How to Choose a Website Builder for a Small Business

A website builder is a service that gives you hosting, page templates and an editor in one package. The main choice for a small business is between a hosted builder (such as Wix or Squarespace), managed WordPress (WordPress.com) and self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org). They differ less in what they can build than in who looks after the site and how you're charged.

This guide is based on each vendor's own documentation and pricing pages, checked on 20 September 2026. We haven't built sites on all of them, so we don't rank them on ease of use. It leaves out prices because they vary by region and change often.

The three routes

How pricing is structured

• Wix lists tiers from a free plan up. The free plan has no custom domain and can't remove Wix branding; most yearly premium plans include a one-year free domain voucher. Prices and currency vary by location, and the plans page says annual prices are shown.
• Squarespace lists Personal, Business, Commerce and Commerce Advanced plans, with a 14-day free trial that needs no credit card. Annual plans include a year of free domain registration for new sites and are cheaper than monthly billing. Store transaction fees fall as you move up plans.
• WordPress.com has tiers from free to enterprise with hosting included. WordPress.org is free software, but you pay a separate host.

Details of each are in Wix vs Squarespace and WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.

What actually matters when you choose

1. Who maintains it. If nobody in your business will apply updates and watch for problems, avoid self-hosting.
2. Total cost over a year. Add the plan, the domain, any store transaction fees and extras you'll need.
3. Can you leave? WordPress.com says you own your site content and are free to move it. Check the same for any platform, and export your text and images.
4. Speed. Google's Core Web Vitals give clear targets. See Core Web Vitals for small business websites.
5. Accessibility. Templates vary in how usable they are with a keyboard or screen reader. See website accessibility basics.
6. Search basics. You should be able to set your own page titles, descriptions, headings, image alt text and URLs. Our SEO basics checklist lists them.

How to test before you commit

• Use the free plan or trial to build your real home page and one service page, not the demo.
• Check the result on a phone.
• Look for the settings in point 6 above.
• Find out what you would pay when the trial or free plan ends.
• Check how to export your content.

Which route for which business

• A sole trader or a small local business that wants a site up quickly: a hosted builder or managed WordPress is a sensible start.
• A business that needs unusual features or lots of control, and has someone technical: self-hosted WordPress.
• A shop: compare transaction fees and payment options carefully before you pick.

These are our suggestions from the documentation, not the results of head-to-head tests.

What to add to your site whichever you choose

Your page needs your name, address, phone number and hours where customers can see them. Then mark them up with our free local business schema generator, and check how your page titles will look with the meta title checker. If you serve a local area, read our local SEO guide. For a checklist of pages, see what a small business website needs.