Scope for sharing and collaborating with other Adobe users
Easy on the eyes and clutter-free
High-converting landing pages that do not require heavy coding or designing are a norm today. In addition to being easy to use, landing page builders must continuously innovate and update themselves to stay on top of their game. The best ones have robust features and are data-driven.
When choosing a landing page builder, you must assess it based on the criteria discussed later in the article. Because landing pages are highly purpose-driven, you must shortlist a page builder with capabilities that match your goal. Only that can help you execute your goals to a T.
Why You Should Trust This Review
About Digital.com’s expert reviewer, Keren Dinkin:
I gathered over seven years of practical work experience in digital marketing and e-commerce before shifting gears and becoming a full-time content writer. As a lover of words and their power, I’m passionate about my writing.
How I Rated the Best Landing Page Builders
Every landing page builder must have multi-device optimized professional-looking templates, built-in A/B testing, app integrations, the scope for customization, and analytical tools for performance evaluation. I tested the top five contenders based on these critical parameters.
Professional templates
Landing pages need to be convincing. So landing page builders must have a wide selection of templates that are industry-specific and not generic. These templates must be:
Clean, crisp, and professional-looking
Easily customizable through coding modifications
Hassle-free to populate, preferably with a drag-and-drop editor
Affordable (although some will always be free)
Have a stellar call-to-action (CTA) button
Most importantly, landing page templates must be unique enough to prompt your prospect to click on the CTA. The template you choose must reflect the essence of your brand and also be scannable at the same time.
Easy-to-use editor
Usability is key to determining if a landing page builder is worthy of your investment or not. That’s why an easy-to-use landing page editor gets bonus points. While drag-and-drop editors are popular, you must also consider the level of customization they allow.
Even if you’re a coding novice and prefer to work off a pre-made template, you should be able to customize the theme, font, images, and other elements. The landing page editor must be fast, intuitive, and seamless.
Multi-device optimization and preview mode
Irrespective of your goal, your landing page must be optimized for web, app, and mobile viewing. All landing page builders, therefore, provide you with multi-device optimization that you can check in the preview mode before you go live.
Although it’s more of an industry standard than a feature, it is still a crucial parameter while testing any landing page builder.
A/B testing capabilities
Why pay a third-party A/B testing app or plug-in when your landing page builder can do the job? Built-in A/B testing capabilities can help you cut costs, save time on integrations, and drive more return on investment (ROI) in the long run.
Split testing can help you make incremental improvements that optimize your landing page and maximize conversions. This is especially true if you’re new to digital marketing and unsure which page will work best for your customers. Look for a landing page builder that offers state-of-the-art A/B testing features and is beginner friendly.
Integrations
A landing page is all about optimization, and to achieve that, any landing page builder must offer ample scope for third-party app integrations. Once your landing page captures leads, you can further cultivate them using lead nurturing software. You can even expedite their journey down the sales funnels with CRM integrations.
Just keep an eye out for built-in integrations. Even a Zapier integration that gives you access to a sea of other apps and plug-ins works wonderfully in this regard.
Features to maximize conversions
Landing pages are all about conversions — I cannot state that enough. So having an additional set of features, like pop-ups, banners, and timers is crucial to boosting your conversion rate. Conversion-oriented features can also maximize the potential of your landing page.
Therefore, every landing page builder must offer some additional features that can help you trigger conversions.
Analytical tools
Auditing the performance of your landing page is essential to understanding if your digital marketing efforts have yielded the desired results. Only analytical tools can help you assess any data you collect from your visitors or through A/B tests.
With that in mind, your landing page builder must have built-in analytical tools or integrations that let you utilize customer data for strategic purposes.
Support
Whether it’s a full-fledged website builder or a dedicated landing page builder, every service provider needs to have stellar customer care. You can run into problems while building your landing page at any time, whether you are a seasoned professional or a newbie.
You need fast and effortless query resolution from the landing page builder’s customer care desk. And it must be easily accessible.
Over 20 free templates and a wide selection of paid templates
Editor
What You See is What You Get (WYSIWYG) Editor
Optimization
Mobile optimized
A/B testing
Built-in
Integrations
HubSpot’s CRM solutions and Salesforce
Conversion tools
Built-in
Analytical tools
Aggregation of built-in and integrated
Support
HubBot, FAQs, webinar, ask the community
A name to reckon with, HubSpot’s landing page builder provides a comprehensive marketing solution that packs quite a punch. With its CRM and Salesforce integrations, you get a holistic landing page builder for short-term and evergreen content. It’s versatile, dependable, and one of the best.
