Building a website can be expensive. You may need to invest in web hosting and a few other tools. Also, not all platforms come with a drag and drop editor, which can be a deal breaker for many beginners. So it might be worth considering a free website builder for some projects.
While it’s possible to launch a site for free, you should be prepared for some trade-offs. For example, you may need to use a generic subdomain and your site will include the provider’s ads, which you can’t monetize. You will also be stuck with relatively low storage and bandwidth. Still, you will be able to create a decent website with a simple visual editor and host it for free. Tools for tasks like search engine optimization (SEO) can also come built-in.
In this article, we’ll give you an overview of our top six free website builders. Let’s dive in!
The Best Free Website Builder Tools
Now that we’ve shared some of the limitations of free website builders, let’s see what you’ll actually get in your free plans Each of these builders offer generous features, so the one that best suits your needs will come down to what your website needs to be successful.
1. Wix
Our first recommendation for the best free website builder is Wix, one of the leading brands on the market. It comes with several features for beginners as well as advanced options for professional designers.
Wix gives you access to over 500 templates, which you can customize with a drag-and-drop editor. If you need a website up and running in no time, you can also use Wix’s Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) tool, which will generate a complete site for you based on a short questionnaire.
If you prefer , you can also skip the template and start your design from scratch, giving you full control over your site creation. You can even add eye-catching elements like parallax, video backgrounds, or various animation effects.
In addition to all that, Wix gives you basic website analytics, SEO tools, and social media integration. However, the free version of this website builder will not allow you to remove ads. You’ll also be stuck with a subdomain of username.wixsite.com/siteaddress, which isn’t very user friendly.
⚙️ Features:
Access to various applications // Mobile-friendly design // Stock photos // Unlimited web pages // Various marketing tools // 500 MB of storage and bandwidth // SSL certificate
You can see A few sample Wix websites to see it in action.
💵 Price: If you want to increase storage, connect your custom domain, and remove Wix branding, pricing starts at $16 per month.
👉 Interested in Wix? Learn how to create a website with Wix
2. Weebly
Next on our list is Weebly, another free website builder that is fully hosted. Like Wix, it offers a selection of professional layouts that you can customize with a responsive editor.
Weebly’s customizer allows you to drag and drop multiple pieces of content onto your editing screen. You can also edit your text as you would in a typical word processor and watch the changes unfold in real time.
Although the customization options are not as advanced as in Wix, you can still create various effects. modern . For example, you can add a video background, create a dynamic header, or use full-width sections for a contemporary layout.
If you need eCommerce functionality, Weebly offers great options at affordable prices. Its online shopping features are powered by Square, giving you access to state-of-the-art online retail tools.
If a free basic website is all you need, however, you’ll get a simple name Subdomain .weebly.com and features such as:
⚙️ Features:
Access to various applications // Mobile-friendly design // 500 MB of storage // Unlimited pages // Integrated SEO // SSL certificate // Lead capture and contact forms // Basic website analysis // Social media integration
💵 Price: You can connect a custom domain starting at $10/mo or upgrade to the Pro plan for $12/mo to remove Weebly ads and access extra features like phone support.
3. Jimdo
Jimdo is a relatively new free website builder, but it is quickly establishing itself as a worthy contender. This Germany-based provider lets you launch a website using its artificial intelligence technology.
Jimdo gives you access to two modes of website building:
- Dolphin will generate a custom layout based on a few questions.It will also fill your site with the content that best suits your chosen niche. You can adjust most of the settings if you need to modify the results. This is similar to Wix’s ADI tool.
- Creator, on the other hand, gives you more customization options. Instead of using the quiz, you choose a template, which you can customize with a drag-and-drop editor. Advanced users can also add custom code.
The freemium version gives you a Jimdo brand domain yoursite.jimdofree.com along with:
⚙️ Features :
2 GB bandwidth // 500 MB storage // SSL certificate // Mobile apps // Basic eCommerce functionality for up to five items // Responsive design // SEO built-in // One password-protected area
💵 Price: If you want to connect a custom domain, remove ads, and access more advanced features, pricing starts at just $9 per month .
4. Strikingly
If you’re looking for a one-page solution to showcase your portfolio or small business, Strikingly is worth a try. It’s a great option for users who find most website builder tools too overwhelming.
Once you sign up, you can choose from dozens of beautiful themes, which you can customize with a intuitive visual editor. This free website builder will also suggest various calls to action (CTAs), which is a useful tool for users with little design experience. Plus, you get access to a live support chat.
The free plan gives you a yourname.strikingly.com subdomain and features like:
⚙️ Features:
5 GB monthly bandwidth // 500 MB storage // Unlimited sites (with basic features) // Simple eCommerce functionality for a single product // Contributor access
💵 Price: You can claim a custom domain and increase storage starting at $8 per month with an annual contract. More advanced users may want to consider the Pro plan, which removes the Strikingly branding. It also allows you to create a membership site and add multiple pages for $16 a year.
5. Site123
Site123 is another relatively new fully hosted platform that you can use to build and launch your site in less than an hour. It also promises to be the easiest website builder to use, which may or may not be accurate, depending on your expectations.
Although the visual editor looks a bit dated, it is still quite intuitive and gives you plenty of customization options. Unfortunately, you’re stuck with the themes available for the specific niche you select when signing up (for example, personal blog). However, all layouts generally keep the same structure.
On the other hand, if you need to get your site up and running quickly, Site123 could be a great solution. All you need to do is replace the dummy content and images with your own and launch when you’re ready.
The free option of this website builder gives you a branded subdomain yourname.site123.me with the following features:
⚙️ Features:
250 MB of storage and bandwidth // Mobile-friendly design // SEO tools // Access to stock images // Live chat support
💵 Price: Site123 only has an ad-free plan, which starts at $12.80 per month. It gives you a free custom domain for one year, e-commerce features, and more generous storage and bandwidth.
6. Mozello
Our final recommendation is Mozello, a simple and free website builder that allows you to create multilingual sites. Its free plan also doesn’t have as much hype as the other candidates on this list, with just a small Mozello link included in the footer.
This platform comes with several layouts, which you can easily customize with the composer. visual Like Site123, it doesn’t offer much flexibility since all the templates keep the same structure. Still, you can easily change the fonts, add images, and adjust the color scheme to your liking.
The free plan gives you a subdomain yourname.mozello.com and comes with a variety of useful features. For example, you can access decent SEO tools and create a basic online store for up to five products. Plus, you can easily add languages and translate your content as you build your site.
⚙️ Features:
500 MB storage // Device friendly mobile design // Social media integration // Google Analytics support // Custom HTML // Online payments (PayPal)
💵 Price: Starting at just $8 a month, you can claim a custom domain, remove the Mozello branding and increase the storage to 50 GB. If you want to launch an online store with unlimited items and include all payment gateways, pricing starts at $16 per month.
Try one of these free website builder tools today
In this article, we have discussed six of the best free website builders that suit various needs.
If you’re still not sure whether to pay for your website builder, you can also check out our collection of the best premium website builders to see how they stack up against free options.
And if you’ve decided that Wix is your best option, you can follow our guide on how to build a website with Wix to get started.
Have any questions about any of these free website builders? ? Let us know in the comments section below!
*This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and then purchase the product, we will receive a commission. Don’t worry though, you’ll still pay the standard amount, so there’s no additional cost on your part.
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