The 6 cheapest website builders for small business under $20 are:
- Snapps.ai
- Hostinger
- Site123
- Carrd
- Strikingly
- Squarespace
Creating a website for your small business will cost you money. Depending on the website that you want to put up and the functionality your business needs to operate online, you’re likely looking at costs of $500 to $5,000. But if you want a cheaper way to build a website for your small business, a website builder is the way to go.
A website builder allows you to create a whole site even without coding knowledge or help from a web designer. It is the easiest way of putting up a website for your small business. Most website builders have drag-and-drop platforms that help you to easily customize the template according to your brand voice. Most of them offer great features and helpful tools at an affordable price.
In this article, we will discuss the cheapest website builders available, and which one of them has the most value for money.
What is the Cheapest Platform to Create a Website?
The cheapest platform to create a website is Carrd. It only costs $9 a year. Yes, instead of monthly pricing plans, Carrd offers only affordable yearly plans. Carrd offers a free plan and 3 paid plans. Although it’s cheap, you can create only one-page websites. and editing elements is quite restrictive.
6 Cheapest Website Builders for Small Businesses
1. Snapps.ai - $19/mo
Snapps.ai Single Site Pack Plan costs $19/mo. Now, these might seem expensive especially when compared to cheaper options listed here, but it gives you your money’s worth. While simple to use, Snapps also provides advanced functionalities for more sophisticated website development. From intuitive website builders to advanced AI-driven features, Snapps.ai tools empower you to create, optimize, and grow your online presence. You can also streamline your workflow, enhance user experiences, and unleash your website's full potential with its comprehensive set of tools.
Snapps.ai Pricing
| PLAN | INCLUSIONS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Single Site Pack | Single site | $19 /mo |
| Customizable templates | ||
| Intuitive tools | ||
| Powerful plugins | ||
| Enhanced flexibility | ||
| Wide selection of widgets | ||
| Link management | ||
| Seamless website migration | ||
| Precise campaigns | ||
| Robust analytics | ||
| SEO optimization | ||
| Generate SEO reports | ||
| Social media integration | ||
| Email marketing | ||
| AI Image | ||
| Starter Pack | All Single Site Plan features | $79 /mo (Additional Site $16 Per Site) |
| Publish up to 5 sites. | ||
| Decade Pack | All Single Site Plan features | $159 /mo (Additional Site $16 Per Site) |
| Publish up to 10 sites | ||
| Agency Lite Pack | All Single Site Plan features | $349 /mo (Additional Site $14 Per Site) |
| Publish up to 25 sites. | ||
| Agency Pro Pack | All Single Site Plan features | $599 /mo (Additional Site $12 Per Site) |
| Publish up to 50 sites. | ||
| Century Club Pack | All Single Site Plan features | $997 /mo (Additional Site $10 Per Site) |
| Publish up to 100 sites. |
Snapps.ai Value for Money
If you are looking for an affordable website builder, Snapps is the best value for money. This might come as a surprise considering Snapps is more expensive than Hostinger and Site123, but you will get a lot from its cheapest plan. Snapps all-in-one dashboard, templates, and the ability to customize layout and features are a wonderful balance between ease of use and functionality.
It also offers SnappSEO, an SEO tool that helps you identify the most critical technical SEO issues, and will take action to improve the health and performance of your website. You will get comprehensible reports, in just seconds.
In a YouTube review, Lois highly recommends Snapps, noting its significant positive impact on business efficiency and the quality of the output. She also mentioned how Snapps stands out for its ease of use, improved performance over other platforms, and a balance of simplicity with advanced features, making it an excellent website builder choice for small business.
The only drawback is its cheapest plan is pricier than the other cheap website designers available in the market.
2. Hostinger - $2.99
Hostinger website builder is one of the cheapest site builders you can find. Its premium website builder plan cost $2.99. It comes with free domain, free email, drag-and-drop editor, 150 templates and more. With this Hostinger plan, you will get the essentials you need to create a small business website.
Hostinger Pricing
| PLAN | INCLUSIONS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Website Builder | Free Domain | $2.99/mo |
| Free Email | ||
| Drag & Drop Editor | ||
| 150 Templates | ||
| Marketing Integrations | ||
| Mobile Editing | ||
| 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee | ||
| 24/7 Customer Support | ||
| AI Tools | ||
| AI Website Builder | ||
| Business Website Builder | All Premium Plan features | $3.99/mo |
| AI Image Generator | ||
| AI Writer | ||
| AI Blog Generator | ||
| AI Heatmaps | ||
| AI SEO Tools | ||
| eCommerce Features | ||
| 0% Transaction Fees | ||
| 20+ Payment Methods |
Hostinger Value for Money
Hostinger’s user-friendly interface allows for easy management of online stores, making it suitable for small e-commerce businesses. It also stands out in terms of website loading speed. It managed to load a website design in just 1.8 seconds, which is significantly faster than many of its competitors.
