The Nerd Series

Best Free Web Design Software Tools to Make a Great Website

Software February, 05, 2025

When it comes to creating the best web design software you know it's time to rely on different web building applications especially when you have no idea of coding. However the host of functionality tools provided by these platforms allows users to make the most of their experience of creating a straightforward website! 

Coding from scratch used to be the only option initially! If you wanted to develop a website you’d have to know the different programming codes including the likes of HTML JavaScript and even CSS. This is where drag-and-drop editors came into play and have grown in popularity in recent years making it simple for anyone to alter or even build their website.

Therefore if you’re a beginner with no idea of coding but want to make the most of this field here’s an overview of the different website designing software you can’t miss. 


1 Wix: Overall best for beginners

When talking about the different designing software you can’t possibly miss out on Wix one of the most appealing website builder platforms available in the market. However it shouldn’t be forgotten that the platform is not a coding platform making it easier for everybody with or without sound tech expertise. Besides this online website builder introduces various products and plans to get started with. The free edition includes Wix branding as well as restricted storage and bandwidth; however upgrading to the unlimited plan helps eliminate Wix adverts.

The creative process gets off to a fast start with an amazing library of over 500 templates. Animations image editor social buttons video backdrops and an integrated site blog can all be tweaked using the drag-and-drop editor. Besides the platform allows modification restyling and tuning and restyling of almost every web element. Furthermore Wix Turbo has been launched by Wix which significantly improves the performance along with the speed of websites.

All of the key editing capabilities are well-designed and act more like a native application rather than a traditional website builder. Wix does have certain flaws such as laggy and limited tech assistance in some areas. However there's no denying that the great editor and vast range of high-quality templates make it straightforward for even new web designers to create something spectacular.

Pros of the platform:

  1. Simple and easy to use
  2. Requires 0 coding skills
  3. Comes with an array of amazing features
  4. User-friendly
  5. Affordable fee structure

2 Webflow: Cloud-based offering without the need for coding

Webflow is another cloud-based offering that has been designed to help users who have no prior coding experience and those who want to start their career with web design. Webflow is a hybrid of the conventional and the contemporary. Traditionally you can say it is a website builder but it has the customization and capability that WordPress and other platforms have.

Webflow promotes the notion of "smart carelessness" and being completely cross-platform because it is web-based. This means a clean drag-and-drop interface that lets you put items like text and photos into one single page that uses one of the multiple free templates.

You may search for templates by price industry and eCommerce. This makes finding a template that meets your requirements a breeze. You may even examine the different designs that designs allow dynamic content before you make a selection and preview them.

Even though you select the option of 'I have no coding knowledge' during the initial setup process the generated code is quite clean. It comes in a well-written format unlike several other WYSIWYG editors. Its automation tool also generates the HTML/CSS code for its user making it effortless to get started. In addition the right-hand panels allow you to make fine adjustments to specific parts.

Each template also comes with a short overview that explains the kind of website it is suitable for and the different design options the users have with them. Although most website builders offer responsive templates and allow you to examine them Webflow's additional template explanations are a helpful addition.

Webflow provides a free online demonstration of its capabilities. There is an option available to signup for free for a starter pack only that allows working on two projects. 

and you can also sign up for a free Starter package that allows you to develop up to two projects.

Pros of the platform: 

  1. A reliable cross-platform
  2. Easy to operate 
  3. Truly cross-platform
  4. Ability to manage multiple projects at once
  5. Suitable for different design options

3 WordPress: Great option for beginner users

Second on our list we have WordPress a CMS (Content Management System) that differs from the other options we've discussed herein in that it enables you to design and develop your own website (CMS). The benefit is that making a website merely takes a few minutes. Although many web hosting services allow the provision of a Control Panel via a one-click setup of WordPress the platform is still extremely simple to install even without it.

The management and administration are user-friendly allowing users to make the most of their plug-in. For example you may utilize the platform’s current design templates but you can choose to download free or paid WordPress templates. 

If you wish to work with a custom design drag-and-drop functionality is generally available for a design that can be downloaded and comes with an in-built framework. This way you can easily develop a professional website without having to go through the struggles of learning any programming or having to code.

Even better many free add-ons are also there that can be downloaded and installed. This simplifies personalizing your website along with this eliminates the need for any expert abilities.

