What's the best website builder for a small business in 2026?
A small business website has more than one owner. Pick the builder your whole team can keep up to date for years, not the one with the nicest demo.
A freelancer picks a website builder for one person. A small business picks it for five or six: the owner who signs off, the sales rep who updates a service page, the office manager who posts a job opening, the agency that steps in twice a year. That team will change, too. The employee who built the site will leave one day, with the login in their head.
The short answer: go with Squarespace Core if several coworkers need to edit the site with zero training, since contributors are unlimited from that plan up. Pick WordPress if you publish often and want the freedom to switch developers without rebuilding. Choose Wix to get a full site with bookings and forms running this week. And if an agency runs your site, ask whether they build on Duda or WordPress, two platforms where the account can stay in your name.
For every builder, we looked at four things the big roundups skip: how many people can edit the site on each plan, what three full years cost once the promo ends, where your visitors' data lives, and what you can take with you when you leave.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Three kinds of small business, three answers
8 website builders for a small business team
The 3-year cost below is for the plan a team of several people will actually need, not always the cheapest one. Prices are billed yearly and exclude sales tax. WordPress.com bills in euros on its official page, so we kept its euro prices. Your domain after year one and any paid apps are not included.
| Best for | 3-year cost of the plan a team needs | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Webflow | Best for a brand-driven site | $648 (Basic) to $1,044 (CMS), plus seats | 4.3/5 | Free on webflow.io, then $18/mo | ✓ | Companies whose site is a core marketing tool | Visit → |
| 2 | WordPress | Best for staying in control | €144 (Personal) to €900 (Business) | 4.2/5 | Free, then €4/mo | ✓ | Businesses that publish often or work with a developer | Visit → |
| 3 | Wix | Best all-in-one to get started | $639.72 (Light) to $1,071.72 (Core) | 4.1/5 | Free, then $17.77/mo | ✓ | Local shops, trades with staff, nonprofits | Visit → |
| 1 | Squarespace | Best for a non-technical team | $1,044 (Core, unlimited contributors) | 4.0/5 | $19/mo billed yearly | — | Service firms, agencies, teams of 5 to 20 | Visit → |
| 5 | Shopify | Best if you sell online | $1,044 (Basic, before apps) | 4.0/5 | $29/mo billed yearly | — | Businesses where the site is mainly a store | Visit → |
| 6 | Duda | Best when an agency runs your site | $684 (Basic, 3 seats) to $1,044 (Team, 6 seats) | 3.9/5 | $19/mo billed yearly | — | Businesses that outsource their website | Visit → |
| 8 | Framer | Best for a modern look on a budget | $360 (Basic) to $1,080 (Pro) | 3.9/5 | Free, then $10/mo | ✓ | Startups and product teams with a designer | Visit → |
| 7 | Hostinger | Best for a tight budget | $119.52 upfront for 48 months (Premium) | 3.8/5 | $2.49/mo over 48 months | — | Very small teams, a few-page brochure site | Visit → |
How we compared and scored
We started from a situation small business owners describe all the time: an employee or a freelancer built the site, nobody else has the login, and the renewal charge shows up out of nowhere. The roundups ranking on Google score builders on templates and launch prices. None of them tell you how many coworkers can edit the site on each plan, or where your visitors' form data ends up.
We read the official pricing pages, the help articles on billing and privacy, the renewal terms and the export tools, then recent reviews from owners on Trustpilot and small business forums. Scores use the same five criteria as every website builder ranking in our Labs, so a builder carries the same score everywhere. Rank reflects fit for a small business team (who can edit, 3-year cost, how easy it is to leave), while the score stays the tool's score on every page we publish. That's why Squarespace ranks first with a 4.0 and Webflow sits fourth with a 4.3. Webflow and WordPress keep the score and prices from their full review. Builders whose prices we couldn't read on an official page are not ranked.
- Value for money36-month cost of the plan a team will need, renewal included, plus currency and taxes.30%
- Ease of useCan a non-technical coworker edit a page without breaking the layout?20%
- Features and depthRoles and permissions, blog, forms, multilingual, store.20%
- Customer supportA reachable human, and few billing complaints.15%
- IntegrationsConnections to your CRM and team tools, and how easy it is to export when you leave.15%
Squarespace
Squarespace has a detail most roundups miss: the number of contributors depends on the plan. Basic allows two people on the site. From Core up, it's unlimited. For a small business, that one fact usually settles the plan question. If more than two people will touch the site, Basic won't work.
