5 Best Church Website Builders for 204

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Nowadays, having a church website is as much a necessity as having, for example, a church events calendar. In fact, the website for the church is an online newsletter where parishioners can find out the necessary information about upcoming events. In addition, donations can be set up directly through your church website. This is convenient for both parishioners and church leaders.

According to statistics, 33% of people in a survey said that they found about their Church through the Internet. So, to be able to bring people to Christ, you need to be found on the web first. Another 80% of people said that they visited the church website before visiting the church. And 64% of churchgoers mentioned the website as a factor that facilitated participation in the church.

Now, it is obvious that websites for churches should be welcoming for new and regular visitors alike. But if you don’t have the time, skill, and budget to build a religious website, it may seem like there is little that you can do.

However, church website builders are Godsends in such a situation. Unlike business website builders platforms for church website creating have special church themes and can offer unique feature for specially church website.

The Best Church Website Builders

There are a lot of website builders out there for building a church website. But only five can be called the best. Here they are:

Wix for a Church

church website builder

Wix is one of the most popular website builders on the market. It is fast, easy, and effortless. But it isn’t specifically designed for churches. However, it does have church website templates for you to choose from.

Pricing

Wix has seven affordable plans that you can choose from. The lowest plan costs $11/month (if paid annually). This makes it one of the most affordable options. You can create a free website first to analyze what Wix has to offer before financially committing to it.

Pros:

Wix comes with a drag-and-drop editor. You just need to select the elements you want on your site. And you can drop them where you want to see them. This makes it very simple to create a customized church website design.

When you create a website with Wix, it comes with hosting. This saves you from the hassle of finding another hosting service provider. With the paid plans, you also get to use a custom domain for your church website.

The church-specific templates let you add pages for events, donations, and contact. You can post sermons on your website and also share blog posts that interest your audience. And all these templates are responsive, which means your website will load perfectly on any device.

Not optimizing your website for search engines is a grave mistake. But with Wix, you won’t be making that mistake. It comes with plenty of SEO features ranging from the basic ones to even the advanced options. For starters, you can add meta title, meta description, and alt tags. You can also link your website to Google Analytics to keep track of your visitors.

Wix has a very informative Help Centre where you can find all the information you’ll need to get started. Also, you get intuitive prompts throughout the website building process. If you still feel stuck somewhere, you can contact support via phone or email. English on-call support is available 24/7.

Cons:

Wix’s only downside is that the free plan and the lowest paid plan both come with advertising. To remove the adverts, you will have to go with the $14/month plan. Also, for some users, advanced SEO with Wix can be a tough nut to crack.

Summary

If you want a professional-looking website customized to your church’s specific needs, Wix is the overall best website builder to go with.

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Squarespace

best church website builder

A study revealed that 94% of the reasons why visitors don’t trust a website relate to its design.

This means the content isn’t the only thing that needs to be up to the mark on your website. You also need perfect designs. And Squarespace is the website builder that lets you do that.

It is a generic website builder known for its extensive and exemplary collection of designs and templates.

And you can find templates suitable for church websites in the Community and Non Profit segment.

Pricing

The entry plan costs $12/month (when billed annually). With all the plans, you also get hosting and a custom domain name. While there is no free plan, you can take a 14-day trial to test the waters.

Pros:

Squarespace’s editor is made of blocks and segments. You can drag and drop different elements to the sections and create pages that have the right balance of images, text, and widgets. Also, Squarespace doesn’t just focus on ease. It is an intuitive builder that guides those who aren’t experienced.

Squarespace has robust blogging features. With a blog that is informative and engaging, you can build a regular readership. And with Squarespace’s features like RSS feed, customizable URLs, drafts, etc., creating a blog becomes very easy.

If you want to collect donations through your website, Squarespace is your best bet. Unlike other builders that just give you a PayPal button, Squarespace has a complete system in place. You get custom checkout, suggestions for donation options as well as customized email receipts to put your donation system in place.

