6 Best Open-Source Website Builders (+ SaaS Alternatives) [2024]

Not all free open-source website builders offer the same functionality – some can bog you down with unnecessary complexity. What’s more, some of these platforms lack consistent support and make it hard to find compatible themes and plugins.

Ideally, you’d want to dive straight into creating your site without the hassle of endless setup and ongoing maintenance. So, to make your life easier, I’ve researched the best open-source website builders that help you save time while providing plenty of integrations, up-to-date documentation, and reliable support.

Alternatively, if you want to keep things simple, I also explored SaaS website builders like Wix that offer all-in-one solutions. These platforms take care of hosting, updates, and maintenance for you, while providing real-time previews, dedicated support, and automatic updates. They also offer free and affordable plans, allowing you to try them out risk-free or, at least, without breaking the bank.

Whether you’re a business owner who’s new to website creation or a tech enthusiast seeking an efficient solution, this guide will help you find the best platform to suit your needs.

When Should You Use an Open-Source Website Builder?

You should use an open-source website builder when you want full control over your website’s design, functionality, and source code. It’s ideal for those who want to practice coding, customize every aspect of their site, or need specific features not available in standard website builders.

However, open-source builders can be time-consuming and require technical skills. If you need to set up a website quickly or don’t want to deal with complex coding issues, a SaaS website builder is a more efficient choice. These platforms are easier to use and faster to implement.

What We Look For in the Best Open-Source Website Builders

When selecting the best open-source website builders, I focused on features and benefits that cater to open-source platforms’ unique advantages. Here’s what I prioritized during my tests:

• Customizability and flexibility. You need a platform that allows extensive customization to fit your specific needs. I chose website builders that offer a high degree of flexibility in design and functionality, so you can create a truly unique online presence.
• Active community support. An active community can be a game-changer for troubleshooting and innovation. I looked for platforms with strong community support, so you can access a wealth of knowledge and resources for any issues or enhancements.
• Regular updates and security. I prioritized website builders that are regularly updated with new features and security patches, helping you protect your site and benefit from the latest advancements.
• Comprehensive documentation. Clear and thorough documentation is essential for effectively using an open-source platform. All my recommendations provide detailed guides and tutorials, making it easier for you to navigate and utilize the platform’s capabilities.

1. WordPress.org: Most Beginner-Friendly Open-Source Builder

WordPress.org is an open-source platform that allows you to customize every aspect of your website without limitations. Its default block editor makes creating and managing content easy, even if you’re new to web development. Also, the dashboard is highly customizable, so you can add, remove, and rearrange widgets, modify menu items, and apply admin themes for a personalized user experience.

While you’ll need to sort out your own hosting and domain name, WordPress.org provides a vast library of free and premium themes, as well as plugins that extend functionality – from SEO optimization to e-commerce capabilities. You can install Elementor, a drag-and-drop visual page builder that can help you build sites quickly with no code. If your site is a major part of your business strategy, WordPress.org has the resources to support your big ambitions.

Features

• Easy monetization. You can put content behind a subscription, publish sponsored content, position ads and affiliate links on your site, create an online shop, and more without paying anything upfront, which isn’t the case with WordPress.com
• An abundance of DIY troubleshooting resources. WordPress.org has bustling community-based forums where thousands of experts hang out. Should you experience issues with your site, you can get free guidance there.
• 55,000+ plugins. Better SEO? Yoast SEO is here to help. Fight spam? Akismet can save you hours of manual work. Faster loading time? Take off with WP Rocket. There’s just one problem: too many plugins (or even one poorly coded) can cause too many problems. Some of them will have a beef with others. Be careful who you’re inviting to reside on your site.

2. Drupal: Most Secure CMS With Advanced Design Features

Drupal has a global community of over 1 million developers who contribute to its security through updates and code reviews. It also has a dedicated security team that addresses vulnerabilities and provides regular advisories. Aside from security, Drupal offers next-level customization, but much of it requires coding. Some low to no-code tools can help you make basic changes, but even maintaining your site might require technical knowledge.

