Please note: Zyro is now called Hostinger Website Builder

 

Hostinger Website Builder Review The Budget-Friendly Version of Wix?

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This article has been written and researched by our expert tooltesters through a precise methodology. Learn more about our methodology

Inka Wibowo

Inka Wibowo

Author

Raphaël Damain

Raphaël Damain

Researcher

Tooltester is supported by readers like yourself. We may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through our links, which enables us to offer our research for free.

Hostinger Website Builder (previously called Zyro) is a growing website builder based in Lithuania. While Hostinger is an established player in the web hosting space with a track record of more than 20 years, the website builder is fairly young, having been established in 2019 and launched in early 2020.

Like its primary competitors, Hostinger Website Builder is geared towards freelancers and small business owners. Users can create and launch basic websites hassle-free in a matter of minutes. In our research, we found that it doesn’t have a lot of advanced features to show for yet.

But right off the bat, we can tell you that it has a lot to offer those who want to set up a basic website or simple online store, thanks to its affordable price range and the high-speed performance of its editor. These Hostinger Website Builder example websites highlight just how well it serves smaller websites.

It also offers plenty of AI-powered tools (such as an AI builder, writer and image generator), enabling you to create a memorable online brand right away.

To start using the tool, you will need a premium subscription, which starts at $9.99/month. Each plan includes a free domain for a year, up to 100 emails, and hosting for up to 100 websites. We explain Hostinger's plans in more detail in our pricing section.

Hostinger Website Builder Review: Summary

Hostinger Website Builder (previously Zyro) offers beginners two ways to create a website: 1) via its AI-powered builder, and 2) by starting with one of its ready-to-go templates. Its user-friendly drag-and-drop editor is ideal for anyone looking for an easy website builder. Pricing is very reasonable compared to other editors.

But it also explains why it doesn’t have as much to offer as its target competitors, such as Wix. For users who need more functionality, such as blogging or better SEO capabilities and additional apps, we’d suggest using another platform.

However, we do have to give them props for their constant stream of new features and offerings. Since Hostinger Website Builder is a relatively new player, they have many toys to add to their collection.

hostinger roadmap

Hostinger's public roadmap - anyone can submit new feature requests here

While it started out with limited features, they’re slowly expanding as you can see in their public roadmap. For instance, when the website builder first launched they didn’t have ecommerce plans, which they have since introduced.

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Hostinger Website Builder Video Review video

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Hostinger Website Builder Screenshots

Hostinger Website Builder Pricing

$9.99*

Premium Website Builder

Build up to 100 websites. Suitable for building a small business website or professional portfolio. Includes AI website builder.

$11.99*

Business Website Builder

Adds ecommerce features and the full range of AI tools, including image generator, writer, heatmap, and SEO tools.

*Big discounts apply in the first term.

The prices listed are for 1-year subscriptions after renewal. Please be aware that they offer big discounts for the first term, so you can get their website builder at half the price. And if you choose to go with Hostinger for a longer term (e.g. 24 or 48 months), the price will be significantly lower.

Hostinger’s pricing page is a bit confusing, so we examined it in more detail. First, you have the countdown timer on the top part of the page. Don’t feel pressured as the deal is basically always on. We checked back the next day, and the clock had reset with six hours remaining.

hostinger pricing

Affordable Hostinger Website Builder prices

What we wish they would make clearer is that the initial prices shown on the website are for their discounted 4-year plans, which is obviously a long time to commit. The discount only applies during this initial contract period – after that, the subscription will renew at a higher price.

Luckily, pricing for the 1-year plans are not much higher at $9.99/month. However, there’s a big price jump for month-to-month plans.

While it clearly states that the domain name is free for one year, it doesn’t mention the renewal fee anywhere on the page. You can find it on another page, indicating that a regular domain will cost a small business around $10 to $15 on average. The good news is that this price range is pretty reasonable. In our experience, many website builders (such as Web.com) use domain renewal to attempt to exploit you in this manner.

Pros and Cons of Hostinger Website Builder

  • Pros
  • Cons

Pros

  • Low prices

    Hostinger offers great deals for long-term commitments–particularly when compared to Wix.

  • Fast and easy editor

    With its grid-lock section, all you really need to do is literally drag the “element” and let it drop into place. It is also possible to resize and adjust every part of the template you choose.

