There comes a point in every freelancer’s career that building a website is necessary to help establish a better, more professional-looking presence online. Fortunately, technology has evolved to the point where you can build your website without having to know how to code, using website builders! But what are the best website builders for freelancers in 2023?
The 10 best website builders for freelancers in 2023 are:
- WordPress
- Squarespace
- Wix
- GoDaddy
- Weebly
- IONOS
- Jimdo
- Duda
- Shopify
- Zyro
Website builders offer themes and templates for different industries that freelancers can choose and customise as they see fit. You can use them to create a place for your small business, a portfolio to share with potential clients, or an online store.
The website builders below are in no particular order, and pricing is correct as of February 2022. Note that some pricing is given as a monthly rate, but using the annual billing cycle. Some prices may also increase after your first year, so bear in mind your long term plans!
We’ll keep updating this list as we come across more useful website builders for freelancers, but for now, let’s get into it!
Best Website Builders For Freelancers
| Website Builder | Cheapest Monthly Plan | Best Feature |
| WordPress | Free | Extremely versatile |
| Squarespace | £10 / $14 | Lots of handy features |
| Wix | £3.50 (UK) / $14 (US) | Beginner friendly |
| GoDaddy | £5.59 / $6.99 | Very fast |
| Weebly | Free | Easy to use |
| IONOS | £1 / $1 | Business-focused designs |
| Jimdo | Free | Streamlined creation process |
| Duda | £14 / $19 | Plenty of features |
| Shopify | £21 / $29 | Great ecommerce platform |
| Zyro | £2.10 / $2.90 | Simple setup |
The 10 Best Website Builders for Freelancers in 2023
1. WordPress
Prices: Free (Note you can also use WordPress for free with an existing web hosting package) | Personal – £6 ($7)/month | Premium – £13 ($14)/month | Business – £27 ($33)/month | eCommerce – £47 ($59)/month
Ideal website builder for: Freelance writers, bloggers, and anyone who wants to open an online store or create a business website.
WordPress is the most popular website builder on the market. Due to its ever-growing versatility, it powers almost half of all websites on the internet. Plus, it’s just as appropriate to use for beginners as it is for more expert users.
It’s ideal for newbie freelance writers, for example, looking to create a website that they can send to potential clients as a portfolio, or where they can blog. If you are a beginner in any niche, the free option may be worth it to test the waters of website creation.
Of course, the paid plans include many more useful features that aren’t included in the free version. Some of those features include Google Analytics integration, advanced SEO tools, availability to earn ad revenue, more than 50 thousand plugins, and more.
However, you can also choose an external hosting service, like Hostinger, and integrate WordPress into your website in just a few clicks at no extra cost. As a first time website creator, it’s a good idea to consider external hosting as well as dedicated website builders to understand what is best for you.
PROS:
- Good for beginners and more experienced creators
- Paid plans are relatively cheap
- Thousands of plugins to use
- Simple integration to existing hosting
CONS:
- You may need to deal with frequent third-party plugin and theme updates
- You may see slow page speeds depending on the themes and plugins you use
2. Squarespace
Prices: Personal – £10 ($14)/month | Business – £15 ($23)/month | Basic Commerce – £20 ($27)/month | Advanced Commerce – £30 ($49)/month
Ideal website builder for: All kinds of creative freelancers.
Squarespace is a website builder that puts a lot of focus into the design and visual appeal of its websites. It is a great choice for freelancers who want to create an aesthetically pleasing, professional-looking website to display their work.
However, it’s not all about the looks. Squarespace also offers a wide range of features that freelancers can use while building their websites. Some of those features include scheduled posts, podcast support, an image editor, portfolio pages, sales analytics, and much more.
This isn’t necessarily the easiest website builder to use, but Squarespace makes sure you have access to many useful text, image, and video guides that’ll help you every step of the way. There is no free plan, but Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial for anyone who wants to try it out.
PROS:
- Modern, professional designs
- Great range of features
- Good option for online portfolios
CONS:
- Template customisation is limited
- Some integrations are only available with the more expensive plans
3. Wix
Prices: VIP – £19 ($39)/month | Unlimited – £9.50 ($18)/month | Combo – £6.50 ($14)/month | Connect Domain – £3.50/month (UK) | Pro – $23/month (US)
Ideal website builder for: Small businesses, creatives, and beginner freelancers.
