Best website builders in 2025
Our team of experts closely collaborates with experienced researchers to thoroughly evaluate website builders and their feature sets. Rigorous internal testing methods are deployed to provide empirical evidence and offer accurate, independent web builder rankings.
We make sure the methodologies of our in-house tests are transparent and accessible to all readers.
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A website is essential for business growth, but you don’t need to spend a fortune on a web developer to get a stylish online presence. That’s because website builders offer a cost-effective solution for creating a professional-looking site. I’ve been diving into this topic for over 3 years, so I’ve got a solid grasp on the top website builders available today. In this article, the Cybernews team and I share our picks for the 7 best website builders in 2025.
No matter your experience level, this guide is for everyone – beginners, creators, professionals, or businesses launching their first eCommerce site. Some of my top picks even include web hosting, making the entire website-building process much easier. Wix takes the top spot, but there are plenty of other fantastic options to consider, each with its own unique features and strengths.
My list of the best website builders 2025
- Wix – best website builder on the market overall
- Hostinger Website Builder – best website builder with AI features
- SITE123 – best website builder for beginners
- IONOS – best cheap website builder
- Shopify – website builder for eCommerce
- Bluehost – best website builder for WordPress
- Squarespace – solid website builder for business
Our in-house research team and expert writers work hand in hand to regularly test website builders and provide accurate and fact-checked information. Discover the ins and outs of how we test and evaluate website builders.
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A website builder is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to create and manage a website without technical knowledge. It provides components like templates and text blocks, which allow you to design and showcase your digital content.
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Website building usually begins with selecting a template – a pre-designed layout tailored for different website types. You can then customize it to fit your vision and adjust colors, fonts, and layouts. Website builders also have built-in features to enhance the website’s functionality.
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A website builder is a platform that provides tools to develop and design a website, while web hosting is a service that provides the infrastructure to store website files and make them accessible online.
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A website builder is a beginner-friendly platform for creating websites with drag-and-drop tools, templates, and built-in hosting. On the other hand, a content management system (CMS) offers more flexibility but requires technical knowledge and coding skills.
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Free website builders allow creating sites for free without any upfront costs but usually include intrusive ads, limited storage, and basic customization. Paid website builders provide more resources and features to build a professional-looking website.
Best website builders of 2025: detailed list
Over the past 6 months, the in-house research team and I have been looking into and researching 32 website builders. Ranking them included a thorough hands-on experience in evaluating ease of use, templates, design flexibility, extra features, and functionality.
Finally, I tried creating different website types – from complex professional eCommerce shops to simple personal blogs – to see how well the website builders handled various needs.
Without further ado, let’s delve into the Cybernews’ top 7 website builders.
1. Wix – best website builder overall in 2025
| Drag-and-drop editor: | ✅ Yes |
| Templates: | 900 |
| Starting price: | From $10.50/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No, but has a free plan |
| Current deal: | Get Wix with 50% OFF |
Wix is Cybernews’ number one choice for website builders due to its versatility and feature-packed subscription plans. It stands out as a top-tier website builder ideal for users of all skill levels.
Why is Wix the best website builder overall?
Wix is the best website builder because of its versatility, features, and overall ease of use. The provider offers SSL encryption and a free domain for 1 year. Wix’s web builder also incorporates AI and drag-and-drop tools for quick and hassle-free website building.
On top of that, Wix has 24/7 customer care for top-notch assistance in cases of trouble. It also offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Wix overall rating
Wix excels in almost all possible categories, and that’s why it’s my number one pick for simple and quick website building. That said, Wix is on the pricier side and requires a bigger budget. From my experience, spending a bit more is worth it, considering the amount of features you gain in return.
