So, you’re ready to branch out on your own. Whether you want to get out of the Airbnb/VRBO system, or you just want something more to market your rentals, having a web presence is the way to go.
Don’t waste your time learning how to build a website from scratch! Website builders exist so that you don’t have to learn a lick of code to get a professional site up and running in just a few hours.
Here are our picks for the best website builders to help you out:
- Wix: Best Overall Website Builder
- Squarespace: Best for Top-Notch Design
- GoDaddy: Cheapest Website Builder
- WordPress: Best for Customization
- Lodgify: Best for Large Portfolios
- Tokeet: Best for Single Property Owners
How We Selected the Best Vacation Rental Website Builders
The right website builder will be the foundation of your rental's online presence. We checked out a lot of options and looked at their features based on a few key criteria, so you have the best tools to create an engaging and effective website.
Here’s what we kept in mind for selecting the best vacation rental website builders:
- Ease of Use: We wanted builders that are super user-friendly, so even those who aren’t tech-savvy can create amazing websites easily.
- Design Flexibility: The top builders give you loads of templates and customization options, letting you showcase your rental’s unique charm and appeal just the way you want.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Since many travelers are browsing on their smartphones, a solid website builder needs to make sure your site looks great and works smoothly on all devices.
- SEO Capabilities: We checked how well each platform supports SEO best practices, making it easier for your site to climb the search engine ranks and attract more visitors.
- Integration Features: Being able to connect with your existing tools, like booking systems and payment processors, can really streamline your operations and enhance the user experience.
- Customer Support: Reliable customer support is imperative when things go wrong, so we focused on builders that offer quick and helpful service.
Out of all the builders we checked out, Wix shines as the top pick for vacation rental owners. Its intuitive tools, amazing drag-and-drop capabilities, and beautiful template selection make it super easy to create a professional and engaging website that will grab visitors' attention and turn inquiries into bookings.
1. Wix: Best Overall Website Builder
Wix is hands down the best website builder for vacation rental owners. It strikes the perfect balance between being easy to use and packed with powerful features. The intuitive interface means anyone—regardless of tech skills—can whip up a stunning website that really shows off the unique vibe of their rental properties.
Why We Love Wix
To start, Wix has thousands of templates you can choose from. This platform lets owners create eye-catching designs with a very unique drag-and-drop builder that's the best around. It gives you the most freedom to alter your designs, short of using code.
Plus, it comes with all the essential tools to highlight what you offer. Wix has a marketplace with thousands of integrations, both in-house and third-party, so you can give your site the functionality it needs.
For vacation rentals, Wix has an in-house booking system called Wix Hotels which you can connect to your website. Wix also has various payment gateways; it accepts all major credit and debit cards, and more. If you're on Airbnb, VRBO, or another booking site, you can also sync external calendars to your Wix calendar via the Hotels widget.
Pricing
Wix has a range of plans to fit different needs and budgets. They have a more basic package, but to access Hotels and payment gateways, the cheapest plan is $29 per month. If you want more advanced features, like extra storage, prices go up to $100+ per month. This flexibility means rental owners can pick a plan that supports their growth and marketing without overspending.
What We Dislike About Wix
One thing to keep in mind is that even though there are tons of templates available, customizing them beyond a certain point might require some coding know-how. Their drag-and-drop builder, which gives users a lot of freedom, can also do more harm than good: users who don't have a great grasp of design can end up overdoing it.
That said, the benefits of Wix—like its beginner-friendly customization features, powerful tools, and solid customer support—make it our top choice for most vacation rental owners. If you're looking to create a website and don't know where to start, try Wix!
2. Squarespace: Best for Top-Notch Design
If you're looking to create a very polished website, Squarespace is the way to go. Their beautifully designed and extremely sleek templates are not just eye-catching but they also work really well, making it a top choice for anyone who values great design.
Why We Love Squarespace
The platform makes things easy with a very user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. It won’t give you the same freedom as Wix does, but this can be a good thing: beginners won’t have to worry about too much design freedom, so while you can still create a unique website, you know it will always look professional.
All of Squarespace’s templates are automatically mobile responsive. So that means that once your template is saved, it will work–and work well–on all platforms.
