What are the main WordPress alternatives for a small business?
There are three main routes. A hosted website builder gives you templates and an editor on one subscription. A managed website is built and looked after for you. A static site is a small set of simple pages with little to update. Each one swaps some of the freedom of WordPress for less upkeep.
WordPress is still the most common choice by a long way. The W3Techs content management system survey, opened on 29 October 2026, says WordPress runs 39.5% of the websites it tracks. That is a 58.3% share of sites using a content management system (CMS). Wix runs 4.2% of all websites and Squarespace 2.4%.
Popular does not mean right for your business. WordPress gives you a lot of control, but someone has to keep the software, theme and plugins current. If that someone is you, an alternative could give you your evenings back.
What does Buzzozo offer instead of WordPress?
Buzzozo builds your website for you and then looks after it, so you never manage plugins or updates. You can start a free 14-day trial, no card needed. After that, the Website plan is from £149 a month for the first 100 businesses, locked for life, with £0 upfront.
From £299 a month after the first 100 businesses. It is monthly, with no contract, and you can cancel any time. Our plans and prices page lists what the Website plan includes:
- Your website designed, written and built for you
- Free green UK hosting
- A free SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate
- Security, monitoring and daily backups
- Speed optimisation
- Regular updates and upgrades to software, plugins and security patches
- Small changes on request, with anything beyond the allowance quoted first
- On-page search engine optimisation (SEO), so you appear in Google
- An AI-search-ready build
- Contact forms, click-to-call and WhatsApp
- Your domain in your name
- UK support by phone, WhatsApp and email
The same page compares buying those parts separately in the UK. A custom website design alone is shown from £1,997 + VAT, paid before you launch.
Is a hosted website builder the right swap?
A hosted builder suits you if you like making your own edits and have time each week. The builder company runs the hosting and the software, so you skip most plugin updates. You still write every page, choose the photos and fix anything that looks wrong on a phone.
Builders are a fair choice for a new business with a small budget and simple needs. The catch is that the work moves to you. Our guide to Wix vs WordPress for a small business compares two popular routes side by side.
Look at the renewal price as well as the first year. Our cheapest website builder guide walks through introductory prices, renewals and extras such as email.
When is a managed website the better choice?
A managed website fits when you would rather spend your time serving customers than learning an editor. Someone else builds the site, keeps it secure and makes small changes when you ask. You still supply the facts about your business, such as services, prices, opening hours and photos.
Ask any provider three questions before you sign. Who does the updates? Who fixes it if the site breaks? What happens to your domain and content if you leave? Our managed website service answers each of these, and our web design service covers the build itself.
Rather have it done for you? We build your website free, it goes live in days, and you pay nothing for the first 14 days. No card needed. See how the free 14-day trial works.
Could a simple static site be enough?
For a business that needs a few pages that rarely change, yes. A static site is plain pages with no database or plugins behind them. That leaves less software to patch. The trade-off is editing: changing a price usually means someone edits the files and publishes them again.
A static site works well for a sole trader with fixed services and one clear contact route. It suits you less if you post news every week or sell online. If you want static speed without doing the edits yourself, a managed service can run it for you.
Who keeps the website secure and up to date?
Whoever runs the software does. With self-hosted WordPress, that is usually you or your developer. With a hosted builder, the builder company patches its platform. With a managed website, the provider does it for you. Agree who is responsible in writing so nobody assumes it is the other person.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) gives clear advice in its small organisations guide to protecting your devices. It says to keep your devices up to date, including the software and apps they use. It adds that unsupported apps leave you at risk, so you should switch to a supported alternative.
An old plugin that no longer gets updates is exactly that risk. If your WordPress site relies on one, that alone is a good reason to plan a move.
How locked in will you be after you switch?
It depends on what you can take with you. Check three things before you choose. Do you own your domain? Can you export your content? What happens to the design if you leave? Domain ownership matters most, because your address carries your search history and printed links.
WordPress is fairly open here. The WordPress export screen guide explains that one file holds your posts, pages, comments, categories, tags and users. Some platforms export less. The Squarespace guide to exporting your site says only certain content exports, because many features rely on its own code.
At Buzzozo, your domain stays in your name. If you leave, your domain and your content go with you. If you want the website itself, we quote a buy-out for that build, as our plans page explains.
How do you move over without losing visitors?
Keep every useful old address working by pointing it at its new page. Make a list of your current pages, match each one to its new home, then set up permanent redirects. That way old links, bookmarks and search results still reach the right place after launch.
Google covers this in its guide to site moves with address changes. It recommends permanent redirects such as 301s, and it says to avoid chains of one redirect after another. It also says permanent redirects do not cause a loss in PageRank.
- Export your content and save a full backup first.
- List every page and map it to its new address.
- Rebuild the pages on the new platform and check them on a phone.
- Add a permanent redirect from each old address to its new page.
- After launch, test your most visited old links one by one.
How can AI help with the switch?
AI helps most with the dull parts of a move. It can sort an exported page list, draft clearer service descriptions from your notes and suggest questions your customers ask. You still check every line, because you know your prices and services and the tool does not.
AI also changes where customers find you. Customers can now ask an AI assistant for a recommendation. That is why the Buzzozo Website plan includes an AI-search-ready build. During your free trial, an AI chat assistant also answers visitor questions on your site.
The best WordPress alternative is the one that matches the time you have. If you would rather someone else built and ran it, try Buzzozo free for 14 days. You need no card to start.
Common questions
Is WordPress still worth using for a small business?
Yes, if you or a developer will keep the software, theme and plugins updated. If nobody will own that job, a hosted builder or a managed website usually carries less risk.
Can you move a WordPress site to another platform?
Yes. You can export your posts and pages from WordPress, rebuild them on the new platform and add permanent redirects from each old address. Check your most visited pages after launch.
What is the cheapest alternative to WordPress?
A simple static site or an entry builder plan often costs least in money. Count your own time for writing, editing and fixes as well, because that is where the hidden cost sits.