9 Best Website Builders for Sports Teams and Leagues in 2024

In my experience, only a few website builders truly cater to the needs of sports teams. Since building support is essential for your team, selecting the wrong builder can lead to missed opportunities for fan engagement and fundraising. Without the right features, your site might fail to capture the excitement and spirit of the team’s sport.

A solid sports team website should have donation buttons, social media integration for engaging fans and boosting visibility, and templates that showcase action shots. Crucially, it should be easy for you to use – so you can spend more time on the field.

After testing dozens of the best website builders around, I found Wix to be the ideal choice for sports clubs, particularly for beginners. Its AI builder simplifies website creation, while a range of built-in tools (including SEO optimization) elevate functionality. Wix’s free plan lets you explore its features as long as you want without commitment. For detailed insights on Wix and other options, continue reading.

What We Look For in the Best Website Builders for Sports Teams

In writing this article, I did an extensive comparison of the best website builders on the market. While all had strong points, I looked specifically for features of use to sports clubs. Every website builder that made my list offers the following features:

• Ease of use. I prioritized builders that simplify the website creation process. This saves you time, letting you focus more on your league’s activities.
• Professional templates with multimedia integration. Each builder offers templates that let you showcase your team vividly with photos and videos.
• Event management. These builders include easy-to-update calendars so you can keep your audience informed about upcoming games. Some builders also let you sell event tickets.
• Fundraising capabilities. These builders seamlessly integrate donation features or let you sell merchandise or tickets, so your club can get community support.
• SEO and social media tools. Every builder on my list includes tools for SEO or social media marketing, crucial for growing your league’s online reach.

1. Wix: The Most Features for Sports Teams1

Wix offers the most templates for sports teams of any builder on my list. It has over 50 templates for sports-related sites, including baseball, football/soccer, and running. You can also use Wix’s AI website builder1 to quickly set up a site with the features your club needs. Whether you use a template or AI, the drag-and-drop interface makes editing your site simple.

Many Wix templates come with features that are useful for local sports clubs, including Google Maps and links to social media profiles. Wix has extensive customization settings, so you can tweak those elements as much as you need to. Wix’s event management tools are also very practical: you can easily organize and promote games. Not only can you keep fans informed, it can even be useful for players in your league.

Wix’s free plan is generous, as it offers almost all features. However, it includes Wix branding and a subdomain, which might not suit teams going for a professional look. Free plans only get 500 MB of storage, which might not be enough for a media-rich site. I found that the ‘Light’ plan is a well-rounded choice for most sports clubs. You not only get a custom domain and an ad-free site, but 2 GB of storage and 30 minutes of video time.

Features

• Payment processing. Wix Payments enables your team to sell merchandise or tickets and it can take common payment methods, including most credit cards and Apple Pay. You can also accept donations.
• Wix SEO Checklist. By following the checklist, you can optimize your website for search engines, and thereby attract new supporters, talent, and sponsors.
• Wix Video Maker. This free tool can help you create promotional videos that highlight your club’s coolest moments on the field. Displaying videos can also boost your search engine ranking.
• Third-party app market. If you need even more tools aside from what Wix has available, or if there is a specific professional service you are accustomed to, you can access it on Wix’s vast market for external apps.

Read our expert Wix review for more details.

2. Squarespace: Sleek Templates for Showcasing Your Team’s Players1

Squarespace’s famously attractive templates can significantly elevate your sports league’s online presence. You can’t customize as much as you can with Wix, but for good reason: Squarespace expects its templates to be so good that they need minimal editing. Personally, I find this to be accurate because small color and font changes can make a big visual difference, but you should still take a close look at the templates yourself.

I liked that Squarespace guided me through the design process more than other builders, thanks to instructive pop-up tutorials. Squarespace is also constantly adding new features, which is ideal if you plan to maintain your sports league site for a while. One example: answer a few questions and Squarespace Blueprint will generate a template1 up to the company’s high design standards.

Squarespace doesn’t have a free plan, and its paid plans can be a bit pricey. However, considering the quality and range of features offered, your team can get its money’s worth from Squarespace. Squarespace’s Business plan offers a set of e-commerce tools that essentially pay for itself, for example, and the same can be said of its email marketing add-on.

Features

• Mobile-responsive templates. Unlike other builders, Squarespace ensures that every single template is perfectly optimized for mobile devices. This saves your time and makes it easier for fans to access your site on any device.
• Donation blocks. If you’re on the Business plan or higher, you can add a donation block to accept financial support for your club. Supporters can use PayPal or Apple Pay.
• SEO tools. Squarespace includes built-in SEO tools without extra charge, so your sports team can improve its visibility in your area.
• Squarespace Unfold. Unfold is a separate mobile app for social media marketing. It simplifies creating stunning social content, which can be handy for promoting games or other events.

Read our expert Squarespace review for more details.

3. SITE123: The Fastest Way To Promote Your Team Online1

SITE123 stands out for its simplicity. Its point-and-click editor doesn’t have the left-hand menu often seen in other builders, which reduces clutter. You can’t customize as much as you can with Wix, but that’s fine if you’re in a hurry. While there are no templates solely for sports clubs, I did find useful fitness-themed templates. Plus, any SITE123 template can easily represent your team with a few simple edits.

