What Are the Best Website Building Platforms for Your Business?

Choosing the right platform for your website is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a business owner. Website building is the process of creating a site using various platforms, each offering unique features and approaches. From drag-and-drop builders to powerful design tools and e-commerce platforms, there are dozens of options—each with its own strengths and trade-offs.

In this article, we’ll break down the most popular types of website platforms, highlight their pros and cons, and share what we use at Brilliant Digital to help clients achieve the best results. Many platforms are designed to make the builder easy for users, especially beginners, ensuring a smooth website building experience.

What Is a Website Builder and Why Does It Matter?

A website builder is an essential tool for anyone looking to create a website without needing advanced coding knowledge. Whether you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or creative professional, the right website builder can help you launch a professional website quickly and efficiently. The best website builders offer intuitive drag-and-drop editors, a wide selection of website templates, and built-in marketing and SEO tools, making it easy to design and manage your online presence.

Choosing the best website builder matters because it directly impacts how easily you can customize your site, add ecommerce features, and optimize for search engines. With so many options available, it’s important to consider factors like ease of use, flexibility, and the ability to scale as your business grows. By selecting a platform that aligns with your needs, you can create a website that not only looks great but also supports your business goals—whether that’s attracting new customers, selling products, or building your brand online.

Entry-Level DIY Website Builder Platforms

These platforms are designed for simplicity and ease of use, making them a popular choice for early-stage businesses, startups, and solopreneurs. Most website builders at this level offer pre made templates to simplify the DIY design process, allowing users to quickly launch a professional-looking site. Many site builders in this category are available as a free website builder or offer a free version, making it easy for users to create a free website without upfront costs. Most website builders provide a free plan or free plans, so users can try the platform and explore its features before committing to a paid option. Notably, Weebly offer free plans, which is a popular choice for those seeking a no-cost entry point.

Wix

Wix is a cloud-based website builder that allows users to create HTML5 websites using drag-and-drop tools. It offers a range of pre-designed templates and a visual editor, making it accessible to users with no coding experience.

Advantages:

• Drag-and-drop editor with high visual control
• Hundreds of stunning templates to choose from
• Easily switch templates for greater design flexibility
• Upload your own images to personalize your site
• Built-in features like contact forms, galleries, and animations
• Wix App Market offers a wide range of third party apps for extending site functionality

Disadvantages:

• Limited design flexibility once you choose a template
• Can become cluttered or bloated with add-ons
• SEO capabilities are decent but not best-in-class
• Moving away from Wix later requires a complete rebuild

Squarespace

Squarespace focuses more on design and aesthetics, making it a favorite for creatives and portfolio sites. A Squarespace website offers stunning templates that are both beautiful and responsive, and is known for its sleek interface. Users can easily switch templates at any time to update their site's look.

Squarespace provides a free trial for new users, allowing you to test the platform risk-free. Upgrading your plan lets you connect a custom domain, and many plans include a free domain name for the first year.

Advantages:

• Polished, modern, and stunning templates
• Easy-to-use content editor
• Integrated tools for blogging, portfolios, and basic e-commerce
• Built-in analytics and hosting
• Ability to switch templates for design flexibility
• Free trial available for new users
• Option to connect a custom domain and receive a free domain name for the first year
• Advanced features like an AI website builder for streamlined site creation

Disadvantages:

• Fewer customization options compared to other platforms
• Less intuitive backend for non-designers
• Limited third-party integrations

Best for: Temporary websites, simple business pages, creatives, or service-based solopreneurs who want to get online quickly and affordably.

Flexible Open-Source Website Builders

WordPress powers over 40% of the web, making it the most widely used content management system (CMS) in the world. It’s open-source, highly flexible, and supported by a massive ecosystem of developers, designers, and plugin creators. WordPress is ideal for building a WordPress website, allowing users to connect their own domain for a more professional online presence. It is especially well-suited for complex sites that require advanced customization and scalability. If you want to sell products online, WordPress can be used to create a full ecommerce store with plugins like WooCommerce.