| Feature | My experience | Rating |
| Price-to-value ratio | Although Wix web builder is one of the most versatile and advanced options, it’s pricier, with Wix pricing plans starting at $10.50/month. However, examining its features can reveal incredible value for creating a comprehensive website. | |
| Ease of use | Thanks to its intuitive drag-and-drop feature, Wix’s AI-powered web builder is excellent for building your website. This feature makes it easy to add any element, ensuring a hassle-free experience for all users. | |
| Templates and design flexibility | Wix offers hundreds of templates paired with many design options to suit any vision. Innovative AI tools are also included as design advisors, making website building a less stressful experience. | |
| Features | Wix's features vary depending on subscription plans and tiers. However, even the Core plan offers a marketing suite, various payment options, and management systems suitable for most businesses. |
According to our Wix review, Wix is the best fit for anyone seeking an all-around solution. If you’re a beginner, Wix has a free version, making it suitable for those only getting into website building and looking for ways to try it out risk-free. More advanced users may go for the paid plans and get all the features for more complex website-building solutions.
Wix in focus: your most asked questions
Wix provides free hosting on its subdomain with 500MB of storage and 1GB bandwidth, perfect for small sites. As your site grows, Wix provides seamless upgrades.
Yes, Wix is safe to use. It's a publicly traded company with a strong global presence and high legal standards. It also provides enterprise-grade security for your website.
2. Hostinger Website Builder – top-tier website builder with integrated AI assistance
| Drag-and-drop editor: | ✅ Yes |
| Templates: | 150 |
| Starting price: | From $2.69/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No, but has a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Current deal: | Get Hostinger Website Builder, 78% OFF + free months |
Hostinger Website Builder ranks second on Cybernews' list of best website builders for its affordability and easy-to-use AI tools. It’s a perfect choice for people on a budget looking to build sleek and modern websites without much effort – the built-in AI services do almost all the work for you.
Why is Hostinger Website Builder the best builder with AI features?
When it comes to AI tools, tests of Hostinger Website Builder show that it outshines all other contenders on the list, including Squarespace. Hostinger includes a comprehensive AI writer, image generator, SEO assistant, blog generator, and heatmaps, whereas Squarespace’s AI tools are limited in terms of versatility.
By simply providing generic descriptions, you can utilize Hostinger Website Builder’s tools to create a website from scratch in no time. And there are more perks that come with it – an excellent uptime guarantee, a free SSL certificate, 24/7 customer support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Hostinger Website Builder overall rating
I especially appreciate the Hostinger Website Builder’s orientation toward creating a visitor-friendly website. For instance, the AI heatmap tool can predict how users will navigate your site. It’s a neat feature if you are looking to build and design a website for a larger traffic of users.
| Feature | My experience | Rating |
| Price-to-value ratio | For me, price is crucial when choosing a website builder. Hostinger excels as a top-tier web builder since it offers powerful features and reliability at a highly competitive cost, with prices starting from $2.69/month. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced user, Hostinger’s pricing is perfect for any budget. | |
| Ease of use | Hostinger Website Builder boasts some of the best uses of AI tools I have seen. The integrated services simplify the process of building a website tenfold, making the whole experience much easier for beginners. Additionally, we included Hostinger among the top drag-and-drop builders in our tests. | |
| Templates and design flexibility | While creating a beautiful website with Hostinger is easy, the website builder has some design limitations. For example, I found the fixed grid doesn’t allow for much customization, and the simple templates are too basic. However, you are most likely to find a template that suits your needs from the 150 available. | |
| Features | Having personally explored Hostinger Website Builder, I was impressed by its unique features, including a mobile editor, AI heatmap, and over 20 integrated payment methods. With its affordable pricing and extensive feature set, Hostinger delivers exceptional value for anyone looking to create a professional, high-performing website. |
Hostinger Website Builder is excellent for beginners with little technical knowledge and small businesses looking for an easy-to-use platform. Its built-in AI tools make the overall web-building experience a breeze – you can get your website up and running in no time with minimal work, effort, and time spent.
Hostinger in focus: your most asked questions
Yes, you can transfer or connect your domain to Hostinger. Hostinger also provides a free domain name for 1 year with its plans.
Yes, Hostinger is a trustworthy provider, founded in 2004. It has high ratings on sites like Trustpilot and Google, reflecting user trust.
