Best Free Website Builders: Are They Worth It?

Not all free website builders offer the same experience, with features and editor types varying between providers. Based on my experience testing website builders, Wix offers the best overall free builder. It’s relatively easy to use, thanks to AI and its drag-and-drop editor, and offers over 900 diverse templates and a range of content creation tools.

Wix is one of the best website builders out there to offer a free plan, but it might not be the best option for you, depending on your needs. I’ve tested and reviewed five free website builders in total, so you can make an informed choice.

And remember, free website builders are great for personal use, but for businesses, a paid website builder is a better option, long term. This is because free website builders come with ads, which can make you seem unprofessional, and have limited bandwidth, which slows down loading time for visitors. That said, free website builders are a good way for businesses to test out a website builder before committing to a paid plan.

Best Free Website Builders: Summary

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick summary of what the best free website builders have to offer:

1. Wix: Best All-round Free Website Builder

Wix is the best free website builder overall. On its free plan, users get access to the same design tools as they would on a paid plan, including a wide range of AI-enhanced content creation tools. Thanks to its AI website builder and drag-and-drop editor, it’s also relatively easy to create and customize a website with Wix.

My experience with Wix’s free website builder

Wix now offers one of the best AI website builders on the market, available on its free plan. Using AI saved me from having to sift through Wix’s 900 pre-built templates, far more than the average 150 offered by competitors, speeding up website creation.

When it comes to results, I was generally impressed with the websites Wix’s AI designed for me, since I felt they matched my stated theme. However, I didn’t like that Wix’s AI builder now populates its websites with AI-generated images instead of stock images. The AI images just don’t look photo real, and can be off-putting to customers. Luckily, Wix’s pre-built templates still feature stock imagery, and you can always replace the AI images using Wix’s intuitive editor.

Wix has taken steps to make its editor easier to use in the past year, after it became a little oversaturated with tools. This is largely done via a new menu layout, where different functions are separated into dropdown menu sections, making the menu less imposing. The familiar drag-and-drop design of Wix’s editor also means it’s easy to add and move elements on a page.

What do you get on Wix’s free plan?

When it comes to features, Wix offers far more content creation tools on its free plan than most competitors. These tools include a built-in logo creator, email marketing campaign designer, and social media post designer, with GoDaddy being the only competitor to offer a similar range. This makes Wix’s free plan a great option for users looking for an all-in-one content creation platform.

On top of this, Wix also has more AI tools than its competitors. Besides its AI website builder, users get access to an AI writer, AI image generator and editor, and AI support chatbot. Once again, GoDaddy is the only competitor to offer similar AI tools.

On the downside, on Wix’s free plan, storage space is limited to just 500MB, whereas competitors GoDaddy and Pagecloud offer unlimited storage space on their free plans. Additionally, as with most free website builders, Wix ads will appear on your website, and your website URL will contain “wixsite.com”, which might seem unprofessional to visitors.

Although Wix has improved its usability in the past year, it’s still not the most beginner-friendly option, mainly because its vast number of tools and features can make its backend difficult to navigate. Wix is also the only website builder I tested that doesn’t let users switch templates after they’ve published their website. This makes it harder to quickly change the design of your website in the future.

What do you get if you upgrade your free Wix plan?

Upgrading to a paid version of Wix automatically removes all Wix ads from your website, and allows you to purchase a custom domain, removing “wixsite.com” from your URL.

Wix’s cheapest paid plan is the $17 per month Lite plan

Paid Wix plans also include more storage space than the free plan – from 2GB on the Lite plan to an unlimited amount – and advanced marketing functions, such as automated marketing and website analytics, which can help you track how many customers your site has reached.

On the $29 per month Wix Core plan, you can also start accepting payments, whether that be for services or goods, and allow repeat customers to save their payment information for faster checkout.

As with most website builders, the more you pay per month, the more features you’ll get access to. However, if you’re just after a simple website for a hobby or personal project, you don’t need to upgrade to a paid plan.

You can find out more about Wix’s pricing and what you get for your money in our guide.

2. GoDaddy: Best for Accepting Bookings for Free

Like Wix, GoDaddy’s free website builder comes with a range of content creation and AI tools. But what sets GoDaddy apart from other free website builders is that its free plan allows users to accept bookings (but not online payments) from customers, a function no other free website builder on this list offers.

My experience with GoDaddy’s free website builder

Like Wix, GoDaddy has an AI website builder, which makes the process of creating a website very quick. There are also around 200 pre-built templates you can choose from; not as many as Wix, but above the industry average of 150.

I was generally pleased with the results since the AI-generated website matched what I had in mind. However, the design GoDaddy’s AI website builder came up with wasn’t the most unique or inspiring design, an issue that also affects GoDaddy’s pre-built templates. Comparatively, Wix and Pagecloud offer more modern and eye-catching templates.

