If you happen to want an internet site in your small enterprise, weblog, or different on-line presence however aren’t able to decide to a paid subscription, there are a selection of platforms that may allow you to create and host your web site without cost. Free web site builders have some limitations, however they’re nice for getting your web site up and operating with none up-front value.
Additionally: The most effective web site builders: Professional examined
What’s the perfect free web site builder proper now?
At ZDNET, we have examined a variety of web site builders to search out the perfect instruments for creating an internet site without charge. Wix is our prime choose for placing collectively a primary web site, with loads of design choices, whereas GoDaddy is a wonderful various for individuals fully new to web site builders, due to its easy interface and buyer help availability. We have put collectively an inventory of free web site builders to fulfill quite a lot of person wants.
The most effective free web site builders of 2025
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Wix is our most advisable web site builder for each free and paid customers. It presents numerous customization choices, from an intensive assortment of templates and embedded apps to a straightforward drag-and-drop interface with AI instruments that will help you construct or refine your design. Wix additionally makes it straightforward to add and add media to your web site. You may construct as many websites as you need without charge, although they are going to have free Wix URLs (siteprefix.wixsite.com/siteaddress) somewhat than customized domains, in addition to Wix branding, except you improve to a paid plan beginning at $17 monthly when billed yearly. One design draw back: You may’t change templates as soon as you have chosen one, except you begin a brand new web site from scratch.
All of Wix’s web sites embrace an SSL certificates at no cost, however people on the free tier get simply 500MB of storage and 1GB bandwidth — a big limitation if you wish to add giant pictures and movies or a number of pages otherwise you anticipate to have quite a lot of guests. Free websites will not have any e-commerce or buyer advertising performance both.
If you happen to want an internet site builder that provides nice design choices with strong efficiency and safety features in addition to 24/7 buyer telephone help, Wix is worthy of consideration.
Wix options: Massive template assortment | SSL certificates included | AI web site builder | 99.99% uptime assure | 24/7 buyer help
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GoDaddy is a strong various to Wix if you wish to get a easy and visually interesting web site printed rapidly and simply. It is not fairly as customizable by way of templates and themes, however the setup wizard is less complicated to navigate for anybody new to constructing an internet site, and GoDaddy’s AI software is useful for getting began or refining your web site’s design and content material. Free websites have GoDaddy branding and subdomains (e.g., yoursite.godaddysites.com), they usually’re free perpetually except you improve to a paid plan with premium options, beginning at $10 monthly when billed yearly.
Evaluation: GoDaddy
Free websites haven’t got e-commerce performance, however you do get a restricted variety of advertising e-mail sends monthly, in addition to appointment reserving and reminders, and product listings (simply no on-line transactions). GoDaddy has 24/7 buyer help by way of telephone, textual content, and chat.
GoDaddy options: 99.9% uptime | SSL certificates included | AI web site builder | E mail advertising and appointment scheduling | 24/7 buyer help
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If you wish to arrange a web based store with no up-front value, Sq. On-line — from fee processor Sq. — is the perfect web site builder for you. Customers on the free plan can settle for funds for services each on-line and in particular person, together with with Money App Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Sq. Pay, and even Afterpay. You additionally get delivery reductions, label printing, and a spread of search engine optimisation and advertising instruments to advertise your choices — a novel suite of options amongst free web site builders.
That mentioned, you possibly can’t customise your web site from the fundamental design theme and structure, nor are you able to join a customized area or take away Sq. branding except you improve to a Plus or Premium plan (billed yearly at $29 monthly and $79 monthly, respectively). This makes Sq. On-line’s free tier a fantastic selection for small companies that wish to begin promoting rapidly on a primary web site, however it’s much less so for these with a selected design imaginative and prescient for his or her model.
Sq. On-line options: SSL certificates included | E-commerce and search engine optimisation instruments | Sq. funds | Telephone and chat help throughout enterprise hours
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WordPress is a longtime identify on the planet of web site creation, and it is nonetheless a strong selection, particularly for writers and bloggers who wish to put up content material with some potential to model their web site and personalize its design. Observe that this assessment refers to WordPress.com, which is much less sturdy by way of customization in contrast with WordPress.org, however it takes care of internet hosting and safety, so that you need not set up software program or handle your personal server.
