Best website builder for kids to write, craft, play and even sell

Kids are now building websites; Who would have thought? From developmental boot camps for kids to broad internet access at school and in social life, kids are growing with technology rather than learning it later in life.

At some point, your 10-year-old may (or may not) come to you to create a website, and we’re here to make sure you find it Best website builder for kids to make that happen

Why would a child want to create a website?

• 💻️ To write an online diary, blog or book.
• 👨‍💻 To learn how to develop websites.
• 🖱️ To publish their creative work – like videos, music clips, artworks – in a portfolio.
• 🚧 For building and promoting a small business and even raising money for donations, services and products.
• 🎨 To create a website where they can curate their own fun activities such as games, puzzles, math problems and crafts.

For these reasons, finding them is important Right Website builder as explained below.

What makes a good website builder for kids?

• Simplicity: We’re talking clean, modern templates, drag-and-drop modules, and settings that don’t go too far into coding or complex elements.
• Some basic coding fields for educational purposes: Kids might crave the challenge of playing around with basic HTML and CSS, so it’s nice to have at least some attention.
• Free or cheap hosting and domain: Kids don’t have their own money and many of the projects are for fun, so the best website builders for kids offer free hosting and a free subdomain.
• Minimum advertising content: The best website builders for kids too often avoid marketing to their clients because kids should be there to learn and have fun and not get ads.
• Powerful built-in features with some free plugins/apps: The goal is to minimize “extras” that make it difficult for children to create their own websites. Apps are good for some extensibility, but built-in features work best.
• Widgets/features for kids: Think of modules that allow for games, educational materials, math problems, puzzles, science projects, crafts, magic, jokes and fun facts.
• No credit card required: That way, your kids can start using the website builder right away and you don’t have to worry about unexpected charges.

Best Website Builders for Kids in 2023

I’ve tested the best website builders on the market and based on our requirements above, found that few of them offer quality environments for kids.

I’ve found many with high prices, outdated templates, and complicated interfaces. So I booted them in favor of the best website builders for kids listed below.

1. WordPress.com
2. Wix.com
3. Weebly + Square

1. WordPress.com

WordPress.com (not to be confused with WordPress.org – a far more complicated builder) provides kids with an environment where they can launch a website in minutes. It has one of the largest collections of templates online, and you get a free subdomain, hosting, and storage for content.

What Makes WordPress.com One of the Best Website Builders for Kids? 🧒

• Launch a website in minutes.
• Run a completely free website – subdomain and hosting included.
• Choose from creative, fun themes that are often free to use.
• It’s one of the cleanest backend dashboards you can find.
• Use drag-and-drop building blocks and visual design elements.
• Upgrade to a premium plan for more advanced themes and plugins.
• Access simple yet powerful custom coding sections.
• Add widgets for fun, creative content.
• WordPress supports all types of media and offers the most powerful blogging interface online.

Prices 💵

• Free: $0 for a WordPress website and/or blog, subdomain name, hosting, basic themes, and 1GB of storage. This plan doesn’t have access to most external WordPress plugins, but it does include a few key features as built-in features. It’s an ad-supported plan with no e-commerce.
• WordPress Pro: $15 per month (billed annually) for a WordPress website and blog, custom domain name, premium themes, external WordPress plugins, ecommerce support, more disk space, premium support, and removal of Website Promotion.

2. Wix.com

If you want an even easier web design experience for your child, Wix is ​​the way to go. As the ultimate website builder for beginners, Wix offers intuitive, modern templates and a drag-and-drop visual builder unmatched by any competitor. Kids have the option to forget about coding and just use content blocks or access HTML and CSS fields for more advanced crafting.

Not only that, you don’t have to enter a credit card for the Forever Free plan.

