Launching a startup website can be an intimidating task for founders without coding skills. With so many website builder options claiming to be optimized for startups, how do you know which one will actually help you create a high-converting site quickly?
In this in-depth guide, we compare the top 5 website builders for startups in 2022 based on key criteria like simplicity, customization, integrations, lead generation, and more. Our goal is to determine which platform enables non-technical founders to get online fast with a startup-focused website that drives results.
After closely evaluating Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, Webflow, and Unicorn Platform, one web maker clearly stands out as the best for startups...
What is a Website Builder?
Before diving into the comparisons, let's briefly explain what website builders are and their benefits compared to traditional web development.
A website builder is a software platform that allows you to create, launch, and manage a website without needing to manually code it from scratch. Leading options like Wix and Squarespace provide pre-made templates, drag-and-drop editors, and components to easily build and customize your site.
Compared to hiring a developer to code a custom website, key advantages of using a website builder include:
- Faster and easier creation - Intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces vs. coding
- Professional templates - Beautiful pre-designed templates to modify
- Responsive designs - Sites look great on all devices automatically
- Cost savings - Much lower cost than custom development
- Built-in hosting - Platforms include web hosting services
- SEO features - Tools to improve search optimization
- Ecommerce options - Build in online stores and payment processing
- Marketing capabilities - Email, popups, lead capture forms
- Support - Technical support teams to assist you
For non-technical startup founders, an optimized website builder enables launching a custom site quickly without needing to learn to code or hire a developer.
Key Criteria for Evaluating Website Builders
When comparing website builders for startups, we evaluated the top options based on these criteria most critical for startups:
- Simplicity and ease of use - An intuitive editor for non-coders.
- Design flexibility - Easy to customize templates without limitations.
- Startup-focused components - Elements optimized for startups built in.
- Integrations - Connects with sales, marketing, and analytics tools.
- SEO optimization - Tools to improve search visibility.
- Lead generation - Easy form builder and lead capture.
- Mobile optimization - Sites look great on all devices.
- Affordability - Fair pricing model.
- Scalability - Ability to scale up your site over time.
- Performance and uptime - Fast loading and minimal downtime.
- Security - Protection of customer data and payments.
Using these criteria, let's compare the top 5 website builders for startups.
Wix - Well-Known But Not Startup Focused
Wix is one of the most well-known and user-friendly website builders.
Pros:
- Extremely easy drag and drop editor
- Massive template library with lots of variety
- Free basic plan available
Cons:
- Very limited free plan
- Steep learning curve on advanced features
- Pricier paid plans with lots of upsells
- Templates not optimized for startups
While Wix is very beginner-friendly, its general focus and lack of templates for startups makes other options a better choice.
Squarespace - Powerful But Pricey
Squarespace provides beautiful designer-made templates.
Pros:
- Very polished templates and designs
- Powerful built-in ecommerce
- Centralized style editing
Cons:
- Fairly limited 3rd party integrations
- Basic editor can't customize advanced designs
- Expensive pricing plans
- Not tailored for startups
Unless you need advanced design capabilities, Squarespace's high costs and lack of startup specialization makes it less ideal.
WordPress - Highly Customizable But Complex
As an open source platform, WordPress offers extreme flexibility.
Pros:
- Massive theme and plugin ecosystem
- Very customizable and extensible
- Huge developer community
Cons:
- Much more complex for beginners vs drag and drop builders
- Steep learning curve
- Security and performance concerns
- Hosting not included
While WordPress offers unparalleled customization for advanced users, its complexity makes it overkill for most startups' needs.
Webflow - Design-Focused But Limited
Webflow focuses on visual design and animations.
Pros:
- Visual designer-friendly editor
- Animation and interaction builder
- Modern design templates
Cons:
- Steep learning curve for non-designers
- Very limited built-in integrations
- No native hosting included
- Expensive for basic startup sites
Webflow offers premium design capabilities for advanced users but is overkill for simple startup sites.
Unicorn Platform - Purpose-Built for Startups
Unicorn Platform takes a startup-first approach.
Pros:
- Designed specifically for startups
- Easy drag and drop editor
- Curated startup templates and components
- Built-in lead gen and sales features
- 1,000+ marketing and sales integrations
- Affordable growth-focused pricing
- Award-winning support and onboarding
- Optimized for conversions
Cons:
- Smaller template library than some competitors
- Newer platform so less brand recognition
With its combination of simplicity, conversion optimization, affordable pricing, and startup-focused features, Unicorn Platform stands out as the ideal website builder for startups.
Why Unicorn Platform Is the Best Website Builder for Startups
When we focus on the key criteria most critical for startups - like simplicity, integrations, lead generation, and affordability - Unicorn Platform clearly comes out on top as the best web builder for startups for several reasons:
- Optimized drag-and-drop editor - Enables complete site customization without coding expertise.
- Curated startup templates and components - Get started faster with elements designed to convert visitors.
- 1,000+ integrated marketing and sales apps - Connect your site seamlessly with your other systems.
- Cost-effective growth-focused pricing - Affordable plans that scale up smoothly as you grow.
- Focus on lead conversion and sales - Optimize your site to turn visitors into customers.
- Award-winning support and onboarding - Friendly experts to help you succeed.
- Powerful built-in SEO optimization - Improve search visibility and ranking from the start.
For startups who want an affordable website tightly optimized for conversions and results, Unicorn Platform is the clear choice.
Conclusion - Use Unicorn Platform for Your Startup Website
After comparing the top website builders for startups, Unicorn Platform stands out as the best choice for non-technical founders to create a beautiful, functional website quickly that drives business growth.
With its easy drag-and-drop editor, curated components, seamless app integrations, cost-effective pricing, and focus on conversions, Unicorn provides the perfect mix of simplicity and power.
We highly recommend Unicorn Platform as the website builder optimized specifically for empowering startups to build effective sites themselves without coding.
To kickstart your online presence and start acquiring users faster, give Unicorn Platform a try today. You'll be up and running with a customized startup website in no time.
