Our Zenfolio review delivers all the information, insight, pros and cons you need to make an informed decision on whether this is the right portfolio website builder for you. 

Finding the best website builder for your portfolio is a crucial step in showcasing your work, demonstrating your talent, and getting in front of a new and potentially profitable audience. Which is best for you will depend on several factors ranging from your technical skills to how you want to represent yourself online. 

Zenfolio is one of the best portfolio website builders on the market, offering a host of tools built specifically to help photographers get their work online and grow their photography businesses. 

Our experts have tested the Zenfolio portfolio website builder, assessing areas including ease of use, tools, and features to help you make an informed decision on whether it might be the best option for you. 

Plans and pricing

Zenfolio offers three paid plans with both monthly and annual payment options. There’s also a 14-day free trial that you can use to test the platform and get a feel for its features and tools 

Portfolio plan

At the cheaper end of the spectrum sits the Portfolio plan. This plan includes a great selection of templates, 15GB of photo storage, and the ability to connect your own domain name. 

PortfolioPlus plan

Upgrading to the PortfolioPlus plan and you will have access to everything in the Portfolio plan, along with a more powerful site editor, 150GB of photo storage, and the ability to sell prints, digital copies, and videos directly from your website. 

ProSuite plan

Finally, the ProSuite plan gives you everything in the PortfolioPlus plan, plus you will gain access to a suite of powerful features designed for professional photographers, including automated client campaigns and an all-in-one booking, invoicing, and payment solution. You'll also get access to its helpful QR code workflow.

Zenfolio features

Zenfolio’s photography portfolio website builder is backed by a suite of advanced features to help you get the most out of your site. Below we list some of the most noteworthy.

When you sign up for a new Zenfolio account, you will have access to a suite of free photography website templates, mobile-friendly themes, a drag-and-drop editor, and more. 

Showcase your work through public galleries to help you gain more clients. Then, you can create custom photo galleries complete with password protection to help you share work with existing clients. Alternatively, set up a simple online store using Zenfolio's ecommerce platform to sell photos, videos, or other content. 

You will also have access to a suite of advanced marketing tools, with a focus on helping you grow your social followings. Integrations are available for all major social media platforms, and there’s even a range of SEO tools to help you increase your organic search traffic. 

Zenfolio also offers BookMe, an advanced tool that automates booking, scheduling, gallery creation, and commerce for professional photographers.

BookMe streamlines and simplifies a photographer’s daily workflow by automating a multitude of functions that traditionally added hours to a photographer’s workday. The BookMe feature comes as standard on the ProSuite plan or can be added at an additional cost to other plans. 

NextZen update

In the summer of 2025, Zenfolio launched NextZen, which it describes as a totally reimagined platform, built to speed up the workflow from shoot to sale.

This update included several new features across the board, including new AI tools for creating galleries and tagging work, as well as dedicated features for streamlining high volume photo processing. It also rolled out custom pricing for individual photos and upselling prompts that can help maximize profit via client orders.

New, modern website template options have also been added, along with improvements to the client experience with enhanced “Favorites” management across multiple galleries.

Interface and in use

To get started with Zenfolio, you can either sign up for a premium plan or take advantage of the 14-day free trial. No credit card information is required to begin the free trial, and the only things you need to provide are a name and email address. 

Once you’re signed up, you will be guided through a simple four-step setup process. Here, you will be able to specify the type of site you want, select an initial design, upload a few photos, and add SEO information. 

The website editor itself is quite simplistic, but it does come with enough tools for you to customize your design. Change color schemes, rearrange or re-order design elements, and add your own content for a truly personalized portfolio. 

Finally, there’s an impressive media management area that lets you upload and organize your photos and videos. Create custom galleries on different pages, add password-protected client galleries, and showcase your work for prospective customers. 

Support

Zenfolio offers numerous support services, including live support and a range of self-help resources. Reach out to the customer service team via live chat, online ticket submission, or email, and expect an answer quite quickly.

You can also book a free one-on-one setup session to get connected with a Zenfolio expert who can help you get your site started. 

Or, take advantage of the great range of self-help resources, which include detailed guides, full webinars, and more.

Zenfolio competition

As far as portfolio website builders go, Zenfolio certainly isn’t a bad option. However, there are some alternatives that are certainly worth considering. 

For example, Wix is known as the world’s most powerful website builder. Take advantage of the platform’s power to build a highly functional, personalized portfolio. It’s similarly priced to Zenfolio, and there are numerous add-ons available through the Wix App Market that you can use to add extra portfolio functionality to your site. 

Squarespace is another decent option, particularly for those who value high-quality designs over all else. It’s known for its excellent portfolio templates, highly attractive designs, and impressive editing tools. And while Squarespace certainly isn’t the easiest website builder to use, its section-based editor allows a passable amount of design flexibility. 

Zenfolio review: Summary

At the end of the day, there’s a reason why Zenfolio is one of the world’s top-rated portfolio website builders. It offers an array of tools to help you showcase photo and video content, along with eCommerce features to help you sell your work, a beginner-friendly editor, and more. 

On top of this, Zenfolio is very competitively priced, has great customer support, and boasts a noteworthy media organization portal. 

The bottom line: If you’re looking for an affordable, highly functional portfolio website builder, Zenfolio should certainly be among your top options. 

DreamHost has recently revamped its approach to website building. Instead of competing with other no-code builders on our best website builders roundup, they now focus on two separate but complimentary services.

TechRadar reviewers have spent thousands of hours testing 140+ website builders, giving us deep insight into what works. While Wix remains our top pick for 2025, DreamHost's revamped service is unique enough to deserve a spot and a mention.

DreamHost now offers both an AI-powered website builder called Liftoff and a professional website service for WordPress. Both come free with any hosting plan, including the shared hosting that starts at just $2.59/month for the first year. Plus the company has been hosting websites since 1997 and powers over 1.5 million sites, so you know you're in good hands.

DreamHost Website Builder: 2-minute review

DreamHost takes a refreshingly different approach to website building. Rather than creating another traditional drag-and-drop tool, they've developed two complementary services that address different user needs. The AI-powered Liftoff builder creates complete sites in under 60 seconds, while their professional service delivers custom 4-page websites built by experts that integrate with WordPress.

