Updated on March 11, 2023 1:06 PM

Best Authors Website Builders for 2023

Bruno Mirchevski
Bruno Mirchevski,
Hosting Expert
HostAdvice

Top 10 Authors Providers

If you are an author of any kind and want to get online and create a website that will emphasize and showcase your talent and work, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will share our top 10 picks for the best website builders for authors for 2022 and go into detail about what makes each of them an excellent choice for you. Thus, you will be able to pick which one you like best and create a website that will genuinely showcase and spread the word about your work to billions of people.

You can see our complete list of the best website builders for authors via our conversion chart below and learn more about each of them and how they compare with each other by continuing to read this article further. So, without further ado, let’s jump in and see which are our top 10 best authors’ website builders!

Check our Top 10 Best Authors Website Builders:

  1. Wixbest for its extensive collection of templates
  2. PixpaBest for Creating Design-Centric Author Websites
  3. Zyrobest for its AI features
  4. Squarespacebest for selling books and other content online
  5. Weeblybest for authors on a budget
  6. SITE123best for beginners
  7. WordPress.orgbest for customization
  8. Jimdo – best value for money
  9. Webflowbest for its online visual editor
  10. Ghost – best for authors who want to sell subscriptions

 

How Do We Test and Rank?

Choosing the website builders that offer the best services and features from a large pool of options is not as easy as one might think. A lot of research and testing goes into the process, and not everyone has the time to do it. That is why we have developed our own ranking system, which we used to develop our list of the best website builders for authors for 2022.

Our ranking system involves putting each builder through a series of tests and buying plans from each provider to see firsthand what each provider offers and test out their plans.

Also, each builder is ranked based on five factors that our experts see as the most important for building a great authors’ website. Each factor is assigned a specific percentage that indicates how important each factor is in building a website fit for authors. The factors include:

  • Template Design (20%): are the templates the builder offers suitable for authors, does the builder offer attractive designs, are the designs mobile-responsive, does the builder offer any templates designed specifically for authors;
  • Customization (25%): can you edit and personalize your website, what kind of customization options does the builder offer, the level of customization freedom you will get;
  • Ease-of-use (15%): how easy it is to use the builder’s tools and dashboard, is the dashboard easy to navigate, is the control panel easy to navigate, does using the builder require coding skills, is the builder suitable for beginners, does the builder have a steep learning curve;
  • Features (30%): what kind of features does the builder offer, does the builder offer any features suitable for authors, can authors sell their work with the builder;
  • Pricing (10%): is there a free plan, is there a free trial, are the builder’s prices generally affordable and are the features the builders provide worth the price of the plans.

How to Choose the Best Website Builder for Authors?

When choosing which is the ideal website builder for you, you need to take into consideration what you need from it first. So, first, you need to decide what your priorities are – do you only want to show snippets of your work via a blog, do you want to sell books or stories, do you want to sell subscriptions or all of the above.

However, there are a few other things you should look for from your website builder, including:

  • Well-designed and high-quality templates – since your website will represent you as an author and will be a direct gateway between you and your readers, it needs to look good, to say the least. Thus, it would be best to always look for a builder that offers the highest quality templates. Also, some builders offer designer-made templates, so you should keep an eye out for those as well.
  • Extra features – another thing you need for your website are some author-specific features like the ability to add a blog, reader reviews, comments, etc.
  • Support – choose a builder that is available to you in case you have any issues, and that can be easily reached at all times. It would be best to look for a builder that offers 24/7 live chat support, phone support, email support, or a ticketing system.
  • Pricing – make sure that the prices you will pay suit your budget. Also, make sure that you will be able to afford the plan long-term since you will be maintaining your website for years to come.
  • eCommerce functionality – choosing a provider that also allows you to create and add an online store to your website is another essential factor you should look out for when picking a website builder. Even if you don’t want to sell now, you might want to later, and having that option available is always a plus.
  • Marketing tools – when it comes to marketing tools, you should look out for builders that offer tools like SEO guides, SEO optimization, keyword optimization, email marketing, and social media integrations.


The Top 10 Best Authors’ Website Builders

1. Wix – Best for Its Extensive Collection of Templates

Wix logo

  • Overall Score: 4.9
  • Template Design: 5.0
  • Customization: 4.9
  • Easy-to-use: 5.0
  • Features: 4.9
  • Pricing: 4.9

Wix is a popular website builder that offers affordable prices, excellent customization options, an intuitive drag-and-drop builder, ADI functionality, and more. It has been around for more than a decade now and has amassed a large customer base with millions of satisfied users.

No matter if you want to build a business website, an author’s website, a blog, an online store, or any other kind of website, Wix is an excellent choice regardless.

