Strikingly (strikingly.com) is a cloud-based website builder founded in 2012 and backed by Y Combinator, designed to make professional website creation fast and accessible for non-technical users. Strikingly focuses primarily on single-page scrollable websites — a format well suited to personal portfolios, product landing pages, event pages, startup pitch sites, and small business storefronts. Its AI website builder can generate a complete website draft from a brief text description, significantly reducing the time from idea to live site.
Strikingly's single-page approach means all content (hero section, about, features, testimonials, contact form) flows on a single scrollable page rather than across multiple separate pages, making it faster to build and visually cohesive for simple web presence needs. The platform includes built-in e-commerce for selling physical or digital products, a blog section, contact forms, analytics, and a custom domain connection — covering the essential needs of most small business websites without requiring plugins or additional tools.
How Strikingly Works
Users sign up, enter a brief description of their website, and Strikingly's AI generates an initial website draft complete with layout, sections, colour scheme, and placeholder content. Users then customise each section using the drag-and-drop editor — editing text, swapping images, reordering sections, and adjusting colours and fonts. Custom domain connection, contact forms, and e-commerce product listings are configured from the site dashboard. The site is published instantly and hosted on Strikingly's infrastructure, with SSL provided automatically. Mobile responsiveness is handled automatically for all templates.
Key Features
- AI website builder — generates a complete website draft from a text description with layout, content sections, and visual theme
- Single-page scrollable format — optimised editor and templates for beautiful one-page scrollable websites ideal for landing pages and portfolios
- Drag-and-drop editor — no-code customisation of sections, text, images, colours, and layout without touching HTML or CSS
- Built-in e-commerce — sell physical and digital products, accept payments, and manage orders directly from the Strikingly site
- Custom domain connection — connect a custom domain to any Strikingly site on paid plans for a professional web address
- Blog section — add a blog to any Strikingly site for publishing articles and updates alongside the main content
- Contact forms — built-in contact and newsletter signup forms without third-party integrations
- Analytics dashboard — view visitor counts, page views, and traffic sources for published Strikingly sites
- Mobile-responsive templates — all templates automatically adapt to mobile screens without separate mobile editing
- SSL and hosting — free SSL certificate and reliable hosting included on all plans with no separate infrastructure management
Strikingly Pricing
Strikingly offers a free plan alongside two paid tiers for advanced features and custom domains.
- Free — build and publish one website on a Strikingly subdomain, limited bandwidth and storage, basic e-commerce (up to 5 products), and core editor features. No credit card required.
- Limited — $20/month — custom domain connection, unlimited bandwidth, more storage, full e-commerce with no product limit, blog, analytics, no Strikingly branding, and priority support.
- Pro — $59/month — everything in Limited plus multiple sites, advanced e-commerce features, membership functionality, priority support, and maximum customisation options for professional users and small agencies.
The free plan is permanently available with no credit card required. Always verify current rates at strikingly.com/pricing.
Who Should Use Strikingly?
Strikingly is ideal for entrepreneurs, freelancers, creators, event organisers, and small businesses that need a professional-looking web presence quickly without technical knowledge or a large budget. Its single-page format is perfect for landing pages, portfolio sites, personal brand pages, and product launch pages where a simple, visually coherent scrollable experience is more effective than a multi-page site. The free plan is genuinely functional for a basic online presence. Strikingly is less suited to businesses needing complex multi-page websites with advanced SEO, large e-commerce catalogues, or custom functionality — platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify are more appropriate for those needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Strikingly free to use?
Yes. Strikingly offers a permanently free plan that allows building and publishing a complete website on a Strikingly subdomain with basic e-commerce (up to 5 products), contact forms, and core editor access. No credit card is required. The free plan is suitable for simple portfolios, landing pages, and basic business presence. Custom domain connection and removal of Strikingly branding require a paid plan.
What type of websites is Strikingly best for?
Strikingly is optimised for single-page scrollable websites and is best suited to personal portfolios, product landing pages, event pages, startup pitch sites, personal brand pages, and simple small business storefronts. Its single-page format makes it less ideal for content-heavy multi-page sites, large e-commerce catalogues, or websites requiring complex navigation structures with many separate sections or categories.
Can I use my own domain with Strikingly?
Yes. Strikingly supports custom domain connection on the Limited ($20/month) and Pro ($59/month) plans. On the free plan, sites are published on a Strikingly subdomain (yourname.strikingly.com). Custom domains purchased elsewhere can be connected via DNS settings in the Strikingly dashboard, and Strikingly provides step-by-step instructions for connecting domains from major registrars.
Does Strikingly support e-commerce?
Yes. Strikingly includes built-in e-commerce on all plans — the free plan supports up to 5 products, while paid plans allow unlimited products. Sellers can list physical and digital products, set prices, accept online payments (via Stripe and PayPal), and manage orders from the Strikingly dashboard. The e-commerce features are suited to simple product storefronts; businesses with large or complex catalogues may need a dedicated e-commerce platform like Shopify.
How does Strikingly compare to Wix and Squarespace?
Strikingly, Wix, and Squarespace are all website builders for non-technical users, but at different scale and complexity. Strikingly specialises in single-page sites and is the simplest and fastest to use — ideal for landing pages and simple presence. Wix offers a far larger template library, more page types, and a broader app marketplace for adding functionality. Squarespace has the strongest design quality and is best for portfolios and creative businesses. Wix and Squarespace are more appropriate for multi-page, content-rich websites; Strikingly is the fastest path to a clean single-page online presence.
