Businesses need to have an online presence through a website in order to discover potential customers. However, not every small business can afford to hire a professional developer. This is where free website builders step in, offering a solution that allows you to create a website without any cost.

These website builder tools handle the technical aspects, sparing you the need to understand CSS or manipulate HTML. After extensively testing numerous free website builders, we have compiled a list of the seven best options that provide an excellent user experience and impressive results.

1. The 5 best free website builders

  • Google Sites
  • Weebly
  • Wix
  • Dorik
  • Webflow
Free Website1.1 Google Sites

Google Sites is another popular website builder that can be considered among the best free website builders. With Google Sites, you can create and publish websites easily using a drag-and-drop interface. It integrates seamlessly with other Google services, making it convenient for users who are already using Google’s suite of tools.

Google Sites offers a variety of templates and customization options to create a professional-looking website. It also allows for collaborative editing, enabling multiple users to work on the site simultaneously. You can embed Google Drive files, YouTube videos, Google Maps, and more into your website.

While Google Sites may not have as many advanced features as some dedicated website builders, it is a solid option for those who prefer a straightforward and user-friendly website creation experience, especially if you are already using other Google services.

  • Pricing: Google Sites is 100% free to use, and there are no paid plans available.
  • Ease of use: Google Sites is designed to be user-friendly and has a similar interface to Google Docs. It offers a straightforward editing experience that is easy to grasp, even for users without extensive website-building experience.
  • Customization options: While Google Sites provides some customization options, they are more limited compared to other website builders. Users can choose from 12 templates and 6 themes to determine the overall look and feel of their site. These options may be suitable for individuals who are looking for simplicity and don’t require extensive customization.
  • SEO tools: Google Sites surprisingly lacks built-in SEO tools. This means it may not offer the same level of optimization options as some other website builders when it comes to improving your site’s visibility in search engine results.
  • Value of the free plan: The free plan of Google Sites is suitable for beginners, hobbyists, or those who are just starting out with website creation. However, in terms of features and flexibility, it may not be as comprehensive as platforms like Weebly or Wix, which offer more robust capabilities for creating and customizing websites.
1.2 Weebly

Weebly, owned by Square, is a free website builder with more limited functionality. It is suitable for creating simple websites such as portfolios or blogs, but it lacks features like e-commerce capabilities or easy integration with social media accounts.

Free Website

Upon signing up, you’ll be prompted to choose between Weebly (for personal websites) or Square Online (for business websites). Opting for the personal option provides you with a basic yet user-friendly builder.

To get started, you can select a template and edit various elements to customize your site. Each theme comes pre-populated with text boxes, images, and named pages, all of which can be easily adjusted with a single click. Editing images is particularly straightforward, allowing you to crop, adjust lighting, and add text directly in the editor.

Although there aren’t as many templates as you’ll find in other tools like Wix, the available options are well-designed. You can add buttons, contact forms, slide shows, swap images, insert newsletter forms, and include maps with ease. Additional features can be added using the Apps tab, but most of them require a separate payment. It’s worth noting that these are one-time payments rather than subscription-based fees.

Weebly includes SSL for your site, which is beneficial for SEO purposes. You can easily change your website’s favicon (the icon that appears in the browser tab). You can preview a mobile version of your site by clicking the mobile icon in the top navigation. Under the SEO tab, you can optimize your site by adding a page title, URL, description, meta keywords, and custom header/footer code, such as Google Analytics tracking codes.

With the free plan, your site will have Weebly branding and domain, which is standard for free website builders. However, the paid plans might not offer the best value, as connecting a custom domain alone costs $10/month. If you require more advanced features, it would be advisable to consider other tools on the list.

  • Pricing: Weebly offers both free and paid plans. The free plan allows you to create a website without any upfront costs, while the paid plans provide additional features and customization options. The pricing varies depending on the plan you choose.
  • Ease of use: Weebly is designed to be beginner-friendly, making it easy for users with no coding or design experience to create their websites. It offers a drag-and-drop editor that allows you to customize your site’s layout, add content, and make changes easily.
  • Customization options: Weebly provides a wide selection of professionally designed templates that can be customized to fit your needs. It offers a drag-and-drop editor with various elements and widgets that you can add to your site. You can also modify the design, colors, fonts, and other visual aspects to match your brand or personal style.
  • SEO tools: Weebly includes basic SEO features to optimize your website for search engines. It allows you to add meta tags, customize page URLs, and optimize your content for better search engine visibility. While it may not offer as advanced SEO tools as dedicated SEO platforms, it provides enough functionality for most small to medium-sized websites.
  • Value of the free plan: Weebly’s free plan offers a decent set of features, including access to a wide range of templates, basic SEO tools, and the ability to create a functional website. However, the free plan comes with limitations such as displaying Weebly ads and having a Weebly subdomain. Upgrading to a paid plan unlocks additional features and removes these limitations.

