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Top 10 Website Builders With High Customization

January 10, 2024
Written and researched by experts at AvadaLearn more about our methodology

By Sam Nguyen

CEO Avada Commerce

Key Takeaways
Top 10 Website Builders With High Customization include:

This article will discover the top 10 custom website builders that let you create personalized websites. These platforms, including Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress, offer diverse levels of customization. 

10 Best Website Builders With Large Customization

Shopify

Shopify website homepage

Shopify is renowned for its easy-to-use interface, allowing users to create and customize online stores effortlessly. It offers various customizable themes and templates for personalizing website layouts, colors, and fonts. The platform also includes various apps and tools to add unique functionalities, catering to specific business requirements.

Key customization features

  • Themes and Templates: Shopify offers a vast selection of themes and templates designed by professional designers. These themes are easily customizable through the theme editor, allowing merchants to modify colors, fonts, layouts, and more without requiring extensive coding knowledge. 

With responsive designs, these themes ensure a seamless shopping experience across various devices, enhancing user engagement and conversions.

Shopify themes

  • App Integration: The Shopify App Store hosts various third-party apps catering to business needs. These apps extend the functionality of a store by offering solutions for marketing, sales, customer support, inventory management, and more. 

Integration of these apps allows merchants to tailor their store to specific requirements, providing enhanced features and capabilities without extensive development work.

Shopify apps store

  • Code Customization (HTML, CSS, and Liquid): Shopify provides access to the platform’s codebase for merchants seeking deeper customization. This access allows developers or skilled users to modify HTML, CSS, and Liquid code to implement specific design elements, functionalities, or integrations that go beyond what standard theme customization offers. 

The level of customization gives the flexibility to create a truly unique storefront, aligning precisely with the brand’s vision and requirements.

Shopify themes code customization
Shopify themes code customization

  • Product Customization Options: Shopify offers merchants personalized products by setting up various customizable options. This feature can include configuring product variants, offering customizable fields for personalization (like text, color, and size), or integrating product customization apps to enable customers to personalize their purchases. 

This feature allows customers to tailor their orders, leading to increased customer satisfaction and potentially higher sales due to the uniqueness of the products.

Shopify themes product customization
Shopify themes product customization

Pros

  • Easy-to-use platform for beginners.
  • Wide range of customizable themes.
  • App store for added functionalities.
  • Reliable customer support.
  • Seamless integration with various payment gateways.
  • Scalability for growing businesses.
  • Analytics and reporting features for insights.

Cons

  • Customization limitations for complex designs.
  • Add-on app costs can accumulate.
  • Theme costs for premium designs.
  • Technical knowledge is needed for advanced modifications.

Who is it for

  • Entrepreneurs & Startups.
  • Retailers & Merchants.
  • Dropshippers.
  • Artisans & Crafters.
  • Brick-and-Mortar Stores.
  • E-commerce Experts.

Wix

Wix website homepage
Wix website homepage

Wix is a widely used website builder that stands out for its strong customization capabilities. It provides users with an easy drag-and-drop interface, enabling effortless personalization of websites without requiring technical expertise. 

With a vast array of visually appealing templates and design elements, users can customize their sites by adjusting layouts, colors, fonts, and more to suit their preferences. 

Key customization features

  • Drag-and-Drop Editor: Wix’s drag-and-drop editor is an intuitive tool that allows users to build and customize their websites visually. Users can easily add text, images, videos, buttons, and more to their site’s pages. 

This feature simplifies arranging, resizing, and styling elements within the editor interface, making it accessible for individuals without coding knowledge to create a professional-looking website.

Wix drag and drop editor

  • Wix App Market: The Wix App Market is a collection of third-party applications that users can seamlessly integrate into their websites. These apps cover many functionalities, including e-commerce tools, contact forms, social media integrations, booking systems, analytics, and more. 

Users can explore, add, and customize these apps to enhance their website’s capabilities and tailor them to suit their business or personal needs.

