Universe is one of the most popular website builders available today. With its easy-to-use drag and drop editor, extensive design templates, and built-in ecommerce features, Universe appeals to small business owners, bloggers, artists, and anyone else looking to build a professional website without coding. But is Universe the right choice for your website project? Here we’ll take an in-depth look at the pros and cons of using Universe as your website builder.
The Pros of Using Universe
There are several key benefits that make Universe stand out:
- Intuitive drag and drop editor – Universe’s editor is incredibly easy to use. Just drag and drop elements like images, text boxes, buttons onto the page. Move them around and format with the panels on the side.
- Extensive template library – Choose from over 500 designer templates spanning every industry and style. Easily customize colors, fonts, layouts.
- Ecommerce capabilities – Universe has built-in ecommerce features to create an online store. Add products, accept payments, manage shipping.
- Blogging tools – Create a beautiful blog with full CMS blogging capabilities. Categorize posts, add meta descriptions for SEO.
- Top-notch support – Universe offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, phone. There are also detailed help docs and an active community forum.
- Affordable pricing – Plans start at just $3/month for basic sites. All plans include unlimited pages, bandwidth, and hosting.
With its easy-to-use editor, extensive templates, ecommerce features, and reasonable pricing, Universe removes many of the barriers small business owners and individuals face when building a website. You don’t need any coding knowledge or design experience to create a polished, professional site with Universe.
The Cons of Using Universe
However, there are a few downsides to weigh when considering Universe:
- Limited customization – While the template designs are nice, there is limited ability to customize beyond predetermined style options.
- No native blogging platform – The CMS blogging engine isn’t as fully featured as WordPress or other dedicated platforms.
- No ability to self-host – Your site must be hosted on Universe’s platform, you can’t download the site files and self-host.
- Add-ons and upgrades cost extra – To access advanced features like site analytics, ecommerce, or priority support, you need to upgrade to more expensive plans.
For more advanced users or those with specific website needs, Universe may come up short. The cookie-cutter template designs can feel limiting. And if you want to self-host or have full content management capabilities, Universe won’t be sufficient.
Comparing Universe to Alternatives
So how does Universe stack up against competing website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly? Here is an overview of how Universe compares on key factors:
Website Builder | Learning Curve | Template Designs | Customization | Ecommerce | Blog Engine |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Universe | Easy | 500+ templates | Limited | Built-in | CMS |
Wix | Easy | 500+ templates | Moderate | Built-in | CMS |
Squarespace | Moderate | 100+ templates | Limited | Add-on | Built-in platform |
Weebly | Easy | 100+ templates | Limited | Built-in | Limited |
When compared to other popular website builders, Universe is on par in terms of ease of use and template selection. However, competitors like Wix offer greater customization capabilities. And Squarespace has a more fully developed native blogging engine. So Universe may not be the best solution for blogs requiring robust CMS tools.
Is Universe the Right Choice for You?
So when does it make sense to use Universe as your website builder? Here are some key considerations:
- If you want an easy to use, drag and drop website builder, Universe is a great choice. The editor is intuitive and accessible for non-technical users.
- If you need to choose from beautiful, modern template designs, Universe has one of the best selections with over 500 professionally designed templates.
- If you are building a basic small business, portfolio, or hobby site, Universe has all the tools you need for a polished result.
- If you will be selling products or services online, Universe has built-in ecommerce capabilities to help you quickly get your store up and running.
However, for more advanced use cases, Universe may not be the best fit:
- If you require significant website customization, Universe’s templates can feel limiting. Competitors like Wix offer more customization.
- If you want to self-host your website files, Universe does not allow you to download website files for hosting elsewhere.
- If you need a robust blogging platform, options like WordPress and Squarespace have more fully featured CMS tools for blogs.
The Final Verdict
At the end of the day, Universe provides an excellent balance of usability and features for small business owners, bloggers, artists, and hobbyists looking to create a polished, professional website. The drag and drop editor and extensive modern templates allow you to easily build a beautiful site without coding skills or design experience. Costs are reasonable starting at just $3/month.
However, more advanced users may find the customization options limiting. And Universe lacks a native blogging platform comparable to dedicated options like WordPress. So weigh your specific needs carefully.
For most basic website projects, Universe provides a user-friendly solution. But if you require significant customization or blogging capabilities, you may want to explore other website builder options.