Overall, Weebly is a reliable and user-friendly website builder that suits beginners and those looking for a straightforward and customizable website creation experience. It offers a balance between ease of use and flexibility, making it a popular choice for individuals and small businesses.

1.3 Wix

Free Website

Wix is a popular drag-and-drop website builder that offers a wide range of features and customization options. With over 900 templates to choose from, you can easily create a professional-looking website tailored to your needs. The editor is robust and intuitive, allowing you to customize fonts, headings, lists, and sections without any coding knowledge.

Wix also provides various integrations, including email marketing, making it convenient to launch digital marketing campaigns from the platform. The free version offers many features, although some images may require payment. Wix even offers an AI Text Creator to assist with writing website copy, and detailed SEO features to improve your site’s visibility on search engines.

When you’re ready to go live, the free version provides a domain with a “.wixsite.com” extension and includes a Wix logo. However, if you have your own domain, you can easily connect it to your Wix site. Additionally, Wix integrates with Zapier, allowing you to automate tasks and connect with other platforms.

Overall, Wix is a solid choice for building straightforward websites without getting overwhelmed by decision-making. It offers a user-friendly interface, extensive customization options, and helpful integrations, making it suitable for both beginners and those with more experience.

  • Pricing: Wix offers a variety of pricing options, including a free plan and paid plans starting at $14/month.
  • Ease of use: The platform features an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor that allows for intuitive website building. Beginners might find it overwhelming, but Wix also provides a free AI website builder called Wix ADI for a more guided experience.
  • Customization options: When it comes to customization, Wix provides extensive options. You can add forms, a blog, eCommerce features, and even create custom videos to personalize your website according to your needs.
  • SEO features: Wix excels in SEO features, offering a range of tools and providing clear explanations and step-by-step guidance for optimizing your website. They also assist in integrating off-site tools like Google Analytics.
  • Value of free plan: The value of Wix’s free plan is excellent. Unlike other builders that constantly push for upgrades, Wix includes most features to some extent even in the free plan.
1.4 Dorik

dorik

Dorik offers the option to build a fully-fledged website or a single landing page for free, and it also provides premium options for adding a blog or a paid membership feature. In my experience using WordPress page builders, I found Dorik to be intuitive and refreshing. While beginners may find it slightly more challenging, there is excellent online documentation available for easy reference.

With Dorik, you have the flexibility to start from scratch, import JSON files, or choose from 39 pre-designed website templates. The visual drag-and-drop editor allows you to create sections using over 250 UI blocks (rows and columns) and more than 20 elements like text, buttons, and icons. The editor control panel can be positioned on either the left or right side of the screen.

Dorik offers some useful editing features. Color differentiators are employed to clearly indicate the elements being edited, such as rows highlighted with a purple dashed line and columns with a pink dashed line. Additionally, a Navigation Tree feature helps pinpoint specific rows for editing, preventing confusion when working with multiple blocks or elements.

SEO settings in Dorik are easily accessible and customizable for each page, allowing you to optimize basic elements like titles and descriptions, as well as more advanced meta settings like FAQ schema and analytics integration. Dorik also provides the option to design and adjust layouts specifically for desktop, tablet, and mobile screen sizes.

  • Pricing: Dorik offers a range of pricing plans, including a free plan and paid plans starting at $79 per year.
  • Ease of use: Using the drag-and-drop editor in Dorik is generally easy, although beginners may find it overwhelming at first. However, the platform provides comprehensive online documentation to assist users.
  • Customization options: When it comes to customization, Dorik offers a wide array of options. You can choose from 39 templates, over 250 UI blocks, and more than 20 elements to build and design your website according to your preferences.
  • SEO tools: Dorik provides a comprehensive set of SEO tools, including features like page title and description customization, the ability to set no-index and no-follow meta settings, canonical URLs, schema markup, and the option to add custom header and footer code.
  • Value of free plan: The value of Dorik’s free plan is excellent. It includes unlimited page views, storage, access to premium templates and blocks, a free SSL (HTTPS) certificate, a global CDN for faster image loading, image optimization, SEO settings, and integrations with other platforms.
1.5 Webflow

Webflow is gaining popularity as an alternative to WordPress, but it offers a different user experience. While some free site builders provide easy-to-use drag-and-drop editors and numerous templates, Webflow takes a different approach. During the onboarding process, Webflow asks about your background and experience with CSS/HTML, aiming to create a platform that caters to a wide range of users. However, this approach may not fully meet the needs of beginners without coding experience.

