WordPress is the leading CMS known for its vast versatility, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best platform for every small business website. With so many options available, we narrowed it down to the six best WordPress alternatives based on what small businesses need most, from affordability and ease of use to helpful features such as built-in payment processors and SEO tools to the ability to integrate with third-party applications.
WordPress Alternatives Compared
Alternative | Best For |
---|---|
(Best Overall) For award-winning, code-free web design | |
Building a complex business website with a CMS that rivals WordPress | |
Maximum design freedom with a drag-and-drop site builder | |
Businesses that want to easily set up an online store at an affordable price | |
Service-based businesses that want a simple site solution to accept online bookings and recurring payments | |
Businesses looking to an online store with advanced built-in features, such as dropshipping integrations |
Squarespace
Best for: Award-winning web design made easy
Cost: $12 per month
Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Squarespace is a top-rated site builder with professional plans that come with everything you need to easily build and maintain a business website starting at $12 per month. It’s best known for its award-winning templates that are professionally designed. Squarespace doesn’t offer as many customization options as WordPress and Wix, but since the templates are well-designed, they require fewer customizations, making it easier to more quickly launch a site.
Squarespace Pros & Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Award-winning templates and web design | Ecommerce plans get expensive |
Very user-friendly | Customizations options are limited |
All-in-one plans include everything you need to build a site | Membership sites require integrations |
➡️ Torn between Wix and Squarespace? Get the full comparison of Wix vs Squarespace.
Joomla
Best for: Businesses that want a CMS that most closely rivals WordPress
Cost: Free (but requires web hosting to use your own domain)
Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars
Joomla is a free, open-source site builder and content management system (CMS). Similar to WordPress, Joomla offers extensive customization options. However, this is at the expense of ease of use, as it’s not as user-friendly as drag-and-drop site builders. It’s also free to use, but does require you to purchase your own domain name (approximately $12 per year) and web hosting (approximately $5 per month). It’s a good WordPress alternative for those who need vast customizations at a low price.
Joomla Pros & Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Low-cost CMS | More difficult to use than WordPress |
Highly customizable | Users report slow load times |
Large selection of templates available | Not a good fit for those looking to build a simple website |
➡️ Want to learn more about the differences between Joomla and WordPress? Get the full breakdown of WordPress vs Joomla.
Wix
Best for: Easily building a fully customizable website
Cost: Free; Business plans start at $13 month
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Wix is a popular, all-in-one site builder known for its vast customization capabilities through its true drag-and-drop site editor. It can be used to build nearly any type of business website, from online stores to real estate and hotel sites. While it costs more than WordPress at $13 per month, it’s a lot easier to use. It’s a good WordPress alternative for those who want to maintain a good deal of design control, but without the steep learning curve.
Wix Pros & Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
User-friendly site editor | Not as customizable as WordPress |
True drag-and-drop editor for design freedom | No option to swap out templates after customizations |
A free plan is available | Not the cheapest option |
Weebly
Best for: Easily building an online store
Cost: Free; Professional-use plans start at $12 per month
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Weebly is an ultra-easy-to-use site builder geared toward building online stores. Its free plan gives users a way to try the platform before investing, though a professional-quality site will cost you at $12 per month. It’s a good WordPress alternative for those who are looking for an easy way of building a membership site or an online store as another sales channel.
Weebly Pros & Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Beginner-friendly site editor | Free version is not suitable for professional use |
Built-in options to build a membership site | Limited customization options |
Designed for ecommerce | Free image gallery is dated and very limited |
➡️ Interested in Weebly? Get the step-by-step instructions on how to build a small business website using Weebly.
GoDaddy Websites
Best for: Service-based businesses looking to accept online bookings and appointments
Cost: Plans start at $10 per month
Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars
GoDaddy may be better known for its domain name registration and web hosting services, though it also offers a comprehensive site builder. What makes it stand out is its sophisticated online booking system that makes it easy for service-based businesses to accept and schedule bookings and appointments. It’s a good WordPress alternative for businesses that want a fast and easy way to turn their website into a sales channel.
GoDaddy Websites Pros & Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Beginner-friendly site editor | Limited customization options |
Advanced online booking system | The ecommerce editor can be clunky |
Low-cost plans available | Plans to sell products jumps to $25/month |
➡️ Think GoDaddy might be a good fit for you? See how easy is it to build a GoDaddy website.
Shopify
Best for: Easily building ecommerce sites with advanced selling features
Cost: Professional-use plans start at $29 per month
Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Shopify is a leading ecommerce site builder designed for creating code-free online stores. It’s similar to Weebly, but it does come with more advanced ecommerce features, such as abandoned cart recovery, multichannel selling, inventory management, and dozens of ecommerce-specific add-ons designed to help maximize sales. It’s a good WordPress alternative for those who want advanced selling features without advanced web design skills.
Shopify Pros & Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Advanced ecommerce features built-in (e.g., abandoned cart recovery comes standard) | Design customization options are very limited |
Great for multichannel selling (e.g., Amazon, Etsy, Instagram, and eBay) | Plans cost a lot more than other site builders |
Tons of ecommerce add-ons (e.g., dropshipping, loyalty programs, and upselling) | Limited template selection available |
➡️ Think Shopify might be a good fit for your ecommerce site? Learn how to set up a Shopify store.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it difficult to build a WordPress website?
In more recent years, WordPress has become a user-friendly content management system that can be used to build a professional website with zero code. It’s still not the easiest option available, but it’s a good option for those who have some time to invest in learning the platform and who want an affordable and highly customizable website. Learn more about how to make a WordPress website.
Which is easier to use: WordPress or Drupal?
There’s no question, WordPress is by far an easier content management system (CMS) than Drupal. With WordPress, nearly anyone can build a site without any web design experience or coding knowing thanks to the help of the many page builder plugins, such as WP Bakery or Elementor. Get all the information you need on the best WordPress website builders.
Bottom Line
If you’re still not sure which CMS or site builder to use instead of WordPress, we recommend trying Squarespace. It’s our best overall WordPress alternative that not only makes it easy for anyone to build a professional-quality website, but it’s also affordable with plans that start just $12 per month, which include everything you need.
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