Builder	Best for	Main strength	Main limitation
WordPress	Most business websites	Flexibility, ownership and scalability	Needs setup and website maintenance
Wix	Simple DIY websites	Easy editing and fast setup	Can become limiting as the site grows
Squarespace	Visual brands and portfolios	Strong templates and polished layouts	Less flexible for custom functionality
Shopify	Online stores	Ecommerce tools and product management	Less suited to general service websites
Webflow	Design-led custom sites	Strong visual control	Steeper learning curve
WordPress with Cornerstone	Custom WordPress builds	Flexible layouts with fewer unnecessary plugins	Better suited to experienced users

When it comes to creating a website, choosing the right website builder is crucial. You may be a small business owner, a blogger, or a website development company searching for options to base your service around. Whatever your situation, it’s easy to feel bombarded by the plethora of options available to you. So without overwhelming you too much, we have selected the best website builders in the business and broken down the key strengths of each to suit your unique needs and to get your website looking fantastic!

Which website builder should you choose?

The best website builder depends on what the website needs to do.

For a simple brochure site, Wix or Squarespace can be enough. They are useful when you want to get online quickly and do not need much custom functionality.

For an online store, Shopify is usually the cleaner starting point if ecommerce is the main focus.

For most service-based businesses, WordPress is still the option I recommend most often. It gives you more control over your content, SEO structure, forms, landing pages, integrations, custom post types and long-term ownership.

That extra flexibility matters once your website becomes more than a few basic pages.

What is a Website Builder?

A website builder is a tool that allows you to create a website without needing to know how to code. These tools can provide templates and drag-and-drop interfaces that make it easy to design your site. Instead of writing lines of code, you can simply select elements like text boxes, images, and buttons, and place them where you want on your page. Some even offer comprehensive functionality to build custom features natively within your website without relying on additional plugins. This is why Website Builders are used by both self-managed website owners and website development companies alike.

Key Features to Consider

When selecting a website builder, there are several important features to consider:

Ease of Use: Look for a website builder with an intuitive interface. This is especially important if you’re new to website creation. A builder with a simple drag-and-drop feature can make the process straightforward and enjoyable with minimal learning curve.
Templates: High-quality templates are essential if you don’t have a background in website design. Templates are pre-designed layouts that you can customise to suit your needs. Some website builders offer a wide range of templates, ensuring that you can find one that suits your needs. Others are more niche and rely on custom building your own templates.
Customisation Options: Even with a template, you’ll want to make your website unique. The best builders allow for extensive customisation, letting you change colours, fonts, and layout elements with ease. Basically anything you can edit with CSS (code) you can do through a good quality website builder
Mobile Responsiveness: More people are browsing the web on mobile devices than ever before. A good website builder will either automatically optimise your site for mobile viewing, or offer you responsive options to tailor your design to different device sizes, ensuring it looks great on any screen.
SEO Features: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is crucial for getting your website found on search engines like Google. Some website builders offer built-in SEO tools to help you to optimise your site as you build it. A great example of this is Heading level customisation, which offers you the ability mark your main keywords with an H1 tag, and secondary keywords as H2 and H3, with lower ranking keywords as H4-H6
E-commerce Capabilities: If you’re planning to sell products or services online, make sure the website builder you choose offers e-commerce compatibility. This includes features like shopping carts, payment processing, and inventory management. Largely this will be handled by a plugin such as WooCommerce, but a good website builder will allow you to customise the shop and checkout experience much further.

When a DIY website builder makes sense

When you should hire a web designer

You are testing a new business idea and need something simple to get started. You only need a few basic pages, such as Home, About, Services and Contact. You have more time than budget and are comfortable learning the platform yourself. You do not need custom functionality, complex forms, ecommerce, bookings or integrations. You are happy to write the copy, choose the images, create the layout and keep the site updated yourself.

Your website needs to generate enquiries, bookings or sales for the business. You want a custom design that looks more polished than a standard template. You need help with copy, page structure, user flow and calls to action. You need WordPress, WooCommerce, forms, bookings or integrations set up properly. You do not want to spend weeks learning the platform, fixing layout issues or working out what should go where. You want the site built with SEO foundations in place from the start.

What I recommend after building business websites for over a decade

After building websites for service businesses, ecommerce stores, membership sites and custom WordPress setups, I rarely look at a website builder in isolation.

The better question is not “which platform is easiest today?” It is “which platform will still suit the business in two or three years?”

A DIY builder can be a good fit when the site is simple, the budget is tight and the business owner is comfortable managing it. A custom WordPress build makes more sense when the website needs stronger SEO structure, custom layouts, integrations, lead generation, ecommerce, booking forms or room to grow.

For most established businesses, the platform decision should be based on control, flexibility and long-term cost, not just the fastest way to publish a homepage.

Top Website Builders in Australia

Now that you know what to look for in a website builder, let’s explore some of the top options available today.