Pros:

  • 800+ high-quality templates
  • Excellent customization options
  • Great marketing tools
  • Wix ADI

Cons:

  • Templates cannot be changed once your site is live

Plan Connect Domain Combo Unlimited VIP
Price US $4.50/month US $8.50/month US $12.50/month US $24.50/month
Number Of Products Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Free Trial Yes Yes Yes Yes
Additional Feature
  • 1GB bandwidth;
  • 500MB storage space;
  • Custom domain;
  • 24/7 customer care
  • 2 GB bandwidth;
  • 3GB storage space;
  • Custom domain;
  • 24/7 customer care
  • Unlimited bandwidth;
  • 10GB storage space;
  • Custom domain;
  • 24/7 customer care
  • Unlimited bandwidth;
  • 35GB storage space;
  • Custom domain;
  • Priority customer care

Wix is best known for its high-quality, designer-made templates. It also offers numerous powerful features suitable for all kinds of websites.

Unique Features:

Templates

Wix’s templates are fully customizable and suitable for all kinds of businesses. Wix’s template collection is one of the largest on the market, and users can choose from hundreds of templates suitable for all kinds of purposes, including:

  • Business & Services – including consulting & coaching, services & maintenance, advertising & marketing, technology & apps, real estate, finance & law, automotive & cars, farming & gardening, pets & animals, health & wellness websites, beauty & hair, fashion & style, travel & tourism websites, restaurants & food, professional CV, etc;
  • Online Store – including stores for fashion & clothing, jewelry & accessories, arts & crafts, home & décor, beauty & wellness, food & drinks, sports & outdoors, electronics, kids & babies, books & publishers, and more;
  • Creative – including templates for photography websites, design, music, creative arts, portfolio & CV, video, etc.;
  • Blogs – including personal blogs, food & travel, news & business, arts, fashion & beauty, sports & wellness, podcasts, etc.;

Marketing Tools

Everyone needs powerful marketing tools for their websites so that they can promote their business and grow it online. And Wix offers precisely that. Some of the marketing tools that Wix offers include:

  • A personalized SEO plan – with Wix’s personalized SEO plan, you will be able to get an SEO setup plan, index your site on Google, and more;
  • Advanced SEO tools – with Wix’s SEO tools, you can customize your website’s meta tags, structured data, .txt file, and more;
  • Email Marketing – Wix’s email marketing features include an intuitive email editor, email automation, advanced data analytics, and more;
  • Visitor Analytics – with Wix’s analytics tools, you can get insights into your website’s traffic and how your visitors behave;
  • And more.

Wix is an excellent website builder and is one of the best ones in the market. With it, you will get all the features you might need for your author’s website and create a website that suits your needs best. If you want to learn more about Wix, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

Wix logoWix is the number one website builder for authors on our list. To learn more about Wix, click the link below.

Go to Wix

2. Pixpa – Best for Creating Design-Centric Author Websites

Final: 3 Vendor Add-Ons (Pixpa)

  • Overall Score: 4.8
  • Template Design: 5.0
  • Customization: 4.9
  • Easy-to-use: 4.9
  • Features: 4.8
  • Pricing: 4.8

Pixpa is an all-in-one website builder suitable for those who want to build a design-centric website where they can promote their books. It offers excellent templates and allows you to integrate eCommerce features to sell digital prints, downloads, subscriptions, and other products.

All Pixpa sites are mobile-responsive and work great on both mobile and desktop devices. You can create all kinds of websites with Pixpa, from one-page sites to creative, content-driven portfolios and author’s websites.

Pros:

  • Beginner-friendly
  • 15-day free trial
  • 100+ templates suitable for many purposes
  • Advanced SEO features

Cons:

  • Slightly limited storage options compared to other platforms
  • No eCommerce capabilities with the entry-level plan

Pixpa is best known for its portfolio templates and photo gallery apps. It offers all the features one might need to get started and create the website of their dreams.

Plan Basic Creator Professional Advanced
Price US $6/month US $12/month US $18/month US $25/month
Number of Products None Five 50 1,000
Free Trials  Yes Yes Yes Yes
Additional Feature
  • Mobile-Optimized Websites
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Up to 100 gallery images
  • Advanced SEO features
  • eCommerce integration
  • Mobile-Optimized Websites
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Up to 300 gallery images
  • Blogging features
  • Advanced SEO features
  • Free Custom Domain
  • eCommerce integration
  • Mobile-Optimized Websites
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Unlimited gallery images
  • Blogging features
  • Advanced SEO features
  • Free Custom Domain
  • Up to five user accounts
  • eCommerce integration
  • Mobile-Optimized Websites
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Unlimited gallery images
  • Blogging features
  • Advanced SEO features
  • Free Custom Domain
  • Unlimited user accounts
  • Advanced discount coupon options
  • Advanced image comments options

Unique Features:

Templates

All of Pixpa’s templates are fully customizable and mobile-responsive. You can switch your template whenever you want and change the design of your website if you want to. You can choose from more than 100 templates, including templates for:

  • Photography templates;
  • Creative templates – including design, art & illustration, graphic & web, architecture, and music & performing arts templates;
  • Fashion & Style templates – including templates for fashion, models & actors, beauty & style, and health & wellness;
  • Personal – including templates for personal & CV sites, blogs, travel & lifestyle sites, and wedding websites;
  • Business & Services – including templates for consulting & coaching, food & restaurants, and real estate & property websites;

Marketing and SEO Tools

You can promote your services on your website with marketing pop-ups, via which you can announce sales, promote events & book signings, showcase blog posts, capture email addresses, and more. Also, you can drive newsletter signups, promote offers & discounts, and much more.

