How To Choose the Best No-Code Website Builder

You’ve got the product, the business idea, maybe even a few early customers—but no developer. A no-code website builder makes it possible to launch anyway. Whether you’re opening an online store, showcasing a portfolio, or just testing ideas, these tools help you build fast, no coding required.

Today’s platforms go beyond drag-and-drop, with responsive design, mobile optimization, and built-in analytics—capabilities that once required developers, now point-and-click easy. Even better, AI tools, like Shopify’s Sidekick, can help you with business tasks, not just content creation.

Here’s what you need to know to do it all yourself with a no-code builder, plus our top recommendations to choose from.

What is a no-code website builder?

A no-code website builder is a tool that lets you design a professional-looking site without writing code. Think of it as visual editing: you add sections, swap images, and rearrange elements, and the platform handles the coding behind the scenes. Most no-code tools provide pre-designed, customizable templates to get you started, as well as built-in tools for blogging, ecommerce, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Who are no-code platforms for?

No-code website builders are great tools for busy entrepreneurs. “Most people aren’t technical,” says Ben Sehl, director of product for Shopify, “and even if they are, they don’t have time to fiddle with code every time they want to tweak something.”

No-code platforms are for anyone who wants to launch a site without having to code—solo founders, freelancers, artists, coaches, small and medium businesses. “You should be able to move things around, update your homepage, whatever it is, and not have to ask for help every time,” Ben says. “It should just make sense.”

Top no-code website builders

1. Shopify
2. Wix
3. Squarespace
4. Webflow
5. Jimdo (Dolphin)
6. BigCommerce
7. Ecwid by Lightspeed
8. Square Online

Choosing the right no-code website builder depends on what you’re trying to build and how fast you need to launch. For small businesses and ecommerce founders, the best platforms make it easy to manage inventory, build product pages, track orders, and customize your storefront—all without writing code or hiring a developer.

Here are eight no-code website builders that simplify selling online, each with tools to help you create a professional site with minimal setup. Whether you’re launching a side project or scaling an established store, these platforms cover a range of needs:

1. Shopify

Shopify is purpose-built for selling online. It includes core ecommerce features out of the box: product and inventory management, mobile-optimized checkout, integrated payments, abandoned cart recovery, and basic sales analytics. You can launch a professional website, connect your own domain, and expand functionality over time with apps, custom themes, or built-in tools like Shopify Email and Sidekick, the platform’s AI-powered assistant.

“With Shopify, you can start small and turn things on as you grow—subscriptions, international selling, in-person sales, whatever,” Ben says. “You don’t have to go looking for a whole new platform every time your business levels up.”

Who it’s for

Shopify is built for ecommerce businesses of all sizes, from solopreneurs to large enterprises.

Pricing

Shopify offers an introductory plan with three days free, then the first three months for $1 per month. Plans with full ecommerce capabilities start at $29 per month, including secure hosting, 24/7 support, and unlimited product listings.

Features

• AI website builder. Use Shopify Magic to streamline your store design process. You can create landing pages and product listings from quick prompts and receive guidance on everything from shipping to analytics.
• More than 250 themes and templates. Jump-start your website design with more than 250 free and professionally designed premium themes.
• Integrated payment processing. Shopify Payments is an integrated payment gateway that accepts all major payment methods, plus, more than 100 third-party payment providers are compatible.
• Extensive app store. Access the Shopify App Store, with more than 8,000 add-ons and integrations.
• Access free tutorials. Shopify’s free online courses can help you build and scale your website.
• Professional partner network. Shopify’s partner directory helps you hire vetted professionals like designers and coders if you want to take your website design to the next level.
• SEO-optimized. SEO tools help visitors and search engines find your site, so your pages can rank higher in search results.
• 24/7 customer support. Shopify offers round-the-clock support via email, live chat, and phone.
• G2 ⭐️ rating. 4.4

2. Wix

Wix combines drag‑and‑drop editing with built-in tools for selling products, managing inventory, and customizing storefronts. It offers hundreds of design templates, AI-assisted site setup, and access to apps like Wix Stores for payments, shipping, and marketing. While flexible, some ecommerce features—like multi-currency support or advanced analytics—are available only on higher-tier plans.

Who it’s for

Freelancers and businesses who want to showcase their work on portfolio sites or build basic ecommerce sites.

Pricing

Wix plans cost $17 to $159 per month. Ecommerce functionality starts at $29 per month on the Core plan; the lower-priced tier does not include online selling.

Features

• AI website builder
• More than 900 templates
• Integrated payment processing with Wix Payments
• More than 500 available apps
• Free tutorials to get started
• Professional partner network
• SEO tools
• 24/7 customer support
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2

3. Squarespace

Squarespace is known for professionally designed templates and a user-friendly editor that enables users to create product pages, showcase services, and manage digital or physical sales. Built-in features include mobile‑optimized checkout, basic inventory tracking, SEO fields, and marketing tools like email campaigns and appointment scheduling. It may be useful for creators, service businesses, and small storefronts that don’t need complex ecommerce workflows.

Who it’s for

Creatives and small businesses building simple websites.

