You can perform basic SEO such as writing meta titles and descriptions. You can also add keywords to your content. If you need to make pages private, you can hide them from search engines.

• AI Tools

  AI tools can help you work more efficiently. With Hostinger, you get an AI logo maker, an AI heatmap tool, and an AI writer.

• eCommerce

  Setting up an online store? You can sell up to 500 products. That's more than enough for a small business which is good news.

  And if you offer services such as trainings or classes, then you can set up appointments.

  There are over 20 payment options available.

• Security

  Your site can get daily or weekly backups. That way, if anything goes wrong, you can restore your site with no problem.

• Integrations

  You can integrate many Google and Meta products to your site. You can connect Google AdSense, Google Analytics, Messenger, Facebook, etc.

How Good is Hostinger's Cheapest Plan?
Hostinger's cheapest plan is an excellent value for your money. It comes with a free domain for a year, with a free SSL certificate, email, SEO functionality, and more.

It also has unlimited bandwidth and storage. Its plans come in 12, 24, and 48-month billing cycles.

Now, what if you can't decide if you want a drag-and-drop functionality or not?

7. Gator: Starts at $3.84/mo

Gator is a website builder by HostGator, primarily a hosting platform. It's simple and easy to use, making it suitable for small businesses or personal use.

There's nothing unique about it. But it's introductory offers can be enticing. And the fact that it's a hosting platform means you can count on speed and a strong uptime.

You can create both simple websites and online stores with it. It's not the best website builder, but it's certainly affordable.

Pros:

• 30-day refund available
  
• Can switch templates
  
• Enticing introductory offers
  
• Unlimited storage for images

Cons:

• No free plan or free trial
  
• Transaction fees
  
• Price increases after introductory period

Pricing:^[8]
The introductory prices aren't as generous as IONOS'. But it's definitely next to it. Just remember to budget on renewal prices as they can get expensive.

Unfortunately, you don't get a free plan or trial to test out the interface. But they do have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Here's what a plan can cost you:

Features:
You'll get a free domain as long as you sign up for a year-long term. But you can also connect a domain you own. Your site gets a free SSL certificate.

Here are the other features:

• Templates

  You get to edit templates with Gator like other website builders. But you have to choose from one of two ways. There's an express mode and a traditional mode.

  The express mode lets you input your content on predesigned sections. It's not a drag-and-drop builder. This makes creating a website fast and simple.

  The traditional mode, on the other hand, lets you choose your own template. You can drag and drop elements to customize it however you want. It makes it the more flexible option (even more flexible than Squarespace).

• Media

  There's an unlimited storage for images, so you can upload with no worries. But you can also choose stock images from the Unsplash image library.

  And just like GoDaddy, Gator has a logo maker you can use.

• eCommerce

  Your store limits depend on your plan. You can sell from 3 up to an unlimited number of products. Not bad for a small business website.

  Your online store can contain physical or digital products. Just keep in mind that there's a 3% transaction fee for Start and Site plans.

• SEO and Marketing

  Gator is rich in SEO and marketing features. Your site will be mobile responsive. It will also have fast load times.

  You can customize meta title and descriptions with keywords. Alt text will also be automatically added to stock photos you use.

  For eCommerce websites, you can create pop-up forms and schedule emails. You also get $200 search engine marketing credits.

How Good is Gator's Cheapest Plan?
Gator's cheapest plan offers a free domain, SSL certificate, and unlimited bandwidth. While Gator doesn't offer a free trial, they do offer a full money-back guarantee on your paid plan if you're unsatisfied with the service.

You can sell online with their cheapest plan, but only up to 3 products, and with a 3% transaction fee.

This next option isn't only one of the cheapest. It's also one of the best website builders you can use.

8. Squarespace: Starts at $16/mo

If you prefer a minimalist website or one with a timeless design, go for Squarespace. It's got industry-specific templates so that you can choose one most suitable for you. There's one for photography, health and wellness, food, etc.

Compared to other website builders, however, you don't get a free plan. You can instead opt for a free trial to try out their interface and features. After 14 days, you'll need to upgrade to a plan to continue.

If you prefer, you can also hire a Squarespace expert to do the work for you.

