32 Best Free eCommerce Website Templates and WP Themes for Online Stores

WebBuildersGuide.com earns commission from some of the web builders and hosting providers listed on this website. Learn more

One of the simplest and most economical ways to get a free ecommerce website is to use ready-made free solutions – free eCommerce website templates and free eCommerce WordPress themes with shopping cart. I’ve collected 30 best, in my opinion, free ecommerce website templates and themes, which are really 100% free, without hidden fees, the need to provide your bank card and other tricks.

In a previous similar review, I collected 50 Best Free Business Templates and WordPress Themes, but they allow you to build a website without the possibility of online sales. In this selection, the emphasis is on ecommerce business.

What You Should Know About Free Ecommerce Website Templates

There are three types of free templates for eCommerce websites:

Free HTML eCommerce Website Templates – looks like a static HTML/CSS page without using any CMS and eCommerce website builders.

Free CMS eCommerce Themes – ready-made solutions based on eCommerce CMS.

Free eCommerce Website Builder Templates – complete solutions based on eCommerce website builder platforms.

In fact, there are not many worthy and truly free ecommerce website builders: Strikingly, Freewebstore, Website.com, Sellfy, ECWID and Squareup. And that’s all.

These website builders have a free plan for developing an online store. Of course there will be limits, but one way or another you will be able to get a 100% free online store. To do this, you will need to go through a free registration and choose one of the free ecommerce templates, on the basis of which you will build your online shop. Learn more about it in my review: Free Ecommerce Website Builders.

NOTE: When it comes to ecommerce website builders, the best ones are not free. For example, Shopify, a recognized leader among online store platforms, has a basic plan with a price tag of $29 per month. Doesn’t feel like free at all, does it? But people willingly pay for it. Find out why in my post: The Best Ecommerce Website Builders for Online Store.

The second way is to use ecommerce CMS with open code. These are Magento, Joomla, WordPress Woocommerce, Prestashop, etc. Just like with free ecommerce builders, you choose one of a ready-made free ecommerce website templates, for example, from my selection, and customize it for your business. Yes, you will definitely need web developer skills or freelance help.

Also, to use the CMS, you will additionally need to purchase web hosting, an SSL certificate and a domain name. Therefore, the development of an online store based on WordPress or Joomla themes can only be conditionally called free.

Choose and Download Free eCommerce Website Template

Now let’s move on to choosing free templates and themes for online stores. All 30 ecommerce templates in this collection are 100% free. If in the future one of them suddenly becomes paid or not available for use, please write to me in a comments on this post. I’ll be very grateful for this.

Tyche – Free eCommerce WordPress Theme

View this free theme

Tyche – Free eCommerce WordPress Theme

Modern free ecommerce WordPress theme for clothing store. It has a dark header on the main page and a content part on a light background.

Merrel – Shoes Free Ecommerce HTML Website Template

View this free theme

free ecommerce website templates

Merrel is a modern and completely free (Creative Commons 3.0 License) HTML Website Template for shoes online store. The website template includes a Home page, a product page with a detailed description and photo gallery, a category page, a customer reviews section and other pages. And you get all this absolutely free.

Bakery – Free Cake Shop Html Template

View this free theme

free ecommerce website templates

Bakery is a great free HTML template for a shop selling cakes, donuts and other sweets. Made in traditional bright, creamy pink colors and creates a sense of celebration.

Free HTML5 Bootstrap Template for Books Store

View this free theme

Free HTML5 Bootstrap Template for Books Store

Free one page HTML5 bootstrap template for selling hard bound books and eBooks. Extremely simple and clean design won’t distract visitors from the books sold in the online store.

Faster – Free eCommerce Multipurpose WP Theme

View this free theme

Faster - Free eCommerce Multipurpose WP Theme

This multifunctional free ecommerce WordPress theme is suitable for creating almost any online store. It uses WooCommerce and Elementor drag and drop editor.

Sydney – Free Fashion eCommerce WordPress Theme

View this free theme

Sydney – Free Fashion eCommerce WordPress Theme

A modern Free eCommerce WordPress theme for running a fashion store. Clean and minimalist design, big eye-catching photos, and stylish buttons make this theme look like a high-end brand website.

Amado – Free HTML5 eСommerce Template

View this free theme

free ecommerce website templates

Amado is a free multi-page HTML5 online store template with rich functionality. Templates of this quality are usually sold as premium, but in this case, the developers of this template decided to make it absolutely free.

Afela – Free Clothing WordPress Theme

View this free theme

Afela - Free Clothing WordPress Theme

Great free eCommerce WordPress theme to run clothing of fashion online shop. The theme is distinguished by a sophisticated design, an effective moderately wide banner on the main page, convenient navigation and menu, well-chosen color scheme.

Free Ecommerce HTML5 Template with Parallax Effect

View this free theme

free ecommerce website templates with Parallax Effect

Ultra stylish, light HTML5 eCommerce website template for free download. A wide slider header banner with carousel allows you to launch a spectacular demonstration of your favorite products. By the way, this free template is suitable for selling almost any product – from clothing to furniture and jewelry.

JA Mixstore – Free eCommerce Joomla Template with Virtuemart

View this free theme

JA Mixstore - Free eCommerce Joomla Template with Virtuemart

Another free ecommerce Joomla template worthy of attention. JA Mixstore template is made on Joomla CMS using with Virtuemart and J2Store. Suitable for free creation of an online store of various directions – accessories, fashion, clothing, furniture, jewelery.

T90 Fashion Free WordPress Theme

View this free theme

T90 Fashion Free WordPress Theme

Most online stores, predictably, specialize in clothing and accessories. Therefore, most free ecommerce website templates are dedicated to this particular area. T90 Fashion is no exception. This spectacular free ecommerce WordPress template is perfect for modern fashion brand.

Majestic – Free Bootstrap 5 HTML5 eCommerce Template

View this free theme

Majestic – Free Bootstrap 5 HTML5 eCommerce Template

Majestic is another free Bootstrap 5 HTML5 eCommerce template for fashion and clothing store. The template has many functional options usually typical for premium templates – best seller section, products gallery, products carousel, outlet carousel, fixed top navigation bar and much more.