3. SITE123 – best beginner-oriented web builder
| Drag-and-drop editor: | ✅ Yes |
| Templates: | 80 |
| Starting price: | From $12.80/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No, but has a free plan |
| Current deal: | SITE123 from $12.80/month |
SITE123 is the best website builder for beginners due to its simplicity and ease of use. Its intuitive editor and accessible design tools make it an excellent choice for those new to website building.
Why is SITE123 the best web builder for beginners?
SITE123 analysis showed that it is an excellent website builder for beginners due to its simplicity and user-friendliness. It includes core tools for eCommerce and SEO and integrates easily with both Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
It’s also highly affordable, provides ample storage and bandwidth, and includes a free domain for a year. Even though its interface can feel outdated at times, the SITE123’s back-to-basics approach makes it ideal for beginners.
SITE123 overall rating
To put it simply, SITE123 excels at providing straightforward website-building services, which is the provider’s main strength. It’s easy to understand and navigate, and doesn't require much effort or technical knowledge. However, if you’re looking to build a more advanced and complex website, SITE123 may not be the best option.
| Feature | My experience | Rating |
| Price-to-value ratio | While not the most budget-friendly option, SITE123 is versatile in terms of pricing. Since it has multiple paid tiers and a free version, users can find a subscription that fits their budget. | |
| Ease of use | SITE123 is the easiest web builder for beginners. It is also a considerable drawback since the oversimplicity may appear lackluster to more advanced users seeking complete control over design and features. | |
| Templates and design flexibility | SITE123 offers a number of clean and professional-looking templates, although the customization options are somewhat limited compared to those of its competitors. | |
| Features | SITE123 covers the basics regarding features and allows for the creation of decent-looking websites. That said, I think the lack of advanced tools and the limited eCommerce plan is disappointing. |
SITE123 is best suited for beginners. Since it’s quite basic, the website-building process is effortless and quick. If you want to host a smaller website like a personal blog or a portfolio, SITE123 is your go-to for easy, quick, and simple web building.
SITE123 in focus: your most asked questions
Yes, SITE123 is SEO-friendly and includes basic tools for search engine optimization.
SITE123 provides 24/7 live support, sales assistance via phone, and design help. It also has an extensive knowledge base with guidance on a variety of topics.
4. IONOS – best website builder for budget-conscious users
| Drag-and-drop editor: | ✅ Yes |
| Templates: | 40 |
| Starting price: | From $1.00/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No, but has a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Current deal: | Get up to 91% OFF IONOS website builder |
IONOS’ MyWebsite Now website builder is an easy-to-use option that comes at highly affordable prices. With clean and modern templates and user-friendliness, IONOS showed its greatness as a solid website builder.
Why is IONOS the best affordable website builder?
In short, IONOS has great AI tools and excellent customer support. It comes with a free domain for a year and a free SSL certificate.
Given the abundance of features, you might expect it to be expensive, but IONOS is reasonably priced, with introductory prices starting at $1.00/month.
IONOS overall rating
While IONOS is a strong contender for the Cybernews list of best web builders, the service would benefit from more templates and flexible customization options. Nevertheless, the IONOS pricing variety makes it a tempting pick.
| Feature | My experience | Rating |
| Price-to-value ratio | IONOS has competitive pricing, significantly increasing resources as you upgrade to higher-tier plans. Although its entry-level offerings may be limited, the value becomes evident as you explore the features available in the more advanced options. | |
| Ease of use | During my IONOS testing, the website builder was easy to use with drag-and-drop functionality. However, the interface appears clunky and could be more modern. | |
| Templates and design flexibility | IONOS provides a variety of templates tailored to different industries and users. However, compared to Wix, IONOS' selection of templates is less extensive and visually appealing. | |
| Features | IONOS provides a comprehensive range of features for small businesses and personal websites, including eCommerce packages, SEO tools, mobile optimization, and marketing solutions. |
If you’re a budget-conscious user looking for a cheap web builder solution, look no further because IONOS has excellent prices. Despite lacking design, IONOS has proven to be a solid web builder with fast speeds and affordability.
IONOS in focus: your most asked questions
IONOS is very beginner-friendly. Fewer features result in an easier website setup process, while the templates help speed things up.