With Pixpa’s advanced SEO tools, you can increase your site’s Google ranking and drive more visitors to it. Some of the SEO tools Pixpa offers include:

  • SiteMap.xml;
  • Automatic Robots.txt generation;
  • Site-wide SEO metadata, including page titles, descriptions, and keywords;
  • Specific SEO metadata for individual pages and galleries;
  • SEO alt tags;
  • Search engine-friendly URLs;
  • And more.

Pixpa is a powerful website builder that authors can use to promote their work & events and attract new readers. With it, you can sell merch, digital downloads, newsletter subscriptions, and more and grow your business online.

Final: 3 Vendor Add-Ons (Pixpa)

Pixpa is one of the best website-building platforms for creatives and design-centric sites on the market. To learn more about its features and plans, Go to Pixpa.

Visit Pixpa

3. Zyro – Best for Its AI Features

Zyro logo

  • Overall Score: 4.8
  • Template Design: 4.7
  • Customization: 4.9
  • Easy-to-use: 4.7
  • Features: 4.9
  • Pricing: 5.0

Zyro is an easy-to-use website builder that offers unique AI features to its users. Also, it offers very affordable prices, and all of its AI features and tools are free to use for all its users. Even though it has not been around for a long time, Zyro has established itself to be a serious competitor and an excellent solution for all kinds of websites, including websites for authors.

Pros:

  • Powerful AI tools
  • Affordable prices
  • Beginner-friendly
  • High-quality templates

Cons:

  • It does not offer templates specifically designed for authors

Zyro is best known for its excellent AI tools that users can use for free no matter which plan they get.

Plan Website Business Online Store Advanced Store
Price US $2.90/month US $4.90/month US $8.90/month US $15.90/month
Number of Products None Up to 100 Up to 100 Up to 2,500
Free Trials Yes Yes Yes Yes
Additional Feature
  • Free domain for one year
  • Free email for three months
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Marketing integrations
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited storage
  • AI
  • Blogging tools.
  • Free domain for one year
  • Free email for three months
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Marketing integrations
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited storage,
  • AI
  • Blogging tools
  • Accepts online payments
  • Free domain for one year
  • Free email for three months
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Marketing integrations
  • More than 70 payment methods
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited storage
  • AI
  • Blogging tools
  • Accept online payments
  • All eCommerce functions
  • Free domain for one year
  • Free email for three months
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Marketing integrations
  • More than 70 payment methods
  • Abandoned cart recovery
  • Selling in multiple languages
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited storage
  • AI
  • Blogging tools
  • Accepts online payments
  • All eCommerce functions
  • Product filters
  • Selling on Amazon and eBay

Unique Features:

Unique AI Tools

As we mentioned, Zyro uses state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence in its AI features. Individuals and businesses can use Zyro’s AI tools for all kinds of purposes, including:

  • AI Logo Maker – with the Logo Maker, Zyro users can design a free, professional logo for their businesses. Also, creating a logo with Zyro’s AI Logo Maker will only take you a few minutes to complete.
  • AI Slogan Maker – with the Slogan Maker, Zyro users can design a memorable slogan for their business in four easy steps:
    1. Enter a keyword
    2. Generate slogans
    3. Choose a slogan
    4. And you’re done
  • AI Content Generator – with Zyro’s content generator, you can generate all kinds of texts, including texts for restaurants & food, health & living, sports & entertainment, beauty & cosmetics, events & weddings, agriculture & farming, fashion & apparel, sustainability, art & design, music & entertainment, hotels & travel, small business, gaming, and professional services.
  • AI Website Heatmap – with the Website Heatmap, you can find out what your visitors do and which pages they visit the most on your website.
  • AI Background Remover – with Zyro’s Background Remover, you can remove the background from your photos with one simple click and get a transparent background for any photo.
  • AI Image Upscaler – with Zyro’s Image Upscaler, you can enhance photos and upgrade low-resolution snaps.
  • AI Business Name Generator – with this tool, you can generate ideas for your business with just a few clicks.
  • AI Blog Title Generator – with Zyro’s Blog Title Generator, you can generate blog titles for numerous topics, like fashion, food, DIY, fitness, travel, music, auto, movie, lifestyle, and more.

Other helpful tools you can get with Zyro include an image resizer, privacy policy generator, refund policy generator, terms & conditions generator, domains, Titan email, and more.

Zyro is a newer edition on the website-building market that has already proven to be a serious competitor to the old-timers. It offers affordable prices, high-quality templates, and unique AI features that serve all kinds of purposes. If you want to learn more about Zyro, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

Zyro logoZyro is an excellent website builder that comes with powerful AI features and tools. To learn more about Zyro, click on the link below.