Wix app market
Wix app market

  • Wix Code (Velo by Wix): Velo by Wix, formerly Wix Code, is a development platform for those with coding knowledge to enhance Wix websites. It offers backend access for creating dynamic pages, building databases, custom forms, integrating APIs, and adding interactive JavaScript elements. 

Ideal for advanced customization and dynamic features, Velo extends beyond the capabilities of Wix’s standard visual editor.

Velo by Wix
Velo by Wix

  • Customizable Templates: Wix offers vast templates spanning various industries and design styles. These templates serve as starting points for users to kickstart their website creation process. 

Users can select a template that closely aligns with their preferences and then extensively customize it by changing colors, fonts, layouts, and adding or removing elements. This flexibility allows users to create a personalized and unique website without starting entirely from scratch.

Wix customizable templates
Wix customizable templates

Pros

  • User-friendly drag-and-drop website builder.
  • Extensive collection of visually appealing templates.
  • App market for additional functionalities.
  • Free plan available for basic websites.
  • Easy integration with third-party tools.

Cons

  • Limited flexibility for complex customization.
  • Advertisements on the free plan.
  • Difficulty in changing templates once chosen.
  • Transaction fees for online sales.
  • Less control over advanced SEO settings.

Who is it for

  • Small businesses and startups.
  • Artists, photographers, and creative professionals.
  • Bloggers and content creators.

Squarespace

Squarespace website homepage
Squarespace website homepage

Squarespace is a user-friendly website builder renowned for its robust customization capabilities. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for users to personalize their websites without requiring technical expertise. 

Under a diverse selection of sleek templates and design options, individuals can customize layouts, colors, fonts, and more to create distinct and visually appealing websites. 

Key customization features

  • Drag-and-Drop Editor with Fluid Engine: Squarespace’s drag-and-drop editor, powered by Fluid Engine, allows users to create and customize their websites visually. Users can easily add content blocks, such as text, images, galleries, videos, and more, to different sections of their pages. 

This intuitive editor enables effortless rearrangement of elements and provides precise control over the layout and design of the site without needing coding skills.

Squarespace Fluid Engine
Squarespace Fluid Engine

  • Customizable Templates: Squarespace offers a collection of professionally designed templates that users can choose from as a foundation for their websites. These templates cover various styles and industries, offering users starting points they can extensively customize. 

Users can modify elements like fonts, colors, spacing, and overall styling to match their brand and create a unique look for their site.

Squarespace templates
Squarespace templates

  • Developer Mode: For users with coding knowledge or those seeking advanced customization, Squarespace provides Developer Mode. This mode allows access to the website’s underlying code (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), enabling users to implement custom code, integrations, and design elements beyond the capabilities of the standard editor. 

Moreover, offers developers and experienced users more flexibility to create highly personalized and unique websites.

Squarespace developer mode
Squarespace developer mode

  • Style Editor and CSS Customization: Squarespace includes a Style Editor that allows users to make website design changes in a user-friendly interface. Users can adjust site-wide design elements like fonts, colors, button styles, and spacing without delving into code. 

Additionally, Squarespace allows users to modify CSS for more granular customization directly, providing greater control over the site’s appearance and layout.

Squarespace CSS Customization
Squarespace CSS Customization

Pros

  • Intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
  • Visually stunning and professionally designed templates.
  • Comprehensive built-in features for blogging, e-commerce, and more.

Cons

  • Limited third-party app integration compared to other platforms.
  • Dependency on Squarespace’s platform for website operation.
  • No 24/7 live chat is available.

Who is it for

  • Creative professionals and artists showcasing portfolios.
  • Small businesses and startups looking for an elegant online presence.
  • Bloggers and writers seeking an easy-to-use platform.

Weebly

Weebly website homepage
Weebly website homepage

Weebly is a user-friendly website builder known for its simple yet effective customization options. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that allows users to easily personalize their websites without requiring extensive technical skills. 

