/ Compare
RIOT vs the others
We're not going to pretend Wix or Squarespace are useless — they're great for some things and terrible for others. Here's the honest, side-by-side reality for each one.
Drag-and-drop site builder
RIOT vs Wix
Wix is the world's biggest drag-and-drop website builder — fast to start, but it locks your site to their platform and most templates look the same as everyone else's.
See the comparison →Template-based website builder
RIOT vs Squarespace
Squarespace makes beautiful templates that all start to look the same after a while. Great for portfolios and small shops; limiting once you need anything custom.
See the comparison →Domain seller turned site builder
RIOT vs GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a domain registrar that bolted on a website builder. The builder is basic, the templates are dated and the upsells are relentless.
See the comparison →Doing it yourself with WordPress, Wix or AI builders
RIOT vs DIY (build it yourself)
Building your own website looks free. It isn't. The hidden cost is your time, the lost sales while it sits half-finished, and the rebuild when you realise it's not converting.
See the comparison →Format vs format
RIOT vs WordPress vs Webflow
WordPress and Webflow are the two serious choices once you've outgrown the drag-and-drop builders. WordPress wins on flexibility and ecosystem; Webflow wins on design control, hosting and out-of-the-box performance.
See the comparison →Format vs format
RIOT vs Custom Build vs Template
A template gets you online fast and cheap. A custom build costs more upfront but gives you a site that actually fits your business, ranks better, and won't need replacing in 18 months. Here's the honest comparison.
See the comparison →Format vs format
RIOT vs Shopify vs WooCommerce
The two heavyweights of e-commerce. Shopify is faster to launch and easier to run; WooCommerce is cheaper at scale and gives you full control. Pick wrong and you'll regret it in year two.
See the comparison →Visual-first site builder for designers
RIOT vs Webflow
Webflow is a powerful visual builder that's brilliant for design-led marketing sites — but the learning curve is real and the monthly costs add up fast once you need CMS, e-commerce or memberships.
See the comparison →Off-the-shelf Shopify themes
RIOT vs Shopify Templates
Shopify themes (Dawn, Refresh, paid themes from the Shopify store) get you online cheap, but every other small brand uses the same template — and customising past surface-level is painful.
See the comparison →Marketplace for makers
RIOT vs Etsy
Etsy is a brilliant place to start selling handmade or vintage. It's a terrible place to build a brand — you don't own the customer, fees compound, and a single algorithm change can kill your sales overnight.
See the comparison →Gig marketplace for freelancers worldwide
RIOT vs Fiverr
Fiverr is cheap. The work is cheap too. You'll get a website, sure — but it'll be a copy-paste template with no strategy, no SEO foundation, and an offshore developer you can't actually talk to.
See the comparison →Global freelancer marketplace
RIOT vs Upwork
Upwork has serious freelancers and absolute cowboys, and it's on you to tell them apart. Vetting takes hours; the cheapest bid usually delivers exactly that.
See the comparison →Crowdsourced logo and design contests
RIOT vs 99designs
99designs runs design contests — 50 designers submit logos, you pick one. The maths is brutal for the designers (most work for free) and the output reflects it: safe, derivative, on-trend-for-2019.
See the comparison →Generalist agencies in Essex and Suffolk
RIOT vs Local Essex Agencies
Most local agencies are fine — they'll deliver a decent site, eventually, at a markup. The pain is the slow pace, the account-manager middle layer, and a price tag that funds their plush office, not your project.
See the comparison →Mailchimp's free website builder
RIOT vs Mailchimp Websites
Mailchimp added a free website builder to keep email customers in their ecosystem. It's basic — fine for a single-page brochure, useless for anything that needs to convert or rank.
See the comparison →