Both services excel at what they do, but they're not for everyone. You're locked into WordPress, which limits flexibility compared to platform-agnostic builders. However, for small business and professional users who want WordPress, DreamHost's approach works quite well. And it's completely free if you're subscribed to any DreamHost hosting plan, which is great value.

What is DreamHost Website Builder?

Think of DreamHost's website builder as two different services rolled into one package. First, there's Liftoff, an AI assistant that asks about your business and builds a complete WordPress website automatically. You simply describe what you need, and in less than a minute, you have a fully functional site with content, images, and design.

The second option is their professional service, where DreamHost's team builds a custom 4-page website for you. You provide your content and branding, but they handle all the technical work. No dragging elements around screens or learning design principles. Everything still runs on WordPress, so you get powerful blogging features and can expand your site later if needed.

Features

DreamHost's feature set focuses heavily on WordPress integration and AI assistance over traditional website building tools. The AI builder includes content generation, image creation, and automatic site structuring based on your business description. You get access to hundreds of WordPress block patterns and page templates through their Design Library, plus an AI-powered help center for support.

On the other hand, the professional service delivers more hands-off features — expert design, mobile responsiveness, SEO optimization, and hosting setup. Both services include free domain registration, SSL certificates, and unlimited traffic. WordPress integration also means you get built-in blogging capabilities, plugin support, and the ability to scale up later.

Missing features include advanced customization using animations and interactions, built-in ecommerce tools beyond WooCommerce, and support for other platforms besides WordPress. However, the pricing justifies these limitations since everything comes free with hosting plans starting at $2.59 monthly.

DreamHost's approach works best for small businesses, bloggers, and anyone who prefers WordPress over proprietary platforms. AI-powered workflows suit tech-comfortable users who want speed, while the professional service appeals to those who'd rather outsource everything. The feature set feels intentionally focused rather than comprehensive.

Tools

DreamHost provides several integrated tools designed to work seamlessly with WordPress to simplify the website creation process. Each tool focuses on a specific aspect of building and managing your online presence.

Liftoff AI builder

DreamHost's new AI-powered tool creates complete WordPress websites in under 60 seconds. Simply answer questions about your business purpose and goals. Liftoff generates a personalized site with content, images, and design elements. It can also add ecommerce functionality or appointment booking systems based on your input. You maintain full ownership and can continue editing later in WordPress.

Site assistant dashboard

A personalized guidance system helps you refine your site after the initial AI-generated results. Your dashboard provides smart tasks and next-step recommendations, making it easier for beginners to improve their sites progressively. This tool bridges the gap between automation and manual customization.

Design library

Access hundreds of WordPress-native block patterns and page templates for visual customization. These professionally designed elements help you quickly modify layouts and add visual appeal without starting from scratch. The library focuses on WordPress blocks, ensuring compatibility and performance.

Professional website service

DreamHost's new human-powered service assigns a team to create a custom 4-page website (Home, About, Services, Contact) using your content and branding. This service includes mobile optimization, SEO setup, and professional design - delivered ready to launch. Perfect for those who prefer expert handling over DIY headaches.

Content creator

DreamHost offers AI-powered writing assistance for creating blog posts, product pages, and website copy. This tool helps maintain consistent messaging across your site and speeds up content creation. It integrates directly with the WordPress editor for seamless workflow.

Ease of use

DreamHost's website builder prioritizes simplicity over complexity. Once in, the control panel features a modern interface that's easy to navigate, though it heavily promotes paid add-ons which can feel pushy. Setting up a website takes less than five minutes, with an additional few minutes for server-side processing.

The AI-powered Liftoff tool eliminates traditional learning curves entirely, because you just answer a few questions about your business and it builds your site automatically. You can use DreamHost's editor to customize your AI-generated results, which uses a block-based system where you drag elements to reorder them, remove sections, or insert new ones.

You can't drag objects anywhere on the page like traditional builders, although you get decent layout control through column adjustments and block spacing. For advanced customization, you transition from DreamHost to WordPress's familiar interface.

Pricing

DreamHost's pricing structure follows the industry standard of significant discounts for long-term commitments. The Shared Starter plan at $2.59 monthly offers excellent value for beginners, including the free AI website builder and professional service. DreamPress plans cater to WordPress enthusiasts who want managed hosting with enhanced performance and security features.

But it's the renewal rates that tell the real story. Prices can double or triple after your initial term ends. VPS plans see the steepest increases, jumping from $10 to nearly $25 monthly for the basic tier. But, DreamHost offers a generous 97-day money-back guarantee, giving you plenty of time to test their services. Also, monthly payments cost up to 60% more than 12-month+ commitments, making longer terms essential for budget-conscious users.

Security

DreamHost covers security basics well across all plans. You get free Let's Encrypt SSL certificates, web application firewalls, automated daily backups, and domain privacy protection. Their server-side security includes intrusion detection systems, malware scanning, and 24/7 monitoring. And the user management system lets you create role-specific accounts, so team members only access what they need.

But the catch is DreamShield, their premium malware removal tool, which costs extra at $29.99/year. With the latest updates, this offers impressive additional features like real-time threat monitoring, 30-day scan history, and color-coded security status indicators. Their new centralized dashboard gives you instant visibility into your site's security health, making it easier to spot problems early.

Support

DreamHost won both 2025 Stevie Gold and Globee Awards for customer service excellence. You get 24/7 live chat and email tickets, plus a comprehensive knowledge base that's actually useful. Chat support typically connects you within 2-5 minutes, where agents explain things clearly without robotic scripts. Their knowledge base covers most common issues with step-by-step tutorials.

Phone support exists but works differently, as it's callback-only and costs extra for most plans. Shared hosting users pay $9.95 for one callback or $14.95 monthly for three callbacks. Only managed hosting and dedicated server customers get free callbacks included. Email tickets get responses within an hour, though some can take up to a whole day during busy periods.

DreamHost's community forum provides additional help, though responses aren't always quick. Professional services are available for hands-on assistance with site management, SEO, and development work. Overall, support quality is solid if you're comfortable with chat and email, just don't expect free phone calls unless you're on premium plans.

