Best Free Website Builders: Are They Worth It?

Whether you’re looking for a personal website to showcase an event, or you’re a small business looking to create a website, there are some great website builders out there that let you do this for free.

Of course, free doesn’t always mean good quality. That’s why I’ve tested several free website builders to give you my honest opinion on what the best ones are. And, based on my testing, Wix is the best free website builder out there.

It’s got a very wide range of attractive, pre-built templates that can suit almost any use-case, from blogs, to medical clinics, to cafes. Plus, creating a website with Wix is now easier than ever, thanks to its AI website builder tool.

That said, Wix’s free website builder does come with ads, and I did feel like total beginners might have a little trouble personalizing the website with Wix’s editor. That’s why I’ve included alternatives, which you can read about in my review.

1. Wix: Best All-round Free Website Builder

• 500MB of storage
• 1GB bandwidth
• Content creator (logos, socials, emails)
• 800+ unique website templates

What makes Wix a good choice?

I picked Wix as the best all-round free website builder since its free plan offers similar functionality to its premium plans. It allows you to create a multi-page website that’s mobile responsive (the layout automatically adapts to vertical screens), and that you can easily customize thanks to its drag-and-drop editor.

Its not the easiest website builder I tested – GoDaddy and Webador take that crown – but I wouldn’t classify Wix as difficult to use either. Plus, Wix offers more modern-looking pre-built templates than both GoDaddy and Webador, and gives you more options to customize a page.

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. GoDaddy has similar features on its free plan, but none of the other website builders on this review do.

Wix’s downsides

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, if your website is for a business, might seem unprofessional to visitors. And, although not totally obnoxious, you can find free website builders with more discreet ads than Wix’s, such as Webflow.

Wix’s free plan also doesn’t come with unlimited storage, and a lot of its paid plans don’t either, which isn’t great if you want to upload a lot of content to the platform. For a Wix-like experience with unlimited storage, the closest you’ll get for free is GoDaddy.

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 – 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 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.

2. GoDaddy: Best for Accepting Bookings for Free

• Book one-time appointments
• Subscriber sign-up form
• Content creator (logos, socials, emails)
• Website chatbot

What makes GoDaddy a good choice?

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 an affordable first website for any appointment-based business, such as a beautician.

GoDaddy’s free website builder is easier to use than Wix’s, 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. Wix also has a similar tool, however, GoDaddy’s is slightly faster at generating a website.

Like Wix, GoDaddy’s free plan also 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. The inclusion of these tools help GoDaddy and Wix distinguish themselves from other website builders.

GoDaddy’s downsides

GoDaddy’s pre-made templates aren’t quite as eye-catching as the ones offered by other free website builders, such as Wix or PageCloud, and you have fewer options to customize your website, such as moving elements around on a page.

As with Wix, and most free website builders, your site will display a GoDaddy ad banner, and your website URL will contain “godaddysites.com”. Once again, this can take away some of the professionalism of your website.

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 $14.99 per month Premium plan, which lets you accept payments from bookings, and to sell products, you need to upgrade to the $20.99 per month Commerce plan.

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

• Sell unlimited products
• Free built-in SEO tools
• Offer discounts and vouchers
• Sell on social media

What makes Square a good choice?

Square Online is the best website builder for creating an online store for free – barring transaction fees.

You won’t pay any monthly fees to create and publish your website, however, Square does take a 2.9% + 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.

On the upside, you can list and sell an unlimited number of items on Square’s free plan, and accept payments using services such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Plus, Square’s free ecommerce platform comes with unlimited storage, so you’ll never run out of space for product images. That’s not something you get even on paid Wix plans.

Square’s downsides

The main downside to a free Square website is the extreme lack of customization and design tools. Unlike the other website builders on this list, Square’s free plan doesn’t come with a selection of pre-built templates. You get one, with the rest hidden behind a paywall. You also can’t change the color scheme or layout of your pages.

Paying for one of Square’s premium website builder plans opens the door to much more customization, including pre-built templates and stock images.

Like Wix and GoDaddy, a free Square website also includes visible Square ads, and your URL will contain “square.site”. This isn’t great long-term for businesses, but if you’re a new business testing out an idea, your customers will probably forgive you for this.