  • AI Website Builder

    Its intuitive AI website builder can generate a decent-looking website design with very few prompts.

  • Multilingual websites

    Adding a language switcher and translations to your site is a straightforward process.

  • Excellent live chat support

    Aside from reaching out via email or a contact form, reading the knowledge base, you can access support faster via live chat.

Rating Details

Ease of use Info popup

Its similarities with Wix are most evident here. Its AI website builder creates a site for you in just 4 clicks, and its drag-and-drop editor has a clear and intuitive interface, which is very easy to use. However, we found editing to be much faster than Wix.

To get you started, Hostinger provides a helpdesk with FAQs and 200+ posts about building websites (including videos).

Choice and flexibility of design (templates) Info popup

Hostinger Website Builder offers a collection of 150 fully-customizable, responsive templates. Just like Wix and Squarespace, you can’t switch to an entirely different theme after your initial choice.

Each theme is responsive, so it displays well on desktop computers as well as mobile devices. However, Hostinger also lets you edit the mobile version of your site separately, which we would recommend prior to launching your site as the auto-generated responsive design isn’t always perfect.

Advertisement-free Info popup

To publish your website, you’ll have to pay a premium plan. Regardless of your plan, you won't find any ads in your website's header or footer.

Languages Info popup

The editor supports around 70 languages. It’s possible to add a switcher to display your site in different languages, which lets you duplicate your site and add manual translations. However, you can’t add translations for online store pages.

The languages use a subdirectory (e.g. yourwebsite.com/es) and the URLs can be adapted. All in all, very SEO-friendly.

Your own domain name (e.g. .com or .net) Info popup

You can purchase a domain directly through Hostinger or connect one you already own. If you have a 1-year plan or longer, you’ll get a free domain for the first year. You can also create up to 100 email addresses for free.

Depth of navigation Info popup

Hostinger Website Builder doesn’t have a limit for pages, but you can only add 1 level of subpages in the navigation. If you need more, Weebly and WordPress are better alternatives.

Widgets (small tools to add extra functionality) Info popup

Best alternative: Wix

Unlike Wix or Weebly, Hostinger Website Builder doesn’t have an internal app store. But it comes with integrations like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or even WhatsApp. It’s also possible to embed custom code elements anywhere on the page.

Mobile App Info popup

  • iOS
  • Android

While Hostinger Website Builder doesn’t offer a separate mobile app, you can actually edit your website and manage most functions by logging into the platform on your mobile. Drag-and-drop functionality also works well on mobile devices.

E-Commerce Info popup

We’d recommend this for small stores only (max. 500 products). Online appointment booking is also included as part of your ecommerce package.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Info popup

Hostinger Website Builder offers basic SEO functionality. It allows you to change the title, the meta description, the URL, and the alt text. For multilingual sites, subdirectories are available by default, providing further benefits for SEO.

However, it lacks advanced features. Our research found that Wix and Squarespace offer more powerful features such as 301 redirects.

One bonus: the Business plan’s AI-powered SEO tools can identify the best keywords, generate meta titles and descriptions, and suggest headings and image descriptions.

Blog

Hostinger Website Builder’s blog is SEO-friendly, and it comes with most of the features you’ll need (e.g. blocks, editor, categories etc.). Posts can also be scheduled.

Its downsides include a missing commenting feature and limited table creation. If blogging is a priority for you, check out Squarespace or WordPress.com.

Visitor statistics Info popup

There is a built-in site analytics tool which is updated every 24 hours, and it also integrates with Google Analytics to track your performance.

Contact form

The contact form builder is simple and efficient. Editing is also straightforward. There’s no limit to the number of fields, so that’s a big plus.

Password protection & member areas Info popup

It’s possible to protect individual pages with a password. However, dedicated members areas (e.g. with individual logins) are not available, unlike with Wix or Squarespace.

Newsletter tool Info popup

While an in-built integration with Mailchimp used to be available on the now-retired Advanced Store plan, this is sadly no longer the case. However, you can add a subscription form, or embed newsletter signup forms for tools like Mailchimp, MailerLite etc.

Add HTML code Info popup

You can add HTML to the editor. Click on the “Add elements” button on the left-hand side and select “Embed code”. After that, you can drag and drop the element anywhere on the page.

Storage space

Unlimited

Hostinger Website Builder offers unlimited storage regardless of plan, so you can upload as much media as you want. It also has unlimited bandwidth.

