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 the tools bundled into a builder determine how useful it actually is. No amount of great design or low pricing can make up for a platform that can't do what you need it to do.

The main features category covers the following four criteria: 

• Number of contributors: Whether all plans support multiple collaborators editing the same site
• Unlimited storage: Whether all plans remove storage caps so the site can grow freely
• Professional email: Whether all plans include a branded email address (e.g., you@yourdomain.com)
• Photo editor: Whether all plans include a built-in image editing tool

How we rate it: 

• Best: Option for at least five or more collaborators, unlimited storage space, professional email, and a built-in photo editor all included on paid plans
• Worst: Less than five collaborators on limited plans, capped storage, no professional email included, and no image editing capabilities

Ecommerce

Ecommerce measures the depth of built-in selling tools. We check whether the platform supports four core commerce scenarios a small business is likely to need: selling physical goods, offering subscriptions, processing in-person payments, and running promotions.

How we rate it:

• Best: Includes physical product support, subscription support, in-person support, and discount support
• Worst: No ecommerce functionality 

Other tools

Finally, we review web builders for their inclusion of the following tools:

• Site analytics: Built-in data on how your site is performing, including page views, traffic sources, and visitor behavior
• SEO tools: Hands-on control over the signals that affect search engine visibility, such as page titles, meta descriptions, URL slugs, image alt text, and sitemaps
• AI tools: Inclusion of AI-powered assistance for generating content, suggesting copy, creatings images, and more

How we rate it:

• Best: Site analytics, SEO tools, and AI tools on all paid plans
• Worst: No site analytics, SEO tools, or AI tools included

Design (25%)

Design is the second-most important category in our star ratings because it dictates the quality of what it helps you create. We assess a web builder's design capabilities based on the depth of customization available, the quality and size of the template library, and the overall aesthetic standard of sites the builder produces. 

How we rate it: 

• Best: A fully flexible drag-and-drop editor with at least 100 professionally designed templates

• Worst: A rigid editor with few customization options and no template library

Editor's score (20%)

The editor's score combines two things: our direct user experience of building a real site with the platform, and a catch-all assessment of anything meaningful not already captured by the other criteria. This includes things like onboarding quality, whether the platform's marketing matches reality, and whether we'd trust this product enough to recommend it to someone we know.

After signing up, we pay attention to how intuitive the editor is for a first-time user, how reliably the platform performs, how long setup takes, and whether the day-to-day workflow feels smooth or frustrating.

How we rate it: 

• Best: Intuitive from signup, to web design, to publishing
• Worst: Confusing onboarding, an editor that's frustrating to use, unreliable publishing

Domain (5%)

Domain measures how well a builder supports professional web addresses. We check whether the platform lets you connect a custom domain (e.g., yourbusiness.com) and whether a free domain registration is bundled with paid plans.

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 builder offers fair pricing relative to what it delivers. We look at the lowest paid plan price, whether a genuinely usable free version is available, and whether there is a free trial or money-back guarantee long enough to properly evaluate the product.

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 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%

With the star ratings, we can recommend the best web builders for your website needs.