Since it’s focused on developers, Drupal is best suited for sites that are complex, heavy on traffic, with large databases and resource libraries, and thousands of pages. It has built-in multi-language support, making it excellent for creating multilingual sites. Due to the smaller selection of plugins and themes, it’s considered one of the most secure content management system (CMS). Fun fact: NASA’s site runs on Drupal!

Features

• 50,000+ free modules. Need to supercharge your site with forms? Check out Webform. Protect your site from bots? Captcha is here to help. Create and edit page layouts with a click? Display Suite can save you valuable time. Evaluate how your content is performing? Google Analytics.
• 3,000+ free themes. You can customize any theme sans coding by altering the color palette, background, and favicon. Make sure you choose one that’s flexible, mobile-responsive, and covered by the Drupal security advisory policy. You can also purchase themes.
• Easy-to-use frontend and content creation tools. Creating and maintaining a Drupal site might require technical knowledge, but your site contributors don’t need to know any code. Writers and editors can add media, hyperlinks, and other elements using the simple editor. It’s as easy as using Word.

3. Joomla: Endless Resources for Complex Sites & E-commerce

Joomla’s scalability and Access Control List (ACL) system allow for detailed control over user roles – like assigning different access levels to customers and managers in an online shop. However, like Drupal, Joomla isn’t beginner-friendly. Personally, its content panel full of dev terminology, myriad of settings, and a complex database structure overwhelmed me. Even installing extensions is not as straightforward as on WordPress.org.

You can use the Joomlart Page Builder for drag-and-drop functionality. For anything more complex than a basic blog or small online shop, you either need technical knowledge or hire a Joomla developer. It’s best suited for complex e-commerce sites and medium to big sites that require advanced features.

Features

• Ability to use more than one template. Your Joomla pages don’t have to look alike! Joomla allows you to choose different templates for different pages and create diverse designs across your website. The customization options may vary based on the templates.
• 8,000 free and paid extensions. That’s far less than WordPress.org, but nothing to sneeze at. Joomla Content Editor (JCE), Widgetkit, Akeeba Backup, Admin Tools, RSform, and SP Page Builder are the most used among web developers.
• Advanced e-commerce functionality. It has a vast range of features that allow you to do almost anything with your store. Some of them include multilingual support, easy multi-store management, shopping cart and payment gateway integrations, control lists for different customer groups, one-page checkout, etc.

4. Symfony: Best For Complex Features & Easy Testing

Symfony is a full-stack, PHP, open-source framework that can be used to build all types of websites, from mommy blogs to the next Spotify. It boasts one of the most active communities among PHP frameworks, with users continuously introducing new and fine-tuning existing modules and other components.

Although it’s known for simplifying the web development process, you still need the technical know-how to rack up those benefits. If you have it, you can use Symfony to develop and implement complex off-the-shelf features for your site. Otherwise, get ready to pay for a developer or spare a few months to master the framework.

Features

• Easy testing. Symfony makes unit testing a breeze with its reliable tools for behavioral and functional unit testing designed to work with PHPUnit. It simulates HTTP requests and validates the output. You can also automate functional testing.
• Customization features. You can use the full stack version option if you need a complex website with multiple functionalities. The brick-by-brick process allows you to use specific features of the framework to develop a site with selective functions based on your unique needs, while the micro framework is ideal for developing very specific functionalities.
• 200+ independent components. These are standalone reusable PHP libraries that you can use as a foundation for various projects on your website to speed up the development process.

5. GrapesJS: Plenty of Customization Options

GrapeJS is a free, open-source web builder framework that helps you build HTML templates without touching a line of code. Personally, I didn’t find it as easy as it sounds – it takes time to master the platform if you’re a total beginner.

It has a drag-and-drop visual editor and blocks of reusable HTML, which are elements like buttons, forms, and images that you can use to build complex pages in less time. There are built-in blocks, but you can also create your own and give them different attributes, which ultimately requires you to code.

Features

• Responsive design. GrapesJS provides all the tools you need to optimize your site for different devices.
• Limitless styling options. Its Style Manager module allows you to customize website components separately for a unique look. You can use the default version or expand its capabilities using the Style Manager API.
• Layer and Asset Manager. The Layer Manager allows you to manage and move components faster, especially when your site has too many. The Asset Manager keeps your media files organized and helps you arrange them in ways that complement your site structure and aesthetic.

