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Hello, this is Blaze. I started a web design and development studio at the tail end of 2024 called Shovel.
This report is a no-jargon breakdown of the most common website builders and who they're actually for.
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Table of contents
Best for: Anyone selling products online
Think of it like renting a fully-equipped retail space. You show up, add your products, and you're open for business. No building required.
Use this if you're selling physical or digital products and want to get up and running fast.
Best for: Large companies with a dedicated tech team
Imagine hiring architects to design a completely custom building, but using a trusted, proven engine room in the back. More expensive and complex, but gives big companies total control over how everything looks and works.
Next.js is what people actually see and interact with. It's the design, the layout, the pages, the speed. Think of it as the storefront itself — the walls, shelves, and lighting. A developer builds and controls every pixel of it.
Sanity is where the content team lives. Blog posts, landing pages, banners, copy changes — all managed through a clean editor without touching any code. It feeds content into the Next.js frontend. Think of it as the back office where the marketing team updates the signage.
Shopify handles everything money-related. Product listings, inventory, cart, checkout, payments. It's the cash register and stockroom. Shopify is really good at this one job, so instead of rebuilding it, you just plug it in underneath everything else.