To sum it up WordPress is a very user-friendly CMS that can help you get any type of website up and running quickly. Because of the additional community-supported features and a large number of template designs finding something close to what you desire isn't difficult. Besides the platform always allows you to switch off comments by going to your settings menu and avoiding any spam.

Pros of the platform:

  1. Requires 0 coding skills
  2. Simple and easy to use
  3. It comes with an array of powerful features
  4. Highly user-friendly
  5. Several custom options

4 Adobe Dreamweaver: Reliable design software for professionals

Like Wix Adobe Dreamweaver is another completely beginner-friendly platform allowing users with zero knowledge of programming to get started with their website. Because the program uses a combination of HTML editing and several visuals it shouldn't be too difficult to learn for most people.

Furthermore while designing your website design takes more time and effort than just utilizing an already made template you have the opportunity to guarantee you achieve the appearance you wish rather than attempting to work on someone's design specifications.

Dreamweaver can create responsive designs which means that your website may be customized to appear on both mobile devices and desktops. You can make the most of your website without compromising the overall experience.

Dreamweaver supports multiple monitors on Windows. It also works with HTML5 components and CSS grids using the CEF (Chromium Embedded Framework). The platform also includes Git support allowing users to change source code straight within Dreamweaver.

Besides Dreamweaver is also included in Adobe's Creative Cloud. For the users who have no idea the Creative Cloud is a mid-range bundled program subscription service that includes the likes of Photoshop.

Pros of the platform: 

  1. Options to customize your design
  2. Simple easy to use
  3. Supports HTML5
  4. Provision to develop a responsive design
  5. Provides several bundled programs

5 Weebly: Your DIY eCommerce website

Small businesses who wish to stay small should use Weebly. It's quite simple in terms of website builders but the benefit is that you can get started by creating your website up and running. It also includes an excellent app store allowing you to add other tools to your site as needed.

In terms of its functionality the platform is yet another online content management system (CMS); this one is aimed at consumers with little or no coding skills by giving simple drag-and-drop tools for building websites. Weebly also allows customers to construct online stores using pre-made templates with their simple website-building foundation.

Weebly provides a great app center allowing users to access both premium and free applications that you can connect and install with your website over a few clicks. Although your Weebly editor includes all of the essential elements such as text blocks and picture galleries besides using the Weebly App Center you can make the most of your website by adding more complex features and tools.

Although the platform is limited in terms of the available themes the designs present on Weebly are professional-looking and clean. Besides they also provide users with several customization possibilities. Interestingly the themes are also responsivMoreover they are designed for devices of every type and users can implement analytics SEO and even access functions for submitting advertising straight to Facebook.

For basic use the platform has a free tier allowing users to get acquainted with the features. However when executing the performance users will have to execute with a Professional plan and utilize their domain and remove adverts.

Pros of the platform: 

  1. Comprises a professional look
  2. Easy to personalize
  3. Comes with a plethora of custom options
  4. Cost-effective price structuring
  5. Reliable customer support

6 Lightweight and easy to use: BlueFish

When it comes to Bluefish users should understand that it is one of the most miniature web design tools currently available today. It simply takes a few seconds to set up the little installer. In addition the text-only interface is intended with beginners in mind with simple toolbars syntax highlighting and user-customizable menus allowing users to make the most of their operations without any issues.

Bluefish supports a vast number of languages in addition to HTML including SQL XML PHP Java JavaScript and CSS. Unlike the other available visual WYSIWYG web design tools the text interface allows for significantly cleaner code.

Bluefish offers a fantastic search feature to discover text across many projects. The program is also capable of handling hundreds of papers at once. Unfortunately although Bluefish allows you to interact with remote files the many helpful dialogues and wizards presently do not allow direct FTP upload of web pages.

Pros of the platform:

  1. Lightweight and effortless in operations
  2. Quick to use and adapt
  3. It uses several advanced codes via different wizards
  4. It comes with numerous cut toolbars 
  5. Allows the option to upload web pages directly

7 Visual Studio Code: Microsoft’s text editor!

Developers have taken to VScode or Visual Studio Code as it is one of the most emerging problems to give out the best to the users. However the fact that it is by Microsoft is also a matter of benefit for many users. In addition the platform comes with its very own marketplace allowing users to tap into a range of different packages and several downloadable free extensions that would enable the users to make further the most of the functionality of the platform as the code editor itself may be altered.

While many individuals are intimidated by the concept of coding if they have no prior programming knowledge it is necessary to be able to change code directly at some point throughout the web design process.