What Are The Cheapest Website Builders in South Africa?
The world has changed.
There’s no reason why starting your own website should be prohibitively expensive.
Of course, you may hire someone to create your website for you, but our recommendations below are some of the most affordable website builders that may be a better fit for you.
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| # | Cheap Website Builders in 2026 |
|---|---|
| 1 | WordPress.com |
| 2 | Webnode |
| 3 | One.com |
| 4 | Weebly |
| 5 | Ucraft |
| 6 | Wix |
| 7 | Jimdo |
| 8 | TemplateToaster |
| 9 | Gator |
| 10 | DreamHost’s Website Builder for WordPress |
| 11 | Shopify |
| 12 | WordPress.org |
| 13 | Web.com |
WordPress.com
Without a question, WordPress is the most popular website platform on the planet.
It is believed that it powers 43% of all webpages.
This is mostly due to WordPress.org, a free open-source version.
The negative is that you’ll need to host your website someplace, so it’s not quite free.
That’s why we’re talking about WordPress.com, which makes everything much easier: site hosting and a custom domain name for the first year are both included, and at a very low price, as you’ll see.
The Personal plan starts at $4 per month.
It comes with a generous 6GB of web storage and an infinite number of pages!
The only little flaw is the bottom ad that says “Powered by WordPress.com.”
However, you can change it to merely say “WordPress.com” or only show the WP logo, which is extremely small.
Here’s an example.
You’ll also get personal assistance and access to roughly 100 free templates.
Webnode
Despite the fact that Webnode lacks many of the capabilities found in other website builders, it is simple to establish a multilingual website.
It’s a simple solution with current website designs that are optimized for mobile devices automatically.
Check out our Webnode review for additional details.
Both the Limited and Mini plans are appealing if you’re searching for a low-cost option.
Limited keeps the modest Webnode footer ad, but adds the ability to connect a domain name.
Mini has no adverts and comes with a one-year free domain name.
It’s an excellent option for a modest personal or business website.
One.com
There is no website builder cheaper than One.com if you want to make a website on a tight budget.
If your website has 5 pages or fewer, prices start at $2.49 a month.
If you want more than 5 pages, you will be charged $7.48 each month, which is not affordable.
It’s important to remember that other options provide more complete bundles.
The good news is that these subscriptions offer hosting in addition to the website builder, allowing you to incorporate WordPress or other content management systems.
See our One.com review for additional details.
Weebly
Because of its robust drag-and-drop editor, Weebly is very simple to use.
It also has a large number of high-quality templates that adapt to all devices automatically.
What I like about it is that its blog is incredibly adaptable, with tools like tags, categories, and post scheduling that are really beneficial for bloggers.
Read our Weebly review for more details.
Weebly has the advantage of allowing you to pay on a month-to-month basis.
They charge a modest fee for this, but it’s better than nothing — most other website builders don’t have this option.
Ucraft
Their designs are quite appealing; they appear to be quite current and distinct from those of their competitors.
We would, however, want to see more templates submitted.
Ucraft has a landing page builder in addition to the ability to create a website or an online store.
One of the greatest free website builders, it’s a terrific way to collect email signups and the best part is that you can link a custom domain name you already own for free.
You’ll need to subscribe to the Pro Website plan, which starts at $10 a month, if you want to develop more complex websites.
Wix
Wix is the only free website builder that blends style with simplicity of use.
Because its system is so adaptable, you may shift the pieces around as you choose.
It also provides valuable tools for freelancers and enterprises that may help you get through your day.
Wix’s ecommerce tools are also excellent, and they provide excellent value because there are no additional transaction costs.
One downside is that you must start from scratch if you wish to switch to a completely different template.
Learn more about Wix in our review, and why we think it’s the greatest website builder overall.
Wix is no longer a cheap website builder after changing its premium tiers and raising costs a few years ago.
Particularly in South Africa, where the Connect Domain plan isn’t accessible.
Wix will appeal to you more for its quality and feature bandwidth than for its price.
Wix, for example, has several useful SEO features incorporated in comparison to other providers.
Jimdo
It is no longer a cheap alternative after upping their pricing in conjunction with the debut of Jimdo Dolphin.
Their focus is on simplicity, and you’ll be taken step-by-step through the website construction process.
If their guided development approach eliminates the necessity for a coder or designer, it may still be less expensive than alternative site builders.