6. Publii: Best Open-Source Site Builder for Static Sites

Publii is an open-source static site generator. Unlike WordPress.org and Drupal, where content is stored and managed in a database, Publii uses a content source and creates HTML pages from components or templates that are uploaded directly to a server.

Publii has dozens of stylish themes, but only 13 of them are free options. Its plugin ecosystem is pretty basic, including essentials like Google Analytics, LiveChat, and Commento. There’s a selection of customization options and styling tools to personalize your site. Publii is mainly for creating blogs, portfolio websites, documentation sites, and landing pages, but don’t expect a static site to grow with you.

Features

• Content creation tools for bloggers. Publii offers 3 different, intuitive writing editors (block, WYSIWYG, and markdown editor), rich media options, Tags and Authors system to organize content with keywords, and more.
• Plenty of site speed tools. Static sites load faster, but Publii also provides tools like automatic file compression, lazy loading, responsive images, and code minifying to help you run even faster across the web space. You can also install the Image Decoding plugin for your image-rich posts to load faster.
• Strong SEO tools. Publii has all the basic SEO options plus automatic data markup, XML sitemap, and open-graph tag support. It also allows you to create your own SEO logic. The Pretty URL option is pretty cool – it allows you to switch to SEO-friendly URLs in an instant.

The Best Free Alternatives to Open-Source Website Builders

If you want to save time and money but still get a website completely tailored to your niche, I have listed some of the best SaaS website builders. These open-source website builder alternatives don’t require coding, and you can set them up in minutes.

1. Wix: Drag-&-Drop Editor Provides Next-Level Design Freedom1

Wix provides the greatest design freedom of all SaaS builders I’ve tested. Its drag-and-drop editor won’t frame your design into a grid, meaning you can freely move and combine elements. As a web design amateur, I was able to build a professional-looking site fast1, which wasn’t the case with open-source website builders.

SaaS website builders often get a bad rep for SEO, but that’s not the case with Wix. Its redesigned SEO dashboard rocks! It includes step-by-step SEO setup checklist, Google Search Console insights, and personalized educational materials based on your level of SEO knowledge.

You get plenty of freebies with Wix, including SSL, web hosting, access to 800+ customizable templates, and up to 500MB of storage and bandwidth. While its free plan is limited, Wix is an excellent option for small to mid-size businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and anyone looking to build a custom site on a budget.

Features

• Great blogging features. You can choose from 70+ blog templates and set up one in minutes. The Rich Text Editor allows you to style your blog with quotes, bullets, media, and more. You can add social buttons, put your content behind a paywall, and translate it into 180 languages with Wix Multilingual.
• Impressive marketing features. Wix has plenty of marketing tools and apps for email marketing, social media, promotional materials, video creation, and more.
• 9500+ apps. There’s a readily available app for every need through the Wix App market, and many of them are free! You can find categories with apps dedicated to Design Elements to customize your site further. The Wix Pro Gallery can improve your site’s visual presentation, while Impressive Site Menu lets you enhance your site’s navigation with different menu types and icons.
• Excellent e-commerce features. Selling on Wix is a premium feature, ideal for small to mid-size online shops. Wix has 100+ online store templates, hassle-free store management, multichannel sales support, and 80+ payment options. It also allows extensive customization with APIs.

Read our detailed Wix review for more info.

2. SITE123: The Fastest Way to Launch a Website1

SITE123’s point-and-click editor made my website creation process a breeze. I was able to partially customize colors, fonts, header, and footer elements and make minor tweaks to the site structure.

There are 80+ free mobile-responsive templates across different categories like Business and Online Store. While I found many templates share similar design elements, there’s enough variety that you shouldn’t have to look too hard to find one that fits your style. There are also ready-made templates for pages, including About, Services, Contact, and Store.

SITE123’s free plan covers the basics – hosting and 250MB of storage and bandwidth. But you can’t install apps and plugins unless you upgrade to one of the paid plans, which are typically cheaper than competitors. If you need a basic portfolio site, blog, business site, or online shop, SITE123 can get you online fast1.

