Getting online is essential for businesses, but it can also be expensive. The best free website builders offer a smart way to test out a business or personal idea without a major investment.
Free website builders come with many of the benefits of the best website builders (paid) such as built-in hosting, marketing tools, and the ability to build a website without any coding knowledge. But free website builders also come with limitations such as the inability to connect a custom domain, restricted bandwidth and storage, and on-site ads.
We have fully tested and reviewed 140+ website builders and web hosting providers. In this guide, I have shortlisted the very best free website builders, helping you find the right solution without having to spend a dime.
Wix is my top pick with a generous free website builder plan that includes some powerful website building tools. Plus, with an extensive app marketplace with plenty of free apps, you can extend your website's functionality easily at no cost.
So, is there really no such thing as a free lunch? Or are the best things in life truly free? Let’s find out.
Owain has been with TechRadar for over a year, leading on all website builder content. With a background in business and marketing, he has over 7 years of experience in testing free website builders, building his own websites, and writing about business and marketing topics. He has also started several successful businesses including ecommerce stores and a marketing agency.
My top 3 best free website builders of 2024
Here are my top 3 picks for the title of best free website builder. Although not all of these are free (for life), they do each offer an outstanding free option that is well worth considering.
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Recent updates
November 26, 2024
I have worked through the guide and checked that all information is still correct. I have also considered shifts in the market to ensure that these are still the very best free website builders out there. An update has been made to the HubSpot features section to reflect the release of several AI powered tools now available on the platform.
Best free website builder overall
Wix is a big-name website builder with one of the most impressive website editors in the business, and, surprisingly, a completely free plan.
Features
The user experience on Wix has changed drastically since the platform launched its new AI website builder in March 2024. This new tool built on, and replaced, the already popular Wix Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) mode.
Now users can simply answer a few questions about their website and Wix’s AI will build a site populated with relevant pages, text, images, and integrations such as scheduling, ecommerce, and event management within seconds. However, it is important to note that some advanced tools, such as ecommerce, are only available on premium plans.
Once your site has been created you can then use the editor to tweak everything, ensuring it matches your brand and works exactly how you need. Alternatively, if you would rather take a hands on approach, you can pick from 800+ templates, and then build your website structure and content as you go.
Whichever route you take, once your website is live you will get access to a host of powerful tools including email marketing, SEO, and a client management system.
Limitations
Free Wix sites have some issues and limits. There's only 500MB storage, you'll find Wix ads on every page, and not only is there no support for custom domains, but your free Wix URL will be longer than most (youraccountname.wixsite.com/yoursitename.)
If you are looking to sell online, you won't be able to do this on the Wix free plan. In fact, not even Wix's entry level plan offers ecommerce functionality. You will need to sign up for the more expensive Core plan at $29/mo to be able to sell online.
Competition & Alternatives
Square Online is a dedicated ecommerce website that allows you to sell online with its free plan.
Weebly is also a great alternative to Wix. Although it lacks some of the features you get with Wix, it provides everything you need to build a great website and is super simple to use.
You can read our full comparison of Wix and Weebly in our Wix vs Weebly study.
Finally, if you want to connect a custom domain, HubSpot is one of the few free website builders that allows you to do this.
Verdict
On balance, though, Wix is still a great website builder. The templates are excellent, we loved the intuitive editor, and genuinely helpful support is available, even on the free plan. We also like that Wix allow you to use its AI website builder on the free plan, which you won't find with all providers.
Powerful blogging functionality rounds things off nicely, and you’re getting a truly high quality offering with this website builder.
Wix is the best option for most people, in most situations. Its combination of easy-to-use interface, extensive range of website building and marketing tools, and affordable pricing make it an easy decision for most. However, those looking for something more specialist may want to opt for another free website builder on this list. Like the majority of other free website builders, Wix's free plan also lacks the ability to connect a custom domain - if this is an issue for you, look elsewhere. ★★★★½
Read more: Wix review
Best free website builder for a custom domain
HubSpot may be best known for its CRM and marketing tools, but the brand also has a powerful free website builder that is well worth considering.
