Popular Platforms for Starting a Website (Plain-English Guide)
You want a website. Maybe a simple blog, a place to book clients, or a full online store. You open Google, search for “best website platform” and suddenly there are 20 different tools shouting at you.
Which one actually fits you?
There are many popular platforms for starting a website, but they are not all built for the same thing. Some are perfect for busy beginners. Others are better for long-term growth. Some are cheap, some are simple, some are flexible, and a few are all three if you use them right.
This guide breaks things down in plain language. You will see what each platform is good at, what it struggles with, and who it really suits. By the end, you should feel confident picking one or two options to test, not stuck in comparison mode.
Here is a helpful video if you like to see tools in action before reading details:
Let’s start with the most important piece that most people skip: your goal.
Start With Your Website Goal Before Picking a Platform
Photo by Markus Winkler
The best platform is not the “most powerful” or the “most popular”. It is the one that matches what you want the site to do.
Think of platforms like vehicles. A sports car is amazing on a track, but terrible for hauling furniture. Same with websites. Shopify is amazing for stores, but not ideal if you just want a simple personal blog.
So before you look at any pricing page, get clear on three things: your goal, your tech comfort, and your budget.
Decide What Type of Website You Want to Build
First, write down one short sentence:
“My website is mainly for __________.“
Some simple examples:
- A personal blog to share stories or tips
- A small business site with services and contact info
- An online store that sells physical products
- A portfolio that shows design, photos, or writing
- A booking site where people can schedule calls or sessions
- A membership or course site with gated content
- A mix of content and selling (blog plus store, or blog plus services)
Different platforms shine in different roles:
- Great for content and blogs: WordPress, Squarespace
- Great for online stores: Shopify, WooCommerce on WordPress, some Wix setups
- Great for simple business card sites: Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, some AI builders
- Great for visual portfolios: Squarespace, Webflow, some Wix templates
If you are not sure, pick the one thing you care about most. For example:
“My main goal is to get local clients to contact me” or
“My main goal is to sell 3 physical products online.”
That sentence will make your platform choice much easier.
Be Honest About Your Tech Skill and How Much Time You Have
You do not need to be “good at tech” to launch a website in 2025. But you do need to be honest with yourself.
There are two broad types of platforms:
- All-in-one builders (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, Weebly)
- Drag and drop editors, no coding needed
- Hosting, security, and updates are handled for you
- You pay a monthly fee and work inside their system
- Self-hosted platforms (WordPress.org, static site generators)
- More freedom, many plugins and options
- You set up hosting, manage backups, and deal with updates
- Better for long-term control, more work in the short term
If you get stressed by words like “FTP”, “DNS”, or “database”, you will be happier on an all-in-one builder. That is not a bad thing. The best platform is the one that actually gets you live.
If you enjoy tinkering, do not mind learning some tech, and want full control, then self-hosted tools like WordPress.org or Webflow might be worth the extra time.
Plan a Simple Budget for Your First Year
Money matters, especially if this is a side hustle or a new project.
Here is a rough view of common website costs for your first year:
| Cost Type | Typical Range (per year) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | $10 to $20 | Example: yourname.com |
| Shared hosting | $40 to $120 | For WordPress.org and some custom setups |
| Managed WP hosting | $120 to $400+ | Easier, faster hosting for WordPress |
| Website builder fee | $120 to $480 | Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, etc. |
| Themes/templates | $0 to $100 | Many free, some premium |
| Apps/plugins | $0 to $300+ | Depends on features, like SEO or booking tools |
Some builders offer free plans, but they usually:
- Show the platform’s branding or ads
- Use a subdomain (like mysite.wixsite.com)
- Limit features or storage
Free can be fine to test, but if you want a real brand, plan at least:
- Paid domain
- Paid plan on a builder or paid hosting
Pick a simple 12-month budget you are comfortable with. You can always upgrade if your project grows.
All-in-One Website Builders: Simple Tools for Quick Websites
All-in-one builders give you hosting, templates, and design tools in a single account. You sign up, pick a template, edit some sections, and publish.
They are perfect for:
- Busy small business owners
- Creators who want to focus on content, not tech
- People building their first website
Let’s look at some of the most popular ones.
Wix: Drag and Drop Builder for Creative Freedom
Wix is one of the most well known website builders. You work in a visual editor where you can drag text boxes, images, and buttons anywhere on the page.
Common Wix use cases:
- Small business sites
- Personal or hobby sites
- Portfolios and simple brochures
- Basic online stores
Pros of Wix
- Very visual drag and drop editor
- Huge template library for many industries
- Large app market for extras like bookings, forms, and chat
- Hosting and basic security are handled for you
Cons of Wix
- So many options that it can feel cluttered
- Harder to switch templates after you start
- Sites can feel slower if you add lots of apps and effects
Wix has several pricing tiers. Entry plans cover basic sites, and higher tiers add ecommerce features and more tools. Choose Wix if you want freedom in design, do not want to mess with code, and are happy staying inside their system for the long term.