Alternatives

DreamHost occupies a unique position by focusing entirely on WordPress rather than competing with general-purpose builders. This works well for users who specifically want WordPress sites but limits appeal for those seeking platform flexibility. Their dual approach targets different user types within the WordPress ecosystem effectively.

Main competitors include traditional hosts like Bluehost, HostGator, and SiteGround, all offering similar WordPress-focused services. Bluehost provides stronger beginner tools and phone support, while SiteGround excels at performance and security. For pure website building, Wix and Squarespace offer more design flexibility.

DreamHost Website Builder: Summary

DreamHost's reimagined website builder succeeds by doing something different rather than trying to beat everyone at the same game. The AI-powered approach creates WordPress sites instantly, while the professional service handles everything for users who prefer expert help.

Both options eliminate traditional building complexity, though you're locked into WordPress. Pricing remains competitive with generous renewal terms, while security and support quality cover the basics well.

Bandzoogle is a website builder with a difference. Unlike the majority of the best website builders on the market, which are built for a wide range of users, Bandzoogle was created specifically to help musicians get themselves and their music online. 

The platform includes many features that make it easy to showcase your talents, with professional-looking templates designed for artists, along with an easy set up process, including font and colour options, giving users the ability to create a truly unique online presence.

Bandzoogle also allows users to make unlimited sales without charging any commission, which is great for musicians who anticipate making large sales in the future. So if you’re looking for the best website builder for musicians, Bandzoogle is certainly worth considering. 

Bandzoogle pricing and plans

It’s unfortunate that Bandzoogle doesn’t include a pared down free plan you can use for an unlimited time, so if you want to give it a shot, you’ll have to sign up for the 30 day free trial (on the plus side, no credit card details are needed - just your email address and a password, and you’re good to go). You’ll still have the opportunity to cancel your trial at any time, should you decide it’s not the right platform for you. 

Bandzoogle has 4 plans available: EPK, Lite, Standard, and Pro. They can all be tried free for 30 days. You have the option of paying annually or monthly - forking out the lump sum each year essentially gets you two months free.

EPK (Electronic Press Kit) plan

EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is the most basic plan and it is still in beta. This provides you with the ability to create a single page press kit. It comes with hosting and all the basic tools you need such as a music player, tour calendar, contact form, and support. 

Lite plan

The Lite plan is the next up and unlocks the ability to create full websites with up to 10 pages, 10 tracks, and 100 photos. It also adds on the EPK plan with some promotional tools, ability to sell music, and visitor analytics. 

Standard plan 

Step up again to the Standard plan and you get everything from the Lite plan plus an additional 10 pages (20 total), 40 tracks (50 total), and 400 photos (500 total). You also get the ability to sell merchandise through your store. 

Pro plan

The final ‘Pro’ is a great option for serious musicians. You get everything from the standard plan, but now you have unlimited pages, tracks, and photos. Advanced selling and analytical tools are also included alongside the added ability to sell tickets to your shows. 

Getting started with Bandzoogle

Once you start the free trial, you’ll immediately have access to all of the pre-designed themes. Browse through them, check their large previews, and select the one that best reflects your band and its style (they’re broken down into categories such as Rock, Classical, Urban, etc to help narrow down your search).

During the creation process, you can add your own header image and band logo if you have one, but there’s no pressure: you can add this at any time later on. The same applies for all other initial steps: you can skip them all (adding content, setting up a blog, creating a photo gallery, etc), and insert them at a later time.

Bandzoogle features

Populating your website with content is a very straightforward affair. Click on ‘Add a section’ to choose from the list of options displayed during the creation process.

You have the ability to add as many sections as you need, across multiple pages, thereby creating an enticing resource for your fans, and if you have experience of other more traditional website builders, you’ll find Bandzoogle very easy to get to grips with.

Even the blog section offers all the basics you’d expect, including categories, comments, and being able to schedule your posts.

Unsurprisingly, the features that stand out the most are options for selling music, merchandise, and tickets. Everything you need as an artist is easily available, so if you’re looking for a template that’s ready to go, you can customise the colours, fonts, and photos to create a website that highlights your style. SEO options are generated automatically from the content on your page, making it easy for Google to pick up the right keywords. 

Bandzoogle competition

The largest competitors to Bandzoogle are Wix, Bandvista, and Mymusicstream. Bandvista has very similar pricing to Bandzoogle, and also doesn’t include a free plan. Bandvista also includes a music player and options to sell merchandise, but its templates aren’t quite as professional looking and modern as Bandzoogle's. 

Is Bandzoogle right for you? Summary

Bandzoogle is a great website builder for anyone in the music industry who wants to sell albums, merch, and tickets to shows on a personalised website.

Instead of building your website from scratch, this easy to customise web host makes building a website a breeze. You won’t need to spend time learning HTML or other programming languages. All of the templates are creative and built for music-enthusiasts. It’s also easy to transfer your domain over to Bandzoogle if you already own one. Bandzoogle promises fast page loading, so music fans won’t get stuck while waiting to download a soundtrack. Because it’s music-specific, the built-in SEO will help Google recognise key terms from your website, making it easier for people to find your band online. 

Overall, Bandzoogle is a helpful tool for anyone in the music industry looking to create their own website. 

Founded in 2014 by Christine Telyan and Anh Pham Vu, UENI was created to help independent businesses establish an online presence in a market where approximately 70% of small businesses lacked one. Unlike the majority of the best website builders, that provide tools and templates for you to build your own site, UENI takes a "done-for-you" approach, with real humans creating your custom website based on a simple questionnaire about your business needs.

After completing a 30-minute questionnaire, UENI's team builds a custom website for you within seven days, complete with relevant content, images, and business listings across multiple platforms. Once ready, you are also free to customize the website to your liking via the easy-to-use site editor. The service is best suited for service providers, local businesses, and small retailers who need a professional online presence without the learning curve of traditional DIY website builders.

