How We Test, Rate, and Review Web Builders

We've tested 20+ web builders over the past two years to distinguish the best options from the worst. Our ratings are based on firsthand testing, not aggregated opinions.

Our team creates real accounts, builds test websites, and evaluates each platform against a consistent set of criteria. Our final star rating is a weighted combination across six categories: features, design, domain, value, customer support, and our editor's score.

Learn more about how we test, rate, and review web builders below.

Features (40%)

Features carry the most weight in our scoring because they determine what you can realistically build and manage long-term. A polished editor doesn't matter much if you hit a storage cap six months in or discover you can't add a team member without upgrading to a more expensive plan.

Number of contributors

First, we evaluate whether a paid plan supports multiple people editing the same site. This matters if you have a business partner, a contractor, or a team managing content.

How we test it: We check each plan tier to see how many editors or collaborators are allowed, and whether that limit applies to the plan most users would realistically start on. Some platforms advertise collaboration but restrict it to their highest-tier plans.

How we rate it:

• Best: Five or more collaborators available on all plans
• Worst: Collaborators locked to higher tiers, or not supported at all

Unlimited storage

Then, we determine whether a plan includes unlimited storage so your site can grow without hitting a wall as you add images, video, and other media.

How we test it: We check the advertised storage limit and verify whether it applies to media uploads and site assets combined or separately. Some platforms advertise "unlimited" in their marketing but cap bandwidth or individual file sizes in the fine print, so we read the plan details carefully.

How we rate it:

• Best: No storage caps on any paid plan
• Worst: All plans have storage caps

Professional email

Next, we check whether a paid plan includes a branded email address (e.g., you@yourbusiness.com) without requiring a separate third-party purchase.

How we test it: We look at what's included in the base paid plan versus what requires an add-on. Several platforms bundle professional email as a first-year perk that disappears on renewal or is only available on higher tiers, which we note.

How we rate it:

• Best: Branded email included on all paid plans, no add-on required
• Worst: No email option, or email available only through a separate paid service

Photo editor

Finally, we look for a built-in image editing tool, so you can crop, resize, and adjust photos without leaving the builder.

How we rate it:

• Best: A functional built-in editor on all paid plans 
• Worst: No editing tools included

Ecommerce

With ecommerce tools, we focus on four core scenarios: selling physical products, offering subscriptions, processing in-person payments, and running promotions. A platform that only handles one or two of these may not be enough if your business model is more complex.

How we test it: We attempt to set up each of these four commerce scenarios using only the tools built into the platform, no third-party integrations. We also check for third-party payment processor support (like PayPal), sales tax calculation, customer account creation, and product review functionality. 

How we rate it:

• Best: Physical products, subscriptions, in-person payment processing, and discount tools all available without third-party add-ons
• Worst: No ecommerce functionality included

Site analytics 

Site analytics are built-in data on how your site is performing, including page views, traffic sources, and visitor behavior. Without analytics, you're guessing whether your site is actually working.

How we test it: We publish our test site and check whether the platform provides a built-in dashboard showing traffic data. We note whether analytics require a third-party connection (like Google Analytics) or are genuinely native to the platform.

How we rate it:

• Best: Native analytics on all paid plans with no third-party setup required
• Worst: No analytics offered; users must connect an external tool independently

SEO tools

SEO tools should include hands-on control over the signals that affect search engine visibility, such as page titles, meta descriptions, URL slugs, image alt text, and sitemaps.

How we test it: We check whether each of these fields is editable on a per-page basis without needing to access code. We also verify whether the platform automatically generates or submits a sitemap.

How we rate it:

• Best: Full control over page titles, meta descriptions, URL slugs, image alt text, and sitemap generation on all paid plans

• Worst: No SEO controls; page titles or URLs are locked or auto-generated with no way to customize them

AI tools

We also check for AI-powered assistance for generating copy, suggesting edits, creating images, or building site sections from prompts.

How we test it: We document every AI feature available, then use them as a first-time user would, giving realistic prompts and evaluating whether the output is actually usable or just a rough starting point that requires significant editing.

