Creating a website that looks stunning and performs at an Amazon-like level in just a few hours is entirely possible if you choose the right e-commerce website builder. Let’s dive into a detailed look at the top 5 tools.
#1. Shopify: For e-commerce stores of any size (literally!)
- Best for: E-commerce stores needing robust analytics, marketing, and management tools
- Price: Free for 3 days, $1/mo for 3 months, then starting at $39/mo
- Pros: Has 13K+ apps, supports dropshipping, PCI-compliant, 99.9% uptime
- Cons: Plans for complex businesses start at $2,300/mo
Shopify is one of the best platforms for anyone in e-commerce, suitable for small shops and large stores with hundreds of subcategories.
You can build a site using templates (23 free and 200+ paid, starting at $100), with AI assistance, or create a fully custom site through Shopify website development.
Under the hood, Shopify offers a wealth of tools for optimization, SEO, sales management, invoicing, inventory tracking, returns, and more. To expand your store’s functionality, you can tap into a catalog of over 13,000 apps.
#2. Wix: For [practically] any type of website
- Best for: Individuals and small businesses
- Price: Free with ads, paid plans from $17/mo
- Pros: Supports sales of physical and digital products and services
- Cons: Not ideal for large e-commerce projects
Wix is designed for individuals and small businesses. Using templates or AI, you can create virtually any website — think online stores, portfolios, or blogs.
While not exclusively built for e-commerce, Wix offers over 130 e-commerce templates and enough tools to run a small business confidently. You get a free domain for one year, the ability to add up to 50,000 products, a marketing suite, and more.
The best features include abandoned cart recovery, pre-orders, loyalty and referral programs, and dropshipping.
#3. Squarespace: For selling services, especially creative ones
- Best for: Creatives
- Price: 14-day free trial, then from $27/mo
- Pros: Stunning templates, supports digital and physical products
- Cons: Relatively few integrations
Squarespace is a website builder with truly incredible templates — I mean, really incredible. It’s a favorite among creatives who lean toward stylish, bold designs.
Like other builders, Squarespace lets you build sites using templates or AI. Its standout tools include sales funnel analytics, sending invoices, placing gift cards, and the ability to sell unlimited products and services (courses, blogs, videos, subscriptions, memberships).
Squarespace integrates with MailChimp and Zapier and provides access to a store with about 45 extensions.
#4. GoDaddy: For entrepreneurs who want to set up a store quickly
- Best for: Simple stores
- Price: From $24.99/mo (Commerce plan)
- Pros: Fast setup, built-in marketing tools
- Cons: Limited customization and fewer features compared to competitors
GoDaddy is one of the simplest website builders for beginners, with AI assistance for layout design if needed.
Templates here can feel less flexible than competitors’, and the app selection is limited, but… A website in an hour or two? Yep, it’s real.
On top of that, some marketing tools, which are paid add-ons on other platforms, are included here from the start. These include launching ads on Facebook, Instagram, or Google Ads within the platform, accepting online booking payments, and email marketing (up to 25,000 emails!).
#5. Square: For blending online and offline businesses
- Best for: Small businesses combining offline and online operations
- Price: Free tier for Square POS tools available, or from $29/mo
- Pros: Has features for food ordering, menus, tipping, and subscriptions
- Cons: Square payments are not available worldwide
Square is known for its point-of-sale terminals, but in 2018, it acquired the website builder Weebly, enabling customers to create great online stores.
Square syncs online and offline orders in one dashboard, so you don’t have to juggle apps, and it instantly updates your inventory levels.
If you use Square’s POS tools, you can access the website builder with SEO tools for free. Paid plans unlock templates that, while somewhat limited in customization, are still attractive and functional.
See? Website builders let you become the creator of your own online store with zero coding knowledge. Isn’t that cool?
