Irmo Web Design
Estimate a budgetStart a project

Which platform should your website be built on?

Budget narrows the field. It does not make the decision. Tell us what the site has to do and who will run it, and we will recommend a platform the way we would in a discovery call: with the reasons, the tradeoffs and the stack around it.

Professional build. WordPress, Webflow and Shopify, designed and built for you.

$15,000one-time build budget
What is the site's main job?
Who will update it after launch?
How custom should it look?
How much content?
When do you need it?
What are you on today?
What matters most? Pick any.

Where we would start

WordPress

CMS

98%

At $15,000 you are in the professional build range. Given what you told us, WordPress is where we would start: service businesses, publishers and any site that lives on content.

Why it fits

  • Your budget sits in the usual WordPress range
  • Made for generating calls, forms and bookings
  • Forms, CRM and booking connect cleanly
  • Strong SEO and AI search control

Watch out for

  • Plugin sprawl and updates; needs managed hosting and a care plan
Typical build
$2,500 to $60,000
Running cost
$$
Time to launch
3 to 12 weeks
Talk this through with usRead our WordPress guide

Strong alternative

Astro

A different approach that still fits: ships almost no JavaScript; superb for content sites.

96% match, $12,000 to $120,000

Spend less

Wix Studio

Starts around $1,500 and still covers the basics.

74% match, $1,500 to $10,000

Room to grow

Next.js

If you expect to scale, Next.js is worth stretching for ($20,000+).

82% match, $20,000 to $250,000+

The stack we would build

  1. PlatformWordPressThe best home for blogs and content-heavy sites.
  2. Theme and builderCustom block themeCustom blocks for your design system; no heavy page builder.
  3. HostingWP Engine or KinstaManaged WordPress with staging and daily backups.
  4. SEOYoast or Rank Math, plus schemaSitemaps, metadata and structured data from day one.
  5. CareIrmo Web Design care planUpdates, backups, uptime and small changes after launch.
  6. AnalyticsGA4, Search Console and call trackingSo you can see which pages produce leads.

Questions we would ask you next

  • What does one new customer from the website bring in over a year?
  • Where do leads go today, and who follows up, how fast?
  • Who will own the website after launch, internally or with us?

How every platform scores for you

  1. WordPress98%
  2. Astro96%
  3. Webflow94%
  4. HubSpot Content Hub91%
  5. Framer84%
  6. Shopify83%
  7. Next.js82%
  8. Craft CMS82%
  9. WooCommerce82%
  10. Ghost79%
See all 71 platforms and technologies

Every platform and technology, side by side.

71 options across builders, CMS, ecommerce, frameworks, headless, enterprise, page builders and hosting. Filter, sort by your match, and compare up to three.

Showing 68

CMSOur pick

WordPress

The best home for blogs and content-heavy sites.

Build
$2,500 to $60,000
Running
$$

Best for: Service businesses, publishers and any site that lives on content

Watch out: Plugin sprawl and updates; needs managed hosting and a care plan

Read our WordPress guide
98% match
FrameworkStrong fit

Astro

Ships almost no JavaScript; superb for content sites.

Build
$12,000 to $120,000
Running
$

Best for: Very fast marketing and documentation sites

Watch out: Less suited to heavy app-like interactivity

96% match
Visual builderOur pick

Webflow

The best tool when the brief is heavy design.

Build
$5,000 to $60,000
Running
$$

Best for: Design-led marketing sites, launches and brand sites

Watch out: CMS item and seat limits; complex logic needs custom code

Read our Webflow guide
94% match
CMSStrong fit

HubSpot Content Hub

CMS wired straight into HubSpot CRM and marketing tools.

Build
$8,000 to $60,000
Running
$$$

Best for: B2B teams already running on HubSpot

Watch out: Licensing grows with seats and tiers; tied to HubSpot

91% match
Visual builderStrong fit

Framer

Fast, polished marketing sites straight from a design tool.

Build
$3,500 to $40,000
Running
$$

Best for: Startups and product marketing with motion-heavy design

Watch out: CMS depth and integrations are lighter than Webflow or headless

Read our Framer guide
84% match
EcommerceOur pick

Shopify

The default for most online stores, with the best checkout.

Build
$3,000 to $75,000
Running
$$

Best for: DTC and retail brands from first sale to eight figures

Watch out: App sprawl adds cost and slows pages; transaction-tied pricing

Read our Shopify guide
83% match
FrameworkOur pick

Next.js

React framework for the fastest, most custom sites.

