Best Weebly Alternatives: Which Competitor to Use in 2023
This article is part of a larger series on Small Business Websites.
Weebly is an ecommerce website builder from internet payment processor Square. While super-affordable, it doesn’t offer much for site customization with design or tools beyond ecommerce. Plus, its search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities are basic. Top Weebly competitors fill the gaps with better design tools, more features, cheaper plans, and vastly improved SEO. We ranked the best Weebly alternatives below to help you choose.
Click the links below to visit provider websites, or scroll down to learn more about the use cases for the best Weebly alternatives:
- Best Weebly alternative overall, and best for restaurants: Wix
- Top Weebly competitor for ease of use: Mozello
- Best for dedicated, personalized support: IONOS
- Ideal for responsive, high-end ecommerce website design: Squarespace
- Best native integrations for Google Ads and Adsense: Hostinger
- Good option for native social media and email marketing: GoDaddy
- Best ready-made WordPress ecommerce solution: Bluehost
- Best free ecommerce alternative to Weebly: Shift4Shop
- Best for large ecommerce operations or dropshipping: Shopify
Weebly & Best Weebly Alternatives at a Glance
Weebly Alternative | Expert Score Out of 5 | Free Plan | Free Ecommerce | Ecommerce Plans From | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | $0 | |
 | 4.9 | ✓ | ✕ | $27* | |
 | 4.9 | ✓ | ✓ | $0 | |
 | 4.7 | ✕ | ✕ | $1** | |
 | 4.6 | ✕ | ✕ | $23* | |
 | 4.5 | ✕ | ✕ | $2.99** | |
 | 4.2 | ✓ | ✕ | $24.99* | |
 | 4.2 | ✕ | ✕ | $9.95** | |
 | 4.0 | ✓ | ✓ | Cost of transaction fees | |
 | 3.9 | ✕ | ✕ | $39 |
*With annual billing
**With annual billing, renews at a higher cost after six months
Wix: Overall Best Alternative to Weebly & Best for Restaurants
Overall Score:
4.90 / 5
Pros
- Maximum design freedom
- Most comprehensive general and niche ecommerce features in any ecommerce plan
- Best ecommerce tools for restaurants of any platforms on this list
- Robust SEO tools
- Integrated AI writer and keyword research
Cons
- Can’t switch templates easily
- Sites aren’t fully responsive, unlike Squarespace, so you’ll have to tweak elements for mobile vs desktop
- Free plan doesn’t include ecommerce
- Ecommerce is more robust, but also more expensive most other Weebly competitors
- Wix and Weebly are both on our list of the best website builders for small business.
- Wix tops our list of the best website builders for SEO. Weebly’s SEO is far more basic.
- As far as the best free website builders, Wix and Weebly lead the pack.
Feature Comparison | Wix | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | Free plan $16 base paid plan $27 base ecommerce | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Intuitive, full drag-and-drop | Section-based |
Templates | 900+ templates or AI-generated or | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | Extensive | Basic |
AI Content Writer | Yes | No |
Keyword Support | Yes | No |
Third-party Apps | 300+ free and paid | 300+ free and paid |
Use Apps in Free Plan | Yes | No |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online stores, restaurants, events, ticketing, fitness, recurring appointments, subscriptions, and more | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | 100 pages, 4,000 blog posts | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | 2GB to Unlimited | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | In the editor, dashboard, support center, and community forum | Support center and community forum |
With Wix you get more native features and functionality, but the trade-off is that plans also cost a few dollars more. Plus, most businesses will need to opt for Wix’s Pro or Ecommerce plan to get the storage and bandwidth needed to grow a strong brand presence.
Plans/Features | Free | Light | Core (Ecommerce) |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month* | $0 | $16 | $27 |
Free Domain & SSL | SSL only | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | 500MB | 2GB | 50GB |
Blog | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Google Ads Vouchers | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Take Payments | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Up to 50,000 Products | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Online Ordering & Reservations | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Subscriptions & Memberships | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Cart Abandonment | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Dropshipping | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
24/7 Support | Limited support for 30 days | ✓ | ✓ |
*Prices reflect annual billing; monthly billing is available for each plan at a higher cost
Several factors put Wix at the top of our list of the best Weebly alternatives. For one, Wix is well-known for website customization through full drag-and-drop editing. In fact, it’s the best drag-and-drop website builder on the market right now. Despite being more full-featured, editing in Wix is very intuitive, whereas you may struggle to get the design you envision for your site with Weebly’s less capable editing tools.