Pros:

• Easy-to-use website builder
  
• Unlimited free trial
  
• Enterprise solutions available
  
• Student discount available

Cons:

• Similar-looking templates
  
• Only new domain names can be registered

Pricing:^[9]

Features:
Squarespace doesn't fall short on features. You can get a free domain for a year, a free SSL certificate, and a professional email too.

Your site gets unlimited bandwidth and 30 minutes of video storage. Depending on the plan, you can also get unlimited contributors.

Here's what else Squarespace offers:

• Templates

  Squarespace is filled with modern and aesthetically pleasing templates. It's easy to make your website look professional with it. The drag-and-drop builder isn't overwhelming to use as well.

  Not to mention, designing the site according to your brand won't take long. You can choose from the font packs available. You can even create a color palette based on an uploaded image.

  Yes, there are premade sections too. That way, you can save time on doing the layout yourself. But you can also start with a blank page if you prefer.

• Media

  You can add animations to your site to enhance user experience. It can show when visitors scroll through or load a page. And just like with Gator, you can also access the Unsplash image library for stock photos.

  Do you have videos from other platforms? You can embed them if they're posted on YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia.

  Or maybe you're still planning on making one? There's a video maker for that too.

• eCommerce

  You can sell unlimited products for Business and Commerce plans. Or choose to sell subscriptions instead.

  Have a physical store? You can integrate your POS through Square. Your store can connect with Facebook and Instagram marketplaces too.

• Blog

  You can create blog posts to help with SEO and promoting your store. It has the essential features to help rank your site. You can input your posts right within the editor.

  Not many website builders have the essentials for both a blog and an online store. So this is definitely a plus for Squarespace.

• SEO and Marketing

  The website editor comes with built-in SEO tools. There's a checklist you can go through when setting up your site.

  You can create newsletters to market your products or content. That way, your customers are updated on your promos, discounts, or new releases. And speaking of promos, you can also set up pop-ups and banners.

• Integrations

  Squarespace also has tons of extensions you can use with your site. Some of them are for bookkeeping, for boosting sales, and for inventory management. Visit Squarespace Extensions to know what you can get.

How Good is Squarespace's Cheapest Plan?
Squarespace's cheapest plan comes with a free custom domain, SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth and storage, SEO features, and website analytics. It also gives access to all of the website builder's editing features.

Wondering if it can get any cheaper? Yes, yes it can.

9. Carrd: Starts at $9/yr

Carrd is possibly the simplest website builder compared to its competitors. It's great for building single-page websites, landing pages, portfolios, forms, or online resumes.

You can choose from their pre-made templates or start with a blank canvas. It also comes with a mini tutorial when you start editing.

It's great for freelancers or small businesses that don't need a lot of complicated features. If your goal is to gain more clients, Carrd provides forms and contact pages you can easily set up.

Pros:

• Free plan available
  
• Free 7-day trial for premium features
  
• Simple website builder
  
• Multiple sites in a single plan

Cons:

• Limited features and templates
  
• No free image gallery
  
• No hierarchy of pages for the menu

Pricing:^[10]
The free plan lets you create up to 3 websites. But this isn't the typical "5-page website" that comes to mind. Carrd is more suitable for single-page websites.

You'll get more features when you upgrade. And it's the cheapest of all website builders on this list - considering you only pay once per year.

Here's how much upgrading can cost you:

Features:
You can connect your custom domain with a paid plan. Your site will also come with an SSL certificate.

Unfortunately, you don't get a free domain. But that makes sense since you're not really paying for much.

Here's what else you can get with Carrd:

• Templates

  There are 5 categories of templates to choose from. You have "Profile" which makes a good online business card. Then there's "Sectioned" which stimulate a multi-page site.

  You can also create a portfolio to easily showcase your work. It's suitable for photographers and artists.

  The other templates are for forms and landing pages.

• Media

  You can upload high quality images and videos. You can even use your videos as background of the site. Or create slideshows to create a dynamic.

• SEO and Marketing

  You can add meta tags to your site depending on your plan. You can also set up redirects when moving your current sites to Carrd.

  To help grow your client base, you can place forms (i.e., Mailchimp) for sending newsletters.