How It Works

WordPress itself is free, but it requires web hosting, a theme, and typically some plugins to extend functionality. While WordPress is free, you may need to purchase a domain; however, some hosting providers include a free domain or free domain name for the first year as part of their packages. Upgrading to a paid plan, premium plan, or premium plans with certain hosts unlocks additional features such as advanced templates, eCommerce capabilities, and custom domains. Hosting providers offer a variety of pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets, making it easy to find an option that fits your requirements. WordPress also supports Google Analytics integration, allowing you to use Google Analytics to track and improve your website’s performance and marketing efforts.

Advantages:

• Virtually unlimited customisation
• Massive ecosystem of themes and plugins
• Large community support and documentation
• Suitable for nearly any type of website

Disadvantages:

• Requires frequent maintenance and updates (plugins, themes, core files)
• Plugins can conflict and cause site errors or performance issues
• Security vulnerabilities if not properly managed
• Can become slow or bloated without expert optimisation

Best for: Medium to large businesses with a dedicated team or budget for technical support. Also a good fit for highly complex websites requiring specific functionality.

Modern No-Code Website Builders for Premium Design

No-code platforms have revolutionized how websites are built, allowing for full design freedom without needing a developer. These platforms often include advanced AI features, such as an AI tool or AI text creator, to streamline the design and content creation process. Their builder tools are designed to make the builder easy for users, even those with minimal technical experience. Webflow and Framer aim to provide all the features needed for modern website creation in a single platform. Users can also create a test website to explore and evaluate the platform's capabilities. Two standout tools in this space are Webflow and Framer.

Webflow

Webflow is a powerful site builder designed for advanced users who need full control over their website’s design and functionality. Unlike many other site builders, Webflow is ideal for building complex sites that require custom solutions, making it a top choice for designers and developers seeking flexibility. Its platform ensures that all designs are optimized for mobile devices, providing seamless experiences across smartphones and tablets.

Advantages:

• Fully custom designs, not limited by templates
• No need for plugins or updates — hosting, SSL, and backups included
• Built-in CMS for dynamic content like blogs or portfolios
• Powerful animations and interactions engine
• Visual editor that keeps content editing simple for clients
• Mobile devices optimization for responsive design

Disadvantages:

• Learning curve for new users
• Limited plugin ecosystem compared to WordPress
• May require more initial design time than template-based solutions

Framer

Framer is gaining popularity as a designer-first platform, especially for those familiar with Figma. It blends rapid prototyping with live publishing, making it incredibly intuitive.

Advantages:

• Includes an AI website builder with advanced AI features to automate design, generate content, and simplify customization
• Builder easy enough for beginners, with a user-friendly interface
• Users can upload their own images and use pre made templates for faster site creation
• Seamless design-to-live site workflow
• Reusable components and variables for scalable design systems
• Super fast performance and hosting
• Great for startups and modern brands wanting a sleek, lightweight site

Disadvantages:

• Still maturing as a platform — fewer integrations than Webflow
• Not ideal for complex CMS or large websites (yet)

Best for: Brands and businesses who want a bespoke website that reflects their identity, without ongoing maintenance costs or plugin headaches.

Website Platforms with Ecommerce Features

Looking to create online stores? These platforms are designed to help you start selling online with ease. Your platform needs to be more than just pretty — it has to be secure, scalable, and easy to manage. With Shopify and WooCommerce, you can sell products, sell products online, and even offer services online. Both options are suitable for building a full ecommerce store and professional business sites, giving you the tools to manage your online presence and grow your business.

Shopify

Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that handles everything from product listings and checkout to security and hosting. It’s ideal for business owners who want to focus on selling rather than managing tech.

Advantages:

• All-in-one solution: hosting, security, inventory, payment integration, and built-in marketing tools
• Offers a free trial and a 30-day free trial for new users to test the platform risk-free
• Multiple paid plans and pricing plans to suit different business needs, with features scaling at each level
• Some plans include a free domain for the first year, and all paid plans allow you to connect a custom domain or your own domain for a professional online presence
• User-friendly admin panel
• Large ecosystem of apps and themes
• 24/7 customer support, including live chat support for quick assistance

Disadvantages:

• Monthly fees (plus extra costs for apps)
• Limited design flexibility compared to Webflow or custom builds
• Transaction fees unless using Shopify Payments

WooCommerce (on WordPress)

WooCommerce is a powerful plugin that turns a WordPress site into a full e-commerce store. It offers complete control and customizability — but that comes with more responsibility.

