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Web Dev

Website Builders

Since there are various needs when it comes to having and building a website, I want to highlight that developing your own website from scratch might not always be the best option for your situation.

The three main ways to build a website are:

  1. Website builders (Simple, fast, less customizable)
  2. Content management systems (CMS) (Manageable content, plugin ecosystems)
  3. Custom coded (Complex, full freedom, optimization)

Quick Recommendations

  • Online shop: ➡️ Shopify or WooCommerce
  • Visual freedom: ➡️ Webflow, Framer, Builder.io or Figma Sites
  • Newsletter focus: ➡️ Substack, Beehiiv, or Buttondown
  • Simplest possible setup: ➡️ Google Sites
  • Quick blog: ➡️ BearBlog, Obsidan Quartz or Leaflet.pub

1. Beginner-friendly builders

These tools are especially simple to use but come at the cost of customization. They are also typically more expensive. Best for people who need a website quickly and don’t want think about the design or code at all.

Squarespace Ease: Simple | Cost: High
One of the easiest ways to create a website.
Wix Ease: Simple | Cost: High
One of the easiest ways to create a website.
Google Sites Ease: Simple | Cost: Free
Very simple but also quite limited.
Hostinger Website Builder Ease: Simple | Cost: Low
Hostinger is a host provider, but they also have their own website builder.
WordPress Ease: Moderate | Cost: Low
The most popular CMS. It can be simple (using visual plugins) or complex depending on your needs. Great ecosystem, but requires maintenance.

2. Using existing note taking tools

Use the writing apps you are already familiar with to create your website.

Notion Ease: Simple | Cost: Moderate
Publish Notion notes as a website using Notion's official integration.
Obsidian Publish Ease: Simple | Cost: Moderate
Publish Obsidian notes using the official integration.
Obsidian Quartz Ease: Moderate | Cost: Free
Publish Obsidian notes using Quartz.

3. Simple blogging platforms

Minimal tools focused on writing and publishing blog posts with little to no setup required.

BearBlog Ease: Simple | Cost: Low
A privacy-first, no-nonsense blogging platform. No JavaScript, no tracking, just writing.
Leaflet Ease: Simple | Cost: Free
A simple blogging tool built on the Bluesky AT Protocol.

4. Visual site builders

A visual site builder gives you a high degree of freedom when it comes to creating the interface, without writing CSS. But you are locked into a specific provider, and the more custom of a design you want, the more relevant knowing HTML & CSS becomes.

Webflow Ease: Moderate | Cost: High
Create websites using Figma like interface.
Framer Ease: Moderate | Cost: High
Create websites using Figma like interface.
Builder.io Ease: Moderate | Cost: High
A drag-and-drop builder that works with code-based frameworks for more flexibility.
WebStudio Ease: Moderate | Cost: Low
An open-source visual builder that offers a free self-hosted option.
Figma Sites Ease: Moderate | Cost: High
Takes designs in Figma, the visual design tool, to create a website.

5. Documentation pages & knowledge bases

These tools focus on providing a simple way to build content-heavy documentation sites. They use complex web frameworks that you can utilize to customize as needed, or you can keep it simple and follow the setup and then write your content in markdown files.

Starlight Ease: Moderate | Cost: Free
Create documentation sites using Markdown. Utilizing Astro.
Nextra Ease: Moderate | Cost: Free
Create documentation sites using Markdown. Utilizing Next.js.
VitePress Ease: Moderate | Cost: Free
Create documentation sites using Markdown. Utilizing Vue.

6. Custom coding

Best for: Full control, performance optimization, and unique functionality.

If you want absolute freedom, you have to code it yourself. At the core, this means HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

My Personal Stack:

  • Knowledge Bases: For sites like this page, I use Starlight.
  • Static Pages: For my personal blog, I also use Astro.
  • Interactive: If I need complex behavior, I add Svelte components.
  • Web Apps: For highly interactive applications, I move to SvelteKit.
Sources & References