Skip Wix if you plan to grow into a very complex custom site or prefer a cleaner, more structured design process.
Squarespace: Clean Designs for Creatives and Small Brands
Squarespace is known for modern, polished templates. Many photographers, designers, and stylish small brands use it because the sites look good with little tweaking.
Common Squarespace use cases:
- Portfolios and creative businesses
- Simple service-based websites
- Blogs with a strong visual style
- Small online stores
Pros of Squarespace
- Beautiful, mobile friendly templates
- Built-in blogging and basic ecommerce tools
- Simple layout tools with a more guided feel than Wix
- Domains, hosting, and basic SEO tools included
Cons of Squarespace
- Fewer deep custom options than WordPress or Webflow
- Can feel rigid if you want wild layouts
- Some features hide behind menus, so there is a small learning curve
Squarespace handles your hosting, security, and updates. You mainly focus on content and design. It fits people who care about clean design and want a low-stress setup that still looks high-end.
Shopify: Popular Platform for Serious Online Stores
Shopify is built for selling, first and foremost. You can blog on it, but its main strength is ecommerce.
Common Shopify use cases:
- Brands selling physical products
- Print on demand stores
- Stores with many products, variants, and inventory needs
- Digital product shops that need stable checkout
Pros of Shopify
- Strong, secure checkout system
- Many payment options and currencies
- Large app store for reviews, upsells, marketing, and more
- Solid inventory and order management tools
Cons of Shopify
- Monthly fees plus extra costs for apps and themes
- Not ideal if you only want a blog or simple brochure site
- Some stores rely on paid apps for features that other platforms include
Shopify makes more sense than a general builder like Wix if your main income depends on online sales. If your store is your business, the focused tools and strong checkout are worth the cost.
If you only plan to sell a few items beside a blog or portfolio, you might be better with Squarespace or WordPress plus a lighter shop plugin.
Weebly and Other Simple Builders: Basic Sites on a Budget
Weebly and similar builders sit in the “simple and cheap” space. They do not get as much hype, but they work fine for small projects.
They can fit:
- Local services like tutors, cleaners, or repair shops
- Hobby sites or event sites
- Temporary campaign or project pages
Pros:
- Easy to start and learn
- Often lower prices than bigger players
- Simple templates and basic features
Cons:
- Fewer modern design options
- Limited advanced features and integrations
- May not scale well if your business grows fast
If you just need a basic site that explains who you are and how to contact you, tools like Weebly can be enough. If you care about long-term growth or a premium brand feel, look at Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, or WordPress.
WordPress: Flexible Platform for Blogs, Business Sites, and More
WordPress powers a huge share of the web. It started as a blogging tool and grew into a flexible content platform that can handle blogs, business sites, stores, and membership sites.
There are two main flavors, and this confuses many people.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: What Is the Difference?
Here is the simple breakdown.
WordPress.com
- Hosted service, like Squarespace for WordPress
- Hosting and updates are handled for you
- Free and paid plans, with different limits
- Less control over custom code and some plugins on lower plans
- Good for simple blogs and small sites
WordPress.org
- Free software you install on your own hosting
- You pick a hosting company and manage the setup
- Full control over themes, plugins, and code
- More flexible, better for growing sites and businesses
- You handle updates, backups, and security (or pay tools to help)
Think of it like this:
- A casual blogger who wants a simple site might start on WordPress.com.
- A growing business that wants advanced features might choose WordPress.org.
Both are “WordPress”, they just differ in control, cost, and how much work you want to handle yourself.
Why Many Bloggers and Content Creators Love WordPress
WordPress shines for content-focused sites.
Strengths for bloggers and creators:
- Solid editor for writing posts and pages
- Categories and tags to organize content
- Scheduling posts so you can batch work
- Plugins for almost everything, such as SEO, email, forms, and caching
- Popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math help you optimize content
Themes control the look and layout of your site. Some are simple, some are very flexible. You can switch themes without losing your content, which helps if your brand changes later.
Many people start with a simple blog on WordPress, then grow it into a business site with a shop, course, or membership as they learn.
Pros and Cons of WordPress for Beginners
Pros
- Very flexible, works for many site types
- Huge plugin library for new features
- Massive community, tutorials, and support forums
- Can grow from tiny blog to full company site
Cons
- Setup can feel confusing at first
- You must handle updates, backups, and security on WordPress.org
- Plugins can conflict and break things if you are careless
- Good hosting and premium tools can add to the cost
WordPress is a smart pick if:
- You want strong control over SEO and structure
- You plan to grow your site for years
- You are okay learning a bit of tech or paying someone to help
If you just want a simple site and never want to see a dashboard with plugins and updates, a builder like Squarespace or Wix will feel easier.
Key WordPress Costs: Hosting, Domain, Themes, and Plugins
Here is a simple cost view for WordPress.org.
