5 Best Website Builders for Small Churches

So, you are in the market for a website builder that suits small churches.

Quick links for the Best Website Builders

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Ideal, because in this article we have our compilation list for our top picks, and we compare the features and pricing for you.

If you just want the best choice, we've added that right at the top of the article as this was what is most requested by our customers. So, that'll be the “can't go wrong” option.

Otherwise, feel free to explore all the options we've reviewed on the market to find something that might fit your congregation's needs a little better.

Enjoy the list!

The Best Website Builders Specifically for Small Churches

Whether you're starting a new church or looking to improve your existing online presence, having an effective website is essential for connecting with your congregation and reaching potential new members. A website builder that offers donation management, event calendars, and sermon hosting will be the perfect fit for this category. Have a look at the products below to choose the best website builders for small churches specifically:

1. Wix

Wix is a versatile website builder that provides a wide range of templates and features specifically designed for religious organizations and churches. With its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, Wix makes it easy for anyone to create a professional-looking church website without any coding knowledge.

Get Started with Wix🔥

Wix Features

Here are some exclusive features of Wix for churches:

Church-Specific Templates: Wix offers numerous templates specifically designed for churches and religious organizations. These templates come with pre-designed sections for sermons, events, about pages, and donation forms, making it easy to set up a complete church website quickly.

Wix Events: With Wix Events, you can create and manage church gatherings, Bible studies, and special services. You can allow online RSVPs, send reminders to attendees, and even sell tickets for special events directly through your website.

Donations Management: Wix allows you to add secure donation forms to your website, making it easy for members to contribute financially. You can set up recurring donations, custom amounts, and integrate with payment processors like PayPal and Stripe.

Sermon Hosting: You can easily upload and organize sermons, Bible studies, and other faith-based content. Wix supports audio and video files, allowing you to create a media library that your congregation can access anytime.

Mobile Optimization: Wix automatically optimizes your church website for mobile devices, ensuring that members can access information, watch sermons, and even make donations from their smartphones or tablets.

Wix Pricing

The “Free” plan is priced at $0 and includes Wix branding, basic features, and 500MB storage.

The “Light” plan is priced at $17/month and offers a custom domain for one year, 2GB storage, Multi-cloud hosting, 2 site collaborators and light marketing suite.

The “Core” plan is priced at $29/month and includes, 50GB storage, basic marketing suite, accept payments, 5 site collaborators Multi-cloud hosting, Basic ecommerce.

The “Business” plan is priced at $36/month and includes, 100GB storage, Standard marketing suite, accept payments, 10 site collaborators Multi-cloud hosting, Standard ecommerce.

The “Business Elite” plan is priced at $159/month and includes unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, Advancedmarketing suite, accept payments, 100 site collaborators Multi-cloud hosting, Advanced ecommerce.

2. Squarespace

Squarespace is known for its visually stunning templates and professional designs. For churches looking to create a modern, beautiful website that effectively communicates their message, Squarespace offers an excellent solution with strong media integration capabilities.

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Squarespace Features

Here are some exclusive features of Squarespace for churches:

Professional Templates: Squarespace is renowned for its beautiful, professionally designed templates that can be customized to reflect your church's identity. While not specifically designed for churches, many templates can be adapted for religious organizations.

Content Blocks: Squarespace's intuitive block editor makes it easy to add different types of content, such as text, images, videos, and forms. This is particularly useful for creating engaging sermon pages or event announcements.

Calendar Feature: With Squarespace's calendar feature, you can create and manage church events, services, and community gatherings. Members can view upcoming events and add them to their personal calendars.

Donation Management: Squarespace integrates with payment processors like Stripe and PayPal, allowing you to accept one-time and recurring donations through your website.

Mobile Responsiveness: All Squarespace templates are fully responsive, ensuring that your church website looks great and functions well on all devices, from desktop computers to smartphones.

Squarespace Pricing

Squarespace offers 4 pricing options for its website builder platform:

The “Personal” plan is priced at $23/month (or $16/month with annual billing) and offers SSL security, unlimited bandwidth, and basic website analytics.

The “Business” plan is priced at $33/month (or $23/month with annual billing) and adds donation capabilities, customization options, and advanced analytics.

The “Commerce Basic” plan is priced at $36/month (or $27/month with annual billing) and includes powerful e-commerce features for churches that sell merchandise or tickets.

The “Commerce Advanced” plan is priced at $65/month (or $49/month with annual billing) and offers abandoned donation recovery and subscription selling.