JA Playstore – Free eCommerce Joomla Template for Games Store

View this free theme

JA Playstore - Free eCommerce Joomla Template for Games Store

If you need a free games store, I recommend checking out this Joomla based free ecommerce website template. Made in dark colors, this free responsive template will be the perfect solution for launching an online store selling games and online gaming products. The template is based on a bundle – VirtueMart and Kunena.

Ecommerce Solution – Free WordPress eCommerce Theme

View this free theme

Ecommerce Solution - Free WordPress eCommerce Theme

The most versatile ecommerce WordPress theme with over 1000 downloads for free. It’s suitable for an online store, no matter what the subject. By default, it’s sharpened for the sale of clothing and accessories. The theme is highlighted by a wide, bright yellow header with scrolling slides. You can change both the color of the header and the images and slide captions themselves. The theme is multilingual and supports: German, Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Turkish and Chinese.

Genius – Multipurpose Ecommerce Website Template

View this free theme

free ecommerce website template

Genius Template is a free eCommerce multipurpose template based on the premium WooVina theme. This free template has a fully responsive and clean design with a classic website structure. Other benefits include compatibility with the Dokan Multi Vendor plugin, which allows you to synchronize your online store with popular trading platforms like eBay and Amazon.

FoodShop – Free eCommerce Website Template

View this free theme

free eCommerce website template

FoodShop – a fully responsive free ecommerce website template for online store development. The template is very easy to setup and customize with the Customizer. Instead of the classic editor, a more advanced editor is used – Gutenberg with advanced features. It’s also worth noting the presence of cross browser support, integration with WooCommerce and SEO-friendly layout.

Cendo Free WP Theme for Furniture Store

View this free theme

Cendo Free WP Theme for Furniture Store

Created specifically for the furniture online store, this free eCommerce WordPpress theme is built on a combination of WordPress, Elementor editor and WooCommerce. The theme has a light, easy-to-read design and is fully responsive for any device and browser.

Karma – Free Sneaker Store Website Template

View this free theme

free ecommerce website templates for sneakers

An excellent free ecommerce website template for an online store selling sneakers or any other footwear. In fact, this is a ready-made free shoes online store. Just download it for free, put it on your web host and fill it with descriptions of your products.

Pet Shop – Free eCommerce WP Template

View this free theme

Pet Shop - Free eCommerce WP Template

Pet Shop, as the name suggests, is a free eCommerce WordPress theme specifically for launching an online pet store. The template has a classic structure and is based on: WordPress + WooCommerce + Elementor + WooVina theme.

LT Interior Store – Free Joomla Furniture Template

View this free theme

LT Interior Store – Free Joomla Furniture Template

Functional free Joomla template for online stores selling furniture and interior items. Helix Ultimate Framework + SP Page Builder was involved in the development of this template.

Ap Cake – Free Responsive Prestashop Theme

View this free theme

Ap Cake - Free Responsive Prestashop Theme

Free eCommerce Prestashop template well suited for cake and food stores. The home page has a spectacular product slider that can be used to advertise selected products. Simply add product images, short descriptions, and a button to the buy page.

Alice Mart – Free eCommerce WordPress Theme

View this free theme

Alice Mart - Free eCommerce WordPress Theme

Another great free eCommerce WordPress theme with a block structure for launching online stores of any subject. This template features a lot of bright banners, which makes it look like Amazon.

LT Wine Shop – Free Wine Store Joomla Theme

View this free theme

LT Wine Shop – Free Wine Store Joomla Theme

Perfect free bootstrap CSS Joomla theme for wine online store. It has a sophisticated vintage design, perfect for selling wines and collectible spirits. The template provides compress JS/CSS code and has an integrated SP Page Builder.

Electro – Free HTML5 eCommerce Template

View this free theme

Electro – Free HTML5 eCommerce Template

Electro is a free bootstrap HTML5 eCommerce template designed to launch a multi-page home appliances and electronics store. It has a simple, visually clear design and many useful eCommerce options: cart, slick slider, wishlist, sortable product gallery and others.

Beta Shop – Free WP Theme for Electrical Store

View this free theme

Beta Shop - Free WP Theme for Electrical Store

Beta Shop is a free eCommerce WordPress theme designed to launch online stores of household appliances, electrical equipment, electronics and home goods. It has a somewhat unusual, as for an online store, design with a block structure and a slider in the header.

Furni Furniture Free eCommerce Template

View this free theme

Furni Furniture Free eCommerce Template

Furni – free Bootstrap 5 eCommerce template for furniture stores. Has a wide promo banner at the top of the home page to advertise new or featured products. The template is fully responsive and displays perfectly on any device.

LT Drones Free Joomla Template

View this free theme

LT Drones Free Joomla Template

Stylish minimalistic free eCommerce website template for stores selling drones and similar equipment. This free template is compatible with Joomla! 3 and Joomla! 4.

Elite Fitness – Free eCommerce WP Template

View this free theme

Elite Fitness - Free eCommerce WP Template

This free eCommerce WordPress theme is ideal for running online sports stores selling fitness equipment and sporting goods. It has a wide slider in the header and below it there are three separate blocks, each of which can be made a link to a specific category of products.

SuperShop – Free eCommerce Bootstrap Template

View this free theme

SuperShop - Free eCommerce Bootstrap Template

Free Bootstrap 3 frontend ecommerce template which is available for free use under All-in license. This versatile ecommerce template has many additional components and jQuery plugins.

Ekko Center – Free Toys and Game Template

View this free theme

free ecommerce website templates for toys

Free eCommerce WordPress template suitable for an online store selling toys, games, consoles and gaming equipment. The template has an excellent fully responsive design made in a minimal style.

Uoni – Dark Free Ecommerce HTML Website Template

View this free theme

dark free ecommerce website templates

Uoni is a free HTML template for an ecommerce project selling watches and accessories. Made in dark colors, this free ecommerce website template is perfect for launching a watch online shop. The advantages of this free template include the presence of SEO optimization and cross-browser compatibility.

LT xMas Gift – Free Present Store Joomla Theme

View this free theme

LT xMas Gift – Free Present Store Joomla Theme

And we finish our selection of free best eCommerce templates and themes with this festive free Joomla theme. This is the perfect free solution for an online gift shop. If you need to create gifts online store quickly and for free, pay attention to it.