WordPress.com’s free plan permits you to create limitless pages with limitless contributors, and you’ve got a choice of free themes and templates to select from, which you’ll change at any time. The builder is straightforward and simple to make use of. On the free tier, your web site can have a subdomain (e.g., sitename.wordpress.com) and WordPress banners, and also you’re restricted to only 1GB of storage. An improve to the $4-per-month Private plan will get you a customized area and extra themes, however buyer help is out there solely on the $8-per-month Premium tier and above.
WordPress options: SSL certificates included | Unrestricted bandwidth
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In case your workflow already contains Google apps, Google Websites is a strong possibility for making a primary web site without charge. The builder makes use of a easy template with choices to customise colours and fonts in addition to drag and drop web page parts — plus, you possibly can simply combine content material blocks utilizing content material from different Google apps, comparable to Docs, Sheets, Kinds, and YouTube. It is also straightforward so as to add pages and edit textual content.
Observe that If you wish to arrange a web based retailer on a Google Web site, you will have to embed a third-party software, as Google Websites would not have any paid tiers or add-on options.
If you publish your web site, you possibly can choose a subdomain (e.g., websites.google.com/view/sitename) or join a customized area at no cost (aside from buying the area itself), which is a paid improve with most web site builders. Utilizing Google Websites will not get you a very distinctive or superbly designed web site, however it’s straightforward to make use of if you wish to publish one thing rapidly. Observe that buyer help for Google Websites is, nicely, Google’s buyer help.
Google Websites options: SSL certificates included | Integration with Google apps
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With its extremely customizable templates and themes, Wix is our prime choose for constructing a free web site that displays your small business or model. Here is how the perfect free web site builders evaluate:
|
Web site builder |
Custom area on free plan? |
Buyer help |
Key characteristic |
|
Wix |
x |
24/7 telephone + chat |
Customizable design |
|
GoDaddy |
x |
24/7 telephone, textual content, chat |
Customer support |
|
Sq. On-line |
x |
Telephone + chat throughout enterprise hours |
E-commerce options |
|
WordPress |
x |
N/A |
Running a blog instruments |
|
Google Websites |
✓ |
N/A |
Integration with Google apps |
|
Select this web site builder… |
If you’d like… |
|
Wix |
A versatile web site builder with numerous design choices. |
|
GoDaddy |
A simple-to-use platform with useful AI instruments and good customer support. |
|
Sq. On-line |
A free web site in your on-line store. |
|
WordPress |
A simple builder in your weblog. |
|
Google Websites |
A primary builder with the choice to attach a customized area. |
Free web site builders are considerably extra restricted than these which might be paid. Most include the platform’s subdomain and show advertisements; few (if any) advertising and e-commerce instruments; and low storage capability. When evaluating choices, think about the next questions:
- Reside buyer help: Contemplate whether or not you will want dwell buyer help to help you with troubleshooting. Most of our prime picks even have tutorials and assist pages, some extra detailed than others.
- Customization: If you would like an internet site with a novel and tailor-made look, you may wish to think about a paid subscription with extra customization choices. Some free web site builders provide restricted design selections, which means you will have much less management over your web site’s fonts, colours, and structure.
- Enterprise wants: Establish your small business wants earlier than selecting a free or paid web site builder. Some free choices do not embrace e-commerce or e-mail advertising choices, whereas others have restricted bandwidth and storage.
To search out the perfect free web site builders, we recognized the platforms which have absolutely free tiers (not simply restricted free trials) and in contrast their options, limitations, and person expertise with hands-on testing.
Sure, there are a handful of platforms that permit you to construct an internet site with out ever buying a subscription. Nevertheless, there are important limitations to utilizing a free web site builder: Your web site can have a branded subdomain (e.g., siteprefix.wixsite.com/siteaddress) somewhat than a customized deal with, and it will have advertisements or branding that may’t be eliminated out of your pages. Free instruments might also have storage and bandwidth caps, and most lack advertising and e-commerce options for reaching clients or promoting items and providers.
There are numerous causes to pay for an internet site builder somewhat than depend on a free service — for instance, you probably have a customized area you wish to join, which may legitimize your small business, otherwise you run a big on-line retailer. All of the free providers we name out right here even have paid tiers with extra options, at a spread of value factors, or you possibly can take a look at our prime picks for the perfect web site builders.
Different free web site builders
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