Features
The HubSpot website builder aims to simplify the experience for business owners, with no coding knowledge required. HubSpot also handles the hosting, so you don’t need to worry about dealing with the backend. Everything is drag-and-drop, so you can pick exactly where things go. We were able to choose from hundreds of themes and templates and customize them with our own logo, typography, and content.
More recently HubsSpot has launched a suite of AI powered tools to help user build and manage their websites. You can use HubSpot's AI website builder to create a full website by answering a few simple questions asked by the AI bot.
AI also comes into play in other areas. For example, you can use HubSpot's AI blog writer to generate blog content quickly and easily or the Content Remix tool to help create variations of existing content such as blog posts or landing pages. Finally, you can use the Breeze Content Agent to leverage data from your CRM in order to create personalized user journeys across your website.
We linked our website to HubSpot CRM right out of the gate, so tracking our customer interactions was incredibly easy. Also, we used HubSpot’s free chatbots, forms, and live chat to help automate our customer service. We created email newsletters, a company logo, and a landing page, all from our HubSpot account.
You also get security features like SSL and two-factor authentication. HubSpot allows you to try almost everything on its “forever free” plan, but there are some limitations.
The CRM giants also have an impressive app store, with over 1,000 different integrations available. You can extend your site with SEO tools, email, ads, messaging integrations, and more.
Limitations
You must purchase its CMS Suite Starter plan for $20 per month to remove branding. The Professional plan is priced at $360 per month — quite the jump.
Just note that while some built-in features are gated behind specific plans, it doesn’t mean you can’t access similar functionalities in lower plan tiers. For instance, HubSpot’s SEO analytics are only included in the Professional plan. But you can still access SEO analytics with the Free and Starter plans if you integrate a Google Search Console or Schema account with HubSpot.
HubSpot’s customer support includes email, chat, and phone support — although some support is only available for premium plans. But if you want quick answers, you can search through HubSpot's extensive blog and resource center with thousands of articles and how-tos.
Competition & Alternaties
The HubSpot website builder is best suited to those who are using (or want to use) other HubSpot tools such as its CRM. If you are looking for a standalone website builder with greater flexibility, Wix is well worth considering.
Verdict
With unlimited bandwidth, storage, and the ability to connect a custom domain, the HubSpot free website builder plan offers a lot that others on this list don't. All-in-all its free website builder plan should certainly be on your shortlist.
HubSpot is a relatively new player in the free website builder space, but it already packs a punch. Most notably, HubSpot beats others in this guide due to its ability to link a custom domain. It also offers unlimited bandwidth and storage. On the downside, support is forum only and you may find yourself limited on added functionality if you don't want to use the wider HubSpot offering of business tools. ★★★½
Read more: HubSpot website builder review
Best free website builder for small business
Weebly's free website builder plan is a worthy competitor to Wix and, unlike most others on this list, will let you sell online.
Features
Weebly's website creation tools start, a little like Wix, with a very simple automated builder. This guides you through a series of questions, then automatically creates your site in a few seconds. There isn't much scope for customization, but it's very easy to use - making it ideal for small businesses.
The standard editor gives you more fine-tuned control of your site design (though not quite as much as the best of the competition), but is still fairly simple to operate. We were amazed by the hundreds of stylish templates - and, yes, they are genuinely impressive – which we were able to tailor to our needs using a WYSIWYG editor.
Weebly scores highly for its advanced tools. We were able to extend our site with all kinds of content types via its capable editor. Weebly is great for online stores, offering basic ecommerce functionality, unlimited items, and inventory management on the free plan - not something you will find on most free website builder plans.
Limitations
As usual with a free website builder, Weebly didn't allow us to use our own domain. Instead, you're offered a free Weebly subdomain (yourname.weebly.com.) That's short, but not exactly professional, and not a good look for a business or serious site.
The free plan also limits your support to live chat and a community forum (phone support is reserved for some of the premium plans.) That could be an issue if your website is down and you're looking for immediate assistance, but it's still better than some free services, which don't include support at all.
Competition & Alternatives
With its AI website builder, Wix's offering is a little more advanced (although it doesn't allow you to sell online unless you upgrade to a paid plan).
Like most others on this list, Weebly's bandwidth and storage are both limited (up to 500MB). If this is a concern, you may opt for the likes of Webflow which offers unlimited storage and a more generous 1GB of bandwidth on its free plan.
