Best Free Website Builders: Are They Worth It?

I’ve tested several popular free website builders, and based on my experience I can confidently say that Wix offers the best overall free website builder plan. It’s relatively easy to use thanks to AI and its drag-and-drop editor and offers over 900 diverse templates.

Free website builders are great for personal use, but for businesses, a paid website builder is a better option. This is because free website builders come with ads, which can make you seem unprofessional, and can 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.

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

1. Wix: Best All-round Free Website Builder

Wix is my pick for the best all-round free website builder. Wix’s free plan offers similar functionality to its premium plans, allowing you to create a multi-page website that’s mobile responsive (the layout automatically adapts to vertical screens), and that you can easily customise thanks to its drag-and-drop editor.

My experience with Wix

Wix has been adding more and more AI tools to its kit, including an AI website builder, which is available on the free plan. This sped up the website-building process, since Wix has so many templates, it can be hard to settle on one quickly. I was quite happy with the results since they matched the prompts I’d given, but I do recommend editing the website to make it more unique.

I particularly liked Wix’s tools for making my website mobile-friendly. Wix websites automatically reformat to a mobile-optimised version, and when previewing my website, I could easily switch between a desktop and mobile view to check the results. In an age where more than half of internet searches are made from mobile phones, this is an important feature.

On the Wix free plan, you’ll also get access to basic email marketing and customer management tools, such as contact forms. On the creative side, the free plan also includes a design suite for creating social media posts and brand logos. These extras aren’t offered on all free website builders, with GoDaddy being the only competitor on this page with similar tools. They’re very useful for creating a unified branded image.

The main downsides to Wix’s free website builder are that Wix ads will appear on your website, and your website URL will contain “wixsite.com”, which might seem unprofessional to visitors.

Additionally, although not difficult to use, the Wix editor and backend aren’t as easy to use and navigate as those of competitors GoDaddy and Webador. This is mainly because Wix has packed so many features into its backend that it can be overwhelming when you first start out.

How Does Wix’s Free Plan Compare to the Paid Versions?

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.

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

On the £16 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 a faster checkout.

As with most website builders, the more you pay per month, the more features you’ll get access to. You can find out more about Wix’s pricing and what you get for your money in our guide.

Wix free alternatives

• You need to accept online appointments – GoDaddy: The only free website builder that allows you to accept bookings online, GoDaddy is a good option for small or independent stylists.
• You need to sell online – Square Online: The only free website builder that lets users sell online without paying for a monthly website builder subscription.
• You’re a total website-building novice – Webador: By far the easiest platform to use, Webador is a good option for non-techy users who need a simple website.
• You want to create a stunning informational website – PageCloud: If aesthetics are your top priority and you have some understanding of web design, PageCloud is a great option, especially for portfolios since it has unlimited storage.
• You want total creative freedom – Webflow: If you want total freedom to create a unique website and have previous experience with website builders, Webflow is the best option.

2. GoDaddy – Best for Accepting Bookings for Free

GoDaddy’s free website builder is the best free website builder for accepting appointment bookings online and is one of the fastest ways to create a website. This is largely thanks to its AI website builder tool – all I had to do was answer a few questions, and GoDaddy generated a site template for me in seconds.

My experience with GoDaddy

Overall, I found GoDaddy easier to use than Wix, mainly because there weren’t an overwhelming number of options for changing the website design. This does mean that some level of customisation is sacrificed in favour of ease of use, but if you’re not technically savvy, this is a good thing.

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 on the other free website builders featured in this list. This makes it a handy tool for service businesses like salons or clinics.

On other fronts, GoDaddy’s free plan is similar to Wix’s in that it has a drag-and-drop editor, and comes with basic marketing and customer engagement tools, such as the GoDaddy Studio, where you can create designs for logos, social media posts and emails, and a contact form.