- Hosting
- Shared hosting: cheaper, shares resources with many sites, may be slower under load
- Managed WordPress hosting: faster and more stable, often includes backups and security tools
- Domain
- Usually $10 to $20 per year for a standard .com
- Themes
- Many free themes
- Premium themes often cost $40 to $100 once, or yearly renewals for support
- Plugins
- Many free plugins
- Premium plugins for SEO, forms, backups, and page building can cost from $30 to a few hundred per year, depending on features
Plan for at least hosting plus one or two paid tools if your site matters to your business. You do not need to buy everything on day one. Start lean and add tools as your needs grow.
Newer and Niche Platforms: AI Builders, Portfolios, and Site Generators
Not everyone needs a classic builder or WordPress. Some people need a quick AI draft, others need pixel-perfect layout control, and some developers want pure speed and code control.
Here are a few other platform types that might fit special cases.
AI Website Builders: Let the Tool Build a Draft for You
AI website builders ask you a few questions, then build a starter site for you. Examples include Wix ADI and Hostinger Website Builder.
You might type in your business type, pick a style, and the AI fills in sections like “About”, “Services”, and “Contact”.
Pros:
- Very fast first draft
- Good for people who freeze at a blank page
- Often include stock images and layout suggestions
Cons:
- Designs can look generic if you do not customize them
- Less control over fine details compared to manual builders
- Some tools still feel limited or buggy
AI is great for getting a starting point. You still need to rewrite the text in your own voice and swap in real photos to make it feel personal.
Portfolio Platforms Like Webflow for Designers and Developers
Webflow sits between no-code builders and full coding. It has a visual editor, but it exposes more layout and style controls, similar to working directly with CSS.
It fits:
- Designers who want precision and unique layouts
- Agencies building custom marketing sites
- Developers who want control without writing every line of code
Pros:
- Very detailed control over layout and animation
- Clean code output compared to many builders
- Strong for unique portfolios and brand sites
Cons:
- Steeper learning curve for new users
- Can be overkill for simple brochure sites
- Pricing can stack up for teams and multiple projects
If you just want a simple “about and contact” site, Webflow is more tool than you need. If you are a designer who cares about every pixel, it can be worth learning.
Static Site Generators and GitHub Pages for Tech-Savvy Users
Static site generators like Jekyll, Hugo, or Next.js turn text files into fast, static pages. Many developers host them on GitHub Pages, Netlify, or similar services.
Basic idea:
- You write content in markdown or simple files
- The generator builds HTML pages
- There is no live database, so the site is very fast and simple to host
Pros:
- Very fast load times
- High control over structure and code
- Low hosting costs, sometimes free
Cons:
- Requires comfort with Git, code editors, and sometimes command line tools
- Less friendly for non-technical users
- Fewer plug-and-play features for non-devs
This path is best for developers or people who enjoy tinkering. If that is not you, do not worry. There are plenty of easier options.
How to Choose the Best Platform for Your First Website
You now know what the major platforms are good at. Time to turn that into a real decision.
You do not need a perfect choice. You just need a good fit for your current stage.
Match Your Goal to a Short List of Platforms
Use your main goal sentence to build a short list.
Some simple matches:
- Simple personal blog: WordPress.com or Squarespace
- Small local service site: Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly
- Full blog plus business site: WordPress.org
- Serious online store: Shopify or WooCommerce on WordPress
- Designer or creative portfolio: Squarespace or Webflow
Treat this as guidance, not rigid rules. If you already love how one platform feels, that matters.
Aim to end with 1 to 3 platforms on your list, not 10.
Compare Ease of Use, Design, and Future Growth
Once you have your short list, ask three questions:
- Is this platform easy enough for me to use this week?
- Can I make my site look and feel close to what I want?
- Will it still work if I grow, add features, or get more traffic later?
Most major builders offer either a free plan or a trial. Try logging in, editing a page, and changing a template. You will often feel within 10 minutes if the tool suits you.
Avoid Common Mistakes When Picking a Website Platform
Here are traps to avoid:
- Picking only by price: The cheapest tool that you never use is not a bargain.
- Ignoring long-term needs: A free site that cannot grow with you will later force a full rebuild.
- Choosing a tool that is too complex: If you feel lost every time you log in, you will stop updating your site.
- Chasing every new trend: You do not need the newest platform just because it is new.
Better approach:
- Start with what feels comfortable and stable
- Read a few real user reviews, not just marketing pages
- Plan how you will update your site at least once a month
Start small. Launch a simple version. Improve over time.
Conclusion: Pick a Platform, Start Simple, and Hit Publish
There is no single “best” website platform for everyone. There is only the best fit for your current goal, budget, and comfort with tech.
Choose one platform from your short list, sign up, and give yourself one week to test it. Pick a template, fill in your homepage, and set up a basic about and contact page. That small step will teach you more than another month of research.
Your site does not need to be perfect to matter. It just needs to exist. Launch something simple, learn what works, then improve as you go. The internet rewards people who show up, not people who only compare tools forever.