Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.

Bootstrap Made vs Canva

Friday, December 6th

2024 Website Template Provider Reviews

Bootstrap Made Review 3 Star Rating

Bootstrap Made

3 Star Rating
  • Live demos
  • Free templates can be used on unlimited personal websites
  • Email and member area for support
  • Working PHP/AJAX contact form
  • More than 90 website templates
  • SASS/CSS files available for paid accounts
  • Paid subscriptions allow use for clients and removal of Bootstrap Made link on website
  • Premium support via email

Bootstrap Made offers 94 website templates built using the Bootstrap framework with both free and paid membership plans. It offers support only to paying customers, and it also offers a front-end, drag-and-drop style builder for those who are willing to pay for a quarter, annual, or lifetime premium license. Unfortunately, the website is very unclear and contradicts itself, and while they boast 94 templates, most of them are for a business or company, and many of them look similar to each other. Before using these templates, you'd have to speak to customer service to clarify the licensure and plans, which would be unnecessary if they were more clear. It may be a good fit for some people, but generally we cannot recommend Bootstrap Made as a top-of-the-line choice for website templates.

Canva Review 2.5 Star Rating

Canva

2.5 Star Rating
  • Searchable directory of website templates
  • Great preview functionality
  • No wait to publish to a Canva subdomain or a purchased/existing domain
  • Website password protection
  • Instantly make updates in Canva
  • Embed the website into WordPress and other content management systems
  • Insights of views, traffic, engagement and source country available
  • Customer has full control over the entire process, including all of the website elements, images, content and logo

Canva is a very well-known content design solution. Their goal is to allow anyone to design anything, and they boast that websites can be created almost instantly. But, in trying to be everything to everyone, Canva spreads itself too thin - instead of delivering a few things with excellence, they've created a platform of mediocrity. Canva suffers from having too many choices that all look basically the same and boasting of "ease” with website template design when actually, its design options for websites are very limited and below average. If you are only using Canva to design a website, we cannot recommend it as a good solution.

Where Can You Get the Best Website Templates?

With so many new technologies and lots of user-friendly software, it's easier than ever to create a website. What's not so easy is navigating functionality, responsiveness, shopping carts, and effects for that website. For those things that truly make a website your own, you still need the skills and expertise of creative designers and coders who can put their knowledge together to create a user-friendly, appealing website that will meet your needs.

You have two choices: to hire these creative experts individually or to find great website templates whose creators have already done the heavy lifting and can make it possible for you to customize a template into something that reflects you or your company. Website templates can help you accelerate your website development or bypass most of it altogether for a fraction of the price you'd pay developers.

The Best Website Template Providers Compare Website Template Providers Compare Website Template Provider Reviews What are the best Website Template Providers Best Website Template Provider Reviews

Website Template Provider FAQ

A website template is a premade structure for your website. It applies a set of comprehensive layout and display features to your site and is a great shortcut (both time- and budget-wise) to get it up and running fast, with a look unique to your business, service, or personal page.
There's an affordable website template for every use. If you're really on a budget, you can find templates for under $5! On the other hand, if you need something bespoke or that is practically guaranteed not to be in use by another business, your template may cost as much as $500 (or more).
Free website templates aren't terrible. They definitely save you money! They come with some downsides, though. You usually can't get any support, and with so many people using free templates you run the risk of having your site look just like someone else's (or LOTS of "someone elses”). It might be worth it to consider buying a website template: after all, you can get some really well-designed ones for less than $15.
There are two main approaches you can take: how do you want your site to look, or what do you want it to do? If appearance is everything, we recommend shopping for a website template by topic. Many providers let you browse according to a category, like Food & Restaurant or Business & Services. That's a great way to get a template that will deliver the overall appearance you want your site to have. On the other hand, maybe you have specific requirements for what your website can handle: appointment booking, testimonials, or events calendars, for example. That's another good way to start narrowing down your choices.
Sometimes you can simply download it to your computer and then give it to a web designer to load onto your site. If you're doing it yourself, you can upload the template into the website content management system (like WordPress) and activate it. That's it!
That's a really smart question to ask, because they're not all the same. Use a provider that's known for offering solid customer service in case you hit any snags when applying the template to your site. Also consider whether you're making a one-off purchase or you'll need access to many different templates: there's no need for a recurring membership if you're only building a single website.
Maybe, maybe not. If you've purchased a monthly or annual plan, you may be able to cancel future payments but there's no guarantee you'll get a refund of what you've already spent. If you bought a single website template, you may be able to request your money back from its author, especially for reasons of security vulnerabilities or it not being as described prior to purchase. Always read the refund policy before purchasing a template.
Yes...and no. A website template is a great starting point for most smaller companies, organizations and individuals. It's enough to get you up and running, and maybe keep you there for a long time. As you start to grow, though, your website will need to grow with you - and, at that point, you may need to consult with a web design professional who can add in any features or requirements you have that go beyond what a website template can do for you.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