Individuals can customize layouts, colors, fonts, and more when using the various pre-designed templates and easy-to-use editing tools, enabling them to create unique and visually appealing websites tailored to their preferences.

Key customization features

  • Customizable Templates: Weebly offers a selection of professionally designed templates across various industries and styles. Users can choose a template that suits their business or personal needs and customize it extensively. 

The customization options include modifying colors, fonts, and layouts and adding or removing elements to create a unique look and feel for their websites.

Weebly templates
Weebly templates

  • App Center for Additional Functionality: The Weebly App Center provides a range of third-party apps and integrations that users can add to their websites. These apps offer additional functionalities such as e-commerce tools, marketing solutions, contact forms, social media integration, and more. 

Users can seamlessly select and integrate these apps into their Weebly sites to extend features and enhance customization options.

Weebly app center
Weebly app center

  • Code Editing for Advanced Users: Weebly’s Code Editor caters to advanced users and developers, offering the ability to edit HTML and CSS for deeper customization. 

This feature allows for the implementation of custom code and precise design adjustments, enabling users to tailor their website’s design and functionality to their exact needs, beyond what is possible with the standard visual editor.

Weebly code editor

  • Integrated eCommerce Customization: Weebly offers robust eCommerce capabilities, allowing users to create online stores. Within the eCommerce features, users can customize product pages, set up shipping options, manage inventory, apply discounts or coupons, and configure payment gateways. 
  • This customization ensures that users can tailor their online stores to meet their specific business needs, providing a personalized shopping experience for customers.
Weebly ecommerce integration
Weebly ecommerce integration

Pros

  • Integrated e-commerce features for online stores.
  • SEO-friendly tools to improve website visibility.
  • 24/7 customer support via various channels.
  • Diverse selection of responsive and modern templates.

Cons

  • Limited drag-and-drop customization.
  • Poor mobile optimization.
  • Phone support is exclusively accessible with the Professional plan or higher.

Who is it for

  • Artists, designers, and photographers showcasing portfolios.
  • Bloggers and content creators.
  • E-commerce startups and individuals

GoDaddy

GoDaddy website builder homepage

GoDaddy is a user-friendly website builder known for its simplicity, offering moderate customization options. It’s ideal for users without extensive technical skills, providing tools to easily modify layouts, colors, fonts, and content, although it doesn’t have the advanced customization capabilities of some other platforms.

Key customization features

  • Mobile design and editing: GoDaddy’s website builder empowers users to create websites optimized for mobile devices. This feature allows you to build a desktop-friendly site and effortlessly customize and fine-tune it for smartphones and tablets. 

With a simple interface, you can adjust the layout, font sizes, image placements, and more, ensuring your site looks polished and functions seamlessly across various screen sizes. 

  • Customizable themes and templates: GoDaddy provides a variety of professional themes and templates as a base for website creation. These highly customizable templates allow users to adjust colors, fonts, images, and layouts to align with their brand identity. 

This feature mainly benefits users with limited design skills, enabling them to craft visually appealing websites that uniquely represent their style and purpose.

GoDaddy customizable themes

  • Content creation with GoDaddy Studio: GoDaddy Studio, integrated within GoDaddy’s website builder, offers a suite of design tools for creating engaging content like visuals, graphics, images, and videos. This feature simplifies crafting eye-catching content for various purposes, such as product showcases or homepage videos, making it easy for users to create compelling materials within the platform.
GoDaddy Studio
GoDaddy Studio

  • Click-and-drag reorder: Simplifying the website editing experience, GoDaddy’s click-and-drag functionality enables effortless rearrangement of website elements. Users can easily click on any section, widget, or content block and drag it to a new position on the page, offering a straightforward way to customize the layout. 

This intuitive feature allows for quick experimentation with different designs and structures, enabling users to find the optimal arrangement that best showcases their content and enhances user engagement.

