Top Website Creation and Hosting Software Choices for Your Needs
When it comes to creating and hosting websites—whether for your own brand or for clients—there’s no shortage of options. WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Framer, headless CMS setups, custom .NET builds… the list is long, and the pros and cons are real.
To help navigate this crowded landscape, we asked a simple question with complex answers: What software do you use to create and host your websites, and why?
The answers we received reveal a thoughtful spectrum of priorities—from speed and scalability to client autonomy, SEO performance, and development control. Whether you’re a scrappy solopreneur, an eCommerce operator, or an enterprise SaaS leader, there’s something here for you.
Here’s what 8 web and marketing experts had to say about the tools they trust and the tradeoffs they’re willing to accept. (And for what it’s worth, Mandel Marketing tends to use WordPress & WP Engine for our web development projects.)
Headless CMS Offers Scalable Foundation for B2B Growth
For the B2B clients I’ve worked with, particularly in SaaS, I find myself increasingly advocating for headless CMS setups using tools like Contentful and front-end frameworks like React. While platforms like WordPress or Shopify are convenient and quick to launch, they can introduce technical debt over time due to plugin sprawl, rigid architecture, or limitations on performance optimisation.
Headless solutions often offer a cleaner, more scalable foundation, especially for teams aiming to improve CRO, iterate on landing pages, or launch new product lines quickly. I’ve seen the tangible benefits of this approach when working on reusable, component-driven builds that integrate tightly with development and sales workflows
Eleanor Bennett, SEO Manager, Trash Cans Warehouse
WordPress and Laravel: Building with Intention, Not Limitation
We lean on open source platforms like WordPress and Laravel because they offer the freedom and flexibility to build with intention. WordPress is often our first pick for websites because it has a massive tech community, a wide range of plugins, and the capability for us to build custom integrations when needed. The admin console is familiar and approachable, which means most clients can manage their content with confidence. It works well when we want to create something powerful, scalable, and still intuitive for the people using it every day.
Laravel is what we reach for when a project needs more complex logic, custom workflows, or deep integrations. It gives us complete control over the backend and allows for tailored functionality. That said, it requires more involvement from our team, including layering in a CMS to make it client-friendly.
We believe a website is meant to be a launchpad, not a limitation. The tools you use need to align with your goals and support your growth, not get in the way with unnecessary friction.
We’ve also worked with platforms like Shopify for e-commerce and Webflow for clean, static marketing sites. Each platform has its strengths. But when growth, accessibility, and adaptability are part of the long-term vision, WordPress continues to be the best fit for many of our clients.
At CauseLabs, we serve small businesses and nonprofits who need tech that meets them where they are and grows with them. We don’t chase trends or push a single platform. We listen first, then choose the right tools for the job. Whether it’s WordPress, Laravel, or something else entirely, we build for impact and long-term success.
Sheryle Gillihan, Co-owner, CauseLabs
Webflow Balances Speed and Power for Scalable Businesses
I’ve used nearly every platform while building eCommerce and SaaS companies, and we now build exclusively on Webflow. It strikes the perfect balance between speed for non-technical teams and the power needed by skilled developers. Many founders pick a simple builder like Squarespace for a quick launch, but they don’t realize they’re creating a technical ceiling that will frustrate their best engineers and limit growth down the road. It becomes a major bottleneck when you need to build custom features or integrations.
Your choice of platform is really a statement about how you plan to compete. Are you building a simple brochure or a scalable business asset? If you’re investing in high-impact tech talent (which is our entire business), you must give them a framework where they can actually create a competitive advantage. Choosing a platform that empowers your developers to build unique user experiences, instead of fighting a rigid template, is one of the highest-leverage decisions you can make early on.
Val Narodetsky, CEO, Hire Odesa
Custom .NET Development Delivers Control Over Performance
At Clearcatnet, we use a custom-built website developed on .NET, and that decision was very intentional. While platforms like WordPress, Wix, or Shopify offer convenience and speed, going with .NET gave us complete control over performance, scalability, and security—which is crucial for a business that handles large volumes of user data, dynamic content (like exam dumps and practice tests), and international traffic.
Why .NET?
First, it allows for robust backend integration, which is essential for managing our content delivery system, user access controls, and automated workflows. Unlike templated platforms, we’re not limited by plugins or themes—we can build exactly what we need, from custom dashboards to secure payment modules.
Second, the performance benefits are significant. With .NET’s compiled architecture and built-in optimization features, our site loads fast and handles concurrent users without hiccups. That’s critical for delivering a smooth experience to customers prepping for exams under time pressure.
That said, the biggest drawback is the development time and resource investment. You need a skilled dev team to build, maintain, and scale a .NET site. It’s not ideal for quick MVPs or budget-conscious startups. But for us, the long-term flexibility and security outweighed the initial setup cost.