That being said, the world of website templates can be complicated and difficult to navigate. For example, website templates are not your website; they are more like the "dressing” of a website. Most websites need a platform. Think of a costume - lying on the floor or hanging in the closet, it cannot keep its shape. In order to keep it from losing its shape, we find a form or mannequin on which to put the costume. Website templates need a form in order to function, and that is generally a content management system. It is up to you to find out if the templates you like come with a CMS or if you have to install that before you use your template.

You also need to ask if the website template comes with a page builder. A page builder will take your website design to a new level without having to use coding. Most page builders employ the use of drag-and-drop visual editing. Some page builders are better than others when it comes to flexibility and generating responsive design.

And, don't forget hosting. When planning a website, you will need to decide where the website information is stored and broadcast to the internet. Some website templates offer compatible hosting service included, some have suggestions for hosts that understand their templates and platform, and still others don't have any recommendations.

Plus, keep in mind that the modern web is an entirely different experience from the origin of the internet. In the beginning of the world wide web, people experienced the internet from a desktop computer screen. Modern users, however, almost always access the internet via multiple devices, primarily mobile phones. Modern web design usually has built-in functionality that will be responsive to the type of device the end user is operating to access your website. If a template "breaks” on a small phone, then it's not a good template.

Finally, a website template marketplace is full of separate vendors. Don't forget that "marketplace” websites are full of separate vendors with their own way of designing and their own skillsets. Some might be extremely skilled and reasonably-priced, while others might border on being a scam. Be sure to research the individual vendor. Often, marketplaces become so large that quality control just can't investigate each vendor. It's up to you to do your own research.

Here are some criteria you can use to make comparisons and ultimately decide on a website template for your site:

  • Software needed. Which content management system will you use? WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Shopify, Wix…these are just a few of the choices out there. Do you need other plugins or software to run your site, or does the website template vendor provide them?
  • Variety. If there is definitely a "sameness” to the website templates from a certain vendor, you will most likely want to look for a different vendor. We would suggest gravitating to website template vendors that have a high variety, a certain "wow” factor in templates that make them unique, and who have a good mix of classic and modern styles. We also suggest staying away from designs that resemble the turn-of-the-century internet experience.
  • Support and size of community. Especially if you haven't had much experience designing or developing a website, the community should be a key factor in determining what website template you choose. Website template vendors with a large community base often have robust forums or social media groups where you can ask a question, get help when you're stuck, or get free advice. Make sure to check out what support you will receive. A website is on 24 hours a day, so you want to have responsive support, too. Does the website template vendor have a lot of positive reviews? What about quick and reliable response time? Does the vendor have a live chat option?
  • Cost. What you think might be a great deal can end up as a broken template with missing or outdated code, or it could require an expensive add-on to actually work. Most template vendors have demos you can test before you buy, so make sure you do a lot of testing and research before taking the plunge.

To assist you in finding the best website template, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked top vendors on the market today. We're confident that this information will make finding a website design and template a fun rather than frustrating experience.

The Best Reviews of Website Template Providers