If you would like to post sermons on your website in the form of podcasts, you can do that with Squarespace. It offers an option to syndicate the podcast, which is necessary for adding it to Spotify or Apple podcasts.

A lot of visitors to your website use mobile devices for browsing. And Squarespace supports Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). When you enable the AMP option, you can create lightweight pages that load fast on mobile devices. Also, the templates that you get with Squarespace are mobile optimized.

Squarespace has both a forum and a knowledge center that you can use. Also, you get 24/7 email support and a live chat option.

Cons:

If you are using one of the Business plans for your church website, Squarespace charges a 3% commission on donations. This fee is in addition to what your payment partner would charge. If you want to get rid of Squarespace’s commission, you’ll have to go with eCommerce plans, which are a little expensive.

Summary

While it is no doubt focused on design, Squarespace doesn’t skimp on other features. It is an all-round church website building solution.

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Ministry Designs

free church website builder

Each member of the Ministry Designs team has worked for a church ministry in the past. Their experience and skills make Ministry Designs a great pick for building Christian websites. Especially for those who want to get support and specific functionalities.

Pricing

Ministry Designs’ monthly hosting plan costs $20/month. Plus, you have to pay $1000 upfront as a one-time fee when you sign up.

Pros:

Ministry Designs comes with plenty of beautiful templates suitable for use by churches. No matter what kind of a template you are looking for, you’ll find it with Ministry Designs. Also, all these templates are responsive. This means your website will load perfectly on all devices and screen sizes.

You get a lot of features that are tailor-made for churches. You can create a calendar, add sermons, and also build an email list. These features are added, keeping in mind the need to bring in more viewers and keep them coming back for more.

Your Ministry Designs account will, by default, be a multi-user account. This helps you bring volunteers on board to help you with website building and maintenance. You can add up to three users for free. And for adding more users, you’ll need to pay extra.

Ministry Design also lets you add multimedia content to your website. You can add podcasts and video backgrounds. Plus, it comes with blogging tools as well that help you build readership.

When you sign up with the builder, you get an hour-long phone call as a welcome gesture. Then you are assigned a Ministry Success Representative who can help you learn how to build your website using screen sharing. Also, there is unlimited training available. And you can contact support as and when you need help.

Cons:

Ministry Designs’ hosting package is by no means cheap. And the one-time fee that you have to pay upfront makes it an expensive option.

Summary

If you need a lot of tech support, Ministry Designs is the website builder that will suit your needs. Customer support is where it shines brightest. But, be prepared to pay a hefty upfront fee and a high monthly charge.

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Sharefaith

free church website builder

Over 8,000 ministries have created their website with Sharefaith. And that says a lot about its efficiency and suitability. It is a dedicated church website builder that uses cutting-edge technology to spread the word of God.

Pricing

Sharefaith’s Web+Media package that you need to build your website costs $45/month. It includes free hosting and a donation system. It also comes with support for switching your site from another platform to Sharefaith.

Pros:

All the themes that you find in Sharefaith are suitable for churches. You just have to look for a theme that matches your needs. Also, you can get a demo of the templates without having to pay even a dime.

If you want to keep your audience engaged, you’ll need to add images, banners, and other multimedia content. And with Sharefaith, populating your website with graphics and visual content is a breeze. You can also add audio and video recordings of sermons on your website.

Sharefaith comes with a built-in calendar feature that lets you create a list of events, services, and more. This is a feature that you won’t easily find in generic builders.

To accept donations, you can use the Sharefaith Giving feature. There is no setup fee. Only a 3% transaction fee is charged. You can easily set up an online form and start receiving donations.

Sharefaith lets you add other users to your website. This is made possible using Advanced tools. You can use this feature to add volunteers to the website builder’s backend to update and manage the site. The level of access that additional users get can be controlled.

Cons:

Sharefaith’s expensive pricing is its biggest downside. You can get better features at a fraction of the price with the generic website builders.

Summary

If you don’t have budgetary constraints and would like to have a specific website builder suitable for churches, you can choose Sharefaith.

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Nucleus

church website builder reviews

If you want to make sure that your church has active participants and not just passive spectators, Nucleus is the website builder for you.