Want to connect a custom domain for free? HubSpot is your best option.
Verdict
Weebly is a great option for small businesses. Not only does it offer a great free plan, but as your business grows and you need more from your website, Weebly's paid plans are also incredibly affordable. Overall, its power and flexibility make Weebly a good, free website builder to consider.
Read our full Weebly review.
If you want to keep things simple, Weebly is a great option to consider. This website builder is the perfect option for small businesses that have limited time and budget. One huge benefit to Weebly's free plan is the ability to sell online - this is rare amongst its competitors. Although, of course, transaction fees apply. ★★★
Read more: Weebly review
Best free website builder for design
Webflow is a popular website builder that excels in its design customization, especially for those who have a decent amount of web design knowledge.
Features
Webflow’s interface is based on the ‘box model’, and needs basic HTML and CSS knowledge for maximum utilization.
You can choose from over 49 free templates available on the platform. Although, you can’t change the template of your site once you’ve selected it. The only way to do so is to build a new website from scratch.
Webflow offers automatic backups and a free SSL certification to make sure your website is safe and secure. While setting up, Webflow lets you create an entry-level site with 2 pages, 50 CMS tools, localization, and up to 50 form submissions. It even offers 1 GB bandwidth and up to one thousand visitors with its free plan. Basically, it offers everything you need to build a website for free without running into any bottlenecks.
Limitations
While setting up a site, we found Webflow’s interface quite complex and tricky compared to other options like Wix or Site123. Unsurprisingly, Webflow doesn’t offer any custom domains or CMS support on its free plan. This means that if you build a free website, you’ll have to stick with a .webflow subdomain.
Competition & Alternatives
If you have no or little coding knowledge (or a desire to learn it), Webflow probably isn't the best fit for you. Luckily, there are plenty of decent, simpler alternatives including Wix and Weebly, both of which are known for offering a user friendly interface.
Verdict
Overall, if you want to build a basic website without having any knowledge about website building or design, Webflow might not be the best option for you. However, if you want a super customized site that comes with unique designs and detailed features, this platform can stand out as a strong contender in this list.
Those with some design knowledge and skill may get frustrated with the design limits of the majority of free website builders on this list. Weflow offers a more flexible alternative, offering those with HTML and CSS knowledge a more suitable platform for website design. This flexibility makes Webflow a good option for freelancers and agencies alike, although website professionals will almost certainly want to opt for a paid plan to unlock custom domains and more pages - the free plan is a good first step to understanding if Webflow is right for you. ★★★★½
Read more: Webflow website builder review
Best free website builder for affiliate marketing
Site123 is a simple and super easy website builder that lets even a complete beginner create a brand new website all by themselves - making it ideal for those looking to launch an affiliate marketing site quickly.
Features
As you sign up on the platform, the builder asks for basic information regarding your site, and within moments, the first layout of your website is ready. Surprisingly, we found that it did a pretty good job with the initial layout. Even the images were quite good and accurate to the website's niche.
Site123 offers a very neat and easy-to-use editor. Users can easily click on any element and simply edit it, although your options for doing so are limited.
Ultimately, the Site123 free plan is super simple, which could be either a blessing or a curse, depending on your goals. It is ideal for those who want a simple platform to promote affiliate content, but don't want the hassle of a complex website set up process.
Limitations
You don’t get many customization options with the Site123 free plan. This means that you can only get your hands on all the editing tools for your website by subscribing to their paid plans. In fact, small edits, like using custom color schemes or accessing the full font library also need a paid plan to work. This limits your capabilities of building a detailed or unique website for free.
Site123 also doesn’t offer any custom domains with its free plan, and you’ll have to settle with a subdomain that is quite long. This can make your site look a bit unprofessional.
Competition & Alternatives
With plenty of features locked behind a paywall and a pretty stingy 250MB of bandwidth and storage, although the Site123 plan is a great way to test the platform, it is unlikely to be suitable for long.
For more features on a free plan, Wix is a great alternative that also offers double the bandwidth and storage of Site123. Alternatively, opt for HubSpot if you want to access unlimited bandwidth and storage for your website, as well as the ability to connect a custom domain.