3. WordPress

WordPress is one of the most flexible and powerful website platforms available, powering over 40% of all websites on the internet. With numerous church-specific themes and plugins, WordPress offers unlimited customization options for churches of all sizes.

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WordPress Features

Here are some exclusive features of WordPress for churches:

Church-Specific Themes: WordPress offers numerous themes designed specifically for churches and religious organizations, many of which include built-in features like sermon archives, event calendars, and staff directories.

Extensive Plugin Library: With thousands of plugins available, WordPress allows you to add virtually any functionality to your church website. Popular church plugins include sermon managers, donation systems, and event calendars.

Content Management: WordPress excels at content management, making it easy to organize and publish sermons, blog posts, newsletters, and other church communications.

Community Building: With membership plugins, you can create private areas of your website for church members, facilitate online discussion forums, and build a digital community.

Multilingual Support: For diverse congregations, WordPress offers excellent multilingual support, allowing you to create content in multiple languages.

WordPress Pricing

Self-hosted WordPress: Free software, but requires web hosting ($3-$25/month) and a domain name ($10-$15/year).

WordPress.com offers several plans:

The “Free” plan costs $0 but includes WordPress branding and limited features.

The “Personal” plan is priced at $4/month (billed annually) and includes a free domain and removes WordPress ads.

The “Premium” plan is priced at $8/month (billed annually) and adds advanced design customization and monetization options.

The “Business” plan is priced at $25/month (billed annually) and includes plugin installation capabilities, essential for most church websites.

4. Sharefaith

Sharefaith is a specialized website builder created specifically for churches and religious organizations. Unlike general website builders, Sharefaith understands the unique needs of churches and provides tailored solutions for worship communities.

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Sharefaith Features

Here are some exclusive features of Sharefaith:

Church-Focused Design: Sharefaith offers over 10,000 graphics and hundreds of church-specific website templates designed with worship communities in mind, featuring sections for sermons, events, and ministries.

All-in-One Ministry Solution: Beyond website building, Sharefaith provides worship presentation software, Sunday School curriculum, and media resources, making it a comprehensive platform for church ministries.

Sermon Management: Sharefaith includes robust sermon management features, allowing you to organize, publish, and distribute sermons in various formats, including audio, video, and text.

ChurchBase Integration: The platform integrates with ChurchBase, a church management system that helps track membership, donations, and church activities.

Mobile App Builder: Sharefaith allows churches to create their own custom mobile apps, helping to keep congregation members connected throughout the week.

Sharefaith Pricing

Sharefaith offers several subscription levels for churches:

The “Essentials” plan is priced at $59/month (or $47/month with annual billing) and includes website hosting, sermon management, and basic design features.

The “Standard” plan is priced at $99/month (or $79/month with annual billing) and adds additional ministry resources and enhanced design options.

The “Plus” plan is priced at $149/month (or $119/month with annual billing) and includes all Sharefaith features, including Sunday School curriculum and advanced media resources.

Custom pricing is available for larger churches with specific needs.

5. Tithe.ly

Tithe.ly is a church-focused platform that began as a digital giving solution and has expanded to offer comprehensive website building tools specifically designed for religious organizations.

Get Started with Tithe.ly🔥

Tithe.ly Features

Here are some exclusive features of Tithe.ly:

Integrated Giving: As its name suggests, Tithe.ly excels at donation management, offering seamless integration between your church website and digital giving platform, including text-to-give, mobile giving, and recurring donations.

Church Management System: Tithe.ly includes a full church management system (ChMS) that helps track attendance, manage membership, coordinate volunteers, and handle church finances.

Media Integration: The platform makes it easy to upload, organize, and share sermons, worship videos, and other media content with your congregation.

Event Management: Tithe.ly includes tools for creating and managing church events, with options for registration, check-in, and communication with attendees.

Church App Builder: Beyond website building, Tithe.ly allows churches to create custom mobile apps, helping to engage members throughout the week.

Tithe.ly Pricing

Tithe.ly offers several pricing options for its church website and management platform:

The “Giving” feature starts at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction with no monthly fee.

The “Website” plan is priced at $19/month for basic church websites.

The “ChMS” (Church Management System) is priced at $59/month for churches up to 150 people, with tiered pricing for larger congregations.

The “All-in-One” bundle combines all Tithe.ly features and starts at $99/month, offering significant savings for churches needing comprehensive digital solutions.

