Website Builders Software for SMBs, Startups, and Freelancers

Building a website from scratch can be daunting – it requires coding knowledge, design skills, and time to handle everything from layout and mobile responsiveness to hosting and SEO. Website builder tools (also known as website builder software or apps) address these pain points by providing an easy, all-in-one platform for site creation. With a website builder, users can visually design pages using drag-and-drop editors instead of writing code. These platforms also come with pre-designed templates and integrated features, so individuals and small businesses can launch a professional, functional website quickly and cost-effectively.

Common Features of Website Builder Software

Most website builder platforms offer a core set of features to streamline the web design process. Common capabilities include:

• Drag-and-Drop Editor: An intuitive visual editor that lets users design page layouts by dragging and positioning elements, with no coding required.
• Pre-Designed Templates & Themes: A library of professional templates or themes to start with. Users can choose a design and customize it with their own branding – adjusting colors, fonts, images, and layout to create a unique look.
• Responsive Design: Mobile-friendly, responsive templates that automatically adapt your site to look good on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This ensures visitors have a great experience on any device.
• Built-in SEO Tools: Features to help improve search engine visibility – for example, the ability to edit meta titles and descriptions, customize page URLs, add alt text to images, and generate sitemaps. These tools make it easier to optimize your site for Google and other search engines.
• Blogging & Content Management: Many website builders include a blog module or content management features, allowing you to publish articles, news, or updates easily. This helps keep your site content fresh without needing a separate CMS.
• E-Commerce Functionality: Options for adding an online store. You can create product pages, shopping carts, and integrate payment processing. While some platforms focus on basic sites and others offer robust e-commerce plans, many builders let you sell products or services directly from your website.
• Form Builders and Lead Capture: Built-in tools for forms that collect visitor information. You can quickly add contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, surveys, or other custom forms to gather leads and feedback – all without writing custom code.
• Social Media Integration: Features to connect your site with social networks. This often includes adding social share buttons or embedding social feeds, and linking to your business’s social profiles for cross-platform engagement.
• Hosting & Domain Services: Website builder software typically includes web hosting for your site, so you don’t need a separate host. You can connect a custom domain name (your web address), and many builders also provide free SSL certificates to secure your site by default.

Website Builders FAQ

What is a website builder?

A website builder is a software platform or service that allows you to create a website without manually coding it. It provides an easy-to-use interface – often with drag-and-drop design tools – so you can arrange text, images, and other elements on your site without technical expertise. Website builders also include pre-made templates and handle the web hosting and behind-the-scenes setup, letting you launch a professional website with minimal effort.

Who should use a website builder tool?

Website builder tools are ideal for anyone who wants to build a website easily without hiring a developer or learning to code. This includes small business owners, entrepreneurs, startup teams, freelancers, bloggers, artists, and non-technical individuals who need a professional online presence. If you have limited time, budget, or technical skills, a website builder offers a convenient way to get a website up and running quickly. Even experienced web designers might use builders for simple sites or prototypes to save time.

What’s the difference between a website builder and a CMS?

A website builder is typically an all-in-one, hosted solution with a visual editor and built-in features, designed for ease of use. A CMS (Content Management System) is software (often self-hosted) focused on managing content, which may require more technical setup and maintenance. In short, a website builder is more beginner-friendly (providing templates, drag-and-drop editing, and automatic hosting), whereas a CMS offers greater flexibility and power but is geared toward users with more technical expertise. For example, with a CMS you usually need to install the software on a web server and add plugins for extra features, while a website builder comes with hosting and many features ready out-of-the-box.

Do website builder apps support SEO?

Yes. Most website builder apps include built-in SEO tools to help your site rank well on search engines. You can typically edit page titles and meta descriptions, set heading tags, and optimize images (e.g. add alt text) for SEO. Many builders also generate sitemaps and ensure your site is mobile-friendly by default – all important for Google rankings. While the specific SEO features vary by platform, website builders are generally designed to create clean, SEO-friendly websites. You’ll still need to create quality content and use good keywords, but the builder provides the tools to implement SEO best practices.

How customizable are website builder platforms?

Website builders offer a high degree of customization within their templates and tools. You can choose from a variety of templates and then customize the design extensively – changing layouts, colors, fonts, images, and more – all without coding. Most builders let you add pages and rearrange elements freely to fit your needs. Some platforms even allow advanced users to insert custom code or CSS for further tweaks. However, you are generally limited to the features and design options provided by the builder. In practice, though, modern website builders give you plenty of flexibility to create a unique, branded website that doesn’t look “cookie-cutter.”