That said, GoDaddy’s editor is quite simple and easy to use compared with these two competitors. I was able to add or edit elements by clicking on them directly on the page and also by using the sidebar menu, and I liked the fact that GoDaddy’s editor included suggestions for what to add on the page.

Some level of customization is sacrificed in favor of ease of use with GoDaddy, since not every element in a template is mobile, unlike with Wix, but if you’re not technically savvy, this is a good thing.

What do you get on GoDaddy’s free plan?

A standout feature of GoDaddy’s free plan is that it lets you accept one-time appointment bookings from customers (although they won’t be able to pay via your website), something not offered by the other free website builders featured in this list. This makes it a handy tool for service businesses like salons or clinics.

GoDaddy’s free plan is similar to Wix’s, in that it also comes with a range of content creation tools, including logo creation, and social media post and emails campaign creation. As with Wix, you can also use AI on GoDaddy to help you create designs for the above content and write copy for your website. Results vary, and aren’t quite are sharp as Wix’s designs.

That said, unlike Wix, GoDaddy doesn’t offer an AI image generator, but the unlimited storage space offered on the free plan means you’ll have plenty of opportunity to upload your own images, as well as use GoDaddy’s free stock images.

However, GoDaddy, like all free website builders, has its downsides. As with all free website builders, your free GoDaddy website will also display a GoDaddy ad banner, and your website URL will contain “godaddysites.com”.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, GoDaddy’s templates aren’t as eye-catching as those offered by competitors Wix or Pagecloud, and some can even look a little dated. The absence of an app store also reduces the number of third-party software and apps you can easily integrate into your GoDaddy website to boost its features, and GoDaddy is the only free website builder on this list missing this feature.

For a closer comparison of our top two free website builders, see our Wix vs GoDaddy article.

What do you get if you upgrade your free GoDaddy plan?

Like Wix, signing up for a paid GoDaddy plan will remove the GoDaddy ad banner from your website and allow you to purchase a custom domain.

GoDaddy’s cheapest paid plan is the $16.99 per month Basic plan. It costs $9.99 for the first year but renews at $16.99 per month, basically the same cost as Wix’s cheapest plan.

You’ll also get access to a wider set of marketing tools, such as automated welcome emails and appointment reminders, and access to a wider range of pre-made designs in the GoDaddy Studio, to use in your email marketing and social media campaigns.

If you’re accepting bookings through your website, GoDaddy’s two most expensive plans allow you to let your customers book recurring appointments (as well as one-time ones) and sign up for group events (webinars, classes, etc.).

To start taking payments on GoDaddy, you’ll have to upgrade to at least the $29.99 per month Premium plan, which lets you accept payments from bookings, and to sell products you need to upgrade to the $34.99 per month Commerce plan.

3. Pagecloud: Best for Creating a Polished-looking Informational Page

Pagecloud’s free plan allows you to create a one-page website, making it a useful option for making informational pages with your key business details or showcasing a personal project. It has some truly stunning pre-built templates, making it a good choice for aesthetic-focused businesses.

My experience with Pagecloud’s free website builder

Unlike Wix and GoDaddy, Pagecloud doesn’t have an AI website builder, so I had to build my website the traditional way, by choosing from one of Pagecloud’s 50 or so templates.

While 50 plus templates are far less than the amount offered by Wix or GoDaddy, Pagecloud’s templates impressed me with their aesthetics. They were extremely polished and modern-looking, the kind of designs you’d expect from Squarespace, which is renowned for its attractive templates.

Like most website builders on this list, Pagecloud has a drag-and-drop editor, which means I could easily move and add elements anywhere on the page. However, it’s not the easiest editor to navigate.

Functions aren’t clearly labelled or displayed, so I was never too sure what I was clicking on when I first started out. It’s definitely not a good choice for beginners or people who want to create a website quickly.

Although the free Pagecloud plan only allows you to create a one-page website, I was able to add as many sections as I wanted to that page, so the one-page nature of the site isn’t too limiting. However, the more sections you have, the more your visitors will have to scroll, so I’d recommend you avoid overfilling it.

What do you get on Pagecloud’s free plan?

Pagecloud’s free plan doesn’t come with many extra features besides website building and editing, unlike Wix and GoDaddy, whose free plans include a host of marketing content creation tools.

However, last year, Pagecloud launched an AI writer, which is available on its free plan. It can be used to write a variety of copy, including long blog posts and short blurbs, as well as edit existing copy, obeying prompts on lengths and tone. It’s comparable to the AI writer offered by competitor Wix in terms of its scope and quality.

Also available on Pagecloud’s free plan is its banner and pop-up creation tool. You can select a banner or pop-up from a variety of templates and edit them using the same drag-and-drop editor used for website building. Users can schedule where and when banners appear on the website, and they can be a useful tool to boost engagement.