• Integrations

  Your website can integrate with Google Analytics so you can track your visitors more precisely. You can also embed other widgets such as Typeform and Facebook.

How Good is Carrd's Cheapest Plan?
Carrd's cheapest plan lets you connect an existing domain to their web hosting and build up to 3 one-page sites. You won't be able to make web forms or use Google Analytics until you upgrade to at least the next tier.

If Carrd doesn't offer enough, here's another 'cheapest' option. This time, you can actually create a proper 5-page website.

10. 1&1 IONOS: Starts at $1/mo

IONOS offers 2 website builders which are MyWebsite Now and MyWebsite Creator. If you want a simple website builder, you should go for MyWebsite Now. It has premade sections that lets you just substitute your own content.

It makes creating a website fast and easy. MyWebsite Creator, on the other hand, is a drag-and-drop builder that lets you create a blog or an online store. It offers more flexibility.

It's the website builder you'll have to pick if you want to choose from industry-specific templates.

Pros:

• Most affordable introductory price
  
• 24/7 customer suppot
  
• 30-day money back guarantee

Cons:

• Limited features
  
• No free plan or free trial

Pricing:^[11]
Ever thought it was possible to create a site with $1? You can with IONOS. Just keep in mind that it's only an introductory price.

Here's the full overview of their pricing:

Features:
You can get a free domain for a year and a free SSL certificate for your site. You can get a professional email address as well. But the inbox limits will vary depending on the plan.

Here's what else IONOS offers:

• Templates

  There are professional templates suitable for different industries. The designs are modern and corporate-looking. That said, it might not be the best option for creative businesses.

  Your website will also be mobile-friendly. But the customizations you can make with it are limited.

• Media

  Images on your website are automatically optimized for better performance. You can also edit your images right on the website builder if you use MyWebsite Creator.

  Don't have your own images? That's fine. Just pick from the 17,000 royalty-free images available.

• eCommerce

  It doesn't matter whether you sell physical or digital products. You can do both with IONOS. You'll also get the essential features like inventory management, sizing options, and shipping.

  Offering services? No problem. There's an online booking tool your clients can use.

• Blog

  There's not a lot of blogging features with IONOS. But you can schedule your posts which is handy. You can also create accounts for your writers.

  But if blogging is your main purpose for a site, you're better off with WordPress.

• SEO and Marketing

  There are built-in SEO tools to help your website rank. The RankingCoach SEO tool can even help you look for essential keywords. And like any good SEO, you can track your competitors with MarketingRadar.

  You can also set up discounts and offer coupons to market your store.

• Security

  Your website can comply with GDPR and other privacy laws with the ready-made cookie banner.

• Integrations

  Expand your audience by selling on online marketplaces. Your site can integrate with Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram. And if you have a physical store using Square POS, your website can work with that too.

How Good is IONOS's Cheapest Plan?
IONOS's cheapest plan comes with a free domain for the first year of subscription. It also offers a professional email address, no ads on your website, and a good suite of marketing tools.

However, IONOS has limited customization and design, and the prices renew at a higher rate after the first year is up.

This next option is best for creating simple websites. You can have one for less than $5 (though regular plans start at $10). Read on.

11. Ucraft: Starts at $10/mo

Want a cheaper website builder that kinda looks like Squarespace? Go for Ucraft. It's also a drag-and-drop website builder but with even more flexibility.

It might take time for you to grasp the interface. Although it's easy to move things around, it's also easy to break your design that way.

The main downside is that the most essential features - blogging and eCommerce - aren't included in the free trial. So you can't exactly know first-hand if it's what you're looking for before committing.

Pros:

• 14-day free trial for personal sites
  
• Manage multiple websites
  
• Great customization options
  
• 24/7 customer support

Cons:

• No free trial for branded sites
  
• Slight learning curve
  
• Blog and eCommerce features not included in free trial

Pricing:
Ucraft lets you create a free website with no time limit. But you are limited to 15 pages. You also won't be able to create a blog or an online store.

The pricing is separate for personal and branded plans. If you're a small business owner, you'll want to use a personal plan.

The branded plans are for creating white-labeled websites. This makes them more suitable for developers.

Here's the pricing for personal plans:^[12]

Features:
You can connect a custom domain to all paid plans. Or make use of the free domain. Your website will also come with a free SSL certificate.