Learn More:
Check out our Wix video tutorial, which shows how to make a Wix website in a few simple steps.
Wix also offers more robust ecommerce features. Weebly’s ecommerce tools are mainly geared for online stores and restaurants. Wix’s ecommerce plans the most tools for building brand presence online, including niche tools for restaurants, like online ordering, bookings, and reservations. It also has tools for fitness businesses, events and ticketing, hotels, and artists. However, the trade-off for all of this functionality is that you’ll also pay more for ecommerce on Wix than Weebly.
Wix app marketplace includes more than 300 add-ons to add functionality to your site. (Source: Wix)
If you want to be sure your site will be found online and have the best chance for ranking higher on Google, Wix is one of your best options. Weebly’s SEO features are quite basic, whereas Wix tops our list of the best SEO site builders. In addition, creating content on Wix is easier as well, since it has an AI writer and support for keyword research (via Semrush) built in.
For a closer look at Wix, check out our full Wix review. Or if you’re ready to get started, test the waters with Wix’s free plan or start a 14-day free trial to see all that you can do with this leading site building platform.
Mozello: Best Ease of Use Among Weebly Competitors
Overall Score:
4.90 / 5
Pros
- Section-based editor makes creating an attractive site easy
- Ecommerce available on all plans, including the free version
- 0% transaction fees on all accounts
- Ample storage on paid plans to allow your site to grow
- Paid plans are affordable, topping out at $16/month when paid annually
Cons
- Only PayPal payments are accepted on free and Premium plans. Other options reserved to most expensive plan
- Limited number of ecommerce products allowed per plan compared to Weebly or other competitors
- Mozello’s section-based editor is more beginner-friendly than Weebly’s editor.
- Mozello’s plans are more affordable than Weebly’s.
Feature Comparison | Mozello | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | Free plan $8 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Section-based | Section-based |
Templates | 45 templates | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | Basic | Basic |
AI Content Writer | No | No |
Keyword Support | No | No |
Third-party Apps | 3 free | 300+ free and paid |
Use Apps in Free Plan | Yes | No |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online stores Digital downloads | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | 500MB on free plan 50GB Premium Unlimited Premium Plus | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | Knowledge Base | Support center and community forum |
Mozello’s free plan includes all of Mozello’s functionality and the ability to sell products and collect payment online via PayPal. Unfortunately, to accept payments other than PayPal, you’ll have to upgrade to the most expensive plan. With that said, the most expensive plan costs just $16 a month, which is far less than most other Weebly alternatives.
Plans/Features | Free | Premium | Premium Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month Billed Annually | $0 | $8 | $16 |
Free Domain & SSL | SSL only | ✓ | ✓ |
Mobile Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Marketing Features | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | 500MB | 50GB | Unlimited |
Eliminate Mozello Ads | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Transaction Fees | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Number of Products | 1 product, 5 variants | 1 product, 20 variants | 3 products, unlimited variants |
Payment Types | PayPal only | PayPal only | PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, or custom API |
Customizable Checkout | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Product Import/Export | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Orders Export | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Digital Product Delivery | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Mozello is an easy-to-use website builder with a block editor to add sections. Editing is accomplished via intuitive point-and-click functions, and you can add sections easily by clicking the plus wherever you want to add additional content.
Additional ease of use is accomplished via the template system. Though Mozello only offers 40 or so templates that are sleek and contemporary. Best of all, if you change your mind midway through creating your site, you can change the template without starting over. All of your work will transfer into the new template.
Changing templates is easy with Mozello. (Source: Mozello)
Mozello is simple to use, but it also lacks much of the functionality small businesses need. Where Weebly has more than 300 third-party apps and add-ons, Mozello only has three add-ons available on its platform. What Mozello lacks in functionality, it more than makes up for in user-friendliness.
