Blocs vs SITE123: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Blocs vs SITE123 both offer unique advantages, but they cater to different user needs.

Blocs (Overall Grade: 5.8/10)

is a powerful and user-friendly website builder designed specifically for Mac users. It excels in design functionalities and ease of use, making it ideal for designers and developers looking to create professional websites with minimal effort. However, it lacks hosting services and has limited ecommerce capabilities, which may be a drawback for users seeking an all-in-one solution. Blocs’ AI capabilities and extensive learning resources further enhance its appeal for those focused on design and customization.
SITE123 (Overall Grade: 6.5/10)

is a versatile website builder and hosting platform that offers a wide range of customizable templates and drag-and-drop functionality. It is particularly strong in hosting quality, website speed optimization, and customer support, making it a great choice for individuals and small businesses looking to create professional-looking websites without any coding or design skills. SITE123’s ecommerce features, user management, and security measures also make it a reliable option for users seeking a comprehensive and user-friendly platform.

	Overall grade: 5.8	Overall grade: 6.5
Design functionalities & templates	7.5	7.2
Ease of use	8.7	8.1
Ecommerce	7.0	7.0
Website Editors	7.5	7.0
Product testing options	7.0	6.4
Price	9.0	6.2
Hosting quality	0	7.0
Website speed optimization	5.2	5.8
Plugins and integrations	6.8	7.1
Marketing features	6.9	6.0
Customer support	5.1	7.3
Security	0.0	7.5
AI capabilities	5.4	2.8
User Management	1.4	6.3
Overall	5.8	6.5

Best for ecommerce

7.0

Verdict

: Blocs and SITE123 both score equally in the ecommerce sector, each catering to different user needs and preferences.

Blocs

: Blocs is a powerful tool for Mac users, offering integration with various ecommerce platforms like Ecwid, Stripe, and Snipcart. It provides a range of ecommerce-specific templates and supports advanced customization through third-party services. However, it may present a learning curve for beginners due to its design-focused approach.
SITE123

: SITE123 is user-friendly and ideal for individuals and small businesses looking to start selling online quickly. It offers comprehensive ecommerce features, including product management, payment gateways, and SEO tools. While it may not have the advanced customization options of Blocs, its ease of use makes it a strong contender for those new to ecommerce.

Best for informational & business websites

7.5

7.4

Verdict

: Blocs and SITE123 are both strong contenders for creating informational and business websites, but Blocs slightly edges out SITE123 with its user-friendly interface and robust design features, especially for Mac users.

Blocs

: Blocs is a powerful website builder designed specifically for Mac users, offering a wide range of features including responsive design and pre-made templates. Its intuitive visual interface and pre-designed blocks make it an ideal choice for designers and developers looking to create professional websites with minimal effort. Scoring 7.5, Blocs is particularly well-suited for those who prioritize design flexibility and ease of use.
SITE123

: SITE123 is a versatile website builder that allows users to create professional-looking websites without any coding or design skills. With a wide range of customizable templates and drag-and-drop functionality, SITE123 is ideal for individuals and small businesses. It offers various features such as ecommerce capabilities, SEO tools, and mobile optimization. Scoring 7.4, SITE123 is a solid choice for users seeking a straightforward and efficient website building experience.

Detailed comparison

7.5

7.2

🏆

Winner: Blocs.

If you’re a Mac user looking for a powerful and user-friendly website builder with a wide range of design features, Blocs is the preferred choice.

Blocs website builder offers a vast selection of design templates, boasting over 36 layouts for various website types, including business, e-commerce, personal portfolios, and photography, catering to a wide range of user needs. These templates are designed to be responsive, ensuring optimal display across different devices, from desktops to smartphones.

Blocs Themes

Compared to Blocs, SITE123 offers a wide variety of templates and designs for their website builder, with over 180 options to choose from. Their templates are organized by industry and category, making it easy to find the perfect design for your website. SITE123 also allows for customization of templates, giving users the ability to make their website unique and tailored to their brand.