No, you cannot fully customize your site. The website creator tools on the IONOS platform do not allow you to create a website from scratch without a template.
5. Shopify – website builder with excellent eCommerce tools
| Drag-and-drop editor: | ✅ Yes |
| Templates: | 240 |
| Starting price: | From $29.00/month |
| Free trial: | ✅ Yes, 3 days |
| Current deal: | Try Shopify free for 3 days + 3 months for $1 |
Shopify is the best eCommerce-oriented builder. Its abundance of tools, such as analytics, marketing automation, advanced inventory management, gift cards, Shopify API access for custom apps, and market localizations, make the service the go-to for building an online shop from scratch.
Why is Shopify the best eCommerce website builder?
Shopify is a top-tier web builder that solely focuses on e-shops. Although not as straightforward as SITE123, Shopify tests revealed its capabilities for building more complex and advanced websites. Among other features included in the subscription packages, Shopify provides free SSL protection, PCI compliance, and AI tools.
Shopify overall rating
Shopify is an excellent choice for small startups and larger enterprises. It offers a robust suite of features to kickstart your online business. However, its premium pricing makes it a more costly option than other platforms.
| Feature | My experience | Rating |
| Price-to-value ratio | Shopify’s pricing makes it a premium platform that requires more money than expected. However, considering the extensive eCommerce features provided, Shopify’s value for money is excellent, as even the cheapest plan (for $29.00/month) offers unlimited storage. | |
| Ease of use | Setting up an online store with Shopify is straightforward, even for those without technical skills. The user-friendly interface guides you through each step and offers numerous features to customize your store and manage inventory. | |
| Templates and design flexibility | Shopify offers a large selection of clean and modern templates designed for eCommerce. Many of them come with customizable options. However, I discovered they are not as flexible as I like, limiting my control abilities. | |
| Features | Shopify's features are its main selling points, making it one of the best eCommerce website builders available. It provides a wide range of advanced features, including unlimited product listings, comprehensive inventory management, and powerful tools for recovering abandoned carts and creating discount codes. |
Shopify best suits small startups and larger enterprises looking for multichannel selling opportunities and marketing features. Since Shopify specializes in eCommerce and has a heftier price tag, it may not be your go-to builder if you want to build a personal blog or a portfolio.
Shopify in focus: your most asked questions
Yes, Shopify has an app store with all of the most popular apps designed to help you sell and improve user experience. Many apps are free to install but will require additional payment for use.
Yes, you can migrate to Shopify manually by using .CSV files and third-party apps or hiring Shopify Partners to complete the migration for you.
6. Bluehost – best WordPress-optimized web builder
| Drag-and-drop editor: | ✅ Yes |
| Templates: | 300 |
| Starting price: | From $1.99/month |
| Free trial: | ❌ No, but has a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Current deal: | Get up to 83% OFF Bluehost website builder! |
If you’re having trouble with WordPress’ content management system, Bluehost’s WonderSuite WordPress web builder may be the answer to your problems. With various mobile-responsive templates, built-in SEO tools, and integrated eCommerce functionality through WooCommerce, it caters to beginners and more advanced users.
Why is Bluehost the best WordPress-optimized web builder?
With Bluehost’s WonderSuite WordPress and WooCommerce integration, the website builder is ideal for WordPress-optimized blogs and medium to large-sized eCommerce websites. Its rich library of stock photos, 1-click WordPress installation, 24/7 customer support, and integrated SEO tools make it an ideal option for website building without much technical expertise.