You can try Mozello risk-free and get a feel for their website builder by signing up for the free forever plan. Or you can begin with a paid plan starting at $8 a month, paid annually. All paid plans include a free domain name and SSL certificate.
IONOS: Best for Dedicated Support Building a Site
Overall Score:
4.70 / 5
Pros
- Personal success consultant to help you get more out of your site
- Extremely affordable—from $1 a month the first six months for ecommerce
- Plans include a free domain, SSL, and email account
- Good SEO features
- High level of customer care 24/7
Cons
- No free trial
- Less design customization than Wix or Squarespace
- Ecommerce costs more on IONOS vs Wix or Squarespace after intro period
- Solid set of business apps, but no third-party app store
- IONOS’ paid plans are more affordable the first year than Weebly’s.
- IONOS has fewer advanced ecommerce features than Weebly, but is one of the top website builders for SEO.
Feature Comparison | IONOS | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | $1/month* Plus plan $1/month* Plus Online Store | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Section-based | Section-based |
Templates | 400+ templates | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | Advanced | Basic |
AI Content Writer | Yes | No |
Keyword Support | Yes | No |
Third-party Apps | None | 300+ free and paid |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online stores, restaurants, digital downloads, and more | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | 200 pages on Plus plan Unlimited pages on Pro plan | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | Plus: 50GB Pro: unlimited | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | Extensive SEO tools and support built-in | Support center and community forum |
* Renews at a higher cost after the first six months
Unlike many of the entries on this list, IONOS does not offer a free trial period. Instead, they offer a meager introductory rate of $1 per month for six months, which makes it ultra-affordable to get started. The downside is that you’ll need to upgrade to the highest level of service if you plan on selling via social media.
Plans/Features | Plus | Plus with Store | Pro | Pro with Store |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost Per Month: (Billed Annually) | $1 first 6 months, renews at $15 | $1 first six months, renews at $25 | $15 for 6 months, renews at $25 | $25 for 6 months, renews at $50 |
Storage | 50GB | 50GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Web Pages | 200 | 200 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Free Domain & SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email Address | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Blog | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Multilingual Website | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Online Appointments | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Site Analytics | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ecommerce | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
Social Selling | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
IONOS is the only Weebly competitor that sets you up for site building success with a dedicated consultant. This means you’ll have one-on-one support to guide you through setting up your website and getting the most from your plan. In addition, support is available to you 24/7 should an issue arise, with knowledgeable techs who are empowered to help troubleshoot and resolve problems.
IONOS also offers a set of SEO tools to help you rank on Google. They include site and page-level settings, Google page speed optimization, and a content delivery network (CDN) to ensure your site loads fast, from anywhere. Weebly’s SEO tools are not as robust as those offered by IONOS.
IONOS’ editor is intuitive, with section-based editing similar to Weebly. But there are far more templates to choose from with IONOS, and they are more modern-looking. Plus, IONOS has widget-based business apps for Google Maps and navigation, appointments, and email marketing that Weebly doesn’t have in native tools. Not to mention that like Hostinger and Wix, IONOS now has an AI writing assistant to help with content creation (Weebly doesn’t).
Weebly is one of the best cheap website builders, but if you need to stretch your budget even further, try IONOS. At just $1 per month for the first six months, you get an all-inclusive plan that includes a free domain name, a free professional email address, an ad-free site, and even ecommerce. With a 30-day money-back guarantee, it’s risk-free to try.
Squarespace: Best for Luxe Site and Store Design
Overall Score:
4.60 / 5
Pros
- Visually-impactful, modern templates
- Drag and drop editing
- 14-day free trial
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth
- Solid SEO features
Cons
- No free plan
- Far fewer templates than Wix
- ~36 apps vs 300+ with Wix
- Appointments, member areas, and restaurant tools all require paid add ons
- Squarespace’s templates are far more sleek and modern than Weebly’s.
- Squarespace offers full drag-and-drop editing vs section-based editing on Weebly.