Build
$20,000 to $250,000+
Running
$$

Best for: Speed-critical marketing sites, headless builds, portals and apps

Watch out: Content changes need a headless CMS; code changes need developers

Read our Next.js guide
82% match
CMSStrong fit

Craft CMS

A developer-loved CMS with clean, custom content modeling.

Build
$15,000 to $80,000
Running
$$

Best for: Custom marketing sites with structured content

Watch out: Paid license and a smaller ecosystem than WordPress

82% match
EcommerceSituational

WooCommerce

Commerce inside WordPress, for content-led stores.

Build
$5,000 to $60,000
Running
$$

Best for: Stores where articles and products belong together

Watch out: Hosting, security and performance at scale are on you

Read our WooCommerce guide
82% match
CMSStrong fit

Ghost

Publishing and paid newsletters in one clean tool.

Build
$1,000 to $15,000
Running
$

Best for: Writers, newsletters and membership publishers

Watch out: Built for publishing, not complex marketing sites

79% match
EcommerceStrong fit

BigCommerce

Open SaaS commerce that shines with big catalogs and B2B.

Build
$10,000 to $150,000
Running
$$$

Best for: B2B, large catalogs and multi-storefront sellers

Watch out: Smaller theme and app ecosystem than Shopify

Read our BigCommerce guide
79% match
Visual builderSituational

Wix Studio

Wix for designers and agencies, with responsive layout tools and code.

Build
$1,500 to $10,000
Running
$$

Best for: Agencies building many small client sites on Wix

Watch out: Still Wix underneath: same lock-in and hosting limits

74% match
DIY builderSituational

Duda

Builder made for agencies and SaaS companies reselling sites.

Build
$1,000 to $6,000
Running
$$

Best for: Agencies managing hundreds of small local sites

Watch out: Best value at volume; owners rarely choose it themselves

72% match
FrameworkSituational

Nuxt (Vue)

The Next.js of the Vue world.

Build
$20,000 to $200,000
Running
$$

Best for: Teams that already write Vue

Watch out: Smaller hiring pool than React in the US

67% match
Enterprise DXPStrong fit

Optimizely

Content, experimentation and personalization in one enterprise suite.

Build
$50,000 to $500,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Enterprises that test and personalize at scale

Watch out: Enterprise licensing and a certified implementation partner

Read our Optimizely guide
Over your budget
FrameworkSituational

SvelteKit

Lean, fast full-stack framework built on Svelte.

Build
$20,000 to $150,000
Running
$$

Best for: Small, performance-obsessed product teams

Watch out: Smallest talent pool of the major frameworks

65% match
DIY builderStrong fit

Squarespace

Beautiful templates and the calmest editing experience.

Build
Free to $4,000
Running
$

Best for: Creatives, consultants and small brochure sites

Watch out: Template-bound design and limited technical SEO and integrations

Read our Squarespace guide
63% match
DIY builderStrong fit

Wix

The most flexible DIY builder, with a huge app market.

Build
Free to $3,000
Running
$

Best for: Owners who want to build and edit a small site themselves

Watch out: Hard to migrate off; performance and SEO control lag behind custom builds

62% match
EcommerceSituational

Squarespace Commerce

A tidy shop attached to a Squarespace site.

Build
Free to $6,000
Running
$

Best for: Makers and small brands with a short product list

Watch out: Limited filtering, variants and integrations as you grow

Read our Squarespace Commerce guide
61% match
AI builderSituational

v0

Generates React and Next.js interfaces from prompts.

Build
Free to $6,000
Running
$

Best for: Teams that will keep building in Next.js

Watch out: Output is a starting point, not a finished site

Read our v0 guide
59% match
Enterprise DXPSituational

Contentstack

Enterprise headless CMS with composable DXP add-ons.

Build
$75,000 to $400,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Enterprises going composable across many brands

Watch out: Enterprise-only economics

Over your budget
Enterprise DXPSituational

Kentico Xperience

Mid-market .NET DXP with built-in marketing automation.

Build
$40,000 to $250,000+
Running
$$$

Best for: Mid-size organizations on the Microsoft stack

Watch out: Licensing and .NET developers required

Over your budget
DIY builderSituational

Carrd

One-page sites and landing pages in an afternoon.