According to a YouTube review of CyberNews channel, Hostinger’s loading time not only surpasses that of many competitors but also fits within Google's recommended loading time for websites, which is under 2.5 seconds. This compliance can positively impact search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience.
Although Hostinger stands out as one of the most affordable website builders in the market, it still has limitations. The platform is less ideal for blogging due to lack of advanced features and integrations. Also, its cheap introductory deal is not forever. The initial $2.99 per month on the Premium plan becomes $7.99 per month when you renew.
3. Site123 - $5.80
Site123 website builder offers a free plan. The free plan is good enough to create a website for small businesses and to try out the editor. But its features are limited, because you can only get 250 MB Storage, 250 MB Bandwidth, and subdomain with this plan.
Site123 also offers a premium plan that will cost you $5.80 a month. This is still a pretty cheap price for a website builder. Unlike the free plan, Site123’s premium plan will give you a free domain for 1 year, 3GB storage, and 3GB bandwidth.
Site123 Pricing
| PLANS | INCLUSIONS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 250 MB Storage | $0/mo |
| 250 MB Bandwidth | ||
| Subdomain | ||
| Premium | Free Domain for 1 year | $5.80/mo |
| 3GB storage | ||
| 3GB bandwidth | ||
| Remove SITE123 Floating Tag | ||
| Connect Your Domain | ||
| Store |
Site123 Value for Money
Site123 is a low cost website designing platform tailored for beginners, focusing on simplicity. Users start by choosing the site's purpose, then receive a design suggestion. It offers an easy setup process since you can do everything in your browser. Like the other website builders, it also comes with a blog and online store. Beginners can also take advantage of Site123’s SEO Advisor, which scans the site for potential SEO improvements.
A YouTube video review by CyberNews channel highlights Site123’s simplicity and ease of use, making it ideal for beginners or small projects. It offers good performance and essential marketing tools but may be too restrictive for those seeking advanced design capabilities.
One significant downside mentioned in this review is the lack of drag-and-drop controls. This limitation means users cannot freely move elements around, resulting in a more constrained design experience. He also said that this could be a major drawback for those who want to creatively design their site.
Site123 is a budget-friendly choice for a website builder, but it has limitations and drawbacks such as limited design flexibility and a lack of diverse template structures.
4. Carrd - $9
Carrd is another website builder for small businesses that offers a free plan. Of course, like any other free plan, it is also limited in terms of tools, features, and functionalities. Carrd’s cheapest plan costs $9 a year. Its Pro Lite plan offers 3 sites, premium URLs, no branding, high-quality images, large images and videos, no element limit, Pro templates, video uploads, slideshows, site icons, and shared images.
Carrd Pricing
| PLAN | INCLUSIONS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Lite | 3 Sites | $9/year |
| Premium URLs | ||
| No Branding | ||
| High Quality Images | ||
| Large Images and Videos | ||
| No Element Limit | ||
| Pro Templates | ||
| Custom Templates | ||
| Video Uploads | ||
| Slideshows | ||
| Site Icons | ||
| Share Images | ||
| QR Codes | ||
| Site Transfers | ||
| Sharing | ||
| Pro Standard | All Pro Lite feature | $19/year |
| Forms | ||
| Widgets | ||
| Embeds | ||
| Google Analytics | ||
| Meta Tags | ||
| Local Fonts | ||
| Pro Plus | All Pro Standard feature | $49/year |
| Advanced Settings | ||
| Download Sites | ||
| Redirects | ||
| Password Protection | ||
| Variables | ||
| Site Files |
Carrd Value for Money
Carrd’s website builder is ideal for artists, local businesses, and individuals that want to build a simple and effective online presence. It lets you choose from five categories like profile, landing, form, portfolio, and sectioned. There are only 80 templates you can choose from, and they all look simple containing basic elements.
A YouTube video review by @@nocodemba concluded that Carrd is an exceptionally simple website builder best suited for one-page websites. It's ideal for those who need a straightforward online presence, such as artists, small businesses, or individuals wanting to showcase their work or services.
While it may lack the complexity needed for more extensive sites, its ease of use, responsive design, and integration capabilities make it a strong choice for specific needs.
Although Carrd may be budget-friendly, it’s worth noting that it also has limitations. It has no eCommerce options, which means that you can’t create an online store or sell any kind of goods via a Carrd website.
5. Strikingly - $12
Strikingly is a website builder that also offers a free plan. The plan’s inclusion are unlimited free sites, Strikingly.com domain, 5 GB monthly bandwidth, and 500 MB total storage per site. It also offers 3 paid plans that include more functional features for your small business websites. The cheapest Strikingly plan costs $12 monthly (billed monthly).
