It’s a question I get asked more often than you might think.

"Which website builder should I use?"

Usually, it comes from someone starting out, brimming with ideas but daunted by the technicalities.

Or perhaps it’s from a small business owner looking to establish an online presence without breaking the bank.

For years, my answer has been a cautious shrug and a list of pros and cons for the most popular options.

But lately, that shrug has felt… insufficient.

It’s one thing to talk about the theoretical strengths of a platform.

It’s quite another to feel them, to wrestle with them, to experience the subtle nuances that make one tool a joy and another a source of endless frustration.

So, I decided to do something a little… extreme.

I set myself a challenge.

I would build the exact same website, with the exact same content and exact same core functionality, twenty times.

Each time, I'd use a different, prominent website building platform.

My goal wasn't just to compare features on paper.

It was to experience the entire workflow, from signing up to hitting publish, and everything in between.

I wanted to understand the user interface.

The learning curve.

The flexibility.

The pricing structures.

And ultimately, which one felt like the best fit for a common, relatable project.

The website I chose to build was deliberately straightforward but had a few key elements.

It was for a fictional local bakery, "The Flourishing Loaf."

It needed a homepage with a brief introduction and a sense of brand identity.

A menu page showcasing their products, with descriptions and prices.

An "About Us" page telling their story.

A contact page with a form and a map.

And importantly, a simple online ordering system, where customers could select items, add them to a cart, and proceed to checkout.

This last requirement was crucial, as it often separates the basic website builders from those with more robust e-commerce capabilities.

Twenty platforms.

That’s a lot of sign ups.

A lot of tutorials watched.

A lot of dragging and dropping.

A lot of staring blankly at error messages.

And, I’ll admit, a few moments of genuine despair.

But through it all, a clearer picture began to emerge.

Let's start with the obvious contenders, the names you'll hear repeatedly.

The Big Players: Tried and Tested

These are the platforms that have been around for a while, boasting massive user bases and extensive feature sets.

They often come with a reputation, either good or bad, that precedes them.

Wix: The All Rounder

Wix was one of my early builds.

Its drag-and-drop interface is legendary, and for good reason.

It offers an almost absurd level of creative freedom.

You can truly place elements anywhere on the page.

This can be liberating for designers, allowing for truly unique layouts.

However, it can also be overwhelming for beginners.

The sheer number of options can lead to decision paralysis.

I remember spending a considerable amount of time just nudging elements around, trying to achieve a specific alignment that felt… elusive.

The initial setup was quick.

Signing up, choosing a template, and getting started with editing felt remarkably smooth.

Their template library is vast, covering nearly every conceivable niche.

For "The Flourishing Loaf," I found a charming bakery template that was a good starting point.

The content management system is intuitive, and adding text and images is straightforward.

The e-commerce features are built-in, which is a plus.

Setting up products, prices, and payment gateways was manageable.

However, customising the checkout process felt a little more rigid than I’d hoped.

There are limitations on how much you can truly tailor the customer journey without resorting to more advanced (and often more expensive) plans.

The SEO capabilities are decent, but again, they’re not always as granular as one might expect from a platform aiming for such broad appeal.

I found myself wishing for a bit more direct control over some of the technical SEO aspects.

One particular point of reflection: the undo button became my best friend on Wix.

And my worst enemy.

The freedom it offers can easily lead to accidental misplacements, and backtracking can be tedious if you’ve made a lot of changes.

As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility.

Or, in this case, with great design freedom comes the potential for a lot of tweaking.

You can learn more about Wix's offerings at their official website: wix.com.

Squarespace: The Design Aficionado's Choice

Squarespace has a reputation for being the "beautiful" website builder.

And in my experience, that reputation is well deserved.

Its templates are sleek, modern, and consistently aesthetically pleasing.

If visual appeal is your absolute top priority, Squarespace is a strong contender.

The editing experience is more structured than Wix.

Instead of freeform drag-and-drop, you work within pre-defined sections and blocks.

This can be a good thing for those who struggle with visual design, as it guides you towards creating well balanced pages.

However, it can also feel restrictive if you have a very specific, unconventional layout in mind.

I found the learning curve to be gentler in some ways, as the system encourages a more curated approach to content.

Adding products for the bakery was straightforward, and their e-commerce features are well integrated.

The checkout process felt a little cleaner, more professional, than Wix's, though still with a degree of customisation that might not satisfy everyone.

Squarespace also excels in its blogging and portfolio features, making it a popular choice for creatives and content creators.

SEO is handled well, with good visibility for meta descriptions and titles.

What struck me about Squarespace was its inherent opinionated design.

It’s built for people who want a beautiful site with minimal fuss, and it delivers on that promise.

But if you’re trying to break the mould significantly, you might bump up against its design philosophy.

I recall a moment of frustration trying to insert a small, custom graphic into a specific corner of a header.

It felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, due to the block-based editing.

It's a platform that rewards understanding its system rather than fighting it.

For those who appreciate clean lines and elegant presentation, Squarespace is hard to beat.

You can explore their design-centric approach at: squarespace.com.

Shopify: The E-commerce Powerhouse

Shopify is, without question, the king of online stores.

If your primary goal is to sell products, this is the platform that comes to mind.

For "The Flourishing Loaf," I focused on its e-commerce capabilities.

Setting up products, inventory, shipping options, and payment gateways was incredibly robust.

It’s designed for businesses, and it shows.

The backend for managing orders and customers is comprehensive and efficient.

The website builder itself is more functional than overtly creative.

The templates are geared towards showcasing products, and the customization options, while present, feel secondary to the core e-commerce function.

The editing experience is simpler than Wix or Squarespace in terms of pure design freedom.

You're working with predefined structures that are optimized for selling.

I found the process of building the product pages to be exceptionally intuitive.

Adding variants, descriptions, and high-quality images was a breeze.

The checkout process is a well-oiled machine, offering various payment options and shipping integrations.

SEO is also well considered, with a focus on product visibility and search engine ranking for your store.

However, for a simple informational website with a small e-commerce component, Shopify can feel like overkill.

It’s a powerful engine, and if you’re not using all its gears, it might feel a bit clunky for simpler tasks.

I remember thinking, "This is fantastic for selling cakes, but perhaps a bit much for just a ‘contact us’ form."

The pricing structure is also heavily weighted towards sales volume, which is good if you're selling a lot, but can add up if you're just starting out.

For serious online retailers, however, it’s the benchmark.

Discover the full capabilities of Shopify for e-commerce at: shopify.com.

The Growing Contenders: Versatile and User-Friendly

Beyond the giants, there's a vibrant ecosystem of platforms that offer compelling alternatives, often striking a balance between ease of use and flexibility.

Weebly: The Simplicity Champion

Weebly is often praised for its ease of use, and I found that to be true.

It uses a drag-and-drop interface, but it's more constrained and guided than Wix's.

This makes it less prone to the accidental design disasters that can plague more open systems.

For "The Flourishing Loaf," it was remarkably easy to get the basic pages up and running.

Adding text, images, and structuring the layout felt very intuitive.

The learning curve was refreshingly gentle.

I didn't feel the need to constantly consult tutorials.

The e-commerce features are present and functional, though they are not as deep or as extensive as Shopify's.

For a small bakery with a limited product range, it was perfectly adequate.

Setting up products and managing basic orders was straightforward.

I found the pricing to be competitive, especially for smaller sites.

What I appreciated most about Weebly was its no-nonsense approach.

It’s designed to get a functional website online quickly and efficiently, without overwhelming the user.

There were moments when I wished for a bit more creative flair, a bit more control over fine details.

But for the intended purpose of this exercise, it proved to be a solid, dependable choice.

It felt like a friendly assistant, guiding me through the process without getting in the way.

Learn more about Weebly’s user-friendly approach at: weebly.com.

Jimdo: The Quick and Easy Option

Jimdo has two distinct offerings: Jimdo Creator and Jimdo Dolphin.

I experimented with both for this project.

Jimdo Dolphin is designed for ultimate speed.

You answer a few questions about your business, and it generates a website for you.

It’s incredibly fast.

You can have a basic site up and running in minutes.

For "The Flourishing Loaf," Dolphin created a perfectly functional, albeit somewhat generic, site.

The editing is limited, focusing on text and image replacement within pre-designed sections.

It's ideal for someone who needs a web presence now and has minimal design or technical aspirations.

Jimdo Creator, on the other hand, offers more control.

It's a more traditional website builder with a drag-and-drop editor.

I found Creator to be more flexible, allowing for greater customization of layouts and content.

It felt like a step up from Dolphin in terms of creative potential, but still maintained a good level of user-friendliness.

The e-commerce features are present in Creator and are suitable for small online shops.

The pricing is generally competitive.

What struck me was the dichotomy within Jimdo.

Dolphin is pure expediency, while Creator offers a more balanced experience.

For someone truly pressed for time, Dolphin is a revelation.

For someone wanting a bit more room to breathe creatively, Creator is a solid choice.

I recall the initial surprise with Dolphin, seeing a decent website appear almost magically.

It’s a testament to how far automated website generation has come.

Explore Jimdo's options for quick setup or more control at: jimdo.com.

Strikingly: The One-Pager Specialist

Strikingly is designed primarily for single-page websites.

This made it an interesting choice for my multi-page bakery site, as I had to adapt.

However, it also highlights Strikingly's core strength: creating impactful, focused landing pages quickly.

Its editor is very intuitive, and the templates are clean and modern.

I found it easy to add sections, customize content, and arrange elements.