Pricing

Squarespace plans cost $16 to $99 per month. The Basic plan includes a custom domain name and access to templates, but you’ll need to pay an additional 2% in transaction fees (on top of payment processing fees).

Features

• AI website builder
• More than 180 templates
• Integrated payment processing with Squarespace Payments
• Guides and tutorials
• Advanced analytics
• Professional designers available through Square Marketplace
• SEO tools
• 24/7 customer support
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4

4. Webflow

Webflow gives users full visual control over site layout and design while supporting structured content through its built-in content management system (CMS). It includes ecommerce functionality for managing products, customizing checkout pages, and processing orders, with advanced design capabilities that appeal to agencies and brand-focused businesses. It’s an option to consider for users who want pixel-level flexibility without relying on templates or writing custom code.

Who it’s for

Experienced web designers and builders.

Pricing

Webflow offers a free version of its platform, but you’ll need to upgrade for a custom domain, SEO tools, and the ability to add more than two pages (among other features). Paid plans cost $14 to $39 per month, with enterprise pricing upon request. Ecommerce plans start at $29 per month with limits on product volume and transaction fees; higher tiers offer expanded functionality and CMS access.

Features

• AI website builder
• More than 7,000 templates
• Free tutorials
• Advanced analytics available as a paid integration
• Professional partner network
• SEO tools
• 24/7 customer support
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4

5. Jimdo (Dolphin)

Jimdo offers an easy-to-use, AI‑driven builder—Dolphin—that asks about your business needs and generates a starter site, which you can then edit using a simple drag‑and‑drop interface. It supports up to 100 products via Stripe or PayPal and includes built-in SEO prompts and HTTPS. However, customization options are limited (there are only about 16 templates), and switching between Dolphin and Jimdo’s more advanced Creator editor isn’t possible.

Who it’s for

Entrepreneurs looking to quickly create a basic site.

Pricing

Ecommerce functionality begins with the Business plan at $21 per month. The $28 per month VIP tier adds features including unlimited storage, additional pages, and accelerated customer support.

Features

• AI website builder
• More than 15 themes and templates
• Integrated payment processing
• SEO-optimized
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 3.9

6. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an ecommerce platform geared toward enterprises, although it does have a no-code website builder for small businesses. Standard features across all plans include unlimited products, bandwidth, staff accounts, PCI compliance, one-page checkout, support for Apple Pay or Amazon Pay, and multiple sales channels, including marketplaces and in-person POS.

Higher tiers introduce tools like customer segmentation, persistent carts, advanced product filtering, and Google Customer Reviews to drive conversions and personalization.

Who it’s for

BigCommerce’s primary product is for enterprises.

Pricing

Ecommerce functionality is available from the Standard plan at $39 per month; advanced plans like Plus ($105 per month) and Pro ($399 per month) unlock abandoned‑cart emails, multistorefront support, custom SSL, and enhanced reporting. Enterprise pricing is available upon request.

Features

• More than 280 templates
• Integrated payment processing
• More than 1,200 apps
• Free tutorials
• Professional partner network
• SEO-optimized
• 24/7 customer support
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2

7. Ecwid by Lightspeed

Ecwid is a flexible ecommerce tool that lets you add a shopping cart to any existing website or build a standalone storefront using its Instant Site feature. It supports digital goods, shipping integrations, mobile POS, and social selling, with features like custom domains, abandoned cart emails, and marketplace sync available on higher tiers. It’s a practical choice for small businesses and creators that want to test ecommerce without switching platforms.

Who it’s for

Businesses that want to add ecommerce functionality to existing websites or build a simple ecommerce site.

Pricing

Ecwid plans range from $5 to $105 per month. You’ll need to spend at least $55 per month to get custom URL slugs, abandoned cart recovery, advanced analytics, and more.

Features

• AI website builder
• More than 70 templates
• Integrated payment processing
• Large app store
• Access free tutorials
• SEO-optimized
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.7

8. Square Online

Square Online is designed for businesses that sell both in person and online. It integrates with Square’s POS system so you can manage inventory, orders, and customer data from a unified dashboard. You’ll also get themes optimized for mobile shopping, SEO tools, signup forms, social media integrations, and support for digital and pickup orders. It’s especially useful for service-based businesses or retailers already using Square in-store.

Who it’s for

Restaurants and service businesses with limited ecommerce needs.

Pricing

Square offers a free plan with Square branding, a Square domain name, and basic transaction fees. Paid plans range from $49 to $149 per month.

Features

• More than 30 themes and templates
• Integrated payment processing
• More than 440 apps
• Professional partner network.
• SEO-optimized
• 24/7 customer support for high-tier plans
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2

Features to look for in a no-code website builder

• Intuitive design tools and templates
• Mobile-ready by default
• Built-in ecommerce
• AI that actually saves time
• SEO controls
• Transparent pricing that doesn't balloon

Choosing a no-code website builder means finding the one platform that fits your current goals without limiting future growth.

