Starting a professional website is only half of the business. To go live with your new project, you have to host it with a trusted provider that will ensure reliable online presence for it. A credible hosting company will make sure your website will not only be accessible online. It will also provide an extensive range of undeniable merits like fast page load speed time, quick uptime rates, good SEO optimization, confidentiality and security of your project, 24/7 customer/tech support and other must-have advantages.
In the world of today, it has become quite easy to start and host a web project. Modern web building platforms aim at putting an ease of this process. Whether you intend to start a professional blog, business website, portfolio, digital store or any other project, one of the first things you have to take care of is picking a platform that comes up to your expectations, web design skills and requirements. This especially concerns pricing policy, bandwidth, reliability, ease-of-use and other crucial aspects.
The use of website builders simplifies the process of site creation. These all-in-one systems provide hosting and domain name in the same place. The platforms are easier to use as they target diverse audience types and focus on the development of different project types.
Modern hosting providers, in their turn, do not lag behind website builders as well. The prevailing amount of contemporary hosts comes with built-in website builders that include visual editors. This simplifies the entire approach to the website creation process, letting everyone build and customize a web project from scratch to further host it on the system servers.
Best Services to Create and Host Your Own Website:
- Wix – Best Website Builder with Free Hosting Included
- Bluehost – Best Hosting with Free Built-In CMS (WordPress)
- uKit – Best Platform to Make and Host a Small Business Website
- Hostgator – Fastest and Easiest Hosting With Website Builder
- Squarespace – All-in-One Web-Building Service
- SITE123 – Easy Website Builder, Hosting Included
- Shopify – Best Service to Host an eCommerce Website
- Webflow – Professional Website Builder for Designers
If you are right about to start and host your website, you will certainly be interested to find out more about these systems. It’s high time to review them now to help you make the unbiased solution that will work best for your project.
Wix – Best Website Builder with Free Hosting Included
| Product Name: | WIX |
| Official Website: | wix.com |
| Complexity: | Very easy |
| Free Plan: | Unlimited |
| Premium Plan: | from $13/mo |
| Founded: | 2006 |
| Headquarters: | Israel |
Wix – is the best website builder with free hosting included, which deserves the title of the most popular all-in-one web design platform. The system makes it possible to start, manage and host different types of web projects. It works great for versatile user categories including beginners and web design pros due to its integrated powerful feature set, advanced hosting and website promotion opportunities as well as extensive design customization options. Have a look at the major software advantages now:
- Two Website Editing Modes – The website builder offers two website editing options – Wix ADI and Standard Editor. The first tool is a great pick for beginners as it lets everyone launch a website from scratch in the automated modes, using the content provided by a user upon its request. A standard editor is a better solution for more experienced web designers as it ensures deeper flexibility and more advanced design customization approach.
- Blogging and eCommerce – Due to the integrated blogging and eCommerce platforms, the system allows setting up blogs and web stores. There is an extensive toolset users may browse to customize their web projects with regard to their special requirements.
- Diversity of Hosting Options – Wix initially had its servers in the data centers in Europe, Australia and the USA, but now the company has moved its servers to the Amazon cloud hosting. This has made it possible for users from across the world to host their projects with the system without considering the location aspect. Each website created with Wix is automatically stored on Wix servers using the terms implied by the free plan. Whatever project you start with Wix, it will still be accessible in all the countries with high speed. According to the test results, the average load time of Wix-based projects constitutes around 2.46 seconds. This is a normal result, which is around 55% higher as compared to websites hosted with other platforms.
- App Market – The software grants access to the extensive App Market with lots of free and paid extensions available to everyone. When using the search filter, it becomes easier to sort out the apps and pick those that will enhance your website performance.
- Mobile-Ready Templates – Wix template collection is more than impressive. It currently includes over 550 quality themes, which are free and mobile-optimized by default. All the designs are divided into thematic categories according to the niches they cover. The preview feature lets you explore the details of each theme to make a better choice. Mind that the template switch option is unavailable here.
Wix website builder is a reasonably-priced platform. There is a free plan, which lasts for the unlimited period of time, letting everyone test the software features or practice web design skills. As soon as you are ready to upgrade to the premium plan, the system will offer two types of subscriptions: Website and Business/eCommerce, each encompassing more detailed plans. Their cost starts at $13/mo.
