You’ll find three standout budget builders that won’t drain your wallet: Hostinger leads at just R67 monthly with AI-powered creation and zero transaction fees, while Shopify’s Starter plan costs R112 monthly for basic e-commerce needs. Carrd.co offers annual pricing at R303, making it cheaper than most monthly rates. These budget options deliver unlimited storage, built-in SEO tools, and responsive designs that rival premium competitors charging R449-898 monthly. The specifics reveal even greater savings potential.
Hostinger: AI-Powered Website Builder Starting at R67/Month
What sets Hostinger apart is its AI generator that creates complete websites in under one minute. Simply describe your business, and it’ll handle the heavy lifting.
The platform achieved the fastest loading speeds among all tested website builders in 2025. Their Horizons feature generates previews in just 1.2 seconds, making it ideal for South African businesses needing quick turnaround times.
Hostinger delivers lightning-fast loading speeds and 1.2-second preview generation, perfect for South African businesses requiring rapid website deployment.
You’ll also get “Kodee,” an AI assistant that provides 24/7 editing help. The platform’s responsive design ensures your site performs optimally across all devices, meeting Google’s mobile-first indexing requirements.
The platform includes built-in SEO tools and Google Analytics integration to help your business reach local and international markets. You can sell up to 600 products through their e-commerce functionality with zero transaction fees.
Shopify: E-Commerce Focused Platform at £5/Month Entry Price
Shopify, did you know that Shopify’s R90 monthly Starter plan might seem like a steal for e-commerce newbies, but there’s a catch—you’re not getting a proper online shop at this price.
This basic option is aimed at social media sellers and physical shops, missing key website features you’d expect from an e-commerce platform.
The real kicker? You’ll be hit with a steep 5% transaction fee on every sale, which soon mounts up.
If you’re serious about selling online, you’ll need the Basic plan at R700 per month, plus domain costs (R180-270 yearly) and likely premium themes (R1800-3200). The Basic plan includes abandoned cart recovery functionality to help recapture lost sales automatically.
On the plus side, Shopify offers a 3-day free trial and R18/month promotional pricing for your first three months on higher-tier plans.
This makes it simpler to test their full platform before locking into standard pricing.
Price Comparison: How These Budget Options Stack Against Premium Competitors
When you compare budget website builders against their premium competitors, the price differences become almost laughable—you’re often paying 3-5 times more for marginally better features.
Hostinger’s R54 monthly pricing destroys premium models charging R270-540 per month. You’ll get unlimited storage, 150 templates, and AI tools—features premium competitors gate behind expensive tiers.
Hostinger’s R54 monthly rate obliterates premium competitors charging R270-540 while delivering unlimited storage, templates, and AI tools.
Carrd.co makes this gap even more ridiculous at R162 annually. You’re paying less than what premium builders charge monthly while getting professional templates and custom domains.
Square Online and Wix prove budget doesn’t mean basic—Square offers unlimited collaborators free while premium platforms restrict team access behind paywalls.
Wix provides 2000+ templates versus competitors’ limited selections.
Annual billing amplifies these savings with Hostinger creating 60% cost reductions compared to premium monthly plans. Budget builders like SITE123 maintain storage limits of just 3 GB, forcing quick upgrades as your website grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Upgrade From the Cheapest Plan Without Losing My Website Data?
You can typically upgrade from the cheapest plan without losing website data, as most providers preserve your content during tier changes. However, you should always back up your site before upgrading to guarantee data safety.
Do These Budget Builders Work Well on Mobile Devices Automatically?
Yes, most budget builders like Hostinger, Webador, and SITE123 automatically create mobile-responsive websites. You won’t need technical skills since templates adjust to smartphones and tablets without manual adjustments required.
What Happens to My Website if I Miss a Payment?
Your website will become inaccessible within 24-48 hours, displaying suspension notices. You will receive email warnings during a 7-15 day grace period before complete shutdown, although content will remain stored for recovery.
Are There Hidden Fees Beyond the Advertised Monthly Pricing?
Yes, you’ll encounter hidden fees such as domain renewals increasing to R853 per year, privacy protection costing R525 annually after trial periods, and compulsory upgrades when you surpass storage limits or require e-commerce functionalities.
Can I Transfer My Domain to Another Provider Later?
Yes, you can transfer your domain at a later date, but you will encounter a 60-day lock following registration, require authorisation codes, incur transfer fees of approximately R168, and must adhere to specific registrar requirements.