In 2026, the selection of a website platform has shifted from a mere aesthetic exercise to a critical procurement decision centered on long-term operational viability and the mitigation of technical debt.
For the modern enterprise, a website is a dynamic strategic asset; the wrong choice today creates a “growth ceiling” that necessitates a costly and total rebuild within a 24-month horizon.
As a Principal Web Strategist, I view the search for the “best website to use to make a website” as an evaluation of business maturity: the “best” platform is the one that aligns with your current technical resources while allowing for scalable brand expression.
The current market hierarchy reflects a sophisticated balance of ease of use (weighted at 25%) and design flexibility (30%). Wix leads the landscape with a dominant score of 9.9, followed by Squarespace at 9.4.
These scores indicate that the market has matured beyond simple templates, moving toward platforms that offer professional-grade customization within managed environments.
For the decision-maker, this guide serves as a framework to move from a general market view to a rigorous audit of functional requirements and total cost of ownership (TCO).
Categorizing Platforms by Strategic Goal
A primary cause of software procurement failure is the “one-size-fits-all” trap. Platform selection must be dictated by the primary “Why” of the site.
The Strategic Categorization Matrix
- Creative Portfolios: For image-heavy, high-impact brands, Squarespace (150+ elegant templates) and Framer (a design-first platform for UX/UI professionals) remain the industry standards for visual sophistication.
- Content & Newsletters: Ghost is the premier choice for professional publishers and newsletter creators, offering native internationalization and robust membership tools. Wix remains a versatile runner-up with a comprehensive blogging engine.
- E-Commerce: While Shopify dominates high-volume retail, Wix (via Core/Business plans) and IONOS provide highly effective, design-centric solutions for small-to-medium enterprises.
- Rapid Deployment/Landing Pages: “Quick Starters” such as Durable (AI-driven), SITE123, and Strikingly are optimized for speed over granular control, ideal for local businesses or MVP testing.
The “So What?” of Technical Debt: Choosing a “Quick Starter” like Jimdo or SITE123 provides an immediate speed-to-market advantage but creates a significant operational risk. Because these platforms are closed systems with limited portability, switching to an “All-Rounder” (Wix) or “Pro Builder” (Webflow) later usually requires a 100% rebuild.
In terms of TCO, the low entry cost of a basic builder often masks the massive labor loss incurred when the business outgrows the platform’s rigid structure.
No-Code Accessibility vs. Granular Design Control
The spectrum of control is a trade-off between deployment speed and the “ceiling” of unique brand expression.
The Spectrum of Design Freedom
| Control Level | Typical Platform | Key Strategic Characteristics |
| Low Control (High Speed) | Jimdo, IONOS | AI-generated layouts, rigid blocks, minimal risk of design error. |
| Mid-Range Control | Hostinger, Webador | Snap-to-grid flexibility, balanced speed, affordable TCO. |
| Balanced Control | Wix, Squarespace | True drag-and-drop freedom (Wix) or high-quality section-based design. |
| Granular Control (Pro) | Webflow, Framer | Box-model/coding logic; absolute design freedom for high-growth brands. |
Technical Spec Synthesis: Pro vs. All-Rounder
- Wix (The All-Rounder):
- What We Like: 800+ versatile templates and true drag-and-drop freedom.
- Operational Bottleneck: The visual editor is feature-dense and can become sluggish; this represents a real time-cost for internal teams making frequent updates.
- Design Lock-in: A critical limitation—you cannot switch templates once the site is built.
- Squarespace (The Design Leader):
- What We Like: Industry-leading template aesthetics and an intuitive Fluid Engine editor.
- Operational Note: Squarespace includes email (from Core plans), offering a simplified financial stack compared to Wix.
- Webflow (The Professional Standard):
- What We Like: A “CMS/Builder fusion” that allows for “Webflow University” training—essential for internal talent development.
- Design Lock-in: Like Wix, Webflow does not allow for template switching after the build begins.
Long-Term Operational Factors: SEO, i18n, and Scaling
A site’s aesthetic value is moot if it fails in discoverability or global accessibility.
SEO Capabilities Comparison
There is a massive performance gap in SEO toolsets. Top-tier platforms (Wix, Webflow, Framer) score 8/8, providing access to structured data, robots.txt editing, and 301 redirects.
- The Underperformers: GoDaddy (1/8) and Jimdo (3/8) represent a high risk for organic growth. Specifically, GoDaddy lacks the ability to customize page URLs or control meta-tags, effectively handicapping a brand’s ability to rank for competitive keywords.
The Internationalization (i18n) Audit
- High Performance: Ghost offers native i18n on all plans, allowing content to be presented in any language without third-party tools. Wix and Webador also provide integrated multilingual features.
- Workaround Dependent: Squarespace requires manual workarounds or paid integrations like Weglot, which increases the monthly operational cost for global brands. Framer offers “Multiple Locales” but as a paid add-on starting at the Pro tier ($30/mo + $20 per locale).
Scaling and Performance
While closed systems like Wix and Squarespace offer multi-cloud hosting with 99.9% uptime, they can become performance liabilities for high-traffic enterprise applications. The inability to control server-side resources means that as traffic spikes, you are entirely dependent on the provider’s infrastructure.
Financial Procurement: Pricing Structures and Performance-to-Cost Ratios
Procurement must look beyond the monthly sticker price to the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), factoring in renewals and hidden integrations.
Comparative Pricing Tiers (Annual Estimates)
| Category | Provider | Simple Site (Ad-Free) | Site with Shop |
| Value Leaders | Hostinger | ~$35.88 (Deal Rate*) | ~$47.88 (Deal Rate*) |
| Creative Mid-Tier | Framer (Mini) | ~$60.00 | N/A (requires integration) |
| Premium All-Rounders | Wix (Light/Core) | ~$213.24+ | ~$357.24+ |
| Professional/Agency | Duda | ~$228.00 | ~$312.00 |
*Note: Value leaders like Hostinger use aggressive introductory “deal” rates; procurement teams should model a 20-40% increase upon renewal.
Hidden Costs & TCO Audit
- The Email Gap: Squarespace and IONOS are the value leaders here, including email in the core price. Conversely, Wix and Webflow treat professional email (Google Workspace) as a separate add-on, adding ~$72/user/year to the TCO.
- Transaction Friction: While specialized systems like Shopify offer deep retail tools, they impose third-party transaction fees (0.6% to 2%) that can erode margins unless the native “Shopify Payments” gateway is used.
The Final Selection
The optimal selection minimizes technical debt while maximizing brand expression. Use this scenario-based tree for your final decision:
- If the goal is rapid, AI-driven deployment for a local business: Select Durable or Jimdo. These prioritize speed-to-market over unique customization.
- If the goal is a custom, high-growth brand requiring agency-level collaboration: Select Duda or Webflow. These offer robust team management, relational CMS structures, and “Webflow University” for team training.
- If the goal is professional publishing or high-volume newsletters: Select Ghost. It is the only major player providing native i18n and 0% transaction fees on memberships.
- If the goal is a professional, aesthetic portfolio with integrated marketing: Select Squarespace or Wix. These offer the best balance of templates and built-in SEO suites.
The “best” website builder is the one that prevents design lock-in while serving your current operational reality. In 2026, prioritize SEO and native to ensure your digital asset is built for global growth, not just immediate launch.
