Website builder app
Mobirise, a free website builder app, is a download for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the same engine also runs in any browser. Android also gets a Mobirise AI app; on iPhone and iPad you build in the browser.
Mobirise team · reviewed 13 October 2026
Mobirise as a program and a web app: key facts
- Type of tool
- A visual site builder. You put pages together from ready-made responsive blocks and publish them as an ordinary website, without writing code.
- Desktop program
- Three installers: MobiriseSetup.exe for Windows at about 105 MB, a .dmg of about 134 MB for each Mac chip type (Apple Silicon or Intel), and a Linux .deb of about 102 MB. Current version: 6.1.12.
- Systems
- Windows 7 and newer; macOS from 10.13 High Sierra; Linux distributions based on Debian, Ubuntu among them.
- In the browser
- The same engine at a.mobirise.com, with an AI start page at ai.mobirise.com. It works in computer and phone browsers alike.
- Phone app
- Android only: AI Website Builder: Mobirise on Google Play, free with in-app purchases. It is Mobirise AI as an app, for generating, redesigning, translating and publishing sites. No iOS app; iPhone and iPad use the browser.
- Licence
- Personal and commercial projects are both allowed at no charge. Paid plans are billed once a year and start at $149; the plans section below lists them.
- Files and hosting
- On any plan, the program exports your site to HTML, CSS and JavaScript files, then uploads them by FTP or FTPES, pushes them to GitHub Pages or keeps them in a local folder.
- Offline
- You can edit, preview and use any installed theme or block without a connection. AI, publishing, signing in and updates need internet.
- Weak spots
- No iOS app; the Android app is built around AI, so detailed block editing happens on a computer or in the browser. No phone-only layout, and HTML sites made in other tools can't be opened.
Website builder app: desktop program, web app or phone app
People who search for an app to make websites usually mean one of three things. They differ in where your work is stored, whether you need a connection and how much you can do on a small screen.
Installed on your computer
You run an installer, and projects sit on your own disk. This is the older kind of web page design software: it keeps working when the connection drops, and the finished site can go to any host. Mobirise works this way on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Opened in a browser tab
Nothing to install: you sign in and edit in the browser on whatever computer is in front of you. Wix, Squarespace, 8B AI and Webflow have no desktop program, so on a computer this is the only way to use them, and the site normally lives on their hosting. Mobirise runs the same engine at a.mobirise.com.
Downloaded from an app store
The phone apps of large hosted builders are mostly for running a site: orders, messages, posts, quick edits and visitor numbers. Wix Owner and the Squarespace app are typical. SimDif is the exception, with full editing in its Android and iOS apps. Mobirise's Android app sits in between: AI generation, redesign, translation and publishing, with block-level editing left to the computer or browser.
In short: if you want to build and fine-tune every part of the site with your thumbs inside a native app, a phone-first service such as SimDif suits you better. If you want local files, offline editing and free publishing to your own host, choose a desktop program. Mobirise covers the desktop and the browser, plus AI site generation on Android.
Which kind of web design software you need
Web design software is a wide label. Before comparing website builder apps, check which kind of tool the job calls for, because for some jobs Mobirise is the wrong pick.
- Mockups before anything is built
- A design tool such as Figma, or Sketch on a Mac. You get screens to hand over, not a live site.
- Writing the code yourself
- A code editor: Visual Studio Code is free, and Adobe Dreamweaver adds a live preview on a subscription.
- A blog that grows with plugins
- WordPress, the open-source CMS. You arrange the hosting and keep it updated.
- A hosted site, nothing to install
- A browser builder such as Wix or Squarespace; the site stays on their servers.
- A visual builder that hands you the files
- Mobirise: a free program for Windows, macOS and Linux that exports HTML, CSS and JavaScript and edits offline.
- A whole site built in a phone app
- SimDif, whose Android and iOS apps carry the full editor.
- A store with many products
- Shopify or another commerce platform.
- A single link or profile page
- Carrd, which keeps one-page sites simple.
What to look for in website building software
Good website creation software takes the code off your hands without locking your work inside one service. Use these nine checks on any tool on your shortlist; each shows the Mobirise answer, weak points included.
The offline website builder guide goes deeper into working without internet, and the HTML page builder guide shows the exported markup.
- Visual editing with no code. You drag finished blocks onto a page, then type over the text and replace pictures right where they are. Each block's parameters panel sets spacing, background, which elements show and the column count.
- Layouts that adapt to the screen. Every block rearranges itself for each screen size, from phone to tablet to desktop, and the editor has a preview for all three. A phone-only layout is not available; Wix's mobile editor is the tool for that.
- A quick first draft. Start from a theme built on Bootstrap 5, or describe the site briefly, in whatever language you write, and you get four AI designs complete with text and pictures. A sketch or a screenshot also works as a starting point.