Backups & Restore Info popup

Auto-save is available for published websites. Every time you update, an auto-save is performed (but can also be undone). Backing up your entire website requires you to create a duplicate of it as a separate website in your Hostinger account.

Backtracking your changes isn’t easy. If you want to restore a version of your website, you’ll have to contact Customer Support.

Support

  • FAQ
  • Chat
  • Email
  • Telephone

There’s a 24/7 live chat customer support with all plans, which we found to be very supportive. A contact form is also available.

Their helpdesk is pretty extended. However, there is no phone support.

Fun Factor Info popup

Hostinger gives you a lot of freedom and is fun to use. You can customize a template or even have AI generate one for you. If you want to DIY it, you have the option to start from scratch. It also has a suite of AI tools to play with.

Overall Rating

4

Hostinger Website Builder is a good tool for beginners, but some features are missing (e.g. a member area, advanced SEO tools).
The editor feels like a simplified version of Wix. But its basic website plan starts at $9.99 while Wix’s lowest plan costs $17. A great deal overall if you don’t need all the bells and whistles.

A More Detailed Look at Hostinger Website Builder’s Features

Choosing Hostinger Website Builder for Ecommerce

In spite of its limitations when compared to other popular website builders, Hostinger is ready for anyone who wants to sell online. The platform offers website templates, a drag and drop editor, and AI tools (logo generator, image generator, and even AI writer). You can sell physical and digital products, as well as services (plus, accept donations). All of these are very handy for budding entrepreneurs looking to set up their online presence.

zyro product page

An example of a Hostinger-built product page

But there is one major drawback. Hostinger Website Builder offers only basic ecommerce functionality and allows for up to just 500 products, which makes it suitable for small stores only.

With that in mind, let’s see what ecommerce options are available:

Number of products: Supports 500 products with up to 50 variants each.

Payment options: 20+ online payment options. You can see the variety of online payment methods Hostinger accepts here.

Features: Email notifications, order management, inventory management, and secure online payments are included in each ecommerce plan. More advanced features like shipping and tax management, as well as the ability to add discount codes, are also available.

Overall, we think it’s a decent, affordable option if you’re looking to run a small store with local/national shipping only. If you’re looking to run a larger store targeting an international audience, solutions like Wix and Shopify have stronger capabilities and a longer track record in this market.

Beginner’s Guide to Using Hostinger Website Builder

To create your Hostinger website, you can start from scratch, use a template, or use the AI Website Builder.

You have access to over 150 templates, distributed across 18 categories including Fashion, eCommerce, Restaurants, and Portfolio. They look professionally designed (as they are) but lack the crisp, clean style and character found in design-focused platforms such as Wix or Squarespace. This is the price you pay for the platform’s simplicity and ease of use.

Although you can edit your template to your liking, you can’t switch to a new template without having to start over.

Hostinger Website Builder Templates

Some of the templates available in Hostinger

It’s impossible to overhaul a website’s overall visual appearance in a single step. You’ll need to transfer the content manually to the new site. That’s a drag if you want to overhaul your site’s look. Due to Wix’s high level of customization, you might be able to get away with this. When using Hostinger, however, this can be a real stumbling block.

If you’re not happy with the template, opt for the AI website generator. All you need to do is enter your brand name, select website type, and add a description of your brand or project. You can also select your preferred website style and color palette. In less than a minute, you’ll get a complete website design that’s ready to edit. If you’re not happy with the design, you can request to regenerate it. Simple!

Hostinger AI website builder

Hostinger’s AI Website Builder generates a complete website with just a few prompts

Clicking on the “Create a website” button will direct you to the editor. Since the screen is very bare, it can be intimidating. But there’s a fun Quick Start Guide that walks you through nine key steps to get started.

Hostinger Website Builder Editor: Zippy and Intuitive

hostinger web builder editor

Using Hostinger’s editor

Hostinger’s editor is one of the website builder’s most exciting features. Compared to Wix, the dashboard looks a lot less intimidating. Everything is laid out clearly in the sidebar, which lets you add elements, edit navigation, apply styles, access the AI tools, and more.

Each is home to all the elements and tweaks you might need. It’s pretty straightforward once you’ve gotten the hang of it and know where everything is situated. Thoughtful icons for duplicating, going up, down, undoing, redoing, and switching from desktop editor to mobile editor are all in plain sight.