Like Wix, Squarespace has an impressive app market with both in-house and third-party extensions. To help with your booking system, you can get Squarespace Scheduling (more on this below), or other third-party apps like Booqable, which is an all-in-one online booking system.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Squarespace has several plans starting at just $16 a month for the Personal plan (which doesn’t allow customers to check out on your domain). If you need more features and ecommerce flexibility, the Business plan is $23 per month. You can easily check out all the options on the Squarespace website to find the plan that suits your needs best.
What We Dislike About Squarespace
While the beautiful designs are a major plus, some users find that customization options can feel a bit limited compared to other platforms. If you're after extensive functionality, you might need to look elsewhere.
We also mentioned that Squarespace has an extensive app marketplace, and although it’s not as diverse as what Wix offers, it does have Squarespace Scheduling—their in-house booking system for service businesses.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a hotel-specific booking system; while your guests will have no problem booking on this system, that’s all it can do. It lacks advanced features, like channel/room management and guest management.
Squarespace also has an Airbnb integration, but it doesn’t prevent double bookings. To prevent double bookings, you’ll need to integrate a system like Lodgify or Booqable that tracks your calendars across multiple platforms. These third-party applications usually have their own subscription fees, which is something to consider when setting up your website on Squarespace.
Overall, while it lacks some functionality, for a visually stunning and user-friendly website that helps your rental shine, you can’t go wrong with Squarespace.
3. GoDaddy: Cheapest Website Builder
If you're on the lookout for a budget-friendly way to build a website, GoDaddy is definitely a top contender for entrepreneurs and small businesses. This hosting website, which has been around since the 90s, has a very simple drag-and-drop builder that can help you create the website of your dreams for a fraction of the price.
Why We Love GoDaddy
It’s super user-friendly, making it a breeze for anyone to create a professional-looking site—no tech skills required! With its very simple drag-and-drop builder, you can easily bring your ideas to life and set up an engaging online presence without breaking the bank.
GoDaddy also has an in-house booking system, which vacation rental property hosts can add to their website—no need for third-party apps, unless, of course, you have more advanced needs like preventing double bookings.
One of the best things about GoDaddy is its fantastic customer support. They offer 24/7 help via phone and chat, along with a helpful help center that makes getting set up a lot less stressful.
Pricing
GoDaddy's Basic plan starts at just $10.99 a month, which is pretty affordable for a website builder. With that being said, to make use of the booking system you’ll need at least the Premium plan which starts at $14.99 per month for the first year.
This plan not only helps you save money but also comes with essential features to get you started, including a free domain for your first year. You can check out all the options and snag your plan directly from GoDaddy, where you might find some great seasonal deals and discounts to make starting your online journey even cheaper.
What We Dislike About GoDaddy
GoDaddy’s design features are extremely limited. They don’t have the widest array of templates (around 100+), and their drag-and-drop builder isn’t a “true drag-and-drop”. Instead, you can add and delete sections from their templates, and you can switch up the look of the sections by dragging elements around. Understandably, some users feel that the design templates can be limited, especially when compared to the design giants of Wix and Squarespace.
But, if you aren’t looking for groundbreaking design and just need a reliable, extremely user-friendly platform for an affordable price, GoDaddy is a very solid choice.
4. WordPress: Best for Customization
If you're looking for a platform that offers tons of customization and control over your website's look and feel, WordPress is definitely the way to go! With thousands of themes and plugins at your fingertips, you can easily shape your site to reflect your unique style and needs.
Why We Love WordPress
The WordPress community is gigantic and always buzzing with new tools and resources, which makes it a perfect choice if you want a personalized online presence. And the best part? WordPress is completely free to use!
You will, however, need to invest in hosting and a domain name. Thankfully, many hosting services start at just a few dollars per month, where you can easily get your domain and hosting sorted out (see GoDaddy). Many even throw in a free domain for the first year, which is a nice bonus.
But what really sets WordPress apart is its enormous community and the wealth of resources available to help you out. There are tons of forums, tutorials, and documentation that make troubleshooting super easy.