Build
Free to $800
Running
$

Best for: A single landing page, event or link-in-bio

Watch out: One page by design; not a business website

57% match
Enterprise DXPSituational

Sitecore

Enterprise content and personalization, now SaaS-first with XM Cloud.

Build
$100,000 to $750,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Global brands with complex, personalized experiences

Watch out: High total cost and specialized talent

Over your budget
Enterprise DXPSituational

Adobe Experience Manager

The Adobe ecosystem's enterprise CMS and digital asset manager.

Build
$150,000 to $1,000,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Global enterprises deep in Adobe tools

Watch out: The highest cost and complexity on this list

Over your budget
DIY builderSituational

GoDaddy Website Builder

Fast, AI-assisted starter sites bundled with your domain.

Build
Free to $1,500
Running
$

Best for: A simple online presence this week, on a shoestring

Watch out: Very limited design and SEO depth; most outgrow it within a year

Read our GoDaddy Website Builder guide
53% match
DIY builderSituational

Hostinger Website Builder

Low-cost AI-assisted builder bundled with hosting.

Build
Free to $1,500
Running
$

Best for: Side projects and very small budgets

Watch out: Limited design system and integrations

Read our Hostinger Website Builder guide
53% match
Enterprise DXPSituational

Acquia (Drupal)

Enterprise Drupal hosting, tooling and personalization.

Build
$75,000 to $500,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Large Drupal estates needing governance and support

Watch out: Enterprise pricing on top of Drupal development

Over your budget
AI builderSituational

Durable

Generates a small-business site from a few answers.

Build
Free to $800
Running
$

Best for: Solo service providers who need something live today

Watch out: Generic copy and layouts; little room to grow

51% match
EcommerceStrong fit

Shopify Plus

Shopify for high volume, B2B and checkout customization.

Build
$40,000 to $250,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Brands with serious volume, wholesale or multiple storefronts

Watch out: Enterprise pricing; make sure you need the Plus-only features

Read our Shopify Plus guide
Over your budget
FrameworkStrong fit

React (SPA with Vite)

Client-side React apps for dashboards and logged-in tools.

Build
$20,000 to $200,000
Running
$$

Best for: Web apps behind a login where SEO does not matter

Watch out: Not ideal for public marketing pages; use Next.js or Astro there

51% match
EcommerceSituational

Wix eCommerce

Selling built into a Wix site.

Build
Free to $5,000
Running
$

Best for: Small shops already on Wix

Watch out: Hard to migrate and limited at scale

50% match
CMSStrong fit

Drupal

Structured, secure, open-source CMS for complex organizations.

Build
$30,000 to $150,000
Running
$$$

Best for: Universities, government, healthcare and large content models

Watch out: Needs experienced Drupal developers; smaller talent pool

Over your budget
AI builderSituational

Lovable

AI app builder with a database and logins built in.

Build
Free to $6,000
Running
$

Best for: Founders validating an app idea fast

Watch out: Security rules and data access need an expert review before real users

Read our Lovable guide
49% match
CMSSituational

Umbraco

Open-source .NET CMS popular with Microsoft-stack teams.

Build
$25,000 to $120,000
Running
$$$

Best for: Organizations standardized on .NET and Azure

Watch out: Needs .NET developers

Over your budget
Enterprise DXPSituational

Progress Sitefinity

.NET CMS and DXP with strong multisite tools.

Build
$40,000 to $250,000+
Running
$$$

Best for: Regulated and multi-site organizations on .NET

Watch out: Licensing and specialized developers

Over your budget
FrameworkSituational

React Router (formerly Remix)

Full-stack React framework focused on web standards.

Build
$25,000 to $200,000
Running
$$

Best for: Data-heavy apps with lots of forms

Watch out: Smaller marketing-site ecosystem than Next.js

Over your budget
EcommerceSituational

Shopware

Open commerce platform popular in Europe, strong for B2B.

Build
$40,000 to $250,000+
Running
$$$

Best for: Mid-market brands wanting open source with B2B features

Watch out: Smaller US partner and app network

Over your budget
EcommerceSituational

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Deeply customizable enterprise commerce.

Build
$75,000 to $500,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Complex catalogs, pricing rules and integrations at scale

Watch out: High build and run cost; needs a specialist team

Over your budget
DIY builderStrong fit

Square Online

Free-to-start online ordering tied to your Square POS.