Verdict
Overall, Site123’s free plan is a great option for someone who just wants to create a simple website and doesn’t have any past experience or knowledge about website building. Thanks to its user-friendly interface, creating a website is as easy as it could get with this platform.
Building a site with Site123 is as easy as, well, 1, 2, 3. This makes it an ideal option for those looking to set up a site quickly and start making money from affiliate marketing. Choosing this option will allow you to set up and launch your website in record time, freeing you up to focus on securing the best affiliate deals, reaching new audiences, and optimizing your content for profit. ★★★
Read more: Site123 review
Best free website builder for ecommerce
Square Online offers a powerful website builder, created with ecommerce in mind. Instead of tacking on ecommerce as an extra, everything about the Square experience is based on powerful ecommerce features you won't find on generic builders. Of course, others such as Shopify and BigCommerce are built with ecommerce in mind - but neither of these platforms offer a free plan.
Features
Square Online offers more than just a web presence. The service includes point of sale tools to sell face-to-face, on social media, and via mobile. All using the same platform.
To get started you open an account, choose your business details and store name, and select the layout and design elements you want. You can customize all elements, including colors and fonts, and then select your ordering process. The choice of custom elements is nice, and we like that you get to choose an ordering format. You can pick from a menu style for online restaurants or a conventional web store. Both models offer the chance to connect with point of sale elements, as well as more advanced shift and inventory management if you upgrade to a paid plan.
Limitations
The free plan is, perhaps unsurprisingly, limited. But it does come with some good features to note including the ability to sell via social media, built in SEO tools, and the ability to accept multiple payment types. Online processing fees for online sales are 2.9% + $0.30.
Competition & Alternatives
If you don't want advanced ecommerce features, Weebly (that owns Square Online) is a great alternative. Most other platforms won't let you sell online on a free plan.
Verdict
If you're starting an online store, but don't want to invest in a paid platform straight away, Square Online is likely to be your best option. Not only does it allow you to set up an online store for free, but it also gives you an opportunity to test out one of the best ecommerce platforms on the market.
Square is one of the only website builders dedicated to ecommerce that also offers a free plan. Owned by the same company as Weebly, it comes with many of the same free plan features such as 500MB of storage, up to 500MB of bandwidth, and the ability to sell online. Unlike Weebly, it also comes with a host of advanced ecommerce features, making it the perfect choice for dedicated online stores. ★★★½
Read more: Square Online review
Best free website builder for students
Google Sites is a straightforward and user-friendly site builder offered by Google, making it ideal for students and beginners looking to create a simple online presence. While it lacks advanced features and SEO tools, it's a superb option for those who want to get a basic site up and running in no time.
Features
Google Sites provides an intuitive and simple-to-use platform for building websites. It comes with a handful of website templates and themes to choose from - 18 themes and 6 templates as we write - allowing you to customize the look and feel of your site. While the customization options are severely limited compared to site builders such as Webflow or WordPress, Google Sites still offers enough flexibility for students to create a personalized website.
One of the standout features of Google Sites is its seamless integration with other Google services, including Google Workspace tools. You can easily embed content from Google Drive, YouTube, Calendar, Maps, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, and Charts directly into your site. This easy integration enhances the functionality of Google Sites and allows you to integrate various multimedia elements into your site without much effort - making it great for organizing and presenting student projects.
Additionally, as a Google product, Google Sites offers a secure website-building experience. By leveraging your Google account's security features like two-step verification, you can boost your site's security for you and your visitors.
Limitations
While Google Sites offers a user-friendly experience, there are limitations you should keep in mind. For starters, unless you're a Google Workspace user, you can only publish sites to a "sites.google.com" domain, which may not provide the professional look you desire. So, if you want to invest further in your website's branding, you'll have to purchase the Google Workspace suite.
Additionally, Google Sites is not as feature-rich as other website builders like Wix, so it may lack some advanced functionality, particularly for those looking to create ecommerce sites. It offers limited storage space for free users - 100MB per site - which could be insufficient if you want to upload large amounts of media content.
Competition & Alternatives
In the competitive landscape of free website builders, Google Sites faces fierce rivals in Wix and Webflow.