- Files you can take anywhere. The program turns every page into HTML, CSS and JavaScript files, on the free plan too. Uploading to your own hosting has no limit on any plan, including the free one.
- Work without a connection. Editing and previewing need no internet in the program. AI drafts, going live and fetching fresh themes or updates do.
- Code when you need it. Every paid plan includes the Code Editor extension for hand-editing a block's or a page's HTML and CSS.
- Terms that allow paid work. Private and business sites alike are permitted on the free version, and the program puts no limit on the number you make.
- Regular updates. Releases from 6.0 to 6.1.12 added Clone Block, a choice of H tags for titles, a focus outline that keyboard users can see, automatic WebP conversion and FTPES publishing.
- Moving work in and out. Import by Link moves a site generated with Mobirise AI over to the desktop program. The reverse gap: Mobirise cannot open projects or HTML made with other tools.
Seven builders compared as program, web app and phone app
The same questions for each service: where it runs, what its phone app actually does, what the free plan allows, and whether you can move the site elsewhere. Rows where others do better than Mobirise are kept in.
| Mobirise | Wix | Squarespace | 8B AI | SimDif | WordPress.com | Webflow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest at | One engine as a free program and a web app, with files you can move to any host | A hosted site you also run from a phone app | Selling, invoicing and content updates from its phone app | Trying a complete AI design at no cost, then paying to publish | Building the entire site inside a phone app | Blogging, with posts written in the Jetpack app | Designers who set each breakpoint by hand |
| Desktop program | Yes, for Windows, Linux and both Mac chip types (Apple Silicon, Intel) | No, the editor runs in a browser | No, the editor runs in a browser | No, browser only | No download for computers; it opens in the browser | Yes: WordPress.com's desktop app (Mac, Windows, Linux), plus Studio for local WordPress sites | No; in a 2021 wishlist answer Webflow called a desktop or offline version "not something on our roadmap" |
| Web app | Yes, at a.mobirise.com, phones included | Yes | Yes | Yes, phones included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Native phone app, and what it does | Android app: AI generation, one-step redesign, translation and publishing; no iOS app; detailed block editing on a computer or in the browser | Wix Owner (iOS, Android): quick text, image and button edits, plus store, bookings, blog, chat and stats; complex changes on a computer | Squarespace app (iOS, Android): publish content, edit page designs, products, invoices and payments | None; runs in the phone's browser | Android and iOS apps with the same editing features as on a computer | Jetpack app (iOS, Android): write and publish posts, stats and notifications | None from Webflow; third-party apps in its marketplace edit CMS content |
| Free plan | Yes: unlimited sites from the program to hosting you choose, plus 3 sites online at a mobirisesite.com address; both show Mobirise branding | Yes, with Wix ads, at a Wix subdomain | No free plan; a 14-day trial | Free for designing; publishing needs Pro | Starter: 5 pages on a .simdif.com address; publish at least every 6 months to keep it | Yes, with ads, at a wordpress.com address | Yes, with a Webflow badge, at webflow.io |
| Least you pay to use your own domain | BASE at $199 a year on Mobirise hosting; on hosting you already have, the free program is enough | Light at $17 a month | $19 a month for Basic if paid yearly, or $25 month to month; many reviews still show $16 | Pro at $9 a month, yearly billing | A domain bought through SimDif works on free Starter; one registered elsewhere needs Pro, $109 a year | Personal plan: $4 a month on a yearly term | Basic site plan at $15 a month |
| Take the site's code with you | Full HTML, CSS and JS: free in the program; from the browser on BASE or GROW | No, Wix sites must stay on Wix servers | Partial: content to a WordPress .xml file, without styles or custom CSS | Full HTML export on Pro | Not published | Content as XML; a full backup download on Business and Commerce | Yes, on paid workspace plans |
| Works offline | Yes in the program, for editing, previews and themes already installed | No | No | No | Not published | Local WordPress sites in Studio; WordPress.com itself is online | No |
Sources: the pricing page, help centre and app store listing of each provider, all read on 13 October 2026. Unless a cell says otherwise, amounts are US dollars on yearly billing; SimDif adjusts its prices to the cost of living in each country, and older reviews often quote earlier, lower prices. Plans and app features change, so recheck each one before choosing.
Mobirise plans and what each one includes
The program costs nothing, commercial use included. Prices are from the official pricing page in October 2026; every paid plan is billed yearly.