Go to Zyro

4. Squarespace – Best for Selling Books and Other Content Online

Squarespace logo

  • Overall Score: 4.7
  • Template Design: 4.8
  • Customization: 4.7
  • Easy-to-use: 4.6
  • Features: 4.7
  • Pricing: 4.6

Squarespace is another popular user-friendly website builder. It is a builder that is primarily focused on design and provides design-centric templates that are both unique and professional. The builder was explicitly made for creatives, so it is an ideal fit for authors looking to get online.

Pros:

  • Professional, high-quality templates
  • Easy to use
  • Excellent SEO and marketing tools
  • Advanced eCommerce features

Cons:

  • There are no author-specific templates

Thanks to its advanced eCommerce features, Squarespace is best for creating an online store. It is an ideal fit for authors who want to add an online store to their websites where readers can buy books, merch, and other products.

Plan Personal Business Commerce (Basic) Commerce (Advanced)
Price US $19/month US $33/month US $36/month US $65/month
Number of Products None Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Free Trials Yes Yes Yes Yes
Additional Feature
  • Mobile-Optimized Websites
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • 30 minutes video storage
  • Fully integrated eCommerce
  • Mobile-Optimized Websites
  • Gift cards
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • 30 minutes of video storage
  • Fully integrated eCommerce,
  • Mobile-Optimized Websites,
  • Gift cards,
  • Point of sale,
  • Customer accounts,
  • Products on Instagram.
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • 30 minutes of video storage
  • Fully integrated eCommerce,
  • Mobile-Optimized Websites,
  • Gift cards,
  • Point of sale,
  • Customer accounts,
  • Products on Instagram,
  • Abandoned cart recovery,
  • Sell subscriptions.
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • 30 minutes of video storage

Unique Features:

eCommerce Features

Squarespace offers numerous high-quality templates designed specifically for online stores. The templates are fully-customizable, and you can change them whenever you want, even after you launch your website.

With Squarespace, you can showcase your products in the best light, allow your readers to browse your merch, add products to their carts, and check out quickly. You can also sell services with Squarespace, sell digital content like e-books, sell subscriptions, and more.

Users can also schedule appointments and manage checkouts, payments, and taxes all in one place. Building an online store with Squarespace is pretty straightforward and involves six steps:

  • Browse Squarespace’s template collection, choose the one you like best and start your free trial or purchase a plan from the get-go;
  • Register or transfer a domain name;
  • Set up your online store by adding your books and other products and connecting a payment processor;
  • If you want to sell services, you can set up appointments via Squarespace scheduling;
  • Customize your store by adding elements and categories;
  • Use Squarespace’s marketing and SEO tools to grow your online business.

Templates

As we mentioned, Squarespace is built specifically for creatives and offers numerous high-quality, design-centric templates, including templates for:

  • Art & Design;
  • Photography;
  • Health & Beauty;
  • Personal & CV;
  • Fashion;
  • Professional Services;
  • Local Businesses;
  • Community & Non-Profits;
  • Food;
  • Entertainment;
  • Travel;
  • Restaurants;
  • Media & Podcasts;
  • Events;
  • Weddings;
  • Real Estate & Properties;
  • Home & Décor;
  • Nature & Animals.

Overall, Squarespace is an excellent website builder that offers plenty of powerful and valuable features. It is best known for its online stores, so it is ideal for creating a unique online store where you can sell books, merchandise, and other kinds of products and services. If you want to learn more about Squarespace, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

Squarespace logoSquarespace is an excellent website builder known for its exquisite online stores. To learn more about Squarespace, click on the link below.

Go to Squarespace

5. Weebly – Best for Authors on a Budget

Weebly logo

  • Overall Score: 4.6
  • Template Design: 4.5
  • Customization: 4.5
  • Easy-to-use: 4.7
  • Features: 4.6
  • Pricing: 4.7

Weebly is one of the most affordable website builders on the market. It offers a great free plan and affordable prices for its premium plans. Also, it is easy to use and beginner-friendly and has all the necessary features and tools an author might need to build a website. In addition to all of that, Weebly also has a large App Center where users can find and add all kinds of useful apps to their websites.

Pros:

  • Free plan
  • Beginner-friendly
  • Extensive App Center

Cons:

  • It does not offer as many customization tools as other competitors

Weebly is best known for its free plan and affordable premium plans. Also, it offers excellent integration options with numerous useful third-party apps.

Plan Free Connect Pro Business
Price US $0 US $5/month US $12/month US $25/month
Number of Products Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Free Trials Yes Yes Yes Yes
Additional Feature
  • 500MB Storage;
  • SEO;
  • Lead capture and contact forms;
  • Community forum;
  • Chat and email support;
  • Domain with Weebly branding;
  • 500MB Storage;
  • SEO;
  • Lead capture and contact forms;
  • Community forum;
  • Chat and email support;
  • Connect a custom domain;
  • Unlimited storage;
  • Connect custom domain;
  • Remove Weebly ads;
  • Site search;
  • Shopping cart;
  • SEO;
  • Lead capture and contact forms;
  • Advanced site stats;
  • Community forum;
  • Chat and email support;
  • Phone support;
  • Unlimited storage;
  • Connect custom domain;
  • Remove Weebly ads;
  • Site search;
  • Shopping cart;
  • Item badges,
  • Item options;
  • Square gift cards;
  • SEO;
  • Lead capture and contact forms;
  • Advanced site stats;
  • Pop-up notifications;
  • Advanced eCommerce statistics;
  • Community forum;
  • Chat and email support;
  • Phone support;

Unique Features:

Weebly App Center

You can find many useful apps in Weebly’s App Center, including apps that can help you boost traffic, spike sales, integrate your website with social media, and more. Also, you can find many apps made by Weebly in the App Center, including G Suite by Google, FAQ, Code Block, Promote Forms, Team Cards, Tabs, Eventbrite, Price Chart, Accordion, Counter, Simple Table, and more.