Strikingly Pricing
| PLAN | INCLUSIONS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Limited | 2 Limited sites | $12/mo |
| Unlimited free sites | ||
| Connect custom domain | ||
| Free SSL for custom domain | ||
| Free domain for a year! | ||
| 1 GB storage per site | ||
| 50 GB bandwidth | ||
| Up to 5 pages per site | ||
| Sell a single product | ||
| 5% transaction fee | ||
| 24/7 chat support | ||
| Pro | All Limited Plan features | $20 |
| 3 Pro sites | ||
| 20 GB storage per site | ||
| Unlimited bandwidth | ||
| Up to 100 pages per site | ||
| Sell up to 300 products | ||
| Remove Strikingly branding | ||
| VIP | Everything in the Pro plan | $59/mo |
| 100 GB storage per site | ||
| Unlimited bandwidth | ||
| 2,000 Active Contacts | ||
| Sell unlimited products | ||
| 0% transaction fee | ||
| Multiple Membership Tiers | ||
| Multi-Language & Auto-Translation | ||
| Send newsletters | ||
| Live Chat widget |
Strikingly Value for Money
Strikingly is completely dedicated to building one-page sites that are easily customizable through sections. Since this platform is dedicated to one-page websites, everything revolves around sections. You will find parts designed for showing information, social feed, blog, store items, and more. Its paid plans also offer unique features suitable for small businesses and beginners.
In his YouTube channel @sitebuilderreport, Steve said that Strikingly is the best website builder for one page websites. He also highlights the comprehensive customer support that makes it a viable option for creating an online presence.
Strikingly offers affordable plans, but its search engine optimization (SEO) is limited. You will only be able to change basics like titles and descriptions. Strikingly is not for users looking for advanced customization and design flexibility.
6. Squarespace - $16
Squarespace pricing ranges for $16 to $49 a month (billed annually). It is one of the more expensive website builders on this list, but you get a lot from its plans. Squarespace’s cheapest plan, Personal, includes free custom domain, unlimited bandwidth, SEO features, free SSL security, and email marketing tools.
Squarespace Pricing
| PLAN | INCLUSIONS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Mobile optimized websites | $16/mo |
| Templates to fit every need | ||
| Free custom domain* | ||
| Send invoices for free | ||
| Business | All Personal Plan features | $23/mo |
| Advanced website analytics | ||
| Sell products and services | ||
| 3% transaction fee for physical products and services | ||
| Checkout on your domain | ||
| Ecommerce Basic | All Business Plan features | $27/mo |
| Sell products and services | ||
| 0% transaction fee for physical products and services | ||
| Powerful merchandising | ||
| Ecommerce Advanced | All Ecommerce Basic Plan features | $49/mo |
| Advanced Shipping | ||
| Advanced discounting | ||
| Sell subscriptions |
Squarespace Value for Money
Squarespace is known for its professional-looking templates. It offers a wide variety of high-quality templates. It also has a user-friendly interface in terms of website customization. It provides a generous suite of built-in features, including website analytics to help users monitor their site’s performance and email marketing tools. Squarespace is a comprehensive platform that offers domain purchasing, website creation, and hosting.
In a YouTube video, Jimmy highlights the ease of use of Squarespace website builder. He found Squarespace intuitive and efficient for building a simple website. For users looking to create more complex websites with multiple pages or specific functionalities like extensive e-commerce or membership areas, Squarespace might not be the ideal platform.
Squarespace Personal Plan is a good deal if you want to put up a website for your small business, but you’ll need to upgrade to the Business, Commerce Basic, or Commerce Advanced plans to sell products or services online.
Are Cheap Website Builders Worth It?
Cheap website builders can be worth it depending on your specific needs. Here are some considerations to help you decide:
- Ease of Use. Many cheap website builders offer drag-and-drop interfaces, which are great for beginners and small business websites. This will help you build and customize your website without the need for coding skills
- Templates and Design. Website builders, even the cheap ones often provide a range of templates to start from. This can be a huge time-saver. Though most cheap website builders offer only a handful of templates and designs.
- Functionality. For basic websites, such as portfolios, small business pages, or blogs, these builders can be quite adequate. However, for more complex sites requiring advanced features, a cheap builder might fall short.
- SEO and Marketing Tools. Some builders offer decent SEO and marketing tools, but they might not be as comprehensive as those available with more advanced, expensive options.
- Cost over time. While initially cheap, some website builders have higher costs for renewals or charge extra for additional features. If your needs are straightforward and you are okay with the potential limitations, a cheap website builder can be a cost-effective and quick way to build a website for your small business.
However, for more complex needs or long-term scalability, you might want to consider other options.
Final Verdict: Which Website Builder has the Best Value for Money?
Snapps.ai website builder has the best value for money. With a paid plan of less than $20, it offers so much more than most of the website builders available. Its tools, features, functionality, and integrations are both basic and advanced.
Snapps offers a powerful suite of graphic design tools that empowers you to create stunning images, logos, and graphics with ease. It also offers lead generation templates and tools that will help your small business find local customers within your community.
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