FREE
$0
- Desktop program, one basic theme, 200+ blocks
- Unlimited offline sites, published to hosting of your choice
- 3 online sites with HTTPS at a mobirisesite.com address
- AI: 3 generations each month
- Published sites show Mobirise branding
KIT
$149 a year
- Every one of the 220+ premium themes and extensions
- Unlimited offline sites in the program
- Branding removed
- No AI allowance or online sites
BASE
$199 a year
- All of KIT
- 3 online sites, each with a custom domain
- Premium AI designs, with 100 generations monthly
- Export from the online builder
GROW
$249 a year
- All of BASE
- 1,000 AI generations every month
- Room for 10 online sites
Premium themes and extensions come only inside a plan; they are not sold one at a time. A first order has a 14-day money-back guarantee, and if you stop renewing, your published sites stay online while the builder reverts to its free version. The full feature list is on the Mobirise pricing page.
Who the Mobirise program suits, and who should pick something else
A good fit
- Freelancers and agencies who build client sites on a laptop and upload them to the client's own hosting
- Anyone who needs a free program that may also be used for paid work
- People with a slow or patchy connection who need to keep editing offline
- Owners who want the site's files on their own disk, not only on a builder's servers
- Users who move between a computer and a browser and want the same engine in both
- Android users who want to generate, translate and publish a site with AI straight from the phone
Look elsewhere if
- Your goal is to fine-tune every block of the site inside a native phone app; SimDif's apps are made for that, while the Mobirise Android app centres on AI
- You want a native iPhone or iPad app; Mobirise has none, so on those devices you work in the browser
- You mainly need a phone app for orders, bookings or invoices on the go; Wix Owner and the Squarespace app handle that kind of work
- You need a phone-only layout where elements are hidden or moved per device; Wix's mobile editor allows it
- You want to open and keep editing an HTML site built with a different tool
- You plan heavy AI use without paying; the free AI allowance is small
- Your shop has a big catalogue with complicated stock and delivery rules; a specialist e-commerce platform suits it better
Website builder app FAQ
What is a website builder app?
It lets you make a website without writing code, and it comes as a program you install, a web app you open in a browser or an app from a phone store. Mobirise is mainly the first two: one engine as a desktop program for Windows, macOS and Linux and as a browser builder. It adds an Android app for AI site generation, but no iOS app.
Is there a free website builder app?
Yes. The Mobirise program costs nothing for private or business sites alike. It includes one basic theme plus more than 200 blocks, and any number of sites can go to your own hosting. In the browser, the free plan adds three sites hosted on mobirisesite.com plus 3 AI generations each month, all carrying Mobirise branding.
Can I make a site using only my phone?
Yes. Android users can install the free Mobirise app, which turns a description, a sketch or a mockup into a site and can redesign, translate and publish it. On iPhone and iPad, open ai.mobirise.com in the browser instead. Block-by-block layout work is easier on a computer or in a browser on a bigger screen; for full editing inside a native app, SimDif's Android and iOS apps are built for that.
Is there a Mobirise web design app for iPhone or Android?
For Android, yes: AI Website Builder: Mobirise on Google Play, free with in-app purchases. It is Mobirise AI on the phone: four complete versions per prompt with AI text and images, a one-step redesign that keeps your content, translation, publishing on a free subdomain with hosting, and HTML, CSS and JavaScript export. iOS has no Mobirise app, so iPhone and iPad owners use the browser. Mobirise makes websites, not store apps for your business.
Website builder program or online builder: which is better?
It depends on where you work and who should hold the files. A program suits offline editing, client projects and publishing to a host you already rent. An online builder suits working from any device and going live without hosting of your own. Mobirise has both, and a site you start with Mobirise AI can move to the program through Import by Link.
Is website building software a one-time purchase?
Usually not any more. Some desktop editors, Bootstrap Studio among them, are still a one-time purchase, but most builders charge by the month or the year, and Mobirise's paid plans are billed yearly. The free version does not expire, and a site you published stays online if a paid plan is not renewed.
Can I use it for client sites?
Yes. The licence covers commercial work, the program makes any number of sites, and each one can go to the client's hosting by FTP or FTPES. The KIT plan removes the Mobirise branding and adds every premium theme and extension, Smart Cart for PayPal and Stripe payments included.
Do I need HTML skills to use a website builder app?
No. You build from blocks and change text and pictures in place. If you do write code, the Code Editor extension, included with paid plans, gives direct access to the markup and styles, and the blocks rely on the Bootstrap 5 grid and its class names.
Which computers does the Mobirise program run on?
Windows (version 7 onwards), macOS (10.13 High Sierra onwards) and Debian-family Linux like Ubuntu. Mac owners choose between an Intel build and an Apple Silicon build (M1, M2, M3 or M4 chips); Linux gets a .deb package. The installers and the version history are on history.mobirisesite.com, and the Mac and Windows pages cover each system in more detail.
Does the program work without internet?
Yes, for editing, previewing and any theme or block you have already installed. Generating with AI, going live, logging in, paying for a plan and getting new themes or updates are the online-only parts.
Install the program or start in the browser
Download the free installer for your Windows, macOS or Linux computer and build offline, or open the web app on any device and let the AI draft a first version. Both run the same Mobirise engine.