Best AI Website Builders to Launch AI Generated Websites – 2024

WebBuildersGuide.com earns commission from some of the web builders and hosting providers listed on this website. Learn more

Against the backdrop of the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), developing websites with the help of AI does not seem like such a fantastic idea. Find out what AI website builder is the best and why.

At this point in 2024, we already know how well ChatGPT does searches, how Deepl creates and translates content, how cool Lensa AI draws, and many other AI powered services. Website Development also has its own breakthrough AI solutions – AI website builders.

Clearly, AI can do a better job of building a website than a human. Or is it still not? Let’s figure it out. And at the same time, let’s find out which AI based website builders really use artificial intelligence, and which ones are just hyping on a popular trend, but in reality they have nothing to do with AI.

How Does Artificial Intelligence Website Builder Work?

While creating a website in the usual way, by using the drag and drop editor, we select the appropriate template, edit it by adding the necessary pages and the necessary features, adjust the color scheme and fonts. But when AI based website builders take over the development of a website, everything is much simpler.

Firstly, you don’t have to choose a template, instead you are asked to specify the type of website you want (small business, ecommerce, blog, etc.), business category, name of your company/website. The AI will then automatically parse your current website (if it exists) and generate a finished website according to your preferences.

The best AI website builders may additionally ask to specify a design you love, such as Wix ADI. Or to point to any existing website you like and AI will try to recreate a similar website according to the example. As 10Web AI builder suggests.

If you don’t like something, you can always edit it yourself using the drag and drop editor. In any case, you will spend much less effort and time than if you didn’t use AI at all.

NOTE: In fact, the possibilities of AI website creators don’t end with website development. The more advanced ones can come up with your brand name, create a logo, and even write content for your website on their own. AI simply finds everything that can be found about you and your business in the public domain (usually social networks and your old website) and after analyzing this data, it will create new content and automatically fill the appropriate pages with it. For example – About us and Contacts.

5 Best AI Website Builders

There are some really smart website builders claiming to be the best AI website builder. I would single out these five, but the final choice is yours, as always.

Wix ADI – the best free AI website builder

Wix is one of the most loved (and most used) free website builders. And Wix ADI, short for Wix Artificial Design Intelligence, is its AI website creator.

Wix ADI - the best free AI website builder

When you log in to your Wix account, you have to first select what kind of a website you need. Once that is done, you get an option to either go with the standard Wix DIY editor or Wix ADI.

Wix ADI - the best free AI website builder

Wix ADI starts by asking users six questions. And based on the answers to these six questions, it creates a custom website. You can also skip some of the questions if you are not too sure about them. Within minutes a unique website is generated. And it is complete with design layout, images, elements, and even text.

Wix ADI - the best free AI website builder

The AI scans the web and social media platforms to offer you relevant content to include on your website. Once the custom website is generated, you can see the What You See Is What You Get Editor (WYSIWYG) editor for further customizations. And you will surely need customization if you’re going to build a membership websites or online stores.

And with just that, your custom AI-created website will be ready.

Pros of Wix ADI:

For those who are overwhelmed by the choice of templates available in Wix, Wix ADI gives you a breather with just six themes to choose from. However, these themes can later be customized, should you feel the need.

ADI lets you change the theme after the site is created. Such a feature was not available in the standard editor.

Wix ADI comes with a WYSIWYG editor that makes customizing the AI-generated website easy.

ADI creates a website including the apps and integration options selected during setup. But it also offers a few more apps that you can add later.

The ADI editor offers a standard SEO setup. And you can select the ‘Get Found on Google’ option to do more advanced settings.

Users get intuitive guide videos to get help in using the builder and knowing what to do next. And the ADI assistant is another handy tool that offers helpful pointers.

Users can also get help from the ‘Help’ section on the top right of the screen. The searchable database has solutions to all queries that you might have. On-call and support ticket options are also available.

Wix’s paid plans offer hosting and domain name as well. With ADI, you get a free username (username.wixsite.com/yoursitename/). You can also buy generic domain names from Wix.

The ADI editor is also available in similar plans to the standard editor. The lowest plan starts at $11/month (quite cheap prices, don’t you think?)

Cons of Wix ADI:

A limited number of themes.

Limited access to Wix apps.

Some sections that need additional content might get overlooked.

Create a site

Jimdo Dolphin – the easiest and fastest AI website builder

Jimdo Dolphin - the easiest and fastest AI website builder

Jimdo is a popular website builder that offers both DIY and AI-based website building solutions. While Creator (the standard editor) is already a popular option, Dolphin, its AI-based solution, deserves praise too.

Jimdo Dolphin - the easiest and fastest AI website builder

Dolphin promises to help users create a website in under three minutes. The drill is simple. You answer a series of questions about the type of website you need. The artificial intelligence website builder creates a structure based on the answers. Also, the setup wizard explores data associated with your Facebook and Google accounts.

NOTE: Don’t be alarmed that Jimdo doesn’t use “Dolphin” in the description of their AI website builder. For some unknown reason, they decided not to use that name on their website anymore, but it’s still the same Jimdo Dolphin with artificial intelligence that was the first among AI website builders.

Pros of Jimdo Dolphin:

The first draft is actually ready in under three minutes, and Dolphin delivers exactly what it promises.

In most cases, the structure created by the AI creator is good to go. But if you need to make changes and customizations, you can use the intuitive and easy builder.

The virtual wizard searches Google for the most suitable images, and thus, you are not required to add a lot of media content from your end.

A few shortcomings that Jimdo Creator has have been fixed. This includes a central media storage option. And you only need to publish the changes when you want to go live.

The websites created using Dolphin are fast loading, modern, and mobile responsive.

The builder is available in multiple languages. And the websites that it can create can also be multilingual.

If you are looking to build a small online store, Dolphin can do that for you. It is easy to set up a shop, add products, and accept payments.

Analytics, basic SEO options, and contact forms are available.

A free plan is available for exploring the features. Premium plans start at $9/month and go up to $39/month.

The Support Center has solutions to all the basic issues that a beginner user might encounter. For more help and problem-solving, support is available via mail.

Cons of Jimdo Dolphin:

There is no option to add widgets or apps with Jimdo’s Dolphin.

Website monetization options (like AdSense) are available only with Jimdo Creator.