UENI features

UENI takes a unique "done-for-you" approach to website building, where a team of professionals creates your custom website based on your business needs. The process begins with you completing a simple questionnaire about your business, website requirements, and design preferences. Within 7 days, UENI's team delivers a fully-built, mobile-friendly website complete with written content, selected images, and product/service listings.

Beyond website creation, UENI offers comprehensive business profile creation services. They build and verify your Google Business Profile within 7 days, syncing it with your website and optimizing it for local search to increase your online visibility. For users on the Plus plan or above, UENI extends this service to include business listings across more than 25 platforms, including Apple Maps and Facebook.

UENI's platform includes essential ecommerce features that allow you to sell products online with unlimited product listings and multiple payment methods (credit cards, PayPal, offline payments) with zero commission fees. The service also includes an appointment booking system that works from day one, with email confirmations and calendar syncing capabilities. While UENI's editor isn't the most advanced, it offers intuitive controls for making changes after your site is built, along with widgets and integrations like advanced photo galleries, customer surveys, Google Analytics, and social media feeds.

How easy is UENI to use?

UENI eliminates the complexity of DIY website building by handling the entire creation process for you. After completing the initial questionnaire, you simply wait for the team to build your custom website, removing the learning curve typically associated with traditional website builders. This approach is particularly beneficial for small business owners, local service providers, and entrepreneurs with limited technical skills who need a professional online presence without investing significant time in learning web design.

Once your website is complete, UENI provides a one-to-one consultation with a web design expert who teaches you how to use its intuitive editor for maintaining your site. The editor is beginner-friendly, allowing you to choose between 8 templates to change your site's overall look and access basic customization options. Users on the Growth plan receive additional monthly one-to-one calls to help continuously optimize their online presence.

However, there are some limitations to be aware of. UENI's editor offers limited customization options compared to more advanced website builders such as Wix. Some users have reported frustration when requesting edits, discovering limitations only after their initial website was built. While the platform provides a solid foundation for establishing an online presence, businesses with complex needs or those requiring highly customized features might eventually outgrow UENI's capabilities. Additionally, there's a mandatory one-time setup fee of $199 for most plans (except the Lifetime Deal), which adds to the initial investment.

How good is UENI's customer support?

UENI offers comprehensive customer support across multiple channels. Users can contact the support team by submitting a ticket through the website, sending an email, or using the LiveChat feature available directly from the UENI Hub. The LiveChat agents are available between 10 am and 6 pm EST, providing real-time assistance for immediate concerns.

For users on the Plus and Growth plans, UENI offers phone support, allowing direct connection with the expert support team. Phone support hours vary by region, with availability from 9 am to 5 pm EST for users in the United States and Canada, and from 2 pm to 10 pm for those in the United Kingdom. The company's Customer Success Team is available seven days a week, aiming to respond to all queries within two working days.

Support services are included in all UENI plans, with no extra charges for basic assistance. The Plus plan includes a concierge service and quarterly SEO review, while the Growth plan offers additional support features like a customized marketing program, competitor tracking, and reputation management. UENI also provides a personalized Zoom call to present and finalize your website, discussing any desired changes before launch and training you on using the website editor for self-managed updates. For ongoing technical issues, UENI handles hosting and maintenance, solving problems through their Live Chat support system.

Performance

UENI websites are hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is known for being one of the fastest and most secure hosting services available. This ensures fast loading times and excellent speed performance regardless of your visitors' location.

UENI's focus on creating straightforward websites helps with speed optimization, improving both user experience and search engine rankings. Additionally, all UENI websites include SEO optimization using keywords related to your niche, target audience, and local area, with monthly comprehensive reports provided to track your online performance.

UENI website builder pricing and plans

UENI offers four main pricing plans: Launch, Plus, Growth, and Platinum. As of early 2025, the Launch plan costs $149 billed annually (or $259 for two years) with a $79 setup fee, providing a built-for-you website with personalized design, fast loading, custom domain name, professional email address, easy-to-use editor, and secure hosting. The Plus plan ($899 billed every two years with a $79 setup fee) adds four email addresses, advanced SEO, unlimited done-for-you edits, and VIP phone support.

The Growth plan ($1,499 billed every two years with a $79 setup fee) includes everything in Plus along with a dedicated VIP Growth Team, marketing plan, monthly marketing sessions, and 2,000 words of fresh content.

For ecommerce businesses, the Platinum plan ($3,499 billed every two years with a $199 setup fee) offers advanced ecommerce features, unlimited edits, unlimited products, subscription, and digital product selling capabilities, and enhanced marketing integrations.

Alternatively, UENI used to offer a Lifetime Deal for $599 as a one-time payment with no recurring fees, providing a fully-built website, personalized design, Google Business Profile, and free web hosting forever. However, it seems that this one-time purchase offer is no longer available on the website.

UENI website builder alternatives

Despite UENI's comprehensive done-for-you approach, some users have reported dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the service. Limitations include a lack of advanced customization options with only 8 template choices available, which some users find restrictive for growing businesses.

Technical support limitations have also been mentioned in reviews, along with the absence of a free trial option to test the service before committing financially. Additionally, some business owners were unimpressed with what they perceived as a lack of modern features, poor interface, and cookie-cutter websites that didn't fully represent their brand identity.

For those seeking alternatives, several options exist in the website builder market. Wix provides more design flexibility with its drag-and-drop editor and extensive template library. Squarespace is known for its visually stunning templates and integrated marketing tools. Although both of these options are incredibly easy to use, they don't offer the same 'done for you' approach that you get from UENI.

You can check out our Wix review and Squarespace review for more details on what these platforms have to offer.

When choosing an alternative, consider factors like ease of use, customization needs, budget constraints, and whether you prefer a do-it-yourself approach or require assistance with website creation.

UENI website builder review: FAQs

Founded in 2014 by Christine Telyan and Anh Pham Vu, UENI was created to help independent businesses establish an online presence in a market where approximately 70% of small businesses lacked one. Unlike the majority of the best website builders, that provide tools and templates for you to build your own site, UENI takes a "done-for-you" approach, with real humans creating your custom website based on a simple questionnaire about your business needs.

