Avoid These Funnel and Website Builders in 2026: What to Use Instead

Choosing the right platform for your business isn't just about features anymore. It's about speed, flexibility, and whether the tool will actually help you grow or just drain your time. In 2025, some of the most popular funnel and website builders are showing their age, and it's costing businesses real money.

This guide walks through the platforms you should skip and why. More importantly, it shows you what actually works when you need a system that can handle funnels, automation, CRM, and customer communication without breaking your workflow.

Mailchimp Website Builder: Not Built for Funnels

Mailchimp built its name on email marketing, and that's still where it shines. But their website builder? It's bare bones. If you're trying to map out a proper sales funnel with multiple touchpoints and conditional logic, you'll hit a wall fast.

The templates feel stuck in 2018. Customization is limited. Mobile responsiveness is inconsistent. And if you want to do anything beyond basic email campaigns, you'll need to patch together third-party tools just to make it function like a real marketing system.

It's fine for newsletters. It's not built for serious business growth.

Squarespace: Beautiful Design, Limited Functionality

Squarespace makes gorgeous websites. No argument there. But looking good and converting customers are two very different things.

There's no funnel builder. No automation. No lead scoring or tagging. A/B testing is either missing or clunky. You can't build multistep flows or trigger actions based on user behavior. If you want any of that, you'll need to connect external services, which defeats the purpose of using an all-in-one platform.

It's great for portfolios and small blogs. But if your goal is to capture leads, nurture them, and close sales, Squarespace won't cut it.

Kartra: Tries to Do Everything, But Lacks Depth

Kartra promises to be the "all-in-one" solution, but in reality, it's more like a collection of half-finished tools stuck together. Pages load slowly. The builder is confusing. And users consistently report bugs in membership areas and automation workflows.

Navigation feels like a maze. Reporting tools are unreliable. And integrating with modern CRMs or marketing tools is harder than it should be. Many business owners waste hours troubleshooting issues that shouldn't exist in the first place.

If you're building something that needs to scale or run smoothly under pressure, Kartra will slow you down more than it helps.

Groove.cm: Over Promised, Under Delivered

Groove.cm launched with massive hype and bold claims about replacing dozens of apps. Years later, many of its features are still labeled as "beta." The builder crashes. Support is slow. And the platform struggles to keep up with basic integrations that newer tools handle without issue.

For a system that was supposed to simplify everything, it ironically creates more complexity. Scaling your business with Groove means constantly working around its limitations instead of building on top of a stable foundation.

If you're serious about growth, this platform will cost you more time than it saves.

ClickFunnels Classic: Officially Outdated

ClickFunnels 1.0 was groundbreaking when it launched. But in 2025, it's outdated. Pages load slowly, especially on mobile. Design options are rigid. Analytics tools are weak. And the platform hasn't seen meaningful updates in years.

Even ClickFunnels pushed users to migrate to version 2.0, which improved some things but still falls short of what modern businesses need. If you're starting fresh or looking to upgrade, there are better options that don't require you to compromise on speed, flexibility, or control.

Kajabi: Great for Courses, Not for Funnels

Kajabi is solid if you're hosting online courses. But if you need a full marketing system with CRM, automation, and lead management, it's not enough.

Funnel logic is basic. Lead tagging is limited. Reporting tools don't give you the depth you need to make smart decisions. And the cost is high for what you actually get. You'll end up paying for integrations and workarounds just to fill in the gaps.

If you're running a course-based business and nothing else, Kajabi works. But if you're trying to build a complete customer journey, you'll outgrow it fast.

Systeme.io: A Good Start, But Not Built to Scale

Systeme.io is popular with beginners because of its free plan and simple setup. But once your business starts growing, you'll notice the cracks.

Templates are generic. Automation workflows are basic. Mobile responsiveness is inconsistent. And there's almost no control over advanced customization or integrations. Most users hit a ceiling within months and end up migrating to something more powerful.

It's a decent entry point, but it's not designed for long-term growth. If you're building something serious, you'll need to rebuild everything on a better platform eventually.

Webflow: Great Design, Missing Tools

Webflow is a designer's dream. But for marketers and business owners, it's missing critical pieces.

There's no funnel builder. No automation. No CRM. No lead scoring or booking system. You can't even set up basic follow-up sequences without connecting external tools. And while the design capabilities are impressive, they don't mean much if you can't convert visitors into customers.

If you're focused on conversions, customer management, and scaling campaigns, Webflow will leave you doing a lot of extra work just to match what other platforms handle out of the box.

What to Use Instead: A Better Alternative

So if all these platforms fall short, what should you actually use?

👉 Try GoHighLevel and replace all your marketing tools with one powerful platform

GoHighLevel was built to solve the exact problems that most outdated builders still struggle with. It's not just a funnel builder or a website tool. It's a complete business system that handles funnels, CRM, automation, booking, reputation management, and more, all in one place.

Instead of juggling multiple subscriptions and trying to connect tools that don't talk to each other, you get everything in a single dashboard. This means faster setup, cleaner workflows, and better results.

Why GoHighLevel Works in 2025

Most platforms try to do one thing well. GoHighLevel brings it all together without compromise. Here's what makes it different.

All-in-One Platform
You don't need ClickFunnels for pages, Mailchimp for emails, Calendly for bookings, and ActiveCampaign for automation. GoHighLevel replaces all of them. This saves money, reduces complexity, and eliminates technical headaches.

Advanced Funnel and Website Builder
Build full websites, landing pages, and sales funnels with a drag-and-drop builder. Mobile responsive. A/B testing included. Clean designs without needing a developer.

Full CRM and Lead Management
Track every lead in a centralized pipeline. Use tagging, notes, and automation to follow up, close deals, and never lose track of potential sales.

Marketing Automation
Set up sequences with email, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook DMs, and Instagram. Send reminders, follow-ups, or trigger actions based on behavior, time, or form submissions.

Booking and Calendars
Built-in calendar system. Customers can book appointments. You can assign leads to team members, sync with Google or Outlook, and avoid double bookings.

Reputation and Review Management
Automatically request Google reviews, monitor feedback, and manage your online reputation inside the platform.

AI and Smart Tools
👉 See how GoHighLevel's AI features can automate your workflows and boost conversions

GoHighLevel introduced smart AI features in 2025. It helps you build workflows, generate email copy, score leads, and even respond to messages with intelligent suggestions.

White Labeling for Agencies
If you're running an agency, you can fully white label GoHighLevel under your own brand, domain, and dashboard. Your clients never see GoHighLevel's name, only yours.

Why Ownership Matters

Here's something many people don't realize: if you signed up for GoHighLevel through an agency, you might be stuck in a sub-account. This means you don't fully control your assets or automation. You pay more for fewer features. Your data lives inside the agency's system, not yours. And leaving can be difficult or expensive.

Business owners think they're using the full platform, but they're actually stuck with limited access. If you want true ownership and control, you need your own account.

Final Thoughts

Most of the funnel and website builders that were once popular no longer meet today's needs. Whether it's slow load times, missing features, or poor support, platforms like Mailchimp, Groove, Kajabi, Kartra, and ClickFunnels Classic are falling behind.

If you want something fast, flexible, and reliable, something that actually helps you grow instead of holding you back, GoHighLevel is the best option available in 2025.

You don't need seven different tools or complicated migrations. You just need a clean, smart system that you own.