What Makes Wix.com One of the Best Website Builders for Kids? 🧒

• You can sign up without any payment information and use a free plan with fast hosting and a Wix subdomain.
• Creating a website only takes a few minutes.
• It has a visual builder with draggable content blocks.
• The theme library is plentiful and filled with quirky themes suitable for kids.
• Wix offers several affordable upgrades to add advanced features like payment processing and custom domain support.
• Wix doesn’t go too crazy with their promotions for current users.
• You get a full blog and powerful media and widget support.
• The App Store offers endless extensibility to add games, themes and specialty media.

Prices 💵

• Free: $0 for a full website and blog with access to the App Store, most built-in features, and limited storage. You get free hosting, a subdomain and an ad-supported website.
• Website Plans: $16-45 per month for a custom domain, Wix ads removal, some ecommerce features, more video hours, calendar, professional logos, social media tools, and customer support.
• Business and Ecommerce Plans: $27-$59 per month for a full online store with secure payments, client accounts, custom domains, no Wix ads on site, plenty of storage space, customer support, and options for selling on marketplaces and social media.

Note: The free plan isn’t listed on Wix’s pricing page, but you simply sign up for a free trial and never upgrade to any of the premium plans.

3. Weebly + Square

Weebly is one of the best website builders for kids especially for creating simple websites and simple online stores for free. Square owns Weebly, but kids can still build simple websites using just the Weebly tools and no payment processing. However, we also like the Square integration for kids who want to create a free online store or even collect personal payments through a Square reader that syncs with their online store.

What Makes Weebly/Square One of the Best Website Builders for Kids? 🧒

• It offers both standard website building tools and a way to create a free online store with Square payment processing.
• Design a website with visual drag-and-drop tools and no coding.
• Choose from a variety of fun, colorful, and professional themed categories ranging from personal blogs to portfolios.
• You don’t need to enter a credit card to create a website.
• Every new website owner gets free hosting and a subdomain.
• You get access to an app store to extend the built-in features.
• There are several inexpensive premium plans available, but even setting up a standard online store is said to be free.
• Weebly has excellent support for all types of media elements, such as images, slideshows, videos, and custom backgrounds.
• Run a blog with powerful formatting and content creation tools.
• Add forms and other widgets for interactivity and communication with friends and family.

Prices 💵

• Free: $0 per month for an ad-supported website, online store, or blog. This plan comes with a subdomain, free SSL certificate, and the option to add third-party embed code so kids can experiment with coding. What is unique about this plan is that it is truly a free online store. We also like the free Instagram feed for kids.
• Personal: $6 per month to connect a custom domain, sell digital products, add a shipping calculator, and enable pop-up notifications on the site.
• Specialist: $12 per month for unlimited storage, advanced website stats, a free domain name, Square ad removal, password protection, and phone support.
• Performance: $26 per month for PayPal payments, item reviews, abandoned cart emails, advanced ecommerce insights, and priority support.

Tips to help your kids create a website

😖 If you’re nervous about your child creating a website, follow these steps to protect them along the way and guide them through the process:

1. Look for hidden or even predatory fees that the kids may not know about.
2. Make sure there aren’t many ads in the backend. It’s okay if their front-end websites serve ads to users.
3. Find builders that offer privacy controls like adding passwords to view website content. All of our recommendations have this functionality.
4. Visit the website creator’s YouTube page and send your kids tutorials to help them learn. These are usually easier to digest than knowledge base articles.
5. Consider helping them with payment details if they’re trying to run a small business or fundraising for a project.

summary

• The elements that make a good website builder like free plans, subdomains, and drag-and-content modules.
• That WordPress.com, Wix and Weebly provide the ideal environments for children to build websites. They are free to use, have visual builders, and offer upgrades when needed.
• WordPress.com is best for kids to blog; Wix makes the most sense for a standard website like a small business, gaming, or portfolio website. Weebly/Square does the trick for building small business websites and online stores.
• Some tips to help your kids build websites include keeping them safe, making sure they’re not spending unnecessarily, and making sure they’re using the right tools.