In this article, you will find a comparison of different nocode website creation platforms with a short presentation of each of them.
Today, anyone can create a website. Thanks to the development of nocode, web applications can be built with drag and drop. In this market, many platforms are competing with each other. Today, we're going to break it down for you and give you a simple and visual comparison of these nocode tools.
Comparative infographic of all platforms
Here is a general infographic that compares all the nocode website creation platforms :
Description of each platform
1 - Webflow
Webflow is THE nocode website creation platform. Thanks to its advanced functionalities, it allows you to create completely modular and personalized websites. With Webflow, your only limit is your imagination.
Webflow is aimed at anyone who wants to create a site, as this platform does not require any coding skills. Everything is done by associating and combining different blocks. To create a page, you need to "drag and drop".
However, this platform is not really intuitive for neophytes. Indeed, the many features offered in the interface can give us a headache. Thus, it' s mainly specialized agencies or web designers who use Webflow to create custom websites for their clients.
Concerning integrations with other tools, there is also a huge field of possibilities. Indeed, it' possible to connect this platform with tools such as Coda, Airtable, Slack, Integromat and many others. Thus, it' s possible to create a powerful e-commerce site with automated processes.
Finally, to talk about the price, Webflow proposes different personalized offers!
If you want to create a personal website, a blog, a showcase site, etc., you can choose one of the following options:
- Basic plan: $12/month for sites with limited content
- CMS plan: $16/month for content-based sites
- Business plan: 36$/month for sites with high traffic
If you want to develop your e-commerce, the following plans are available:
- Standard: 29$/month for a "small" activity (500 items)
- Plus : 74$/month for a growing business (1000 items)
- Advanced : 212$/month for a bigger business (3000 items)
Digidop can help you create your very own nocode website!
2 - Wordpress
Wordpress is surely the most famous CMS in the world. In fact, 40% of the world's websites use Wordpress. This CMS allows you to create sites in a very simplified way without necessarily needing to know how to code (even if for more "advanced" sites, modifying the code will be necessary).
Wordpress is used by a majority of people because its interface is really intuitive. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, you can create different static or dynamic pages. This platform works mainly thanks to the possibility of using templates ( themes) to customize your site. Even if there is less freedom concerning the design compared to Webflow, your site can be at your image.
Another aspect of Wordpress concerns plugins. Indeed, Wordpress is mainly based on these extensions. At the beginning, on this platform, there are only basic functionalities. To add new features, you can install plugins of all kinds. There are a multitude of plugins to help you design your site.
In addition to all these points, many online resources (videos, tutorials, blogs, tips, etc.) in French can help you create your site from A to Z.
Concerning the price, you should not confuse Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org.
Yes, wordpress.com is a web hosting platform with different paid plans:
- Personal: 4€/month, ideal for a personal site (but no plugins)
- Premium: 8€/month, perfect for a blog (but no plugins)
- Business: 25€/month, for your professional activity
- E-commerce : 40€/month, for your e-commerce catalogues
In contrast, wordpress.org is a free version of the CMS that is installed after subscribing to a type of web hosting. It is a totally free solution once you have paid for your domain name and hosting.
However, you should be careful as there will be additional charges for paid themes (such as Elementor or Divi for customised sites) and paid / freemium extensions.
2 Bis - Woocommerce
Woocommerce is not really a platform like the others. Indeed, Woocommerce is a Wordpress extension that allows you to manage your online shop. In this sense, Woocommerce is completely free if we do not take into account the hosting fees.
The interface of the plugin is easy to use: you just have to fill in the explicit fields of the different categories. The configuration is within everyone's reach!
As far as design is concerned, there is no difference with what has been said about Wordpress. You have to use a theme and customize it. However, for more advanced designs, you will probably have to call on a web developer to work on the code.
You have a lot of options, but little flexibility (checkboxes or not) to manage your online business. A learning curve will be necessary to master the plugin and manage the Wordpress interface in case of problems.
