About Solo Tool Bench
Solo Tool Bench helps small business owners, solo professionals and creators choose where to build their website. We research website builders and the tools around them (hosting, domains, email, online stores), test them hands-on with one repeatable method, and publish what each took and what it costs, starting with our first test on Wix.
Why this site exists
Choosing a website builder looks simple until year two. The intro price ends. The domain renews at full price. The email address you assumed was included turns out to be an add-on. And moving to another builder means rebuilding from scratch.
Some comparison pages skip those costs. Some are published by companies that sell one of the builders being compared.
We wanted a site that answers the plain questions: How long does it take to build a real small-business site? Does it work on a phone? Can Google find it? What will I actually pay? Can I leave?
What we are, and what we’re not
We are an independent publisher. We research and test website builders and related tools, and write guides to help you choose.
We are not:
- A web agency. We don’t build websites for clients, and we don’t sell templates, themes or design services.
- A website builder or host. We’re not owned by any software company.
- Paid for placement. No company can pay to be included, ranked higher or reviewed more kindly.
Our pages are published under the name Solo Tool Bench Editorial Team.
Solo Tool Bench is a small, independently owned publishing business. One person owns it and is accountable for every page we publish.
How we test: the Same-Site Build Test
We build the same 5-page small-business site on every builder we review hands-on: a home page, about page, services page, contact form and one blog post. We use the same text and the same images each time.
For each builder, we record build time, number of steps, how the site works on a phone, its Google PageSpeed (mobile) score, the SEO controls available, the real cost at renewal over 12 and 24 months (including domain and email), plan limits, and what you can export if you leave. We keep dated screenshots as evidence.
No test results are published yet; our first test, on Wix, is up next. When we haven’t tested a product, the page says so and explains where the information comes from instead.
Read the full method and scoring weights
How we use AI
We use AI tools to help with research, outlining, drafting and editing. AI doesn’t build the test sites, doesn’t measure anything and doesn’t decide our recommendations.
A human reviews every page before it’s published. That review checks every hands-on claim against our testing records, checks sources and price dates, and takes responsibility for the result. We don’t publish unedited AI text. Details are in our editorial policy.
How we make money
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Commissions don’t decide our picks. We recommend builders that don’t pay us when they’re the better fit. We say so when a builder we earn from isn’t the best choice. We don’t run display ads or publish sponsored reviews.
Get in touch
Found a wrong price, a feature that’s changed, or a builder we should test? Contact us. Corrections are handled as described in our editorial policy.