{"id":24065,"date":"2019-12-17T08:35:20","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T14:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=24065"},"modified":"2019-12-05T10:54:12","modified_gmt":"2019-12-05T16:54:12","slug":"website-builder-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-builder-cost\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Does a Website Builder Cost?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve decided to start a website, but you\u2019re still at the stage of figuring out what the costs of doing so are. While pricing can vary for each website builder, using one of these tools can be extremely useful if you\u2019re trying to create a professionally designed website. Determining how you\u2019ll design your website is a key factor in what your overall costs will be. You have a few options, the most cost-effective of which is using a website builder<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With drag and drop features, a variety of templates, and several other helpful tools to try, using a popular website builder will offer you endless ways to build your dream site. For website owners considering a website builder, here\u2019s what to plan on when working up a cost estimate for your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Much Does a Website Builder Cost?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The short answer is: it depends. There are a number of different types of website builders and even within each of those categories, you\u2019ll find an array of price ranges based on factors like the features included in each platform and the type of plan you choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get into actual numbers, website builders typically cost somewhere in the range of $5 to $20 a month. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the low end you can find website builders that are technically free (but usually with a catch). On the high end, for eCommerce website builder platforms with a lot of features, you can pay over $100 a month, but most website owners that use a website builder will find what they need somewhere within the typical price range provided above. Regardless of which type of plan you go for, using a website builder to create an online store can help you make a professional looking website in no time at all. If you don\u2019t want to hire a professional and you don\u2019t have a lot of web development experience, using a website builder will be a suitable option for you. Since pricing can vary, make sure to do your research before making your final choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Types of Website Builders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When considering your website builder options, you don\u2019t want to compare apples to oranges. To better understand how different website builders compare, you should know the three main categories they fall into. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that, in some cases, there\u2019s overlap between these categories, or the option to easily upgrade from one to another with the same hosting provider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic Website Builders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many new website owners have simple needs. If you want a website that looks good, but don\u2019t need any complex functionality or even that many pages, then a basic website builder should do the trick. These provide website templates you can use as a starting point for creating your site, and functionality that makes it easy for you to customize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic website builders will fall on the lower end of the price range, costing around $4-$10 a month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some basic website builders will put a limit on the number of pages you can have. These also won\u2019t include eCommerce functionality, so any business planning to sell items or accept payments through the website won\u2019t find everything they need at the basic level. But if you don\u2019t need advanced features, there\u2019s no reason to pay for a yacht when you just need a rowboat. Basic website builders will make it easy to create a simple website that looks professional<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Content Management Systems (CMS)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Content <\/strong>management systems<\/a> are a popular option for building websites because they don\u2019t require any coding knowledge to use, but they can potentially be very powerful. With the use of CMS extensions and plugins, you gain almost endless options for customizing and adding functionality to your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you\u2019re not familiar with the term content management system, you\u2019ve likely heard of the most common example: WordPress. Drupal and Joomla are other examples of popular content management systems.<\/a> Each of these are technically free, but you still pay for web hosting<\/a> at a minimum. You\u2019ll also have to pay for a domain name<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, many website owners that choose to use a CMS will also end up paying for premium WordPress hosting<\/a>, plugins or themes, and may end up needing to hire a designer or developer to help get the website working to your satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

eCommerce Website Builders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ll be selling products on your website<\/a>, then you\u2019ll need a unique set of eCommerce features. In some cases, you can get eCommerce features by choosing the premium plan of a basic website builder. But there\u2019s also a whole category of eCommerce website platforms that provide both the most basic eCommerce features required, as well as advanced ones that can help you sell more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

eCommerce website builders predictably cost more than basic website builders. These start at around $10 a month, and can go up to over $100 a month for more premium options. The most typical price range for these is $10-$25 a month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any eCommerce website builder<\/a> should provide at least the following features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n