For a business that primarily needs a strong online brochure or a lead generation page, Strikingly is excellent.

Adapting "The Flourishing Loaf" to fit its single-page structure meant condensing information and using anchor links to simulate navigation.

This was a good exercise in content prioritization.

The e-commerce features are basic, designed for selling a few items directly from the page.

It’s not meant for a large, complex product catalog.

The simplicity is its charm.

You can get a visually appealing, functional single-page site up and running in no time.

I remember thinking how elegant it would be for a local artist or a consultant to showcase their services.

It’s about making a clear, direct statement.

While not ideal for a multi-page site with a substantial e-commerce component, its efficiency for its intended purpose is undeniable.

If your needs are focused, Strikingly is worth considering.

Find out more about their streamlined approach at: strikingly.com.

The Niche and The Powerful: For Specific Needs

These platforms often cater to particular types of users or offer advanced functionalities that set them apart.

WordPress.org (Self-Hosted): The Ultimate in Control

It's important to distinguish between WordPress.com (a hosted service) and WordPress.org (the open-source software you host yourself).

For this exercise, I focused on the self-hosted WordPress.org, as it represents the pinnacle of flexibility and control.

This is not a traditional "website builder" in the drag-and-drop sense.

It's a Content Management System (CMS) that requires a bit more technical setup.

You need to arrange hosting, install WordPress, and then choose a theme and plugins.

The initial setup is undeniably more complex than any of the other platforms.

However, the payoff is immense.

With WordPress, the only real limit is your imagination and your willingness to learn.

I used a popular page builder plugin within WordPress to replicate the drag-and-drop experience.

The flexibility in terms of design, functionality, and e-commerce (via plugins like WooCommerce) is unparalleled.

For "The Flourishing Loaf," I could build exactly the menu structure I wanted, integrate a booking system, and have full control over the online ordering process.

The SEO capabilities are also top-tier, with countless plugins offering granular control.

The learning curve is steep, especially for beginners.

There's a vast ecosystem of themes and plugins, which is both a strength and a potential source of confusion.

But for those willing to invest the time, WordPress.org offers a power and freedom that no other platform can match.

As a wise individual once said, "The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow."

And WordPress is like building your own stall in that town square, with all the tools to make it exactly how you want it.

For developers and those who want complete ownership and customization, WordPress.org is the undisputed champion.

You can delve into the world of WordPress.org at: wordpress.org.

Squarespace Business (as a stepping stone): For Those Wanting More

While I've already covered Squarespace as a design choice, its "Business" plan is worth a brief mention for its e-commerce capabilities, bridging the gap for small retailers.

This plan unlocks more robust selling features than their lower tiers.

It allowed me to set up products, manage inventory, and offer discounts, which was sufficient for the bakery's needs without the full commitment of a dedicated e-commerce platform.

It felt like a natural upgrade path for a business that started with a strong informational website and wanted to add selling capabilities.

The integration with the overall Squarespace aesthetic is seamless.

The checkout experience, while not as deeply customizable as Shopify, felt polished and trustworthy.

It's a good middle ground for businesses that prioritize design but also need to sell online.

Ghost: For Content Creators

Ghost is a platform specifically designed for publishers, bloggers, and those who want to build a membership or newsletter business.

It’s lean, fast, and focused entirely on content.

For "The Flourishing Loaf," its core strength – its excellent content editor and publishing workflow – wasn't the primary focus.

However, if the bakery also had a strong editorial component, perhaps a blog with baking tips, Ghost would be an incredibly compelling choice.

Its clean interface and focus on readability are exceptional.

The subscription and membership features are built-in and sophisticated.

It’s the antithesis of a drag-and-drop visual builder.

It’s about crafting words and presenting them beautifully and efficiently.

I remember admiring the pure elegance of its writing interface.

It’s a tool for storytellers.

While not the best fit for a purely transactional e-commerce site, its dedication to content excellence makes it a standout for a specific type of online presence.

You can explore the world of premium publishing at: ghost.org.

Webflow: The Designer's Powerhouse

Webflow sits in a fascinating space, appealing to both designers and developers.

It offers a visual development platform that allows for highly custom, complex designs without requiring traditional coding.

It's like having the power of code editors with a visual interface.

For "The Flourishing Loaf," building the site in Webflow felt like a very different experience.

The editor is powerful, with a deep understanding of CSS and web design principles.

You can create interactions, animations, and custom layouts with incredible precision.

The learning curve is significantly steeper than most drag-and-drop builders.

It's a platform that demands a certain level of technical understanding, even if you're not writing code.

However, the results are often stunning.

The e-commerce features are robust and can be customized extensively.

I found myself wrestling with some of the more advanced interactions, but the sheer control over the final output was exhilarating.

It's for those who want to push the boundaries of website design and functionality.