The features are plenty, but the scope is limited, especially in SEO and online store options.

Create a site

Leia – AI website builder with a voice control

Leia - AI website builder with a voice control

Leia is the perfect AI website maker for users who love Siri, Alexa, or any other AI-backed voice assistants. Users just have to use voice command and enter a few keywords. And that’s all the input Leia needs to create a clean and customized website. Leia codes the website from scratch. And the result is a professional-looking scrolling website.

Leia - AI website builder with a voice control

It works as a personal web designer. And yields beautiful results within 60 seconds. No technical knowledge or coding proficiency is needed. All you need to do is speak what you want to see done.

Pros of Leia:

Leia asks users to fill in multiple-choice questions based on the information that it has verbally received. This double-checks that the AI assistant has the right gist of what you said.

Websites created using Leia are stored and hosted on its server. This frees you from having to look for separate hosting plans.

SSL certificate is available for free with websites created using Leia.

After Leia creates a website, users can edit the domain name and the elements on the website to give it a more personalized touch. A WYSIWYG editor is available for that.

Additional features like SEO and newsletter management are in-built.

Users can also use Leia’s online store builder option to set up their online shop.

Leia gives its users an option to import or export content as well.

Online customer support is available.

Users can also deploy the Leia apps for Android and Mac for website management.

There is a free plan available with limited functionalities. The lowest-paid plan starts at $4.17/month. Leia’s Business plan is also available for $6.67/month.

Cons of Leia:

The free plan is nothing more than a trial option. Creating a functioning website is not possible with the free plan.

As compared to other alternatives, the customization options, and additional functionalities are limited.

Create a site

10Web – will create a new website based on an example

10Web - will create a new website based on an example

10Web AI Builder is a rather unusual AI website builder that doesn’t look like the previous three on our list. The main purpose of 10Web AI Builder is not to create a website from scratch (although this is possible) but to recreate WordPress websites based on an example. It can be your own website or just any other website that you visually like.

In the first case, 10Web can be the perfect solution for quickly migrating your current website to WordPress. You simply enter its URL (up to 5 pages) and 10Web will generate a WordPress website where it will transfer all your content, including images, videos and even internal links. Everything about everything will take about 3 minutes. Impressive isn’t it?

10Web - will create a new website based on an example

Of course, after moving content to a new website, some sections may need manual editing. This is usually about formatting and customizing a website in mobile view. But it doesn’t cause too much difficulty since 10Web AI website builder has an Elementor drag-and-drop editor. It’s one of the best drag-and-drop web builder that allows you to easily and quickly customize your website page.

You can also build an entirely new website with AI. In this case, 10Web will offer you several themes to choose from. And also a few standard questions about your business and company.

10Web - will create a new website based on an example

NOTE: I was pleasantly surprised to find out about the existence of such an AI online service that makes it as easy as possible to transfer any website to WordPress. And it became possible only thanks to the involvement of AI. As a professional web developer, I can say for sure that moving an existing website from one platform to another is never an easy task. And besides, it is time consuming. But now, thanks to 10Web AI website builder, it can be done in seconds for someone who has never dealt with HTML.

Pros of 10Web:

10Web is a one-of-a-kind AI website builder that allows you to recreate a website from a given example.

High speed website creation – up to 3 minutes. During this time, 10Web AI website builder will recreate your website along with all the content.

10Web AI website builder has its own optional drag-and-drop editor (based on Elementor). This will allow users, if necessary, to edit the website after it has been created by AI.

The high speed of the created websites is ensured through the use of the Google Cloud Platform, page caching system and image optimization.

10Web AI website builder automatically creates a backup copy of your website. You can always download a backup if something goes wrong with your website.

There is a library of additional widgets that you can use for free to improve your website.

Enhanced security of websites developed on 10Web is provided by a built-in scanner and malware removal system. Therefore, unlike ordinary WordPress sites, WordPress websites built on the 10Web platform do not have problems with hacks and malware.

Available plans. 10Web AI website builder has a basic plan – Personal for $10 per month (billed annually) to create one website. More powerful plan – Premium will allow you to create and maintain up to 3 websites, for $24 per month. The maximum Agency plan for $60 per month includes all available features + VIP support. And most importantly – it is designed for 10 websites. That’s $6 for one website – a great deal for Web design studios.

Cons of 10Web:

Despite the powerful AI, the websites recreated by him require manual refinement. So it’s necessary to pay attention to the formatting of content on the pages and the correct display in mobile.

All plans have a limit on visits. Including the maximum plan – Agency. For the number of visitors in excess of the plan, an additional fee is charged at the rate of – $2 per 10,000 visits.

The 10Web AI website builder will recreate a very similar website to the example you provided, but it will not be a 100% replica. So if your goal is to get a one-to-one website, 10Web is definitely not the solution for you.

Create a site

B12- AI based web development agency

B12 is a modern website builder that promises agency-quality websites at DIY prices. Other than being AI-powered, B12 also has a team of real-life website designers at its backend. And that helps businesses quickly get started with their websites.

Once you have entered relevant business information, B12’s AI platform, Orchestra, scrolls the Internet to find information from your other websites, social media channels and even considers brand mentions.

B12- AI based web development agency

After considering these two sets of data, B12 creates a draft for your website. The design team at B12 then reviews this draft. They make sure your website is unique. And then, the first draft is shown to you for feedback. Depending on your feedback and suggestions, the B12 team completes your website within three to seven business days. And this use of a human element along with AI sets B12 apart from its competitors.

Pros of B12:

With B12, you can rely on AI’s precision and the prowess of the expert team of designers to give you a functional website with great form.

The B12 team reviews your website every month and sends in suggestions. If you approve the suggestions, the team of designers will update the website for you.

You can also edit the website on your own if you are keen on going DIY.

B12 has import options that you can use to inculcate previously used assets on your new website.

You can use videos and high-resolution images on your B12 website. There are no media restrictions.

The AI and human intelligence behind B12 both take pride in SEO proficiency. And you can expect your website created using B12 to rank high in SERPs and get good traffic.

The websites created using B12 are all mobile responsive and will display perfectly across devices and screen sizes.