- Weebly has more full-featured ecommerce than Squarespace, as restaurants, appointments, and member areas all require add-ons with Squarespace.
Feature Comparison | Squarespace | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | $16/month base plan $23/month ecommerce $49/month advanced commerce | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Drag-and-drop | Section-based |
Templates | 100+ templates | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | Advanced | Basic |
AI Content Writer | No | No |
Keyword Support | No | No |
Third-party Apps | ~30 apps free and paid | 300+ free and paid |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online stores, restaurants, digital downloads, online courses, memberships, subscriptions | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | 24/7 Support, knowledge base, community forum | Support center and community forum |
In addition to the features below, keep in mind that your costs may increase depending on the ecommerce or business tools you need. Squarespace requires a paid add-on for appointments, member areas, email marketing, and restaurants.
Plans/Features | Personal | Business | Commerce Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost Per Month*: | $16 | $23 | $49 |
Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom Domain & SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Extensions/Plugins | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Contributors | 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Sell Online | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Transaction Fees | N/A | 3% | 0% |
Dropshipping (Via App) | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Abandoned Cart Recovery | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Sell Subscriptions | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
*Billed annually, or pay a higher rate for monthly billing
Squarespace offers more than 100 templates with sleek, modern designs and high quality. Weebly’s templates can’t come close in terms of design. Plus, Squarespace offers maximum design freedom with full drag-and-drop editing, making it easy for anyone to build a website that looks professionally designed.
This makes Squarespace ideal for high-end ecommerce stores. Learn more, with our article and video tutorial outlining how to build a website on Squarespace.
Squarespace’s section-based editor makes customizing your site simple. (Source: Squarespace)
Squarespace doesn’t add transaction fees, but you’ll still be responsible for any fees charged by your payment processor. Squarespace does charge a transaction fee for gated content or online courses, so if you have a membership area, be prepared to pay a little extra.
Squarespace is a top-ranked website builder for SEO. Whereas with Weebly you’re more or less figuring it out on your own, Squarespace makes it easy to connect Google Analytics and offers optimization tips and guides right in the dashboard. Plus, Squarespace templates are fully responsive, making for a great user experience (UX) on any type of device.
To dive deeper into all you can do with this site builder, read our expert Squarespace review. Or head over and take advantage of the 14-day free trial to see how easy it is to build a sleek, modern website on the platform.
Hostinger: Best Way to Integrate Google Ads & AdSense
Overall Score:
4.50 / 5
Pros
- Easily monetize your site with Google AdSense
- Integrated Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Facebook Pixel support
- Free domain & SSL
- AI content writer, logo creator, and visitor behavior predictions
- Messenger Live and WhatsApp integrations
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- Fewer templates than Weebly
- Less than 10 ready-made app integrations vs 300+ with Weebly and Wix, though you can add more by embedding code
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor is not as user-friendly as other editors
- Lacks some functionality common to other site builders, such as appointment booking
- Hostinger’s website builder is fully drag-and-drop, while Weebly is section-based
- Hostinger has an intuitive AI content writer, which Weebly lacks
Feature Comparison | Hostinger | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | $2.99 a month for first year, Renews at $8.99 a month | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Drag-and-drop | Section-based |
Templates | 40+ templates | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | Advanced | Basic |
AI Content Writer | Yes | No |
Keyword Support | No | No |
Third-party Apps | <10 | 300+ free and paid |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online store, restaurants, appointment booking, more | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | 100GB | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | 24/7 support, knowledge base, tutorials | Support center and community forum |
Hostinger keeps pricing simple with a single monthly plan. Introductory rates are $2.99 per month, billed annually. The plan automatically renews at $6.99 after the first year.
Plan/Features | Website Builder and Hosting |
|---|---|
Monthly Cost* | $2.99 |
Free Domain & SSL | ✓ |
Websites | Up to 100 |
Website Builder | Hostinger or WordPress (and mix/match) |
Email | Up to 100 email boxes |
Storage | 100GB |
Bandwidth | Unlimited |
Ecommerce | ✓ |
Weekly Backups | ✓ |
24/7 Customer Support | ✓ |
* With annual billing. Renews at $8.99 after the first year (or less if you choose a longer-term intro contract).
