If you’re not sure which free website builder is right for you, you’ve come to the right place! WebHostingProf has signed up and tested the best free website builders so you can see the results first-hand.
We’ve looked at the individual companies as a whole, assessed their features, looked at different pricing options, and weighed up their pros and cons to give you an honest and accurate opinion.
Before we begin, let’s take a look at our recommended best free website builders and who they are recommended for.
10 Best Free Website Builders
- Wix (Best All-Around Website Builder)
- Weebly (Great For Small Businesses)
- Site123 (Ideal For Simplicity)
- Strikingly (Outstanding Design)
- WordPress (For Bloggers)
- Webnode (Quick And Easy)
- Jimdo (Perfect For Small Online Stores)
- IM Creator (For White Labelling)
- SimpleSite (Good Mobile Editor)
- Mozello (Simple Multilingual Sites)
1. Wix (Best Free Website Builders Winner)
Wix (Best Free Website Builder)
Wix is extremely easy to use and offers plenty of features to get started with building your first website in a matter of hours. Wix's free plan is free for life but does come with some limitations, however, there's plenty of options and you can still access the Wix Editor and Wix ADI to create your website.
Wix’s free plan won’t allow you to connect a custom domain, however, you will get a free Wix subdomain such as username.wixsite.com/siteaddress. You’ll have Wix ads on your website and an allocated amount of storage and bandwidth of up to 500MB. You won’t have access to Google Analytics or online payments, however, other features within the editor are available.
The free plan is designed to give you an overall idea of Wix’s website builder. If you’re planning on creating a professional website, business website, or online store, you’ll need to upgrade to one of Wix’s premium plans which is very simple to do.
Pros:
- Wix’s editor is very flexible and allows a lot of creative freedom
- The templates are mobile-friendly and look great
- You can easily undo any changes you’ve made by using CTRL + Z on your keyboard
- Wix is easy to use and intuitive
Cons:
- Wix’s free plan has a lot of limitations
- You can’t switch templates after publishing
Wix Rating
2. Weebly
Weebly (Great For Small Businesses)
Weebly is super easy to use and has plenty of options for small businesses wanting to make a website and get online. With Weebly's free plan you'll have a Weebly subdomain like yoursite.weebly.com and a small slide-up ad in the bottom corner of your website. Weebly's drag and drop editor is very similar to Wix's making it great for beginners, as well as great SEO tools to get your business seen online.
Weebly’s free plan is a little less restrictive than Wix’s, allowing users to sell online if you’re based in the US. This is a great option for small businesses who may have a few products they want to try out or services they want to sell.
Weebly’s SEO tools stand out above other best free website builders; they’re easy to use and get to grips with, coupled with their editor, you shouldn’t encounter any problems. They offer a great feature set on their free plan, and you can stay on their free website builder for life if you want to.
Pros:
- Weebly’s structured themes may frustrate those looking for creative freedom, but for someone who wants to follow best practices, they are ideal
- Weebly is incredibly easy to set up and use, making it perfect for beginners
- It’s hard to make mistakes using Weebly’s editor as it prompts you before doing anything, like deleting a section
- Their SEO tools are very solid
Cons:
- There’s a distinct lack of creative freedom which isn’t great if you have a design in mind
- There are limited features on the free plan
- Pop up ad is very distracting
Weebly Rating
3. Site123
Site123 (Ideal for Simplicity)
Site123 is perfect for beginners who want to get their website online quickly. Site123 is incredibly easy to use and offers simple templates that are easy to follow. There isn't a great deal of creative freedom, but Site123 isn't designed for this purpose. From building a basic website to finding the right design combinations, Site123 focuses on simplicity and guides users throughout the process.
Site123 couldn’t be simpler to use, and this is reflected in their pricing plans. They offer a free plan which includes 250MB storage and bandwidth and comes with a Site123 subdomain.
If you want to upgrade your website in the future to unlock more features, their Premium plan is $12.80 per month and includes a free domain, plenty of storage, and eCommerce tools. Site123’s website editor involves no coding and all of their templates are mobile-responsive. Each website includes free hosting and SEO tools to get your website found online.
Pros:
- Website builders don’t get much more user-friendly than Site123. The process is helped with guidance at all stages such as pre-paired fonts and color suggestions
- There’s plenty of support available for beginners like live chat and ADI editors
- When your website first loads there are no visible adverts on the free plan
Cons:
- The non-customizable domain is unprofessional and combines numbers and letters which don’t have any relevance to your website
- Template designs are outdated in comparison to other website builders and are limited
- Limited creative control
Site123 Rating
4. Strikingly
Strikingly (Outstanding Design)
Strikingly is another simple to use website builder with a free plan that's suitable for beginners. For personal websites that want the added design flair, Strikingly focuses on getting your website online quickly but this can limit design control that other website builders like Wix offers. If you're looking for a user-friendly website builder with stunning templates, Strikingly is a strong choice.
When you first sign up to Strikingly you’ll feel right at home with their onboarding tour. As long as you’re not intending to bust out your creative juices, Strikingly’s templates are great to work with and offer a structured design that’s easy to follow.