You can associate the plugin with others to generate statistics or have other functionalities, but beware of various bugs.
To sum up, Woocommerce has the advantage of being free and allowing you to create your shop quickly, but it has many limitations in terms of design management and the freedom to create a personalised e-commerce site.
3 - Wix
Wix is really THE intuitive solution to create your website. It is a platform which in its way of working is very similar to Webflow, but which offers an easy to use interface. Thus, an ordinary person can create his own website in a few hours.
Wix offers the possibility to use a template to develop your site. There are a multitude of different templates to allow you to have a site to your image. Once you have selected a template, you can modify the texts, images, videos, etc. without coding. It is also a "drag and drop" solution!
There are many features for customisation although Webflow offers more. However, to enrich your site, you can install extensions in the manner of Wordpress.
Just like Wordpress, many resources in French guide you step by step, from the creation to the publication of your site.
Wix offers different rates depending on your needs.
If you want to create a website :
- Domain connection: 5,40€/month, for a small personal website (contains Wix ads)
- Basic Plan: 10.20€/month, for a blog for example (limited storage)
- Unlimited Plan: €17.40/month, for a professional website (unlimited bandwidth)
- VIP Plan : 31,20€/month, for your business (+ storage space)
For an E-commerce site :
- Business Basic: €20.40/month
- Business Unlimited: €31.20/month
- Business VIP: €42/month
4 - Shopify
The interface of Shopify will be similar to that of Wordpress, but really oriented towards online commerce. Indeed, Shopify is one of the leading platforms for developing online sales. We are therefore entitled to an interface that is fairly easy to use and includes various features. Adding new products and categories is very intuitive.
As for the design, like Wordpress, this platform also offers themes to customize. Creating a site completely in your image is, as with Wordpress, a little more difficult because the web design features are limited. However, you can install plugins to have more freedom and options. The "drag and drop" solution is available.
Shopify is the Wordpress of e-commerce! Shopify is the platform specialized in online sales (automated payment, fee management, cart management ...).
Regarding pricing, you have several options for your e-commerce site (the differences are mainly in the number of accounts used and the transaction fees):
- Basic Shopify: $29/month
- Shopify: $79/month
- Advanced Shopify: $299/month
5 - Prestashop
Prestashop is a free(open-source) e-commerce platform. This software allows you to create online shops to generate sales.
To use Prestashop, you need to subscribe to a web hosting service from a host that offers the installation of this CMS. Then, just like Wordpress(.org), you install the CMS and have access to the software interface.
The interface is similar to that of Wordpress. You have more possibilities in the way you design your site, but it will require more knowledge. For a "big" e-commerce site, you may need to hire a developer. Nevertheless, you can manage your stocks, products and ranges in a fairly intuitive way (even if it takes time to learn and master the software). In addition, reports on your objectives are accessible and visually appealing.
You can install plugins on Prestashop, but the disadvantage is that they may conflict with your theme or other plugins.
Prestashop is totally free (after taking a web hosting) and does not take any commission on your sales. However, you will probably have to budget for the theme you will use and for some modules.
6 - Squarespace
Squarespace is a nocode online website creation software. You can create your website quickly even if you are a beginner. The platform uses the drag and drop system. Squarespace is a complete platform that offers the possibility to send newsletters or to see your statistics.
In terms of ease of use, Squarespace is really a tool that is easy to learn. To go further in the development, training will be a necessity to understand all the features. On the E-commerce side, modifying your code will be necessary to customize the product pages.
About the design, you have the possibility to use templates. Generally, this platform is known for creating professional minimalist designs. Of course, the designs are responsive and we have access to a mobile view. In addition, there are section templates that can be directly integrated into the pages. The freedom of creation is quite vast even if not everything can be modified as you wish. The animations on your pages are also very limited.