Webflow stands out with its advanced customization capabilities, allowing for highly personalized websites. However, mastering its intricate features comes with a steep learning curve.
On the other hand, Wix offers a robust set of features, enabling users to create sites with impressive functionality. Nevertheless, Wix lacks the flexibility to switch templates seamlessly, requiring users to start anew. In contrast, Google Sites allows for template changes without sacrificing existing content, although it lacks any advanced features such as SEO tools, an area where Wix excels.
Verdict
Although Google Sites is a solid choice for students and beginners, those requiring extensive customization or advanced features may find it lacking. However, its simplicity, integration with other Google services, and collaborative options make it a solid option for swift and straightforward site creation.
When it comes to website building things don't get much simpler than Google Sites. For some, this is a huge positive, for others its limitations are frustrating. One of the biggest benefits of Google Sites is the ability to easily integrate with other Google platforms such as Sheets, Docs, and Slides. This makes it ideal for the likes of students and sports teams looking for a central location to organize and display projects and information.
Best free website builder for bloggers
WordPress is best known for the free CMS which can be automatically installed on just about any web hosting plan.
Features
WordPress is a super flexible website builder tool that allows you to build blogs, business sites, web stores, and almost anything else you can imagine.
This is a great solution for demanding or business sites, but you'll probably need to part with some cash for the hosting, and the full-strength WordPress interface can be complicated, even for experienced users.
Fortunately, there's a simpler hosted version of WordPress on WordPress.com (yes, we know it's confusing). This includes web hosting, so signing up gives you everything you need to build your web presence. There are a number of good-looking templates to choose from, and we were able to create a blog, a photo site, and more.
The free plan allows you to take payments for products, and if you can create really compelling content, there's even the option to sign up paid subscribers.
Limitations
Beware, although WordPress allows you to take online payments, it also takes 10% of every transaction. If you're hoping to make real money, it may be worth signing up for a paid plan (the $25 a month Business plan doesn't charge any commission at all.)
Opting for the hosted WordPress.com over the self hosted WordPress.org also limits the number of plugins and templates you can access.
Competition & Alternatives
WordPress can be a little trickier to navigate than some of the other website builders on this list. If you want ease-of-use, consider a user friendly builder like Wix or Weebly.
With a mind boggling 10% fee for transactions on the free plan, if you plan on selling online, but really need a free plan, Square Online is likely a better option.
Verdict
Whether you're creating a static site, or a blog-style site with regularly updated content, the online editor is a joy to use, in our opinion, and allows just about anyone to create an impressive, professional-looking site. The only downside is the limited range of plugins and templates compared with the self-hosted version of WordPress, and other free website builders.
With over 40% of all websites on the internet being powered by WordPress, it has to have a spot on our list of the best free website builders. Although the free website builder aspect of WordPress has faced some criticism for its clunky design and interface, it has improved more recently and makes it easy to build your website on top of the world's biggest CMS. ★★★
Read more: WordPress review
Best free website builder for portfolios
Jimdo has been used to create more than 25 million websites since 2007, with its simplicity receiving plenty of praise. Another area of strength is the way that it looks, with a range of clean, flexible templates on offer.
Features
Jimdo's stylish and modern templates make it a popular website builder for creatives such as designers and photographers - or indeed anyone else who wants to display their portfolio with a stunning website.
The platform even comes with its own Logo Designer to help make your brand recognizable. When testing Jimdo's free service, we were able to enter our business and select a starting point for our logo design. Then, we customize our icon and layout, choose a color and font, and that’s it!
Another useful design feature that Jimdo users will appreciate is the way that website colors automatically harmonize with an uploaded logo or image. This means that garish color clashes become a thing of the past – that's great for businesses where looking good is part of the brand.
Furthermore, Jimdo comes with a host of tips and support documents to help you create the right website for you. This includes examples of the best photography websites created using the platform, along with tips to build a successful site.
Limitations
Jimdo has a free plan, but this only supports a Jimdo subdomain (youname.jimdosite.com) and inserts ads on your pages. Some Jimdo users have complained about a lack of fancy features.
Plus, if you are looking for support on your site, you won't get that with the Jimdo free plan.
