What should you look for in a website builder?
A website builder is quickly chosen on the nicest template. Also look at the price after the introductory period, your own domain name and what you can take with you if you ever leave.
Price after the first year
Many website builders give a discount on the first year. After that you pay the normal price, and that determines what your site really costs you.
Ask the vendor
What does the plan cost after the introductory period, per month and per year?
Sort by lowest price10 of 10 tools have a public price
Free plan with your own domain
A free plan is nice for trying things out, but it often shows advertising and your own domain name does not work. For a business site you want both sorted.
Ask the vendor
Can I use my own domain name on the free plan, and will there be advertising on my site?
Show tools with a free plan5 of 10 tools meet this
Paying with iDEAL on your site
If you sell something through your site, such as a course or a product, Dutch customers want to pay with iDEAL. According to the Dutch Payments Association (Betaalvereniging), 70% of online payments go through iDEAL.
Ask the vendor
Can visitors pay with iDEAL on my site, and through which payment provider?
Show tools with iDEAL6 of 10 tools meet thisMore about iDEAL and Wero
Forms and visitor data
A contact form collects personal data. If the website builder stores it for you, they are your processor and a data processing agreement is mandatory.
Ask the vendor
Do you offer a data processing agreement, and where are the messages from my contact form stored?
Show tools with data in the EU and a data processing agreement2 of 10 tools meet thisMore about the data processing agreement
Integrations with your other tools
A site often has to talk to your newsletter, your calendar or your online shop. Check whether those integrations are included as standard or whether you need an extra service.
Ask the vendor
Can I connect my newsletter, appointment scheduler and analytics without code?
Sort by most integrations7 of 10 tools list integrations
Taking your site with you
With many website builders you cannot move your site as a whole. You want to be able to take at least your domain name and your texts with you.
Ask the vendor
Can I export my pages, blog posts and images, and transfer my domain name?
We do not have a filter for this yet. Ask the vendor.
Trying it before you publish
A template looks different in the demo than with your own texts and photos. Try it with your own content before you pay.
Ask the vendor
Can I build my whole site during the free trial, and will it stay if I choose a plan?
Show tools with a free trial3 of 10 tools meet this
Frequently asked questions about choosing website builders
What should you look for in a website builder?
Look mainly at price after the first year, free plan with your own domain, paying with iDEAL on your site, forms and visitor data, integrations with your other tools, taking your site with you and trying it before you publish. For each point we explain why it matters and which question to ask the vendor.
Which questions should you ask a vendor of website builders?
What does the plan cost after the introductory period, per month and per year? Can I use my own domain name on the free plan, and will there be advertising on my site? Can visitors pay with iDEAL on my site, and through which payment provider? Do you offer a data processing agreement, and where are the messages from my contact form stored?
How many website builders in the guide can you use or try for free?
Of the 10 website builders in our guide, 5 have a free plan and 3 can be tried for free, according to the vendor's site.
Sources
- Betaalvereniging Nederland: iDEAL and Wero (in Dutch)
- Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens: Data processing agreement (in Dutch)
Texts and sources checked on . The counts follow from the facts in the guide. Rules can change; the source prevails. This is an explanation, not legal or tax advice.
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