You can set up a blog on your B12 website as the blogging support is extended for WordPress, Medium, and RSS feed. Social media integration is also possible. Integration with Shopify and Ecwid is possible (to compensate for the lack of in-build eCommerce functionality).

B12 has an in-build copywriting team that can help you create content for your site.

B12 offers a free plan. And the lowest paid plan starts at $29/month and goes up to $249/month for the SEO Pro plan. Hosting is provided for free with all plans. And the paid plans come with a custom domain name. The lower plans come with email and chat support. But on-call support is only for the SEO plans that start at $99/month.

Cons of B12:

The templates and designs that B12 offers are crafted according to your brand, but there is not much variety to choose from.

While B12 scores high on SEO, the lack of in-build eCommerce functionality is disappointing.

Create a site

Why Is AI So Important?

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global artificial intelligence market will reach $267 billion by 2027. (That’s a little more than the GDP of Finland, to give you some perspective.) More than 90% of leading businesses have ongoing AI investments. 72% of businesses feel that AI is an advantage to the business. And website building is one of the fresh additions to the long list of spheres set to be revolutionized by AI.

A fresh crop of AI website builders gets cultivated each year. A lot of hype gets created around them. But most of them fall flat on their face. (We are looking at you, The Grid) However, some seem to deliver a lot (if not everything) of what they promise. So, will we have a smart website builder that will give web designers a run for their money in the near future? Or is this just a marketing gimmick that will blow up soon?

Before we find out AI’s future in web development and design, let’s start by understanding what exactly it is. We’ll also discuss how it is used and how it is impacting the website building sphere. Plus, we’ll discuss in detail the leading website builders with AI that are worth your time and money.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

When you ask Alexa to play your favorite song, you are interacting with the most used and well-developed artificial intelligence robot. Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana – all fall in the same category. AI is a broad branch of computer science. And it deals with building smart devices that have the capacity to perform tasks that require human-like intelligence.

The lack of emotion and consciousness is what makes it different from natural intelligence found in humans and animals. However, that is also set to change in the near future. Works on AI that has emotions are underway. And it just needs to be perfected.

AI and Website Design And Development

Today, customers look for more personalized, streamlined, and effortless experiences on the web. And that isn’t possible with the traditional website development strategies. Even if it were to be possible, it is definitely not affordable. That’s where AI comes into the picture.

Generally speaking, AI aids web designers and developers by easing and hastening tedious and long-drawn processes. What took hours or even days to complete can be accomplished with minutes. All with AI.

UX/UI is the sub-section of website development and design that has benefitted the most from AI. From making the search faster to making the customer experience more interactive and personalized, AI has contributed a lot to the website creation sphere. But the newest addition to the lot is AI website builders.

AI Website Builders – Gimmicks or The Future of Website Building?

An AI website builder aims to make life easier for developers and businesses alike. With the use of a vast database of knowledge and intelligent processing, these website builders help build websites in a fraction of time. And for a fraction of the cost.

AI website builders work like extremely efficient secretaries. You tell them what kind of a business you own and what kind of a website you want. Share simple details like your company name and address, logo, and the content you want on your website. And the artificial intelligence design builder will pull a few (a lot, actually) strings and give you a website that matches your needs. But how exactly does it happen?

Which brings us to…

How is AI Making the Website Building Process Better?

AI is contributing towards the betterment of the website building process in more ways than one. The most primary one is reducing the time and expertise required to create a functional website with good form.

While website builders, in general, let non-web designers and beginners get work done without trial and error, AI takes things a step forward. Busy business owners can use AI-powered website builders to create a website without having to start from scratch. Plus, personalizing the website for a better user experience also becomes easier. Also, AI website builders use web design best practices.

And it is not just limited to making the process of creating a website better. The process of keeping the website up and running is also significantly aided by AI. Even average technology users can carry out website maintenance and upkeep with AI website builders.

Theoretically speaking, AI has everything that it takes to make the website building process better, faster, cost-effective, and more streamlined. But the results are not always how you expect them to be. A lot of AI website builders are infamous for a subpar website and outdated designs. And a lot of other structural and functional issues also tend to creep in.

But worry not, we separated the wheat from the chaff for you. And above, you were able to find a detailed review report of the top five AI website builders that won’t disappoint.

Best Drag and Drop Website Builder Software

WebBuildersGuide.com earns commission from some of the web builders and hosting providers listed on this website. Learn more

So, building a website needs a person skilled in computer science and/or information technology, right? Wrong!

Building a website supposedly involves things like coding, Java, CSS, HTML … Words we all notice often enough on the internet, but they don’t mean much to those not exposed to the tech world.

That’s precisely where Drag-and-Drop website building tools come in. These are tools that allow just about anyone to create a website – as long as you have a computer or a smartphone and an internet connection. No technical know-how is necessary. You just have to choose the best website builder ith drag and drop editor.

How Drag-and-Drop Works For Website Building

If you’re a DIYer interested in making a website for your business or pleasure, you need a drag and drop website builder.

Once you register your free account with a Drag-and-Drop based website builder, you will have to follow some basic steps.

First, you need to choose a theme. Most builders arrange their themes in different categories like blog, e-store, business, etc.

Next, you will see the editor interface where you can easily customize the pre-set theme design to suit your needs. Galleries with photographs and videos are also available.

The main buttons you are likely to need on a website are already present. Headings and captions, email subscription buttons, about, and contact info, etc. are some typical examples.

Most drag/drop editing interfaces also have an on-screen ruler to help you align content elements properly, without spending a lot of time.

The most common content elements include text boxes, images, videos, image galleries, backgrounds, bullets, buttons, widgets such as social media share/like/comment, columns, and banners.

How drag-and-drop works for website building

When you use these content elements, you have access to deep customizations for each of them. It means you can easily create a web page that is a major improvement on the preset theme you start with.

The levels of customization possible differ across platforms, but all of them allow some degree of playing around. There are free as well as paid plans. Customization options naturally improve with the paid ones.

The Incredible Convenience of Drag-and-Drop Website Building

Drag-and-drop page builders are an absolute boon for DIYers. The convenience level is incredible, indeed. No need to understand any technical jargon. No need to hire a technical person. Need a website? Build it yourself. As simple as that.

Super-Quick Website Designing, No Coding

Have you been using social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp? Are you adept at watching what you need to on YouTube? You can happily manage the drag-and-drop website building tool.