Competition & Alternatives
If you want more features, Wix's free plan is going to give you what you are looking for. Wix also offers a reasonable level of support on its free plan, which is lacking on the Jimdo plan.
Verdict
If you want a quick, straightforward way of launching a great-looking site, Jimdo is a great option.
Artists, musicians, and other creatives looking to quickly establish an online presence without spending a cent can't go far wrong with Jimdo. This website builder is known for being easy to use, whilst offering some stunning design features, helping you represent your talent in an engaging way. ★★½
Read more: Jimbo review
Best free website builder for single page websites and landing pages
Strikingly is unusual when ranked against the best website builder platforms, as it has a focus on designing mobile-friendly single-page websites. Before you decide a “single-page” site isn’t for you - it's not as limiting as you might think.
Features
Surprisingly, Strikingly allows us to add image galleries, a blog, custom forms, and even a simple web store (with no transaction fees). There are also a host of other useful features including responsive templates, social media feed integration, password protection, and much more.
The free plan comes with some impressive features such as unlimited free sites, 24/7 support, and the ability to invite collaborators. With Strikingly, you can easily build an attractive and functional website that’s complete with a blog. Plus, you can set everything up within just a few minutes.
Limitation
Like with most free plans, it has its limitations. These include the use of a Strikingly.com domain, 5GB/mo bandwidth, 500MB total storage, only up to 5 pages per site, and only one product per site.
Competition & Alternatives
We found that the Strikingly website builder isn't as powerful or customizable as competitors like Wix, Weebly, or HubSpot. These alternatives are well worth considering if you want a multipage website with plenty of features.
Verdict
If simplicity is key, and a single-page website is what you are looking for, add Strikingly to your shortlist.
One page sites don't work for everyone. However, those looking to create a website that makes a big impact without a complex structure and endless content to create, edit, and manage will want to seriously consider Strikingly. This option is ideal for those looking to build high-value pages as part of a wider marketing campaign, or simply those who only want to communicate the absolute essential information. ★★★½
Read more: Strikingly review
Best free website builder plans compared
In this guide, I have offered a detailed overview of everything you need to know about the best free website builders on the market.
In this section, I have distilled this information down into an easy to digest table. On it I highlighting some of the most important factors to consider when picking a website builder such as the ability to connect a custom domain, whether they show onsite ads, how much storage and bandwidth they offer, customer support options, and if they allow you accept online payment.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Wix | Weebly | HubSpot | Webflow | Site123 | Square Online | WordPress | Jimdo | Strikingly | Google Sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Overall website builder plan | Small businesses | Custom domain | Website design | A quick affiliate marketing website | Building online stores | Creating an online blog | Building an online portfolio | One page websites | Student projects |
| Our overall rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐½ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ | ⭐⭐⭐½ | ⭐⭐⭐½ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐½ | ⭐⭐⭐½ | NA |
| Add a custom domain | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| On site ads | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Storage | 500MB | 500MB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 250MB | 500MB | 1GB | 500MB | 500MB | Unlimited |
| Bandwidth | Up to 500MB | Up to 500MB | Unlimited | 1GB | 250MB | Up to 500MB | Unlimited | 2GB | 5GB | Unlimited |
| Customer support | Yes | Yes | Forum only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Forum only | No | Yes | Forum only |
| Online payments | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Note: If you want to learn more about what storage and bandwidth limits mean for your website, you can read our guide to web hosting.
How to choose the best free website builder for you
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With so many website builders on the market, how do you know which one is the right free solution for you? Or, indeed, is a free website builder the best option for meeting your needs? After all, you may find that investing in one of the best small business website builders or the best portfolio website builders gives you the extras you need to really grow your website.
When choosing a free website builder, you need to consider its limitations.
Hosting & domain
Start by looking at the hosting basics. What are the storage and traffic limits? Will that be enough? If the service doesn't support custom domains (and most don't), what sort of URL will you get? The shorter it is, the more memorable it'll be for your visitors. Plus, a platform-given domain can look unprofessional.
Website design
Also, think about site design. All free website builders have a range of website templates suitable for general sites, but if you're hoping for something very specific - a site for a jewelry store, a florist - then check for suitable templates before you sign up.
