Website builder

Website builders are tools that allow the construction of websites without manual code editing. They fall into two categories:

online proprietary tools provided by web hosting companies. These are typically intended for users to build their private site. Some companies allow the site owner to install alternative tools (commercial or open source) - the more complex of these may also be described as Content Management Systems;
software which runs on a computer, creating pages offline and which can then publish these pages on any host. (These are often considered to be "website design software" rather than "website builders".)

History

The first websites were created in the early 1990s.^[1] These sites were manually written in HTML.

Over time, software was created to help design web pages and by 1998 Dreamweaver had been established as the industry leader; however, some have criticized the quality of the code produced by such software as being overblown and reliant on tables. As the industry moved towards W3C standards, Dreamweaver and others were criticized for not being compliant.^[2] Compliance has improved over time, but many professionals still prefer to write optimized markup by hand.

Open source tools were typically developed to the standards, and made fewer exceptions for the then dominant Internet Explorer's deviations from the standards. The W3C started Amaya in 1996 to showcase Web technologies in a fully featured Web client. This was to provide a framework that integrated lots of W3C technologies in a single, consistent environment. Amaya started as an HTML and CSS editor and now supports XML, XHTML, MathML, and SVG.^[3]

Geocities was one of the first more modern website builders that didn't require any technical skills. Five years after its launch in 1994 Yahoo! purchased it for $3.6 billion. After becoming technically outdated it was shut down for good in April 2009.^[4] Since then the market for do-it-yourself website building tools has evolved with companies like Weebly, Wix.com and Webs.com. Together, these three companies host more than 100 million websites.^[5]

Online vs. offline

Online website builders typically require customers to sign up with the web hosting company. Some companies provide examples of fully functional websites made with their website builder. The range of services varies anywhere between creating basic personal web pages or social network content to making complete business and e-commerce websites, either template based or, on the more flexible platforms, totally design free.^[6]^[7]

The main advantage of an online website builder is that it is quick and easy to use, and often does not require prior experience.^[8] Often, a website can be built and be up and running live on the Internet quickly. Technical support is usually provided, as are how-to video and help files. Though there are many general websites builders you can easily find an online website builder created especially for a specific niche (dating, medical etc.) with features needed for this niche.^[9]

Sites are generally created using either HTML or Adobe Flash. Flash is a proprietary format which became a de facto standard format, once supported by all major browsers. However it has a diminishing popularity, since having been superseded by web standards (HTML5) and is no longer supported by major mobile operating systems iOS (Apple) and Android (Google). Flash is more resource intensive than HTML.

HTML tools are divided into those that allow editing of the source code and those that only have a WYSIWYG mode.

Offline web builders cater to professional web designers who need to create pages for more than one client or web host. Modern offline web builders are usually both WYSIWYG and allow direct editing of source code and cascading style sheets (CSS) styling. They generally require at least a basic understanding of HTML and CSS. However, though they are more flexible than online builders, they are often expensive. However, some open source website builders may be downloaded free of charge or by "freemium" license model.

List of notable online website builders

Example for offline website builder software

Website builder comparison

	Webflow	Silex	Webydo	Wix.com	Yola	Jimdo	uCoz	Edicy	IM Creator	Moonfruit	Weebly	Doomby	Webnode	Webs	Wordpress.com
Platform	HTML 5	HTML 5	HTML 5	HTML 5	HTML 5	HTML	HTML	HTML	HTML	HTML 5	HTML 5	HTML	HTML	HTML	HTML	HTML
Disk space	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	20GB	1Gb	400Mb	500Mb	10GB	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	250Mb	100Mb	40Mb	Unlimited
Max upload file size	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Limited	15MB	15Mb	15Mb	5Mb	50Mb	20Mb	20Mb	5Mb	15Mb	8Mb	40Mb	50 MB
Custom domains	Non-free	Yes	Yes	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free	Yes	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free
Reseller platform	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Number of templates	100+	450+	25+	900+	450+	100	258	77	49+	94	13+	100	100+	16 X	300+	200
User management	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Backups	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Non-free	No	No
Bandwidth	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	5Gb	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb	100Mb	Unlimited
Template builder	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Non-free
Template editor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Non-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes	Partial
Password protection	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	1 page	Yes	No	Yes	Non-free	Non-free	Yes	Yes	Yes
Blog	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	widget	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Forum	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	widget	Yes	No	widget	widget	Yes	widget	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Email forms	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Photo albums	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial
Comments	No	Yes	widget	No	Yes	Disqus	Yes	Yes	Yes	Disqus	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Site news	No	Yes	widget	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
FTP	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Non-free	No
File catalog	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Partial
Article catalog	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Partial	Yes	No	Yes
Site catalog	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Statistic	Yes	Yes	widget	Partial	Yes	Partial	Yes	Non-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Non-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Polls	No	Yes	widget	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	widget	Yes	widget	Yes	Yes	No	widget
Online games	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Tests	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
FAQ	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Chat	widget	widget	widget	No	Yes	widget	Yes	No	No	widget	Yes	No	Non-free	No	No	No
Guestbook	No	Yes	widget	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
E-shop	External service provider	Yes	widget	5 items limit	Yes	Partial	Non-free	5 items limit	External service provider	Widget	Yes	Yes	5 items limit	Non-free	5 items limit	Non-free
Site search	External service provider	Yes	Google	No	Google	Google	Yes	No	Yes	Google	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Google
Portfolio	Yes	Yes	Partial	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Widgets	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Force Ad : Front End	No	No	No	Partial	No	Partial	Partial	No	Partial	No	No	Partial	No	Banners	No
User Ad	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Non-free
Number of pages	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	3	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	8	40
Websites per account	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	5	Unlimited	5	Unlimited	1	Unlimited	Unlimited	1	2	Unlimited	Unlimited	1	Unlimited
OpenID	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	uID	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Unlimited
Meta tags	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Non-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Partial
Custom logo	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Non-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RSS	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Partial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RSS import	widget	Yes	widget	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	widget	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Email	No	Yes	No	Yes	Non-free	Non-free	No	Non-free	No	Non-free	No	No	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free	Non-free
Cost	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free
Support	Yes	Yes	Community	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Non-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Non-free	Yes
Mobile Site	Yes	Yes	widget	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gadgets	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Site map	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
PHP	No	Yes	node.js	No	No	No	Non-free	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Newsletter	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Non-free	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Parallax Scrolling Animation	No	Yes	widget	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes

References

↑ Mark Lawson (August 9, 2005). "Berners-Lee on the read/write web". BBC News.
↑ "The History of Website Development". Website Builders World. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
↑ "Amaya Home Page". World Wide Web Consortium. December 9, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
↑ "Yahoo! buys GeoCities". CNN.com. January 28, 1999. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
↑ "Website Builder Market Report 2014". WebsiteToolTester.com. September 17, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
↑ "How to Build a Website With Wordpress, Wix, or Shopify". Retrieved July 4, 2014.
↑ "Website Building Software". Website Tutorial. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
↑ "5 Awesome Free Builders Platforms". About.com. September 30, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
↑ "Website Builders List". WebBuildersGuide.com. April 22, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2015.

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