HubSpot ticks all the right boxes when it comes to its landing page builder. It has everything from an intuitive editor to diverse mobile-optimized templates.
But what I like the most is the landing page builder’s capability to show dynamic content to your website visitors. Your landing page will customize the content based on a specific visitor’s location, the customer lifecycle stage, and the device they’re using.
This level of personalization can help you amplify conversions. You can do this irrespective of the size of your business, although you will have to pay extra for it.
You also optimize every section of your landing page, including the backend, for outstanding performance. There is also an option to unpublish landing pages that are no longer useful. When integrated with HubSpot’s top-of-the-line CRM solutions, you have an aggregated platform that’s performance-driven and backed by real-time data.
If I am being nitpicky, I dislike the HubSpot branding in the free version of all the published landing pages. But you can easily resolve this by upgrading to a Starter CRM Suite.
Who is HubSpot best for?
Thanks to its well-rounded solutions and robust features, HubSpot can be used by a wide range of users from solopreneurs to big e-commerce businesses. But the free solution does not have all the cool features. You will also need a sound understanding of HubSpot to be able to deploy the dynamic content feature as well.
Recent upgrades to HubSpot
HubSpot is continuously innovating its portfolio and implementing disruptive technologies to futureproof its solution. Its most recent effort makes it possible to copy HubL sections on pages to use as blocks on other Hubspot pages — a shortcut, so developers don’t have to build out similar sections one by one.
HubSpot pricing
The best part of HubSpot’s landing page builder is that it's free to create simple but high-performing landing pages. For aggregated solutions, pricing plans start at $45 per month.
Clients who use HubSpot’s Marketing Hub solutions love the technical prowess of this feature-rich free landing page builder. However, a few users new to digital marketing solutions reported finding its advanced features baffling.
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Unbounce
Best AI-powered landing page builder
4.3
AI-powered Smart Builder for quick and easy landing page creation
Data-backed smart traffic for enhanced landing pages
More than 900 (Zapier, Salesforce, Marketo, WordPress, HubSpot, and more)
Conversion tools
Pop-ups, sticky bars
Analytical tools
No built-in analytical tools
Support
Chat, phone, email ticket, help center, Unbounce community
Unbounce is a dynamic Software as a service (SaaS)-based landing page builder and the first of its kind. It started in 2009 and has made a name for itself as one of the most conversion-oriented landing page builders in the market. This feature-rich platform has an over 120,000-strong client base and utilizes AI to optimize its performance.
A power-packed landing page builder like no other, Unbounce utilizes AI to create landing pages tailored to fit your campaign requirements. It leverages the power of data to generate landing page templates you can easily enhance using its drag-and-drop or Smart Builder editor. Combined with a fluid UI/UX, Unbounce lets you quickly and easily launch your landing page.
I found the SaaS platform moderately intuitive — I got my page up and running in a matter of hours. Given that I’d never used the platform before, I was impressed by how easy and uncomplicated it was.
But what stood out to me the most was the robust conversion features. You can duplicate existing landing pages to create their AMP version. This ensures your landing pages will perform well on all devices.
In addition, you can supplement it with pop-ups and sticky bars. Both immediately catch your web visitor’s attention and prompt them to take action. Juxtaposed with its excellent DTR feature, Unbounce ticks all the right boxes for landing pages that turn leads into customers.
You can A/B test your landing pages, pop-ups, and sticky bars to enhance their performance. The only glitch is that you need to integrate Google Analytics to be able to measure the performance.
Who is Unbounce best for?
Because it is so focused on conversion, Unbounce is an excellent choice for creating Search Engine Marketing (SEM)-driven landing pages. Midsize businesses with a decent digital marketing budget can benefit significantly from it.
Recent upgrades to Unbounce
Unbounce has recently added a host of new applications and software to its library, including Stripe and Unsplash. It continues to expand its set of features and integrations with the goal of providing holistic service to its clientele.