If you plan on monetizing your site using Google’s AdSense platform, Hostinger makes this easy. You don’t have to edit your headers or embed custom code. Instead, simply use their integrated AdSense tools to incorporate Google Ads into your website.
Hostinger’s website builder is intuitive and offers plenty of design control thanks to its drag-and-drop interface. Coupled with one of the more than 40 attractive templates, Hostinger’s site builder quickly gets your website up and running. That being said, the website builder lacks many business-critical functions found in other website builders.
Particularly missing include the ability to book appointments online or to sell memberships–features relatively common in website builders. While adding custom code for similar functionality is possible, achieving advanced functionality is more challenging for novice users. However, Hostinger isn’t done developing the site builder they acquired when they purchased Zyro last year, so more features like these could be on the way.
Still, if you’re looking for more design control than Weebly with basic ecommerce features and an affordable price, Hostinger delivers. At just $2.99 a month, Hostinger provides one of the less expensive entry points for website builders, and even its renewal rate of $8.99 is cheaper than most web hosting providers for similar services—including Weebly.
GoDaddy: Best for Built-in Social Media and Email Marketing
Overall Score:
4.20 / 5
Pros
- Manage social media promotions from GoDaddy dashboard
- Email marketing tools built into system
- Branded content creator assists with building promotional content
- Integrated site performance guidance and analytics
Cons
- Too few templates and designs appear dated
- Can’t choose your own template
- Ecommerce reserved for highest tier only
- GoDaddy allows social media integrations starting for free.
- GoDaddy plans come with native email marketing tools. Weebly only offers automated transaction-based emails.
- Both have free plans, but Weebly doesn’t come with appointment booking or chatbots, GoDaddy does.
Feature Comparison | GoDaddy | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | Free plan $11.99 base plan Ecommerce from $24.99 | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Section-based | Section-based |
Templates | AI-selected template only | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | On higher tiers only | Basic |
AI Content Writer | No | No |
Keyword Support | No | No |
Third-party Apps | None | 300+ free and paid |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online store, restaurants, appointments, more | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | None | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | Support center | Support center and community forum |
GoDaddy is not the cheapest website builder, but at $16.99, its most expensive plan is still relatively affordable. Start out with their free forever plan to get a feel for the builder. Then upgrade to the plan that’s right for you. Ecommerce is available only in the highest tier.
Plans/Features | Free | Basic | Commerce | Commerce Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Cost* | $0 | $11.99 | $24.99 | $44.99 |
SSL Certificate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
GoDaddy Studio | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Connect a Domain | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
SEO Tools | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Social Media Marketing | ✕ | 1 platform, 5 posts per month | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Email Marketing | ✕ | 100 sends per month | 25,000 sends per month | 100,000 sends per month |
Ecommerce | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Sales Tax Calculator | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
*Based on annual billing; monthly billing is available at a higher cost
GoDaddy’s website builder is not the most advanced Weebly alternative we reviewed. However, it does stand out for email marketing. All paid plans include incorporated email marketing tools, so you can reach out to your customers and tell them about specials, new products or services, or other news.
Email marketing tools are built into the GoDaddy dashboard, and you can format these emails similarly to how you format pages on their website. Templates are available to help you get started telling your message in a visually appealing way. You can even create branded content for your site, email, and social media in the GoDaddy Studio.
Additionally, GoDaddy features other tools that make operating your small business website easier. In particular, appointment booking is available on all tiers of service–even the free forever plan. You can start booking appointments online easily with just a few clicks.
Adding appointments is incorporated into the GoDaddy website builder. (Source: GoDaddy)
GoDaddy paid plans start at $11.99 a month for the Basic tier. For more functionality or email sends, upgrade to the higher levels of service. If you want an ecommerce site, you’ll have to sign up for at least the Commerce plan at $24.99 a month. Get started for free today at GoDaddy.