As the renowned designer Stefan Sagmeister once observed, "Design is about making things useful and beautiful."

Webflow certainly empowers that pursuit.

It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those who want to create truly unique and sophisticated web experiences, it’s a game changer.

Discover the possibilities of visual development at: webflow.com.

The Surprising Finds: Unexpected Strengths

Sometimes, the platforms you least expect can offer the most pleasant surprises, whether it's through simplicity, unique features, or great value.

GoDaddy Website Builder: The Familiar Name

GoDaddy is primarily known for domain registration and hosting, but their website builder is a solid option, especially for those already within their ecosystem.

It’s a drag-and-drop editor that balances ease of use with decent customisation.

I found it to be a very straightforward experience for building the bakery site.

The interface is clean and uncluttered, and adding content felt intuitive.

The e-commerce features are basic but functional, sufficient for a small online shop like "The Flourishing Loaf."

What’s appealing about GoDaddy’s builder is its integration with their other services.

If you already own your domain through GoDaddy, it’s a seamless transition to building your site.

It felt less about groundbreaking innovation and more about reliable execution.

It’s a practical choice for individuals and small businesses who want a functional website without a steep learning curve.

I recall thinking how accessible it was, like a familiar pair of comfortable shoes.

It gets the job done efficiently and without fuss.

Explore GoDaddy's website building services at: godaddy.com.

Hostinger Website Builder: Value and Performance

Hostinger is another hosting provider that offers a competitive website builder.

I was pleasantly surprised by the performance and features offered at their price point.

The builder itself is a visual editor that’s quite easy to navigate.

It offers a good selection of templates, and customisation is straightforward.

For "The Flourishing Loaf," it provided a good foundation for the site, and the e-commerce features were adequate for a small operation.

What stands out with Hostinger is the value for money.

You often get a website builder included with affordable hosting plans, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious users.

The speed of the builder itself was also impressive, with quick loading times and a responsive interface.

It’s a platform that demonstrates that you don’t always need to spend a fortune to get a capable website.

I found it to be a sensible, practical choice, especially for those who are also looking for reliable hosting.

It’s a testament to the fact that good tools can come at accessible prices.

Learn more about Hostinger’s integrated solutions at: hostinger.com.

SITE123: The Pure Simplicity Approach

SITE123 lives up to its name.

It’s arguably the simplest website builder I encountered.

The process is highly guided.

You choose a template, then go through a series of sections, filling in your content.

There’s very little room for error, which is a double-edged sword.

For someone who is terrified of technology, this is a dream.

For someone who wants to experiment with design, it can feel limiting.

I found it incredibly quick to set up the basic pages for the bakery.

The e-commerce is basic, but functional for selling a few items.

The focus here is entirely on speed and ease of use, to the point where it feels almost automated.

It’s about getting a professional-looking site online with the absolute minimum of effort.

I remember thinking how a truly non technical person could achieve a presentable result with SITE123.

It democratises website creation in its purest form.

If your only goal is to have a functional, attractive website with minimal hassle, SITE123 is an excellent option.

Discover the simplicity of SITE123 at: site123.com.

The Verdict: So, Which is the BEST?

After twenty builds, countless cups of tea, and more than a few moments of existential website builder dread, I can definitively say this:

There is no single "BEST" website builder.

This might sound like a cop-out, but it’s the honest truth.

The "best" builder is entirely dependent on your individual needs, your technical skill level, your budget, and your ultimate goals for your website.

If you want ultimate creative freedom and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, Wix or Webflow might be your go-to. Webflow for the more design-savvy, Wix for a broader creative approach.

If pristine aesthetics and a guided design process are paramount, Squarespace is hard to beat.

For serious e-commerce with ambitions of scale, Shopify remains the industry standard, though it's overkill for simple sites.

If you need a quick, functional online store without breaking the bank, Weebly or Hostinger’s builder offer excellent value.

For those who want complete control and are willing to invest time in learning, WordPress.org is the most powerful and flexible solution available.

For the absolute beginner who just needs a simple online presence now, Jimdo Dolphin or SITE123 provide unparalleled speed and simplicity.

And for content creators who prioritise their writing and community building, Ghost is exceptional.

My journey building "The Flourishing Loaf" twenty times was an invaluable experience.

It transformed my understanding from theoretical knowledge to practical, hands-on insight.

Each platform offered a unique journey, a different set of tools, and a distinct philosophy.

The key takeaway for anyone looking to build a website is to first understand their own requirements.

What do you need your website to do?

Who is it for?

What is your budget?

What is your comfort level with technology?

Answering these questions will point you towards the builder that feels not just capable, but right.

It’s about finding the tool that empowers your vision, rather than hinders it.

And sometimes, the journey of trying a few different options yourself is the most effective way to find that perfect fit.

The internet is a vast and exciting place, and having a well-built website is your invitation to join the conversation.