Bluehost – Best Hosting with Free Built-In CMS (WordPress)
| Product Name: | Bluehost |
| Official Website: | https://www.bluehost.com/ |
| Complexity: | Average |
| Free plan: | No |
| Paid plan: | From $2.95/mo |
| Founded: | 2003 |
| Headquarters: | Utah, USA |
Bluehost – is the best hosting with free built-in CMS (WordPress), which unveils access to lots of features and tools that make it possible to successfully host your newly-built project. The host chock full of features and tools that allows for safe and effective website hosting. Along with affordable plans, versatility of scripts and plugins, the company makes it possible to choose from multiple advanced applications, add-ons, extensive eCommerce and business applications. Bluehost also guarantees high uptime rates and fast website load time that does not compromise with project performance. Other Bluehost highlights are as follows:
- Two Web Development Modes – The host allows choosing from two website editing options for quality project creation with the CMS. These include Gutenberg Editor and visual Elementor plugin. There are also other visual extensions you can pick, when editing your project.
- Several Hosting Solutions – Apart from WordPress hosting, Bluehost also offers other popular hosting options. These include shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated and reseller hosting.
- 1-Click WordPress Installation – WordPress officially recommends Bluehost as the top system to store its projects. It allows for 1-click CMS installation, which notably simplifies the task for the platform subscribers. It provides 24/7 expert support and a full suite of integrated tools to manage customizable websites.
- Design Selection and Customization – As far as Bluehost is frequently chosen as a trusted hosting for WordPress websites, it has proven itself as a trusted, secure and reasonably-priced platform. It doesn’t matter what templates you have picked for your WordPress project – with Bluehost you can be absolutely sure that your website will be hosted with a quality service.
Bluehost is not only a quality hosting provider – it’s also one of the most affordable companies to pick for your project. Currently, the system allows choosing from several types of subscriptions. The most affordable of them – Basic Plan – currently costs $2.95/mo. Every newly-registered user gets a free bonus domain during the first year of the system use. As soon as this term comes to its end, the cost of the domain name will constitute around $12-$14 per year.
uKit – Best Platform to Make and Host a Small Business Website
| Product Name: | uKit |
| Official Website: | ukit.com |
| Complexity: | Super easy |
| Free Plan: | 14 days trial |
| Premium Plan: | from $4/mo |
| Founded: | 2015 |
| Headquarters: | Russian Federation |
uKit – is the best platform to make and host a small business website. This is also the cheapest software to make and host a small business website. The website builder has won user popularity due to its impressive ease of use and affordability. With uKit, you can start literally any type of project for commercial or non-commercial use. The service works well for all user categories, irrespective of their web design background. It’s a great pick for beginners, who have the intention to start their first projects with the system. Other uKit pros include:
- eCommerce and Blogging – The website builder makes blog and web store creation simple, smooth and hassle-free due to the integrated engines provided by default. Having started their blogs and digital stores, users can access the integrated toolset to manage them as required.
- Responsive Themes – As a responsive website builder, uKit includes a super collection of templates, which are all adaptive and absolutely-customizable. The designs are industry-specific to let each and every user pick the theme that works best for a certain kind of project. All in all, the website builder offers over 500 quality templates, which are free to choose and customize. What’s important, uKit templates are switchable. This allows testing various themes before you actually make the right design choice. The process of template customization is intuitive and quite simple for most users, no matter what web design background they have.
- Mobile Optimization – uKit has an award-winning feature that lets site owners enhance the mobile experience. You can now check how your project looks on smartphones and tablets. You can edit its mobile appearance, remove or hide unnecessary blocks, change background and more for an outstanding mobile representation.
- Unlimited Storage Space – An unlimited storage space is, probably, one of the main advantages of the system, when it comes to hosting a website. Each plan offers an unlimited number of pages, storage, and bandwidth. Moreover, the platform features a specific algorithm that automatically optimizes user’s media files like photos and images. This function results in faster loading speed and smoother website performance without ruining the web page performance while the general characteristics and settings remain the same. A better loading speed may have a positive impact on the search engine ranking factors.
uKit is one of the most affordable website builders, which charges reasonable fees for a broad range of features, services and tools included into its plans. The platform doesn’t have a completely free plan, but there is an opportunity to test its feature set during the 14-day free trial. Upon the end of the test period, you will have to decide on one of the paid subscriptions you would like to go for. The cost of uKit premium plans currently starts at $5/mo. When working with uKit, you can save big by making a one-time payment for 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. The final price will depend upon the cost of the subscription you pick for your project and the result you intend to get in the long run.