Bluehost Builder: Best for Ready-made WordPress Ecommerce
Overall Score:
4.20 / 5
Pros
- WordPress and plugins pre-installed to help you get online faster
- WordPress page builder for no-code site building
- Pre-made templates, content blocks, widgets, and more
- Affordable, from $2.95 per month, including a domain, SSL, and email
Cons
- No free plan
- Section-based page builder doesn’t offer as much customization as Wix
- Inherently harder and more time-intensive to build a WordPress site
- Bluehost’s Online Store plan comes ready-made with more robust ecommerce and non-commerce features than Weebly (but WordPress costs more).
- All security is built-in with Weebly, with Bluehost, you’ll need a WordPress plugin.
- Bluehost plans come with professional email accounts, Weebly’s don’t.
- Building a Weebly website is easier and faster.
Feature Comparison | Bluehost | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing* | $2.95/month base plan $9.95/month for ecommerce | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Section-based | Section-based |
Templates | ~300 in the base plan, plus 30 premium with other plans | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | Plugins | Basic |
AI Content Writer | Plugins | No |
Keyword Support | Plugins | No |
Third-party Apps | 55,000+ WordPress plugins | 300+ free and paid |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online store, restaurants, digital downloads, more | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | Plugins, community forum | Support center and community forum |
* Renews at a higher rate after the first year.
While Bluehost does not offer a free trial or free forever plan, its entry-level hosting starts at just $2.95 per month and includes virtually everything you need to get started. Ecommerce is available at an affordable $12.95 a month.
Plans/Features | Basic | Pro | Online Store |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost Per Month* | $2.95 | $9.95 | $12.95 |
Renews at | $12.99 | $16.99 | $39.95 |
Templates | Basic | Premium | Premium |
Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Domain, SSL, and Email | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
WordPress Updates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Email Marketing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ready to Sell Online | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Appointment Booking | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Subscriptions | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Local & County Tax Management | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
*First-year pricing billed annually, renews at a higher rate
If you’re a beginner looking for an easy way to make a WordPress website, Bluehost Builder is the best way to do it. WordPress comes pre-installed, and its core and security updates will be managed for you. Depending on the plan you choose, additional plugins will also be pre-installed to take some of the time and the learning curve of WordPress off your plate.
All-in-one site builders like Weebly come with everything needed to build a site, whereas WordPress entails a lot more. See what’s involved in our list of WordPress tips and tricks.
You will pay more to build an online store on WordPress via Bluehost than you would with Weebly. But you’ll also get more for your money, including features that Weebly doesn’t offer. Plus, you can access tens of thousands of WordPress plugins for maximum website functionality.
Bluehost offers one of the best WordPress website builders. With all the functionality of the most popular content management system (CMS) on the web, you can build a fully custom site with all the tools you need for success. Get started for just $2.95 a month.
Shift4Shop: Best Free Ecommerce Weebly Alternative
Overall Score:
4.00 / 5
Pros
- Free for online stores with $500 minimum sales/month
- Integrated payment solution
- One-page checkout system
- Migration assistant for existing ecommerce websit
Cons
- Only 100 or so templates
- Payments limited to Shift4 or PayPal
- Not user-friendly
- Pricing not transparent
- Shift4Shop can be free provided that you process at least $500 in sales per month. Weebly does not offer a free plan where you can use a custom domain.
- Shift4Shop and Weebly both offer integrated payment solutions, but Shift4Shop also offers PayPal. Weebly only allows you to use Paypal on the highest plan tier.
