WordPress has been a powerful web development platform for years now, monopolizing the market and becoming almost synonymous to blogging. Some of the best free website builders today are few even more intuitive and user-friendly than WordPress. For all those guides and tutorials to create a website, WordPress can be quite a confusing place for a newcomer who still has to learn the ropes of website management. Most web building options getting online perform pretty much the same functions and can serve as perfect alternatives to WordPress. We have compiled a list of 5 such best website builders for free that you can check out and maybe even switch over to.

Wix

Wix is by far the easiest and most responsive of website builders that have featured on our list as a potential alternative for WordPress. The platform comes with a drag and drop WYSIWYG interface and a fully loaded dashboard.

The customizable editing tools allow you to add content, tweak it and then preview it before you publish it online. The on-site editor allows you to make real-time changes to the web page. While the preview section allows you to see the website as it would appear on the user-end browser.

Moreover, Wix is a free and easy website builder and comes with an Artificial Design Intelligence system. That automatically creates a website for you depending on the input you provide. Other functionalities include SEO support, CMS tools, newsletter options, Analytical tools, e-commerce features, and other perks.

You can explore more about Wix with this detailed Wix review.

Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the top contenders against WordPress when it comes to ruling over the e-commerce domain. The platform is known for its minimalistic professional themes, templates and pre-set layouts that can be customized for mobile devices. Also, Squarespace comes with blogging and store management features for adding content and customizing it.

The drag and drop interface allows you to make changes to the HTML code and Meta tags if you have the technical expertise. You don’t have to sign for hosting or register a domain, Squarespace does that for you. This multipurpose platform lacks the third-party apps and plugins, although it provides a greater degree of security to its clients provided it is a closed sourced software.

Weebly

Weebly again is a super quick and effective WordPress alternative that allows for greater flexibility, freedom, and functionality. Here, users can not only build their websites but also host and market them online for free. Weebly is a free website builder that offers web hosting, domain registration and e-commerce solutions for small and medium scale enterprises.

The wide range of Weebly templates are compatible with mobile phones and allow for frontend and backend editing. Moving on to the features, Weebly comes with a WYSIWYG interface and a loaded dashboard with all the customization tools you would need. Other features include SEO tools, CMS, Google Analytics, GPS integration, newsletter options, and other functionalities.

Shift4Shop (known as 3dcart)

Shift4Shop was rebranded from 3dcart after the acquisition in 2020, which is one of the longest-running website builders designed specifically for online stores. Founded in 1997, the original company’s developers remain at the forefront of all innovations within the field of eCommerce. They provide an enormous selection of built-in tools, features, and benefits for anyone trying to find entrepreneurial success on the internet. Other perks include a massive app store and the largest assortment of payment gateways out of any eCommerce platform.

eCommerce novices can hit the ground running by choosing from more than a hundred distinct themes. They are built with responsive design, making them mobile-friendly from the start. Moreover, they can be extensively customized, allowing the merchant to make their vision a reality. Further editing can be done as the platform’s analytics software reveal where navigation and layout can be improved.

There may be a slight learning curve at the start, but Shift4Shop helps you every step of the way. Resources like their encyclopedic Knowledgebase articles and the comprehensive “eCommerce University” can teach beginners how to run their websites like professionals. If you have any further questions, live customer service is available 24/7/365. The company does everything they can to help new and experienced businesses out there.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a website development platform that gives strong competition to WordPress when it comes to e-commerce. The platform allows free hosting, domain registration, and web development services, and blogging capabilities. The paid premium plans are also a lot cheaper than WP. Furthermore, with BigCommerce you can list your product on the big platforms like Amazon, eBay and Google Stores. These places will automatically enhance your store’s performance and SEO rank. The platform is secure with multiple layers of PCI compliant firewall, and integrated to the verified payment gateways and offers 99.99% server uptime. Also, unlike Shopify, BigCommerce doesn’t require any transaction fee.

SITE123

SITE123 is probably one of the quickest and most convenient website builders out there. You don’t need any technical expertise or exceptional coding skills to crack the web development process. The drag and drop interface here come with readymade templates from the archives which can be customized to your liking. SITE123, as the name suggests, allows users to build fully functional web pages in but three simple steps. The free website builder software is so easy that even an amateur with zero experience in website development can handle it. Once you have registered, you’ll be redirected to the archives where you have to select a template, move it to the live editor, work your magic and then publish it. Oh, you can even preview the page before posting it online.

The Bottom Line

Not every other platform you find online can be pinned up against a giant like WordPress. For all its complications, WordPress can actually be quite responsive and robust. However, there are alternatives out there that you can switch to if you find the interface of WordPress intimidating.

As per our list here, we would personally recommend Wix as the best alternative to WordPress for medium-scale stores and Squarespace for large-scale businesses. If these website builders still can't meet your demand, there are many other alternatives out there and one of them is Ucraft.

These platforms offer blogging solutions, web development options, and even e-commerce tools so that you’re sorted whichever way you want to monetize your content. Plus, tech support is flexible, user-focused, and responsive.