Build
Free to $2,500
Running
$

Best for: Restaurants, cafes and shops already using Square

Watch out: Basic design and content; best as an ordering site, not a marketing site

43% match
AI builderSituational

Bolt

Prompt a working web app into existence in minutes.

Build
Free to $5,000
Running
$

Best for: Prototypes, MVPs and internal tools

Watch out: Forms, SEO, auth and hosting usually need professional cleanup

Read our Bolt guide
42% match
EcommerceSituational

Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Enterprise commerce inside the Salesforce ecosystem.

Build
$150,000 to $750,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Large retailers standardized on Salesforce

Watch out: Enterprise licensing and long implementations

Over your budget
Enterprise DXPSituational

Liferay DXP

Portal-first DXP for customer and partner portals.

Build
$100,000 to $600,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Large customer, partner and employee portals

Watch out: Java expertise and enterprise licensing

Over your budget
EcommerceSituational

OroCommerce

Purpose-built B2B commerce with built-in CRM.

Build
$75,000 to $400,000+
Running
$$$$

Best for: Distributors and manufacturers with complex B2B pricing

Watch out: B2B-first; overkill for DTC

Over your budget
Headless CMSOur pick

Contentful

Structured content and reusable blocks for multi-channel teams.

Build
$30,000 to $250,000+
Running
$$$

Best for: Marketing teams building pages from approved blocks, in many locales

Watch out: Content modeling up front; usage-based tiers

Read our Contentful guide
Part of a stack
Headless CMSStrong fit

Sanity

Code-configured studio with real-time collaboration.

Build
$25,000 to $200,000
Running
$$

Best for: Custom editorial workflows and content-rich products

Watch out: Needs a developer to evolve the studio

Read our Sanity guide
Part of a stack
Headless CMSStrong fit

Storyblok

Headless CMS with a visual, block-based page editor.

Build
$25,000 to $150,000
Running
$$

Best for: Marketers who want visual editing on a headless site

Watch out: Plan block design carefully to avoid page sprawl

Part of a stack
Headless CMSSituational

Strapi

Open-source headless CMS you host yourself.

Build
$20,000 to $120,000
Running
$$

Best for: Teams wanting full data ownership

Watch out: You run, patch and back up the server

Part of a stack
Headless CMSSituational

Payload

Code-first open-source CMS that lives inside a Next.js app.

Build
$25,000 to $150,000
Running
$$

Best for: Developer-led teams building content and app together

Watch out: Developer-centric; editors depend on how it is configured

Part of a stack
Headless CMSSituational

Prismic

Slice-based page building for marketing sites.

Build
$20,000 to $100,000
Running
$$

Best for: Marketing teams on Next.js who want simple page building

Watch out: Less suited to deeply structured data

Part of a stack
Headless CMSSituational

Hygraph

GraphQL-native headless CMS with content federation.

Build
$30,000 to $150,000
Running
$$$

Best for: Content drawn from many systems into one API

Watch out: GraphQL-first; needs a developer comfortable with it

Part of a stack
Headless CMSSituational

Builder.io

Visual drag-and-drop editing on top of your own components.

Build
$20,000 to $120,000
Running
$$

Best for: Teams who want visual landing pages inside a coded site

Watch out: Governance matters or pages drift off-brand

Part of a stack
Headless CMSStrong fit

Headless WordPress

The WordPress editor your team knows, with a Next.js front end.

Build
$25,000 to $120,000
Running
$$

Best for: Content teams on WordPress who need much more speed

Watch out: Two systems to maintain; some plugins stop working

Read our Headless WordPress guide
Part of a stack
Page builderOur pick

WordPress block editor

Native blocks and block themes; the leanest way to build in WordPress.

Build
$2,500 to $40,000
Running
$

Best for: Fast WordPress sites without a heavy builder

Watch out: Advanced layouts need custom blocks

Read our WordPress block editor guide
Part of a stack
Page builderStrong fit

Astra

A lightweight WordPress base theme that plays well with blocks.

Build
$2,500 to $25,000
Running
$

Best for: Fast WordPress builds on a budget

Watch out: A theme is not a design; still needs real design work

Read our Astra guide
Part of a stack
Page builderSituational

Elementor

Popular drag-and-drop builder for WordPress.

Build
$2,500 to $30,000
Running
$

Best for: Teams that need visual editing in WordPress

Watch out: Heavier markup; needs discipline to stay fast

Read our Elementor guide
Part of a stack
Page builderSituational

Divi

All-in-one theme and visual builder.