Feature Comparison | Shift4Shop | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | Free with $500 minimum sales, or $29 a month* | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Free with $500 minimum sales, or $29 a month* | Section-based |
Templates | ~100 templates | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | Basic | Basic |
AI Content Writer | No | No |
Keyword Support | No | No |
Third-party Apps | None | 300+ free and paid |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online stores, digital downloads | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | Advanced tools, support center | Support center and community forum |
* US-based businesses only
For US-based businesses, Shift4Shop offers a single, end-to-end solution. You can host your store with a custom domain for free—so long as you sell at least $500 a month worth of products. Otherwise, you pay $29. Here’s what’s included:
Plans/Features | End to End (US Only) | Basic | Plus | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Cost: | Free with $500 in sales, or $29 per month* | $29 | $79 | $229 |
Connect Domain | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
100+ Themes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Max Sales | N/A | $100,000 | $250,000 | $1 million |
Transaction Fee | 2.9% plus 30 cents | None | None | None |
Unlimited Products | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Inventory Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Digital Downloads | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Product Reviews | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Product Q&A | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Compare Products | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Advanced Shipping | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | |
Quote Generation | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Shift4Shop is the ecommerce solution from payment processor Shift4. It specializes in providing an ecommerce solution at a single, fixed price of $29 a month, which it waives if you sell more than $500 a month in goods. They make their money off processing fees, which clocks in at 2.9% and 30 cents per transaction.
Shift4Shop comes packed with features you’ll need to build an enterprise-level ecommerce site. These include stackable discounts and promotions, time-based promotions, and a slate of SEO tools to make sure you rank on Google and Bing. However, not everything is roses.
The Shift4Shop user interface is not the most user-friendly, though. Customer reviews complain it is counterintuitive and confusing. Also, listing items for sale is not streamlined or straightforward. So there’s a steep learning curve.
That being said, if you’re looking for an enterprise-level solution for your ecommerce needs, Shift4Shop provides it for free—so long as you hit your $500 monthly sales threshold. Otherwise, be prepared to pay $29 a month for your website. If you’d like to know more, you can get started at Shift4Shop for free before upgrading to a paid plan.
Shopify: Best for Large Ecommerce or Dropshipping
Overall Score:
3.90 / 5
Pros
- Integrated dropshipping system
- Multiple user accounts on all plans
- Steeply discounted shipping discounts from partner couriers
- Up to 1,000 inventory locations
Cons
- Must pay annual plan to access shipping calculator
- Few themes and limited customizations
- Advanced features reserved to higher tiers
- Shopify incorporates dropshipping. Weebly requires a third-party app.
- Shopify integrates a Point-of-Sale (POS) system. Weebly does not.
Feature Comparison | Shopify | Weebly |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | $39/month base plan Ecommerce on all plans | Free plan $12 base paid ad-free plan Ecommerce from $0 |
Editor | Section-based | Section-based |
Templates | Few templates and customizations | 100 templates or AI-generated |
SEO Features & Tools | Basic | Basic |
AI Content Writer | No | No |
Keyword Support | No | No |
Third-party Apps | 9 free and 100+ paid | 300+ free and paid |
Ecommerce Capabilities | Online store, digital downloads | Online stores & restaurants |
Site Limits | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage in Paid Plans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
SEO and Site Building Tips/Guides/Checklists | Support center 24/7 support | Support center and community forum |
Shopify plans start at just $39 a month, but escalates quickly from there with higher tiers at $105 and $399. What Shopify delivers, though, is an enterprise-level ecommerce solution that saves you money on shipping and transaction fees.
Basic | Shopify | Advanced | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost Per Month | $39 | $105 | $399 |
Online Sales Processing Fees | 2.9% + 30 cents | 2.6% + 30 cents | 2.4% + 30 cents |
In Person Sales Processing Fees | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.4% |
Reports | Basic | Professional | Custom |
Inventory Locations | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
Shipping Discount | Up to 77% | Up to 88% | Up to 88% |
Staff Accounts | 2 | 5 | 15 |
Shopify is built for enterprise-level ecommerce, with dropshipping directly from a manufacturer available in all plans. Shipping rates are steeply discounted as well, as long as you’re managing shipping through Shopify. This can translate to big sales and big savings for you and your customers.
Shopify also provides a POS system for brick-and-mortar stores to manage online and in-person sales from a shared inventory, if you choose. The benefit is a shared payment processing system, which can save you time, money, and effort in the long run.
The downside of Shopify is in design and customization. There are few free templates, and they aren’t easily customizable. You can use custom code, but this can be cumbersome, as well, and the results aren’t always what you were aiming for. If you’re looking for a sleek, modern store, Wix or Squarespace are still your best bets.
