Review of 10 Website Building Platforms

Quick list (so you can skip to the ones you care about)

Wix, Squarespace, Weebly (Square Online), WordPress.com, Shopify, Big Cartel, Format (artist-focused), Adobe Portfolio (artist-focused), SmugMug / Zenfolio (photography-focused), Cargo Collective (creative/artist-focused).

1) Wix — general-purpose, very popular for individuals & small biz

What it is: Drag-and-drop website builder with many templates, app market and AI design helpers; supports blogs, portfolios and ecommerce. wix.com+1
Pros

• Very beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor and AI site creation. TechRadar
• Huge template and app ecosystem; flexible design control. TechRadar
• Free tier for testing (Wix branding & no custom domain). wix.com
  Cons
• Editor flexibility can lead to inconsistent responsive behavior unless you carefully check mobile. TechRadar
• Some advanced features locked behind higher tiers; plugin quality varies. TechRadar
  Ease for novice: 5/5 (very approachable)
  Pricing (summary): Free tier; paid site plans start in the ~$15–30/month range for personal/business needs; ecommerce / advanced business tiers higher (examples: Light, Core, Business, Business Elite — Business Elite up to high tier). (See official plans for latest). wix.com+1
  User reviews snapshot: Generally positive for ease of use and features; review sites note strong support resources but occasional complaints about upselling and platform changes. TechRadar+1

2) Squarespace — elegant templates, pitched heavily at creatives & small businesses

What it is: All-in-one hosted builder known for design-forward templates and integrated tools (blogs, ecommerce, scheduling). Squarespace markets to creatives and small business owners. Squarespace+1
Pros

• Industry-leading, polished templates geared to portfolios/visual work. TechRadar
• Strong integrated features (commerce, analytics, scheduling, payment). Squarespace
• Recently added advanced AI and builder improvements. TechRadar
  Cons
• No permanent free tier (trial only). Templates are opinionated—less low-level control than Wix for extreme custom layouts. Squarespace+1
• Some reviewers cite customer support / editor performance issues. Trustpilot
  Ease for novice: 4/5 (very usable; slightly steeper than Wix for custom tweaks)
  Pricing (summary): Plans commonly start around $16/month (billed annually) for basic sites up to $40+ for commerce/advanced tiers — check current pricing/discounts. Squarespace+1
  User reviews snapshot: Many users praise the design quality; Trustpilot and similar sites show mixed reviews — high marks for aesthetics and features, lower for support wait times and occasional editor bugs. TechRadar+1

3) Weebly (Square Online) — cheap & simple, good for small shops

What it is: Drag-and-drop builder (owned by Square) focused on simple sites and ecommerce for small sellers. Weebly.com
Pros

• Very affordable pricing (including a usable free tier). Good for simple ecommerce integrated with Square payments. Weebly.com
• Simple learning curve and quick launch. Weebly.com
  Cons
• Less design polish and fewer advanced features than Wix/Squarespace. Not ideal for highly curated portfolio sites. Weebly.com
  Ease for novice: 5/5 (very easy)
  Pricing (summary): Free tier; paid tiers typically start around $10–12/month (annual) up to higher ecommerce plans. Weebly.com+1
  User reviews snapshot: Often cited as good value and easy to use; some reviewers note limitations when scaling or needing advanced customization. Weebly.com

4) WordPress.com — flexible, from simple blogs to business sites (hosted WordPress)

What it is: Hosted WordPress service (not the self-hosted WordPress.org). Good mix of blogging, content, and (with higher plans) plugins & themes. WordPress.com
Pros

• Extremely flexible and scalable, huge plugin/theme ecosystem (on Business / eCommerce plans you can install plugins). Strong SEO/content features. WordPress.com+1
• Free tier available for basic blogs. WordPress.com
  Cons
• The tradeoff: more flexibility can be more complex; to get full power you need higher-tier plans or a self-hosted setup. Support complaints surface occasionally. Trustpilot
  Ease for novice: 3.5/5 (easy for basic sites; medium complexity to unlock advanced features)
  Pricing (summary): Free tier; Personal/Premium/Business/eCommerce tiers — business/ecommerce require higher monthly fees and unlock plugin installs. Check WordPress.com pricing page for the current tiers. WordPress.com+1
  User reviews snapshot: Reviews vary widely — many users love the content workflow; others complain about support and plan restrictions. Trustpilot

5) Shopify — best when ecommerce is primary (artists who sell lots of product)

What it is: Ecommerce-first hosted platform; excellent for artists whose main need is selling physical/digital products. Shopify
Pros

• Powerful, scalable ecommerce features (inventory, shipping, multi-channel sales). Huge app marketplace. Shopify
• Built for payments, taxes, order management. Good for small businesses ready to sell seriously. Shopify
  Cons
• More expensive for small portfolios where selling is secondary; transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments. Design flexibility is solid but more commerce-focused. Shopify
  Ease for novice: 4/5 (straightforward for stores; commerce concepts have a learning curve)
  Pricing (summary): Entry-level plans and promotional short-term offers exist (Shopify often runs $1/month or similar intro deals); standard tiers begin at a moderate monthly fee with higher tiers for advanced features. Check their pricing page for specifics. Shopify
  User reviews snapshot: Widely used and well-reviewed for ecommerce reliability and ecosystem; minor complaints about cost when scaling and app-dependent feature costs. Shopify

