Launching a new website is exciting, whether starting a new business or simply wanting to share your thoughts with the world. The process involves important decisions, such as determining your budget, choosing a platform, and considering hiring a professional. However, only some people need a complex, budget-busting website. The good news is there are some cost-effective options. In this post, we’ll highlight our top picks for the best free website builders available so you can save money for other essential tasks.
Let’s get started.
What is a Free Website Builder?
A free website builder is an online platform that enables people to create and design websites without coding skills. Website builders simplify the process, often through drag-and-drop editors and pre-designed templates. There are several types of website builders, including AI website builders, WordPress website builders, and free options. The latter is a good option for bloggers, individuals looking to start an online store, and, in some cases, small businesses.
What Should You Look for in a Free Website Builder?
It’s important to remember a few things before choosing a free website builder. First and foremost, free options often omit a unique domain name, so you’ll need to purchase one through a good domain registrar. Other things to consider are bandwidth, file storage, and security features. The good news is that all of the options on our list offer excellent security features, such as a free SSL certificate, two-factor authentication (2FA), and brute-force attack protection. Additionally, all offer the option to upgrade your free plan as your business grows.
9 Best Free Website Builders in 2023
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If you’re ready to commit to a free website builder, any product on our list can help you bring your vision to life. However, each offers unique features, benefits, and, depending on your skill level, some drawbacks. So, without further delay, let’s dive into our top picks.
1. WordPress
WordPress is a versatile and user-friendly website builder that’s suitable for a wide range of users. Users can effortlessly create and manage their websites, blogs, and online stores with an intuitive interface and customizable themes. There are two types of WordPress: .com and .org. There are several differences between the two, with the biggest difference being that the .com is a hosted platform, whereas its .org counterpart is self-hosted. WordPress itself is free, but other costs come into play, such as domain, hosting, and premium themes.
Key Features of WordPress:
- 100’s of free themes and plugins
- Extensive user knowledge base
- Drag and drop editor
- Unlimited customization options
The WordPress editor uses blocks and a drag-and-drop interface to build webpages. Alternatively, you can install one of many excellent page builder plugins, such as Divi, to create any site you wish. Hundreds of free and premium themes are also available, giving users unlimited customization options.
Best For:
WordPress allows complete control over your website’s design, layout, and functionality. Users can choose from two types of WordPress: .com or .org. Budget-conscious creators will like WordPress.com for its free tier and onboard hosting. The WordPress.org version might be better for those looking for more control. If you opt for the .org version, you’ll need a good hosting provider, such as SiteGround, to get started.
Pricing: Free, with monthly hosting plans starting at $2.99 with SiteGround.
2. Wix
Up next on our list of free website builders is Wix. It’s a popular choice among creatives looking for an easy way to create a website. With its user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and AI-powered AI website generator, Wix has plenty of features that make it an excellent choice.
Key Features of Wix:
- Drag-and-drop page editor
- 100’s of professionally designed templates
- SEO and marketing tools
- Site analytics
- Customer management with segmented lists
Aside from a stellar drag-and-drop editor, Wix is known for its abundance of pre-designed templates. They cover various industries and styles, ensuring something for everyone. There are also other impressive features, such as SEO tools, ecommerce capabilities, customer management, and visitor tracking.
Best For:
Wix is a powerful free website builder that offers a free tier with everything you need to build a website. However, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to accept payments, have a custom domain, or integrate apps from the Wix marketplace. Those looking to create a website easily will find Wix appealing. However, opt for WordPress if you require a platform with advanced customization beyond what a templated site can provide.
Pricing: Free, with monthly plans starting at $16.
3. Framer
Our next free website Builder, Framer, uses the power of artificial intelligence to create websites in minutes. It offers responsive design controls, animations, and AI-generated color palettes.
Key Features of Framer:
- AI-powered website builder
- Design editor
- Landing page, 404, and home page (Mini plan)
- 1k visitors/month (Mini plan)
- Custom domain (Mini plan)
Getting started with Framer is easy, thanks to its AI-powered generator. With a simple text prompt, you can generate a webpage in seconds. From there, you can edit the design with the drag-and-drop editor, tweak the colors and fonts, and quickly add pre-made sections. It also provides one of the most affordable paid plans of any entry on our list, with plans starting at $5 per month.
Best For:
If you want to leverage AI in your chosen website builder, then Framer is a great option. You can start from a text prompt, easily insert additional sections, and launch your new site within minutes. However, there is a downside. If you require more than a three-page website, you’ll have to upgrade from the Mini plan to a more expensive Basic or Pro plan, which ranges in price from $15-30 monthly.
