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Best website builder for a small business: prices and how to choose

The short answer

The best website builder depends on what your site has to do. For a simple service business site, Wix and GoDaddy start around $10 to $17 a month on yearly billing, and both list bookings on their next plan up. Squarespace, at $19, suits a design-led site. Shopify is built for selling products, from $29. WordPress.com, from $4, gives you more control but asks more of you. Try two with your real content.

There’s no single best one. The right pick depends on whether you take bookings, sell online or just need people to find your phone number. We sell websites too, so check the sources and decide for yourself.

Updated November 5, 2026. We make CoveDesk, which also looks after Google profiles, websites and reviews for small businesses. What this page says about other companies comes from their own pages, linked below. How we check our facts

Published prices

Per month on yearly billing unless noted, read November 5, 2026. Prices change often
BuilderFree planEntryNextOnline store fromBookings
Wix (opens in a new tab)YesLight, $17Core, $29CoreCore and up
GoDaddy (opens in a new tab)YesStarter, $9.99Professional, $24.99ProfessionalProfessional and up
Squarespace (opens in a new tab)No, 14-day trialBasic, $19Core, $29Basic, with a 2% store fee. Core and up, 0%Sold through its Acuity product. Whether site plans include it isn’t stated
Shopify (opens in a new tab)No, short trialBasic, $29Grow, $105 paid monthlyBasicNot stated
WordPress.com (opens in a new tab)YesPersonal, $4, renews at $5Premium, $8, renews at $9Commerce, $45, renews at $50Not stated
Hostinger (opens in a new tab)No, 14-day trialPremium, $1.99 on a 48-month sale, renews at $10.99Unlimited, $2.79 on a 48-month sale, renews at $16.99UnlimitedNot tied to a plan on its page

Compare what you’d pay in year two, not only the opening price. Wix and Squarespace include a domain for the first year on yearly plans that qualify, and WordPress.com and Hostinger do too. GoDaddy says its paid plans include a free domain, without giving the length in what we read. Shopify doesn’t include one. Then check what the domain costs to renew.

Which to look at first

  • A service business that needs calls: Wix or GoDaddy. Try the entry plan, and make sure your phone number is big and tappable on a phone.
  • Taking appointments online: the plan that lists bookings, which is Wix Core or GoDaddy Professional. Confirm it does what you need.
  • A portfolio or a design-led brand: Squarespace. It’s the one to try if you’re picky about how things look.
  • Selling products: Shopify is built for it. Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy suit a small catalog.
  • Wanting more control: WordPress.com, if you don’t mind more to learn.
  • Lowest opening price: Hostinger or WordPress.com, but work out the renewal first.

We’re describing what these companies list, not reviewing them, and we haven’t bought their plans. Our Wix vs Squarespace page goes further on those two.

What a small business site has to do

  • Say what you do and where, in the first screen
  • Show a phone number that dials when tapped
  • Load fast on a phone
  • List your services and show your real work
  • Match the name, address and phone on your Google profile
  • Show reviews and make it easy to contact you

Five good pages do more than twenty thin ones. The local SEO guide covers what helps in nearby searches.

Build it yourself, or pay someone?

A builder’s price leaves out your time. Run both options through the website cost calculator. If your time’s cheap and you enjoy it, build it yourself. If those hours would be paid work, it may cost less to hand it off. CoveDesk builds and looks after websites, and you can buy that with or without phone answering: see our website design service.

Common questions

Which website is best for a small business?
One that shows what you do, where you work and how to reach you, loads fast on a phone and is easy for you to update. For most service businesses, an entry or next plan on a mainstream builder does that.
Is Wix or GoDaddy better?
GoDaddy’s entry plan is cheaper at $9.99 against $17, and its Professional plan at $24.99 comes in under Wix Core’s $29. Both list bookings on those plans. Try both, since the editor you’ll stick with matters more than a few dollars.
Is Squarespace or Wix better for a small business?
Wix has a free plan and a lower entry price. Squarespace has a 14-day trial. See our Wix vs Squarespace page for more.
Do I need an LLC to make a website?
Not to build one. A website and your business’s legal form are separate things. Ask your accountant or attorney which form suits you, and check that your name isn’t already in use.
Can I build a business website for free?
Wix, GoDaddy and WordPress.com have free plans, usually with limits. For a business, a domain of your own is worth paying for.
How much should a small business website cost?
On these builders, roughly $10 to $30 a month on yearly billing, plus your time. GoDaddy, which sells websites, puts having one built at $640 and up. The website cost calculator compares them over several years.

Sources

What this page says about other companies comes from their own websites, read on November 5, 2026:

Prices and terms change, so check each company’s website before you buy. Company names are the trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify their services; none of them is affiliated with or endorses CoveDesk. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.

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