Other helpful apps that Weebly’s App Center offers include:

  • Advertising apps – Google Ads by Kliken, Notification Bar, Job Board, Traffic Booster, SearchBoost, Boost Sales, AdPixel, and more;
  • Apps for Email Marketing – Promote Forms, Poptin, Email Signup Form, Welcome Bar, Privy, MailMunch, Promo Bar, and more;
  • SEO – H1 Tag, Site Booster, H+ Tag, MarketGoo, MightyTags, KeywordMate, rankingCoach, Positionly, Breadcrumb, RabbitSEO, and more;
  • Social Apps – Facebook Like, Social Media Stream, Instagram Feed, Comments App, Social Buttons, Twitter Feed, and more;
  • eCommerce Apps – Printful, Price Chart, Donorbox, Donation Button, Price Table, and more;
  • And other useful apps.

Weebly is best for those who are on a tighter budget. It offers affordable prices and more than enough powerful features even though its prices are lower compared to its competitors. If you want to learn more about Weebly, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

Weebly logoWeebly is a great solution for those who want to create a website for free or for a low price. To learn more about Weebly, click on the link below.

Go to Weebly

6. SITE123 – Best for Beginners

Site123 logo

  • Overall Score: 4.5
  • Template Design: 4.4
  • Customization: 4.4
  • Easy-to-use: 4.6
  • Features: 4.5
  • Pricing: 4.5

SITE123 is an excellent website builder for beginners due to its beginner-friendly interface, excellent support, and low prices. With SITE123, you can build all kinds of websites, including blogs, an online store, and websites for authors.

Pros:

  • Extremely beginner-friendly
  • Round-the-clock support
  • Mobile-responsive templates

Cons:

  • Limited design flexibility

SITE123 is best for beginners and those who have no prior experience with building a website. Also, you do not need to have any prior coding or programming skills to use the builder and create a website.

Plan Free Premium
Price US $0/month US $5.80/month
Number of Products Unknown Unknown
Free Trials Yes Yes
Additional Feature
  • 250MB Storage;
  • 250MB Bandwidth;
  • Subdomain;
  • Site123 branding;
  • Free Domain for one year;
  • 10GB storage;
  • 5GB bandwidth;
  • Remove SITE123 Floating Tag;
  • Connect Your Domain;
  • eCommerce;

Unique Features:

Features for Building a Website

SITE123 offers all the necessary features one might need for building a fully-functioning and responsive website, including:

  • An intuitive website editor;
  • Mobile-friendly and responsive websites;
  • Free hosting;
  • SEO tools;
  • Free domain registration;
  • eCommerce functionality that allows you to add an online store to your website and sell your products;
  • Integration with Social Media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and more;
  • Integration with Google Analytics;
  • 24/7 customer support via live chat, social media, and email;

Templates

Even though SITE123 does not offer any templates designed specifically for authors, it still offers a great collection of templates of all kinds, including:

  • Business websites;
  • Blogs;
  • Restaurant & food;
  • Photography;
  • Music;
  • Creative arts;
  • Events;
  • Technology & web;
  • Handyman services;
  • And more.

SITE123 is an ideal fit for beginners who have never created a website before. It requires no coding knowledge and offers excellent support throughout the whole website-creation process. If you want to learn more about SITE123, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

Site123 logoSITE123 takes the fifth spot on our “Best website builders for authors” list. To learn more about SITE123, click on the link below.

Go to SITE123

7. WordPress.org – Best for Customization

WordPress logo

  • Overall Score: 4.4
  • Template Design: 4.4
  • Customization: 4.5
  • Easy-to-use: 4.4
  • Features: 4.5
  • Pricing: 4.4

WordPress.org is an open-source platform on which you can download and install the WordPress software for free. However, WordPress.org does not offer web hosting or domain names, so you will have to buy that separately for your website. With WordPress.org, you can create stunning WordPress blogs and websites and customize them as much as you want.

Pros:

  • Thousands of plugins are available
  • Excellent customization options
  • High-quality WordPress themes

Cons:

  • Not as easy to use as other website builders

WordPress.org is best for creating a WordPress blog or website. It is also known for offering high levels of customization freedom and excellent customization opportunities to its users.

