Currently there are four website builders that seem to be jostling for the top space; these bring Jimdo, Wix, Weebly and Squarespace. Therefore it is difficult to know which to pick particularly as they can be worlds apart although very similar in looks. So how should you make the choice? Trying all of the website builders out can be draining therefore this article will summarize the pros of each saving you the time and energy allowing you to eliminate those that do not suit your needs.

How popular are they?

The popularity factor of a website builder should not really have bearing on your decision and it is more of an interest, before we look at the pros and let's see how the top for website builders are currently trending on Google:

1- Wix
2- Squarespace
3- Weebly
4- Jimdo

From this we can deduce that Wix is getting the most online searches and this is hardly surprising as they are responsible for publishing nearly 80 million websites.

Let's now take a look at the pros and cons that have been suggested by users of these website builders, and this should be able to give you a better idea of whether they would be the right choice for you.

1. Wix

Professional templates

Wix is able to offer customers over 510 professional templates to choose from or alternatively it is possible for customers to create their own unique design. The templates offered by Wix are already formatted, structured and populated with content so it is easy to just pick your favorite one. All of the templates are completely user ready.

Drag and Drop Interface

Wix is simple to use, customers just need to drop and drag the elements that they need, for example images, text etc and place them where they are needed and there are no restrictions of where these elements are placed.

Help and Support

Wix offers phenomenal support and users have the option to click on the main help button which is located at the top of the page, and every element used also has a unique help button. Wix also offers email and phone support if you need further in depth help

2. Squarespace

Designer templates

Squarespace offers mobile responsive designer templates that are designed to get attention. Their templates are minimalistic, clean and sophisticated with high quality finish and give the impression that months have been spent building and polishing them.

Responsive interface

Squarespace allows the user to resize their browser and content including images, text etc and it will adjust automatically to provide optimized viewing. This is a must if users are going to be accessing your site using a mobile device.

Styling

Squarespace provides comprehensive styling options which most of the other website builders don't unless you know how to edit codes. Squarespace offers a style editor that makes it easy to undertake custom styling without the need for codes; this covers everything from the background images to thumbnails.

3. Weebly

User Friendly Website Builder

Weebly does not overwhelm the user with lots of complicated, fancy choices, the users are provided with the necessary basics. Weebly's interface is very spontaneous to use which is perfect for all levels of users particularly if you worry about technology related tasks. It is possible to build an above average website within an hour.

Mobile Responsive Templates

Weebly's latest templates are all mobile receptive so the website looks professionally regardless of how it is being viewed. Making changes to the templates are easy as content can be automatically changed from one template to another which gives the user ultimate flexibility.

Pre -designed Page Layouts

If you have no idea where to start with regards to page layouts, Weebly has over 40 pre set pages to get users started. They have a good choice of popular layouts for the home, about, contact etc pages.

4. Jimdo

Strong online Store Tools

The ecommerce tools offered by Jimdo provide support in terms of inventory tracking, orders in and out and pre set email responses to customers. The user can also set up discount codes for promotions and tag additional products for cross selling. Jimdo makes managing an online store simple and this is why it stands out from its competitors.

Free Platform

JimdoFree is a free platform which provides the user with enough tools to build a comprehensive functional website, there is no pressure to upgrade to a paid platform and there are no time limits on how long you can be a free user.

Community Forum

Jimdo has a huge multi lingual community forum facility allowing users to post questions and find answers from fellow users and the forum moderators.

It all depends on your needs

As you can see all of the website builders have their own strengths, however my recommendations based on what you may be looking to produce would be as follows:

1- Ease of use - Wix or Weebly
2- Style and professional design - Squarespace (promotion code) and Wix
3- eCommerce builder - Wix, Squarespace or Weebly

If you are looking for direct comparisons between Wix & Weebly you should check out the following:

Weebly vs Wix - the key differences for startups

When it comes down to making a choice I suggest that you sign up for a free account with at least two of the providers and test them. This is the only way that you can really get a feel for what works best for you.

It is true that building is an investment of time and money, more so a time investment therefore it is vital that you conduct your own due diligence and check which website builder you are most comfortable with.