How we rate it:

• Best: AI tools for content and image generation on all paid plans, with output that's genuinely useful with minimal editing
• Worst: No AI tools included

Design (25%)

Design is the second-most weighted category because it dictates the quality of what the platform helps you create. A builder can check every feature box and still be frustrating if its editor is rigid or its templates look dated. 

We assess design capability based on three things: the flexibility of the editor, the size and quality of the template library, and the aesthetic standard of the sites the platform actually produces.

How we test it: We build a test site using a template from the platform's library, then attempt to customize it by changing fonts, colors, and layouts and adding our own content. We keep track of the designer's ease of use, whether the platform limits what we can move or change, and whether the finished site looks like something we'd actually want to publish. 

We also check whether responsive mobile versions are generated automatically or require manual adjustment.

How we rate it:

• Best: A fully flexible drag-and-drop editor with 100+ professionally designed templates that allow meaningful customization without touching code

• Worst: A rigid editor with few customization options, a limited or low-quality template library, or output that looks generic regardless of how much time you invest

Editor's score (20%)

The editor's score is where we capture any nuances that don't fit neatly into a scoring category. This includes factors like an onboarding flow that was genuinely well-designed, workflows that feel clunky, or platforms that overpromise in their marketing and underdelivered in practice.

How we test it: We sign up for a paid plan and build a test site from scratch, approaching the platform the way a first-time user would. We track how long core tasks take, where we got confused or had to backtrack, and whether the finished result matched what the platform's own examples suggested was achievable. 

We also check whether features advertised prominently are actually included at the plan level most users would choose, not hidden behind a higher tier.

How we rate it:

• Best: Intuitive from signup through publish, with an experience that matches what was advertised and a product we'd trust to recommend
• Worst: A confusing or misleading onboarding experience, and an editor that's difficult to use
  

Domain (5%)

A custom domain is one of the most basic markers of a professional website. A site stuck on a platform subdomain (e.g., yoursite.wixsite.com) signals to visitors that it's not a fully committed site. We evaluate whether a platform supports connecting a custom domain and whether it bundles one for free with a paid plan.

How we test it: We check whether custom domain connection is available at the plan level most users would start with, not just on premium tiers. We also verify whether a free domain offer applies on renewal or only in the first year, which platforms don't always make obvious upfront. 

How we rate it:

• Best: Custom domain connection supported on all paid plans, with a free domain included for the first year
• Worst: No custom domain support at all; the site is locked to a platform subdomain

Value (5%)

Value measures whether a platform's pricing is fair given what it actually delivers, especially relative to competitors. We look at the entry-level paid plan price, whether a free plan is genuinely usable (not just a placeholder designed to push upgrades), and whether there's a trial or money-back period long enough to properly evaluate the product.

How we test it: We compare each platform's entry-level paid plan against the category average and assess what's included relative to the price. 

How we rate it:

• Best: Low monthly price, a usable free plan, and a 30-day money-back guarantee
• Worst: High introductory price with no free tier and no trial period whatsoever

Customer support (5%)

Customer support measures how easy it is to get help when something goes wrong. We assess which channels are available on standard plans and reach out ourselves during the review process to evaluate response quality and speed.

How we test it: We reach out to each platform's support team during our testing period via the channel available on the plan tier we're evaluating. We measure response time and assess whether the response actually addressed our question or defaulted to generic documentation links.

How we rate it:

• Best: Live chat, email, and phone support all available on standard plans
• Worst: No direct support channels

How we calculate our ratings

Each web builder is scored across 11 criteria grouped into six categories, then combined using the weights below. The resulting number out of five becomes the web builder's star rating.

Category	What it covers	Weight
Editor's score	The ease of use and intuitiveness while testing the product, along with anything else not covered by the other categories	20%
Value	Lowest paid plan price, free version, and free trial/money-back guarantee	5%
Domain	Custom domain support, free domain inclusion	5%
Features	Number of contributors, storage space, professional email inclusion, photo editor inclusion, and breadth of ecommerce, SEO, and AI tools	40%
Design	Quality of web design and number of templates included	25%
Customer support	Number and type of support channels	5%

We retest products at least annually or when platforms make significant changes to their plans or features, so we can update our ratings accordingly. With the star ratings, we can recommend the best web builders for your website needs.