Bluehost overall rating
Bluehost’s WonderSuite web builder pricing is affordable, but its value reflects design flexibility. That said, Bluehost is a decent choice for budget-conscious users, especially those looking to host WordPress-optimized sites.
| Feature | My experience | Rating |
| Price-to-value ratio | Bluehost is one of the cheaper options on the market, with prices starting at $1.99/month. That said, looking at the value, I must say that the price is an appropriate reflection of it – you get significantly fewer resources, like limited bandwidth and storage. | |
| Ease of use | The web builder's interface resembles a WordPress plugin more than a standalone website builder and feels more cluttered than standard WordPress. While it includes drag-and-drop functionality, the interface feels dated and less user-friendly than Squarespace. | |
| Templates and design flexibility | Bluehost offers patterns that allow for more customization and adjustments based on your needs. I was able to find pre-made templates for different website types, and they all had modern designs. | |
| Features | All of the plans include most core features. However, Bluehost lacks several aspects, such as unlimited bandwidth. Thus, I believe this could be improved. |
The Bluehost website builder best suits beginners or budget-conscious users looking to create WordPress-optimized websites. Its integration with WordPress and affordability make it a good starting point, though advanced users may find the limited design flexibility and outdated interface restrictive for more complex projects.
Bluehost in focus: your most asked questions
Yes, you can seamlessly upgrade by logging in to your account manager and selecting the hosting plan you want to upgrade to.
Yes, you can cancel your subscription at any time, or within 30 days if you want to receive a refund. Make sure to turn off auto-renewal so you won’t be charged.
7. Squarespace – great business-oriented website builder
| Drag-and-drop editor: | ✅ Yes |
| Templates: | 180 |
| Starting price: | From $16.00/month |
| Free trial: | ✅ Yes, 14 days |
| Current deal: | Get up to 36% OFF Squarespace |
Squarespace’s professional templates and robust functionality make it ideal for growth-focused businesses. It offers built-in eCommerce features, essential marketing tools like email campaigns and SEO optimization, and advanced analytics to track performance.
Why is Squarespace the best business-oriented website builder?
Squarespace evaluation showed that the web builder excels thanks to its comprehensive eCommerce tools for managing online stores, the Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor with great control over the layout and positioning of elements, and various marketing features.
Squarespace also has customer support through live chat and email and an extensive knowledge base with helpful tutorials and guides.
Squarespace overall rating
Squarespace is a strong choice for businesses looking to establish a professional online presence quickly and effectively. Thanks to built-in marketing features like email campaigns, social network integrations, and advertising tools, it's an effective and easy-to-understand solution.
| Feature | My experience | Rating |
| Price-to-value ratio | Despite not being the most budget-friendly choice on the market, Squarespace provides exceptional value. The price tag seems worth considering the high-quality design elements, comprehensive features, and seamless user experience Squarespace offers. | |
| Ease of use | Squarespace is relatively easy to use, although it is slightly more complex than other web builders, particularly when it comes to design customization. There is a bit of a learning curve. | |
| Templates and design flexibility | Squarespace is one of the best providers in this category. It offers several modern, professional-looking templates with high customizability. | |
| Features | Squarespace covers all the essential features for a web builder, along with advanced tools such as a custom site search engine, custom CSS support, and mobile optimization. |
Squarespace is the perfect choice if you want to create an online store. It’s scalable and has excellent eCommerce tools for managing your business. Not to mention that Squarespace is easy to use and understand, so you won’t have trouble putting your store together.
Squarespace in focus: your most asked questions
Squarespace can handle traffic well, but for extremely high-traffic sites, looking at alternatives may be a better option.
Squarespace offers numerous customization options to adjust the templates to fit your site’s purpose.
Compare website builders
As you can tell, the platforms covered in the Cybernews’ best web builders list have their strengths and weaknesses, making this an overall tight race. To help you make the final decision, see the table below for a breakdown of all the website builders for a concise comparison.
| Rating | Starting price | Performance | 24/7 customer support | Free domain | Free SSL | Ideal for | |
| Wix | From $10.50/month | Metrics a bit low, solid real-life performance | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Any kind or size of website | |
| Hostinger Website Builder | From $2.69/month | Excellent performance | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Beginners, small businesses, web-building with minimal work | |
| SITE123 | From $12.80/month | Excellent performance | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Portfolio and personal blog websites | |
| IONOS | From $1.00/month | Solid performance, slower page loading speeds | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Mobile-optimized and service-oriented business websites | |
| Shopify | From $29.00/month | Solid, but could still be improved | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | Medium to large-sized eCommerce websites | |
| Bluehost | From $1.99/month | Top-tier performance | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | WordPress-optimized sites and blogs with higher traffic | |
| Squarespace | From $16.00/month | Fits the industry standard | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Event promotion websites and personal blogs |
How we ranked website builders
Testing website builders requires a meticulous and thorough methodology to rank them fairly. Many website builders continue to introduce new tools and features. Thus, the market is constantly evolving, and real-time assessment with constant updates is the only way to stay atop all the developments in the web builder industry.