It’s a shame Jimdo doesn’t accept monthly payments because all of their programs need a 12-month commitment.
This website builder headquartered in New York City takes a unique approach.
Instead of offering a cloud-based service, you may use its software to build your website on your laptop.
If you’re seeking for an offline utility, it could be a suitable fit.
The templates are contemporary in appearance, and there is a sufficient range of them.
It also connects with a variety of CMSs, including WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
A CSS and JavaScript editor will be available to you.
Unfortunately, this utility is just for Windows users; Mac and Linux users will have to find a solution.
Another disadvantage is that you’ll have to handle software upgrades yourself, and your website will need to be hosted by a third party.
Gator
The Gator website builder was developed by HostGator, a hosting behemoth, in early 2019.
They offer a big library of stylish mobile-friendly layouts.
These are organized by speciality, so you should have no trouble locating one that meets your requirements.
The Gator editor is just as configurable as Wix’s, and it comes with several pre-built blocks that may help you get your site up and running quickly.
Because it’s still a new product, you may run across certain limits.
It’s not possible to schedule blog entries, for example, and there are no article categories — only tags.
Another significant drawback is the lack of a free plan or trial.
DreamHost’s Website Builder for WordPress
DreamHost is one of my top three web hosting companies.
DreamHost hosts 1.5 million websites because they are quick, dependable, and provide excellent customer service.
All of their hosting services include a WordPress website builder that simplifies the development and maintenance of WordPress.org sites.
There are over 200 modern-looking templates to pick from in this package.
Text, photos, sliders, buttons, videos, maps, and forms are just a few of the building elements accessible.
Their editor also allows you to customize numerous stylistic options.
If you don’t mind using WordPress, it’s a good way to get started on the cheap.
Shopify
Many of the technologies we’ve discussed allow you to set up online storefronts.
Shopify is the ideal option if you’re serious about ecommerce and don’t want to utilize difficult platforms like Magento or WooCommerce.
It isn’t the most affordable internet shop builder, but it is the most reliable.
For additional information, see our Shopify review.
WordPress.org
As previously said, these website builders are intended for the creation of basic websites.
WordPress.org is a terrific alternative if you’re working on something more involved and want to save money by building your own website.
Because WordPress is more difficult and needs technical knowledge, it is not a website builder in and of itself.
You’ll need to choose a service provider to host your WordPress website, even if the software is free.
One.com’s hosting service is one choice.
However, there are a plethora of different low-cost WordPress hosting solutions.
You may also establish a website on WordPress.com, but in order to obtain the same capabilities as WordPress.org, you’ll need at least the Business plan, which isn’t the cheapest option.
See our complete WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com comparison here.
WordPress is perfect for building directories, social networks, markets, and other complicated websites.
The simplest and most cost-effective alternative is to use a template, which will make things much easier for you.
Even so, technical abilities will be required at some point.
Web.com
This is a fascinating topic.
On the one hand, Web.com has a simple user experience that is similar to Weebly in many ways.
The template designs aren’t spectacular, but they’ll get the job done.
But there’s a snag.
Web.com, like Bluehost, Hostgator, Constant Contact, and a slew of other web hosting providers, is now owned by EIG.
Unfortunately, they maintained the prior owners’ shady pricing policy in this situation.
That implies there will be a lot of fine print and hidden costs.
The domain name is free for the first year, but after that it costs $37.99 per year to renew, which is ridiculously expensive for a.com domain.
But that’s not all; you’ll also be able to “enjoy” privacy protection for your domain name, which is only free for the first month and then costs $1.95 per month after that.
Understanding their website builder costs is a similar exercise with a lot of fine print.
They mostly promote pricing that appear to be low, such as $1.95, $2.95, or $3.95.
However, a deeper examination reveals that this reduced price is only valid for the first four weeks.
After 4 weeks, the renewal fee is $10 per month.
Final Thoughts on the Cheapest Website Builders in South Africa
As we’ve seen, there are a variety of options for creating a low-cost website.
You may either hire a ‘expert’ for a pittance to build a low-cost website for you, or you can do it yourself using some of the methods we described before.
In general, WordPress.com and Webnode have the lowest costs, however they do have certain limitations.
I believe that being involved in the construction of your website is the greatest approach to ensure that it is of the highest quality and has a high Google rating.
We’ve put up a free guide to assist you in quickly and affordably launching your own website.