In summary, we chose .NET because we wanted a future-proof, high-performance platform tailored to our business model—not just a quick deployment. It’s not the easiest path, but it’s the right one for scaling a specialized digital product like ours
Kaushal Kishor, CEO, Clearcatnet
Modern Web Builders Boost Conversion Rates Significantly
I used to build everything with WordPress, but have moved mission-critical conversion drivers off to modern web builders. Framer and Webflow give me faster load times, and allow me to build beautiful landing pages even faster than I could in WordPress. The load times alone have driven anywhere from 15-30% improvements in conversion rates, so it’s been an profitable switch for us too.
Webflow has been my favorite lately, since it gives the flexibility of custom code without the maintenance nightmare of WordPress. When you’re running high-volume paid traffic campaigns, you need to test landing page variations constantly. With WordPress every change meant waiting for a developer or breaking something with a quick fix. But with Webflow I can duplicate a page, swap headlines, and launch A/B tests in minutes. Their built-in hosting handles traffic spikes from viral campaigns without crashing (something that cost me six figures in lost sales on WordPress during a Black Friday campaign). For anyone serious about paid traffic, your website platform is as important as your ad platform. If you’re putting paid ads behind it, it makes sense to go with a modern, well-managed system like Webflow or Framer (rather than one you need to hack together yourself).
Maxwell Finn, Founder, Unicorn Innovations
WordPress Remains Efficient Choice for Lead Generation
Depends on the site. For the majority of projects, I just need a lead-gen content site. I still self-host with WordPress for these, because I know it well and can launch sites quickly. I use the same theme and pool of plugins on each site, and there’s just nothing out there that can compete with how quickly I can get a site up and converting with WordPress.
For marketing sites I still use a cheap self-managed WordPress host, and don’t have any issues. For heavy traffic sites or paid ad landers, I will use Cloudflare to speed it up and increase reliability under high load. But for the most part, it’s just set-and-forget.
It’s easy to waste time chasing the latest tool or over-optimizing your site performance. But that’s almost always a distraction from the core business. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Just get a site up fast and get back to helping clients.
Chris Im, Founder, Easy Las Vegas Home Buyers
Self-Hosted WordPress Provides Control and Scalability
Choosing the right platform for a website is so critical because it impacts everything from our brand image and SEO to our ability to generate leads and provide a good user experience.
For Heavy Equipment Appraisal, we primarily use WordPress (self-hosted). Its biggest benefit is flexibility and scalability. We need to host detailed B2B content, integrate with CRM, and have robust SEO capabilities. WordPress’s vast plugin ecosystem allows deep customization and granular SEO control, which is vital for our niche.
The main drawback of WordPress is its technical expertise requirement for setup and maintenance; it’s not as simple as drag-and-drop builders.
If I needed something simpler, like a portfolio, I’d consider Squarespace for its ease of use and beautiful templates. However, it’s less flexible for unique functional requirements.
I’m cautious about Wix for serious business sites due to past concerns about SEO limitations and site migration issues. I prefer a foundation that supports long-term growth.
Ultimately, our choice for WordPress is about control, customizability, and long-term scalability. For our content-heavy, lead-generation focused business, this level of control over our digital presence is invaluable.
Tracie Crites, Chief Marketing Officer, HEAVY Equipment Appraisal
Choose Platforms Based on Problems Worth Solving
I use WordPress for my own site because I know it inside out and I like having full control. It’s not perfect. Plugins break, updates can be annoying, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can get messy fast.
But when it’s set up right, it’s solid. I host it myself, avoid bloated themes, and build exactly what I need without relying on someone else’s restrictions.
For clients, it depends. WordPress works for blogs and content-heavy sites, especially if the client wants flexibility but doesn’t want to code.
Webflow is great when they care more about design and don’t want to deal with updates or plugins breaking. It’s cleaner and faster out of the box.
Shopify is the go-to for ecommerce. It’s locked down, expensive, and rigid, but it works. Clients don’t need to call me every time they want to update a product, which is a win.
None of these platforms are perfect. You just pick the one with the problems you’re willing to deal with.
Nirmal Gyanwali, Website Designer, Nirmal Web Design Studio
What Platform Should You Use?
As we can see, no single website platform is perfect—and that’s the point. The right tool depends on your goals, your resources, and the kind of digital experience you’re trying to build. Whether you value design flexibility, backend control, ease of use, or rapid experimentation, the best choice is the one that aligns with your strategy and scales with your growth.
As these experts made clear, it’s not about chasing trends or sticking with what’s popular. It’s about making an intentional decision that supports your business today—and won’t hold you back tomorrow. In fact, your best bet is probably to contact a professional web development firm and discuss your project with them so they can suggest some options directly.