There are some downsides, however. As I’ve noted, GoDaddy gives you less creative freedom when it comes to design than Wix, and its templates and AI-built websites aren’t as eye-catching as Wix’s. As with Wix, your site will also display a GoDaddy ad banner, and your website URL will contain “godaddysites.com”.

How Does GoDaddy’s Free Plan Compare to the Paid Versions?

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

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 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 £16.99 per month Premium plan, which lets you accept payments from bookings, and to sell products, you need to upgrade to the  £19.99 per month Ecommerce plan.

You can find out more about GoDaddy’s paid plans in our GoDaddy Pricing Guide.

GoDaddy free alternatives

• You need to build a niche website – Wix: Wix offers a much wider variety of templates than GoDaddy, with features to match, so it’s a better option for users covering a niche market.
• You need to sell online – Square Online: While GoDaddy lets you accept bookings, customers won’t be able to pay online for them. Square is the only free website builder that lets users sell online without paying for a monthly website builder subscription.
• You’re a total website-building novice – Webador: Although GoDaddy is quite an easy platform to use, Webador is slightly easier, even if its design options are a little more limited than GoDaddy’s.
• You want to create a stunning informational website – PageCloud: If aesthetics are your top priority and you have some understanding of web design, PageCloud is a great option, especially for portfolios. GoDaddy isn’t known for its aesthetics.
• You want total creative freedom – Webflow: GoDaddy is designed to be accessible, so it has limitations when it comes to customisation. If you want total freedom to create a unique website and have previous experience with website builders, Webflow is the best option.

3. Square Online – Best for Creating a Free Online Store

Square Online is one of the only website builders that lets you create an online store and start selling for free – barring transaction fees. You won’t pay any monthly fees to create and publish your website, however, Square does take a 1.4% + 25p 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

Square’s free plan is quite different from other website builders I tested. It doesn’t include free templates, instead offering one standard black-and-white website design, and doesn’t allow for layout customisations, or offer free stock images. These features are reserved for paid plans.

The upside to this is that it’s quite easy to use since all you have to do is populate your website with products and your brand name. You can also list an unlimited number of items on Square’s free plan, and accept payments using services such as Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Square’s free plan is truly designed with one purpose, to sell online for cheap, with aspects like website aesthetics and customisation deprioritised. This is reflected in the feature enhancements Square tools out.

For example, last year Square added an AI copy generator to its website builder that can help you write or enhance product descriptions. If you’re a small business looking to set up quickly, this can speed up the process quite a bit. Sadly Square doesn’t yet offer an AI website generator, although if it did, it’s likely to be reserved for paid plans since the free plan only comes with one template.

Square’s free website, like Wix and GoDaddy, includes visible Square ads, and your URL will contain “square.site”.

How Does Square Online’s Free Plan Compare to the Paid Versions?

Upgrading to one of Square’s paid plans will, firstly, remove any ads, and allow you to purchase a custom domain. It’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 preorders, and send abandoned cart recovery emails.

Square’s paid plans also offer better website customisation 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 or ready-made website templates, and a wider range of page layouts.

If you sell in person as well as online, you might be interested in reading our review of Square POS. While Square provides website builder software, it’s first and foremost a payment processing service that sells card readers and POS systems.

Square Online free alternatives

We don’t recommend Square Online as a website builder if you’re not looking to sell online for free. That’s because the free plan is very limited when it comes to design. Here’s what you get with the others:

• You want a big variety of templates and stock images – Wix: Wix offers a much wider variety of templates than Square, and comes with a wide variety of stock images for easy design enhancements.
• You need to create a website quickly – GoDaddy: Square doesn’t have an AI website builder to speed up website creation. Based on my testing, GoDaddy’s free AI website produces the fastest results.
• You’re a total website-building novice – Webador: By far the easiest platform to use, Webador is a good option for non-techy users who need a simple informational website.
• You want to create a stunning informational website – PageCloud: Design options are very limited on Square’s free plan, so if aesthetics are your top priority and you have some understanding of web design, PageCloud is a great option, especially for portfolios since it has unlimited storage.
• You want total creative freedom – Webflow: Once again, Square’s website builder has a very rigid layout that can’t really be customised, so if you want total freedom to create a unique website and have previous experience with website builders, Webflow is the best option.

