The 10 best website creation software [2025 comparison].

Choosing the right software to create your website is no easy task. Given the business stakes involved, as well as the time and energy that such an operation requires, it's best to opt for the right tool from the outset. But with so many CMS (content management systems) available on the market, how can you be sure you're making the right choice?

Blog, e-commerce, showcase site, portfolio... there are solutions to suit all kinds of needs, all levels of IT skills... and all budgets!

To help you decide, take a look at our comparison of the best website creation software.

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Comparison table of the best website creation software

What are the selection criteria?

There is a plethora of website creation software, also known as CMS (content management system), on the market. Our selection has therefore been based on a number of criteria, including the features we feel are essential:

• ease of use and configuration
• flexibility and customisation of the tool
• functional richness,
• SEO tools,
• ability to add extensions,
• hosting and domain name, etc.

However, it would be difficult to draw up a complete list of the essential features, as their degree of importance depends so much on your needs. A company looking for a blogging tool will not have the same requirements as another looking to create a showcase site.

Some companies will prefer a high degree of customisation, while others will prefer simple software, with the aim of setting up a small website quickly.

That's why we've concentrated on presenting a wide range of website editors, which meet different objectives and correspond to different company sizes. But all of them promise their share of advantages.

It's up to you to find yours!

WordPress

The promise of the software

We couldn't make this comparison without talking about WordPress, the undisputed champion of CMSs. And we're not weighing our words, since the market leader powers around 30% of the world's websites!

Choosing this software means choosing a safe bet, with solid expertise, a wealth of functions and a large community.

Open source, WordPress is flexible enough to respond to any type of project, even if it remains very blogging-oriented, its core business.

☝️ Note: if you opt for this solution, you will also need to use a web host and create a domain name.

The advantages of WordPress

• Free version. WordPress already has a very comprehensive free package: you benefit from a large number of features to create a perfectly professional-looking website.
  
  
• Numerous plugins and extensions. To complete the free offer, there are numerous plugins and extensions offering various services (more than 56,000 in the WordPress directory). These can, for example, improve your SEO, site security and the fight against spam, manage your social networks, etc.
  
  
• Open source. Thanks to open source, WordPress is very flexible and malleable. So you have control over it to align it with your needs and how they evolve... even if that means getting your hands a bit dirty with the code.
  
  
• Community and resources. Thanks to its popularity, the software benefits from a large community that provides users with tutorials, forums, videos, etc. to help them learn how to make the most of the tool.
  
  
• Themes. WordPress has a substantial catalogue of themes, both free and paid. And thanks to the community of developers, new templates are created regularly. So you can create a polished website that reflects your personality... even if you have no design skills.
  
  
• SEO. WordPress is developed in such a way as to take account of SEO constraints: generation of tags, responsive design, page loading times, etc. And of course, there are numerous plugins available to further optimise your natural referencing.

Our opinion of WordPress

WordPress remains a key player in the CMS category. Thanks to open source and all the extensions available, the possibilities for creating a site perfectly suited to your brand image are endless.

But this high degree of customisation does have a few limitations. The tool is not the easiest to get to grips with if you want to make the most of its potential. As a result, novice users may find themselves a little "drowned out" by all the possibilities and features.

WordPress

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Powers 28% of the internet

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PrestaShop

The promise of the software

Over the years, France's PrestaShop has become another giant in the world of CMS. It has become one of the most widely used software packages in the world in its category. But unlike WordPress, it targets e-commerce.

It supports professionals in the creation and development of their online shop, by managing :

• product catalogue
• sales
• orders
• delivery
• stocks, etc.

Developed in open source, PrestaShop requires some computer skills, although it is still very accessible to beginners.

Advantages of PrestaShop

• Free version. The basic version of PrestaShop is free, and provides an excellent basis for getting started with the tool.
  
  
• Rich functionality. PrestaShop offers a wide range of comprehensive native functions:
  • catalogue management
  • several payment methods
  • stock management
  • Google Maps integration,
  • SEO optimisation
  • marketing automation,
  • multi-store, etc.
    
    
• Flexibility. Like many CMSs, the software offers additional modules to enhance the basic version. So you build your tool with the features you really need.
  
  
• User communities. Like WordPress, its community is one of its main assets (over 1 million people). As a result, you have access to a wealth of resources, and benefit from a solution whose features are constantly being enhanced by contributors.
  
  
• International trade. If you trade internationally, PrestaShop will be able to support you, as it manages different languages and currencies.
  
  
• Security. PrestaShop has a high level of payment security, using tools such as PayPal and SSL protocol.
  
  
• SEO. The solution has been developed to meet SEO requirements and maximise your chances of being visible on the web (sitemap, meta tags, etc.).