WordPress lets you tap into thousands of plugins to boost your site's functionality—including booking apps (though you’ll have to pay extra for these). Lodgify, for example, has a fantastic booking system that you can easily integrate with your WordPress website.
What We Dislike About WordPress
While WordPress is flexible, it can come with a bit of a learning curve, especially for beginners. And, unlike other website builders that make sure their plugins are compatible with one another, you can run into some issues with plugin compatibility or security if you’re not careful.
So, while WordPress isn’t as user friendly as other website builders (it doesn’t have drag-and-drop capabilities, for example—though you can download a plugin to give you this functionality), it gives you an amazing level of customization and a supportive community to help you grow online.
5. Lodgify: Best for Cross-Platform Marketing
Lodgify is a fantastic option for anyone managing properties across different platforms, thanks to its unique features designed specifically for property management. It lets you create beautiful, professional websites that work seamlessly with its renowned booking system, making it super easy to manage multiple properties.
Why We Love Lodgify
As a STR host, you probably already know about Lodgify. The platform comes packed with handy tools like real-time availability calendars, automated notifications, and online payment processing to help you keep track of bookings and boost guest satisfaction.
This is one of the best tools if you’re managing properties across multiple platforms, as it organizes everything into one nifty database so you can avoid issues like double bookings. So, if you’re marketing on Airbnb, VRBO, and on your own website, a software like Lodgify becomes indispensable.
And, because Lodgify now has its own easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder, building a beautiful website for your vacation rental has never been simpler.
Pricing
Lodgify offers a range of plans to fit different needs. Unfortunately, it also charges by property (i.e, rates increase per property you manage). The cheapest plan is $16 per month for one property. You can easily sign up and pick a plan that works for you on Lodgify. And don't forget to look out for seasonal promotions—they sometimes offer discounts for the first billing cycle!
What We Dislike About Lodgify
Lodgify is fantastic, especially for hosts juggling multiple platforms. However, it’s pricey and can get very expensive if you have a lot of properties in your portfolio. And while their website builder is extremely easy to use, don’t expect to get the same customization as you would with builders like Wix or WordPress.
Overall, though, Lodgify is a great choice for those managing properties across multiple platforms. It combines ease of use with powerful tools—like a fantastic channel manager—making it a solid investment for property owners looking to grow.
6. Tokeet: Best for Large-Scale Property Owners
Do you have multiple properties? Tokeet offers a tailored experience that really caters to those managing tons of properties. The platform is super user-friendly and packed with all the essential features you need to simplify the management process. This means large-scale property owners can easily handle bookings, communicate with guests, and manage payments without feeling overwhelmed—and all for a relatively affordable price.
Why We Love Tokeet
Like Lodgify, Tokeet has a full suite of tools that a host would need to manage their properties. With an advanced channel manager, booking system, staff manager, and dynamic pricing tool, among others, you won’t need to look outside the Tokeet ecosystem to manage your large portfolio.
All this can be integrated seamlessly into your own website with Tokeet’s website builder. Your website also integrates with various booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, which boosts visibility and occupancy rates.
Pricing
When it comes to cost, Tokeet is a winner for those managing multiple properties as rates scale very well the more properties you manage. For example, 1–5 properties will cost $14.99 per month, per property, but 6–15 properties will cost $11.99 per month, per rental.
This means that while Tokeet isn’t the most affordable for small-scale managers, it gets much more affordable the larger your portfolio becomes.
What We Dislike About Tokeet
Aside from the prohibitive cost for small-scale managers, some users might find the features a bit limited compared to more comprehensive property management systems, and those wanting in-depth customization may feel a bit restricted. Like Lodgify, don’t expect the same level of customization and design like you would with other website builders.
Still, if you need a great, comprehensive tool to manage your growing portfolio, and you also need a website to boot, Tokeet is the perfect mix of simplicity, affordability, and effectiveness in one.
Bottom Line
Don’t put off starting your own website! Even if your properties are already listed on Airbnb, VRBO, or any of the other vacation rental platforms, having your own website gives you the flexibility to showcase your unique brand to potential guests. Plus, with the myriad of website builders available, you can easily create a stunning, user-friendly site without breaking the bank. Create one today and watch your rental business thrive!