HostGator – Fastest and Easiest Hosting with Website Builder
| Product Name: | HostGator |
| Official Website: | hostgator.com |
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Free Plan: | No |
| Premium Plan: | from $3.75/mo |
| Founded: | 2002 |
| Headquarters: | Texas, USA |
HostGator – is the fastest and easiest hosting with website builder, which allows creating, managing and hosting different types of personal and business projects. This simplifies the process of website creation for users as there is no need to look for a third-party host out there. The platform offers a set of built-in tools users may pick to customize their projects and enhance their performance. The system also allows for hosting/domain name connection, granting access to several packages. Listed below are the main features of the software:
- Free Website Transfer – In case you already have a website hosted with another platform, HostGator makes it possible to transfer it to its servers absolutely for free. To simplify the process for non-techies, the software offers a range of features and tools that make the migration smooth yet fast and effective.
- Integrations – With HostGator, you can select and integrate special extensions and add-ons that can enhance your project performance. Some of them include Live Feeds, social network buttons, media files, contact forms, Google Maps, user commenting feature and other apps available in stock. Just access the App Market to browse the collection and pick suitable samples.
- WordPress Integration – HostGator provides the opportunity of one-click WordPress connection. As a result, you can launch, customize, run and host websites all in one place. As far as the CMS is known for its powerful integration options, HostGator users can get access to numerous plugins (free and paid) that boost website performance.
HostGator charges reasonable fees for hosting projects on its servers. Actually, you can pick from several types of plans. They can be billed monthly and annually based on your skills and project requirements. There is no free plan here, while the cost of premium subscriptions starts at $3.75/mo.
Squarespace – All-in-One Web-Building Service
| Product Name: | Squarespace |
| Official Website: | https://squarespace.com |
| Complexity: | Average |
| Free Plan: | No |
| Premium Plan: | From $12/mo |
| Founded: | 2004 |
| Headquarters: | Canada |
Squarespace – is the all-in-one web-building software, which can be used equally by newbies and web design pros to launch different types of responsive feature-laden web projects. The system offers a contemporary approach to the process of website creation, containing quite a powerful toolset and special features. The list of the main Squarespace pros includes the following points:
- Responsive Templates – The software includes a collection of high quality responsive themes, which are free and completely customizable. They can be easily browsed on mobile and desktop devices, while a handy preview feature lets you see the details of designs you are interested in before making the final choice.
- Blogging and eCommerce Engines – The website builder comes with built-in blogging and eCommerce platforms, thus, making it possible to set up, customize and promote quality blogs and online stores. The system also offers separate templates for these projects depending on their niche specialization.
- Multilingual Support – With Squarespace, you can create multilingual websites depending on the objectives you set and the audiences you plan to target. It’s up to you to choose the languages you would like your project to be available in.
- HTML/CSS Access and Page Editor – The system grants access to HTML/CSS code editing options and there is also an integrated Page Editor here. This allows starting professional web projects with personalized design and high end performance.
- Logo Maker – If you need a unique website logo, you can independently create the one with a built-in Logo Maker tool. It comes with a set of elements you can pick and adjust to create a logo to make your project stand out from the crowd.
- Unfold App – Squarespace lets you create appealing stories and posts to share them in social networks to enhance your business recognition and brand popularity.
Squarespace is a moderately-priced website builder. It doesn’t offer a free plan to get started with your project at no cost yet there is a free trial to test its integrated functionality before upgrading to the premium plan. As to the paid subscriptions, the system currently has four of them. The cost starts at $12/mo.
SITE123 – Easy Website Builder, Hosting Included
| Product Name: | SITE123 |
| Official Website: | site123.com |
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Free Plan: | Unlimited |
| Premium Plan: | from $10.80/mo |
| Founded: | 2015 |
| Headquarters: | Israel |
SITE123 – is an easy website builder, which comes with hosting and design customization tools available in one place. The DIY system is known for its impressive simplicity and initial orientation on the needs and skills of non-techies. Due to the intuitive web design approach, abundance of customizable templates and no need for coding knowledge, everyone can use the service to start and customize personal and business web projects. To find out what the system has to offer, have a look at its main features below:
- Collection of Responsive Designs – SITE123 makes it possible to choose from hundreds of quality responsive templates that refer to various niche categories. All of them are free and 100% customizable by default. You can preview the template you are going to choose and there is also an opportunity to switch to another design in case of necessity.
- Multilingual Websites – Due to the multilingual support the website builder offers by default, there is an opportunity to create and customize web projects in various language modes. Whether you need a commercial or a non-commercial project, you will be able to create separate language versions of it to target local and international customers/partners.
