Website creator software
Website creator software comes in four kinds: builders you install, builders in the browser, content systems such as WordPress, and code tools. Mobirise is a free installed builder for Windows, Mac and Linux that saves your site as HTML files you own.
Checked October 2026 · by the Mobirise team, who run mobirize.com
Mobirise as website creator software, in short
- Kind of tool
- A builder installed on your computer. Pages are assembled from prepared sections, the placeholder copy and images give way to yours, and no coding is involved.
- Systems
- PCs from Windows 7 up; Macs from High Sierra (10.13), with one build for Intel chips and one for M1 to M4; Ubuntu and other Debian-family Linux. A browser version uses the identical engine.
- Price
- The program, a starter theme and more than 200 blocks cost nothing, for a hobby site or a company one. The cheapest paid plan is KIT.
- Who owns the files
- You do. Even without paying, the app can save the finished pages to a folder as Bootstrap 5 markup with its stylesheets and scripts.
- Where the site goes live
- A host you rent (upload over FTP or FTPES), GitHub Pages, or up to 3 free sites on a secure mobirisesite.com subdomain.
- Version
- Mobirise 6.1.12; installers are about 105 MB on Windows, 134 MB on a Mac and 102 MB for Linux.
- Limits
- Sites built in other tools cannot be imported or edited. Each page has a single adaptive layout for every screen size; phones get no layout of their own.
The kinds of website creation software
People call all of these "a program to make a website", yet they work very differently. Before you compare names, decide which kind suits the job and your skills.
Builders you install
A desktop program that keeps the project on your disk and exports finished pages. Typical names: Mobirise, Blocs, Bootstrap Studio, plus WYSIWYG Web Builder for Windows. Changes can be made on a plane or train, and the page about building while disconnected cover the details.
Builders in the browser
Wix, Squarespace, Webflow and Hostinger run on the vendor's servers. Nothing to install, updates are automatic, and the site usually has to stay on their hosting.
AI site generators
You describe the business and get a draft with text and images. Mobirise AI offers four variants for each request; 8B AI and most browser builders now offer something similar.
Hosted content systems
WordPress.com gives you WordPress without running a server: a free plan on its subdomain with ads, paid plans for your own domain.
Self-hosted content systems
The WordPress software from wordpress.org is open source and free, yet running it means renting a server with PHP plus database support, and applying regular updates of the core and plugins.
Visual HTML editors
Pinegrow and Dreamweaver display a live view next to the markup you are changing. They suit people who know some HTML and CSS.
Code editors
Plain editors where you write every tag yourself. Full control, a steep start for a beginner.
Frameworks and developer kits
Libraries, static site generators and build tools that developers combine into custom sites and web apps.
Which tool to pick for your case
An honest pick per situation, including the cases where another product does the job better. Mobirise is our own product, so treat its line as the maker's view.
- A free site on your own hosting, no code
- Mobirise: install it, build with blocks, publish over FTP or save the files.
- Freely placed objects, Windows only
- The WYSIWYG Web Builder app: drag elements to any position; a one-time licence after a 30-day trial.
- Nothing to install or maintain
- Wix or Squarespace: hosting, updates and support in one monthly bill.
- The lowest monthly fee in the browser
- WordPress.com Personal at $4 a month billed yearly, with WordPress themes.
- Detailed design control and interactions
- Webflow: closer to front-end development, with a learning curve to match.
- A quick AI design to try out for free
- 8B AI drafts a layout at no cost; going live requires its Pro plan.
- A blog with many authors or plugins
- WordPress, hosted or on your own server.
Seven programs for creating websites side by side
One installed builder per type, the most common browser services and one Windows app. Lines where Mobirise comes off worse stay in the table.
| Mobirise | Wix | WordPress.com | 8B AI | Squarespace | WYSIWYG Web Builder | Webflow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | KIT, $149 a year | Light: $17/month, paid yearly | Personal: $4/month, paid yearly | Pro: $9/month, paid yearly | Basic: $19/month, paid yearly | $59.95 one-time | Basic site plan: $15/month, paid yearly |
| Free option | Free app, no time limit | Wix subdomain with Wix ads | Subdomain with ads | Design only, no publishing | None; 14-day trial | 30-day trial | webflow.io address with a badge |
| Install or browser | Windows, Mac, Linux app; also browser | Browser | Browser | Browser | Browser | Windows app | Browser |
| Edits offline | Yes | No | No | No | No | Vendor does not say | No |
| HTML files you keep | Yes, free in the app | No | Not checked | Full export on Pro | No | Yes | Paid workspace plans only |
| Host anywhere | Yes, FTP, GitHub Pages or a folder | No | No | Via the export | No | Yes | Via the export |
Sources: the pricing and help pages of each company, read between 13 and 16 October 2026; amounts in USD, tax not included. "Billed yearly" means you pay twelve months up front; monthly billing usually costs more. Prices change, and many reviews still quote older figures, so confirm on the provider's site.