Core runs $29 a month billed yearly, or $1,044 over three years, and drops transaction fees to 0%, down from 2% on Basic. Templates look polished out of the box and the mobile version follows without tweaks, so a coworker swapping a photo won't wreck the layout. Hosting, backups and SSL are included. Nobody on your team has updates to run.
The downsides are real. Data isn't hosted exclusively in the EU, which matters if you serve European customers. Running a site in two languages gets clunky fast. And in reviews, some customers report a yearly renewal charged after they canceled. Keep written proof when you cancel.
Small business tip: give each coworker the lowest access level they need. Whoever writes blog posts has no reason to see billing.
- Unlimited contributors from Core
- 0% transaction fees from Core
- Hosting, backups and security included
- ✓Several coworkers can edit safely
- ✓No technical upkeep
- ✓14-day trial, no credit card
- ✗Basic capped at 2 contributors
- ✗Not hosted exclusively in the EU
- ✗Bilingual sites are hard to manage
The easiest pick for a team that wants a good-looking site and zero maintenance. If you need three languages or full control over hosting, look at WordPress instead.
WordPress
WordPress is the only builder here designed from day one for several writers. User roles are built in: an administrator controls everything, an editor publishes and fixes other people's posts, an author publishes only their own, a contributor drafts without publishing. That's exactly the approval flow a small business needs: sales drafts, the owner reviews, then it goes live.
There are two versions. WordPress.com is hosted and ready to go, from €4 to €45 a month billed yearly. For a business, Business at €25 a month is often where you land, because it's the first plan that allows plugins (advanced forms, CRM connections). That's €900 over three years. WordPress.org, the free software, runs on any host you choose for €5 to €20 a month.
The catch is upkeep. Self-hosted, core, theme and plugin updates are on you, and that's the hidden cost owners discover in year two. Several small business owners say it's the one reason they moved to Wix.
Small business tip: create one named account per person, never a shared login. When someone leaves, you delete their account and reassign their posts in two clicks.
- Built-in roles: admin, editor, author, contributor
- Content exports to any other WordPress
- Host anywhere you like
- ✓Native draft-review-publish workflow
- ✓No lock-in to one company
- ✓Largest pool of plugins and developers
- ✗Updates and security to manage when self-hosted
- ✗No plugins before Business on WordPress.com
- ✗2% to 10% payment fees before Commerce
The safest choice if you want to own your site long term. With nobody to run updates, go with WordPress.com Business or a maintenance contract. Read our full WordPress review.
Wix
Wix is the builder most owners try first, because its drag-and-drop editor is the easiest to pick up. Appointment booking, quote forms, a small store, a blog: almost everything happens in one dashboard, without hiring anyone.
Its official international pricing page lists $17.77 a month for Light and $29.77 for Core, billed yearly. A business that takes payments online will need Core at least: $1,071.72 over three years.
Two things deserve a close look before you sign. First, Wix's own help center says it doesn't email you before an annual plan renews. The charge just lands, and that's the top complaint on Trustpilot. Second, leaving: Wix doesn't export your full site. Blog posts can come with you, the rest gets rebuilt. On privacy, Wix says it stores data on servers in Europe and the United States.
Small business tip: put the renewal date on the team's shared calendar a month ahead. That's your window to renew, downgrade or move.
- Easiest editor in this ranking
- Bookings, forms and store built in
- Free plan to build before paying
- ✓No technical skills needed
- ✓Everything in one place, no plugins
- ✓Large app marketplace
- ✗No reminder before annual renewal
- ✗Full site can't be exported
- ✗Data on servers in Europe and the US
Great for launching a complete site fast without outside help. A growing business should know that leaving Wix means rebuilding somewhere else.
Webflow
Webflow splits two jobs other builders blur together. A designer builds the structure, pixel by pixel. Then your marketing team fills in content (posts, case studies, product pages) in a simplified editor that can't break the layout. For a business working with an agency, that's a healthy setup.
Pricing has two layers. First the site plan: $18 a month for Basic, $29 for CMS once you want a blog, which is $1,044 over three years. Then workspace seats, billed separately for each person who edits. That second line is the one small businesses underestimate. Count it before you sign, not after your third hire.
The limit is the learning curve. Touching the structure means understanding how the web works (boxes, margins, classes). If nobody on your team or at your agency knows it, you'll depend on them for every new page.
Small business tip: build and approve the whole site on the free plan at a webflow.io address. You only start paying when you connect your domain.
- Structure and content kept separate
- Clean code, fast pages
- Page code export
- ✓Custom look for a strong brand
- ✓Marketing team edits content on its own
- ✓Solid SEO foundation
- ✗Editor seats cost extra
- ✗Steep learning curve for structure
- ✗Store plans pricey next to Shopify
The best tool for a business that invests in its brand and has a designer on hand. Without one, WordPress or Squarespace will feel easier. Read our full Webflow review.