But if enterprise-level sales and support are something you desire, Shopify is your solution. Plans start at just $29 a month when paid annually. That comes with dropshipping and multiple users per account, allowing you to grow staffing to support your online sales. Find out more by visiting Shopify.
How We Evaluated the Best Alternatives to Weebly
In scoring Weebly alternative website builders, we only considered platforms with ecommerce capabilities. From there, we developed a methodology that includes the general features we expect, niche and advanced capabilities, and all the main features available when building a Weebly website.
The best Weebly competitors offer comparable features but stand out for niche functionality or included features that other services charge for. We looked at everything from cost and design freedom to shipping options to determine which alternative you should choose based on your needs. Click on any of the tabs to learn more about our evaluation criteria.
25%
Pricing
25%
General Features
25%
Niche Features
10%
Support
15%
Expert Opinion
25% of Overall Score
Weebly offers good value for the price, including a free version. We didn’t focus solely on price when evaluating competitors. Instead, we considered value for the price, looking at what features are included and how well the system performs. We also factored in discount periods such as introductory pricing or pay-by-the-year pricing.
25% of Overall Score
The best website builders offer unlimited storage and bandwidth, free SSL certificates, and free backups, ranked highly in our evaluation. For an online store, site limits also come into play. We considered how many items an inventory is limited to, how many pages your site can have, and more.
25% of Overall Score
Your small business requires certain features that other small businesses may be fine without. You might be monetizing with Google AdSense, but someone else may not be. We considered niche functionality and features when looking at the use case for each of these Weebly alternatives.
10% of Overall Score
You’re a small business owner, not a web developer. So you’ll need support. We weighed support options based on the kinds of support available, from online forums to 24/7 phone support.
15% of Overall Score
Nothing beats first-hand experience, so we weighed these Weebly alternatives based on our years of building websites and online stores, including hands-on experience with each site builder. We looked at how user-friendly they are, how easy you can design and build a site, and how intuitive they are for novice designers.
*Percentages of overall score
Key Considerations When Choosing a Platform Similar to Weebly
Weebly is an affordable, robust ecommerce platform, but it’s not the only one. When considering an ecommerce solution, make sure to take stock of what your needs are to achieve your online sales goals. For example, at the most basic level, does the solution you’re considering offer the features you need?
Second, don’t simply take the word of the provider. Explore what other users have to say by checking out expert website builder reviews on our site and reviews from real customers on sites like G2. Do customers all say similar things? Is there a pattern as far as potential complaints or user issues? Conversely, what do customers appreciate most about the platform, and is this important to you?
Don’t just think about your business right now. Consider how quickly it can grow. Does your ecommerce provider easily scale? If so, how affordably does it scale? If you add products or sales, how much more will that cost you monthly?
Finally, remember that you’re making a long-term commitment to this provider. Services like email and web hosting are difficult to change once you’ve established a service with one provider. Taking the time now to examine your options can save you a lot of heartache in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Weebly is a great ecommerce solution for small businesses looking to build an ecommerce website and get online quickly. But it’s not the easiest site builder to use, offers limited design flexibility, and its templates are somewhat outdated.
Weebly is a section-based website builder aimed at creating fast and easy ecommerce websites. Squarespace, Wix, and Shopify all offer easy website building with incorporated shopping functions similar to Weebly. The site builder most similar to Weebly is probably Wix. Both have free plans and niche features for restaurants as well as advanced ecommerce.
Weebly offers an intuitive, section-based website builder with a few templates and basic functionality. Wix is a more robust platform with drag and drop editor and tons of niche functionality available through optional add-ons and plugins. Depending on the complexity of your needs, Wix may be a better alternative, unless you need ecommerce in a free plan, which is only available on Weebly.
Bottom Line
Weebly remains a popular website builder, but it’s not the best solution for every small business website, and there are some great Weebly alternatives to consider. Based on our evaluation, Wix is the best overall Weebly alternative. It offers a wide range of features and capabilities, so whether you want to sell products or services, build a brand, or grow your business, Wix offers what you need.