Just drag and drop different content elements until you’re satisfied. You can always see how the website will appear by using the Preview option. That allows you to make further changes if you want to.

You can set up your website and get it running in less than an hour.

Instructions and Customer Support

Drag-and-drop page builders guide you through the website design process with clear-cut instructions in simple language. Just in case even that is not enough – you will find all the info you need from the website builder’s help menu.

With some platforms, you can only send an email and wait for a response. A few offer live chat options for support.

Plugins for Customization

Drag-and-drop website building platforms offer plugin options to facilitate customization. As in the case of free and paid plans, there are differences between platforms in the number and kind of plugins they offer.

Adobe Acrobat Reader and Adobe Flash Player continue to be two of the most popular plugins. The first one allows the use of pdf documents while the second one is often necessary for watching videos.

AI-Based Web Design

Some Drag-and-Drop website builders like Wix use systems based on artificial intelligence to make the website building easier for you. All you need is to specify your style preferences and purpose of the website.

As you answer the few initial questions, you’ll notice that the platform will present you with a basic web design which you can then customize using the Drag-and-Drop editor. If you use that, though, you have less control over the various elements.

Start Free

You can always start with a free version of the website builder, and upgrade to a paid version later as your business picks up. Not to have to invest when you’re just starting your business is a great help, indeed.

If you want to build a website for a purely personal reason – like an important life event to share – you may never need to upgrade. If you are starting up as a blogger, however, you may need to switch to a paid plan to monetize your blogging expertise.

Best Online Drag-and-Drop Website Builders

Too much choice can be confusing sometimes – especially for someone trying to build a website for the first time.

In this section, we offer you well-researched tips to help you make an informed decision. About the best Drag-and-Drop website builders to choose from.

How To Choose The Best Drag-and-Drop Website Builder

If you work out a few things in your head before you start, it will become easier to choose a platform. Whether it is a business or a personal website you want to build, decide on the kind of look you want for your website.

Think through the number of pages you may want on your website and the kind of plugins you’re likely to need. If it is a business or professional website, you could check out the pricing first. You’d most likely need to upgrade to a paid plan as your business grows.

If it is a business website or an online store you want to run, you need to decide whether you want a blogging option. Ease of use and SEO features are two other capabilities to consider.

Once you have your primary plan worked out, you’re ready to start experimenting. The good thing is that you can try out different platforms for free before you choose the best website builder.

Wix

best drag and drop website builder

Wix is one of the best drag and drop website builders that allow you to create a good-looking website with ease and without coding.

Wix is as close as it gets to giving you a ready-made customized website suitable for your purpose. Wix offers this with its ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) tool.

If you want more control, you can choose to not use the AI-based design tool. You can always pick a template and customize it yourself.

Your first task is to choose a template. Wix offers more than 500 templates to choose from under different categories. Whichever you choose, you can still make changes to suit your taste.

This is what the editor looks like. You can find all the content elements from the Add menu.

When you add a content element, you can customize it individually.

Dragging and dropping content elements of the page is easy, and you get full control over placement. You can right-click any content element to access more options to customize it as you need.

Using the Wix editor, you can execute the deepest level of customization you could ask for, all without writing a line of code.

From changing the background image to choosing from over 100 fonts – you’ll have little to complain about. You can use your own images and upload your own fonts also.

Just in case you are unsure about any particular command in the editor menu, you can always use the help menu.

Free vs. Paid Plans

The main differences between the free and paid plans of Wix are:

You can get a custom domain name available only with paid plans. In the free plan, your site will carry the Wix domain name. Your site address will look like this: username.wixsite.com/name-of-your-page.

The Wix favicon will appear in the URL and Wix ads will be on every page in the free plan.

You need a paid plan to get more than 500 MB of storage space and higher than 500 MB bandwidth.

Integrated payment options are available only in paid plans.

Google Analytics unavailable in free plans.

Create a site

Squarespace

drag and drop website builder software

Squarespace is another popular drag-and-drop website building platform that claims to be a one-stop solution to all your website building needs. Even for your online business needs.

Let’s clarify something right at the outset: Squarespace offers no free plans. The most basic plan costs US$ 16 per month, which reduces to US$ 12 per month if you pay for the whole year at one go. The priciest plan costs US$ 40 per month when you pay for the annual subscription.

Squarespace offers one year of free domain registration, though, and every registered website can have one free domain for a year.

All plans offer the following features:

Customized domain name with SSL security

Enough templates to choose from

SEO features to improve site visibility

Squarespace extensions

24×7 customer support

All websites on Squarespace are mobile optimized. However, the basic plan allows only two contributors.

Squarespace will ask you what your site is about when you want to choose a template. The “Next” option will appear only when you have selected one of the many options available.

If you don’t find your specific thematic area listed, you can describe that in the box below. If you click on the “I’m just browsing” option on the right top corner, you’ll be taken to Squarespace’s gallery of templates.

Otherwise, you’ll be prompted to choose your top goals, where you can select more than one. The next page asks which stage of the process you are at, where you have to select one of the given options. Then click finish.

Depending on your responses to those initial questions, you’ll be taken to the templates page. In the image below, for instance, Squarespace offers templates for an online store. You can, however, change your preference by clicking on the left menu.

Templates are subcategorized under each category and you can keep previewing them until you see the one you want to use. Once you choose a template, Squarespace will prompt you to start with that design.

Remember that you can customize the chosen template as per your preferences.

Your next step is to choose a name for your site. Then you go on to editing your page. You can add, delete, and modify text and images by using the edit commands. By clicking on the icon on the top right corner, you can check how your website will look on a mobile, or a computer screen.

The rest of the process is similar to what happens at Wix. Squarespace will guide you at every step. If you still feel unsure about something, the 24×7 customer support is always there.

Create a site

Weebly

free drag and drop website builder

Weebly offers a free plan, with paid plans ranging from US$ 5 to 25 per month when paid annually. You get a domain name with Weebly branding, 500 MB storage space, SSL security, SEO support, lead capture, and contact forms in the free plan.

Support through chat and emails is available under all plans, including the free one. There is an active community to support you as well.

For payment and shopping cart support, however, you need a paid plan.

