How this site makes money, and why it never moves a score

Some links on NilSite are affiliate links. They are the ones routed through /go/ addresses — /go/wix, /go/framer and so on — and if you buy a paid plan after following one, the builder pays us a commission. It costs you nothing extra.

The tension, named

Notice the shape of that arrangement: we earn only when you upgrade, and our editorial job is telling you when not to. A fine-print site that hid that conflict in its own fine print would deserve whatever it got. So: the conflict exists, it is structural, and here is how we handle it.

How we handle it

• Free-tier scores are set by rubric — publishability, toll, trap — and commissions never change one. Exhibit A: our ranking of the best free website builders is topped by Google Sites, which has no affiliate program and pays us nothing.
• We recommend the cheapest plan that solves your problem, not the plan that pays best — which is why a $19-a-year Carrd tier gets more praise on this site than plans costing ten times as much.
• Every review keeps its 'catch' section regardless of payout, and 'stay on the free plan' is a conclusion we publish regularly.
• We never accept payment for placement, scores or softened catches. There are no sponsored reviews on this site.

If you would rather not use the affiliate links, every builder is findable by name — the reviews read the same either way. And if you ever suspect a commission bent a conclusion, write to the desk; that letter gets answered first.