Here’s what to look for before you commit:

Intuitive design tools and templates

The best builders let you hit the ground running. You should be able to quickly and easily edit your site visually, see your changes live, and manage your site without a developer or coder at your beck and call. “Pick something that helps you move quickly and figure it out as you go,” Ben says. “You don’t need to nail it on day one. The most important thing is getting something live, testing it, and talking to customers.”

Certain interface features can make a website builder far more efficient. Together, these tools reduce friction and make site management faster over the long term.

• Grid and column systems. These help maintain consistent alignment.
• Section and block templates. These can allow you to insert complex layouts—such as product grids or image galleries—without building them manually.
• Page structure navigator. This can speed up your movement between sections.
• Global style controls. These ensure you can update fonts, colors, and spacing across the site from one panel.
• Menu builders. These streamline the navigation setup.
• Built-in undo, redo, and version history functions. These features provide a safeguard for when you need to reverse changes.

As you browse no-code website builders, keep an eye on themes and templates as well: These make it easy to start setting up your site right away. Choosing a platform with a wide variety of available templates will increase the likelihood of finding one you really like and that ties in with your brand, which can save time tweaking design elements down the road.

Mobile-ready by default

Find a website builder that automatically optimizes your site for smartphones and tablets. A comprehensive no-code website builder should create a responsive layout—reflowing content (reorganizing content on your page so it fits smaller screens), using mobile-friendly fonts, and making buttons easy to tap on smaller screens.

Before you hit Publish, check these elements yourself. Most builders offer mobile device preview modes, but don’t stop there: pull up your site on your phone and run the URL through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. Tap every link. Try the checkout. If your customers can’t add a product to their cart without pinching and zooming, you’re likely losing that sale.

Watch loading times, too, especially on mobile. Many builders, but not all, compress images automatically. Check load performance with free tools like PageSpeed Insights or use your browser’s mobile simulation tools to spot bottlenecks early.

Built-in ecommerce

Selling products, services, or subscriptions calls for purpose-built design. If you’re going to sell anything on your website, Ben says, “You really want commerce to be at the core of the platform you’re building on. It can’t be an add-on feature.”

That means more than just a cart. At a minimum, your builder should support secure checkout and payment processing—like Shopify Payments, Stripe, or PayPal—and let you sell without having to hack together third-party tools. Look for other key built-in features like product pages, inventory management, discount codes, and shipping services—all without custom code.

Solutions like Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix include these essentials as built-in options.

AI that actually saves time

AI shows up in nearly every website builder these days, but some platforms use it better than others. A few stick to the basics—filling in text blocks or suggesting a color palette—which can still save you time when starting out. The more impressive tools go further, digging into your site data, flagging what’s working, and recommending changes that could actually help you grow. Those are the ones that cut real work off your plate and help you launch faster.

Shopify’s Sidekick, for example, can analyze your performance, highlight patterns in your store data, and suggest next steps based on what’s working.

“Shopify’s Sidekick is really good at digging into your analytics and answering challenging business questions—like identifying slow movers and top sellers, so you know which products to put on sale and which to feature on your homepage,” Ben says.

“It’s like having a 24/7 business adviser and creative consultant built right into the platform. So the job of a website builder now is less about ‘Help me build a page’ and more like ‘Help me run my business smarter.’”

Wix’s AI site builder takes a different approach: it walks users through a short questionnaire, then generates a personalized layout based on business type, branding preferences, and content needs.

If a builder claims AI tools, ask what they actually do. Can it help you configure your site layout? Write optimized product descriptions? Edit images or improve SEO? Platforms with free AI features that support real business tasks—like setup, content, or store management—are more likely to save time.

SEO controls

When a platform gives you real SEO tools, you’re in control of how your business is seen, both by search engines and by the people who click through.

To show up in search engines and attract organic traffic, you need access to basic SEO fields—the “labels” that help search engines like Google understand what your page is about and decide when to show it to searchers: custom page titles, meta descriptions, alt text for images, and editable URL slugs.

The right builder should let you set these SEO fields so you can decide how your site appears in search results, not leave it to chance.

Control over these varies. Some platforms like Shopify and Wix let you edit all of them directly, without plug-ins or advanced settings. Others may restrict SEO tools to premium plans or auto-generate content you can’t fully customize.

Before choosing a builder, check how it handles SEO at the template level. Can you customize your homepage title and description? What about product or blog pages? If the platform doesn’t give you manual control, you’ll be stuck fighting its defaults—making it harder to grow traffic or fine-tune how your brand appears in search results.

Transparent pricing that doesn’t balloon

Low monthly pricing can be misleading. A $5 or $10 per month plan may leave out essential features like ecommerce tools, custom domains, analytics, or even basic hosting. 

“Some platforms look cheap, but are not built for ecommerce. They’re missing key systems, like inventory management, that you have to pay for and then pay developers to connect,” Ben says.

“You need to look at the total picture,” he adds. “What are you getting out of the box? Are you going to spend more time and money making things work than you would just picking a platform that does more upfront?”

Check how pricing scales as your business grows, especially if you plan to add products, expand traffic, or onboard a team. Are SEO tools, inventory management, or email marketing built in, or only available as paid add-ons? Look for platforms that include core functionality without locking you into paid upgrades just to stay operational.