GoDaddy click and drag editor
GoDaddy click and drag editor

  • Promo banners: Including promotional banners within GoDaddy’s website builder allows users to create eye-catching announcements or advertisements prominently displayed on their site. These banners effectively highlight special offers, seasonal sales, new product launches, or important announcements. 

GoDaddy empowers users to attract attention and drive conversions by providing an easy-to-use banner creation tool. 

GoDaddy promo banner
GoDaddy promo banner

Pros

  • User-friendly interface for easy website creation.
  • Quick setup and straightforward design process.
  • Affordable pricing plans for different needs.

Cons

  • Some templates may appear basic or outdated.
  • Additional costs for certain essential features.
  • Less flexibility in design options.

Who is it for

  • Small businesses require a simple online presence.
  • Individuals and entrepreneurs are seeking quick and easy website setups.

Bluehost

Bluehost website homepage
Bluehost website homepage

Bluehost, primarily a web hosting service, also offers a website builder with moderate customization features. It’s designed for users who need to personalize websites easily without advanced technical knowledge, allowing layouts, colors, fonts, and content modifications. However, its customization range is more limited compared to specialized website builders.

Key customization features

  • Bluehost Site Tools and E-Commerce Options: Bluehost offers two ways to create a website: WordPress or its Website Builder. Using the Website Builder gives you a simpler approach to making professional-looking websites. It provides templates based on keywords you input, allowing for quick website creation. 

This builder offers customization options within a single theme and allows desktop and mobile previews to check your site’s appearance on different devices.

Bluehost ecommerce options
Bluehost ecommerce options

  • Drag-and-Drop Customization with Multiple Templates: While Bluehost Website Builder has one WordPress theme, it offers a variety of drag-and-drop templates and layouts within that theme. 

You can’t change the theme, but you can customize fonts, colors, and layout elements. However, image editing options are limited compared to other platforms like Wix.

Bluehost drag and drop editor
Bluehost drag and drop editor

  • WordPress Integration and AI Assistance: Bluehost integrates with WordPress, allowing you to easily switch between the Website Builder and WordPress admin interface. 
  • WordPress employs AI tools, like WonderSuite, which guides users by generating text, images, SEO, and commerce suggestions. This feature simplifies customization by breaking it into easy-to-manage blocks.
Bluehost - WordPress integration
Bluehost – WordPress integration

  • Additional Editing and Business Features: Besides the primary customization tools, Bluehost provides menus for editing pages, adjusting appearance settings, adding business information, and integrating social media accounts. 

It also supports various e-commerce plugins for online selling and offers professional services like website design, digital marketing, and Pro Design Live, providing expert support for setup and troubleshooting.

Bluehost additional features
Bluehost additional features

Pros

  • Integrated security features for protection.
  • One-click WordPress installation.
  • 24/7 customer support services.

Cons

  • Limited customization compared to specialized website builders.
  • Less flexibility in design options.
  • Additional costs for certain essential features.

Who is it for

  • Freelancers or professionals requiring a simple online portfolio.
  • Small-scale enterprises needing a cost-effective hosting and website builder package.

Hostinger

Hostinger website homepage
Hostinger website homepage

Hostinger provides a website builder that offers moderate customization options suitable for users aiming to create websites without intricate design requirements. While not as comprehensive as some specialized website builders, Hostinger’s platform allows users to personalize their websites by adjusting layouts, colors, fonts, and basic content elements.

Key customization features

  • Advanced Text Editing Options: Hostinger’s website builder offers advanced text editing features like font styles, sizes, colors, and alignment options. Additionally, it allows for text shadow, spacing, and background customization. 

Users can adjust these settings for different sections or elements of text, enabling precise and detailed customization of the textual content on their website without any coding requirements.

Hostinger advanced text customization
Hostinger advanced text customization

  • Dynamic Animation Effects: This feature in Hostinger’s builder allows users to apply dynamic animation effects to elements on their website. It includes effects like fade-in, slide-in, bounce, and more. 

Users can choose where and how these effects are applied, making the website more interactive and engaging for visitors by adding subtle but eye-catching animations.