Plan Free
Price 0$
Number of products Unlimited
Free trials Yes
Additional feature
  • SEO
  • Customizable designs
  • Mobile-friendly
  • Over 55,000 plug-ins
  • Multi-page posts
  • Ability to save drafts
  • Ability to preview posts

Unique Features:

Plugins

If you want to have access to thousands of plugins with which you can add extra functionality and customize your website as much as you want, WordPress.org is the right solution for you. No other website builder can compare to its extensive plugin library, which includes all kinds of plugins, like:

  • Classic Editor;
  • Akismet Spam Protection;
  • Jetpack;
  • Classic Widgets;
  • Gutenberg;
  • Yoast SEO;
  • Contact Form 7;
  • Elementor Website Builder;
  • WooCommerce;
  • All-in-one WP Migration;
  • Yoast Duplicate Post;
  • Wordfence Security – Firewall & Malware Scan;
  • LiteSpeed Cache;
  • MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress;
  • Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed;
  • Autoptimize;
  • WooCommerce Shipping & Tax;
  • The Events Calendar;
  • Co-Authors, Multiple Authors, and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors;
  • Simple Author Box;
  • Starbox – the Author Box for Humans;
  • Co-Authors Plus;
  • Authors List;
  • WP Post Author;
  • Authors Posts Widget;
  • One-Click Demo Import;
  • And many more.

As you can see, WordPress.org offers all kinds of plugins, from SEO and eCommerce to author-specific ones. Thus, it is the best option out there for authors who prioritize customization above all else. If you want to learn more about WordPress.org, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

WordPress logoWordPress.org is an ideal website builder for customizing and adding extra functionality to your website. To learn more about WordPress.org and everything it offers, click the link below.

Go to WordPress.org

8. Jimdo – Best Value for Money

Jimdo logo

  • Overall Score: 4.3
  • Template Design: 4.2
  • Customization: 4.2
  • Easy-to-use: 4.3
  • Features: 4.4
  • Pricing: 4.4

Jimdo is not only a website builder, but it is also an all-in-one hosting solution based in Germany. It was specifically designed for users who have no web design experience and offers excellent ADI functionality to back that up. Since it is an all-in-one solution, it offers everything you need in one place and great value for money.

Pros:

  • ADI functionality
  • Beginner-friendly
  • AI-powered website builder

Cons:

  • Limited customization options

Jimdo is best for those looking for an all-in-one website-building solution and excellent value for money. It is also suitable for creating blogs and portfolios.

Plan Play Start Grow Unlimited
Price US $0 US $9/month US $15/month US $39/month
Number of Products Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Free Trials Yes Yes Yes Yes
Additional Feature
  • .jimdosite.com subdomain;
  • HTTPS security;
  • 500MB storage;
  • 2GB bandwidth;
  • Contact forms;
  • Mobile-optimized;
  • Image library;
  • five website pages;
  • HTTPS security;
  • Free domain;
  • 5GB storage;
  • 10GB bandwidth;
  • Customer support responses within 1-2 workdays;
  • One forwarding email address;
  • Contact forms;
  • Mobile – optimized;
  • Image library;
  • Ten website pages;
  • Advanced SEO;
  • Ad-free;
  • Statistics;
  • Fast indexing on Google
  • HTTPS security;
  • Free domain;
  • 15GB storage;
  • 20GB bandwidth;
  • Customer support responses within four hours;
  • Five forwarding email addresses;
  • Contact forms;
  • Mobile-optimized;
  • Image library;
  • 50 website pages;
  • Advanced SEO;
  • Fast indexing on Google;
  • Ad-free;
  • Statistics.
  • HTTPS security;
  • Free domain;
  • Unlimited storage;
  • Unlimited bandwidth;
  • Customer support responses within one hour;
  • 20 forwarding email addresses;
  • Contact forms;
  • Mobile-optimized;
  • Image library;
  • Unlimited website pages;
  • Advanced SEO;
  • Fast indexing on Google;
  • Ad-free;
  • Statistics;
  • Professional design analysis.

Unique Features:

Website Builder

By building your website with Jimdo, you will be able to take advantage of the following features:

  • Free custom domain for the first year;
  • The ability to add galleries;
  • The ability to add videos;
  • Tips on how to rank better on Google;
  • A ticketing system where you can ask questions and receive help from Jimdo’s Customer Support team;
  • Help Center;
  • A Legal Text Generator;
  • A Logo Maker;
  • The ability to promote your business on Instagram and Facebook;
  • Jimdo Dolphin – Jimdo Dolphin is Jimdo’s ADI builder that is powered by Artificial Intelligence and allows users to create a whole website by simply answering a few questions about it. Based on the answers, Jimdo Dolphin will create the whole website for you in a matter of minutes;
  • Jimdo Creator – using Jimdo Creator is another way to build a website with Jimdo. Namely, Jimdo Creator allows you to create your website by yourself without using ADI functionality. It is still suitable for beginners and only involves three simple steps that you need to complete to create your website.

Jimdo is an excellent all-in-one solution with which you can create a website and sell your books and products in one place. It offers excellent features and an overall great value for money. If you want to learn more about Jimdo, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

Jimdo logoJimdo is an easy-to-use website builder that offers excellent value for money. To learn more about Jimdo, click on the link below.