Well, that is what Nucleus says about itself. And with over 1,000 churches using the platform, it is evident that you can trust it too.

Pricing

The website builder in itself costs $99/month. But for the whole package, it will set you back by $125/month. This includes hosting. And you get a 30-day free trial to take it for a test drive.

Pros:

Nucleus comes with all the church-specific features. These include uploading sermons, beautiful and responsive templates, and an option for your users to get notifications and sign up for events.

Signup forms are at the core of Nucleus’s offering. You can create stellar signup forms and direct people to the forms. This helps you create a central hub for your church.

Nucleus comes with a lot of pre-created social media posts. The images come with a text overlay and suggested captions. You can use these posts on your social media channels to build a following there too.

Nucleus has a responsive support team and many informational resources that are helpful for first-timers. Also, you have an option to apply for scholarships. If you have a small church and the platform’s fee doesn’t fit your budget, you can inquire about the scholarship.

Unlike most other options in the market, Nucleus lets you test the website builder without the need to give out your credit card details. This significantly increases the trust factor. If you feel you want to use the test version for a couple of more days, you can contact the support staff for a trial extension.

Cons:

Nucleus’ support team is available only from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm EST. This can mean you have to wait for a couple of hours before your issue gets resolved. Also, the cost at which it comes is expensive when compared to other builders.

Summary

If you want your website to be the nexus of your church, Nucleus is the builder that lets you do that by centralizing control, though the facility comes at a cost.

Depending on your specific needs, you can pick the best church website builder from this list. And create a website that helps you connect existing and new visitors to your church and Christ.

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Guide for Building a Church Website

1. The Utility Of Church Websites – What Purpose Do They Serve?

A church’s website is its digital profile. It introduces prospective members to your church’s appearance, location, history and services. It also keeps existing members more connected. According to LifeWay Research, at least 80 percent of US churches have a website.

free church website builder and hosting

If you’re creating a church website, it’s essential you remember the purposes it’s required to serve:

Identify, Introduce And Promote Your Church

Your church website should be able to guide a new member to the church’s physical doorsteps! It must include photographs and videos, the church’s basic information and directions. It should act as a quick introduction to what your church is all about. The online visitor should be able to learn of your church’s leadership, vision, history and services.

Your website also needs to succeed as a digital poster for your church. It should speak in a clear, appealing way, highlight your church’s offerings and encourage people to come and visit the church.

Inform And Engage Your Congregation

The website’s interface and utility needs to be tailored to the needs and expectations of the congregation. As such, it can act as a digital platform to inform them of the church’s regular activities, future events and important updates.

Features like members’ directory, chat, blogs and online sermons are simple, effective ways of keeping the congregation engaged even on days other than the holidays and Sundays.

2. Importance Of A Competent Church Website

To help your church grow, you need a website that meets the current standards of technology and social engagement. Here’s why a competent website is important:

It Adds To Your Church’s Credibility

A competent website lends credibility to the church. It relays the church’s mission, past and present activities with the site visitors so they can develop trust in your church.

IT Is An Excellent Expansion Tool

A competent website can help your church grow monetarily and in congregation size. According to statistics, 24 percent church donations are done online. In addition, 57 percent donors prefer to donate through mobile apps. A mobile friendly church website allows users to make tithes and non-traditional donations online in a familiar, trusted and time saving manner.

3. Must Have Features Of A Church Website

What makes for a competent church website, sets it apart from the generic websites? It’s these essential features:

Easy To Find Information

Your website must include your church’s address and contact information such as working phone numbers and email and the church service schedule. This information should be easy to locate on your website, preferably through the top menu on the website’s Home page.

Online Donations

Your church website should have an online giving option, so members can tithe and offer other donations in a quick, easy way. According to church giving surveys, online giving is the preferred mode for 26 percent of people that attend mass regularly.

Online Giving report of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) has revealed that 32 percent of working age Catholics have made online donations at some point of their life. A website using reliable contemporary online giving options can significantly improve your church’s finances.