After completing a 30-minute questionnaire, UENI's team builds a custom website for you within seven days, complete with relevant content, images, and business listings across multiple platforms. Once ready, you are also free to customize the website to your liking via the easy-to-use site editor. The service is best suited for service providers, local businesses, and small retailers who need a professional online presence without the learning curve of traditional DIY website builders.

UENI features

UENI takes a unique "done-for-you" approach to website building, where a team of professionals creates your custom website based on your business needs. The process begins with you completing a simple questionnaire about your business, website requirements, and design preferences. Within 7 days, UENI's team delivers a fully-built, mobile-friendly website complete with written content, selected images, and product/service listings.

Beyond website creation, UENI offers comprehensive business profile creation services. They build and verify your Google Business Profile within 7 days, syncing it with your website and optimizing it for local search to increase your online visibility. For users on the Plus plan or above, UENI extends this service to include business listings across more than 25 platforms, including Apple Maps and Facebook.

UENI's platform includes essential ecommerce features that allow you to sell products online with unlimited product listings and multiple payment methods (credit cards, PayPal, offline payments) with zero commission fees. The service also includes an appointment booking system that works from day one, with email confirmations and calendar syncing capabilities. While UENI's editor isn't the most advanced, it offers intuitive controls for making changes after your site is built, along with widgets and integrations like advanced photo galleries, customer surveys, Google Analytics, and social media feeds.

How easy is UENI to use?

UENI eliminates the complexity of DIY website building by handling the entire creation process for you. After completing the initial questionnaire, you simply wait for the team to build your custom website, removing the learning curve typically associated with traditional website builders. This approach is particularly beneficial for small business owners, local service providers, and entrepreneurs with limited technical skills who need a professional online presence without investing significant time in learning web design.

Once your website is complete, UENI provides a one-to-one consultation with a web design expert who teaches you how to use its intuitive editor for maintaining your site. The editor is beginner-friendly, allowing you to choose between 8 templates to change your site's overall look and access basic customization options. Users on the Growth plan receive additional monthly one-to-one calls to help continuously optimize their online presence.

However, there are some limitations to be aware of. UENI's editor offers limited customization options compared to more advanced website builders such as Wix. Some users have reported frustration when requesting edits, discovering limitations only after their initial website was built. While the platform provides a solid foundation for establishing an online presence, businesses with complex needs or those requiring highly customized features might eventually outgrow UENI's capabilities. Additionally, there's a mandatory one-time setup fee of $199 for most plans (except the Lifetime Deal), which adds to the initial investment.

How good is UENI's customer support?

UENI offers comprehensive customer support across multiple channels. Users can contact the support team by submitting a ticket through the website, sending an email, or using the LiveChat feature available directly from the UENI Hub. The LiveChat agents are available between 10 am and 6 pm EST, providing real-time assistance for immediate concerns.

For users on the Plus and Growth plans, UENI offers phone support, allowing direct connection with the expert support team. Phone support hours vary by region, with availability from 9 am to 5 pm EST for users in the United States and Canada, and from 2 pm to 10 pm for those in the United Kingdom. The company's Customer Success Team is available seven days a week, aiming to respond to all queries within two working days.

Support services are included in all UENI plans, with no extra charges for basic assistance. The Plus plan includes a concierge service and quarterly SEO review, while the Growth plan offers additional support features like a customized marketing program, competitor tracking, and reputation management. UENI also provides a personalized Zoom call to present and finalize your website, discussing any desired changes before launch and training you on using the website editor for self-managed updates. For ongoing technical issues, UENI handles hosting and maintenance, solving problems through their Live Chat support system.

Performance

UENI websites are hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is known for being one of the fastest and most secure hosting services available. This ensures fast loading times and excellent speed performance regardless of your visitors' location.

UENI's focus on creating straightforward websites helps with speed optimization, improving both user experience and search engine rankings. Additionally, all UENI websites include SEO optimization using keywords related to your niche, target audience, and local area, with monthly comprehensive reports provided to track your online performance.

UENI website builder pricing and plans

UENI offers four main pricing plans: Launch, Plus, Growth, and Platinum. As of early 2025, the Launch plan costs $149 billed annually (or $259 for two years) with a $79 setup fee, providing a built-for-you website with personalized design, fast loading, custom domain name, professional email address, easy-to-use editor, and secure hosting. The Plus plan ($899 billed every two years with a $79 setup fee) adds four email addresses, advanced SEO, unlimited done-for-you edits, and VIP phone support.

The Growth plan ($1,499 billed every two years with a $79 setup fee) includes everything in Plus along with a dedicated VIP Growth Team, marketing plan, monthly marketing sessions, and 2,000 words of fresh content.

For ecommerce businesses, the Platinum plan ($3,499 billed every two years with a $199 setup fee) offers advanced ecommerce features, unlimited edits, unlimited products, subscription, and digital product selling capabilities, and enhanced marketing integrations.

Alternatively, UENI used to offer a Lifetime Deal for $599 as a one-time payment with no recurring fees, providing a fully-built website, personalized design, Google Business Profile, and free web hosting forever. However, it seems that this one-time purchase offer is no longer available on the website.

UENI website builder alternatives

Despite UENI's comprehensive done-for-you approach, some users have reported dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the service. Limitations include a lack of advanced customization options with only 8 template choices available, which some users find restrictive for growing businesses.

Technical support limitations have also been mentioned in reviews, along with the absence of a free trial option to test the service before committing financially. Additionally, some business owners were unimpressed with what they perceived as a lack of modern features, poor interface, and cookie-cutter websites that didn't fully represent their brand identity.

For those seeking alternatives, several options exist in the website builder market. Wix provides more design flexibility with its drag-and-drop editor and extensive template library. Squarespace is known for its visually stunning templates and integrated marketing tools. Although both of these options are incredibly easy to use, they don't offer the same 'done for you' approach that you get from UENI.

You can check out our Wix review and Squarespace review for more details on what these platforms have to offer.

When choosing an alternative, consider factors like ease of use, customization needs, budget constraints, and whether you prefer a do-it-yourself approach or require assistance with website creation.

UENI website builder review: FAQs

Our latest Duda review takes a deep dive into a new yet unique website builder offering, offering you insight into all the pros, cons, features, and tools, helping you make an informed choice.

