RapidWeaver is the best web design software for Mac. It's free to get started with and it's great for begineers and advanced users.

Best free website builder

Read on for our detailed analysis of each service

Creating a website used to be the domain (geddit?) of professional designers and coders, but thanks to free website builder applications, these days it's something anyone can tackle.

The problem is that there are so many website creation applications and services vying for attention that it can be difficult to know which one to opt for – this is where we can help.

We've collated the very best free website builders available, including a mixture of offline software and online tools.

It's usually quicker, easier and more efficient to create and edit a site entirely online with a WYSIWYG editor, but if you want complete control over every aspect of your site's design and web hosting, you'll need a desktop-based free website builder.

So whether you're looking to create a site for your business, a new blog, or you just fancy creating an online presence for yourself, here are the best free website builder services to help you out.

• If you want website builders with more oomph and features, check out our best website builder shortlist which includes paid-for services.

1. Wix

A truly powerful website builder which is highly polished

Wix is a big-name website builder which offers a free plan, enabling you to have the run of this service without having to put your hand in your pocket. And you benefit from one of the most impressive website editors in the business.

This editor can be run in ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) mode, which has a very basic interface to keep everything really simple and user-friendly. This is great for beginners, as you can create a basic site without even remotely breaking a sweat (a range of attractive templates are provided, as well).

Those who want to get more involved with tweaking the design of their website can step up to the full Wix editor, which boasts powerful functionality, and the ability to really hone your website and get it looking just as you want. Visual previews of page elements make it easy to pick what you need for any particular part of a web page, too.

Wix is so polished that putting together your site using the editor feels more like using a native application rather than a website builder, and it also sports excellent support for a diverse range of media, and quality customer support as well, even on the free plan. In addition, Wix Turbo was recently released which improves the performance and speed of all Wix websites.

Powerful blogging functionality rounds things off nicely, and you’re getting a truly high quality offering with the free version of this website builder.

2. Constant Contact

Constant Contact provides an intelligent website builder and ecommerce store platform, both of which are free to use.

Setting up a website is easy using drag-and-drop functionality, allowing you to set up a design simply and easily, and insert the features you need.

Settings are automatically optimized for mobile platforms and SEO, and there is a free image library with over 50,000 images included as part of the package.

The ecommerce platform allows for online payments through Paypal, Mollie, or Stripe. There are order and inventory features that automatically updates inventory with orders, and sends an email alert when items become out-of-stock.

While the basic level website is free, there are paid plans which add more features. Additionally, there is also a paid email marketing option available to allow you to reach new customers.

Overall, Constant Contact does a good job of setting up the basics. The free plan is a great way to set up your website, and there is a 60-day free trial if you do upgrade.

3. Weebly

Build a website with a user-friendly wizard and a WYSIWYG editor

Weebly offers you two ways to build your website. Both involve creating it online, and both are as quick and painless as possible.

The simplest option is to use the basic editor builder which will guide you through a series of questions before automatically creating a site for you. There is scope for customization, but the focus here is really on fast results for anyone who is terrified of designing websites.

A more hands-on approach is available if you decide to use the standard Editor. There are literally hundreds of stylish templates to choose from – and, yes, they are genuinely impressive – which you can tweak and tailor to your needs using a beautiful WYSIWYG editor.

Despite being a cloud-based website builder, Weebly gives you a great degree of control over the look of your site and placement of page elements. You can also liven it up using additional features such as a newsletter and live chat. This power and flexibility make Weebly a top-notch website builder.

4. WordPress

Ideal for static sites, portfolios, online stores and blogs

Causing a slight degree of confusion, there are actually two different versions of WordPress. The more complex variant can be downloaded from wordpress.org, and you will need to upload it to your own web space and install it using the automated online installer. You can then customize the templates and use add-ons to make the site your own.

This is the route many bloggers go down, but there is a simpler option for people who don’t want the hassle of fiddling about with scripts and getting dirty with hardcore editing.

