WordPress.com is the perfect WYSIWYG website builder for business owners who want control over every minute detail of their website. But be warned: WordPress’s WYSIWYG editor isn’t quite as easy to use as other platforms.
WordPress is the only software on our list that doesn’t include a drag-and-drop editor. Instead, you stack text boxes, forms, and other content elements into a layout that loosely resembles what your page will look like. Alternatively, you can toggle from the WYSIWYG editor to an HTML editor—though either way, you’ll have to navigate to a separate page preview tab in your browser to see how your changes will actually look on the finished page.
Fortunately, there’s a way to change that. WordPress is an open-source software platform, which allows web developers to create their own third-party plugins, premade templates, and widgets. As long as you have a Business plan or higher ($25 per month), you can add any themes and plugins you want, taking your website creation to a whole new level. There are even plugins that can transform your WordPress interface into a drag-and-drop builder for a better WYSIWYG experience.
Obviously, there are pros and cons to WordPress’s infinite customization options. On the one hand, you can get anything and everything you need to run your website the way you want. You can get custom responsive site templates, and there’s a plugin for virtually every need—whether you want high-end visual elements or upgraded site security.
The downside is WordPress sites can get complicated fast. If you’re not familiar with CSS or HTML coding, it may be difficult to install and customize your plugins, which limits the effectiveness of these tools. It can also get expensive since many developers make a business out of selling their plugins and themes—sometimes for exorbitant prices.
In the end, WordPress.com is a good platform for business owners who have some coding experience and want a completely customizable site. And prices are fairly low for basic website hosting ($5 a month for an entry-level blogging site).
But because the platform is harder to use, and you can’t download plugins without spending $25 per month on a Business plan, we think you’ll probably get better value (and save yourself a lot of time and stress) with another provider.