Shopify
Shopify only belongs on this list if you really sell online. Inventory, payments, shipping, taxes, social selling: it's all there, and thousands of apps fill the gaps, from loyalty programs to point-of-sale sync.
Basic costs $29 a month billed yearly, or $1,044 over three years. If you take payments through a provider other than Shopify's own, extra fees apply: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, 0.2% on Plus. If you already have a merchant account with your bank, run that math before picking a plan.
The limit is the real bill. Paid themes and monthly apps stack on top of the subscription. Some reviewers say they were billed for months on a store they weren't using. A paused store has to be paused in settings, not just forgotten.
Small business tip: list the apps you can't live without (reviews, invoicing, accounting sync) and add up their monthly prices. Compare that total to Wix or Squarespace, not the base plan.
- Most complete store in this ranking
- Multiple sales channels
- Huge app ecosystem
- ✓Inventory and shipping built in
- ✓Scales without switching tools
- ✓Plenty of specialized developers
- ✗Paid apps on top
- ✗Fees if you pay outside Shopify Payments
- ✗Too much for a brochure site
Unbeatable when your revenue runs through the site. For a brochure site with three products, Squarespace Core or Wix will do.
Duda
You probably won't pick Duda yourself. It's the platform many web agencies use to deliver sites to small businesses. It's still worth knowing, because it answers a question owners ask too late: who holds the keys to the site?
Duda counts seats in every plan. Basic, at $19 a month billed yearly, gives 3 seats for one site. Team, at $29, gives 6. Over three years, that's $684 and $1,044. Your agency can give you limited access to certain content while keeping control of the structure. Basic includes 150 AI credits and up to 1,000 pages.
The downsides: the yearly plan is paid upfront, in dollars, with taxes added. And the tool is built for web professionals, not for an owner who wants to do everything alone.
Small business tip: if your agency builds on Duda, ask in writing who owns the account and what happens the day you switch agencies.
- Seats counted in every plan
- Limited client access built in
- 1,000 pages and 150 AI credits on Basic
- ✓Clear split between agency and in-house team
- ✓Team plan with 6 seats
- ✓Designed for ongoing agency upkeep
- ✗Yearly plan paid upfront
- ✗Taxes on top of listed price
- ✗Not built for solo DIY
A good sign if your agency uses it and gives you a named login. If you want to run the site yourself, Wix or Squarespace are more direct.
Hostinger
Hostinger is a web host that bundles an AI website builder into its plans. Answer a few questions about your business and you get a draft layout, which you then refine block by block.
Over three years, it's by far the cheapest option here: Premium costs $119.52 upfront for 48 months, which covers your three years and one more. The trap comes later. At renewal, Premium jumps to $10.99 a month, more than four times the intro price. Promo prices also move often, so check the pricing page the day you buy.
For a team, the downsides add up: a closed editor that's hard to leave, and first-line support handled by AI, which several reviewers complain about. If several people need different permission levels, this isn't the right fit.
Small business tip: write down the end date of your 48 months the day you buy. Renewal is automatic, for the same term, at full price.
- Cheapest over 3 years
- AI builder included
- Hosting bundled in
- ✓Live in one evening
- ✓Very low upfront total
- ✓Domain included the first year
- ✗Renews at $10.99/mo, over 4x the intro price
- ✗Hard to migrate away
- ✗AI-first support
Hard to beat for a small brochure site on a budget. A business that plans to grow will pay back later what it saves now.
Framer
Framer comes from interface design, and it shows: animations, transitions and modern layouts take a few clicks. Startups love it for launch pages and product sites.
It's one of the cheapest design-first options: Basic is $10 a month with 30 pages and 2 content collections, or $360 over three years. Pro at $30 a month raises that to 150 pages and 10 collections, $1,080 over three years.
The limit is depth. If you plan a blog, a case study library and a team page, two collections run out fast. There's no real built-in store, and support is lighter than at Wix or Squarespace. Before you commit, check how many people can edit on each plan with Framer directly, since that's the number that matters for a team.
Small business tip: map your content types before picking a plan. Hitting the Basic ceiling means jumping to Pro, three times the price.
- Modern animations without code
- Basic at $10/mo
- Very fast to publish
- ✓Sharp, current design
- ✓Low entry price for a design-led site
- ✓Domain included with yearly billing
- ✗Only 2 collections on Basic
- ✗No real built-in store
- ✗Lighter support
A smart pick for a product-led startup with a designer. A service business with lots of content will be more comfortable on WordPress or Webflow.