Duda comes with a wide range of features including drag-and-drop editing capabilities, access to hundreds of templates and widgets, and an advanced AI. This makes it easier to build attractive websites and manage them at scale without any of the usual hassle.

Wix remains our pick for the top website builder of 2025. But this website builder has been built specifically with professionals in mind, offering agency-level functionality and white labeled tools. This makes it one of the best website builders for agencies and freelancers who want to build great websites for their clients.

Duda: 2-minute review

Duda positions itself as a premium website builder designed specifically for agencies, freelancers, and professional web developers. The platform excels at creating responsive websites that look great across all devices, with particularly strong mobile optimization tools that set it apart from competitors like Wix or Squarespace. Its drag-and-drop editor is intuitive yet powerful, allowing users to create professional websites without coding knowledge while still offering advanced customization options for those who need them.

What makes Duda so appealing to agencies is its comprehensive white-label capabilities and client management features. You can customize the platform with your own branding, give clients controlled access to their sites, and manage multiple projects efficiently. The platform runs on Amazon Web Services hosting, ensuring fast loading times and reliable performance. However, Duda's focus on professional users means it comes with a higher price tag than many competitors, and it lacks the free tier that makes other builders accessible to beginners.

What is Duda?

Duda is a cloud-based website building platform that lets you create professional websites without needing to write code. It provides everything you need to build a website — templates, design tools, hosting, and management features, all in one place.

Instead of hiring a team of web developers who specialize in complex programming, you can use the visual editor to drag and drop elements like text, images, and buttons exactly where you want them.

Duda adjusts your website's layout to look great on any screen size, but it also gives you granular control to customize how your site appears on each device type. It also includes built-in features for online stores, contact forms, photo galleries, and other common website functions.

Features

The Duda App Store lets you easily install apps from over 25 different categories. Whether you’re looking for ecommerce tools, membership options, or website personalization options, there's plenty of options to choose from.

In more recent updates Duda has focused on rolling out better connectivity. Connectors are a new category available within the Duda App Store. They allow data transfer between Duda and other platforms such as ERPs, the best CRM software, and more. This allows agencies and freelancers to drastically expand the platforms to which they can connect client sites. Since launch Duda has released integrations with ActiveCampaign, MailChimp, Hubspot, Slack, and Facebook Conversions.

Duda has also added Blog APIs to its library. This addition will help agencies boost productivity by allowing the automatic import and push of blog content not created on the Duda platform to the sites they build. This will be especially useful to agencies using external writers or AI for blog writing.

If you’re running an online store, then you need an ecommerce solution. With Duda, we were able to easily set up an online store with its built-in ecommerce tools. We also took advantage of additional features such as payment processing integration and customer management tools.

Duda also provides membership options so that your customers can access exclusive content on your site. Whether it’s videos or podcasts, your site visitor can register for a paid membership to access this content without needing to leave your site. This is a great way to generate additional revenue for your business while offering your visitors more value.

Creating a website from scratch can take a lot of time and effort – but not with Duda. We were able to create a professional-looking website with Duda’s templates. These templates have been carefully crafted by industry experts so that they look great on any device or browser – regardless of size or resolution. Plus, all templates are fully customizable so that you can make them look exactly how you want them to be.

Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular among web users – and if your site isn't optimized for mobile devices then it won't be seen by these potential customers. Fortunately, with Duda's mobile-friendly sites feature, creating mobile websites is easier than ever before. Not only does this feature allow visitors to view your site on any device or browser – but it also allows them to take advantage of features such as click-to-call buttons which give visitors direct access to contact information such as phone numbers and addresses right from their phones.

Widgets are small pieces of code snippets that add extra functionality and features to websites without needing any coding knowledge whatsoever. During our test, we were able to create custom widgets with drag-and-drop functionality. This can also be used by beginners to customize their sites in no time at all.

Keeping track of client payments is essential if you're offering services through your website - and luckily with the client billing feature in Duda, we were able to keep track of payments with ease. This feature allows you to easily set up invoicing systems through which you can keep track of clients' payments seamlessly - ensuring that all payments are made promptly and accurately every time.

Tools

Despite being an AI website builder, Duda offers to its credit a powerful platform that has everything that a small-to-medium design or development agency would need. Here are some standout features that we thought were worth highlighting:

Accessibility

Everyone deserves to experience an accessible website regardless of their disability or technology. With the AudioEye tool, businesses get peace of mind knowing the product they are providing meets WCAG 2.0 AA standards for website accessibility in just a few clicks. Duda’s AudioEye tool allows visitors with visual impairments to access your site’s content in Audio format.

Ecommerce

With the Omni-channel ecommerce tool, you can easily drive sales from both your online stores as well as across the web. All products are synced with the store catalog and managed from one convenient platform.

This feature enables customers to shop from anywhere; whether it’s on a computer or mobile device and pay for purchases seamlessly without ever having to leave your site. This helps create a seamless shopping experience that customers will appreciate and come back for again and again.

Member management

The Simple Member Management & Reporting tool makes it easy for you to manage members directly from the Site Overview tab or the side panel of the editor. You can add, edit or remove members quickly while also keeping track of user interactions such as past purchases and more in one convenient place. This simplifies member management while also giving you valuable insight into how people are interacting with your website so you can adjust accordingly.

White labelling

If you are a web developer or web designer working with clients, then hiding your platform is essential for maintaining credibility and professionalism. With Duda’s white-label website builder & preview tools, you can place your client’s entire site-building process under your brand. That way your customers will never know that you are using Duda until you tell them yourself. This tool also includes preview tools so that your customers can get an accurate view of how their site will look before it goes live.

Dynamic pages

The Dynamic Pages tool is one of Duda’s most powerful tools as it allows you to design a single page once and then use it over and over again for different purposes without having to manually enter new information each time. This tool uses collections of text, images, business information, video, and more to automatically populate pages with relevant data based on user input or preferences. You can even sync these collections with Google Sheets or Airtable for even faster results.