SITE123 Themes

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8.7

8.1

🏆 Winner: Blocs

. With a score of 8.7, Blocs is highly regarded for its user-friendliness and versatility, particularly among Mac users. It offers a robust platform for both novices and professional coders. SITE123, scoring 8.1, is also user-friendly and ideal for individuals and small businesses, but those seeking deep customization may find its features somewhat limiting.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Blocs

. Blocs offers a comprehensive suite of learning resources for web design, catering to both beginners and advanced users. SITE123 also provides well-structured learning resources, but Blocs’ extensive tutorials and courses give it the edge in this category.

Blocs Learning Resources

SITE123 Learning Resources

7.0

Both Blocs and SITE123 score equally in the ecommerce sector, indicating similar capabilities for online selling. However, their offerings cater to different user needs and preferences.


Ecommerce themes and templates	7.8	6.5
Product page customization	6.5	6.8
Payment processing and commissions	7.0	6.0
POS capabilities	0.0	5.0
Payment gateways	7.5	7.0
Product numbers	6.0	6.0
Additional ecommerce features	7.2	6.5

Blocs ecommerce features:

Stripe integration
Snipcart shopping cart integration
Gumroad integration
Ecwid integration

Blocs supports ecommerce through integration with leading service providers, enabling features such as buy buttons, checkouts, and complete storefronts with services like Ecwid, Stripe, Snipcart, Paddle, and Gumroad. However, as a visual design tool aimed mainly at web designers and developers, it might present a learning curve for complete beginners or those looking for simpler, more intuitive ecommerce solutions.

SITE123 ecommerce features:

Product Management
Payment Gateways
Shipping and Tax Configuration
SEO tools
Analytics
Social Media Integration

SITE123 offers ecommerce features which allow users to create online stores where they can sell products and services directly from their websites. The platform provides various ecommerce tools including product management, payment gateway integration, shipping and tax management, and options for creating coupons and discounts. Users can customize their store’s layout, add product descriptions and images, set prices, and manage inventory. SITE123’s ecommerce features are designed to be user-friendly, making it possible for individuals and small businesses to start selling online without needing technical expertise.

Ecommerce themes & templates

Blocs provides a range of ecommerce-specific templates, allowing users to quickly launch optimized online stores or business platforms. These premium templates, available through platforms like Blocs Templates, are designed to be fast, visually appealing, and SEO-friendly, ensuring websites look great on all devices and load quickly. With options like the “Shopping” and “Commerce” templates, Blocs offers a solid foundation for a responsive and engaging online store. Furthermore, templates receive lifetime updates, ensuring that sites stay up-to-date with the latest web standards and trends.

On the other hand, SITE123 offers a variety of ecommerce templates suitable for various types of businesses. These templates are designed to be professional and user-friendly, ensuring that your products stand out and that customers have a seamless shopping experience.

Product page customization

Blocs primarily offers ecommerce features through third-party ecommerce platforms such as Ecwid, so the product page customization possibilities vary depending on which platform is integrated.

SITE123 offers extensive customization options for ecommerce product pages, suitable for both physical and digital goods. Adding products is streamlined through the Website Editor, under the ecommerce (Store) page within the Pages section. Products can be organized into categories for better navigation. Detailed product pages can include essential information like product name, description, images, videos, pricing options, SKUs, brands, and additional descriptions, with customizable SEO settings to improve online visibility.

Payment processing

When it comes to payment processing, Blocs supports ecommerce through integrations with third-party ecommerce providers, suggesting flexibility in the use of various payment gateways without directly listing them. Blocs does not charge transaction fees or commissions, however such fees may be charged by the payment gateways or e-commerce platforms themselves. Additionally, Blocs does not offer POS capabilities.

SITE123 supports various payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and Amazon Pay, enabling seamless online transactions without charging sales commissions. Users can expect payment processing fees around 3%, which are standard across ecommerce platforms. The platform offers a 14-day money-back policy on certain package purchases, with detailed terms around invoicing, taxes, and refunds.