Strategically Placed Video Content

According to cisco.com, by 2022, over 82 percent of all internet traffic will be driven by online videos. It’s clear having video content on your website is important to increase user involvement. Video related to recent events and live sermons should be embedded on the website’s home page.

A YouTube channel is a great way of promoting your church and draw in your congregation. Ensure the links to the church’s YouTube channel are strategically placed on the home page. You can also include a dedicated tab for sermon video library in the home page’s main menu.

4. Which Is Better For Your Church – General Website Builder Or Church Specific Website Builder?

The answer depends on your resources, needs and finances. A general website builder is a non-specific platform to create websites that won’t really stand out from other church websites. It’s cheaper than a Church Specific website builder that designs websites around your church’s specific geography, history and offerings.

A church website builder is a platform with existing design templates, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools, site hosting, security and technical support features that enable you to build your website without having to start coding from scratch. When choosing a website builder, you have two broad choices – General website builders like Weebly, Squarespace and Wix, and Church Specific website builders like Nucleus and FaithConnector.

Church Specific website builders offer dedicated technical support to resolve any problems that may arise with your website. If you have a small budget and already have a web developer with you, you should opt for a general website builder. If, however, you’re looking to build a website around your church’s identity, speak to a target audience, and budget isn’t a constraint, a Church Specific website builder is right for you.

Criteria For Selecting A Church Website Builder

When searching for the best church website builder, make sure your choice meets these criteria:

Attractive, Flexible Design

The church website design needs to be simple, attractive and contemporary. Your website builder must satisfy these design needs. Look into the website builders’ customization options. The builder should have color schemes and templates that you like.

Dedicated Calendar

A dedicated events calendar is a must for church websites. The website builder you choose should enable you to create and easily update a calendar that relays the church’s yearly and day to day activities.

Easy Video Uploads

The website builder should allow you to easily upload videos. It’s advisable you take a close look at the website builder’s video editing options and compare these with other website builders’ before making a final decision.

Newsletter Feature

Your church’s own newsletter is a useful way of encouraging participation and promoting the church. Make sure the website builder you select has a newsletter service or allows you to add a newsletter registration form in future.

Essential Sections for a Modern Music Band or Artist Website

No matter which free music website template you choose, it can have any web design, be black or bright, or minimalistically strict. It’s all a matter of taste. But what is truly important is the structure of your music website – the sections that must be present on the site.

So, in addition to the Home page, a modern music website should have several main sections:

About

The About section is where the band or artist shares their story, influences, and background. Include a brief biography, high-quality photographs, and information about each band member or the artist. This section helps fans connect on a personal level and build a deeper understanding of the music.

Music

The Music section should be dedicated to showcasing the band or artist’s discography. Provide streaming options for fans to listen to the music, with links to popular platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, or Soundcloud. If the band or artist has released physical albums or merchandise, include an e-commerce store or a link to purchase the items.

Tour Dates & Events

Keep fans informed about upcoming concerts, tours, and events by maintaining a regularly updated calendar. This section should provide details such as dates, venues, ticket prices, and links to purchase tickets. Additionally, consider including past event highlights or reviews to give newcomers a sense of the band’s live performance.

For example, take a look at the Tour page on Metallica’s official website: https://www.metallica.com/tour/ On this page, you can not only see all the scheduled concerts of the Metallica band, but also purchase tickets right away. It’s indeed very convenient.

Videos

A Videos section allows the band or artist to showcase their creative side through music videos, live performances, or behind-the-scenes footage. High-quality videos can significantly enhance fan engagement and encourage sharing on social media platforms.

News & Blog

A regularly updated News & Blog section provides fans with the latest updates, announcements, and insights into the band or artist’s journey. This content can range from new music releases to personal stories and even fan spotlights. Keeping this section updated encourages fans to visit the website regularly and stay connected.

Contact & Booking

The Contact & Booking section should provide clear information for fans, event organizers, and media representatives to get in touch with the band or artist. Include a contact form, email address, phone number, and social media links for quick and easy communication.