Users swear that Weebly is one of the most easy-to-use drag and drop website building platforms. You start by signing up, of course, and then choose one of these two options:

“I need a website with an online store.”

“I just need a website.”

Don’t agonize over it if you’re not sure. You can add an online store later also, in case you’re not sure right now.

The next step is to select one of the 50 themes that Weebly has to offer. You can edit your selected template, of course, but you need to choose a domain name first.

This is what you’ll see as suggested templates for a business website. However, there are other thematic options available on the top menu bar as you can see. One great advantage of Weebly is that you can change your template

The next steps are similar to what we have already described in the Wix and Squarespace sections. You edit the background image and the text. You can choose items from the Element Menu to drag and drop onto your site.

You can upload your own images where you want them. You can create any number of pages on your website, by clicking on the “Pages” tab on the side menu and then clicking on the plus icon.

You’ll notice that there are varying page types. Choose the ones that suit you. Change the color scheme and the fonts on your webpage by clicking on the Theme menu on the horizontal menu bar above.

Continue customizing your website until you’re sure that it has the look you want. Hit the “Publish” button only then.

Before that, have fun with all of the following:

Modify the background to suit your taste

Edit the textboxes to give them the look that you want

Add new elements, layouts, and pages

Delete what you don’t want

Create a site

Webnode

website builder software with drag and drop

As another free drag and drop website builder, Webnode has over 40 million users. This platform offers a plan that is free with no time limit. You can upgrade to a paid plan only if you feel the need.

The paid plans have costs ranging from US$ 3.95 per month up to US$ 19.95 per month. The good news is that you can try out any of the paid plans for free for a year.

Webnode just updated their editor to include more templates and editing experience that’s even more enhanced than the first version.

Webnode’s USP is that it allows you to make multilingual websites. You can access more than 20 languages with certain plans.

The editing process is fairly similar to what you’ve read so far. You register, you choose a template, you customize it, and so on. Template customization options are limited, though.

The process is the same for most of these drag-and-drop platforms. The differences are marginal. You can add sections from the drag and drop editor. You can also add elements like photos and videos.

But Webnode is not the easiest platform to use. You’ll need to spend some time and keep going back to their tutorial video to figure out all of it.

Webnode’s real problem lies elsewhere. The absence of a search option is a serious shortcoming. So is the unavailability of highly relevant widgets such as “like” and “share” buttons.

Webnode’s e-commerce features are limited, and there is certainly room for improving its blogging option. There’s no Apps store to buy from, either.

Also, Webnode offers only 100 MB storage space in its free plan, while competitors offer up to 500 MB free storage space.

Create a site

Shopify

drag and drop website builder

Going by its rapid growth and user reviews, Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms. You can easily build your online store with its drag-and-drop technology. Founded in 2004, the company has more than one million users in 2024.

Apart from the free templates that you can choose from and customize, Shopify also has a Theme Store that you can buy from. Most of the tools that you need for online selling, like a payment processor, email marketing tools, etc. are available for you to drag and drop on your digital storefront.

There’s a blog space also, along with the scope to add images, text, products, etc. You can keep changing the position of these sections until your homepage looks exactly as you like it.

You can preview how your storefront will look on desktops and mobiles before you save your site.

The editing process is similar to other drag-and-drop page builders, though the tools available are more e-commerce oriented.

Shopify doesn’t have any free plans, but there is a 14-day free trial for all its plans. The payments range from US$ 29 per month to US$ 299. There is also a Shopifyplus option for large businesses.

There’s a Shopify Lite plan also, for which you need to spend only US$ 9 a month. You cannot build a full-fledged store with that plan, though. You can only sell through Facebook or any other pre-existing platform using Shopify’s “buy” button.

Shopify charges a transaction fee, however, if you use a payment method other than Shopify Payments. Also, additional apps can become costly as you keep on adding them to address diverse needs.

Create a site

Jimdo

best drag and drop website builder

This hosted e-commerce solution has built more than 20 million websites by 2024. The specialty of Jimdo is that it offers two different versions of the editor: Jimdo Creator and Jimdo Dolphin.

Jimdo Creator is the classic DIY version like the ones we’ve been talking about. Jimdo Dolphin is the AI (artificial intelligence)-based solution that asks you a few questions and creates an online storefront for you.

Since we’re on the DIY route in this post, let’s focus on Jimdo Creator.

The basics are the same: create an account, log in, choose a template, choose elements … It’s the same routine.

Jimdo offers enough customization options for you to design your store the way you want to. Go to Design and choose Style on the dropdown menu to go to the style editor. Then, simply follow the instructions to try out different options.

Jimdo offers a free plan on which you can build a five-page website with 500 MB storage space and 2 GB bandwidth. The paid plans start from US$ 9 per month and go up to US$ 39 per month.

Try out Jimdo for sure, but be aware of just two key issues. Some of the templates offer restricted customization options. A bigger problem is that the credit card payment option through Stripe is available only to business customers. Otherwise, you can use only PayPal.

Create a site

Best Visual Drag-and-Drop WordPress Page Builders

WordPress is an open-source, volunteer-served content management system (CMS) with an included drag-and-drop editor. You can access an incredibly wide range of themes and plugins if you build your website on WordPress.

Its main difference with the online drag-and-drop platforms we’ve been describing so long is that WordPress is visual. What you see is what you get. That’s its interface.

Below, we list the four top drag-and-drop editors for WordPress websites.

Elementor

drag and drop website builder software

Going by user reviews, Elementor is the most popular free WordPress website builder with more than 5 million installs.

Unlike the online drag-and-drop website building tools, Elementor needs installation. Whether you want to use the free version or the paid Elementor Pro version, you need to download and install it.

It’s simple. Open Elementor on your device. Create an account and click on the “Subscribe and Download” button. Then follow the instructions to get Elementor installed in your device.

Go to your WordPress Dashboard, go to Plugins, and click on “Add New”. Then you choose “Upload Plugin” and click on the newly downloaded zip file. Once the uploading process is complete, you’ll need to install and activate it.

If you’ve already purchased Elementor Pro, you’ll need to input your license number when prompted to “Activate your License Key”.

You can also download Elementor from the WordPress dashboard following the same process of Plugins > Add New. Search for Elementor to locate it. Then click on Elementor Page Builder.