Hostinger dynamic animation effects

  • Customizable Grid Layouts: Hostinger’s builder can create custom grid layouts for arranging content. Users can divide sections into various grid formats, specifying the size and arrangement of elements within these grids. 

This feature offers precise control over the structure and organization of content blocks on the website, allowing for unique and tailored layouts.

Hostinger grid layout
Hostinger grid layout

  • CSS Customization Options: Hostinger’s website builder lets users directly modify CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) properties for advanced customization. Users can access the CSS editor to fine-tune specific design elements like margins, paddings, borders, and more. 

This capability gives users with coding knowledge the flexibility to make detailed adjustments to their website’s appearance beyond the standard options provided in the builder.

  • Embedding Custom Code and Widgets: Hostinger’s builder supports embedding custom code snippets and third-party widgets into the website. Users can integrate HTML, JavaScript, or other custom code to add specialized functionality or external services. 

This feature enables users to expand the capabilities of their website by incorporating external tools, scripts, or services beyond what’s offered in the native builder, allowing for highly customized and feature-rich websites.

Pros

  • Simple and user-friendly website builder interface.
  • Affordable pricing plans cater to various needs.
  • Responsive customer support.

Cons

  • Limited advanced customization features.
  • Less flexibility in design and layout options.

Who is it for

  • Users on a budget seeking affordable hosting with basic website customization options.
  • Small businesses or startups requiring basic ecommerce features.

Site123

Site123 website homepage
Site123 website homepage

Site123 is known for its simple website builder, ideal for users who prefer ease in website creation. It offers basic customization options like altering layouts, colors, and fonts, suited for those with limited technical expertise. While its customization features are not as extensive as some other platforms, its straightforward tools and user-friendly interface make website-building accessible.

Key customization features

  • Section Customization: Site123 allows detailed customization within each webpage section. Users can adjust backgrounds, colors, and spacing for individual sections. 

Additionally, they can hide or show specific elements within a section, enabling precise control over the appearance and content arrangement of different parts of the webpage.

  • Font and Typography Options: Within Site123, users can fine-tune typography settings for text elements on their website. This includes selecting various fonts, adjusting font sizes, line spacing, and text alignment. 

The platform also provides options for customizing heading styles (H1, H2, etc.) and paragraph formats, allowing users to create a consistent and visually appealing text layout across the site.

Site123 font and typography options
Site123 font and typography options

  • Image Editing and Optimization: Site123 offers image editing and optimization tools directly within the builder. Users can upload images and crop, resize, or adjust them to fit their website design. 

Moreover, the platform provides options for image optimization, ensuring that images load quickly without compromising quality, which is crucial for a fast and visually appealing website.

  • Integration of Custom Code Snippets: Users can embed custom code snippets or scripts into their Site123 website. This feature allows more advanced users or those with coding knowledge to add specialized functionalities, such as custom forms, third-party widgets, or additional features unavailable within the standard builder. 

By integrating custom code, users can enhance their website’s capabilities and tailor it to their needs beyond the platform’s default offerings.

Site123 code snippets

Pros

  • Easy-to-use interface for quick website setup.
  • Simplified customization options are suitable for beginners.
  • Good customer support services.

Cons

  • Fewer template options compared to other platforms.
  • Limited advanced customization features.

Who is it for

  • People looking to build a portfolio website.
  • People who want to create personal websites and small businesses looking to share information online.

Jimdo

Jimdo website homepage
Jimdo website homepage

Jimdo is a website builder known for its ease of use and moderate customization options. It allows users to personalize their websites without requiring advanced technical skills. While less comprehensive in customization compared to some other platforms, Jimdo provides simple tools for modifying layouts, colors, fonts, and essential content elements.

Key customization features

  • Style Editor for In-depth Design Changes: Jimdo provides a Style Editor that allows users to make detailed design changes to their website. This feature includes fine-tuning elements like fonts, colors, backgrounds, and spacing across the site. 

