best diy website builder australia
Which DIY website builder is right for small businesses in Australia? Honest pros, cons and real-world guidance.
This guide compares the top DIY website builders available in Australia — Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com, Shopify, GoDaddy and a few newer entrants — across price, SEO, speed, ease-of-use and e-commerce capabilities. If you want to build yourself we'll help you choose. If you'd rather skip the learning curve, there's a simpler alternative for busy trades and service businesses explained below.
Top DIY Website Builders in Australia — Quick Summary
Easy visual builder, app marketplace, decent SEO tools. Can become complex if you need custom features.
Beautiful templates, consistent UI, built-in ecommerce. Slightly steeper learning curve than Wix.
Powerful CMS, wide plugin ecosystem. More technical for advanced features; hosting and plugins can add cost.
Leading ecommerce platform in Australia with local payment integrations. Less suited for simple brochure sites.
Fast setup, bundled domain options, but limited design flexibility and upsells.
Low-cost plans and AI text/image helpers. Good for simple sites but features can be limited.
Detailed Comparison
| Platform | Starting cost (AU) | Ease of use | SEO tools | E‑commerce | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | $0–$29/mo | Drag-and-drop; very approachable | Good basics; SEO Wiz | Basic to advanced via apps | 24/7, community, docs |
| Squarespace | $16–$49/mo | Template-driven; predictable | Solid basics; manual controls | Built-in; good for small stores | Email + chat support |
| WordPress.com | $0–$45+/mo (hosting varies) | Steeper; powerful CMS | Excellent (with plugins) | Strong (WooCommerce on WP.org) | Community + paid support |
| Shopify | $29–$399+/mo | Built for stores; simple product & checkout flow | Good for product SEO | Best-in-class ecommerce | 24/7 support |
| GoDaddy | $10–$25/mo | Fast set up; less flexible | Basic SEO | Basic ecommerce | Phone + chat |
| Zyro / Others | $2.90–$19/mo | Very simple; AI helpers | Basic/limited | Entry-level | Email/support hours |
Note: Pricing is indicative for 2025 and varies with promotions, annual billing and add‑ons (domains, email, advanced apps/plugins). Always confirm current pricing on the provider's site.
Builder-by-builder: Pros, Cons and When to Use Each
Wix — Visual builder with many templates
- True drag-and-drop designer — see changes live.
- Large template library and app marketplace.
- Beginner-friendly SEO wizard and guides.
- Free plan available (Wix branding).
- Templates can be rigid once chosen — switching later may require rebuilding pages.
- Site speed may vary with heavy apps and content.
- Some advanced features require paid apps.
Best if you want fast visual control and don't need deep technical customization.
Squarespace — Design-first templates
- Cleaner, professionally designed templates out of the box.
- Consistent editing experience; strong image handling.
- Good for portfolios, cafes, small stores and creative businesses.
- Less flexible than Wix in layout freedom.
- Fewer third-party integrations compared with WordPress.
- Not the cheapest for ecommerce at scale.
Best if visual design matters and you prefer consistent templates to fiddly layout control.
WordPress.com — Content-first & extensible
- Powerful CMS for blogs, multi-page sites and advanced features.
- Huge plugin ecosystem on WordPress.org self-hosted installs.
- Great SEO potential with the right plugins and hosting.
- Can be more technical to configure (themes, plugins, hosting).
- Costs add up when you include premium plugins, backups and better hosting.
- Maintenance and security responsibility falls more on you (unless managed hosting).
Best for publishers, sites that need plugins (booking systems, membership), or those who may scale to custom work later.
Shopify — Dedicated ecommerce leader
- Fast, reliable ecommerce with Australian payment gateways.
- Excellent cart, shipping, and product management features.
- Large app ecosystem for stores of all sizes.
- Monthly fees and transaction fees can add up.
- Overkill for simple brochure sites.
- Less content-centric flexibility compared to WordPress.
Best for businesses whose primary goal is online sales and inventory management.
GoDaddy Website Builder — Fast & simple
- Very fast setup and clear domain bundling options.