Wix is a beginner-friendly website builder that is ideal for newbies and experts alike. It offers hundreds of customisable templates and features that you can use for free, without sacrificing the ease of use. Wix allows you to build websites using very intuitive drag-and-drop editing tools that make things quick and easy.
Wix also has some useful tools for those looking to set up a small online store or to take their existing business online. Optimised checkout pages, inventory management tools, and built-in coupons and discounts are only a few of the features you can benefit from.
PROS:
- Very easy to use
- Free plan available
- More than 800 templates to choose from
- Great ecommerce options
- Personalised SEO support
CONS:
- Can’t switch template once your site is live
- Slow server response times
- The range of options can be overwhelming
4. GoDaddy
Prices: Basic – £5.59 ($6.99)/month | Standard – £7.99 ($10.49)/month | Premium – £11.99 ($13.99)/month | Ecommerce – £15.99 ($14.99)/month (Note that these are their scaled prices for annual payments, and if you pay monthly, it is substantially more expensive)
Ideal website builder for: Any freelancer looking to quickly create and publish a website.
GoDaddy is well known for their domain services and web hosting, but GoDaddy also offers a website builder too.
GoDaddy’s website builder is very user-friendly and easy to use. Once you enter your details, GoDaddy creates a custom website that you can then personalise. The layouts available are simple to use, and adding new elements to your pages is pretty straightforward as well.
If you’re looking to build a powerful, highly customisable and complex website, this website builder likely isn’t for you. However, if speed, simplicity, and efficiency are what you need, then GoDaddy may just do the trick!
PROS:
- One of the fastest website builders on the market
- Switch templates at any time
- Mobile responsive
CONS:
- Only suitable for basic websites
- No SEO tools on Basic plan
- Restrictive block elements
5. Weebly
Prices: Free | Connect – £4 ($6)/month | Pro – £9 ($12)/month | Business – £18 ($26)/month
Ideal website builder for: Freelance writers/bloggers, portfolios, and small businesses.
Weebly is yet another simple and easy-to-use website builder best suited for bloggers, beginner freelancers, and small business owners. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop editor and plenty of features, such as a fully integrated shopping cart, secure checkout options, SEO, integration with Google Workspace for Business, and more. As you might expect, some of these tools are only available in the paid plans.
This website builder might not be the best choice for you if you’re looking to scale your business or expand in any way, but it will work well for anyone new to website building looking for a simple way to begin.
PROS:
- Large app store
- SEO guides
- Free plan available
CONS:
- Not the most inspiring templates
- No multilingual options
- Restricted customisation
6. IONOS
Prices: Starter – £1 ($1)/month for first 12 months, then £5 ($5)/month | Plus – £5 ($5)/month for first 6 months, then £15 ($10)/month | Pro – £10 ($10)/month for the first 6 months, then £20 ($15)/month (Note these UK prices are excluding VAT)
Ideal website builder for: Freelancers who want to create a multilingual website or run a “white collar” business.
IONOS is a basic website builder that doesn’t compare to some of the most popular ones mentioned on this list in terms of functionality. But it does set itself apart due to having extremely fast server response times, great mobile site speed and performance, and dedicated support for multilingual websites.
Freelancers and small businesses that need to build a simple and functional website without having many concerns about looks and designs will likely appreciate the IONOS website builder. It is also a great option for anyone who needs to build a website on a budget. Even though there is no free plan available, the cheapest one starts at only £/$1 per month for your first year!
PROS:
- Appropriate templates for different industries
- Set up websites in different languages
- Business-focused designs
CONS:
- Platform sometimes feels outdated
- No free plan
- Limited customisation
7. Jimdo
Prices: Play – Free | Start – £9 ($9)/month | Grow – £15 ($15)/month | Grow Legal – £2 /month (UK) | Unlimited – £39 ($)/month
Ideal website builder for: Small local businesses and freelancers.
Jimdo is considered a middle-of-the-road website builder. It’s user-friendly, easy to understand, and has some great beginner tools built in. They’re not the most amazing tools and features around, but they get the job done and compensate with usability.