- eCommerce and Blogging – With SITE123, you will be able to create blogs and online stores to popularize your business and to offer your products/services for sale. With this purpose, the system allows choosing themes for blogs and digital stores based on individual nice requirements.
- Logo Maker – To design a unique website logo and to make your business stand out, you can access and use the Logo Maker tool. There are multiple elements and features you can choose from to customize your logo as required.
- App Market – To enhance your project performance, you can reach the App Market and select some of the extensions available there. These include Booking elements, Galleries, Live Chat Support, Forms, Social and Analytic tools, social media apps and many more.
SITE123 is known for its simplicity, convenience and affordable pricing. This is one of the cheapest systems in the contemporary web design market. There is a free unlimited plan here that works great for users, who intend to explore the software and to practice their skills before proceeding to the development of complex web projects. As to the premium plan, the platform offers four options. The cheapest of them will cost you $10.80/mo only.
Shopify – Best Service to Host an eCommerce Website
| Product Name: | Shopify |
| Official Website: | shopify.com |
| Complexity: | Average |
| Free Plan: | 14 days trial |
| Premium Plan: | from $29/mo |
| Founded: | 2004 |
| Headquarters: | Canada |
Shopify – is the best service to host an eCommerce website. What’s more, the software occupies the top position in the rating of the best web store development systems. Its exploration requires some time and coding skills, but this is worth the effort, when it comes to starting a professional digital store. The platform provides a set of niche-specific eCommerce tools and features that are a must, when it comes to launching online stores. Here they go:
- POS Software – Shopify comes with integrated Point-of-Sale (POS) software, which makes it possible to launch online and offline storefronts, if this complies with your eCommerce strategy. The software lets you adjust offline order acceptance parameters, launch several user accounts, enable Quickbooks synchronization, use external card terminals, automatically synchronize with a Shopify account etc.
- Order/Web Store Management – The software grants access to multiple order/store management options to let you set up any type of digital shop, irrespective of its size, complexity and niche specialization. What you can do here is customizing show window design, compiling/managing product lists, adjusting web store and shopping cart integration parameters etc.
- Integrations – With Shopify, you can synchronize the account with external marketplaces, popular trading platforms, payment systems etc. Some of the systems to cooperate with include Quickbooks, Amazon, Xero etc.
- Quality eCommerce Templates – The system has a collection of quality eCommerce templates that are niche-specific, customizable, responsive and free for everyone. There is a preview mode to see the selected theme in details and it is also possible to switch the template on any stage of the customization process, if required.
- Marketing Features – As a professional eCommerce software, Shopify makes it possible to pick and use its marketing features to win customer trust and enhance project performance. There is an App Store with lots of extensions to track your business performance and sales stats, implement discounts and special offers etc.
Shopify is quite an expensive eCommerce software. There is no free plan here, but you can actually test the feature set of the service during the 14-day trial at no cost. As to premium subscriptions, their cost starts at $9/mo.
Webflow – Professional Website Builder for Designers
| Product Name: | Webflow |
| Official Website: | webflow.com |
| Complexity: | Complex |
| Free Plan: | Yes |
| Premium Plan: | from $12/mo |
| Founded: | 2013 |
| Headquarters: | USA |
Webflow – is a professional website builder for designers, which comes with a drag-and-drop editor, advanced design customization parameters and quite a complex approach to the website set up process. The software initially focuses on the needs and skills of web design experts, unveiling myriads of options and creative opportunities to them. When it comes to the feature set, Webflow somewhat resembles a Content Management System, yet some of the settings are less complicated. Some of them are enlisted below:
- Powerful Design Customization – The platform puts a strong emphasis on design customization. Users have access to dozens of themes along with an advanced toolset to give them a unique design. They can experiment with special project parameters and element combinations. It is possible to adjust website backgrounds, special effects, colors, rotation, opacity, layers, element positions and other settings here. The range of design customization features is so impressive that it may even seem somewhat oversaturated for beginners.
- Responsive Customizable Designs – Webflow includes an extensive collection of designs, which look really stylish, contemporary and professional. All the themes are responsive and there is an opportunity to browse several niche categories to simplify the choice. By using an advanced toolset, you can create a superb web project from scratch. Almost all the designs are available in a number of web page presentation modes applicable to different website pages.
- Dynamic Content Creation – With Webflow, you can create unique dynamic website content to impress their customers and grow user base. Whether you work on your blog feed, forum, video/photo presentation, online form, portfolio, landing page or any other project, you can access tools to enhance their design and performance. The use of Lottie, After Effects and Lightbox Gallery contributes to the creation of mobile-responsive and visually impressive projects.
- Two Editing Modes – When customizing your website, you can choose from two project editing modes with regard to your coding proficiency, project requirements and web design background. These include Designer and Editor modes, which differ in complexity, toolset available in stock and degree of project customization required.
Webflow is moderately-priced. There is a completely free plan here yet you will encounter multiple web design restrictions, if you go for this option. To set up a feature-rich website, you will need to upgrade to a premium subscription. The website builder offers two types of paid packages – Site and Account plans. Each of them comprises more detailed plans, the most affordable of which will cost you $12/mo.
How to Create and Host a Website with a Website Builder?
Have you made up your mind to start a website with a website builder? If so, then you should be aware of the list of must-have steps you need to complete to successfully get started with your project. The algorithm of actions is pretty much the same in the majority of website builders. If you are not sure about what to start with, have a look at the list of recommended steps that will help you create, customize and host your project with maximum efficacy and best result possible:
- Sign Up with the Platform. The very first step of your website creation process is registering with the platform. Most website builders offer quite a simple and understandable sign up procedure. You can either use your login credentials (email and password) or sign up via your social network accounts. It’s up to you to pick the most suitable and convenient option.
- Pick a Template. The next step is to choose a template from the design collection of the website builder. For your convenience, the themes may be divided into niche categories that are easy to browse. There may also be an opportunity to create your website design from scratch by choosing a blank theme. Some website builders offer a template switch option to let you select another theme, if you don’t like the initially chosen design. However there are systems which do not provide such an option. Check that, when exploring the platform to go for.
- Customize Website Design. As soon as you are done with your template choice, you may proceed to its customization. Access the system editor to pick and use the tools available in stock.
- Upload Content. Having created your website layout, you can start uploading the content. This includes articles, images, videos, media files, social network buttons, widgets, third-party extensions etc. Make sure to add contact info (if required) and set up SEO parameters for more effective website optimization.
- Select the Subscription. The final step of your website creation process is picking the plan you would like to upgrade to. The choice should depend upon multiple parameters, including the type of project you run, the result you intend to avail, the services/tools you would like to use, the cost etc. Special attention should be given to hosting options provided as this has an impact upon your website availability on the web. Take your time to check out the terms each plan implies as Wix has separate subscriptions for standard and business/eCommerce websites.
- Pick the Domain Name. To be easily accessible online, your website should have a memorable and simple domain name. It is recommended to make it associated with your business or the niche you specialize in. This is the surefire way to make your website stand out from the crowd.
- Go Live. Finally, you are ready to go live with your website. The process of its publication takes a few minutes only. Just activate the corresponding button and publish the ready-made project – that’s it!
How to Create and Host a Website with a CMS?
Starting and hosting a website with a CMS is a more challenging task as compared to launching it with a website builder. The process implies deeper web design/coding proficiency and more time to successfully customize the project. If you feel that you are ready to face the challenge and wish to pick a CMS as your best web design tool, here is the list of guidelines to follow:
- Pick a Hosting Provider. The very first step you should start with is picking the right hosting provider – the one that will comply with your website hosting/security needs as well as special budget preferences. What you have to do is to check the reputability of the platform, the subscriptions and terms they include.
- Select the Domain Name. Just like hosting, the choice of domain name also matters a lot for your website creation and its further promotion. Again, make sure all the domain requirements/rules are taken into account and comply with your project parameters. By the way, most hosting providers have free domain name offers when you subscribe to their plans. Bluehost, for example, offers a free bonus domain name during the first year of subscription.
- Install the CMS. As soon as you are done with your hosting and domain name choice, you can proceed to CMS installation. This is generally done with a few clicks only and this does not take much time/effort or any coding proficiency, even if you are just a beginner.
- Select and Install the Plugins. Whatever CMS you use, it will come with its own integrated collection of plugins and extensions, but these are frequently not enough to cover the entire versatility of your web design customization needs. To get the most out of design customization options, you can look for third-party plugins and add-ons available out there. They are free and paid, with the latter being more secure.
- Design a Website. Having installed website plugins, you can proceed to its development and customization. Pick a suitable theme (either free or paid), select the tools and features to give your project high end design. Just like plugins, templates are also frequently available in stock as well as on the web.
- Add Content. The next step of your website development process implies content upload. The type and volume of content also depends upon the goals you set and result you wish to obtain in the long run. What you can upload to your website is articles, media files (animations, graphics, images, videos etc.), social network account buttons and other elements that effectively contribute to your website popularity and its further promotion.
- Set Up SEO Parameters. The final step before your website publication is the adjustment of your website SEO parameters. This can be done in the corresponding section of the CMS dashboard, but you can also install one of the available SEO plugins to boost your project promotion.
- Publish the Project. Congratulations! Now you are ready to publish your new website created with a CMS! Just click the corresponding “Publish” button and go live to enjoy the result.
How to Build and Host a Website with a Hosting Service?
Having a hosting and a website builder in one place is definitely an advantage. This is a nice opportunity to launch a web project and to host it with the same platform, picking one of the suggested packages. Many contemporary hosts provide such an option, powering a website builder to let users start all types of web projects. If you are interested in using this solution, the lost of steps will be mostly as follows:
- Select a Hosting Provider. There are multiple trusted hosts out there nowadays, but don’t limit your choice to the very first platform you come across. Browse the available options, explore the features/services/packages they offer and then select a credible host to comply with your web design needs and project requirements.
- Pick a Hosting Plan. Hosts generally provide several types of hosting packages to comply with various user needs and project specifications. Take your time to explore the available options and to pick a hosting plan you will be satisfied with.
- Get a Domain Name. Actually, you can buy a domain name from any registrar available out there, but it still makes sense to get the one from the selected host. The thing is that most hosting providers offer packages that already include domains. What’s more, they frequently provide special offers and discounts to their subscribers. The domain may even be free for users, who register with the service for the first time. Just make sure it complies with your current requirements and project parameters.
- Use a Website Builder. If a host comes with an integrated website builder, sign up for one of the plans it offers, having preliminary studied its terms. As soon as you are ready, proceed to your project creation. Pick a suitable template from the system collection. Use the tools and integrations available in stock along with design customization options to create and personalize a website of your own.
- Adjust SEO Settings. To increase the chances of your project to rank high in the search engine results, make sure to adjust SEO settings as required and check the edits you have made.
- Publish a Website. Are you done with your website creation and customization? Then publish it and check the way it functions online. That’s it.
Which Platform is The Best to Create and Host Your Own Website?
When you just start thinking about website development and hosting, you may not even imagine the entire range of problems you may face during the process. One of the main challenges you will encounter is the choice of the best platform to work with. Web design systems differ with regard to their features, parameters, niche specialization, versatility of settings and design customization options. They also provide diverse hosting options and imply different rates of coding awareness.
Thus, it is possible to divide the platforms into two types with regard to user proficiency level and system complexity. If you are a beginner with little or no coding knowledge, then using website builders will be the optimal solution. Web design pros, in their turn, may choose from two types of systems to get started with their projects – either CMS or hosting providers.
Website builders like Wix, uKit, Squarespace, and SITE123 are certainly an easier path to create a site from scratch and host it. They prevent you from wasting hours on looking for a trusted hosting provider. You do not need to spend extra money on a domain name although you might want to use TLD in future for a better website representation. Users can choose from various characteristics as well as bandwidth and storage space depending on their website needs. They do not need to handle hosting maintenance and support.
Along with the all-in-one website builders listed above, it is possible to go for specialized platforms like shopify. This is the top rated eCommerce software, which is used exclusively for web store development, customization and promotion. It lets you set up all types of online stores, irrespective of their size, complexity, integrated functionality and niche focus. Likewise, there are professional website builders like Webflow, which target experienced web designers and require certain coding knowledge and background. Thus, website builders appear to be an all-in-one solution to go live with just a click of a button.
Content Management Systems, in their turn, are more complicated and imply the awareness of programming knowledge as well as the need to work on your website maintenance afterwards. These systems usually come with extensive integration options, which also requires coding and web design proficiency. Unlike website builders, CMS don’t offer integrated hosting. Thus, you have to search and pick a trusted provider on your own, which is, obviously, extra time/effort/budget investment.
Hosting providers like Bluehost and HostGator make it possible to host all types of web projects, no matter what software you have used to create them. At the same time, they come with integrated website builders, which notably simplifies the entire process of website creation for beginners. What you need is just to sign up for one of these platforms, use a website builder to launch a website and then host it with the system. Mind, however, that the process still implies at least minor web design background to be able to effectively work with these systems.
So, which platform is the best to create and host your own website? If you have the experience of code editing and working with complex web projects, then CMS and hosting providers might be a nice option to try. However, if your coding skills are not on the top level and you are not sure that you will cope with all the hassle of working with hosts and CMS, then website builders prove to be a more reasonable and convenient solution. Take your time to make the right choice.