Webflow

Webflow offers both free and paid templates, with the option to purchase templates that simplify the site-building process. They also provide optional walk-throughs and email tutorials to help users familiarize themselves with the platform. If you’re comfortable with WordPress and familiar with styles and classes, you should be able to navigate Webflow effectively. However, newcomers to website builders may find it challenging to get started.

Despite the learning curve, Webflow offers a wealth of features and customization options. You can add containers, adjust dimensions, change fonts, incorporate buttons, and more. Advanced functionalities like centering elements and horizontally stacking containers are also available. SEO options, including title tags and meta descriptions, are accessible, albeit not easily discoverable. Finding the SEO settings may require navigating through different panels and menus.

One of the notable advantages of Webflow, similar to WordPress, is the ability to expand site functionality through integrations and widgets. These extensions enable targeting, spam prevention, customer engagement, CRM management, and more. Although Webflow is not the most user-friendly platform, it provides powerful capabilities for a free site builder.

By utilizing Zapier, you can connect your Webflow site to other applications you use. For example, you can send new form submissions from Webflow to a spreadsheet or email marketing tool, or trigger email notifications when someone fills out a Webflow form.

  • Pricing: Webflow provides different pricing plans, including a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting at $12 per month. The pricing varies based on the features and level of functionality you require.
  • Ease of use: Webflow offers a visual drag-and-drop editor that allows you to design and customize your website without needing to write code. While it may have a steeper learning curve compared to some other website builders, it provides more advanced customization options for experienced users.
  • Customization options: Webflow offers extensive customization capabilities. You have full control over the design and layout of your website, and you can customize every aspect using the visual editor. Webflow also supports custom code, allowing advanced users to implement custom functionality and design elements.
  • SEO tools: Webflow provides built-in SEO features to optimize your website for search engines. You can customize meta tags, URLs, alt text for images, and other SEO elements. It also offers advanced SEO settings like 301 redirects and canonical tags.
  • Value of the free plan: The free plan of Webflow allows you to build and publish a basic website. However, it comes with certain limitations, such as a restricted number of pages and limited functionality. Upgrading to a paid plan unlocks more advanced features and removes these limitations.

2. How Do I Create A Free Website? (Step-by-Step)

One common feature among all the website builders in our ranking, besides being free, is their ease of setup. They have been included in the list specifically because of this. Although the process and learning curve may vary slightly between builders, here are the general steps you can expect:

  • Sign up with the website builder:

Provide your email address, password, and possibly a username to create an account.

  • Choose a template or use the design assistant:

This is the first decision point. Most builders allow you to select a template from their collection, while others use a design assistant that creates a website mockup based on your answers to a few questions. We have indicated when a builder employs the design assistant.

  • Add your own content:

Replace the placeholder text and images with your own content, such as text, images, and videos. Personalize your website to reflect your brand or style.

  • Customize your design:

If desired, you can further customize your design by experimenting with different layouts, colors, or even switching to a new template. Most builders allow you to switch templates after publishing, except for Wix, which has this limitation.

  • Publish your website:

Once you are satisfied with your website’s content and design, it’s time to publish it. At this point, the website builder will generate your domain name, and your site will be live for the world to see.

The duration of this process can range from 15 minutes to a few hours, depending on the extent of changes you make during steps three and four.

3. Conclusion

Websites are essential for establishing an online presence, regardless of your resources or budget. While there are many platforms available for building feature-rich websites, knowing how to create a website for free is invaluable. The discussed options offer a variety of choices to suit different needs and circumstances.

Remember that building a website, even for free, requires time, effort, and ongoing maintenance. By choosing the right platform and having a clear vision of your online goals, you can create a website that represents your brand, engages your audience, and achieves your desired outcomes. Start your website-building journey with confidence, knowing that the perfect option awaits you.

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