Social Media Integration

Integrate social media icons and feeds directly into the website to encourage visitors to follow and engage with the band or artist on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Social media integration helps drive traffic and increases the chances of gaining new fans.

Conclusion

A well-designed and comprehensive website is an invaluable tool for a music band or artist to promote their work, engage with fans, and grow their online presence. By incorporating these essential sections into the website, bands and artists can create a cohesive and engaging digital experience that leaves a lasting impression on visitors.

How to Create a Forum? – Check Best Forum Software and Builders

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Right from building an online community of likeminded people to dedicating a forum for customer queries clarifications, online forums can solve several problems in a quick, simple, and effective manner. Alongside with the best website builders the World Wide Web has some really special online forums catering to niches such as job exchange boards, college and university class discussion boards, customer support portal, and more.

As a webmaster managing a forum, you can leverage your content to attract the first few hundreds of members, and can then trust user generated content to take things on auto pilot. Once activated, a forum grows every day in terms of its content appeal, and of course, the member base. Monetizing a forum can be managed in several different ways. Also, you could make your forum double up as an online meeting place of subject matter experts, which can really make your reputation skyrocket.

Let’s learn about some more special features, functions, capabilities, and applications of web forums, after which we will guide you with a list of some of the best, time tested, and proven effective free and premium online forum building software.

Online forums are like magnets for great content, and the best part is that you do not have to invest time or money in getting this content, as experts in various subject matters will automatically create and reply to threads on your forum. This makes the forum swell quickly, fast tracking your success and growth strategy’s execution.

Sophisticated forums can double up as great sources of supplementary sales, as forum building software help you manage auctions, integrated payments, and fixed price sales easily through thread pages. At the least, you can redirect customers to sales pages through your forums.

Market analyses can be easily managed through a populous forum, as features like polls and surveys can be integrated with thread pages. This makes forums of great appeal for marketing consultancy services.

An online forum can be made to double up as a client support system, wherein customer queries are answered buy authorized personnel, as well as other customers. This proves to be a great boost to the marketing and customer support efforts of a firm.

Of course, managing online forums comes with some challenges also, such as effective moderation, differentiation in terms of interface and user experience, provision of advanced features without compromising security, etc. Though some best free website builders have opportunity to build forums with them – you should pay attention to specialized tools. Trust these best forum software to help you create, improve, and sustain your online forums, bypassing all these challenges.

PhpBB

forum software

PhpBB is among the most widely used bulletin board software, being used by millions of forums across the virtual globe. Right from personalized forums helping geographically separated families and friend circles stay closely knit to specialized massive forums pertaining to niches such as internet marketing, online job exchanges, etc., phpBB is empowering millions of such web forums.

Discerning coders can easily write their custom codes and insert at proper places in the master code, all this without even having to seek permission from the parent body governing phpBB; this facilitates the creation of truly unique and customized forums. Dozens of modules and modifications are freely available, which can be plugged into the phpBB files to add more features to the software.

Also, revamping the look and feel of the forum board is simple enough with several style databases. PhpBB is a perfect blend of efficient forum management, smart customizations, and all this for free!

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vBulletin 5

free forum website builder

Developed by vBulletin Solutions Inc., vBulletin 5 is an Internet forum website builder. The software is great if you’re looking to build a website using dependable community software. The vBulletin software package powers over 10,000 sites globally. vBulletin 5 in particular provides users with a easy to use engaging platform with a robust design, on a cloud based storage design.

This version comes with a newly developed UI that allows great social engagement. The new version of this site builder makes it easier for users to build their website, with customizable design templates. It is written in PHP and makes use of the MySQL database server.

vBulletin 5 is a great all in one package for those looking for an platform that allows for simple forum management, smart and easy customizations. It even features with mobile friendly version so you can build your website even when you are on the move.

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MyBB

best forum software

The MyBB forum builder software is a powerful, open source, intuitive and fully expandable software package that allows you to effortlessly build your own website, and is absolutely free. This forum builder comes loaded with all the high-end features that you would expect from a premium software bundle.

