Guide
WordPress alternatives for client sites
Plugins to update, a dashboard clients find hard, and a stack you don't build in anymore. If you're moving client sites off WordPress, these are the alternatives, compared on what matters at handover: how a client edits, what each client costs, and who owns the site.
Siteshare
An editor at the site's own address, /edit, on a site you build in code. Clients chat, select or draw; every publish is build-checked and one commit on main.
- Best for
- Builders who make sites in code with AI and want clients to edit without a CMS.
- Price
- Free for 1 site; then $9 a site a month, down to $4 as you grow (5 sites $36, 20 sites $126); clients and builders unlimited. VAT is added where it applies.
- Keep in mind
- You build and host the site yourself; sites on GitHub only.
Webflow
A hosted visual site builder with a CMS, and free client seats scoped to one site.
- Best for
- Designers and agencies who build custom sites visually.
- Price
- Site plans from $15 a month (yearly); client seats free (1 per paid site on Starter, 3 per site on Agency).
- Keep in mind
- Hosted by Webflow; exported code leaves out CMS content; extra client seats can't be bought.
Framer
A hosted visual site builder with a CMS and AI agents.
- Best for
- Design-led marketing sites.
- Price
- From $10 a month per site (yearly); a client who edits needs a seat: $10 content editor, $20 editor.
- Keep in mind
- Hosted by Framer; every editing client is a paid seat.
Wix Studio
Wix's platform for agencies, with a client mode for text and images.
- Best for
- Agencies that bill each client site on a Wix plan.
- Price
- From €12 a month per site (yearly, excl. tax), with 3 to 100 collaborators per site.
- Keep in mind
- Hosted on Wix only; no code export.
Duda
A hosted builder for agencies managing many client sites, with per-site client permissions.
- Best for
- Agencies with many client sites, optionally white-labeled.
- Price
- From $19 a month (yearly) for 1 site; Agency $52 for 4 sites; unlimited client accounts.
- Keep in mind
- Hosted by Duda; code export on Agency and up, without server-side code.
Squarespace
A hosted website builder with templates and AI tools.
- Best for
- Small businesses whose site fits a template.
- Price
- From €14.52 a month (yearly, incl. VAT); contributors 2 on Basic, unlimited on other plans.
- Keep in mind
- A Website editor can't add pages or change styles; design doesn't export.
Ghost
An open-source publishing platform for sites, newsletters and memberships.
- Best for
- Blogs and newsletters with members.
- Price
- Self-hosted free (MIT); Ghost(Pro) from $18 a month (yearly) at 1,000 members.
- Keep in mind
- Made for publishing; price rises with member count.
CloudCannon
A Git-based CMS with visual editing for static sites, hosted by CloudCannon or by you.
- Best for
- Agencies moving client sites to static generators while keeping a visual editor.
- Price
- Standard $55 a month ($49 yearly, 3 users); Team $350 ($300 yearly).
- Keep in mind
- Editable regions are configured per site; no free plan.
The real question: who builds the site?
If you design visually, a hosted builder like Webflow, Framer, Wix Studio or Duda replaces WordPress end to end. You give up owning the code, and you pay per site (and sometimes per editor).
If you build in code, increasingly with AI, you don’t need a builder: you need a way for the client to change what you built. That’s what Siteshare does, on your repository and your host, without a CMS to set up.
What to compare at handover
- What a client may change. Most tools have a reduced client role. In Siteshare it’s a level per client, and changes beyond it wait for your approval.
- What each client costs. Per seat, per site, or free: it adds up across twenty clients.
- Who owns the site. Hosted builders keep the site on their platform; exports are partial. Code you own moves when you do.
Questions
What is the easiest WordPress alternative for a client to edit?
The one where they learn the least. Visual builders give clients a reduced editor; Siteshare lets them change the site by saying what they want, or by typing on the page.
Which alternatives let me keep the code?
Siteshare and CloudCannon work on your own repository. Webflow and Duda export code on some plans; Wix doesn't export, and Framer's help pages point to a reverse proxy rather than self-hosting.
How much does each client cost?
On Siteshare clients are unlimited on every plan, which counts only sites. Webflow includes free client seats per site, Framer charges $10 or $20 a month per editing seat, Duda has unlimited client accounts.
Hand it over. Get your evenings back.
Free for one site, forever. No card needed.