I’m Kayla. I build sites for clinics. I even documented the full process in a separate case study—I Built 4 Medical Websites: Here’s What Actually Worked—if you want the blow-by-blow. I’ve tried the big names, sat in the waiting rooms, and watched front desk phones freak out. So, what’s the best website builder for a medical practice? Short answer: it depends on your size, risk, and how fancy you want the site to feel.
If you want to see how the leading platforms stack up across dozens of criteria, check out the latest rankings at Website Builder Awards.
You know what? Let me tell you real stories first.
Quick take (in plain talk)
- Best overall control: WordPress, with HIPAA-safe tools for forms and booking
- Easiest for solo therapy or coaching: Squarespace + SimplePractice or Jane
- Good for small dental or optometry: Wix + a HIPAA booking widget (like NexHealth)
- All-in-one, less fuss, more cost: Tebra (PatientPop) site + booking + reviews
For another viewpoint, check out this review of the best HIPAA-compliant website builders to see how my picks stack up.
Now, here’s what I built and what I learned.
What matters for a clinic site
- HIPAA: Don’t collect PHI on your site unless the tool signs a BAA (that’s a legal promise).
- Online booking: “Book now” should just work. No weird logins.
- Speed and local SEO: People search “near me.” Your site needs schema, reviews, and fast pages.
- Accessibility (ADA/WCAG): High contrast, alt text, easy keyboard use. It’s not just kind; it’s smart.
- Updates: Hours change, staff change, insurance changes. Someone needs to edit the site fast.
Okay, stories.
Build #1: WordPress for a Pediatrics Clinic (Two Providers, Busy Phones)
They wanted bright colors, same-day sick slots, and Spanish pages. I used WordPress (on a solid host) with a clean theme. For online booking, we added NexHealth. For forms, we used Jotform HIPAA and Hushmail for Healthcare email. Both gave a BAA. We did not store PHI on the site server.
What worked:
- Parents booked from their phones in under a minute.
- Front desk said calls felt calmer by week two. Fewer “Do you take Aetna?” calls, because we listed plans, clear as day.
- Spanish pages got real use. We saw it in analytics.
What bugged me:
- WordPress updates scared the office manager. So I set a monthly care plan. Not glamorous. Necessary.
- Schema markup (medicalOrganization, physician) needed a plugin and some patience. Worth it for local search.
Would I do it again? Yes. But only with managed hosting and clear rules: no PHI stored on the site. Ever.
Build #2: Squarespace for a Solo Therapist (Telehealth First)
This one cared about mood. Soft tones. Easy self-pay booking. I used Squarespace for design speed, then connected SimplePractice for booking and intake. SimplePractice handled the portal, forms, and reminders. They sign a BAA. Squarespace does not. So the site stayed “brochure only.” All PHI lived in SimplePractice. If you're shopping around for a therapist-friendly platform, my deep dive on six builders might help—I Tried 6 Website Builders for Therapists, Here’s What Actually Worked.
What worked:
- It looked warm. It loaded fast. Edits took five minutes.
- Clients booked without calling. Sunday night bookings were a thing. She loved that.
What bugged me:
- Custom stuff? Limited. If you want clever layouts or rare widgets, you hit a wall.
- No built-in HIPAA anything. Again, that’s fine if you route PHI to the portal.
Would I do it again? Yes, for a solo clinician or a small group with simple needs.
Build #3: Wix for a Two-Location Dental Office
This team needed speed. “We can’t wait three weeks,” the office lead said. I used Wix, because the front desk could edit hours right away. For booking, we used NexHealth again. We removed Wix chat (not HIPAA) and put a Spruce link for secure messaging.
What worked:
- The receptionist updated coupons, hours, and staff photos herself. No panic calls to me.
- The map and directions were dead simple on mobile.
What bugged me:
- The Wix app felt slow on older PCs. She still used it. But she sighed a lot.
- SEO tools were decent, not deep. I added review schema and it helped, but it took extra steps.
Would I do it again? Yes, for small dental or eye care, if they want low lift and quick edits.
Build #4: Webflow for a Dermatology + Med Spa
This was about style and, well, beauty. The brand had color rules and before/after galleries. I used Webflow for fine control. Booking ran through Aesthetic Record (for med spas) and Zocdoc for medical slots. No PHI stored on the site. That rule saved us time and stress. The same visual-and-experience focus came up when I worked on body-work clinics—I Built 6 Massage Websites, Here’s What Actually Worked.
What worked:
- The design was sharp. Animations were smooth, but not wild.
- Galleries loaded fast with lazy load and compressed images.
What bugged me:
- Edits took more “designer brain.” Not great for a busy office manager.
- Complex ADA work needed extra checks. I did manual audits and fixed contrast and focus states.
Would I do it again? Yes, if brand design is a big deal and someone techy will maintain it.
The one I didn’t skip: Tebra (PatientPop)
Some clinics don’t want to juggle plugins at all. Tebra’s website + booking + reviews + SEO package was pleasant for a podiatry group I helped later. They signed a BAA. Support knew medical terms. The price was higher than DIY, but the front office stopped worrying about forms and reminders. Trade-offs, right?
HIPAA talk, but simple
- Squarespace, Wix, and Webflow don’t sign a BAA.
- WordPress can be safe if you keep PHI off the server and use HIPAA-ready tools (Jotform HIPAA, IntakeQ, Hushmail for Healthcare, Paubox, NexHealth).
- All-in-one platforms like Tebra sign a BAA and handle more pieces.
If you need a clearer side-by-side of policies, this breakdown of which website builders are HIPAA-compliant can save you some detective work.
In the same vein of understanding how people share sensitive information online, especially around sexual health and relationships, you might want to see how public discussions unfold in specialized communities—Sexting Forums can give you a window into the real questions and language users have, which is useful when crafting respectful, informative FAQ content for your own site while keeping privacy front-of-mind. Likewise, location-specific hookup boards show how regional slang and privacy worries shift by neighborhood; checking out a concise rundown of Skip the Games Boynton Beach conversations can surface the geo-keywords and tone locals actually use, which is gold when you’re writing city-targeted pages that need to feel human, not copy-pasted.
If a form asks symptoms or insurance numbers, it must be HIPAA safe. No shortcuts.
The little things that mattered
- A phone number in the header, clickable. Big buttons help thumbs.
- “This site does not give medical advice” note in the footer. Clear is kind.
- ADA basics: readable fonts, strong contrast, alt text, keyboard focus ring.
- Location pages for each office, with parking tips. Patients read those.
- Staff photos that look like real humans, not stock robots.
I know, that last one sounds small. It isn’t. People book with people.
My picks, straight up
- Choose WordPress if you want control and growth. Pair it with NexHealth or IntakeQ, and Jotform HIPAA or Hushmail for forms. Keep PHI off the site server.
- Choose Squarespace if you’re a solo therapist or dietitian. Connect SimplePractice or Jane for portal and booking.
- Choose Wix if you’re a small clinic that needs fast edits by staff. Add a HIPAA booking widget. Skip on-site chat unless it’s secure.
- Choose Tebra (PatientPop) if you want one bill, one support line, and you’re okay with a higher monthly fee.
Real hiccups I hit (so you don’t)
- A dentist added a “Contact us” form asking for “Describe your pain.” We removed it. Not HIPAA safe. We replaced it with a secure link.
- A pediatrics