The hosted version of WordPress lets you create your own site on wordpress.com. You can create everything from a blog or photo site, to a fully fledged online store, and there are a number of templates to choose from. Additionally, Mailchimp users have a benefit of adding a Mailchimp block, which can grow your mailing list among other things.

Whether you're creating a static site, or a blog-style site with regularly updated content, the online editor is a joy to use and allows just about anyone to create an impressive, professional-looking site. The only downside is the limited range of plugins and templates compared with the desktop website builder.

5. Incomedia WebSite X5

A desktop website builder that has a free version.

Incomedia WebSite X5 received an overhaul in April 2019 with new templates, an updated interface, new paid versions and more. The main thing to note is that the service now has a free version for everyone (note that the free version for TechRadar readers is still available to download). There are two paid versions, Evo and Pro, priced at $79.99 and $229 respectively. This is a one time purchase and naturally, both versions come with additional and improved features compared to the free one. There is also a demo version of both paid versions that you can try out.

Unlike WordPress and Wix, WebSite X5 is a desktop website builder, which means you can work on your site offline and have more freedom to make your website look exactly the way you want.

There's a range of ready-made templates to choose from, or you can create your own design from scratch. Next, build up your site map, showing the hierarchy of your pages and how they connect to one another – a feature you won't find in most web-based site builder apps.

Once that's done, you're ready to start building your pages using Website X5's simple drag-and-drop interface, which includes tools for editing both rich text and photos.

If you don't want to be tied down to an online site builder, WebSite X5 is the tool for you.

The Best Web Design Portfolio Psd

6. CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor

Ideal for hand-coding, and packed with timesaving extras

CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor is one of a dying breed of web building programs that don't use a CMS (content management system). While not in the same league as the likes of Adobe Dreamweaver, Free HTML Editor packs quite a professional punch. With split screen code/preview views, it's possible to see the effect the changes you make have straight away.

To help you get started quickly, there are a number of templates built into the program, and there are some very nice features such as tag and code suggestions as you type.

For absolute beginners, the program might seem a little overwhelming to start with, but it's worth sticking with – assuming you have some HTML knowledge. There is one slight issue; a number of features, such as spell-checking and code optimization, are only included in the paid-for version of the program.

7. Joomla

Another free website builder with online and offline versions

Joomla is a well-known name in the CMS world. It may not be as popular as WordPress, but it offers the same two options: build a site using the web app at launch.joomla.org and have it hosted on the company's servers, or download the software from joomla.org and host it yourself.

If you choose the latter option, you'll notice that the interface is much less approachable than WordPress. It's not completely impenetrable, but there are lots of menus and options to work through and it doesn't feel quite as polished as WordPress.

Joomla's online website builder is nearly as complex, but doesn't involve the same setup process, making it a better option for beginners. Its key selling point is a huge collection of themes and extensions, which provide endless ways to customize the way your site looks and works.

What Is The Best Web Design Software

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

It hasn’t been a great year for iWeb users. Apple’s lone Web design app wasn’t updated with the release of iLife ’11, and future versions—much less a successor—are in doubt. Even if iWeb’s prospects are as bad as they seem, there’s more to creating websites on the Mac than just one program. Whether you’re looking for an easy-to-use iWeb replacement or a more sophisticated program with more powerful features for you and your site’s visitors, a host of applications is available for every skill level and budget. Here are some of the highlights and how current iWeb users could find them useful.

The iWeb problem

While iWeb may be unavailable on the Mac App Store, it's still currently sold in boxed editions of the iLife ’11 suite. This summer, the app was updated to version 3.0.4, and will presumably keep working even after Apple ends MobileMe Web hosting on June 30, 2012. After that date, many iWeb users will have to find new hosts for their sites, but iWeb will still export to FTP and Finder folders.

However, many iWeb features, like password protection, blog and photo comments, and blog searches won’t work without MobileMe hosting. While iCloud provides convenient data and photo syncing, it’s not a Web host. It's possible that Apple could bring some MobileMe features to iCloud, but which features, and when they would be added, is an open question. Whether you’re thinking about replacing iWeb now, or are forced to do so later, finding an application that’s right for you depends on your needs.