Our opinion of PrestaShop

If you don't want a turnkey solution for your e-commerce and prefer to focus on functional richness and scalability, PrestaShop is for you. And even though it's open source, the solution is still very accessible and easy to use, thanks to its user-friendly back office.

What's more, even with pay-as-you-go options, the prices are pretty attractive for small businesses.

Finally, the help of the community is a real asset... because, on the other hand, you can't really count on the publisher's support in the event of a problem.

Prestashop

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Boost Your E-Commerce Success with Prestashop

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Shopify

The promise of the software

Along with PrestaShop, Shopify is the other market leader in the creation of e-commerce sites (with over 500,000 sites created). But unlike its competitor, it operates in SaaS mode.

Easy to use, with a wealth of features and upgrades, Shopify is perfectly suited to all types of online business.

The advantages of Shopify

• Turnkey. If you don't want to bother with open source, Shopify is the right option. It's easy to create and configure your merchant site using the themes on offer... without worrying about hosting!
  
  
• Customisation. Want to go one step further? You can customise your site and your HTML and CSS files, and you can also enhance your solution with additional applications available in the Shopify App Store.
  
  
• Rich functionality. With Shopify, you don't just need to manage orders and stock for your online shop. Take advantage of a wide range of features to boost your sales:
  • SEO features,
  • marketing features
  • CRM features, etc.
    
    
• Support. If you run into a problem, you can call on the support team to help you out (forum, chat, email). The publisher also offers free online courses (Shopify Academy) to help you make progress with the tool.
  
  
• Reports and analysis. The software includes analysis tools and dashboards. So you can measure your performance and adopt the best sales strategy.
  
  
• Payment options. Shopify is renowned for its payment options. It connects to numerous payment gateways (over 30 for the French market)... and customers can even pay in bitcoins! What's more, international transactions are easy.

Our opinion of Shopify

Shopify is a powerful website creation software package that's also easy to use. With this platform, it's easy to build and manage your online shop, and compared to PrestaShop, you don't even have to worry about hosting!

However, there is a downside that sometimes puts off professionals: in addition to the subscription fees, the publisher applies transaction fees every time you make a sale, which can amount to up to 2% of the amount. So it's more affordable than PrestaShop, but don't forget that you'll have to put more money in your wallet.

Shopify

+200 reviews

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Top E-commerce Solution with Built-in Marketing Tools

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Jimdo

The promise of the software

Jimdo's promise? To guarantee maximum ease of use.

That's why this software is a great ally for self-employed entrepreneurs and small businesses who are thinking about going digital, but don't always have the necessary skills. More and more of them are using it in France.

Jimdo lets you create different types of website, using templates in 4 categories:

• company websites
• blogs
• online shops
• portfolio.

Finally, there is a free version (which is very limited and does not allow you to have a personalised domain name) and various paying offers.

The advantages of Jimdo

• Ease of use. Jimdo is really banking on this advantage. It uses a turnkey, drag-and-drop system. In terms of functionality, it goes straight to the essentials.
  
  
• Design. The templates on offer are very convincing, with a clean, professional design. It should be noted, however, that the editor offers less choice than some competitors such as Wix.
  
  
• Essential features. Although there is no catalogue of extensions, Jimdo has nevertheless developed all the essential functions, which are more or less available depending on the package:
  • 0 advertising,
  • marketing,
  • SEO optimisation
  • RGPD compliance, etc.
    
    
• Multilingual. You can create your site in French, English and Spanish.

Our opinion of Jimdo

Jimdo is all about simplicity, the turnkey model for creating a website in just a few minutes...

... with all that that implies. Some professionals don't think it's very complete, especially when it comes to templates and applications.

But if we take the example of a self-employed entrepreneur who just wants to create a simple informative site, do they have the desire and the time to browse through hundreds of templates to find the right one? For this type of profile, Jimdo will do the trick.

Jimdo

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Innovative Website Builder for Effortless Online Presence

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Joomla!

The promise of the software

Many experts consider Joomla! to be the main competitor to WordPress. That's why the two tools are regularly compared on the web.

Like WordPress, Joomla! is a free, open source CMS. As a result, Joomla! allows a high degree of customisation, making it suitable for all types of site, from blogs to online shops and business presentation sites.

☝️ Please note : you will need to purchase a domain name from a hosting provider.

The advantages of Joomla!

• Open source. Thanks to its open source nature, Joomla! supports the creation of perfectly customised sites. Although this does mean, for once, that you have to get into the code.
  
  
• Ease of use. The software has an intuitive interface that's easy to get to grips with, even if you're unfamiliar with this type of tool.
  