Any website built with Jimdo won’t be incredibly customised and filled with endless features. However, you’ll still be able to get a very professional-looking website by using all the tools Jimdo has to offer.
Some of the features are very useful for small businesses. This website builder can directly pull online information of already existing small local businesses from Google Maps and Instagram, for example. You can also sell up to five products using the free plan and get rid of all ads by using the Start plan.
PROS:
- One of the cheapest ad-free plans of ad-enabled website builders
- Allows you to sell up to 5 products for free
- Pulls information from other online places to streamline the creation process
CONS:
- Limited customisation
- Basic websites only
- Lack of blogging functionalities
- Limited SEO capabilities
8. Duda
Prices: Basic – ~£14 ($19)/month | Team – ~£21 ($29)/month | Agency – ~£44 ($59)/month (Note you may save 25% on these prices by paying annually)
Ideal website builder for: Freelancers looking to create multiple websites for clients.
Duda is an easy-to-use website builder, with plenty of customisable templates to choose from, and a drag-and-drop editor that makes the entire process a lot more efficient. Any freelancer can use this website builder, but it was originally designed for web designers creating multiple websites for clients that wanted an alternative to WordPress.
This website builder offers some freedom when it comes to designing your sites by personalising templates that cover a wide range of industries, and it is also great for creating multilingual websites.
PROS:
- Rich features
- Somewhat customisable templates
- Many widgets and apps to choose from
- Good for multilingual websites
CONS:
- Expensive plans
- The best features are exclusive to the most advanced plans
- No great SEO tools
9. Shopify
Prices: Basic – ~£21 ($29)/month | Shopify – ~£58 ($79)/month | Advanced – ~£220 ($299)/month
Ideal website builder for: Small ecommerce businesses.
This beginner-friendly website builder is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms in existence. It is mainly designed for this purpose and comes with a large variety of online selling and store management tools.
There is no free Shopify plan, but Shopify does offer a 14-day free trial for anyone who wants to try it out. You get a variety of features, like a full blogging platform, low credit card rates, drop shipping options, SEO tools, inventory management, and much more.
Shopify is also a great option for brick-and-mortar businesses that need a place to sell inventory online as well. Whether you’re moving your store online, or starting a new one, Shopify is definitely an option to consider.
PROS:
- Integrates with WordPress
- Higher tier plans come with lower transaction fees
- 24/7 customer support
CONS:
- Most templates cost extra money to use
- Expensive plans
- Not as customisable as WordPress
10. Zyro
Prices: Website – ~£2.10 ($2.90)/month | Business – ~£3.60 ($4.90)/month | Online Store – ~£6.60 ($8.90)/month | Advanced Store – ~£11.70 ($15.90)/month (Note prices may increase after your first year)
Ideal website builder for: Anyone in need of the basics when it comes to website building.
Our final entry on our list of the best website builders for freelancers is a relatively new kind on the block. Zyro is a website builder designed for people who want to create a simple, clean-looking website without any technical skills.
It doesn’t include as many features as some of the builders mentioned in this list (like searching, archives, or commenting tools), and you can’t really customise your templates freely. However, if simplicity, efficiency, and affordable prices are what you’re looking for, Zyro could be a great choice.
PROS:
- Cheap, basic platform for beginners
- Easy-to-use template editor
- Good tools and functionalities
- Helpful grid layout
CONS:
- Can’t switch template once site is live
- Fewer features than most other builders
Which Website Builder Is Best For Freelancers?
The best website builder for freelancers is WordPress. You simply get so much control over your website and there is an abundance of themes and plugins out there to help you build the perfect website for your freelancing services. Depending on your plan or hosting needs, it can also be cheap.
Can You Build A Website For Free As A Freelancer?
You can build a website for free as a freelancer, but I don’t recommend it. The free services out there tend to be quite limited in their offerings, and so you won’t get much in the way of customization. But if you’re on a budget, there are often free trials or cheap plans to help you get started.
That does it for our list of the 10 best website builders for freelancers in 2023! Feel free to bookmark this post as a reference, and check back from time to time to see what’s new!
Check out our other guides below: