Website Builder Pricing in 2026: 11 Builders Compared

How website builder pricing works

Most builders charge a monthly or annual subscription, often cheaper if you pay yearly. On top of that, watch for ecommerce transaction fees, paid apps or plugins, and domain renewal prices that jump after a free first year. Self-hosted options like WordPress flip the model: the software is free, but you pay for hosting and maintenance.

2026 pricing at a glance

Starting prices below are billed annually and were verified in September 2026 on each provider's pricing page. Plans change; the section after the table lists what moved this year.

What changed in 2026

Prices moved more than usual this year, which is why a pricing page needs a date on it:

• Squarespace raised its Basic plan from $16 to $19 a month (billed annually) in August 2026, a 19% increase. Core is now $29. Every plan can sell, but Basic keeps a 2% transaction fee that only Core removes.
• Webflow reshuffled in May 2026: the old CMS and Business plans became one Premium plan at $25 a month billed yearly ($39 month to month), and Basic stayed at $15 yearly ($25 monthly).
• Hostinger folded its Horizons AI builder into Hostinger AI Builder in August 2026. The separate Horizons plans are gone; AI credits now come with a hosting plan that starts at $2.99 a month introductory and renews at about $11.99.
• Durable added a free plan on a durable.site subdomain; its paid Launch plan is $22 a month billed annually ($25 monthly).
• Framer cut editor seats to $20 a month on all plans in May 2026 (from $40 on Pro and Scale), which matters for teams more than for a solo site.
• Looops pricing did not change: Personal $12 a month billed yearly ($15 monthly), Pro $20 billed yearly ($25 monthly). No usage overage billing on any plan.

Introductory price versus renewal price

The biggest pricing surprise in this category is not the sticker but the second year. Two of the cheapest-looking builders sell a first-year rate that rises sharply at renewal, and most comparison tables quote the first-year number.

GoDaddy's website builder starts around $9.99 a month, and its renewal rate is not published; third-party trackers report roughly $17 to $23 (our GoDaddy alternatives guide compares it with builders that do not jump). Hostinger AI Builder starts at $2.99 a month and renews at about $11.99 (Premium), $18.99 (Unlimited) or $27.99 (Cloud Startup). Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Framer, Durable and Looops charge the same price at renewal that they charged on day one, though several bill more if you pay monthly: Webflow Basic is $15 yearly but $25 monthly, Durable Launch $22 yearly but $25 monthly, Looops Personal $12 yearly but $15 monthly.

The honest way to compare is the year-two price, billed the way you will actually pay. On that basis the field clusters between $12 and $19 a month for a full builder with a custom domain and no platform ads. See our best free website builders guide for what the $0 tiers really include.

Hidden costs to watch

Transaction fees: some platforms add a cut of each sale on lower ecommerce tiers, on top of standard payment processing (commonly around 2.9% + $0.30). Apps and plugins: a builder can look cheap until you add paid extensions. Domain renewals: a free first-year domain often renews at $15-25/year. Maintenance: self-hosted WordPress adds hosting, and your time for updates, plugins, and security.

Cheapest options by use-case

For a simple one-page or link-in-bio site, Carrd ($9-49/year) is the most affordable. For a full multi-page site, Looops Personal is $12/mo, Webflow Basic is $15/mo and Squarespace Basic $19/mo; Hostinger is cheaper in year one only. Restaurants and portfolios have their own price ladders: see the best website builders for restaurants and the best portfolio website builders. WordPress.com starts lower but adds up as you need plugins and AI; self-hosted WordPress is free software but you pay in hosting and time.

Don't forget what you own

Price isn't the whole picture. With most hosted builders you're renting, leave, and you rebuild from scratch. With self-hosted WordPress, Lovable, or Looops (which lets you download your whole site), you can own and move it. That portability is worth factoring into the true cost.