Search engine optimization

Duda also leverages AI to help make creating and growing your website easier. All plans come with access to their AI content assistant, which will automatically generate and edit site content for you. Those on the Team plan and higher also get access to the AI SEO assistant. This tool makes following SEO best practices easy by generating metadata for all site pages in just one click.

Along with AI tools, Duda offers users a powerful SEO overview. This tool provides, at a glance, an overview of your site’s search engine optimization, helping you find and fix issues quickly. It also provides insight into optimization opportunities and delivers a simple way to give clients an up-to-date SEO snapshot. Working behind the scenes, this tool will identify and alert you of any issues with essential SEO requirements including external and internal links, page meta tags, image alt text, etc.

Ease of use

When you start your trial, and after you’ve verified your email address (par for the course these days), you’ll be asked about your business — are you a freelancer, a design agency, are you a web designer, or developer, that sort of thing. You’re then promptly sent to Duda’s template selection.

It’s incredibly easy to locate the theme you’d like from Duda’s long list. It’s even possible to preview its look on any type of device with just a click. Once you’ve found the template that’s right for you business, Duda will start setting it all up for you.

Duda has several features that make it easier for you to build the website you want without having to go through a complex process. For instance, you can drag and drop elements wherever you need them on your site. This makes it easy if you don’t have coding knowledge to add images, videos, and text boxes wherever you need them.

The dashboard is also designed in such a way that makes it easier for you to manage and edit your sites. The tools are all clearly labeled and easy to access – which means you don’t have to waste time figuring out how each tool works or where they’re located in the dashboard. This makes it possible for anyone with no web design experience at all to quickly and easily create a beautiful website that looks professionally done.

All of these features combine in such a way that makes Duda an incredibly user-friendly platform that anyone can use.

Pricing

Duda's pricing structure reflects its positioning as a professional-grade platform. It has no free tier but a 14-day free trial to test the service. The Basic plan at $12.50 monthly covers single users building one website, while the Team plan at $19.50 monthly adds collaboration features and white-label client access.

The Agency plan at $34.50 monthly includes four websites and advanced features like widget building, making it ideal for growing web development businesses. For larger agencies, the White Label plan at $99.50 monthly provides enhanced branding options and priority support.

Ecommerce functionality requires separate add-ons regardless of your main plan, with three tiers ranging from $8 to $49 monthly per site. While this initially seems expensive, it actually makes Duda more competitive since you only pay for eCommerce features when you need them. Additional websites beyond your plan's allocation cost extra too.

Support

Duda offers comprehensive and up-to-date information through its Knowledge Base & Documentation section. This section contains detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use various features on Duda, as well as frequently asked questions (FAQ) about common issues that may arise when using the platform. Additionally, this page also contains links to other helpful resources such as user guides, tutorials, and videos that can help you get started quickly with your website.

If you require more personal help with your website or need assistance troubleshooting something specific, Duda has you covered in this area too. With live chat, you can get quick answers from knowledgeable customer service representatives when needed. Plus, Duda even offers priority support for businesses that need immediate solutions or have urgent requests for their websites.

In addition to having access to direct customer service representatives via live chat or phone calls, Duda also provides users with access to its online forum and community support networks. This is great for users who are looking for advice from fellow web developers or want to learn from others who may have encountered similar challenges as they work on their websites.

However, it is important to note that the level of support you receive depends on the package you choose. Those on Basic or Team plans can only access support via email, whereas those on the more expensive Agency and White Label plans get full access to priority email, live chat, and phone support.

Security

Duda offers an optional SSL certificate for all websites hosted on its platform. An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a security protocol that encrypts data sent between a web server and a browser. This ensures that any personal information entered into your website is kept secure and protected from any potential hackers or malicious actors. The SSL certificate also adds an extra layer of protection against data breaches and other cyberattacks.

Finally, Duda also provides a Password Manager feature which allows you to store their passwords securely within the platform itself. This means that even if someone does get access to your account, they won't be able to view or use your passwords unless they have the correct login credentials for the Password Manager. This added layer of security further protects your account from malicious actors looking to gain access without authorization.

Alternatives

Squarespace has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it simple to design a beautiful website from scratch. Squarespace also offers dozens of templates that can help you get started quickly if you don’t have time to build your site from scratch.

If ease of use is what you're looking for in a website builder, then Wix might be the solution for you. Wix doesn't require any coding knowledge - just point and click. It has hundreds of templates available so you can easily create a stunning website in minutes without having any prior design experience. Additionally, Wix offers powerful features like customizable forms and ecommerce solutions so you can easily manage customer orders on your site.

Duda: Summary

Duda offers a complete package of features that make it easy to build and maintain a website. It includes everything from template designer tools, customization capabilities, content management tools, e-commerce integrations, SEO optimization options, and more. All of these features work together to give you control over how your website looks and functions.

In addition to having lots of features that make it easy to customize your website, Duda also offers several helpful support resources. From getting started tutorials to detailed user guides and FAQs, there are plenty of resources available that can help you design the perfect site for your business or organization in no time.

FAQs

Although not known as a global best web hosting provider FC2 is still a pretty popular blogging host from Japan (think of it as the Japanese version of GeoCities). The company is registered in the US but supposedly run by brothers (Rihiro and Takahashi Takahiro. While it is US based it's clear that this is made for Japanese (or people that can read Japanese) users as even when the language is set to English, Japanese characters still appear making usability somewhat difficult for users not proficient in Japanese.

In November 2024 Rihiro was arrested in Japan for allowing obscene content to be published on the site and together with user decline part of the blogging site was shut down. More information about the shutdown can be found on FC2's post. Websites and web pages without fc2web in the URL should still be operating as expected.

Controversy has followed FC2 through the years, primarily for allowing hosting without putting any restrictions on the content including pornography, piracy and defamation. Fortunately, from 2012 onwards stricter rules have been enforced and the changes in Japanese law regarding the foreign entities operating in Japan have helped the injured parties seek justice.  

• Interested in FC2? Check out the website here

For those growing up in the early 2000s, FC2’s main website may feel like a walk down the memory lane with its old-school style and somewhat puzzling user experience. Everything seems straightforward at the beginning, but soon enough you might feel like being lost in a maze, faced with dead ends and some pages popping up in Japanese just to confuse you even further.