How does Square Online’s free plan compare to the paid versions?

Upgrading to one of Square’s paid plans will cost $29 or $79 per month, depending on the plan you choose. It’ll first and foremost 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 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 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 Square’s POS system. Square is first and foremost a payment processing service provider, and it offers one of the best POS systems on the market.

4. Webador: Best for Total Beginners

• Unlimited storage
• Unlimited website traffic
• Free stock photos
• Access to support team

What makes Webador a good choice?

Webador’s free website builder is a good option for total beginners who’ve never created a website before. I found it to be 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.

You can add page elements, such as text blocks and buttons, by dragging them from the sidebar on to the page as you’re editing, plus everything is clearly laid out and labelled.

It doesn’t come with fancy additional features, such as marketing or branding tools, the way Wix and GoDaddy do, but if you’re a newbie to website creation, and just want a simple informational website, Webador’s a solid choice.

Webador’s downsides

Webador’s main downside is that most of its pre-made templates look a little dated. Depending on the purpose of your website, this won’t necessarily be an issue, but if you’re trying to create a site to showcase your art, or sell to a young demographic, you’ll probably need a more eye-catching website. PageCloud or Wix are good options if that’s you.

This website builder also doesn’t come with extra 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. It’s purely for creating a website, nothing more.

How does Webador’s free plan compare to the paid versions?

Webador’s cheapest paid plan, the $5 per month Lite plan, won’t actually get rid of ads, but it will give you access to 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 $9 per month Pro, or $18 per month 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. They also 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 ecommerce platforms for small businesses.

5. PageCloud: Best for Creating an Informational Page

• One-page website
• Free stock images
• 100 lifetime form submissions
• Drag-and-drop editor

What makes PageCloud a good choice?

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 a personal page to display an event, such as a wedding.

It’s particularly suited to users who favour aesthetics, since PageCloud’s pre-built templates are extremely polished. It may have fewer templates than Wix, but I actually think that PageCloud’s templates outstrip Wix’s when it comes to attractive designs.

Despite only having one page to work with, I was able do quite a bit with it. PageCloud has a drag-and-drop editor, which means I could move and add elements anywhere I wanted on the page.

You can essentially add as many sections as you like to your PageCloud website, so the one-page nature of the site isn’t technically limiting the amount of content you can fit on it. However, the more sections you have, the more your visitors will have to scroll, so I’d recommend you avoid overfilling it.

PageCloud’s downsides

One downside to PageCloud is that it doesn’t have 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. For that, I recommend GoDaddy or Webador.

The one-page limit to a free PageCloud website might also make it unsuitable for websites that need to contain a lot of information. Visitors might get tired of scrolling after a while, so if you need multiple pages, but still want great designs, I recommend Wix.

How does PageCloud’s free plan compare to the paid versions?

A paid PageCloud plan ($20-$69 per month) 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 start 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.

6. Webflow: Best for Advanced Design and Customization

• Minimal ads
• No drag-and-drop editor
• Extensive customization options
• Limited free pre-built templates

What makes Webflow a good choice?

Webflow is a good choice for experienced website creators who are looking for a high degree of creative freedom when designing their website.

Out of all the website builders I tested, it’s probably the most customizable. I was given the option to change anything, from fonts, to spacing, to color scheme, and could even add effects to the website, such as shows or transitions.

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.

I also appreciated the fact that Webflow’s free website came with 50 free form submissions. This is 50 less than PageCloud, which offers 100 on its free plan, but still more than is offered by the other competitors on this list.

Webflow’s downsides

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 because Webflow doesn’t have a drag-and-drop editor, which would have made adding new elements to the page much easier.

There are tutorials you can watch, and while these are helpful, it does mean that you’ll be spending a lot of time watching them and figuring out how the website builder works before you actually get to designing the website you want. For a beginner’s option, I recommend GoDaddy.

How does Webflow’s free plan compare to the paid versions?

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

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.

Webflow also has three seperate 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.

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 mainly because they usually come with ads, and don’t come with a custom domain. This means the website builder’s name will appear it 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.

How Did We Compare the Best Free Providers?