Which website builder should your child use?

A child says they want to make a website. That could mean a page for their art, a blog, a school project, a quiz, or a game. The right tool depends on what they actually want to make.

Age matters too. Some popular website builders do not let younger children own an account. Check that before the child spends a weekend building something they cannot publish. Only one tool in this comparison, our own CodeDreams, was designed for children from the start. The others are adult products with age rules bolted on.

The simple comparison

CodeDreams: our pick for a site that does something

CodeDreams is our own product and the one option here built for children rather than adults. Instead of dragging boxes around a template, a child describes the site they want, whether that is a quiz, a tracker, a club page, a portfolio, or an interactive story, and a working version appears that they can try right away. They shape it by asking for changes in plain language, and the files stay open so they can see the real code behind every page, in JavaScript or Python.

Two things set it apart for a young builder. A built-in Learn tab teaches coding fundamentals using the child's own site as the example, so the project doubles as the course. And publishing gives the site a live link at its own web address that anyone can open in a normal browser. Sending someone a link to a site they built themselves does something no template can: it shows a child that the things they imagine can become real.

There is nothing to install, it runs on Chromebooks, and drafts are free. Children under 13 use an account created and controlled by a parent or guardian, public text is moderated, and publishing requires a paid plan. CodeDreams is not an online store builder or a full business website system. For a plain text-and-photos page, one of the tools below may be all you need. See the website builder for kids page for examples and limits.

Wix is good for visual design

Wix works well when a teen wants a site that looks polished without writing code. They can start from a template and arrange pages, images, forms, and other parts on the screen. It is a sensible choice for a portfolio, club, event, or small business page.

Wix says users must be over 13, or 16 in the European Union, or old enough under the law where they live. A teen who meets the age rule still needs help with forms, stores, public member areas, and any feature that lets strangers send them something.

WordPress.com is good for writing

WordPress.com makes sense for a blog, review site, online magazine, or any project built around regular posts. It can grow with the child, but it also has more settings than a simple one-page builder.

WordPress.com says its services cannot be used by children under 13, or under 16 in Europe. A minor who is old enough to use it must still be supervised by a parent or guardian who agrees to the terms.

Google Sites is good for a simple page

Google Sites is easy to use for a class project, event page, resource list, or private family page. It also works neatly with Google Docs and Forms.

There is one catch for families. Google says a parent-managed account cannot create a new Site, although it can view or edit an existing one. A school account may work differently because the school controls it. Ask the teacher before relying on it.

Scratch may be what they meant

Sometimes a child says "website" when they really want a link to a game, animation, or story. Scratch may be the easiest answer. It gives them an editor made for children and a familiar place to share the result.

A Scratch project still lives inside Scratch. It does not become a normal website with its own layout or web address. If your child wants a real page of their own that people open like any other site, CodeDreams is the closer fit.

Before the site goes live

Decide who owns the account and who should see the site. A private school project, a link sent to family, and a public website are not the same thing. Find the unpublish button before you publish anything.

Use a nickname or project name instead of the child's full name. Leave out their school, address, routine, and exact location. Check photos for uniforms, badges, street signs, and other clues. Send contact forms to an adult-owned email address.

Finally, open the published link in a private browser window. You will see the same page a stranger sees. If anything feels too personal, remove it before sharing the link.

If the child wants to build an app rather than a page, read how a child can make their first app. Start with the smallest tool that can make the idea real without putting the child on an account they are not allowed to own.