Go to Jimdo

9. Webflow – Best for Its Online Visual Editor

Webflow logo

  • Overall Score: 4.2
  • Template Design: 4.3
  • Customization: 4.2
  • Easy-to-use: 4.3
  • Features: 4.2
  • Pricing: 4.1

Webflow is a website builder that also offers web hosting services. It was founded in 2013, and ever since then, it has been the website builder of choice for more than three million individuals and businesses. With Webflow, you can create, collaborate on, and scale stunning websites without knowing how to code. Thus, anyone can use Webfow to create a visually-stunning website and showcase their writing skills.

Pros:

  • Simple editor
  • Great customization options
  • It offers more than 100 hours of tutorials for its users

Cons:

  • No live chat or phone support

Webflow is best known for its excellent visual editor and powerful customization options. It allows users to have complete control over their websites without having to know how to code or having prior experience in web design.

Plan Starter Basic CMS Business Enterprise
Price US $0/month US $15/month US $20/month US $45/month Custom
Number of Products Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Free Trials Yes No No No No
Additional Feature
  • 50 CMS items;
  • 1GB bandwidth;
  • Webflow.io domain;
  • 1,000 monthly visits;
  • Two-factor authentication;
  • Two static pages;
  • Unlimited backupts;
  • Custom domain;
  • 0 CMS items;
  • 50GB bandwidth;
  • Remove Webflow badge;
  • 25,000 monthly visits;
  • 100 static pagesl
  • Unlimited backups;
  • Two-factor authentication;
  • Basic DoS protection;
  • Custom domain;
  • 2,000 CMS items;
  • 200GB bandwidth;
  • Three guest editors;
  • 100,000 monthly visits;
  • 100 static pages;
  • Unlimited backups;
  • Two-factor authentication;
  • Basic DoS protection;
  • Custom domain;
  • 10,000 CMS items;
  • 400GB bandwidth;
  • 10 guest editors;
  • 250,000 monthly visits;
  • 100 static pages;
  • Unlimited backups;
  • Two-factor authentication;
  • Basic DoS protection;
  • Custom domain;
  • 10,000 CMS items;
  • Custom Bandwidth;
  • Other custom Features;

Unique Features:

Templates

Webflow offers more than 1,000 responsive website templates users can choose from, including templates for the following categories:

  • Design
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Blog
  • Marketing
  • Photography & Video
  • Entertainment
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Medical
  • Education
  • Non-profits
  • Beauty & Wellness

You can also choose templates based on several languages, including Spanish, Italian, French, and German.

Webflow also allows users to choose their templates based on the style they want, including:

  • Sidebar
  • Illustration
  • Organic
  • Elegant
  • Casual
  • Luxurious
  • Dark
  • Minimal
  • Clean

Other features that Webflow offers include:

  • Hosting
  • eCommerce features
  • SEO
  • CMS
  • The ability to build website interactions and animations visually

All in all, Webflow is an excellent builder with which you will get complete customization freedom and excellent tools to design and personalize your website. If you want to learn more about Webflow, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

  • Check out our dedicated expert review on Webflow.

Webflow logoWebflow is an excellent choice for authors who want more creative control over their websites and content. To learn more about Webflow, click the link below.

Go to Webflow

10. Ghost – Best for Authors Who Want to Sell Subscriptions

Ghost logo

  • Overall Score: 4.1
  • Template Design: 4.1
  • Customization: 4.2
  • Easy-to-use: 4.0
  • Features: 4.1
  • Pricing: 4.2

Ghost is a website builder made explicitly for writers and authors. It is a non-profit organization that focuses explicitly on journalism. It was founded in 2013, and ever since then, it has served more than three million customers worldwide. Also, when you create a website with Ghost, you own 100% of your content, email subscribers, customers, designs, and the code for your website.

Pros:

  • Made specifically for writers
  • Excellent customization opportunities
  • Great customer support

Cons:

  • Not as easy to use as other website builders

Ghost is best for authors who want to build an audience and sell subscriptions. It is trusted by many authors worldwide and allows you to have complete control over your website.

Plan Starter Creator Team Business
Price US $9/month US $25/month US $50/month US $199/month
Number of Products Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Free Trials 14-day free trial 14-day free trial 14-day free trial 14-day free trial
Additional Feature
  • One staff user
  • Including 500 members
  • Official Ghost Themes
  • Built-in integrations
  • 5MB file uploads
  • Two staff users
  • Including 1,000 members
  • Custom themes
  • Custom integrations
  • 10MB file uploads
  • Five staff users
  • Including 1,000 members
  • Priority support
  • Handle high volume traffic
  • 25MB file uploads
  • Unlimited staff users
  • Including 10,000 members
  • 99.9% uptime SLA
  • 50MB file uploads

Unique Features:

Ghost Themes

Ghost offers all kinds of free and paid themes that you can use for your website. In its theme library, you can find the following collections of themes:

  • Blog
  • Changelog
  • Documentation
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Newsletter
  • Photography
  • Podcast
  • Project
  • Travel

Integrations

Ghost allows its users to integrate all kinds of apps, plugins, and tools to their websites that serve numerous purposes, including:

  • Automation
  • Utility
  • Analytics
  • eCommerce
  • Members
  • Marketing
  • Community
  • Content
  • SEO
  • Email
  • Surveys & forms
  • Social
  • Card
  • Writing

Some of the most popular third-party apps which you can integrate into your website include YouTube, Google Analytics, Zapier, Stripe, FirstPromoter, Viral Loops, Slack, Unsplash, Twitter, PayPal, MailChimp, Google AMP, Pinterest, Shopify, Disqus, and many more.