- Good for one-page brochure sites and listings.
- Phone support is available in Australia.
- Design and customization are limited compared with other platforms.
- Upsell-heavy; valuable features can be paywalled.
Best for owners who want a very quick, low-effort web presence and are price-focused.
Zyro & Newer Builders — Cheap, AI-assisted
- Low starting prices and AI content/image helpers.
- Great for single-service trades or landing pages.
- Simple editor and fast templates.
- Features and integrations can be limited vs bigger players.
- Long-term scalability is a question for growing businesses.
Best for tight budgets and very simple sites — good short-term, less flexible long-term.
SEO & Ads: What DIY builders do well — and where they fall short
All major DIY builders offer basic SEO tools: editable title tags, meta descriptions, sitemaps and simple schema. However, the quality of results depends on how you use those tools and whether additional tasks are handled:
- On-page basics: Wix, Squarespace and WordPress.com all let you set titles and descriptions. WordPress (with plugins) gives the most control.
- Local SEO: Claiming and optimising Google Business Profile, consistent NAP (name, address, phone), and local schema are often manual tasks most platforms don’t fully automate.
- Speed & performance: Templates, images and third-party apps affect load times. Some builders (like Shopify and managed WordPress) optimise hosting better than the rest.
- Ads & conversion tracking: Adding tags (Google Ads, Meta Pixel) is possible on most platforms, but troubleshooting mismatched conversions usually requires technical know-how.
How to choose the best DIY website builder for your business
Match tools to goals
- Brochure site / lead generation: Wix or Squarespace for speed and visual polish.
- Content-heavy site: WordPress.com (or self-hosted WordPress) for flexibility.
- Online store: Shopify for scale; Squarespace or Wix for small shops.
- Tight budget & quick launch: Zyro or GoDaddy.
Checklist before you commit
- Do you need custom forms, bookings or integrations? Check plugin/app availability.
- How often will you update content? If frequent, prefer systems with simple editors or a managed service.
- Check mobile previews and run a PageSpeed test before publishing.
- Confirm domain, SSL and email options — sometimes included, sometimes extra.
Real-world time & cost tradeoff
Building a decent DIY site typically takes 20–60 hours for an owner who is learning as they go. Factor in ongoing maintenance: content updates, security, backups and ad tracking. For many small businesses the time value outweighs a small monthly fee for a managed solution.
A simpler alternative if you don't want to DIY
DIY builders are great when you have time and interest. But if you're a busy tradie, cleaner, plumber, electrician or service business with no time to tinker, a managed subscription can be a better fit.
- What a managed alternative typically handles: design, hosting, SSL, domain setup, basic local SEO, analytics and ongoing updates.
- Why that helps: you avoid the learning curve, the plugin/updates headaches and the time cost of DIY.
Example: Congero (an Australian AI-powered web design agency) offers an all-in-one monthly plan that gets a professional, mobile-optimised site live quickly, handles local SEO basics, provides analytics and accepts update requests via text — useful if you prefer to spend time on jobs instead of websites. This is presented as an example of a managed approach, not a replacement for DIY in every case.
See how builders look on mobile
Always preview templates on a phone and run a mobile PageSpeed check. Many conversions come from mobile users — make sure buttons are large enough and contact details are front-and-centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which DIY builder is best for a tradesperson (plumber, electrician)?
Can DIY builders rank well on Google in Australia?
How much does it cost to switch later?
Is a managed subscription better than DIY?
Decide with confidence
If you choose to DIY, pick the platform that matches your goals and budget — test templates on mobile and set up local SEO from day one. If you'd rather avoid the technical work, a managed option can get you live faster and keep your site optimised for local search and ads.
Example alternative: A managed service (like Congero) can deliver a professional, mobile-first website, handle basic local SEO and analytics, and accept update requests via text — useful for busy Australian tradespeople who prefer to spend time on jobs, not websites. This guide aims to be balanced — the best choice is the one that fits your time, budget and growth plans.