SITE123 comes with event management tools that let you sell tickets, offer coupons, and even provide a check-in system for games. The event management suite is not as comprehensive as Wix’s, but it is good for small sports clubs. Additionally, SITE123 can display your site in multiple languages​​, which is great for outreach in diverse areas.

Like Wix, SITE123 has a free plan that you can use indefinitely1, but you need to upgrade to use your own domain name. The Premium plan also offers simple e-commerce functionality – a good option if you want a basic store to sell small amounts of merchandise.

Features

• Donation button. SITE123 lets you add a donation button so fans can support your team. You can customize the donation page with recommended donation amounts, goals, payment methods, and a personal thank you message.
• App market. While SITE123’s app market isn’t huge, it compensates for the platform’s simplicity. An example is Tockify, an app for event bookings, which can be particularly useful for managing club events or matches.
• E-commerce homepage. If you want some e-commerce functionality but not too much fuss, SITE123 makes it easy to build a homepage specifically for an online store.
• Blogging tools. SITE123’s simple blogging feature allows you to keep supporters engaged with regularly updated content and news about your sports association.

Check out our expert SITE123 review for more details.

4. Webador: Great for Hassle-Free Blogging About Matches1

Webador is one of the easiest website builders I’ve used. Its drag-and-drop editor and section-based approach are especially beginner-friendly. Webador technically has just 1 sports-themed template, but don’t worry: Webador’s 50+ templates can be used for multiple niches, including sports.

While it is a bit basic, Webador’s blog manager is perfectly suited for practical blogging needs, like updating match information or team news. If anything, this simplicity is advantageous in keeping your focus on content creation. Plus, the integration of SEO tools and basic blog analytics helps enhance your club’s online presence.

Webador’s pricing is competitive compared to some of the bigger builders, offering a balance of functionality and affordability. However, it doesn’t provide as many advanced features as the top 3 builders on this list, and the first paid tier does not remove ads from your site. But if you’re looking to build a hobbyist site for a sports league, Webador’s a solid choice.

Features

• Unlimited storage. All plans, including the free one, have unlimited storage – so you can showcase as many exciting photos of your team as you desire.
• Custom mailbox. Available with the Pro and Business plans, having a mailbox helps your club project a more professional image. It can be useful for maintaining formal communication channels with sponsors, members, and fans.
• Digital maps. You can embed a map on your Webador site to help site visitors locate venues for upcoming matches or events.
• Google SEO tools. For those on Pro and Business plans, Webador offers integration with Google Analytics, Google Business Profile, and Google Search Console. It’s a great bundle for boosting your team’s online visibility.

Read our expert Webador review for more details.

5. IONOS: Good for Cash-Strapped Sports Teams1

IONOS offers a simple website editing interface that is roughly comparable in ease of use to SITE123 and Webador. That said, I found it less flexible for intricate design changes than the builders at the top of my list. IONOS has a small number of templates, but the good news is that they look good and all can be easily repurposed into sports association sites.

More importantly, using the AI Website Builder, I quickly assembled a site that included all the essentials a sports team website needs, including team information, schedules, and news updates. Other AI tools, like the AI Text Generator and AI Image Generator, could help create content and visuals that align with your club’s brand.

IONOS plans start at a very low cost for the first 6 months, after which the price increases. IONOS’ pricing structure can be advantageous if your team is starting on a tight budget, as you can establish an online presence at minimal cost. Even at full price, the plans present a good deal for startup sports leagues: while design functionality is limited, the professional tools are strong.

Features

• Online store. Setting up an online store with IONOS is both easy and affordable. IONOS supports the sale of physical and digital products, making it easy to sell both digital tickets and physical merchandise.
• Royalty-free images. You can choose from over 17,000 royalty-free images to enhance your site. This can save some stress if your team is just starting out and doesn’t have a portfolio of high-quality photos.
• SEO text generator. Aside from using AI to generate regular text, you can use it to generate page metadata to help your Google search result rankings.
• Image optimization. IONOS ensures that images, whether they are of your team or stock photos, are automatically optimized for all devices. This is essential for any sports club website, which needs to be visually appealing.

Have a look at our expert IONOS review for more details.

6. Shopify: Best for Selling Your Team’s Merch1

If your priority is selling league merchandise, Shopify offers about 20 sports-themed store templates, plus a bunch more that are loosely related. Most Shopify templates aren’t free, but they are sleek and packed with features perfect for sports clubs. For instance, the ‘Retina’ template has a countdown timer, which would be great for timing merchandise launches with new matches. There are also a few free templates.

Shopify’s site-building interface is a fully customizable, drag-and-drop, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) environment. The interface is as user-friendly as possible given Shopify’s extensive set of features, but there still may be a learning curve. Shopify also doesn’t emphasize site design as much as Wix or Squarespace – its strength lies in e-commerce.