It supports everything including forums, threads, public posts, private messages, content and profile searches and everything you would expect from an efficient and engaging community website builder. MyBB also allows for extended functionality through the use of plugins and themes. This allows you to expand your community according to your preferences.

The software is so versatile that it even features a “Merge System”, which allows you to switch from your old forum builder or any other popular forum software, with ease.

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Simple Machines Forum

best forum creator

Simple Machines Forum is a professional-level, free, open-source forum site builder that is developed by hundreds of volunteers from communities across the world. It come preloaded with powerful custom made template engine that gives you complete control of the layout of your website or message board and it’s unique Server Side Includes function allows your forum and your website interact with each other.

Simple Machines Forum is an all in one forum building software package that gives you an easy to use forum building platform that comes built-in with many powerful features for you as well as your site’s users. Simple Machine Forum is a next generation forum building software that is written in the popular language PHP and uses a MySQL database.

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Vanilla

forum website builder

Vanilla is a cloud and open source-based community forum building software, which powers over 700 thousand sites, forums and threads. It is a highly flexible and integrative forum builder and is one of the most powerful community-developed software solutions in the world. Vanilla follows the design philosophy that all online communities should be spontaneous, engaging and should reflect the true values of your brand.

It is multi-faceted design that aims to provide you with all the features you could possibly need from a bulletin board based site, while at the same time, consuming the least resources from the server. The Vanilla site builder allows developers to create a customized community age that has and in-built rewards program for positive participation. It also has an auto-manage feature for content and even allows members to moderate the site.

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PunBB

best forum maker

PunBB is an extremely fast and lightweight forum building software that was released under the GNU General Public License code. Its primary goal is to the fastest, most compact and graphic-intensive site building software, compared to any other discussion board software. It is also optimized to be faster and a more efficient forum board design template. The pages created using this software are XHTML-compliant.

PunBB is written in the widely used PHP language and requires hypertext pre-processing tools. The software also requires a cloud-based database to store the forum data, which is done using the support of MYSQL, SQP lite, and so on. And in the rare case that you run in to any problems, there is an experienced support team that is ready to assist you.

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Invision Power

best forum website builder

Invision Power is an open source forum building software package and allows you to setup your community website according to your needs. It is a highly flexible and integrated set of applications that provide a great platform for building web-based communities. Invision Power Services allows for almost every aspect to be enabled or disabled at will, along with many other configuration options.

It also allows developers to monetize their community with advertisement support. You can also sell products or subscriptions by adding IP Nexus. Invision power allows you to customize their software with your own combination of apps, hooks and images.

Search Engine Optimization is a unique in-built feature of Invison Powers and assists search engines in indexing your content, so that users can find it faster.

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FluxBB

top forum software

Boasting of super quick installation and set up along with a remarkable simple and clean user interface, FluxBB is a perfect speedy solution for those with pretty simple forum creation requirements. GNU General Public License gives you all the flexibility to tweak the backend, permission systems are flexible, community modifications are easily and freely available.

Prevention of all kinds of clickjacking attacks, enabling of direct action links to notification emails, streamlining of the forum building process, and improvements in the default styles have made FluxBB all the more powerful. Recently, anti-spam and security features of the platform have been ramped up, and smarter membership access privilege features have been added to the mix.

Use this free forum builder for effortless and quick forum website building.

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Phorum

free forum creator

Phorum is among the oldest surviving forum creations software available today, so much so that the makers brand it as ‘the original PSP and MySQL software’. Using Phorum, you can manage all kinds of web forum projects, right from message boards receiving 2,000 messages a day to networks of forums hosted on a single server.

Customization makes Phorum a really special forum building tool for webmasters, as they can include external authentication, message personalization, user profile experience customization, and more with the tweaks that the platform is able to accommodate. With the HTML coded templates, changing the front end of the website is as simple as 1-2-3, especially for discerning coding experts.

The package is available for free trial, after which you can go for the paid version that doesn’t have an advertisements.

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Best Drag and Drop Website Builder Software

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.