7.5

7.0

🏆

Winner: Blocs

. With a score of 7.5, Blocs offers a user-friendly web design tool that enables the creation of modern, responsive websites without needing to code. It utilizes a block-based interface with drag-and-drop functionality, making web design accessible to designers and creatives without technical backgrounds. The app offers a variety of pre-designed blocks, integration options, and SEO tools to streamline the website creation process.

Blocsapp editor

SITE123, scoring 7.0, is a straightforward and user-friendly website builder designed for individuals without coding or design expertise, emphasizing ease of use and efficiency in creating and customizing websites. It offers a selection of ready-made templates, mobile responsiveness, free hosting, and SEO tools, alongside ecommerce capabilities for users willing to subscribe to higher plans.

Site123 editor

Mobile editor/app

8.5

5.5

🏆

Winner: Blocs

. Both Blocs and SITE123 offer mobile-friendly website building, but they cater to different needs and skill levels. Blocs provides a mobile editor app specifically designed for the iPad, offering a flexible and efficient solution for building professional and beautiful websites on an iPad. This app includes all the essential features needed to create various types of websites, providing a touch-first interface.

On the other hand, SITE123 does not have a mobile app for website editing. However, it allows users to edit a SITE123 website on a mobile browser. This might not provide the same level of convenience and functionality as a dedicated mobile app.

In summary, Blocs receives a higher rating due to its dedicated iPad app, offering a more flexible and efficient solution for mobile website building. SITE123, while offering mobile browser editing, lacks a dedicated mobile app, which might limit its convenience and functionality for mobile editing.

7.0

6.4

Overall Result

:

Blocs wins

. Blocs scores 7.0 in product testing options, slightly higher than SITE123’s 6.4. Blocs offers a trial version and a 14-day money-back guarantee, allowing users to test some of its features. SITE123, on the other hand, does not offer a trial version but allows testing of premium features during a 14-day refundable period.


Free Plan	No	Yes
Trial Duration	Yes	No, however Site123 offers 14 day money back guarantee
Testing Premium Features	Possible during free trial and within 14-day refundable period	Possible during 14-day refundable period
Money Back Guarantee	14-day money back guarantee	No

9.0

6.2

Blocs offers a one-time payment plan, which can be more cost-effective in the long run, while SITE123 operates on a subscription basis.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	No offering at this amount.	Free ($0/month): 250 MB storage, 250MB bandwidth, SITE123 branding, basic SEO for homepage. This plan allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation on number of pages. It offers hosting with 250MB storage and bandwidth. However, it does not offer ecommerce features, has limited templates and does not have AI website builder.
$0-$10	No offering at this amount.	Premium ($7.8/month): 3 GB storage, 3 GB bandwidth, connect your domain, remove SITE123 floating tag. This plan allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation on number of pages. It offers hosting with 3GB storage and bandwidth. However, it does not offer ecommerce features, has limited templates and does not have AI website builder. Value for price: 6.5
$40-$50	Blocs Plus (+$49.99): An add-on to the Blocs 5 plan, providing additional features such as the ability to build custom WordPress themes without writing code, extract typography, assets, and color schemes from any website, a productivity-boosting image editor, a class styles library manager, and an SEO helper. Value for price: 8.5	No offering at this amount.
$90+	Blocs 5 ($99.99): This plan offers a native Mac app with no subscription required. It allows building unlimited websites, works offline, includes animations & scroll FX, powerful interactions, no page limit, font manager, writer mode, auto backup, all V5 updates, and email support. A Blocs license can be used on one Mac and all future Blocs V5 updates come for free. Value for price: 8.0	No offering at this amount.

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

7.0

🏆

Winner: SITE123

SITE123 offers managed hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Blocs, on the other hand, does not offer hosting, which is a significant disadvantage for users who prefer an all-in-one solution for building and hosting their websites.