Features

• Free useful site elements. If you have basic needs, you can build a fully-functional free site with SITE123 using elements like a blog page, forms, and an appointment booking tool.
• User-friendly dashboard. You can manage your site from one easy-to-use dashboard, where all functions and features are clearly labeled.
• Custom Code. If you’re a paying customer, you can embed a custom code for both your website front (e.g. banners and popups) and backend (e.g. heatmaps and tracking pixels).
• Impressive customer support. While Wix makes it a bit harder to talk to a real human, SITE123 connects you with one in minutes. Its live chat is available in English and 16 other languages, and the button is accessible from every page on the site. When I first landed on SITE123, I was offered to schedule a 15-minute call with a SITE123 expert. The email support is also fast and attentive.

Check out our expert SITE123 review for more details.

3. WordPress.com: Best Plugins for Advanced Customizations1

WordPress.com is the SaaS version of the good old WordPress.org CMS. It’s easier to use and less technical than its open-source counterpart, but it has a steeper learning curve than similar website builders.

WordPress.com has endless plugins1 – for every need and feature you can imagine. You can’t install any plugins on the free plan (only on the Business plan and up), but you get 13GB of storage space, hosting, mobile-responsive themes, and community support. Enough for a simple blog.If you’re not planning to pay a dime, you’re better off with Wix’s free plan that gives you access to its app market.

WordPress.com provides next-level customization and flexibility that isn’t available at any other website builder. As such, it’s best suited for complex sites heavy on content, traffic, and features, especially if you subscribe to one of its top-tier plans.

Features

• Full Site Editor. The site editor allows you to customize block-based themes without code. It consists of three parts: editing a page template, editing specific parts of the template, and customizing Styles like Typography, Colors, and Layout.
• Block Content Editor. This treats every element like a separate block, allowing you to drag and drop them and apply specific changes like size, color, and media to every content block. It provides lots of flexibility to create diverse and wow-worthy posts and pages, making it perfect if you’re a blogger or creator.
• Advanced customization with CSS. WordPress.com allows you to further customize your site design with CSS code on its Premium, Business, and Commerce
• Excellent out-of-the-box SEO. You can easily optimize your site title, tagline, URL slugs, and descriptions. Each site comes with a powerful SEO toolkit that includes auto-generated XML sitemaps that help search engines index your site, easy site verification methods, clean URLs for intuitive categorizing, and more. There are also plenty of SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and All in One SEO.

Read our expert WordPress review for more info.

Choose a Website Builder That’s Best for Your Needs

While the best open-source website builders offer unparalleled customization, flexibility, and control, you need to consider the time and expertise required to master these platforms. You may also need to budget for hiring professionals if you lack the technical skills.

Among all open-source website builders, WordPress.org is the most beginner-friendly. Its intuitive block editor, customizable dashboard, and access to thousands of themes and plugins make it easy for new users to build and manage their websites without advanced technical skills.

If opting for an open-source website builder can turn into a burden for your schedule, budget, and sanity, choose Wix1. This SaaS website builder combines ease of use and a great range of useful features to quickly create your site. For more options, see our list of the best DIY website builders in 2024.

FAQ

What is the most popular open source website builder?

WordPress.org is the most popular open-source content management system (CMS), accounting for 43% of all websites on the internet.

Is Wix actually free?

Yes, Wix has a free plan that allows you to build and publish a personal website. It includes hosting, up to 500MB of storage and bandwidth, 800+ templates, and access to its customer support.

Is Wix easier than WordPress?

Yes, Wix is easier to use than WordPress. It features a drag-and-drop interface that requires no coding skills. While WordPress.com (a website builder) and WordPress.org (a content management system) provide intuitive dashboards and plugins, they still present a steeper learning curve – especially WordPress.org – compared to the simplicity of Wix.

What is the best free software to build a website?

Wix is the best free software to build a website. The website builder’s free plan comes with essentials like web hosting and up to 500MB of storage and bandwidth. You also get access to 800+ professionally designed templates, an SEO dashboard with personalized advice, analytics, blogging functionality, a free stock library, and dozens of free apps to enhance your site’s function.