Ghost is an excellent solution for authors who want to build an audience online and sell subscriptions to their most loyal readers. If you want to learn more about Ghost, you can do so by reading our expert review on the builder.

  • Check out our dedicated expert review on Ghost.

Ghost logoGhost is an excellent website builder specifically designed for writers and authors. Click the link below to learn more about Ghost and its features, services, and prices.

Go to Ghost


Next Steps in Building the Perfect Authors’ Website

After choosing a website builder that best suits your needs, there are a few other essential things you need to do before publishing your website. Those steps include:

  • Register a domain name – a domain name is what readers will type into their browsers to find your website. Essentially, a domain name is the name of your business. If you already have a domain name, most website builders usually allow you to transfer it to them either for free or for an additional fee. When registering a new domain name, you should aim to include your website’s name in it or your own name if you are using it for your website. Also, avoid using book titles as your domain name because it will not make sense when you write and publish a new book in the future. You should also avoid using dashes in your domain name because it does not look good and may come off as unprofessional.
  • Choose a theme – building a website with most website builders usually involves these two steps – registering a domain name and then choosing a theme for your website. Make sure to choose a theme you like and feel like it represents your brand and values.
  • Customize your website – this step involves editing your theme and customizing it with your own content like a logo, photos, and other elements.
  • Add pages – if you want to build a one-page website, you can skip this step.
  • Edit your menu – some themes will automatically add each page you create to your menu. However, you can edit the menu and rearrange everything the way you like through your builder’s dashboard.
  • Set up your email list – setting up an email list can help you a lot as an author. Through it, you can send automated emails to readers via which you can promote new content, sales, and many other things. Also, you can use it as a newsletter and update your readers about upcoming releases or events.

 

What Should an Authors’ Website Include?

Before getting into what kind of content an authors’ website should include, we would like to mention that everyone is free to add whatever they want to their websites. However, there are a few standard pages that all websites should include, like:

  • Home Page – The homepage will be the first thing readers see when they click on your website. Sure, you can always skip adding one and have your blog be the first thing readers see, but having a home page is a bit more professional. Your home page can include elements like a featured book photo, email signup list form, endorsements, a link to your blog, etc.
  • About Page – An About Page is an essential part of every website, regardless of whether it’s an author’s website, business website, or any other type. Here you can share a little bit about yourself, your work, your vision, goals, etc. However, make sure to keep it short and exciting, and avoid writing your whole life story.
  • Contact Page – Here, you can share ways via which readers can contact you, like email, social media, etc.
  • Books Page – another great page you can add to your website is a page dedicated to all of your work. Here, you can add photos of your books and links where readers can buy them. Also, you can add a short description of each book so that readers have a feel of what the book is about.

Final Remarks

Promoting and putting your work online can reach billions of people at the same time. Putting your work online is the best way to spread the word about it in this day and age. Of course, not all authors have the technical expertise to build a website on their own. Fortunately, website builders exist and can easily help you get online and showcase your content. Also, website builders are usually affordable and won’t put a big hole in your pocket.

You can use our recommendation system to choose a website builder for your website since we have already conducted all the necessary research and testing needed to determine which builders are the best of the best. So, if you want to avoid spending hours and hours researching which builders are better than others and you want an expert opinion, you can use our recommendation system and choose a website builder in a matter of minutes!

Let’s summarize.

 

Top 10 Best Authors’ Website Builders: Summary

  1. Wixbest for its extensive collection of templates
  2. PixpaBest for Creating Design-Centric Author Websites
  3. Zyrobest for its AI features
  4. Squarespacebest for selling books and other content online
  5. Weeblybest for authors on a budget
  6. SITE123best for beginners
  7. WordPress.orgbest for customization
  8. Jimdo – best value for money
  9. Webflowbest for its online visual editor
  10. Ghost – best for authors who want to sell subscriptions

FAQ

Can I sell books directly from my website?

Yes, you can. Most website builders usually allow you to also build and add an online store directly to your website where you can add your books, and readers can buy them without any hassle.

Which is the most beginner-friendly website builder?

All website builders on our list are beginner-friendly. However, SITE123 is the most beginner-friendly one out of all of them. So, if finding a beginner-friendly website builder is your top priority, you can go for SITE123 without a doubt.

Why should I have a website?

By not having a website, you are missing out on all the opportunities the Internet has to offer. Via the Internet, you can target the largest audience in the world without doing much and sell your work to millions of potential customers, all from the comfort of your own home. 

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