WordPress.org (different to WordPress.com)
WordPress is the most popular CMS (Content Management Systems) used today due to its broad range of Themes, both free and paid, that come with pre-designed templates, or page builders that help you to build your desired aesthetic from scratch. More on Best Page Builders below. Although the functionality and customisation is pretty much endless, there is a steep learning curve with WordPress.org, especially if you’re new to building websites. But if you can get around that you will find WordPress Web Design to be one of the most versatile and managable forms of development there is.
Wix
Wix is a popular website builder known for its ease of use and flexibility. It offers a wide range of templates and a simple drag-and-drop interface. Wix also provides robust SEO tools, making it easier for your site to rank well on search engines. One drawback, however, is that some advanced features can be limited on the free plan, and so to have a professional website over the course of several years will set you back more than building once off on a platform like WordPress.
Squarespace
Squarespace is renowned for its stunning, professionally-designed templates. It’s an excellent choice for artists, photographers, and anyone who wants a visually striking website without much experience in building websites from scratch. Squarespace also offers powerful e-commerce tools, although it can be a bit more challenging to use compared to Wix.
Weebly
Weebly is another user-friendly option, particularly for those new to website building. It offers a simple drag-and-drop interface, along with basic SEO tools. While not as feature-rich as Wix or Squarespace, Weebly is a solid choice for small websites or personal blogs.
Shopify
If your primary goal is to build an online store, Shopify is one of the best choices. It’s specifically designed for e-commerce, offering everything you need to sell products online, from inventory management to payment processing. However, it’s less suitable for non-e-commerce sites, and can be costly to maintain as many premium plugins are on a recurring monthly bill.

Best WordPress Page Builders

There are many page builders to choose from and the optimal one for you may be different than for someone else with different requirements. Below is a quick breakdown of each Page Builder, who it would be ideal for, and what the strengths and weaknesses are of each.

Cornerstone by X Pro Theme:

Best For: Developers and advanced users.
Strengths: Highly flexible with limitless customisation potential, ideal for building native elements without relying on many third-party plugins.
Weaknesses: Steeper learning curve and complexity. Small range of templates available.

Elementor:

Best For: Beginners and intermediate users.
Strengths: Easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, wide range of widgets, and extensive template library.
Weaknesses: Potential performance issues and limited advanced customisation options, meaning more reliance on 3rd party plugins.

Beaver Builder:

Best For: Small businesses and bloggers with some background in Web Development.
Strengths: Reliable, user-friendly, and modular system.
Weaknesses: Limited advanced features and higher price for the premium version.

Divi Builder:

Best For: New WordPress users, designers and creative professionals.
Strengths: Real-time visual editing, broad template library and variety of online tutorials and resources.
Weaknesses: Complex interface can be overwhelming for new users, and heavy resource usage.

WPBakery Page Builder:

Best For: Users needing broad theme compatibility.
Strengths: Works with most themes, offers backend and frontend editing, and has a large community of add-ons.
Weaknesses: Outdated interface, potential speed issues, and limited customisation options.

The best Website Builder boils down to your experience and needs

Choosing the best website builder depends on how experienced you are in website development, and what your unique website needs are. If you prioritise ease of use and flexibility, Wix might be your best bet. For those who need something a bit more robust, Squarespace is a strong contender. If you’re focused on e-commerce, Shopify offers specialised tools to help your online store succeed. But overall the most comprehensive Website Builder that you could opt for would have to be WordPress. With a variety of Themes, Page Builders, Plugins, and online resources WordPress is the best fit for many business websites, especially when flexibility, SEO structure and long-term ownership matter.

By considering the features above – ease of use, templates, customisation, mobile responsiveness, SEO features, and e-commerce capabilities – you can select the website builder that’s right for you.

What is the best website builder for small businesses in Australia?

For most small businesses, WordPress is the strongest long-term option because it gives you more control over your pages, SEO structure, forms, content and future functionality. Wix and Squarespace can still be good options for simpler DIY websites.

Is WordPress better than Wix?

WordPress is usually better for flexibility, ownership and long-term growth. Wix is usually easier for beginners who want to build a simple website themselves.

Is Shopify better than WordPress?

Shopify is usually better if your main focus is ecommerce. WordPress with WooCommerce is better if you need more control over content, SEO, service pages and custom functionality alongside ecommerce.

What is the easiest website builder?

Wix and Squarespace are usually easier for beginners. WordPress has a steeper learning curve, but it is more flexible once set up properly.

Should I build my own website or hire a web designer?

Build it yourself if the site is simple and you have time to learn the platform. Hire a web designer if the website needs to generate enquiries, look custom, support SEO or connect with tools like forms, bookings, ecommerce or CRM systems.

If you are after a more custom solution, or simply don’t have the time or patience to learn to use a website builder, reach out to us for a free quote on your project.