Speaking of mobile editors, you can easily switch between the mobile and desktop versions of your site when editing. The separate editor lets you modify elements to make the website more mobile-friendly.

Now onto the drag-and-drop feature, which has undergone some major upgrades. The editor used to be much more restrictive, only letting you drag and drop elements within the confines of a grid layout. Now, similar to Wix, you are now free to place elements wherever you like. However, this also has its drawbacks, requiring a little more manual adjustment to fix any alignment and overlay issues:

hostinger drag and drop editor

Because Hostinger Website Builder’s editor allows you to drag and drop elements anywhere, you need to make sure to fix any errors with overlapping/misaligned images and text

Outstanding Extra Features: Marketing and AI-Powered Tools

Hostinger’s Marketing Integrations

The website builder also integrates well with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, so you can track your website visitors’ behavior on both platforms and dig deep into your traffic. Furthermore, you can track your social media performance by using Facebook and Snapchat pixel, as well as Pinterest Tag.

Hostinger Website Builder doesn’t have a suite of advanced marketing tools such as GoDaddy or Squarespace, for example, but the integrations it does offer not only generate a lot of data for easy optimization – they also serve as a goldmine from a marketing standpoint.

Knowing customer behavior can help you tailor your campaigns based on their preferences and characteristics. Hostinger can also help you establish relationships with clients or customers by setting up Messenger Live Chat or WhatsApp Live Chat to speak to them directly.

AI Writer

While creating website content, Hostinger’s AI Writer tool provides creative ideas. It’s not 100% effective, but it gives a good jumping-off point, especially for small business owners who don’t have a content team to save them. By selecting topics and categories, this tool will propose ideas. Let’s say, we want to generate web copy for a massage studio – here’s what AI Writer comes up with:

zyro ai writer

There’s also an option to “Go Wild.” Type in your ideas with keywords you want to include and click the generate text button to get interesting new suggestions.

Aside from this useful feature, other out-of-the-box Hostinger AI tools include:

  • AI Image Generator
  • AI Blog Generator
  • AI Logo Maker
  • AI Heatmap

While the generators work similarly to the AI web content generator, the logo maker and heat map tools are pretty innovative.

The logo maker is great for new entrepreneurs. Similar to other logo makers we’ve tested, it generates generic logo designs, which you can tweak according to your brand vision. Think: Canva. Design elements you can adjust include icon, color, font, and size.

The AI heatmap tool, on the other hand, analyzes images and suggests CTA button placement to maximize conversions. Its goal is to reduce time spent on A/B testing when you design your website.

zyro heatmap tool

Hostinger’s heat map tool analyzing Tooltester’s homepage

These AI tools are accessible on the web and are absolutely free. However, for the heat map tool, the suggestions will be visible to you right away when you build a website with Hostinger. This will save you time as you won’t have to upload screenshots for each page.

Hostinger Website Builder vs. Wix: Why The Comparison?

Hostinger vs Wix Templates

Hostinger and Wix templates are both clean and crisp, but Wix features more options and a more polished design

It’s clear to see that Hostinger Website Builder has taken a lot of inspiration from Wix, as there are many similarities between the two. Both offer modern designs and a fully drag-and-drop editor. Template-wise, however, Hostinger has a lot of catching up to do. Wix has over 900 templates, while they have only 150.

There’s also a similarity in using AI (akin to Wix ADI) to generate custom templates. With a few details about your site and your design preferences, both site builders can provide suggestions tailored to your needs.

What makes Hostinger a good alternative to Wix is its price. If you compare its basic plan to Wix’s Combo plan, you’ll get more value for your buck–from fun AI branding tools to unlimited storage and bandwidth. As far as basic website presence and portfolio are concerned, the Hostinger website builder does an excellent job.

In terms of ecommerce functionality, Wix definitely has the upper hand. It’s got an extensive app market to expand your business tools, more room for products, better templates and customization, and a more robust platform overall. It’s got better-tiered plans geared towards business scalability.

Due to its star-studded ad campaigns, extensive app selection, and excellent ecommerce features, Wix is becoming a household name in the website building industry–especially among online store owners. So being perceived as a cheaper alternative to Wix is a huge win for Hostinger.