Besides English and Japanese, FC2’s website is available in eleven additional languages, although the translation doesn’t appear to be total in some parts.  If you click on “Blog” (next to a cute rubber duck), you’ll proceed to FC2 BLOG’s website which is more modern, easier to use and available in all the same languages. 

The “About” section of FC2’s website provides a brief overview of FC2’s history that ends in 2013 and fails to mention anything about their servers or data center locations. 

• Also check out our roundup of the best blogging sites

Plans and pricing

Although there is truth in the words that you get what you pay for, since FC2 provides services that are completely free of charge, we’ll have to judge them by other means. With FC2 there aren't multiple web hosting plans to choose from, but rather one plan to rule them all for those looking for a way to create their dream blog without lightening their wallets.

As one would expect, this plan doesn’t provide much, but it does include up to 1GB of web space, one subdomain, unlimited bandwidth, a file manager and editor, support for Java and Flash file types as well for CGI, PHP and SSI. Besides shared hosting, FC2 provides its own website builder, which is (again) absolutely free.

Despite the fact that FC2’s services are free, you can make some pocket money by allowing ads on your blog, although (as of late) you can decide not to allow any advertisements on it.

Ease of use

FC2’s site may not be the most intuitive one we’ve seen, but with a little patience you’ll find everything you need to know before creating your website. To start this journey into the unknown, click on the “Free Website” key and proceed to “FC2ID registration” to create your account. Before this, you would probably want to check out the features, read terms of use, some of the beginner-friendly manuals or contact the team behind FC2. However, the latter can be done to make inquiries about three types of issues only: questions about payments, bug reports and special feature requests.

To sign up you’ll be required to enter your e-mail address, pass an image verification and agree to all terms of use. After this, to activate your FC2 account, you’ll have to do a verification via e-mail and (unless a part of your URL broke off, like ours did) you should have no trouble proceeding with the creation of your new account. The next step is to produce a password (by using letters and numbers only), pick out a gender (male or female), choose a security question to which you’ll provide an answer, add your birth date (or any birthday you’ll remember) and a zip code.

In a matter of minutes you’ll get another email form FC2 and proceed to their dashboard where you can add some of the free services they provide besides web hosting. These include FC2 Blog (where you’ll find a website builder), FC2 Video (video hosting), FC2 Live, FC2 Analyzer, FC2 Content Market and the list goes on. These and all other aspects of your website can be monitored and managed from your dashboard.

If you would rather use a website builder to create content for your new website, FC2 will provide you with one together with 5000 colorful templates, a photo album feature and an ability to create pay-to-view content. If you already have a blog, you can transfer it from a broad range of sites (WordPress included) to FC2.

If you are wondering about the ads, apart from “Powered by FC2”credited at the bottom end of each page, you won’t be seeing any, unless you chose to add them to make extra money along the way.

Speed and experience

Even though FC2 makes no promises when it comes to speed or performance, after testing their main website we were blown away by the results we received. The latest performance report by GTmetrix (which is our tool of choice) shows first-grade performance of an A (100%), with all of the vital metrics dramatically above the average values. The time it took to fully load the page amounted to 1.5 seconds which looks even better when compared with the average result of 8.2 seconds.

Since FC2 offers no uptime guarantee, we didn’t expect much when we decided to monitor the uptime of their main website via UptimeRobot. One month later we got a report indicating a spotless uptime of 100%. During this period we failed to record any downtime at all and response time, although not ideally fast, was fairly stable. All in all, it appears that neither speed nor uptime should be on your “worry list” when hosting with FC2.

Support

Having dedicated customer support is definitely not something FC2 can brag about which is understandable considering that their services come at no cost. Since direct channels of support (such as telephone number or live chat) are not an option, you’ll have to find your way using some of the self-help alternatives. The most obvious one is FC2’s “Website Manual” which contains several novice-friendly guides summarizing basic knowledge on how to create your first website. This section functions as the knowledgbase comprising of 26 articles at the time of writing.

A FAQ section is available as well and it features separate sections on various issues (such as registration, file manager, FTP, images, files and so forth) covering most of the essential questions and concerns. There is a comment section at the bottom of the page, however, since some comments have been pending an approval from 2017, we wouldn’t waste our time on that.

The competition

A good alternative to FC2 for those who are looking for free hosting is FreeHostingNoAds, an experienced host with a name that sums it all up.  For a free service, FreeHostingNoAds earns a credit for providing a decent range of features (free domain registration, auto-installs for WordPress, Joomla and the CMS Grav, and a simple website builder). However, the bandwidth is limited to 5GB (while with FC2 it’s unlimited), disc space to 1GB (same as with FC2) and the upload file limit is a mere 15MB (it’s 250 KB with FC2), so if you want anything more than a very simple website, look elsewhere.

Infinity Free is considered to be one of the best providers of free hosting and for good reasons. It puts no restrictions on storage space and the number of monthly visits and subdomains. However, in terms of speed and uptime performance, FC2 wins the prize by a long shot. At any rate, since both services are entirely free, you have nothing to lose but your time.

Although HostGator doesn’t offer free hosting in itself, with their generous 45-days money-back guarantee you are free to try out what they have to offer without worrying about your budget. In addition to this, HostGator is very user-friendly (especially towards beginners), while FC2 users are primarily left to fend for themselves.

Another good beginner-friendly choice is Bluehost which (much like HostGator) doesn’t offer free hosting but still provides user-friendly experience with 24/7 customer support, a myriad of options and features, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. FC2, although quite suitable for those who are just learning how to build their online presence, won’t give your website much space to grow and prosper.  

Final verdict

As a rule, even the best free web hosting comes with a certain number of limitations. Such is the case with FC2, although they can supply everything that is essential for a personal blog, and a website builder with which you can build your website without much hassle. It is even possible to earn a bit of cash on the side, that is, if you don’t have an aversion to ads.

With all that said, if you are a first-timer who wants a helping hand, or a veteran webmaster wanting more than an absolute minimum, you’ll be better off choosing HostGator or Bluehost as your hosting provider. Their services don’t come free-of-charge, but will provide you with much more.