Key Features to Look for in a Church Website Builder

When searching for the perfect website builder for your church, certain features are particularly important for religious organizations. Here are the key features to consider:

1. Donation Management

A good church website should make it easy for members and visitors to contribute financially to support your ministry. Look for a website builder that offers:

• Secure Payment Processing: Ensure your donation system uses encrypted connections and complies with payment card industry standards to protect givers' information.
• Recurring Donations: Allow supporters to set up automatic monthly or weekly contributions to provide stable funding for your church.
• Multiple Payment Methods: Support credit cards, bank transfers, digital wallets, and even text-to-give functionality to accommodate different donor preferences.
• Fund Designation: Enable givers to specify where they'd like their donation directed, such as general fund, missions, building projects, or special initiatives.

2. Event Management

Churches are community-centered organizations with active calendars. Your website builder should include:

• Interactive Calendar: Display upcoming services, Bible studies, youth events, and special programs in an easy-to-navigate calendar format.
• Event Registration: Allow visitors to sign up for events, retreats, or volunteer opportunities directly through your website.
• Automated Reminders: Send email or text notifications to registered participants as events approach.
• Attendance Tracking: Keep records of participation for planning and follow-up purposes.

3. Sermon Hosting

Sharing your message beyond Sunday morning is a crucial function of church websites. Look for:

• Media Library: Create an organized archive of sermon audio, video, and text that visitors can browse by date, speaker, series, or biblical text.
• Streaming Capabilities: Enable live streaming of services for those unable to attend in person.
• Podcast Integration: Automatically publish sermons to podcast platforms to reach a wider audience.
• Download Options: Allow users to save sermons for offline listening or viewing.

Why use a Website Builder at all?

A website builder is a software tool that allows you to create a website without needing to code. For churches with limited technical expertise or budget constraints, website builders offer several advantages:

1. Accessibility: Website builders use visual editors that make it easy for non-technical church staff or volunteers to create and maintain the website.
2. Cost-Effectiveness: Building a custom website from scratch can cost thousands of dollars, while website builders typically charge affordable monthly fees.
3. Time-Saving: With pre-designed templates and intuitive interfaces, you can launch a professional church website in days rather than weeks or months.
4. Maintenance Support: Website builders handle technical aspects like security updates, backups, and hosting, allowing church staff to focus on ministry rather than website maintenance.
5. Scalability: As your church grows, website builders make it easy to add new pages, features, and functionality without starting over.

Why should Churches use Website Builders?

In today's digital age, having an effective online presence is essential for churches of all sizes. Here's why churches specifically benefit from website builders:

1. Community Building: A website serves as a digital home for your congregation, helping to strengthen connections within your existing church family and welcome newcomers.
2. 24/7 Ministry: Unlike physical church buildings that may only be open certain hours, your website is always available to provide information, resources, and spiritual support.
3. Expanded Reach: A church website helps you extend your ministry beyond your local area, reaching people who might never physically visit your church.
4. Resource Sharing: Easily share sermons, Bible studies, prayer requests, and other spiritual resources with both regular attendees and those exploring faith.
5. Administrative Efficiency: Features like online giving, event registration, and volunteer sign-ups can significantly reduce administrative workload for church staff.
6. First Impressions: For many people, your website will be their first interaction with your church. A professional, user-friendly site creates a positive first impression that may encourage in-person visits.
7. Communication Hub: Keep your congregation informed about news, events, and opportunities through a central, easily-accessible platform.

Best Website Builders for Small Churches, A Summary

Creating an effective online presence is essential for churches in today's digital age. The right website builder can help you connect with your congregation, share your message, manage events, and accept donations—all without requiring technical expertise.

For small churches with limited resources, we recommend Wix as the best overall solution. It offers church-specific templates, intuitive design tools, and essential features like donation management and event calendars at an affordable price point. Wix's ease of use makes it ideal for churches relying on volunteer webmasters, while still providing room to grow as your digital ministry expands.

What Website Builder would you recommend?

In short, It's Wix

Wix is powerful and intuitive, with an impressive drag-and-drop editor and extensive template library for creating professional websites without coding. It's ideal for small businesses and creatives, though the subscription model requires careful selection of the right plan.

“🚀Try Wix, It's my favorite Website Builder to use and recommend.” -Scott Max

Wix is versatile, user-friendly, and delivers stunning visual results for websites of all types. It offers 800+ designer templates, built-in SEO tools, and robust e-commerce capabilities for online stores.

The platform includes AI-powered design assistance, mobile optimization, and extensive app marketplace for added functionality. While the free plan has limitations and premium plans can add up with add-ons, its comprehensive features and excellent customer support make it a top choice for businesses and individuals looking to establish a professional online presence quickly.

For more details, read our Wix Review.