Pricing: Free, with monthly plans starting at $5.
4. Weebly
Up next on our list of the best free website builders is Weebly. They offer two types of website builders: a personal website or an online store. The personal website option allows you to easily create a blog or portfolio site, while the other is geared towards people looking to sell products and services online. For example, you’ll lose the drag-and-drop editor in the ecommerce version, so we’ll only include the personal website tool in this post.
Key Features of Weebly:
- Intuitive, responsive drag-and-drop editor
- 25+ design elements
- Weebly App Center with over 300 apps
- Security features, including SSL certificate and DDoS protection
One of the best features of Weebly (aside from the simple editor) is the Weebly App Center. You can add functionalities like SEO tools, social feeds, Google integrations, and extra design elements here. However, not all are free, so bear that in mind. One of the most beneficial apps is Weebly’s SEO tools, which allow you to add meta tags, SEO titles and descriptions, and 301 redirects.
Best For:
If you want to build a simple website and edit it on the go, then Weebly could be for you. Thanks to the Weebly app, you can manage and edit pages, view performance metrics, and more. However, if you need more design options with a more robust interface, opting for Webflow or WordPress is best.
Pricing: Free, with monthly plans starting at $10.
5. GoDaddy
The next entry on our list, GoDaddy, is primarily known for being a domain registrar and web host. That said, it is one of the best free website builders available. A simple drag-and-drop editor allows users to create and launch a new website in under an hour. It provides features such as a configuration wizard, pre-designed themes and sections, and, if upgrading from its free plan, many marketing and ecommerce features.
Key Features of GoDaddy:
- Easy configuration wizard
- Hundreds of pre-made sections and themes
- Simple drag-and-drop editor
- 7-day free trial (premium features)
- Extensive marketing features (pro plans only)
The best feature of the GoDaddy website builder is the simple interface. There are only a few bells and whistles or individual design elements, but you can add plenty of pre-made sections to your site. Swapping themes is a breeze, too, with a themes tab that allows you to try new themes on the fly. However, you must upgrade to a pro plan if you want ecommerce or GoDaddy’s impressive marketing features.
Best For:
GoDaddy website builder is a good choice for personal or small business websites. Their drag-and-drop editor leaves a bit to be desired due to the need for individual design elements. However, they offer plenty of pre-made themes, sections, and simplicity, likely appealing to those who need more design experience.
Pricing: Free, with monthly plans starting at $9.99.
6. Webflow
Webflow is one of the best free website builders for developers. It offers powerful features, such as extensive design tools, the ability to create animations, and a fairly complex interface. Those familiar with Photoshop will notice a similarity in the interface, so because of this, it’s not exactly beginner-friendly.
Key Features of Webflow:
- 2 pages
- 50 CMS items and form submissions
- 1 GB bandwidth
- Webflow University
- Free templates
As previously mentioned, Webflow’s interface can be overwhelming at first. There are two parts: the designer and the editor, which adds to the learning curve. Thankfully, there are plenty of tutorials at your fingertips, thanks to Webflow University. The designer is quite robust, with plenty of design elements and features to build any website. The editor (Webflow CMS) is useful for setting up a staging site, adding SEO meta titles and descriptions, configuring global design settings, custom code, and more.
Best For:
Webflow provides powerful design and CMS tools to build simple and complex websites. However, there are better options for beginners. At first glance, the design interface is confusing and geared more towards design professionals and developers. If you need a more simple solution, look towards Wix.
Pricing: Free, with plans starting at $14 per month (billed annually).
7. Webador
Our next product, Webador, is one of the best free website builders on the market due to its user-friendly interface. As a relative newcomer, they’re making waves in the website builder space with its valuable features. With every free plan, you’ll get unlimited web pages, storage, bandwidth, and over 50 responsive templates. There are also many free stock photos and good security features like an SSL certificate.
Key Features of Webador:
- Unlimited pages, storage, and bandwidth
- 50+ responsive templates
- Free stock photos
- Free SSL certificate
- AI text generator
Another excellent feature of Webador is the AI text generator. You can easily generate text with a button click, aiding novice users with content creation. Aside from the standard text, image, and video modules, some cool design elements exist. You’ll get ratings, comments, social buttons, digital interactive maps, and web forms, to name a few.
Best For:
As the most user-friendly free website builder on our list, Webador is worth a look for those who lack the time or expertise to master more robust applications. With a hearty free tier, you can launch a free website in under 10 minutes. However, we suggest opting for WordPress or Wix if you require more powerful features.