Tools and features
Consider features, too. What will really help or impress your visitors? A top-notch image gallery, integration with social media, something else? Make a list of your priorities and ensure the builder delivers.
Does the platform offer some free SEO tools to help you boost your search engine rankings? Does it have an app marketplace where you can expand your website's capabilities?
Ecommerce capabilities
If you're interested in ecommerce and a free plan seems to deliver, check the small print for catches. Some free builders display products but can't take payments online, for instance, and if a site does include payment support, it might ask for a huge transaction fee. Read the plan specs carefully, make sure you're getting what you expect.
Reporting and analytics
Take a look at the reporting and analytics offered on the free plan. Sometimes deeper analytics and insights are only accessible to those on premium plans. This isn't necessarily an issue if you don't need them, but some basic information on who uses your website and how they use it can be really helpful when looking to improve your visitor journey.
Test them out (they are free after all)
And if you've done your research and can't decide between the top two, hey, they're free, just sign up to both and try them side-by-side. There's nothing like real-world experience to help you find the best option, and 30 minutes of drag-and-dropping might tell you all you need to know.
How we test the best free website builders
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Our experts have undertaken a thorough testing process when selecting the best free website builders in this guide.
Eligibility (free)
Although many website builders such as Squarespace and Shopify offer free trials, usually ranging anywhere from 7 to 30 days, we don’t count these as free website builders. For a spot on this page a website builder must offer a ‘forever free’ version, where you will never have to pay to upgrade if you don’t want to.
Research
We start our testing process by undertaking a research phase. This includes reading through the website builders’ marketing and technical materials to identify some key information such as traffic limits, storage, custom domain support, template options, and specific features aligned to your needs.
During this stage, we will also identify other limitations associated with the free plan such as on-site branding. We will look at user reviews to get an overall picture of how people find using the platform. Where possible we will also talk directly to long-term users to get their insight into what they like/dislike about the website builder we are testing.
Hands-on experience
We sign up for every free website builder we test. To start we consider how easy it is to create an account and get the ball rolling with launching our website. For example, some website builders let you sign up in just a few clicks with a Facebook or Google account, whereas others can take more time and effort to get started.
Once signed up, we go through the process of building a website, just like any other other would. This typically starts by picking a template or using the AI website builder tool. We then populate the site with images, text, and pages to see how easy it is to customize our website to our unique needs.
When our site is finished, we then test out any management and marketing tools such as email marketing, social media, SEO, and customer management.
End user experience
When our site is finished we look at it from a visitor’s point of view, asking questions such as:
Is the website attractive?
Is it easy to use and intuitive?
Is it fast enough?
Ranking
Our website builder testing process is extensive. By undertaking in-depth reviews of all the best website builders on the market, we can build an industry-leading picture of which free website builders are worthy of a spot in this guide.
Each entry on this guide is just a summary of the research we have done, you can read our full website builder reviews for a deep dive into each.
Updates
Our testing process doesn’t stop once we have compiled a guide. Our team of experts are consistently re-testing website builders and keeping an eye out for new tools, features, and updates.
We update this guide regularly to ensure the information is accurate. You can learn more about how we test websites in our how we test website builders guide.
Best free website builder: Summary
In the end, while considering the best free website builder for your needs, there are some no-brainers that you must keep in mind. Factors such as traffic limits, storage, custom domain support, template options, and specific features aligned to your needs are all a must while hunting for your ideal platform. Remember, free website builders often have restrictions when compared to their paid plans, so it's vital to understand these before making a choice.
After testing all of the above website builders on our list, I have picked Wix and Weebly as my top choices. Wix comes out on top for its user-friendly AI website builder mode and some powerful editing tools, making it the right choice for both experts and beginners. Despite some shortcomings like restricted storage and ads on pages, its quality templates and neat interface make it a solid website builder.
Similarly, Weebly stands out with its simplicity and speed in setting up a website, along with its stylish templates and ecommerce capabilities. In short, it’s best for users who want a fast, straightforward website-building process.
So, go ahead and try building a website for free to see which one aligns best with your website needs and personal preferences.
Best free website builder FAQs
Which is the best free website builder for online stores?
