Need a website, but every builder is promising to be the easiest one. The fastest answer is to pick the tool that matches the job, add your pages, preview the layout, and publish from the same dashboard.
These are the current paths for the main website builders people actually use in 2026, from simple free sites to stores and self-hosted WordPress.
1. Pick the builder that fits the website
Start here, because the wrong builder turns a simple website into a weekend project.
- Google Sites works for a basic site made in a browser on a computer.
- Wix fits drag-and-drop editing, templates, and AI-assisted site creation.
- Squarespace fits template sites, visual editing, and Blueprint AI setups.
- WordPress.com gives you hosted WordPress with themes, patterns, homepage design, and a launch setting.
- Shopify and Square Online are the store-first choices for products and business pages.
- Canva Websites is built for no-code website publishing from Canva.
- GitHub Pages fits users who are comfortable publishing from a GitHub repository. On a free account, Pages works with public repositories; publishing from a private repository needs a paid plan like GitHub Pro, Team, or Enterprise.
Skip old tutorials that tell you to create a new site with Classic Google Sites or Adobe Muse. Classic Sites creation ended in 2021, and Adobe Muse support ended in 2020. For new Square-owned site projects, use Square Online instead of starting with Weebly.
2. Launch a free basic site with Google Sites
- 1.Go to sites.google.com on a computer.
- 2.Create a site or open an existing site.
- 3.Add your pages and content.
- 4.Click Preview to check the layout.
- 5.Click Publish.
- 6.Enter the web address.
- 7.Click Publish again.
Google Sites is the quick route when you need a simple public or restricted site from a computer browser. To control access after publishing, click Share, go to Published site, choose Restricted or Public, then click Save or Done.
3. Build faster with Wix AI or the Wix Editor
Use Wix when you want a visual editor, a template, or an AI-generated starting point.
For the standard Wix Editor path, go to Wix.com, click Get Started, sign up, edit the site in Wix Editor, then click Publish in the top-right corner. After it goes live, choose View Site, then click Done.
For the AI route, open Wix AI Website Builder, choose Create with AI, describe your vision, business goals, and style, then edit the generated site with Aria and the drag-and-drop editor. Click Publish when the site is ready for visitors.
Saving in Wix keeps your work. Publish makes the changes live.
4. Design a polished site in Squarespace
- 1.Start a Squarespace trial.
- 2.Choose a template or use Blueprint AI.
- 3.Open the Pages panel.
- 4.Click + next to Main Navigation.
- 5.Select a page type or Page Layouts.
- 6.Enter the page title, then press Enter.
- 7.Edit the page with Add Block or an insert point.
- 8.Open Site Styles to set fonts, colors, animations, and spacing.
- 9.Click Save or Exit.
Squarespace is the cleanest match when you want to start from a template or let Blueprint AI assemble the first version. To publish the site, put it on a paid subscription, open Site Availability, select Public, then click Save. For private sharing, choose Password Protected, enter a password, then click Save.
5. Create a hosted WordPress site on WordPress.com
WordPress.com is the simpler WordPress path because it keeps hosting and launch controls inside the hosted dashboard.
- Create a site on WordPress.com.
- Choose or activate a theme.
- Use patterns to build pages.
- Design the homepage, header, and footer.
- Customize colors and fonts.
- Go to Dashboard > Settings > Reading > Site Visibility.
- Select Launch site.
WordPress.com also has an AI Website Builder. Click Get started, describe the site in plain language, answer the follow-up questions, then refine the generated layout, images, and content by chat or in the WordPress editor before launching.
6. Sell products with Shopify or Square Online
- 1.Open Shopify admin.
- 2.Go to Online Store.
- 3.Click Pages.
- 4.Click Add page.
- 5.Enter the title and content.
- 6.Set Visibility to Visible or Hidden.
- 7.Click Save.
If the website exists to sell, start with store tools instead of forcing a general website builder to act like one. To draft page text with Shopify Magic, click the Generate text icon in the Title or Content section, enter a description or prompt, submit it, edit the generated text, then click Save.
For Square Online, sign in to Square Dashboard, go to Channels > Square Online, then set up the website. To publish, open Channels > Square Online > Website > Editor, click Publish, then open the live-site link in the confirmation popup.
7. Publish through Canva, GoDaddy, Hostinger, or GitHub Pages
These options cover quick design sites, small business builders, AI-assisted hosting tools, and static GitHub publishing.
- Canva Websites - In the Canva editor, choose Publish as Website. On mobile, tap the export or share icon, choose Publish as Website, then choose a free domain, new domain, or existing verified domain.
- GoDaddy Websites + Marketing - Open the GoDaddy product page, expand Websites + Marketing, click Manage next to the site, choose Edit Website, make your changes, click Preview, then click Publish.
- Hostinger Website Builder - Open hPanel, go to Websites, create or open a website, choose a ready-made template or AI-generated site, customize it in the drag-and-drop editor, then click Go live. For later edits, click Update website.
- GitHub Pages - In GitHub, click the upper-right + menu, choose New repository, name it username.github.io, turn on Add README, click Create repository, then open Settings > Pages. Under Build and deployment, set Source to Deploy from a branch, choose the publishing source under Branch, click Save, and visit username.github.io after the build.
For self-hosted WordPress, use the official wordpress.org/download page. Download and unzip WordPress, create a MySQL or MariaDB database and user, add the database details to wp-config.php when needed, upload the WordPress files to your web server, then visit the uploaded URL to run the installer.
8. Preview, hide, or move the site later
Before publishing, use the preview control built into your builder: Google Sites uses Preview, GoDaddy uses Preview, and Square Online puts Preview inside Website > Editor.
- In Squarespace, open Site Availability and choose Public, Password Protected, or Private.
- In WordPress.com, go to Dashboard > Settings > Reading > Site Visibility, select Coming Soon, then click Save Changes.
- In Square Online, open Square Dashboard > Channels > Square Online > Website settings > Site preferences, then click Unpublish.
Published does not mean permanent. Need to reuse a Google Sites address? Open the old site, click the drop-down arrow next to Publish, open Publish settings, change the Web address, and click Save. Then open the new site, click Publish, enter that web address, and click Publish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to make a website in 2026?
Google Sites is the simplest route for a basic site from a computer browser. Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com, GoDaddy, Hostinger, Canva, Shopify, and Square Online also let you build and publish from hosted tools.
Can AI build a website for me?
Yes. Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com, GoDaddy, and Hostinger all offer AI website creation flows in the verified research. You still review the generated pages, edit the content, and publish the final site.
Should I use WordPress.com or WordPress.org?
Use WordPress.com for hosted WordPress with themes, patterns, and a dashboard launch setting. Use WordPress.org when you want self-hosted WordPress on your own hosting and domain.
Can I make a website private after publishing it?
Yes. Google Sites supports Restricted and Public sharing for the published site. Squarespace supports Public, Password Protected, and Private. WordPress.com can return a site to Coming Soon, and Square Online can unpublish a site.
Can I create a store website from my phone?
Shopify supports page creation in the Shopify mobile app. Open the app, tap the menu icon, go to Sales channels, choose Online Store, open Pages, tap Add page, enter the title and content, set Visibility, then save.