Finally, as with all the free website builders on this list, a free Pagecloud website comes with ads, and it features “mypagecloud.com” in the URL.

What do you get if you upgrade your free Pagecloud plan?

Upgrading will remove Pagecloud ads from your website, and you’ll be able to purchase a domain, so that “mypagecloud.com” no longer appears in your URL.

Most importantly, you’ll be able to create a website with more than one page – between 100 and 300 pages, depending on the plan – and you’ll be able to create forms to capture user information.

Pagecloud’s cheapest paid plan, Launch, costs $22 per month, one of the highest starting prices on this list.

A paid Pagecloud website also comes with advanced analytics, so you can monitor your website’s performance, and you’ll get access to SEO tools such as Semrush (a keyword research tool).

However, none of Pagecloud’s paid plans come with an ecommerce function. To sell online, you have to purchase an ecommerce add-on, which starts at $9 per month on top of your monthly website subscription. This can add up quickly, so for selling online at no extra cost, you’re better off with Square.

4. Webflow: Best for Advanced Design and Customization

Webflow’s free website is a good choice for experienced website creators who are looking for a high degree of creative freedom when designing their website. It’s not drag and drop, but users with experience using advanced editing tools will enjoy a high level of customization.

My experience with Webflow’s free website builder

Webflow currently has an AI website builder in beta (meaning it’s not fully finalized) that users can test to create a website. On top of this, there are 40 plus pre-built templates to choose from.

I decided to test out the AI website builder, since this is a new addition since the last time I tested Webflow. There were only two prompts to answer, but the builder took a long time to create a website compared with GoDaddy’s AI builder.

That said, the results were pretty good – modern-looking and on theme – and I liked that Webflow’s AI gave me the option of choosing a style, color palette, and sections before moving me to the editor.

Out of all the website builders I tested, Webflow is the most customizable. Its editor gives you the option to change anything, from fonts to spacing, to color scheme, and you can even add effects to the website, such as shows or transitions.

Webflow’s main downside is that a lot of the ease-of-use is sacrificed in favour of design flexibility. It was the most difficult-to-use website builder I tested, even more so than Pagecloud. Part of the reason is that Webflow doesn’t have a drag-and-drop editor, which would have made adding new elements to the page much easier.

What do you get on Webflow’s free plan?

Like Pagecloud, Webflow’s free website builder doesn’t come with many extra features besides website building and editing.

One thing Webflow’s free website plan does come with is 50 free form submissions, which means you can collect information from users without having to upgrade to a paid plan, which is not the case with most competitors.

Webflow’s free plan also comes with very discreet ads in the form of a small banner at the bottom of each page. This makes it a great option for users concerned about their free website looking unprofessional, and sets Webflow apart from rivals like GoDaddy, whose free website includes top banner ads.

On the downside, Webflow’s free plan comes with a two-page limit, which means it can’t be used to house big projects, and works better for small informational websites.

What do you get if you upgrade your free Webflow plan?

The next plan up from the free website costs $14 per month and includes a custom domain, no Webflow ads, increased bandwidth, and an increased static page limit. As you go up in price, page limits, form submission limits, and bandwidth all increase, with the two most expensive plans also allowing for collaborators, and a website search bar.

Depending on the paid plan you choose, your static page limit on Webflow will go up from two to between 150 and 300.

Webflow also has three separate plans for ecommerce, ranging from $29 to $212 per month. They come with similar features to Webflow’s website builder plans, with the added benefit of ecommerce management. That said, Webflow imposes product number limits on all its paid ecommerce plans, while Square lets you sell unlimited products for free.

5. Square Online: Best for Creating a Free Online Store

If you’re looking for a free website builder to create an online store and take payments online, Square Online is your best bet. It’s the only website builder I’ve researched that has a free ecommerce plan. This means you won’t pay any monthly fees to create and publish your website.

However, Square does take a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee, applicable to each sale. This is standard across the payment processing industry, so there’s no 100% free way to sell online.

My experience with Square’s free website builder

Square’s free website builder is quite different from other website builders I tested, since the free plan doesn’t give you access to the template library.

There’s also no AI website builder, so you start with a default black and white layout, although you can customize font, color palette, and choose from a set of different layouts once you’re in the website editor. That said, you can’t move elements anywhere you want on a page, and you don’t have access to stock images, which limits customization options.

The upside to this is that the Square Online editor is quite easy to use, since it doesn’t have a vast menu of features, and all you really have to do is populate your website with products and your brand name.

What do you get on Square’s free plan?

Although you don’t get access to templates or stock images on Square’s free plan, something all other competitors offer, it’s the only free plan that lets you sell an unlimited number of products or services online.