In collaboration with the in-house Cybernews research team, I monitored the website builders' progress for the past 6 months. I also took a hands-on approach to review 32 web builders to better understand how each operates.
Here are the main criteria I took into consideration when evaluating and subsequently ranking each platform covered in my list of the best website builders in 2025:
- User-friendliness (25%). A user-friendly website builder should make the experience simple, quick, and easy for users. That’s why evaluating each website builder’s user-friendliness was one of the key factors determining the final ranking outcome. I assessed each website builder’s interface, navigation difficulties, and overall usability.
- Price-to-value ratio (25%). With varying prices in the website builder market, it's important to get good value to avoid overspending on a platform without essential features. For this reason, I reviewed each website builder’s pricing plans and what feature packages come with each of them. I determined which services can provide a robust set of tools and functionalities at an affordable price.
- Tools and features (20%). A good website builder doesn’t compromise on essential features and aims to provide the latest innovations to take the users’ experience even further. I looked at what features each website builder offers and how it can simplify your website building. I first checked for essential features like a free SSL certificate, a free domain, SEO, eCommerce, and analytics tools. I also took a step further to test the integrated AI tools to check if they can fasten the process of building a chic and modern-looking website. I also took into consideration scalability opportunities in cases when websites grow and experience higher traffic.
- Templates and design flexibility (20%). Templates serve as foundational elements in web design, offering a variety of benefits that enhance both the design process and the final product. I reviewed each website builder’s templates and design flexibilities, assessed the modernity of themes available, and checked the number of total templates to ensure you can find the one that best suits your needs.
- Overall experience (10%). Finally, I looked into the overall experience with each website builder. This included contacting customer support to see the level of assistance, evaluating available guides and knowledge bases, and following a few tutorials. I also looked into builder reviews and community forums online to get a better feel for common issues and what other users think of certain platforms.
Video review
If you want a different perspective, check out our team's video review.
Wrapping up
When selecting a website builder, it’s essential to consider various options available, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Having gone through 7 web builders, I declare Wix as Cybernews’ number one website builder overall. Wix is a premium website builder thanks to its versatility and ability to accommodate different types of websites.
That said, all providers on my list of 7 best website builders have proven reliable, and each is ideal for distinct types of websites. In the end, it’s all about assessing your needs and seeing which website builder can best meet them and make your vision come to life.
FAQ
Is coding required for website builders?
No, website builders don’t require coding skills at all. That’s the advantage of website builders because they don’t require the time and effort you usually spend writing code. However, writing code for a website allows for more versatility since website builders can be limiting.
Are website builders suitable for professional websites?
Yes, website builders are suitable for professional websites. Best web-building providers have enough resources and allow quick and easy setup thanks to drag-and-drop functionalities and pre-made templates. That said, web builders may fall short with more complex websites containing unique features and advanced customization. In such instances, it’s best to go with professional developers for web coding.
What is the average cost to pay someone to build a website?
The price for commissioning someone to build a website significantly varies based on the site's complexity, the type of website being developed, and the developers' expertise.
Can I build my own website for free?
Yes, you can build your website for free using various website builders that offer free plans. Website-building platforms like Wix and SITE123 have free plans for easy and quick website creation.
How much should I pay for a website builder?
It’s best to assess and evaluate the price-to-value ratio to determine how much you should pay for a website builder. Since prices vary significantly, look into each web builder’s features, functionality, and affordability. Wix is the perfect example of a balanced price-to-value ratio. With prices starting at $10.50/month, Wix provides drag-and-drop functionality and AI tools, ease of use, and options for scalability.
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