The best website builders: a comprehensive comparison

Nowadays it is more important than ever to have a professional website, be it for your company, a creative project or an online store. Website builders allow you to create a website quickly and easily without any programming knowledge. They offer powerful tools, design templates and functions that are specifically tailored to your needs. This comparison shows you the best website builders in 2024, based on ease of use, features and value for money.

Wix - flexibility and user-friendliness for every project

Wix offers maximum flexibility for almost any type of website. With the user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and over 800 design templates, you can create a website quickly and easily. The platform also offers a wide range of additional apps, such as booking systems and online store integrations, which allow you to integrate various functions into your site. Whether it's a blog, company website or online store - Wix is suitable for all these purposes.

Functions:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Over 800 templates
• SEO optimization and mobile designs
• Extensive app market for extended functions (e.g. e-commerce, bookings)
• Integrated analysis and marketing tools

Disadvantages: After the site has been published, it is more difficult to make far-reaching changes to the design.

Costs: Available free of charge, premium plans from CHF 10/month.

Shopify - The best choice for e-commerce

Shopify is the leading platform for building online stores and offers a comprehensive solution for e-commerce projects. With Shopify, you can easily manage products, process orders and integrate payment options. Particularly useful are the numerous apps and extensions with which you can expand the functionality of your store, as well as the simple design customization options.

Functions:

• Specialized e-commerce tools for product management, shipping and payments
• Extensive app integrations for extended functions
• SEO optimization and marketing tools
• Multiple payment options and simple order processing

Disadvantages: More expensive than other construction kits, especially for larger stores.

Costs: From approx. 27 CHF/month.

Squarespace - design-oriented and professional

Squarespace is particularly aimed at creatives, designers and photographers who need an aesthetically pleasing and modern website design. It offers a variety of professional templates that are mobile-optimized and user-friendly. In addition to responsive designs, Squarespace offers integrated e-commerce, blogging and SEO features that make it ideal for portfolios and smaller online stores.

Functions:

• Elegant, modern design templates
• Integrated SEO, blogging and e-commerce tools
• Marketing and analysis functions
• Responsive designs for mobile devices

Disadvantages: Less flexibility in customizing the layout compared to other platforms.

Costs: From approx. 15 CHF/month.

Elementor - The comprehensive design tool for WordPress

Elementor is a powerful visual website builder designed specifically for WordPress. It offers countless design options and widgets that give you complete control over the design of your website. It is particularly suitable for web designers and advanced users who work with WordPress and want to unleash the full potential of their website without being limited to standardized templates.

Functions:

• Drag-and-drop editor for WordPress
• Full customization options with many widgets and templates
• Mobile-optimized, responsive designs
• SEO tools and advanced design functions

Disadvantages: Steeper learning curve than platforms like Wix or Squarespace.

Costs: From approx. CHF 59 per year.

Webflow - For advanced designers and developers

Webflow is aimed at designers and developers who want to have comprehensive control over the design of their website. The platform offers functions that make it possible to create complex and customized websites without being restricted to a fixed design grid. Webflow is ideal for professional web designers or agencies that require customized solutions.

Functions:

• Extensive visual editor for pixel-perfect design
• Full control over HTML, CSS and JavaScript
• Integrated CMS for dynamic content
• SEO tools and fast loading times

Disadvantages: Not suitable for beginners, more demanding learning curve.

Costs: From approx. 12 CHF/month.

Jimdo - AI-powered website creation for fast results

Jimdo offers a simple solution for creating a website quickly and easily. Thanks to the AI-powered design process, basic layouts are created automatically, which can then be customized to your needs. It's ideal for freelancers or small businesses looking for a quick and cost-effective way to create a website or small online store.

Functions:

• AI-driven creation of websites
• Easy customization of the layout
• Integrated e-commerce and SEO tools
• Mobile-friendly designs

Disadvantages: Limited options for deep customization.

Costs: From approx. 9 CHF/month.

Conclusion

Choosing the right website builder depends on your individual requirements. If you value maximum flexibility and user-friendliness, then Wix is a great option. Squarespace is great for creative projects where design is key, while Shopify offers the perfect solution for e-commerce stores. Elementor on the other hand, is ideal for beginners and small projects who want to work with a small budget and operate their website via WordPress.