  
• Security. It is undoubtedly on the question of security that Joomla! surpasses WordPress, with hackers targeting the latter more. The software is therefore renowned for its security, and regular updates are carried out to ensure this.
  
  
• Tools and extensions. Because it's open source, many developers are pitching in to create extensions and additional tools, both paid and free.
  
  
• Media management. Compared with some of its competitors, Joomla! manages media and files more effectively, using a system of directories and sub-directories.

Our opinion of Joomla!

Joomla! performs really well for free software, even if that free status means you have to buy a domain name. And because of its open source development and the nature of its functionalities, it is the main alternative to WordPress... if not superior to it in terms of security.

But if you want to take full advantage of the tool, it's best to have some knowledge of computers and code.

Joomla!

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The CMS for all professional websites

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Magento

The promise of the software

Magento is a software package for creating e-commerce sites, and is steadily gaining market share in its sector, with over 150,000 sites to its credit.

Available as open source, it requires a mastery of IT, even if the coding used is fairly simple and accessible. So it's flexible enough to meet the needs of all kinds of businesses.

The advantages of Magento

• Extensibility. This is one of Magento's main strengths: with this software, e-tailers can effectively manage a very large number of products in their catalogue, as well as rapid and strong increases in traffic and sales.
  
  
• Customisation. Magento allows a high degree of customisation and configuration. Numerous modules are available to complete the tool, both in terms of design and back office.
  
  
• Rich functionality. While the software is very powerful in terms of order management, it also offers powerful marketing tools (promotions, discount vouchers, private sales, etc.) and an SEO dashboard to increase your visibility on the web.
  
  
• International. Do you want to sell internationally? The software facilitates multi-boutique and multi-language sales, and takes different currencies into account.
  
  
• Analysis. Access real-time reports to monitor your statistics (visitor flow, for example) and better manage your sales activities.

Our opinion of Magento

Magento is the e-commerce software of choice if you have a large number of products in your catalogue.

What's more, thanks to open source, constant improvements are being made to offer you ever more possibilities and flexibility (although, as a reminder, some computer skills are required).

On the other hand, Magento doesn't have the easiest back office to get to grips with, and requires power on the hosting side.

Adobe Commerce

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ERP Software for e-commerce

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Site123

The promise of the software

Once again, this is a software package that focuses on ease of use. Its aim? To avoid suffocating the user with too many functions.

This simplicity is also reflected in the different packages on offer:

• either it's free, with limited features, storage, bandwidth and domain name;
• or you pay, with a single, more comprehensive package at just $12.80 a month.

The advantages of Site123

• Templates. There are fewer templates than some of our competitors (around thirty), but they can be fully customised: colour, font, menu shape, etc. What's more, you can spot the one that's right for you at a glance, as they are classified by category: restaurant, hair salon, etc.
  
  
• Real-time view. With Site123, you can check the results of any changes you make in real time, without having to save them. This simplifies the construction of your site.
  
  
• SEO. The software includes essential features for optimising your natural referencing:
  • keyword tags,
  • tag configuration,
  • URL customisation,
  • sitemap generation,
  • optimal loading time,
  • responsive design, etc.
    
    
• Support. Site123 customer support is responsive and available. You can chat live with advisers if you need help.

Our opinion of Site123

Site123 is a good little piece of software if you want to create a site quickly and easily: no technical know-how required, limited choice of templates and simple, understandable pricing.

But ease of use often goes hand in hand with a lack of more advanced features. For example, if you want to integrate your live social network feeds, you'll be limited. We therefore advise large companies not to choose this software.

SITE123

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Effortless Website Creation for Everyone

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SiteW

The promise of the software

French software SiteW makes it easy for professionals to create a website, whether it's an e-commerce site or a showcase site. It works on the principle of packages.

Each one targets a specific need and comes with the features required for each of them:

• for blogs and personal websites,
• for professionals and associations
• for small online shops
• for larger e-commerce sites.

SiteW also offers a free version, but this is limited to 5 pages and 500 MB of storage, and does not allow you to have your own domain name.

Advantages of SiteW

• Support. SiteW is made in France. As a result, you get support in French (which isn't that common), and what's more, it's top quality! What's more, you'll find guides and FAQs to help you use the solution.
  
  
• No advertising on the site. Most software offers this option... as long as you subscribe to a paid version! With SiteW, 0 advertising is guaranteed, even with freemium.
  
  
• Ease of use. Building your website is very intuitive, with a drag-and-drop system, and doesn't require any particular technical skills.
  
  
• Formula system. Its well thought-out formula system targets specific needs. In this way, users can get straight to the point when creating their site, without having to sort out which features are useful and which are not.
  