Square’s free online store also easily integrates with Square’s other software products, including its free POS software. In fact, Square’s website builder is essentially designed to act as a complementary sales channel for businesses that sell in person using Square’s POS system, and you can manage in-person and online sales from the same backend. This isn’t something offered by other website builders on this page.

There are a variety of other free and paid Square software tools, all of which integrate with each other. For example, although there are no free marketing content creation tools (Square only offers paid email marketing), there is a free Photo Studio app for image editing.

Square also has an AI writer that can help you write or enhance product descriptions, but unlike Wix and GoDaddy’s AI writers, it can’t draft copy for your website.

Lastly, like all free website builders, a free Square website includes visible Square ads, and your URL will contain “square.site”.

What do you get if you upgrade your free Square Online plan?

Upgrading to one of Square’s two paid plans will cost $29 or $79 per month, depending on the plan you choose. That’s more expensive than Wix or GoDaddy’s cheapest plans, but it’s actually relatively affordable when it comes to ecommerce platforms. Ecommerce giant Shopify starts its pricing at $29 per month as well.

Square paid plans will, first and foremost, remove any ads, and allow you to purchase a custom domain. They’ll also give you access to a lot more sales and marketing features.

For example, you’ll be able to send order status alerts to customers, either via email or SMS, allow item pre-orders, and send abandoned cart recovery emails.

Square’s paid plans also offer better website customization options than its free plan, although nothing near what website builders like Wix offer. On the paid plans, you’ll get access to stock images, a suite of ready-made website templates, and a wider range of page layouts.

I think it’s worth upgrading if you plan on becoming a serious ecommerce business, but in the beginning stages, using Square’s free plan is enough.

Is a Free Website Builder Right for You?

Whether a free website builder is right for you will really depend on what you’re using it for.

Personal use

If you’re building a website for personal use, such as a school project, or to showcase an event such as a wedding or birthday, a free website builder will probably do the trick. This is especially true if you only plan on using the website temporarily, since you’ll save money on monthly subscription fees by using a free version.

However, if you plan on using the website long-term, it can be worth paying for a premium version. I recommend doing this if you want to create a multi-page website and fill it with a lot of content, since many free website builders come with limited storage.

Business purposes

If you’re creating a website to showcase your business, I don’t recommend using a free website builder in the long term.

This is because they usually come with ads and don’t come with a custom domain. This means the website builder’s name will appear in your website’s URL, and it won’t be easy for people to find it using search engines, unless they already know the URL.

Because of this, free plans don’t usually supply the level of professionalism needed for, say, architecture, counseling, legal, dentistry, and so on. It can be difficult for a new customer to trust your business if your URL contains another platform’s name.

That being said, a free website builder can work as a temporary solution if you aren’t sure whether to commit to your business idea. They’re also a great opportunity to practice the skills of creating a website from scratch.

If you’re curious about taking the first steps, check out our guide on how to build a business website.

Are Free Website Builders Secure?

Whether a free website builder is secure or not is determined by the provider, not the free nature of the website.

Different providers have different security measures in place, such as dual-factor authentication, SSL certificates, and encryption tools. If a website builder has these security measures, they’ll apply to all websites made using it, both free and paid, so it’s best to check with individual providers.

How Easy Is It to Switch to a Paid Website Builder Plan?

Website builder providers want you to switch to a paid plan, so they make it easy for you. You can usually do this by going into account settings and clicking on “Subscription” or “Billing”. A lot of website builders will also include links for switching to a paid plan in the editor or backend, usually in front of features that can be unlocked by upgrading to a paid plan.

You’ll typically need to provide your card details and choose whether you want to pay monthly or upfront for the whole year (most providers offer a discount if you choose this option).

Buying Guide: How To Choose a Free Website Builder

Here’s what you should consider when choosing a free website builder:

• Ease-of-use: If you’re looking for a free website builder, chances are you want something quick and easy to use. This doesn’t mean you need to go with the absolute easiest-to-use website builder out there; just make sure it fits your technical abilities.
• Design and customization: Free website builders should give you a variety of website design options and some degree of flexibility when it comes to customization. A beautifully made website that’s unique will help your business stand out from the crowd and increase customer confidence.
• Added features: Think about what features you want your free website builder to have, since what’s offered for free varies by website builders. Free website builders should, at the bare minimum, include a contact form, pre-made templates, and free stock images. If they don’t, there should be other features that interest you, such as tools to sell online or a marketing suite.
• Potential costs: Make sure the website builder is actually free, and that there aren’t any hidden costs you’ll have to pay along the way, such as hosting to keep your website live. It’s also a good idea to look at how much the paid plans cost and assess whether you’re willing to pay that amount, should you decide to upgrade.

How Did We Compare the Best Free Providers?