Your free hosting will come from Google Cloud. You get unlimited bandwidth. And you can create unlimited number of pages.

Here's what else to expect:

• Templates

  Like other website builders, you can choose from many well-designed and industry-specific templates. These are also mobile-responsive. Your customers can view your content with no problem.

  There are over 120 templates to choose from. And to make editing easier, there are premade section layouts as well - over 100 of them.

• Media

  You can access a library of free stock photos from Unsplash. What's unique to Ucraft is that you can select images from Canva too.

  Have video content? You can link them if they're on YouTube and Vimeo.

  There's also a logo maker you can use.

• eCommerce

  Doesn't matter what type of business you are. You can offer memberships or sell physical and digital products. You can also set up a print-on-demand store, or a dropshipping store.

  If you're a service business, then you can make the most of the invoicing feature.

  You can sell from 15 to an unlimited number of products. Even better, there are no transaction fees. There are also over 20 shipping methods available.

• SEO and Marketing

  Some SEO features include adding essential keywords. To help increase traffic, you can also advertise with Google.

  But you have to do more than "show" your content. You can engage with your customers through email marketing. Maybe offer some product discounts if you have them.

• Integrations

  Your site can connect to Google Analytics regardless of the plan. Yes, including the free plan.

  There are also over 20 integrations to choose from. It's not a lot. But you can at least up your game with your pop-ups, email marketing, etc.

  Your site can also integrate with Square POS.

How Good is Ucraft's Cheapest Plan?
The cheapest of Ucraft's paid plans offers unlimited website pages and bandwidth. With SEO tools, access to their drag-and-drop builder, and other blogging tools, it's easy for you to get started even on the most basic plan.

You can sell up to 15 products on your site via Stripe and Paypal, with 0% transaction fees.

Let's say you have a team of developers to create the site for you. They'll enjoy using this next option.

12. Webflow: Starts at $14/mo

credit: webflow

Webflow is a little different compared to other website builders. If you know how to use Adobe Photoshop, Webflow's interface looks quite similar. It can initially seem overwhelming, but the number of features increases its flexibility.

Designing and organizing your web pages will almost feel like you're designing a magazine. The editor uses a drag-and-drop feature to help you easily preview and adjust layouts. If you prefer, you can also add your own code to your pages.

Whether you're building a portfolio, a personal blog, or marketing your business, you can make it look its best and unique from other websites.

Pros:

• Unique and creative templates
  
• Interactions and animations
  
• Large CMS database available
  
• 400+ free lessons from Webflow University

Cons:

• Expensive templates
  
• Steep learning curve
  
• Expensive eCommerce plans

Pricing:^[13]
The Starter plan is the free plan of Webflow. You can get up to 2 static pages with it. You're also limited to up to 50 form submissions.

This means it's not really sustainable for a business. But you can use it to get to know the interface instead.

If you decide to upgrade, here are the prices for their general websites:

Webflow has separate pricing plans if you plan to build an online store. They're not the cheapest, but here's the table in case you decide on them:

Features:
As usual, you can connect a custom domain to any paid plan. Your site will also get a free SSL certificate. Unfortunately, though, you won't get a free domain.

You'll also want to be careful in choosing a plan. Each plan will have its own limited monthly visits. You can get from 1,000 to 300,000 monthly visits.

Bandwidth is also limited from 1 GB to 400 GB.

Here's what else you can get:

• Templates

  There are over 1,500 templates to choose from. Many of them are paid, so just keep that in mind. But they are professionally designed and can definitely make it easier for you.

  There are templates for agencies, blogs, one-page websites, etc.

  The editor itself is a little tricky. There is a tutorial on how to use it. But that would mean taking your time to learn the interface before actually creating your site.

• Media

  Webflow works great for motion design and interactions. You can add 3D transforms and animations to different elements. You can also add other triggers for different behaviors.

  For example, you can set timed, scrolled, or position-based animations.

• eCommerce

  If you do end up choosing a plan for online stores, your features will revolve around eCommerce. You can sell from 500 to 15,000 products. That's a lot for a small business.

  You can also offer memberships. You can set up Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay to take payments. Keep in mind that there's a transaction fee of 2% for the Standard plan.

