Choose a website builder: 18 top tools

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After hours of looking online for some web design inspiration, you're ready to get started with a new site and now need a website builder. There are a multitude to choose from, so which is the best? 

Well, for a start, you'll be looking for a website builder that can create your website in the latest version of HTML, HTML5. And secondly, you'll want a tool that simplifies the process of web design and enables you to create a great site without needing a lot of programming or coding knowledge.

We've scoured the web to find you the best HTML5 website builders – in no particular order – that fit these requirements and more. Let us know how you get on...

01. Duda

Duda's free plan gives you pretty much all you need to get up and running online

Designed with online stores, business sites, blogs and one-pagers in mind, Duda's responsive website builder has a stack of ready-made templates for you to choose from, and a drag-and-drop editor to make it easy to put your site together. It features plenty of widgets to help turn visitors into paying customers, plus integration with web-based solutions such as OpenTable, Disqus and PayPal, and even features website personalisation tools that can trigger a variety of individualised actions that'll make your customers feel extra-special.

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02. Shopify

An easy way to build a great-looking shop with a reliable backend

If the website you need to build is an online store, Shopify is a good choice. It powers over 325,000 online shops and the pricing plans and features are flexible enough that it will work for you whether you have a tiny fledgling business or something much larger. 

There are loads of templates and themes so you can put your store together exactly as you want, and if you think you might need something more advanced in the future, it's easy to find an expert to help you. Prices start from $29 per month. 

03. Silex

Silex is free and easy to use, if you don't mind sorting your own hosting

Free and open source, Silex can be used entirely within the browser and works with you, whatever your skill level. There's a friendly WYSWIG editor drang and drop interface that you can use to put everything together, with all your changes visible immediately, and if you're comfortable with CSS and JavaScript then you'll find integrated editors that enable you to get down and dirty with code in order to add styles and interactivity to your elements.

There are plenty of templates - both free and paid - and widgets to choose from, plus built-in SEO. Bear in mind, though, that Silex won't host your site, however it offers advice to help you get sorted.

04. Jimdo

All of Jimdo's plans offer unlimited bandwidth and plenty of design options

If you want to create a site for free without getting hobbled by a lack of features, give Jimdo a try. All of its plans offer everything you need to create a professional-looking HTML5-powered website, including templates, photo galleries, Google Maps integration, plenty of storage and unlimited bandwidth, and it's easy to put everything together. Step up to one of its paid services from $5/month and you'll get your own domain, an online store, SEO, widgets and stats.

05. BigCommerce

If you want to open a store, BigCommerce will scale to suit your needs

Got something to sell? BigCommerce is a great way to create beautiful ecommerce websites with off-the-shelf responsive templates featuring plenty of customisation options. Its storefront editor enables you to change your site's look without coding, while you can also go completely custom using HTML, CSS and other code libraries.

The basic plan will cost you $29.95/month for a full-featured online store, and if your business takes off then BigCommerce can scale to suit your needs.

06. Webflow

Webflow lets you create sites across a range of devices

Californian-based website building company Webflow is an astonishingly simple platform that gives everyone the power to build their perfect site across a range of devices.

Suited to designers, creative professionals and entrepreneurs, Webflow is a web design tool, CMS and hosting platform all in one. Create your dream site and update it personally without having to touch a single line of backend code.

07. BuilderEngine

Create large websites on the Cloud with BuilderEngine

Promising to help users set-up and launch their site in seconds, BuilderEngine is an intuitive platform capable of creating any type of website.

Users can get started with a free trial package, complete with template themes and hosting, then choose add-ons from their constantly updating collections of apps. Capable of creating complex sites without coding, BuilderEngine goes beyond basic text and images. If you ever get stuck you can also find one-to-one support by using their forums and Ticket Support Systems.

08. IM Creator

IM Creator is free to use, and comes with some stunning templates

The IM Creator was introduced in 2011 and it quickly became one of the top HTML5 website builders online. The IM Creator hosts a huge library of stunning website templates in a long list of categories ranging from sports and medicine to business and academics.

You can start using the IM Creator immediately after registering for free. Start off with a blank page or choose a design of your choice from a library of hundreds of fully customizable website templates. Since the IM Creator is an HTML5 website builder, every website you create with it should work fine with all major mobile platforms.

09. SquareSpace

SquareSpace offers a free trial so you can find out if it's right for you

SquareSpace is a popular web-based HTML5 website builder that will help you create beautiful sites in a matter of minutes.

