To compare the best website builders on ease of use, templates, customer service, and value for money, we tried to build the same site on each platform. Check out the results here.
It appears that the Californian-based website builder service Cloudward wants to make website creation as easy as possible, and they’ve done so with a platform that allows users to create websites using Google Docs. You heard that right: you can now publish content, launch an online store, or set up content slideshows using only Google Docs and Google Sheets. Simply pick the type of content you’d like to add to your site – dubbed “Cloud Snippets” – sign in with your Google account, copy the provided code snippet, and paste it into your website. The platform automatically pulls the data from the document you created and publishes it into a fairly decent-looking website.
You can also choose from the pre-made Cloud Snippets available, customize one, or build your own snippet from scratch. This gives web designers and developers a lot more leeway in what they can offer their customers: without having to learn PHP, Python, or Javascript, the Cloudward platform allows you to deploy complex functionality with only your creativity and your Google Drive.
Cloudward’s free plan comes with unlimited connected domains, but is capped at 1,000 hits per month. You’ll be able to access their collection of free templates and utilize their CloudSQL database with 100mb of storage. Please note that your free site will display a Cloudward banner advertisement. Their Pro plan is the most popular choice, offering e-commerce integration, an upgrade to 5GB of CloudSQL database storage, no Cloudward banner ads on your site, and a limit of 100,000 hits per month.
Before you make a decision, read my colleague’s comparison of the best website builders to make sure you’re not missing out on better alternatives.