What your site costs once the whole team uses it
For a business, the intro price is the wrong number. The right one is the plan your team will need, paid for three years, with seats and taxes on top. Here are six lines to put in your spreadsheet before you choose.
How many people edit the site
The end of the promo
Sales tax
Domain and email
Upkeep
Fees on sales
Six safeguards so the site stays your company's
A small business site collects data (contact forms, quote requests, job applications) and usually outlives the people who built it. These six safeguards cover both sides: privacy, and the day you switch builders or agencies.
One login per person, the company as owner
From day oneOpen the main account in the company's name with a shared address (like web@yourcompany.com), never an employee's or freelancer's personal email. Then give each coworker their own login. When someone leaves, you remove one user instead of hunting for a password.
- Contributors on Squarespace Basic
- 2
Ask where the data is stored
Before you chooseBuilders give different answers. Wix says it uses servers in Europe and the US. Squarespace doesn't host exclusively in the EU. WordPress.com transfers data outside the EU, while self-hosted WordPress lets you pick your host and region. If you sell to European customers, GDPR applies to you, and this question matters.
- Most flexible
- Self-hosted WordPress
Download the data processing agreement
When you sign upYour builder processes your visitors' data on your behalf. Most offer a data processing agreement (DPA) that spells out how. Download it from your account or ask support, and file it with your other contracts. It's the first document a large client or auditor will ask for.
- Where to find it
- Account settings or support
Register the domain in the company's name
Before you launchA free first-year domain stays tied to the platform account. Buy your domain from an independent registrar, in the company's name, and point it at your builder. Your brand, email and search rankings follow you if you switch.
- Typical free domain
- 1 year, with yearly billing
Check the export before you write a word
Before you chooseWordPress exports all your content into a file any other WordPress can read. Webflow exports your page code. Wix won't let the full site go: only blog posts come with you. Five minutes in a trial account's settings tells you what you'll be able to take.
- Most portable
- WordPress
Keep a list of every page URL
On moving dayKeep an up-to-date sheet of every URL on your site. When you switch builders, each old URL gets a 301 redirect to its new address. That's what keeps you from losing in a few weeks the rankings you built over years.
- Redirect type
- 301 (permanent)
Still on the fence? Dig deeper
These pages pick up where this one stops.
Eight builders and their real 3-year cost.
You want a custom-built small business siteWebflow, WordPress and PageCloud for small businessOur first small business ranking.
You're on WordPress and upkeep is wearing you downWordPress alternativesWhere to move, and what you gain.
Small business website builder · FAQ
How much does a small business website cost per year?
On a plan that fits a team, expect about $348 a year for Squarespace Core, €300 for WordPress.com Business, or $357.24 for Wix Core, all billed yearly. Add your domain from year two, professional email per person, and a maintenance retainer if your WordPress is self-hosted.Wix or Squarespace for a small business?
Squarespace if several coworkers will edit the site: Core gives unlimited contributors for $29 a month. Wix if you want bookings, forms and a small store set up by one person, fast. Keep in mind that neither exports your full site if you leave later.How many people can edit the site?
It depends on the plan. Squarespace allows 2 contributors on Basic and unlimited from Core. Duda gives 3 seats on Basic and 6 on Team. Webflow bills each editor seat separately. WordPress has no account limit and gives each user a role.Do I need a web designer or can I do it myself?
A builder is enough if someone on your team has a few hours a month to keep it current. Hire help when the site drives a real share of sales or brand. Either way, insist that the account is in the company's name: on Duda or WordPress, the agency works inside your account, not theirs.Can I move my site to another builder later?
Yes, but content doesn't always come with you. WordPress exports everything, Webflow exports the code, Wix only lets blog posts go. Plan to rebuild pages, forms and layout, and set up a 301 redirect from every old URL so you keep your search rankings.What happens if the employee who managed the site quits?
If the account is in their name, you can lose access to the subscription, the domain and billing. Before anyone leaves, make sure the main account uses a company address, change passwords and remove their personal login. With named accounts per person, that takes five minutes.What's the cheapest builder with a custom domain?
Over three years, Hostinger Premium: $119.52 paid upfront covers 48 months, with the AI builder and the first-year domain included. The catch is renewal at $10.99 a month afterward. WordPress.com Personal at €4 a month is the cheapest without a long upfront commitment.Do I need to worry about GDPR as a US small business?
Only if you collect data from people in the EU, for example through a contact form or online store that serves European customers. In that case, check where your builder stores data, sign its data processing agreement, and show a clear privacy notice on your forms.