Unbounce pricing
You can choose from four pricing plans ranging from $90 to $525 per month. Although the prices are steep compared to other landing page builders, Unbounce offers a flat 10% discount on yearly subscriptions. You will need to upgrade your plan depending on the number of conversions and the domains to which you want to publish the landing page.
Pros and cons of Unbounce
Pros
AI-powered and data-driven landing pages
Conversion-focused precision features
Impressive and exhaustive list of integrations
Classic drag-and-drop and AI-powered editor
Cons
No built-in analytics tool
No mobile app
Unreliable customer support
Exorbitant pricing plans
What customers are saying about Unbounce
As the oldest landing page builder in the market, Unbounce has a devoted customer base that swears by its mobile-friendly templates, excellent features, fast turnaround time, and ease of use.
But it falls short of expectations thanks to its unreliable customer support. Many users report the platform’s customer support is inconsistent with the replies. The steep pricing plans are another concern for most users.
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Instapage
Best collaborative landing page builder
4.2
Comment mode for easy and hassle-free visual collaboration
Agile and adaptive, Instapage is a landing page builder that delivers equally well on usability, functionality, and versatility. It is dedicated to helping marketing teams and mid to large-sized agencies streamline the process of creating landing pages. To that end, Instapage is fast, smooth, and packed with conversion features that allow for efficiency gains.
Instapage boasts an impressive set of features, including a highly versatile drag-and-drop builder unlike that offered by any other provider on this list. But it's the Collaboration Solution that gives it a definitive edge. Using this feature, various stakeholders can communicate with each other on modifications/changes to the landing page.
It’s as simple as starting a comment thread on a Google doc. You can even tag the person to whom you have addressed the comment. Using the Hotspots feature of the Collaboration Solution, you can hide sensitive information from third-party stakeholders.
In short, it lets you collaborate as much and as freely as you want to without compromising privacy. And the best part is it makes your job faster and easier too.
Who is Instapage best for?
Mid to large-scale agencies or companies with diverse marketing teams can benefit from Instapage. From a centralized dashboard to “Insta blocks” that let you duplicate sections of existing landing pages and seamless collaboration tools — it has it all. There’s ample scope and support for scaling your landing pages to keep up with the changing needs of your business.
Recent upgrades to Instapage
Instapage regularly adds new integrations — including those with Marketo, Zapier, HubSpot, and Adobe Typekit — and makes product modifications too. The platform is regularly updated with the latest in tech to ensure you have all the optimization tools you possibly could need.
Instapage pricing
Instapage uses a subscription model for all three pricing plans, namely Build, Convert, and Ignite. You can choose a plan depending on your immediate needs. The cheapest plan is priced at $199 per year, or $149 with a yearly subscription. For the other two, the subscription follows the à la carte pricing model and depends on the features you choose to include in your subscription. I feel Instapage is worth the price. Even the most affordable plan offers a full suite of features with integrations and analytics. The only issue is the lack of A/B testing tools.
Pros and cons of Instapage
Pros
Flexible drag-and-drop editor
Excellent collaboration tools
Fast and easy
Beneficial integrations and analytical tools
Cons
Expensive pricing plans
Lacks A/B testing tool in the basic plan
What customers are saying about Instapage
Instapage users laud the builder’s ability to build fast yet highly-efficient landing pages. The company’s prompt customer query resolution and excellent integrations are quite a hit among customers. Overall, the positive reviews about Instapages have been consistent.
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Leadpages
Best landing page builder for events and services
3.7
Excellent built-in A/B testing
Expert support (launch specialists) to guide new users
Email, chat, help center, marketing resource center
Leadpages is a landing page builder dedicated to turning your website visitors into bankable leads and capturing them effectively. The platform effectively creates landing pages for digital products like books, courses, and webinars and offers high-level marketing automation at an affordable price point.
Fast and easy with a guaranteed uptime of 99.9%, Leadpages is an efficient landing page builder for beginners. The code-free page builder, with its plethora of industry-specific, ready-to-use themes, makes it easy to get your page up and running in an hour. You can also use the same drag-and-drop editor to create pop-ups and alert bars.
Its built-in A/B testing tools are aptly supported by a clutter-free analytics dashboard that always reflects real-time data. I love the one-click integrations that allow for further output optimization. You will also have a dedicated expert to review, amend, and guide you through the process.