Build
$2,500 to $25,000
Running
$

Best for: Existing Divi sites and fans of its visual editor

Watch out: Leaving Divi later can be painful

Read our Divi guide
Part of a stack
Page builderStrong fit

Bricks Builder

Performance-minded visual builder favored by developers.

Build
$5,000 to $40,000
Running
$

Best for: Custom WordPress builds that must stay fast

Watch out: Steeper learning curve than Elementor

Part of a stack
HostingOur pick

WP Engine

Managed WordPress with staging, backups and support.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$$

Best for: Business WordPress sites that cannot go down

Watch out: Costs more than shared hosting; plan limits apply

Read our WP Engine guide
Part of a stack
HostingStrong fit

Kinsta

Premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$$

Best for: High-traffic WordPress and WooCommerce

Watch out: Visit-based plans can climb with traffic

Part of a stack
HostingStrong fit

SiteGround

Well-supported WordPress hosting for small and mid sites.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$

Best for: Small business WordPress sites

Watch out: Renewal pricing is higher than intro pricing

Read our SiteGround guide
Part of a stack
HostingStrong fit

Flywheel

Managed WordPress built around designers and agencies.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$$

Best for: Agencies managing many client sites

Watch out: Less value for a single large site

Read our Flywheel guide
Part of a stack
HostingSituational

Hostinger

Budget hosting for small, low-traffic sites.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$

Best for: Side projects and tiny budgets

Watch out: Fewer guardrails; you own more of the upkeep

Read our Hostinger guide
Part of a stack
HostingSituational

GoDaddy Hosting

Great registrar; hosting is fine for simple needs.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$

Best for: Domains, DNS and email; basic hosting

Watch out: Upsells and add-ons; we usually host elsewhere

Read our GoDaddy Hosting guide
Part of a stack
HostingOur pick

Netlify

Git-based hosting for Next.js, Astro and static sites.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$

Best for: Modern front ends, forms and previews

Watch out: Usage-based costs at high bandwidth

Read our Netlify guide
Part of a stack
HostingStrong fit

Vercel

The company behind Next.js, hosting it on a global edge.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$$

Best for: Next.js apps that use every new feature

Watch out: Usage-based costs can surprise at scale

Read our Vercel guide
Part of a stack
HostingStrong fit

Cloudflare Pages

Static and edge hosting on Cloudflare's network.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$

Best for: Static sites and edge apps on a budget

Watch out: Some Next.js features need adapters

Part of a stack
HostingStrong fit

Pantheon

Enterprise-grade WordPress and Drupal with dev workflows.

Build
Monthly plan
Running
$$$

Best for: Larger WordPress and Drupal teams

Watch out: Priced for organizations, not hobby sites

Part of a stack
Our pickWordPress98% match

Side by side

Attribute
Your match
Type
Our view
Typical build
Running cost
Time to launch
Ecommerce
Needs a developer
Ease
Design freedom
Speed
SEO and AEO
Scale
Integrations
Security
Multi-site
Ownership
Low upkeep
Best for
Watch out

Platform questions

What is the best website platform for a small business?
Under $2,500, a DIY builder like Squarespace or Wix is usually the right call. With a professional budget, WordPress suits content-led service businesses, Webflow suits design-led brands, and Shopify suits online stores.
When should a business use Next.js or a headless CMS?
Usually from around $20,000, when page speed, custom features or content across many channels and languages justify a custom front end. Below that, WordPress or Webflow tends to give more value.
When is an enterprise platform like Optimizely worth it?
Typically from $50,000 and up, and only when a team will actually run experimentation, personalization and multi-site governance. Otherwise a well-built Next.js or WordPress site delivers more for less.
Is Weebly still available?
Weebly still runs in the United States under Square, but Square has been shutting it down in dozens of other countries. We do not recommend starting a new site there; Square Online or Squarespace are better choices.
How do you score each platform?
Scores are our studio judgment after years of building on these platforms, not vendor benchmarks. Your match combines budget fit, your goal, who will edit the site, design ambition, content volume, timeline, what you run today and the priorities you pick.

Get a second opinion on your shortlist.

Send us the platforms you are weighing and what the site needs to do. We will tell you which one we would choose, and why, within one business day.

Start a projectEstimate your budget