Pricing: Free, with plans starting at $7 per month (first 3 months free).
8. Dorik
Another good option for a free website builder is Dorik. Marketed towards beginners, its claim to fame is ease of use. It’s also the only product on our list to allow multiple websites on a free plan. Other notable features include 5 pages per site, free templates, and custom forms.
Key Features of Dorik:
- 25 pages
- 20 blog posts
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth
- 14-day money-back guarantee
- Custom code compatible
Aside from a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, Dorik allows for multiple users so that you can share access with a friend or colleague. Previous WordPress, Medium, and Ghost users will benefit from the import post option, which allows you to upload blog posts to the platform. Users can also add custom code to posts and pages, making customization possible.
Best For:
Dorik is an excellent free solution for people looking to host multiple websites for free. With the WordPress post import feature, those fleeing WordPress for a simpler solution can bring their posts. Like other free website builders, you must upgrade to get a custom domain and more advanced features like white-labeling, membership sites, and client billing.
Pricing: Free, with plans starting at $3.29 monthly (billed annually).
9. Ucraft
Another one of the best free website builders available is Ucraft. Primarily a hosting company, they offer a free plan that comes with quite a few features. These include a free SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, up to 15 web pages, and Google Analytics integration.
Key Features of Ucraft:
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Password-protected pages
- SSL certificate
- Google Analytics integration
Ucraft also provides a simple drag-and-drop editor and tons of design elements. It has a very Gutenberg feel with reusable blocks so that WordPress users will feel right at home. Ucraft’s design modules are fully customizable, allowing you to change colors, font sizes, and more. Free animation effects can be applied to your design elements, including fade, rotate, and parallax options.
Best For:
Ucraft is another excellent option for novice users, thanks to its simple drag-and-drop interface, a wealth of design modules, and easy connection to Google Analytics. That said, upgrading to a paid plan is recommended to benefit from all Ucraft offers fully.
Pricing: Free, with monthly plans starting at $10.
Comparing the Best Free Website Builders
Our list of the best free website builders has many great options. Ultimately, the decision comes down to features and ease of use. It’s important to note that while each of the products on our list has a free option, they are generally limiting in terms of what you can do. They all require a paid plan for a custom domain. Others need a free SSL certificate. That said, if you’re looking for an easy way to create a basic website, you’re in good hands here.
Best Free Website Builder Price Comparison
To help you decide, we’ve provided a handy comparison table with links and paid plan pricing so you can do your research before deciding on a platform.
| Plugin | Price | Free Option | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | $2.99/month | ✔️ | Visit | |
| Wix | $16/month | ✔️ | Visit | |
| Framer | $5/month | ✔️ | Visit | |
| 4 | Weebly | $10/month | ✔️ | Visit |
| 5 | GoDaddy | $9.99/month | ✔️ | Visit |
| 6 | Webflow | $14/month (billed annually) | ✔️ | Visit |
| 7 | Webador | $7/month | ✔️ | Visit |
| 8 | Dorik | $3.29/month (billed annually) | ✔️ | Visit |
| 9 | Ucraft | $10/month | ✔️ | Visit |
What is the Best Free Website Builder?
When choosing the best free website builder for your needs, we have a couple of recommendations. Both offer plenty of pre-designed themes and layouts, a drag-and-drop interface, and many design elements to build the website of your dreams. However, there are two that stand out above the rest.
WordPress is king because of its versatility. With nearly unlimited customization through plugins and premium themes, such as Divi, it offers the most to users who want to personalize every aspect of their website. However, WordPress can be daunting initially and requires some training. Thankfully, there are nearly endless tutorials and websites dedicated to WordPress, so you’ll always have help. Good hosting is very affordable, too, with plans through SiteGround starting at $2.99 monthly.
On the other hand, novice users will likely love Wix. Its user-friendly interface and all-in-one marketing, SEO, and analytics tools make it a popular choice for those who seek simplicity. While Wix does offer a free tier, you must upgrade to get the most out of it. However, the benefits onboard justify the cost.
Still trying to decide? Check out some of our in-depth reviews surrounding WordPress and Wix:
- WordPress vs Wix (2023) — Which is Right for You?
- SiteGround WordPress Hosting: An Overview and Review
- WixADI Review 2023: Is It Really That Powerful?
- 11+ Best WordPress Alternatives For Your Website in 2023
Featured Image via BestForBest / Shutterstock.com
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