• Blog

  You can also blog with a General website plan. Webflow has what you call "CMS items" which include blog posts. And you can have 50 to over 10,000 of them.

  It's definitely scalable for a large business. But a CMS item can also be a project in your portfolio, so just keep that in mind.

  You can also schedule the publishing of your content. It's helpful if you publish daily or weekly. That way, you just set it up and forget about it.

• SEO and Marketing

  There are many SEO features available. You can use 301 redirects, sitemap controls, meta tags, etc.

  You'll access the marketing features through an eCommerce plan. You can integrate with Facebook, Instagram, and Google Shopping, for example. You can also use MailChimp for email marketing.

• Integrations

  Your Webflow site can work with lots of other apps. You can find one for analytics, anti-spam, job boards, etc. Just visit the Webflow University to see your options.

How Good is Webflow's Cheapest Plan?
Webflow's cheapest plan allows you to have your own custom domain and 50GB of bandwidth.

Their cheapest plan is rather limited in its offering though, and you will need to upgrade to their more expensive plans to access custom coding and the ability to add guest editors.

All of these choices can get overwhelming. Let's talk about narrowing it down.

How to Choose a Website Builder

Aside from payments, domain, and hosting, there are other things to consider in choosing a website builder. These can affect your entire website experience, so it's best to shop around and compare.

• Ease of use. Website builders are supposedly easier to use with the drag-and-drop option. But some require extra plugins to do so. You can use the free versions to test whether the editing interface works for you.

• Responsiveness. Some website builders naturally adapt to whichever device a reader or customer uses. But others don't, so you'll have to check what your pages look like on mobile devices consistently.

• Free elements. In editing mode, the elements refer to the text boxes, images, maps, forms, and other features you can place on your web page. Some elements are free, while others are paid. Paid elements typically come from plugins.

• Payment options. If you're going to set up an online store, this is one of the first things you should consider. Does the website builder integrate with PayPal, for example? Can it accept payments through debit or credit cards? These features don't always come free.

• Features. Of course, you'll want to make sure that the website builder offers what you need. Do you need to blog? Do your customers need to book appointments? Or maybe your focus is selling online? Then maybe you should find one that also connects to online marketplaces. You get the gist.

Now that you know about what you should look for, let's talk about what we had to look for.

Our Methodology

In choosing the cheapest website builders, we considered the price, features, and what they're best used for.

Some website builders are best for online stores, while others are more suited for simple websites.

There are also options for personal use, such as portfolios or resumes. Usually, if you're focused on content, it's best to go for website builders that let you easily share your content - which is why we also listed them for you.

For ease of use, we considered those with drag-and-drop features - which is the majority of this list. All of them are mobile-friendly, so your audience can reach your platform wherever they are.

Basically, we made sure these choices give the most in terms of functionality and aesthetics to ensure you can create a professional website even at a low price.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest website designer?
Some website designers come with free plans. But even the paid plans will cost you less than $10 per month. You can check out Weebly and WordPress, for example. Prices are typically cheaper if you choose to pay annually instead of monthly.

What is the least costly way to build a website?
It's possible to save if the website builder comes with hosting and a free custom domain. These free domains typically last a year. When you're researching website builders, try the free plan first. If you like it and want more features, then you can pay later.

Can I build a website myself for free?
Yes, you can. Website builders with free plans let you do this. You can even set up an online store with some of them. But free plans typically come with subdomains and ads. If you want a professional-looking website, you'll need to spend some money.

What is the best free website builder?
Weebly is one of the best website builders, and it comes with a free plan. Use it to create your online store or share content. It comes with free eCommerce features typically paid for in other website builders. It's affordable even if you upgrade to paid plans.

What the Experts Say

CreditDonkey asked a panel of industry experts to answer readers' most pressing questions. Here's what they said:

The Bottom Line

There are plenty of low-cost website builders available, and many of them come with free plans. Although some popular website builders are expensive, there are those you can use on a budget.

You could set up an online store, share content, or create a platform for yourself or your business. Typically, the more features you get, the more expensive it'll be.

Remember that many of them come with web hosting and a free domain for a year, which helps you save on costs.

References