It offers a diverse range of website designs tailored for different occasions and industries. All the templates are compatible with mobile devices as well, and contain high resolution images and graphics to add further colour to your website. SquareSpace is a paid application but you can also use its free trial with limited options.

10. PrestaShop

PrestaShop is a great open-source ecommerce solution

French startup PrestaShop has released version 1.6 of its eponymous open-source ecommerce website builder with a revamped frontend experience plus a backend overhaul that focuses on the business intelligence side of things.

The most impressive thing about PrestaShop is its default theme, which is comfortably one of the best around – slick and easily customisable thanks to Sass Compass built-in. The back office is no less well-presented despite the huge depth of analytics that it contains, and both are fully responsive.

11. Dunked

Dunk lets you make a beautifully responsive online portfolio without touching a line of code

If you want to stand out, your online portfolio needs to stand out. But what happens when you don't know how to code? That's where Dunked are offering to fill the gap.

Dunked provides responsive designs that are Retina-ready and allow you to create an online portfolio without any coding difficulties. You can choose from a growing collection of professionally designed templates, that are pixel-perfect, customizable and easy to use.

Each template is fully responsive and will adapt itself to any mobile device - iPad, iPhone or Android. Adjust layout, colours and typography using a selection of preset options; there's also advanced CSS editing for those familiar with website markup.

12. Wix

Wix has moved from Flash to become an HTML5-based website builder

Originally based on Flash, Wix has now switched to HTML5. Its unique template designs stand apart, making it a great way to create eye-catching websites. Wix is primarily a paid service but does offer a limited number of features in its free version as well.

13. Mobirise

Sites made with Mobirise are 100% mobile-friendly according the Google Mobile Test

With a mobile-first approach and easy drag-n-drop interface, Mobirise has become one of the most popular offline website builders. Mobirise is available for Windows and Mac and comes with over 400 clever website blocks, 20,000 hi-res images, and over 6,000 icons. 

Mobirise Builder is free for commercial and non-profit use and has the option of publishing your website to any hosting service, local drive or free Github page.

14. Strikingly

Sites built with Strikingly are visibly optimized for search engines

As the name suggests, Strikingly is an HTML5 website builder you can use to create beautiful websites and designs. Its templates are not only eye-catching but are also completely responsive and compatible with major mobile platforms. They are also visibly optimized for search engines with extremely quick load times. Strikingly also offers in-depth analytics for every site you build with it.

15. Easy WebContent

Easy WebContent has recently begun to embrace HTML5

Easy WebContent is another beautiful website builder that allows you to build HTML5 websites. Currently, it allows you to create websites in various forms and it recently started to embrace the HTML5 technology. You can create HTML5 websites in a matter of minutes. Begin by simply registering with the EWC Presenter for free. Once registered, you will have the option to select a theme for your website from a number of stunningly beautiful and eye-catching templates.

Every template is compatible with all major mobile platforms and runs very smoothly on all browsers. You can edit every section of these templates to tailor them according to your specific needs.

Along with high quality website templates, Easy WebContent helps you add more colour to your sites by giving you the option to add high resolution images, HD videos, sound clips and eye-catching graphics.

16. Weebly

Use either your own domain name or a Weebly subdomain

Weebly is one of the pioneers in creating HTML5 based websites and templates. It's an entirely online website builder with lots of goodies for designers. Its designs are immaculate and its features and mind blowing. Every template and website design created using Weebly is compatible with mobile devices and works smoothly on all major platforms. You can create websites with Weebly using either your own domain name or a Weebly subdomain.

17. Moonfruit

Free website builder Moonfruit is a great choice for ecommerce sites

Whether you want to create a personal webpage, a corporate website or an ecommerce platform to start online selling, Moonfruit will create everything for you free of cost.

This online HTML5 website builder creates the highest quality of websites with minimum of effort. It also offers a detailed design editor that can be used to customize its website templates.

Since all its templates are responsive in nature, you don't need to create separate websites for mobile platforms.

18. Cabanova

Cabanova lets you create up to three pages for free

Cabanova is another HTML5 website builder that offers a diverse set of website design templates that are compatible with mobile platforms. As a free Cabanova user, you can create websites with up to three pages and 50 MB storage. You also get to choose from over 1000 high quality website templates and designs. These limits, however, can be increased by purchasing the premium version.

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