  
• Value for money. These different packages are available at fairly attractive rates. What's more, your domain name is always included (and not just for the first year, as is the case with most competitors).

Our opinion of SiteW

At first glance, SiteW may seem a little limited compared with other players, particularly when it comes to the number of templates.

But in the end, the solution's appeal lies in its ease of use and its system of formulas, which intelligently address the needs of different categories of user, making it easier to get to grips with the tool... all for good value for money.

SiteW.com

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Easiest Website Builder for SMEs and Personal Projects

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Weebly

The promise of the software

Weebly makes it easy to create your own website, based on the principle of customisable templates.

With a range of offerings targeting groups and organisations as well as small businesses and shops, and with an application shop to complement the tool, Weebly is aimed at a fairly wide range of users.

On the other hand, compared with WordPress, the blogging features are somewhat limited.

Advantages of Weebly

• Fairly comprehensive free version. Of course, when you say free, you mean reduced functionality. But the free version of Weebly is already quite comprehensive enough to get you started with the software:
  • contact forms,
  • free SSL security
  • no page limits, etc.
    
    
• Themes. The themes on offer stand out for their elegance and modernity. So you can stand out from the crowd with the design of your site! Another strong point: you can modify your template or even change it along the way, which is not the case with all editors. You can also import your own themes. And it's all responsive.
  
  
• Apps. With the Weebly App Center, complete your software with over 300 additional applications (SEO, social media, marketing, communication, etc.).
  
  
• Customisable. Add your own HTML and CSS files, for example, to customise your website.
  
  
• Collaboration. Weebly encourages collaboration: open up access to your site to "editors" so that several people can work on it together.

Our opinion of Weebly

Weebly is a comprehensive software package if you want to create a website easily. But it's also perfect for growing your business, since you can add code or enhance the solution with additional applications.

You will, however, be limited when it comes to blogging.

Another point to note is that Weebly is now owned by Square, a company specialising in online payments. This means that the software is increasingly focusing on e-commerce.

Weebly

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Effortless Website Building with Drag-and-Drop Tools

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Wix

The promise of the software

Wix, a website creation software available in SaaS mode, is beginning to gain in popularity against the behemoth WordPress.

It enables small businesses to create different types of websites. However, it is not as powerful for e-commerce and blogging as some of its competitors.

The software offers a free version. The paid version offers additional features:

• personalised domain name
• more storage space, etc.

The advantages of Wix

• Easy to use. Wix is ideal for beginners. It's very easy to create websites, and artificial intelligence helps you do it.
  
  
• Themes. The software provides a large number of themes free of charge (over 500), coded in HTML5, with clean, responsive designs. Customise them in just a few clicks using a highly functional drag and drop tool.
  
  
• Design. Enhance the look of your website with advanced design features:
  • zooms
  • parallax effects
  • fade-in and fade-out effects
  • video backgrounds, etc.
    
    
• Extensions. The Wix App Market gives you access to a wide range of extensions, both free and paid, to support your changing needs (improving your SEO, adding a shopping basket, etc.). These applications are developed by the publisher or by independent developers.

Our opinion of Wix

Wix stands up well to WordPress, and places great emphasis on ease of use, since it takes just 30 minutes to create your website.

It also offers a wide range of functions, thanks in particular to its catalogue of extensions, and promises a professional, eye-catching design.

On the downside, while there's a wide choice of templates, you can't change them later without having to start all over again. So you need to make the right choice from the outset!

Wix

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Complete website builder

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How do you choose your website creation software?

As you will have realised, there are many CMS on the market, and finding the perfect tool means thinking upstream about what you want to do with it.

However, there are 3 main categories :

• blogging-oriented software
• software for creating corporate or showcase sites,
• software for e-commerce.

In other words, even if WordPress allows you to sell online thanks to its extensions, it's wiser to turn to PrestaShop for these purposes.

Another question to ask yourself is that of hosting. Should you opt for SaaS or open source?

The second option often seems more attractive at first glance... and cheaper. But while open source guarantees a greater degree of customisation, you will have realised that it requires you to delve deeper into the technical aspects. Do you have the time and the necessary skills? As for the 'free' advantage, that's without taking into account the costs associated with hosting, maintenance, various extensions, etc.

SaaS, on the other hand, is all about practicality and turnkey solutions. This option is more suited to businesses that don't have the knowledge and/or bandwidth to get their hands into the code. On the other hand, these solutions are sometimes more limited when it comes to customisation, although additional modules make up for this problem.

💡 Armed with all this advice, it's up to you to choose your website creation software. And don't hesitate to give us your feedback in the comments!