All these factors, combined with a hands-on team of support executives, fast page loading time, and 99.9% uptime, make Leadpages an excellent place to sell services. Although some of its features, like its scope for customization, are limiting, this focused approach, in my opinion, makes it an excellent tool for building short-term landing pages.
Who is Leadpages best for?
Small businesses that sell services, event and webinar organizers, bloggers, and agencies can benefit from Leadpages’ dynamic optimization features.
Recent upgrades to Leadpages
Leadpages is constantly upgrading itself to make life easy for its clients. Its consolidated Image Manager with a centralized dashboard and mobile-optimized section templates for pre-existing websites are proof. The Lead Library, which helps you sort, assess, and access all your leads under one roof, is another cool feature that Leadpages has added to its portfolio.
Leadpages pricing
Far more competitive than Unbounce, Leadpages offers three pricing plans, starting at $49 per month. You can save anywhere between $144 to $300 a year on these plans if you opt for a yearly subscription or a custom-priced advanced plan.
Pros and cons of Leadpages
Pros
No code landing page builder
SEO-optimized and fast-loading landing pages
Excellent tech support
Pop-ups and alert bars for improved conversions
Cons
Sluggish drag-and-drop editor
Mediocre UI/UX
Hidden bug issues
What customers are saying about Leadpages
Whether old or new, clients are all praises for Leadpages’ exceptional support team. In addition, the coding-free drag-and-drop editor is a hit among customers with zero to limited knowledge of building landing pages or even those new to the game. But the limited scope for customization, lack of enterprise options, and uneven pricing plans are some of the drawbacks of the platform.
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Adobe Express
Best free landing page builder for simple designs
2.0
Design-driven templates
Scope for sharing and collaborating with other Adobe users
Over 10 with the option of creating your own theme
Editor
In-house
Optimization
No
A/B testing
No
Integrations
Limited
Conversion tools
Cookie banner
Analytical tools
Google Analytics (needs paid upgrade)
Support
Troubleshooting, user guide, tutorials, Adobe community
Unlike some of the others on this list, Adobe Express is not a dedicated landing page builder. It offers you Adobe’s set of unique tools and stellar templates to create standalone web pages. Many of these pages can be customized as individual landing pages that capture and convert leads.
This design-forward landing page builder is a part of Adobe Express’s suite of functionalities and is incredibly easy to use. If you have ever used any of Adobe’s other products, the UI/UX will feel extremely familiar. When designing my landing page on Adobe Express, I felt like I was using a photo editor.
You don’t have too many templates or customizations to play around with. But Adobe Express is so easy to grasp and use that it’s great if you may be overwhelmed with too many choices. Anybody can make visually stunning landing pages on it.
Plus, you also get 2GB of free storage with it. Even though that’s not much, it’s not bad for a free tool.
Who is Adobe Express best for?
This web page designing tool from Adobe is ideal for beginners with little to no technical knowledge who want to create simple, short-term landing pages.
Recent upgrades to Adobe Express
Adobe Express doesn’t appear to have any recent upgrades.
Adobe Express pricing
It’s free to use. However, if you want to brand your landing page, you will pay $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. Luckily though, Adobe does offer a free trial even for its paid features.
Pros and cons of Adobe Express
Pros
Visually appealing templates
Can be used on PCs, mobile, and tablet
Easy-to-use
Cons
Lacks conversion features
Limited scope of customization
Not very intuitive
What customers are saying about Adobe Express
Users love how fast, easy, and effortless it is to create standalone web pages using Adobe Express. It is fuss-free and requires no coding knowledge.
But Adobe Express lacks crucial features, like A/B testing capabilities and optimization tools. If you seek hardcore marketing automation, you may not find the tool useful. Some people even complain that the free themes are not great to work with and are very limiting.
My testing of any landing page platform involves firsthand research and using the services to understand realities better. I signed up for personal accounts on all five landing page builders and conducted a nuanced analysis of each dashboard. Navigating through the five types of editors and their feature sets and optimizations gave me an in-depth understanding of what works and what does not.
It also allowed me to pit each one against the other, and this comparative study gave me a clear perspective of how each stacks up against the other.
It took me over 20 hours to build, deploy, and use these five dummy landing pages. I topped it up with hours of thorough research and even spoke to clients who use these platforms for their experience.
I have based this landing page builder review on the professional merits of the platforms, in addition to my personal experience with them.