Advantages:

• Can be started with a free plan or free version, making it accessible for budget-conscious users
• Premium plan and premium plans are available for advanced features, such as additional payment gateways, advanced shipping, and marketing tools
• Wide variety of pricing plans for WooCommerce extensions and hosting, allowing users to choose based on their needs
• Full control over every aspect of the store
• Thousands of extensions and themes, including support for third party apps to enhance functionality and customization
• Supports Google Analytics integration and Google Analytics for tracking and improving store performance

Disadvantages:

• Same WordPress downsides — maintenance, updates, and plugin conflicts
• Requires technical setup and more hands-on management
• Security and performance rely heavily on the hosting and maintenance strategy

Our Verdict: Unless you have in-house developers or want full control, Shopify is the smarter choice for most business owners. It’s easy to scale, worry-free, and user-friendly.

Security and Scalability: Protecting and Growing Your Website

When building your business website, security and scalability should be at the top of your checklist. A trustworthy website builder will offer robust security features, such as SSL certificates to encrypt data and regular backups to safeguard your content. These built-in protections help keep your online store and customer information safe from cyber threats, giving you peace of mind as your business grows.

Scalability is just as important. As your website attracts more visitors or your online store expands, you’ll need a platform that can handle increased traffic and data without compromising performance. The best website builders provide flexible plans that let you upgrade storage, bandwidth, and advanced tools as needed. Many platforms, like Wix and Squarespace, include scalable solutions and ecommerce support, so you can start small and grow your site seamlessly.

Additionally, look for website builders that offer advanced features such as AI tools and enhanced ecommerce functionality. These can help automate tasks, personalize user experiences, and streamline business management as your needs evolve. By choosing a website builder that prioritizes both security and scalability, you can focus on growing your business—knowing your website is protected and ready for the future.

What We Use at Brilliant Digital

At Brilliant Digital, we’ve worked with all of these platforms — and we’ve chosen to focus on the tools that give our clients the best results. Our chosen platforms provide all the features and builder tools needed to efficiently create websites, including advanced AI tool and AI features that streamline the website creation process. Clients can also create a test website to explore the platform’s capabilities before launching, ensuring it meets their needs. Additionally, integrated marketing tools support business growth and online promotion.

We use Webflow and Framer for most custom website projects because they offer:

• Unmatched flexibility in design without using code
• No maintenance headaches — no updates, no plugin issues
• Built-in hosting, SSL, and speed optimisation
• An intuitive content editor so clients can update content without breaking the design

For e-commerce websites, we choose Shopify. It gives business owners:

• A robust, secure, and scalable platform
• Easy product management and order tracking
• Peace of mind knowing everything is handled behind the scenes

These platforms align with our philosophy: build it right once, so our clients aren’t stuck paying for fixes later.

Final Thoughts

There’s no universal “best” platform — the right choice depends on your current needs, future plans, and technical capacity. There are many other website builders and site builders available, each with unique strengths. Some site builders are better suited for complex sites, while others are ideal for beginners with no coding knowledge required. Certain platforms are perfect for businesses looking to offer services online.

• If you’re just starting out, platforms like Wix or Squarespace can get you online quickly.
• If you need total flexibility, WordPress might be a good fit — as long as you’re prepared to maintain it.
• If you want a premium, custom-designed site, Webflow or Framer offer stunning results without the stress of plugins and updates.
• If you’re selling products, Shopify is our go-to for reliable, no-hassle e-commerce.

When making your decision, consider how these site builders compare to other website builders in terms of features, templates, and scalability.

Still unsure? We can help you decide.

At Brilliant Digital, we don’t just build websites — we help you choose the right foundation for long-term growth. Get in touch today for a free consultation and let’s build something that works for your business.