Then you simply need to click “Install Now”. Click on “Activate” once the installation is complete.

The editor is as usual on the left of your WordPress page. You can easily select ordinary widgets like heading, caption, etc. You can also select advanced widgets like headings with automation, etc.

You can design just about anything in WordPress with Elementor, including your Woocommerce e-store. Users say that Elementor is just awesome as a popup builder.

There are two issues that users face, though. Elementor’s library of templates and blocks isn’t great. Also, support is always there – but not necessarily customized to your specific need.

Create a site

Beaver Builder

free drag and drop website builder

Drag-and-drop Beaver Builder is another WordPress plugin that you can use to build your website yourself. Like Elementor, Beaver is also a WYSIWYG webpage builder for WordPress.

The Lite version of Beaver is available for free on the WordPress Plugin Directory. For the full version of Beaver, you need to buy a license. There are three paid plans at an annual rate of US$ 99, 199, and 399.

You can, of course, try each one of these for free before you commit to any of them.

Beaver Builder’s unique feature is that it allows you to customize the content area of your webpage with its included drag-and-drop editor separately from the other areas of your page. You can do it all yourself, or use one of Beaver’s templates.

The process is simple and user-friendly. If you still find it difficult, you can always see the demo first.

Users swear by the visual editor of Beaver. Both DIYers and web developers alike. However, three issues on the flip side appear to be pertinent.

If Beaver Builder Lite isn’t enough for you, it’s a pricey affair with the lowest plan costing US$ 99 a year, such price makes it one of the cheapest website builders. Also, loading after every action makes the development process slower than with other plugins. Finally, the absence of an Undo option (ctrl+Z/CMD+Z) is challenging for many DIYers.

Create a site

Divi

website builder software with drag and drop

With the claim of being the most popular WordPress theme globally, Divi is the flagship product of Elegant Themes. You can try it for free, but this multipurpose visual builder costs US$ 89 annually. You can purchase lifetime access for US$ 249 also.

Let’s clarify one point before we go on. Don’t get confused between Divi Theme and Divi Builder. Divi Builder is part of the Divi Theme. You automatically get Divi Builder when you download Divi Theme.

However, you can also download Divi Builder separately as a plugin to use on different themes. But not every feature of Divi Theme is available on Divi Builder. You can customize your headers with Divi Theme, but not with Divi Builder, for instance.

Suppose you decide to delete your Divi Theme in favor of any other template. If you have the Divi Builder plugin installed, your previous pages and posts will continue to look the same.

As a DIYer, you won’t need to engage with the backend part of Divi Builder. The frontend visual builder is what concerns you.

On your WordPress webpage, you’ll get the options of using the default editor or the visual editor, if you have the Divi Builder plugin.

Choose the “Use Visual Editor” button to continue working with Divi. The rest is easy. You simply follow the jargon-free instructions to set up the webpage you like.

User reviews point out two challenges with Divi Builder. One is that it doesn’t have popup builders. The other is that customization options are limited.

Create a site

Visual Composer

drag and drop website builder

As another drag-and-drop website builder for WordPress, Visual Composer offers a super-easy user interface along with attractive customization options for almost anything.

The process is the same. You register, choose a template, choose elements to customize, and so on.

Visual Editor does have a free plan with 10 templates, 30 elements, free updates, and insights tools. The paid plans range from US$ 49 a year to US$ 349 annually.

The lack of an undo option is a pet peeve of users. Some users complain that it has a slow loading speed.

Create a site

Online Drag-and-Drop Website Builders vs. Drag-and-Drop WordPress Builders

So, what should you choose: one of the online drag-and-drop website building tools or drag-and-drop editor for WordPress websites? The choice is yours. We have no favorites. Both have their plus sides and flip sides.

We can, however, help you make an informed choice by detailing the pros and cons of both.

Online Drag-and-Drop Website Builders Pros and Cons

These are comparatively new entrants in the website building ecosystem when compared with WordPress. They are yet to capture as much of the internet as WordPress does, as a result.

Pros:

Most of them offer free plans, which means you can launch your online business without any investment at all.

Most of these platforms are very user-friendly.

Many of these platforms offer enough trendy design templates to choose from.

Cons:

Free plans have limitations.

These platforms are not as flexible in terms of plugins like WordPress

WordPress Drag-and-Drop Editors Pros and Cons

With 14 years of web-presence behind it, WordPress accounts for 37% of all websites and 63% of the CMS market. So, it is wrong to believe that it is just for blogging. WordPress growth has not slowed down at all with the advent of online DIY website builders at all.

Pros:

The flexibility of WordPress in terms of designs and plugins is unmatched.

WordPress can handle a lot more traffic than most online website builders.

Can handle large and complex websites better than online platforms.

Cons:

You have to spend on hosting your website (for WordPress.org) unless you use WordPress.com, which is more an online DIY platform.

It is not as easy-to-use as the online DIY platforms.

Hopefully, all this information will help you decide which platform to choose to build your first website. Have fun.

How can Drag and Drop Technology Help to Create an Amazing Website Quickly and Easily?

1. What Is Drag and Drop?

Drag and drop is a graphical interface technology for content management. It allows the user to move different elements on their screen to assemble a final product. As the name suggests, the user can simply “drag and drop” an element into their desired placement.

2. How do Drag and Drop Work?

The front-end look of any screen, be it a webpage or a digital canvas, is composed of key characteristics like color, size, dimensions, placement of text, graphics, interactive elements, etc. Drag and drop technology lets you manipulate all these components with a single click.

All you have to do is click on the required part of the screen and navigate or resize it as per your requirement. This ease of use afforded by the drag and drop functionality is handy for quick and efficient design.

3. How Can Drag and Drop be Used in Website Building?

Drag and drop technology is used extensively in website building software. This is because creating the user-facing aspects of a website requires careful arrangement of all the elements that make up a page, namely:

Titles and subtitles

Blocks of text

Images and graphics

Animations and video elements

Scrolling features

User engagement elements like chat boxes, information boxes, contact details, etc.

External links for maps or quotes

The advantage of using a drag and drop editor is that the website designer merely has to select these elements from a menu and drag them over to their required location. It allows for instant rearrangements and modifications without delving into the back-end details of the website.