Users can customize specific sections or individual elements, ensuring a consistent and personalized look for their website.

Jimdo style editor
Jimdo style editor

  • Flexible Grid-Based Layout System: With Jimdo’s grid-based layout system, users can arrange and customize elements on their web pages. This feature allows for precise positioning of content blocks, images, text, and other elements within a grid structure. 

Users can easily resize and reposition elements to create unique and visually appealing layouts for their site.

  • Customizable Templates with Content Blocks: Jimdo offers customizable templates with content blocks. These blocks are pre-designed sections that users can add, rearrange, or delete according to their preferences. 

Users can customize each content block individually by adding text, images, videos, or other elements, providing flexibility in structuring their website’s content.

Jimdo templates
Jimdo templates

Pros

  • Jimdo’s free plan is available.
  • Responsive and mobile-friendly templates.
  • Integrated e-commerce functionalities for online stores.

Cons

  • Design flexibility is a limitation.
  • Fewer template options compared to competitors.

Who is it for

  • Businesses and individuals who want to create a simple website.
  • People who are not tech-savvy and do not want to deal with the hassle of coding.

WordPress

Wordpress website homepage
WordPress website homepage

WordPress is a famous website builder and CMS known for its vast customization options. It gives users flexibility and control, allowing for detailed personalization through thousands of themes and plugins. This makes WordPress ideal for creating unique, tailored websites, accessible even to those without advanced technical skills.

Key customization features

  • Theme Customization Options: WordPress offers extensive theme customization capabilities. Users can modify the appearance of their website by adjusting colors, fonts, layouts, and other design elements within their chosen theme. 

Additionally, WordPress allows further customization through child themes or theme editing, enabling users to make profound and specific changes to the website’s visual appearance and layout.

Wordpress themes
WordPress themes

  • Plugin Integration for Enhanced Functionality: With WordPress, users can extend the functionality of their website using plugins. These plugins are like add-ons that allow users to add specific features, such as contact forms, e-commerce capabilities, SEO tools, galleries, and more, without needing coding knowledge. 

Users can install, activate, and customize plugins to tailor their website to their needs and preferences.

Wordpress plugins
WordPress plugins

  • Widget-Based Customization in the Sidebar and Footer: WordPress enables users to customize their website’s sidebar and footer using widgets. Widgets are blocks of content that can be easily added, rearranged, or removed within these sections. 

Users can choose from widgets like recent posts, categories, search bars, social media feeds, or custom HTML to personalize these areas and enhance the overall user experience.

  • Gutenberg Block Editor for Content Creation: WordPress’s Gutenberg Block Editor revolutionizes content creation by breaking content into blocks. Users can easily customize each block by adding text, images, videos, buttons, and more, adjusting their layout and appearance. 

This feature provides granular control over the design and presentation of content on web pages, allowing users to create visually appealing and engaging posts or pages.

WordPress Gutenberg Block Editor

Pros

  • High level of customization with a vast selection of themes and plugins.
  • User-friendly interface suitable for beginners and advanced users.
  • Strong SEO capabilities for improved website visibility.
  • Active and supportive community for assistance and resources.

Cons

  • Requires regular updates for security and performance.
  • Some plugins and themes may be poorly coded, affecting site stability.
  • Managing multiple plugins can sometimes lead to compatibility issues.

Who is it for

  • Bloggers and content creators.
  • Small to large businesses.
  • E-commerce entrepreneurs.

FAQs

Shopify is a leading choice for e-commerce due to its user-friendly interface and specialized features tailored for online stores.
WordPress empowers users with high flexibility and control over website customization, and it is accessible to beginners and advanced users.
Hostinger provides a website builder with moderate customization options, making it suitable for users seeking affordable hosting with basic customization features.

Bottom line

This article reviews the top 10 custom website builders, each offering various levels of customization for creating personalized websites. These platforms cater to different user needs, from Shopify and Wix to Squarespace and WordPress.


Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.