Do they offer hosting?	No	Yes
Data Centers:	Not applicable	Not disclosed
Type of hosting:	Not applicable	Managed Hosting
Uptime:	Not applicable	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Not applicable	Yes, 99.9%

5.2

5.8

🏆 Winner: SITE123

Both Blocs and SITE123 have strategies in place for website speed optimization, but SITE123’s comprehensive approach gives it a slight edge.


Focus	WebP Generation	CDN, Image Optimization, Caching, Minification of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, Use of Asynchronous Loading, Database Optimization
Performance Tools	Not specified	Not specified
Key Strategies	WebP Generation	CDN, Image Optimization, Caching, Minification of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, Use of Asynchronous Loading, Database Optimization
Load Times	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity	Varies widely, depending on the optimization and user’s location
Page Speed Scores Range	Not specified	Not specified
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not disclosed	Not disclosed

Blocs focuses on WebP Generation for speed optimization. However, the load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on optimization and website complexity. Blocs does not disclose any information about its Core Web Vitals improvements.

On the other hand, SITE123 uses a comprehensive approach for speed optimization, including CDN, Image Optimization, Caching, Minification of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, Use of Asynchronous Loading, and Database Optimization. The load times and PageSpeed scores vary widely, depending on the optimization and user’s location. SITE123 does not disclose any information about Core Web Vitals improvements.

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6.8

7.1

🏆 Winner: SITE123.

With a score of 7.1, SITE123 edges out Blocs, which scores 6.8. SITE123 offers a wider range of plugins and extensions, with over 250 apps available for integration. This allows users to easily add features such as social media integration, ecommerce capabilities, and SEO optimization. On the other hand, Blocs offers a variety of custom-made add-ons and extensions, which enhance web design capabilities and facilitate a richer web development experience. However, the breadth of options available with SITE123 gives it the upper hand in this category.

Blocs Applications

Blocs extensions

SITE123 Applications

Site123 app market

6.9

6.0

🏆

Overall Winner: Blocs

. Blocs stands out for its integration with popular web standards and tools, especially in analytics and reporting via Google Analytics. SITE123 is strong in SEO features and social media integration, ideal for improving website visibility and engagement.


SEO Tools
Email Marketing	With Mailchimp Form integration	Can be enhanced with third party integrations
Blogging
Social Media Integration		Basic linking with accounts, enhanced through app integrations
Analytics and Reporting	Via Google Analytics integrations	Basic analytics provided, with more detailed insights on higher plans
Ads and Promotions		Limited direct marketing tools, with some promotional features available on premium plans

5.1

7.3

🏆 Winner: SITE123

. In the comparison of Blocs vs SITE123, SITE123 takes the lead with its comprehensive 24/7 support in English and additional support in 16 other languages during business hours. This extensive language support ensures that users from various regions can receive assistance in their preferred language, making it a versatile choice for a global audience.

Blocs, on the other hand, leans heavily towards self-service support, relying predominantly on articles and a community forum. While this may be sufficient for users with basic needs, it can leave others feeling unsupported, especially when dealing with complex issues that require direct, personalized assistance. This makes SITE123 a more reliable option for users seeking robust and readily available customer support.

0.0

7.5

🏆

Winner: SITE123

. SITE123 takes the lead in security with its commitment to data privacy and protection. It provides free domain privacy protection to shield registrants’ personal information from public internet access. Additionally, SITE123 prioritizes website security and functionality through SSL/HTTPS encryption and modern firewalls, ensuring data privacy and protection against cyber threats.

On the other hand, Blocs does not disclose any information about their private data storage and protection measures. As Blocs is primarily an offline website builder and does not offer hosting, security measures can vary widely depending on the hosting provider users choose. This lack of transparency and dependence on third-party hosting providers puts Blocs at a disadvantage in terms of security.