6) Big Cartel — small-shop ecommerce built for artists & makers

What it is: Simple ecommerce platform explicitly aimed at independent artists, makers and small brands. Big Cartel
Pros

• Artist-focused positioning; simple store setup; free tier for very small catalogs. Low-cost paid plans for modest stores. Big Cartel
• Clean, minimal interfaces suited to creative sellers. Big Cartel
  Cons
• Product limits on lower tiers; fewer advanced ecommerce features compared to Shopify. Not meant for scaling into larger catalog operations. Big Cartel+1
  Ease for novice: 5/5 (very straightforward)
  Pricing (summary): Free/Gold tier for tiny shops; paid tiers commonly in the $9–30/month range depending on product limits. Big Cartel+1
  User reviews snapshot: Positive for small sellers and artists; some negative reviews about order handling and support (as with any small service). Trustpilot and other review pages show mixed comments — many happy creators, some operational complaints. Trustpilot+1

7) Format — explicitly for photographers & artists (portfolio-first)

What it is: Portfolio and client-proofing sites tailored for photographers, visual artists and designers. Format markets directly to creatives. FORMAT
Pros

• Themes and features built for portfolios, proofing, client galleries and selling art/prints. Format offers artist-focused support (Format Experts). FORMAT
• Built-in proofing and portfolio display tools. FORMAT
  Cons
• More niche — not as feature-rich for general business or advanced ecommerce as Shopify/Wix. Pricing and support have mixed signals; some review sites show both high praise and lower Trustpilot scores. Trustpilot+1
  Ease for novice: 4.5/5 (designed for creatives; onboarding focused on artists)
  Pricing (summary): Tiered plans aimed at creatives; check the Format pricing page for current tiers (they bundle eCommerce, proofing, blogging). FORMAT
  User reviews snapshot: Capterra shows high ease-of-use ratings and enthusiastic users; Trustpilot has some poor reviews (small sample) — mixed signals so read recent reviews before committing. Capterra+1

8) Adobe Portfolio — free with Creative Cloud; made for visual creatives

What it is: Simple portfolio builder that’s included with Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions; integrates with Behance and Lightroom. portfolio.adobe.com+1
Pros

• Free if you already have Creative Cloud; tight integration with Adobe tools and Behance. Clean portfolio templates. portfolio.adobe.com+1
  Cons
• Not a full website builder — limited ecommerce/functionality and customization compared to others. Best for static portfolios, not stores. TechRadar
  Ease for novice: 4/5 (simple if you’re already an Adobe user)
  Pricing (summary): Included with Creative Cloud subscriptions (e.g., CC plans). Adobe’s standalone pricing for Portfolio is not typical—it's bundled. portfolio.adobe.com+1
  User reviews snapshot: Reviewers like the ease and Behance integration but note limitations (video embedding, social linking nuisances) and that it requires Creative Cloud to be fully useful. TechRadar

9) SmugMug / Zenfolio — photography-focused portfolios + selling prints

What it is: Portfolio and ecommerce for photographers: hosting, client galleries, print sales and licensing. SmugMug and Zenfolio are separate but similar in market. portfolio.adobe.com+1
Pros

• Robust proofing, print ordering and photography-specific workflows. Good for photographers selling prints/prints fulfillment. portfolio.adobe.com
  Cons
• Not built for non-photographic portfolios; templates and tools are photographer-focused. Review scores on some sites show complaints about pricing/support. Trustpilot+1
  Ease for novice: 4/5 (photographer workflows are clear)
  Pricing (summary): Tiered plans; check SmugMug/Zenfolio pricing pages for exact current fees. Often competitive for photographers who need print fulfillment. portfolio.adobe.com+1
  User reviews snapshot: Mixed — photographers like the sales/proofing tools but some complain about UX or support. Trustpilot shows low scores for some SmugMug instances — check recent reviews. Trustpilot+1

10) Cargo Collective — boutique creative sites / artists

What it is: Niche builder popular with artists, designers and creative communities; known for highly visual, modern templates and artist portfolios. (More boutique than mass-market.)
Pros

• Creative-first templates and editorial portfolio focus. Great for distinctive portfolio presentation.
  Cons
• Smaller ecosystem, fewer built-in commerce options — may require custom code or third-party tools for storefronts. Pricing and support vary; check Cargo for latest details.
  Ease for novice: 3.5/5 (designer-friendly; some learning for customization)
  Pricing (summary): Paid plans; see Cargo Collective site for current plan details.
  User reviews snapshot: Beloved by some artists for aesthetics; niche user base — fewer broad reviews but a positive reputation in creative communities.

How to choose (short guide)

• If you want absolute ease and lots of templates: Wix or Squarespace.
• If your business is selling a lot of product: Shopify (best ecommerce), Big Cartel for very small catalogs/artists.
• If you’re a photographer or need proofing/print fulfillment: SmugMug, Zenfolio, or Format.
• If you’re already in Adobe CC and want a lightweight portfolio: Adobe Portfolio.
• If you want maximum flexibility and scale (and don't mind complexity): WordPress.com (or self-hosted WordPress.org).
• If you want an artist-first, minimalist portfolio: Format or Cargo Collective.

Notes on reviews & reliability

• I looked at the official pricing pages and recent expert reviews (TechRadar, WebsiteBuilderExpert) for features and pricing, plus Trustpilot/Capterra/Capterra pages for user sentiment. Review platforms sometimes contain suspicious/fake reviews — I used multiple sources and pointed out when review samples were small or mixed.