Regarding pricing, 4 plans are proposed:
- Staff: 11€/month (only 2 employees and no e-commerce)
- Business : 17€/month
- Basic Trade: 24€/month
- Advanced Commerce: 36€/month
7 - Bubble
Here again, we are dealing with a nocode software that carries weight in the web world. Once again, you create your pages with a more advanced system than drag and drop. Indeed, you choose an element that you drop, but that you can entirely modify (size, colour, ...) as on Webflow.
One of the big plus points of this platform is the support. Bubble guides you through the creation of your site step by step. When you create a new app, a wizard guides you through the overall configuration.
Bubble's interface is quite intuitive although the number of features present can be scary at first. The menu is really complete to develop a powerful site and your image. To help you, Bubble offers a grid view to arrange the elements as you wish. A little easier to use than Webflow, but Bubble requires more creativity than the other platforms.
Another big plus is that this website builder allows you to create workflows easily from its menu. Bubble is easily integrated with other applications thanks to the platform'sAPI connector. The database menu allows you to have a clear view of the database and to modify it easily. You can also see the performance of your site with the "logs" menu and optimise it.
To make a rough comparison, it is a bit like a lite version of Webflow, but more accessible.
The platform proposes different offers to create websites:
- Free
- Personal: $25/month
- Professional: $115/month
- Production: $475/month
8 - Weebly
Weebly is one of the many platforms for creating nocode sites. It uses the same "codes" as some of the previous platforms with its "drag and drop" system.
Weebly 's interface is very simple. You can create a site easily and quickly by dragging different types of blocks onto your pages.
Weebly is a good alternative to Wix or Weblflow, but your creative freedom is very limited. You can, of course, use themes to have a base, but customisation is then limited.
Weebly has a free plan for basic use of the software. Otherwise, the following plans are available:
- Personal: 6$/month (personal site like a blog for example)
- Professional: 12$/month (professional site for your business and brand)
- Performance: $26/month (plan that includes e-commerce)
9 - Softr
Softr allows you to create your website easily and without code. The platform is slightly similar to previous platforms. To sum up, there is the drag and drop system to create blocks, there are templates and the interface is clear.
However, there are 2 positive points to Softr compared to a platform like Weebly:
- There are many more possibilities and freedom in the choice of blocks
- Softr offers a system of integration with other applications directly from a menu in its interface (thus, it is possible to use its Airtable database to build "complex" sites such as e-commerce)
As far as prices are concerned, Softr offers :
- Free
- Starter: $24/month
- Professional: $65/month
- Business : 165$/month
10 - Builder
Builder is also a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) platform. In itself the platform is quite identical to other nocode website building solutions. You can however add code more easily (custom CSS and JS) from a button. You also have more freedom in the animations of the site. However, you will need more time to master the interface and the different features.
As an added bonus, you can integrate Builder with Shopify to create your e-commerce shop.
Builder offers you different plans:
- Free
- Basic: $20/month
- Growth: $40/month
- Company: custom
Bonus - Typedream
Create a site like you create pages with Notion or Coda thanks to Typedream. Use templates and create a site with a minimalist design.
You can quickly create landings pages for your business. However, the freedom of design is very limited and so is the functionality. You can only create static pages.
The creation interface is therefore similar to Coda or Notion and you only need to integrate blocks.
Typedream is a widely accessible platform as it has only two plans:
- Free (Only one page can be published)
- Launch : 12$/month (Unlimited pages + SEO + code + Team)
The best platforms based on 4 key points
Here's a quick overview of the different website creation platforms you can find. If we had to choose a winner according to each criterion of differentiation, here is what we choose:
- Value for money:(Wordpress & Woocommerce, in fact, these softwares are open-source and still allow to create professional websites)
- Simplicity: Weebly (despite the few features, this platform allows you to create sites even if you know nothing about them)
- Design : Webflow (with this nocode platform, you can really create everything to your image, your site is 100% customizable, even if the handling is complicated)
- Functionality: Webflow (the integration possibilities are multiple, you can automate your activity and create sites of different types: E-commerce, Blog, Showcase, Web-app...)
Create your tierlist of no-code platforms