4. Webador – Best Free Website Builder for Total Beginners

Webador’s free website builder is a good option for total beginners who’ve never created a website before. It’s extremely easy to use, even easier than GoDaddy, thanks to its menu bar that lets you flip between the main editor, specific page editors, and the dashboard.

My experience with Webador

Part of what made Webador so easy to use was the simple backend design. When editing my website, all the elements I could add were neatly aligned in the sidebar menu, while the top bar menu allowed for easy access to sections in the main dashboard.

I was able to add page elements such as text blocks and buttons by dragging them from the sidebar onto the page as I was editing. Webador has also recently added a new tool to its sidebar menu that allows users to add new sections to a page by dragging the sections element, making it even easier to edit a page.

This year, Webador also launched its AI website builder. You can create a website using AI with a prompt, or use AI to redesign an existing website. I used this second feature and was pleased to see that the AI tool keeps all the existing copy when it changes the design. The new AI design was also more modern-looking than the pre-built template I was using.

Using the AI website builder is a way to circumvent one of Webador’s key disadvantages, the fact that its pre-made templates look quite dated.

Webador’s website builder also doesn’t come with any fancy design features like logo or social media post creators that you’d find on free website builders such as Wix or GoDaddy. Other popular features such as email templates are also absent from Webador.

But if you’re a newbie to website creation, and just want a simple informational website, Webador’s a solid choice.

How Does Webador’s Free Plan Compare to the Paid Versions?

Webador’s cheapest paid plan, the £4.50 per month, won’t actually get rid of ads, but what you’ll get for it is a custom domain, so “webadorsite.com” won’t appear in your URL.

To get rid of ads, and benefit from premium features, you’ll have to upgrade to Webador’s Pro or Business plans. These give you access to site analytics via Google Analytics and Google Search Console, and allow for slightly better website design options, such as the ability to create custom forms, and include a website search bar.

The Pro and Business plans also allow you to start taking payments through your website, with the Business plan offering unlimited products. Webador’s sale functions are quite limited, however, so if selling online is your priority, we’d recommend you look at our list of the best free ecommerce website builders.

Webador free alternatives

Since Webador is better for beginners who need a simple website, there’s a chance it won’t suit you. If not, here are other options:

• You want a big variety of modern templates – Wix: Wix offers a much wider variety of templates than Webador, and they also have a much more modern design than Webador’s.
• You want an easy website builder with a little more room for customisation – GoDaddy: If you’re still looking for an easy website builder, but feel that Webador’s offering is a little too basic for your taste, GoDaddy is the next best option. It’s still easy to use, but offers more templates, and comes wth added features such as a logo creator.
• You need to sell online – Square Online: If you’re looking to sell online for free, Square Online is pretty much your only option.
• You want to create a stunning informational website – PageCloud: Webador’s templates can look quite dated, so if aesthetics are your priority, PageCloud is a better option. It’s much more difficult to use than Webador, however, so make sure you allow yourself time to learn its ins and outs.
• You want total creative freedom – Webflow: Webador sacrifices some creative freedom in favour of ease of use, so if you’re looking to create a unique website with funky features like text animations, Webflow is your best bet.

5. PageCloud – Best for creating an 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 like fine-dining restaurants.

My experience with PageCloud

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 most impressed me about PageCloud was how visually appealing its pre-made templates were. Although it has far less than Wix (50 compared to 900), the ones it does have look magazine-worthy.

Like most website builders on this list, PageCloud has a drag-and-drop editor, which meant 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.