Professional and prosumer options

If you’re ready to take your skills and sites to the next level, professional Web design software can help. These applications offer sophisticated WYSIWYG features, rich code editing tools, or both, and are aimed at building and maintaining complex sites. Dreamweaver CS5.5 ($400) is the choice of many Web design pros for designing cutting-edge sites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or PHP. It’s suited to building and maintaining complex database-driven sites, but its rich graphical tools (and integration with other Adobe software like Photoshop) let you unleash your inner artist, too. Flux (£70, or roughly $112), sometimes referred to as MacFlux, is an HTML 5 and CSS design app for new and experienced designers who don’t mind guidance like page templates and libraries of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS widgets. Flux can also create Ruby on Rails, Concrete5, or ePub projects, as well as WordPress themes. Freeway Pro ($229) is a strictly WYSIWYG designer that’s user-friendly enough to include templates to get your site started. But it doesn’t skimp on advanced features like support for PSD, TIFF, and EPS files as well as CSS layouts and full CSS text styling.

Template-based consumer apps

For a more iWeb-like experience that lets you build sites with themed templates you can customize with your content, you have several options. These programs offer a wider variety of templates, widgets, and social media features than iWeb ’09 while still remaining easy to use. RapidWeaver ($80) offers more than 40 themes and templates for your site that you can edit in an uncluttered interface. The features and behavior of your site can be extensively customized with Flash photo slideshows, custom favicons, WebClip icons, meta tags, and more. Sandvox ($80) offers over 50 themes and templates and easy access to both your iLife media and browser bookmarks. Its widget-like objects can easily add Facebook 'Like' buttons, your Twitter, Skype, or IM status, and other social interactivity to your site—even a contact form and Facebook, IntenseDebate, or Disqus comment systems. Freeway Express ($69) is a streamlined version of Freeway Pro that retains many of its sibling’s powerful features, like templates, CSS navigation bars, and master pages that let you easily add menus, media, and more across pages when designing a site from scratch. A $50 version, called Freeway Express AS, is available on the Mac App Store.

Freehand consumer programs

Sometimes, even the best-looking templates aren’t enough. If you’d prefer to create pages on a blank canvas, but still want user-friendly design features, there are apps for that, too. Muse (free until early 2012; $180 annual or $15 monthly subscription thereafter) is an Adobe application that works like a simplified mix of InDesign and Photoshop. Users of either application will be at home with its floating palette of tools and quick access to Web-safe colors, fonts, and text-styling options. Its widgets can easily add navigation bars, slideshows, and other interactive features to your site; and these can be extensively customized along with objects you create yourself. Hype ($30) lets you create HTML5 animations, but it can also be used to create an entire site. Animating objects is as easy as giving them different states (such as position or color) on a timeline. The “in-between” frames are created for you, and a recording feature that tracks changes simplifies the process even further. Animations, page transitions, and even JavaScript actions can be triggered when visitors mouse over content, or at other points you define.

Free applications and Web-based services

Each application above is available to try before you buy, but some Web design software comes with no price tag at all. These free cross-platform programs may lack the look and feel of modern Mac apps—and conveniences like iLife media integration—but with them you can create and upload Web pages using a combination of WYSIWYG and code-based tools without breaking your budget. KompoZer, Amaya, and BlueGriffon are three options that are worth a look.

If your budget is zero, you may not even need a dedicated design application, thanks to social media sites. Odds are you’re already using Flickr for photos, YouTube for videos, or Blogger or WordPress to share your writing (and more) with the world. The ubiquity and ease of use of these services can’t be denied. But even if you’re comfortable with some or all of them, packaging that content in a single site of your own design can be a great way to present yourself online.

No matter what the future holds for iWeb, or what your needs are, the Mac Web design scene offers plenty of alternatives. With so many choices, you’re bound to find a new tool that’s right for you—and probably some new skills along the way.

Web Design Software For Mac

[Adam Berenstain is a freelance writer in upstate New York and a frequent contributor to Macworld.]

The Best Web Design Program