What each option costs over three years
A monthly fee looks small until you multiply it. Here is the entry plan of each tool kept for 36 months, at the yearly-billing rate from the table above. Domains are extra everywhere.
| Tool and plan | Arithmetic | 3 years | Hosting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobirise, free | $0 | $0 | Your host, or a free mobirisesite.com address |
| Mobirise KIT | $149 × 3 | $447 | Your host |
| WYSIWYG Web Builder | $59.95 once | $59.95 | Your host; major upgrades cost extra |
| WordPress.com Personal | $4 × 36 | $144 | Included |
| 8B AI Pro | $9 × 36 | $324 | Included |
| Webflow Basic | $15 × 36 | $540 | Included |
| Wix Light | $17 × 36 | $612 | Included |
| Squarespace Basic | $19 × 36 | $684 | Included |
The installed tools leave hosting to you, and its price depends on the provider you choose, so we have not added a figure. Should a Mobirise plan lapse, what you published stays reachable, and the builder simply reverts to free; with a hosted builder, the site depends on the subscription.
Five questions to ask before you install anything
Where will the site live?
Browser services keep it on their servers. An installed program hands you files, so you choose the host and can move later without rebuilding.
Which computer do you use?
Check the system list before you download. Several desktop programs are Windows-only or Mac-only; Mobirise covers all three desktop systems.
What will it cost in year three?
Multiply the monthly fee by 36 and add the domain. A one-time or free tool plus cheap hosting often wins over time; a hosted plan wins on convenience.
How much control do you need?
Blocks keep pages tidy and quick to build. Free positioning or code gives more freedom and more ways to break a layout on small screens.
A fifth check: try the free version with your real text and photos before you pay. An hour with your own content shows more than any feature list.
When you need a website development tool instead
A builder covers brochure sites, landing pages, portfolios and small shops. Once a project needs user accounts, a database, custom logic or an integration with your own systems, you are building a web application, and that is the job of developer software: a code editor, a framework, version control and a server environment.
Lists of development tools for beginners tend to mix both worlds. If you are learning, start with plain HTML and CSS in a code editor; an exported Mobirise page, written on Bootstrap 5, is a readable example to study. Open source tools like WordPress sit in between: free code, but a server to run and keep patched.
Many teams combine the two. The owner assembles the public pages from blocks while a developer works on the application behind the sign-in. When one detail needs hand-written markup, the Code Editor extension on paid plans opens a block's markup and styles for editing.
- A builder is enough for pages of text, images, video, forms and a menu.
- A builder is enough for selling a few products with Smart Cart (PayPal and Stripe) on a paid plan.
- Use developer tools for logins, dashboards and data stored per user.
- Use developer tools when the site must talk to your own back end.
- Use a visual HTML editor to change a site someone else already coded.
Who Mobirise suits, and the alternatives
A good fit
- A first site for a business, club or charity with no budget for monthly fees
- People who want the HTML and the choice of hosting kept in their hands
- Freelancers who keep each client as a separate project file
- Beginners after easy web design software that needs no coding lessons
Choose another tool if
- Your site already exists as HTML from another tool: it cannot be imported
- You want a different arrangement on phones: Wix has a separate mobile editor
- You want hosting, backups and updates handled for you: a browser builder does that
- You are building a web application: use development tools
- You plan thousands of products: shop software made for that will serve you better
Website creator software FAQ
Is there website creator software free download for PC?
Yes. The Mobirise setup file for Windows is close to 105 MB and works on every release from 7 to 11. It is free with no time limit, and the download page for every system lists the builds.
Which web design programs for beginners are easiest?
One where you start from ready sections rather than an empty canvas. Block builders such as Mobirise and browser services such as Wix both work that way. Decide whether owning the files and picking any host matters more to you than a monthly plan that includes hosting.
Is there website creation software for Mac?
Yes. Mobirise ships a Mac installer of roughly 134 MB in two flavours, Apple chips (M1 to M4) or Intel, for High Sierra and newer. For a program that runs on Macs alone, Blocs and RapidWeaver Elements exist; our guide for Apple computers compares them.
What is the difference between website design software and a website builder?
The terms overlap. Design software often means tools for layout and visuals, sometimes with code; a builder adds publishing and ready content blocks. Mobirise does both: you design with blocks and publish from the same app.
Which website development tools are like WordPress?
Other content management systems such as Joomla or Drupal work the same way: open source software on your own server with PHP and a database. If you do not need a database-driven blog, a static site from a builder is simpler to host and has less to update.
Is website making software free for commercial use?
With Mobirise, yes: business use costs nothing. Free sites show a small credit line, which KIT ($149 yearly) takes away while adding every premium theme and extension, more than 220 in all.
Can I create a website without any code?
Yes. In Mobirise you drag blocks onto the page, click any heading or photo to change it, and adjust padding, colours and column count from the settings of that block. Code is optional and only for those who want it.
Can AI create the website for me?
Give a short summary of what you do, in your own language, and Mobirise AI proposes four illustrated drafts, usually within a minute. Free accounts include three of these runs monthly, and you can read more on writing a good AI request.
Do I need hosting with an installed builder?
The pages need a home on the web. Upload them to a provider of your choice, publish through GitHub Pages, or use the free subdomain. Hosting under your own domain name with Mobirise is part of BASE and GROW.
What happened to the web design program and development tool pages?
They were merged into this page, which now covers both the beginner programs and the case for real development tools. The section on development tools above explains when to switch.
Try the free builder on your computer
Install Mobirise on the computer you already use, and every page it produces belongs to you. No wish to install? Open the identical builder in a browser tab.