Hostinger Website Builder Review: Conclusion

Hostinger Website Builder is Wix’s more affordable counterpart. Wix is an excellent solution that comes with a lot of bells and whistles. However, for some users, it may not be wise to invest in a premium site builder. Hostinger, being a cost-effective website builder, can swoop in and appeal to these budget-conscious individuals. (You can compare website builders in our comparative table here.)

It also has a number of innovative features. Its editor was user-friendly and fast, which makes the user experience excellent for novices. We also appreciate the range of AI tools you’ll have in your website-building arsenal, making it one of the top website builders for creating a small business website.

For now, we wouldn’t recommend it to advanced users and people looking for the most competitive SEO support. But the good news is the company is adding new features regularly, so we might have to upgrade this Hostinger Website Builder review frequently.

> Test Hostinger Website Builder (get extra months for free via this link)

Is Hostinger the Best Website Builder for Me?

  • Recommended If
  • Not Recommended If
  • You’re only after a basic online presence

  • You’re a freelancer needing a website to showcase your portfolio

  • You want to practice creating beginner sites

  • Your budget is limited

  • You want to publish your website in multiple languages

FAQ

No, it’s not possible to publish a free version of the site (although it was possible with the previous version, Zyro). Unfortunately, it’s also one of the few website builders that make you pay before you can start making your website.

Yes! It’s actually one of the cheapest website builders that Tooltester has tested so far.

It depends. If you’re running a website to blog, then there are other more adept platforms such as WordPress and Squarespace. But if you’re not planning to post blogs regularly, Hostinger has some useful features that can accommodate that.

Yes. You can connect either a Hostinger-registered domain or one from another provider.

Absolutely not. Like with intuitive website builders, Hostinger templates are visually driven. You can drag and drop design elements with ease. No coding or HTML knowledge required.

For the moment, no, as there is only one plan available. However, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if Hostinger doesn’t match your website needs.

Hostinger offers a free domain in the first year when you subscribe to their 1-year, 2-year or 4-year plans.

Hostinger Alternatives

Are you looking for other website builders that meet your needs? Here are some of our suggestions:

Wix: Wix is our top choice when it comes to website builders – as long as you have the budget for it. You’ll get to enjoy better templates, more customizability and apps, and larger storage. See our Hostinger Website Builder vs Wix comparison.

Squarespace: Squarespace, another leading website builder, may be a better choice if you have a larger budget and need greater blogging capabilities. It’s just as easy to use but packs a lot more punch in every aspect, especially in terms of customization and ecommerce capabilities.

GoDaddy Website Builder: An affordable and very user-friendly option with strong marketing features (appointment scheduling and email marketing, for example).

WordPress.com: If you’re a blogger, or you own a business that regularly publishes blog content, WordPress.com remains an excellent choice. Hostinger Website Builder’s blogging features aren’t exactly cutting-edge yet.

Webnode: Hostinger Website Builder supports multilingual sites, but Webnode is superior in this regard. With the latter, you can create multilingual websites in a very intuitive way.

Jimdo: If your goal is to create basic websites, then Jimdo is the tool for you. You can opt for the free version if you only need 5 subpages to publish, instead of paying for Hostinger’s most basic plan.

Having trouble figuring out what you need from a website builder? Find the right solution for your project with our Smart Finder.

The authors

Learn more about us

Inka Wibowo

Content Manager

Hi, I'm Inka! I started using website builders and content management systems over 10 years ago, when I managed websites for clients in my first marketing role. Since then, I've worked on hundreds of web and digital projects. Now, at Tooltester, I'm happy to be able to use my experience to help users like you find the right website builder for your needs.

Raphaël Damain

Content Manager

Bonjour! After graduating with a MSc in management in France, I worked in the banking, retail and marketing industry. With more than 8 years of experience in content creation, I help users like you find the best online tools you need to make revenue online. I also run a YouTube channel with more than 18K subscribers.

Learn more about us

We keep our content up to date

21 Jun 2024 - New prices
10 Apr 2024 - General updates, including new drag-and-drop editor and introduction of Business plan
17 Aug 2023 - New Hostinger Website Builder video
05 May 2023 - Password protection now available
02 Mar 2023 - Pricing changes
02 Feb 2023 - Zyro is now called Hostinger Website Builder
27 Sept 2022 - Zyro video review added
7 Sept 2022 - Withdrawal of Advanced Store plan

THE BEHIND THE SCENES OF THIS REVIEW

This article has been written and researched following a precise methodology.

Our methodology

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