Caspio Bridge's crisp, business-like GUI brings Microsoft Access-like simplicity to building Web databases online. Caspio shines with tight integration with Microsoft Office applications and a clean pricing model. The SQL structure imposed on tables will be welcome to some, but restrictive to others. And while applications are built without coding, many old programmer tricks are still necessary. Table names, for instance, require underscores instead of spaces. The biggest limitation is there's no easy way to add arbitrary logic to Caspio's back end.

XSitePro 2.0 is one of the best applications we’ve seen for aiding novices in creating professional-looking websites. But that needs to be borne in mind: this is not really a program for professionals themselves. Although it can create such things as scripts for search pages, XSitePro 2.0 handles page generation for you rather than being a tool for complex dynamic sites.

Layout designers are unlikely to be impressed by the overtly template-driven approach and office-application-style interface. And professionals are still better catered for by Dreamweaver or Expression Web, both of which offer superior workflow, scope and output, although at a higher cost.

Expression Web 2 is an effective tool, allowing you to build sites that comply with XHTML, CSS, XML, and XSLT standards; its support for ASP.NET 3.5 allows the drag-and-drop use of assets such as Silverlight applications. This, the full support for Photoshop files and PHP pages, and the ability to insert Flash SWF and Windows Media files, make this probably the most valuable part of Expression Studio for the widest range of users.

For the majority of users looking to run a single Web shop and who want more features than the standard stores offered by many ISPs, Actinic Catalog 9.0 is an excellent piece of software. Unless you need advanced payment and authorisation procedures (in which case Actinic Business is recommended), this will do everything that you need.

A lack of direct code editing features makes Serif WebPlus X2 unsuitable for professional site design – but there's enough here to keep most other users more than happy. Packed with features, brimming with extra resources and integrated with Serif's own Web services, it's a comprehensive and cost-effective choice.

The average human being who has no Web design experience but who can use Microsoft Word will find working with Easy WebContent a breeze. It's well worth the price to avoid the learning curve of expensive products that offer more than you need.

As user-friendly as its predecessor, Mr Site Takeaway Website Pro is a well-designed program that enables small companies to create a basic Web presence with little hassle. It may fall between two market segments, however, offering a basic suite of tools that may frustrate ambitious businesses while pricing itself above home users. A bit of an enigma, then, but a high-calibre one that will suit a narrow group of users extremely well -- if they can stomach the pricey renewal fees.

One feature of the entire Microsoft Expression Studio bundle that could prove attractive to a lot of Windows users is its price. Getting all these tools for the price is pretty hard to beat, and if you need at least two of them, it's a fair bargain. If history is any guide, though, Microsoft will have a finger in the wind for how the suite can be made more of a suite, and make the next version of Expression Studio a truly remarkable piece of work.

You'll need a decent Web connection, and you can use it only once, but these are minor quibbles. Simple to use, and with more features than you have any right to expect, Takeaway Website is a winner.

Users of Fusion will find it appealing, but everyone else should pass.

The upgrades aren't as overwhelming as in previous versions, but represent the steady evolution of a worthwhile program. Fusion is cheaper than other high-end competitors - although anyone who creates websites only very occasionally will want to consider the alternatives. For all but the most expert developers, this really is the recommended application.