5.4

2.8


AI Builder
AI Ecommerce features
AI Content Generation	Blocs incorporates an innovative AI Assistant for content generation and editing	SITE123 offers AI-powered content generation for various sections of the site
Additional AI Features	Blocs AI Assistant introduces advanced AI capabilities to the design environment

🏆 Winner: Blocs

. Despite both platforms lacking an AI builder and AI ecommerce features, Blocs, with a score of 5.4, offers more AI capabilities than SITE123, which scored 2.8. Blocs’ AI Assistant enhances the user experience by allowing for the generation and editing of content directly within a Blocs project. It also introduces advanced AI capabilities to the design environment, enabling users to enhance their projects with intelligent features. On the other hand, SITE123’s AI capabilities are limited to content generation.

Blocs AI assistant
Site123 AI feature

1.4

6.3

🏆 Winner: SITE123

. When it comes to user management, SITE123 offers more flexibility than Blocs.

Blocs allows only one user to build and edit a website.
SITE123 allows multiple users to have two different roles: Admin and Contributor, each with its own set of permissions. However, there is no mention of limitations on the number of users who can edit the website on SITE123.

Unfortunately, there is no detailed information available about the specific roles and access levels for both Blocs and SITE123.

Additional Features


SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

User Feedback

Blocs

15 reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars

SITE123

11 reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars

Blocs website builder is praised for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible to users with varying levels of web development expertise. Its extensive library of templates and customization options, including the ability to add custom CSS and JavaScript, facilitates the rapid creation of diverse and visually appealing websites. However, users report encountering bugs and express a desire for more sophisticated customization features, indicating room for improvement. Overall, Blocs is valued for significantly streamlining the web design process, supported by a strong community and educational resources, despite its learning curve and occasional technical glitches.

SITE123 seems to offer a user-friendly platform with drag-and-drop features, making website building quick and easy. Users appreciate its wide library of free images and templates, mobile responsiveness, and excellent customer support. However, some users find its customization options limited, especially in the free version, and wish for more robust features like additional plugins and payment methods tailored to different regions. Overall, SITE123 appears beneficial for those seeking to create professional-looking websites without extensive coding knowledge, though it may lack certain advanced functionalities for more specialized needs.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which platform is better for Mac users, Blocs or SITE123?

Blocs is specifically designed for Mac users, offering a powerful and user-friendly experience with a range of design features and templates tailored to the macOS environment. SITE123, while also user-friendly, operates on a web-based platform accessible from any operating system, making it a versatile choice but not specifically optimized for Mac users like Blocs.

Can I use Blocs or SITE123 for ecommerce?

Both Blocs and SITE123 offer solid ecommerce capabilities with a score of 7.0. Blocs integrates with third-party ecommerce platforms like Ecwid and Stripe, providing flexibility for users who prefer a hands-on approach to building ecommerce sites. SITE123 offers an all-in-one solution with user-friendly tools for product management, payment gateways, and shipping configurations, making it ideal for small businesses and individuals without technical expertise.

How do Blocs and SITE123 compare in terms of design flexibility?

Blocs offers a wide range of design features and templates, boasting over 36 layouts for various website types. It is particularly favored by Mac users for its responsive design capabilities and pre-made blocks. SITE123 provides over 180 customizable templates organized by industry, but it may offer less design flexibility compared to Blocs, especially for users looking for advanced customization options.

Which platform offers better customer support, Blocs or SITE123?

SITE123 outperforms Blocs in customer support, offering 24/7 support in English through online chat and additional support in 16 languages during normal business hours. Blocs relies more on self-service resources like articles and community forums, which may not provide the same level of direct, personalized support as SITE123.

Are there any significant differences in pricing between Blocs and SITE123?

Blocs offers a one-time payment plan, which can be more cost-effective for users looking for a long-term solution without ongoing subscription fees. SITE123 operates on a subscription basis, offering a range of plans including a free option and various premium plans that cater to different needs and budgets. The choice between Blocs and SITE123 in terms of pricing will depend on the user’s preference for one-time payments versus subscription models.

Which platform is better for website speed optimization?

SITE123 has a slight edge in website speed optimization, employing a comprehensive approach that includes CDN, image optimization, caching, and minification of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. Blocs focuses on WebP generation for speed optimization, but SITE123’s broader strategies may offer better performance, especially for users concerned with load times and PageSpeed scores.