If you’re looking to create a completely free website for your online store, Square Online is your best bet. It's tailor-made for ecommerce and provides all the essential tools you need to start selling online without any upfront costs.
Unlike other top ecommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, Square Online offers a free plan to get started, making it a superb choice for startups. What makes Square Online truly shine is how smoothly it combines site building with ecommerce features. From selling in-person with point-of-sale tools to reaching customers across social media, Square Online has you covered.
Another solid choice is Weebly. With its easy-to-use interface and tons of stylish templates, Weebly makes it a breeze to create a professional-looking online store. As your business grows, Weebly's reasonably priced paid plans offer superb features to help you succeed.
As you probably know, WordPress is a powerhouse when it comes to building stunning sites, including online stores. However, while it's free to use, you'll need to invest in web hosting and maybe some plugins for ecommerce features.
If you're all for simplicity, check out Strikingly. It's incredibly user-friendly and comes with basic ecommerce features for setting up a simple online store without any transaction fees. While it doesn’t offer many templates, it's super easy to create a good-looking site quickly.
What is the best free website builder?
The best free website builder is Wix. It offers a forever-free plan with an impressive site editor. Wix's powerful AI website builder makes creating a new site incredibly simple. By answering a few questions about your business and design preferences, Wix automatically generates a basic site in seconds. If you want more control, the full Wix editor provides powerful editing tools to customize your site exactly as you wish.
On the downside, free Wix sites come with certain limitations, such as 500MB storage, annoying Wix ads on every page, and no support for custom domains. However, with eye-catching templates, an easy-to-use editor, and helpful support, Wix remains a top choice for budget-friendly site-building.
Is there really a free website builder?
Wix, Weebly, and WordPress are website builder providers that offer their services for free as an option (in addition to a subdomain). Wix has completely free plans as well as paid ones.
We suggest you compare the benefits of each, weigh out your options in order to decide whether a free website builder is the right fit for your needs.
Is it worth upgrading to a paid plan?
The answer: it depends.
Free website builders aren't for everyone, but can be suitable for some.
For example, if you are starting a website to blog about your hobby, you probably won't care too much about massive storage, connecting a custom domain, or having some ads on your site. In these cases, a free website builder would be a good option for you.
Equally, if you are starting a business or testing a business idea and have very little budget, a free website builder can be a great way to get online and get the ball rolling.
However, in most business scenarios, upgrading to a paid option will likely be needed. This is because free plans tend to be limited in functionality and with on site ads and a non-custom domain, they can make your business look a little unprofessional.
Take for example if you want to launch an online store with thousands of products. A free website builder is unlikely to offer you the tools and features you need to do that. Plus, a non-custom domain and on site ads may discourage visitors from trusting you enough to input their card details.
Can I get free website hosting?
Yes, there are a handful of free website hosting services out there. However, it's important to keep in mind that free plans often come with some restrictions. Things like customer support, storage space, bandwidth, and extra perks such as free domain names are typically limited in free plans. Despite these limitations, free web hosting can still be a great option for personal sites, blogs, testing projects, and startup ventures.
If you're looking for the best free web hosting, services like InfinityFree, GoogieHost, and Freehostia are worth considering. InfinityFree stands out as a high-quality web hosting service that's completely free. It provides 5GB of disk space, unlimited bandwidth, and the ability to create three separate accounts with an unlimited number of subdomains under each of them.
GoogieHost, on the other hand, offers 1000MB of storage and domain extensions like ".c1.is" and ".whf.bz". However, one downside is that it takes around 24 hours for your site to go live after registering an account.
Meanwhile, Freehostia stands out by offering WordPress pre-installed, ensuring immediate activation upon signup. For those who enjoy working with WordPress to handle their sites, this feature makes life a whole lot easier.
Can I connect a domain to a free website builder?
Yes, but finding one that lets you connect a custom domain can be tricky. While many website builders like Wix or Weebly offer free plans, if you want to use your custom domain, you usually need to upgrade to their premium plan, which can be a bit pricey. Otherwise, your site will be hosted under their subdomain, not-so-subtly promoting their brand.
However, there are some rock-solid exceptions to this rule. Platforms like GetResponse, ConvertKit, and Landingi offer the option to connect your own custom domain even on their free plans.