Shopify’s plans are a bit pricey, and that’s on top of the typical template price of $190-$390​​. But if your team is set on e-commerce, the price will be justified by Shopify’s extensive features. I recommend Shopify’s lowest-tier Basic plan as a good starting point, as it should offer enough functionality for most small and even medium-sized teams.

Features

• Discounts and coupons. Shopify allows you to create a variety of discount codes and free shipping discounts. This is an effective strategy to reward or incentivize fan loyalty, enhancing customer retention and attracting new customers.
• Shopify Shipping. Shopify lets you offer competitive shipping rates, which encourages more merchandise purchases from people eager to support their local team.
• Social media integration. You can seamlessly integrate your store with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can not only sell merchandise on social media, but market your store.
• POS system. Shopify’s point-of-sale system is a versatile tool for physical sales. You can use it to sell tickets for soccer matches or merchandise at events and sync these transactions with your online store.

See our expert Shopify review to learn more.

Other Notable Website Builders for Sports Teams

7. Hostinger Website Builder1

Hostinger Website Builder has a drag-and-drop interface and helpful AI-powered tools that make it easy to build a site for your sports league. There are also quite a few templates to help make your sports association’s online presence more unique. Plus, Hostinger sites tend to get good performance speeds.

However, Hostinger Website Builder’s main limitation is its scalability. If you expect to need more features or resources for your site as your team gets more popular, there isn’t much more you can get out of your Hostinger plan. Also, like Web.com and WordPress.com, Hostinger Website Builder offers limited customization.

8. WordPress.com1

WordPress.com has a couple of unique characteristics that can benefit sports clubs. First, WordPress.com has a vast market of thousands of plugins, many of which are free. One notable plugin is SportsPress, which can grant a lot of sports-related functionality, like player profiles. WordPress.com is also good for managing a lot of content and blogging.

However, one of the major drawbacks of WordPress.com, particularly for sports clubs, is its limited customization and price. While it’s relatively easy to use, you cannot install plugins or third-party themes without one of the higher-paid tiers. Even then, managing plugins can get complicated.

9. Web.com1

I found Web.com’s greatest strength is its user-friendly design. Even with limited tech skills, the platform’s straightforward drag-and-drop interface allows you to easily manage and update your site.

The main drawback I encountered with Web.com is its limited customization and lack of advanced features. If you’re managing a sports league’s online presence, you might need more complex scheduling tools than what Web.com can offer, for example.

How To Build a Sports Website

Before you get started, it’s essential to have a clear idea of your website’s style and purpose. Think about your team’s size and the type of features you’ll benefit the most from in the long run. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you build a sports website that suits your needs:

1. Choose a platform and a domain name. Depending on whether you prioritize speed, creative freedom, or advanced functionalities, pick a website builder that aligns with your vision. Then, choose a memorable domain name that represents your sports website’s image and message.

2. Design an attractive and user-friendly layout. Create an eye-catching design that is easy to navigate. Be sure to include high-quality images and videos of your team and optimize the layout for desktop and mobile devices.

3. Curate engaging sports-related content. It’s a good idea to regularly publish blog posts, news updates, game recaps, and athlete profiles to keep your audience informed and entertained.

4. Add interactive features. You can include features like live score tickers, player and team stats, and interactive polls or quizzes to boost engagement.

5. Promote your sports website. Most website builders offer SEO tools, easy social media integration, or email marketing features you can use to drive traffic and build a loyal following for your sports website.

What Are the Best Website Builders for Sports Teams?

Each builder on my list will let you build a professional website for your sports team, helping you reach new fans and gain financial support. But the right choice for you depends on where your team is at.

Wix is my top pick for most sports teams1. It stands out by having the most sports-themed templates, plus it has more features included by default than just about any other builder.

Or, if your team is in growth mode, Squarespace has what you need1. It offers top-notch template designs, strong business tools, and constantly adds new features.

Lastly, if you want to get your club online as quickly as possible, SITE123 is a great option1. It is very easy to use, and as a bonus, its multilingual support is great for attracting new supporters and talent.

FAQ

Can I build a website for my sports team for free?

Yes. Several options on my list offer free plans. However, free plans come with significant limitations. Your site won’t have its own domain name but will have the website builder’s branding, and probably fewer customization options. These drawbacks can impact functionality and professionalism, which is why some builders, like Squarespace, only offer paid plans.

Which website builder has the best free plan?

In my view, Wix leads the pack for free plans. Most of the paid features are available on the free plan, plus there are plenty of relevant themes for sports teams. However, even with its generous offerings, the free plan includes Wix branding and limits certain functionalities like e-commerce capabilities. Alternatively, SITE123 also has a strong free offering.

Does Wix have templates specifically for sports teams?

Yes, Wix offers 50+ sports-related templates, ideal for every sport, from swimming to football. Additionally, Wix’s Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) feature can generate a site tailored to your sports league, making the process even more streamlined and customized.

What features should my sports team website have?

A top-notch sports team website should include a responsive template that highlights stylish pictures or videos of your team, social media sharing buttons for increased engagement, and donation buttons or a fundraising store. You can explore our list of the best website builders in 2024 to find the platform with the right features for your needs.