I did, however, appreciate that PageCloud had a toggle that let me easily see how my website looked on mobile and desktop, but, I didn’t feel like the website got properly optimised for mobile. The top section didn’t shrink to fit a vertical format for example. This could be a problem if you’re looking to create a business website since a lot of customers find you through a search on their phone.

How Does PageCloud’s Free Plan Compare to the Paid Versions?

A paid PageCloud plan 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 add features such as pop-ups and banners.

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).

On the creative side, paid PageCloud plans have an AI assistant that can help you write engaging copy.

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 (roughly £7), added on top of your website monthly website subscription.

PageCloud free alternatives

• You want to create an attractive multi-page website – Wix: While Wix’s designs aren’t quite as stunning as PageCloud’s, they’re still pretty spectacular, and Wix gives you the option of creating multiple pages.
• You need to accept online appointments – GoDaddy: The only free website builder that allows you to accept bookings online is GoDaddy. While PageCloud has several attractive templates for restaurants and salons, with GoDaddy you’ll be be able to attract customers by giving them the option to book directly from your website.
• You need to sell online – Square Online: If you’re looking to sell online for free, Square Online is pretty much your only option.
• You’re a total website-building novice – Webador: PageCloud can be difficult to use, even for those with some experience. So, if you’re looking for an extremely easy-to-use website builder, Webador is the best option.
• You want total creative freedom – Webflow: PageCloud gives quite a lot of freedom when it comes to customisations, but Webflow does have a slight edge over PageCloud in this department.

Is a Free Website Builder Worth It?

In general, free website builders aren’t worth using long term, but they can be an affordable first option for businesses that are just starting out.

They’re most worth it for businesses simply seeking to create an informational website, with details of their services or menus, location, opening times, and contact information. Free ecommerce website builders such as Square can also be worthwhile for budding online sellers.

However, because most free website builders come with ads and the website builder’s name in your site URL, your free website will lose a bit of professionalism, which could put off some customers.

That’s why, if you do choose to go with a free website builder, it’s best to pick one based on what’s offered on the paid plan you intend to upgrade to. It’s much easier to upgrade to a higher-paid plan on the website builder you’re already using than to transfer your entire website’s content to a different website builder.

Some website builders also have free trials that last up to 14 days, giving you plenty of time to test them out and decide whether they’re right for your business before you commit to a subscription.

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 that’s 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 customisation: Free website builders should give you a variety of website design options, and some degree of flexibility when it comes to customisation. 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 tools to sell online, or a marketing suite.
• Mobile responsiveness: The best website builders (free or not), should automatically reformat your page layout to fit a vertical screen, and if they don’t, they should give you the option to do this yourself in the editor. Over 60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices, so this isn’t a category to be overlooked.
• 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.

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).

How Did We Compare the Best Free Providers?

We’ve tested the free plans of each website builder we reviewed, evaluating their functionality, usability, integrations, and customer support so we can make the most useful recommendations to businesses.

Our rigorous testing process means these products have been scored and rated in six main categories of investigation and 33 subcategories. We then gave each category score a ‘relevance weighting’ to ensure the product’s final score perfectly reflects the needs and requirements of Expert Market readers.

Our main testing categories for website builders are:

• Website features: the capabilities and functionalities offered by a website builder, e.g. blog functionality, SEO capability, marketing capacity, and AI tools.
• Design functionality: the aesthetic appeal and visual layout of a website created using a website builder. It encompasses aspects such as page templates, customisable themes, and content display tools (accordions, tabs, etc.)
• Ease of use: how user-friendly and intuitive a website builder is for people with varying levels of technical expertise.
• Value for money: the balance between the cost of upgrades to the paid website builder and the benefits it provides. It considers factors such as pricing plans, subscription models, and available features.
• Reputation: external customer opinion; the feedback and ratings given by customers who have used a particular website builder – the market position and reputation a website builder holds.
• Help and support: the assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance while using a website builder. This can include tutorials, knowledge bases, and email or chat support.