Strikingly’s free forever plan allows you to build unlimited sites, use a Strikingly subdomain, and you’ll even be able to set up an online store with 1 product per site. If you want collaborators to work on your site with you, you have this option too, along with 24/7 support.
Pros:
- It’s really easy to build single page websites that look great on any device
- The onboarding system is perfect for beginners who may feel overwhelmed by starting a website
- Strikingly is ideal for personal websites and their advertising is very subtle on the free plan
- If you want to sell products, you can sell one per site with the free plan
Cons:
- No SSL certificate included for free websites
- You can only build one-page websites on the free plan
- The templates are rigid and lack personalization
Strikingly Rating
5. WordPress
WordPress (Best For Bloggers)
WordPress.com is a free blogging platform that has everything you need to start your blog for free. The free plan comes with 3GB storage and includes built-in analytics, search features, comments, and lots more. I recommend WordPress.com for more advanced users or users who are willing to spend a little more time understanding the backend of this system as it's not as intuitive as other builders.
WordPress.com (not to be confused with WordPress.org) has a steep learning curve in comparison to Wix and other free website builders. It’s essentially a simplified version of WordPress.org with website builder functions. You can create stunning and functional blogs with access to themes and plugins to personalize your blog.
If you start to outgrow your free WordPress.com account, there are plenty of options if you wish to upgrade, starting from $4 per month.
Pros:
- One of the best free builders for blogging on the market with access to plenty of features
- The subdomain can be re-worked to look like yoursite.wordpress.com
- Access to lots of themes
- Plenty of customizable features and personalization
Cons:
- You’ll need some basic coding skills to help with the customization of your site
- Not suitable for building a website
- Removing adverts is expensive
WordPress.com Rating
6. Webnode
Webnode (Quick and Easy)
Webnode has almost no learning curve at all, so is great for beginners or those with little time on their hands. Once you've signed up, you can begin customizing your template straight away using their simple website builder. Webnode offers minimalist and clean templates which are ideal for basic websites, events, or weddings.
Webnode’s free plan offers a limited 100MB storage which makes it suitable for smaller websites. You can manage your storage and track your usage by going to your dashboard at any time. You’ll get a free Webnode subdomain and a small Webnode advert at the bottom of your website.
In comparison to other free website builders, Webnode is relatively unintrusive. You won’t get that much space or flexibility in terms of creative freedom, however, if you want to get the job done simply and quickly, it’s a fine choice.
Pros:
- Very easy to use and perfect for creating a basic website or event sites
- The dashboard contains useful information and is intuitive
- Easy to upgrade later down the line to one of their premium plans
Cons:
- Limited storage
- Webnode subdomain doesn’t look professional
- Clunky signup process
Webnode Rating
7. Jimdo
Jimdo (For Online Stores)
Jimdo is a solid free website builder ideal for creating small online stores. On the free plan, you can sell up to five products which are perfect for creating a website to provide a face for your existing Facebook store or similar. Jimdo is all about simplicity and ease of use; they offer tooltips as you build your website allowing you to create a stunning online store without any coding.
When you start your first website with Jimdo you’ll be able to create a website with no coding skills or use the editor which is ideal for coding experts. Their ADI option is much quicker and easier to use, however, you will have less control over your website’s design.
If you want to test the waters and start selling online, Jimdo is a great place to start. You’ll get 500MB storage and you can sell up to 5 products. Jimdo’s templates are easy enough to work with but are nothing in comparison to Wix’s stunning templates.
Pros:
- Adverts are very discreet and the branded footer is barely noticeable
- Lots of the design and SEO work is already done for you
- There are options to suit both beginners and advanced users
Cons:
- Drag and drop editor isn’t very intuitive
- Template designs are far from eye-catching
- Only good for small online stores
Jimdo Rating
8. IM Creator
IM Creator (For White Label Businesses)
IM Creator is one of the few free website builders that don't display adverts. You'll get unlimited storage and access to great-looking templates that cater to multiple industries. The editor isn't as intuitive as other website builders, but once you've got the hang of it you'll be able to navigate the tools. If you're looking for a modern editor with access to eye-catching templates, IM Creator is a solid free choice.
IM Creator isn’t recommended for beginners as it can take a little while to learn in comparison to Wix and Weebly. The editor is modern but a little overcomplicated in areas and very rigid in terms of its drag and drop functionality.
The free plan, however, is very generous, offering unlimited storage and no adverts at all. This is a great choice for white label businesses looking for stunning templates that will catch anyone’s eye.
Pros:
- No adverts displayed
- All free plans get unlimited storage
- The templates are very stunning
Cons:
- A rigid editor that doesn’t allow much flexibility
- Harder to get the hang of in comparison to other website builders
- No SSL certificate
IM Creator Rating
9. SimpleSite
SimpleSite (Great Mobile Editor)
SimpleSite sticks to its name by offering a free and simple website builder with a particular focus on its mobile editor. If you need to edit your website on the go, you can easily make the changes you need as and when you need them. For personal websites, SimpleSite is ideal, but if you plan to create a more complex website you may find it's a little too simple.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use website that guides you through each step of the process, SimpleSite should tick most of those boxes. Their onboarding process is very friendly, however, there’s not much creative freedom as you have to follow the book by the letter.
Simple websites are really easy to create with SimpleSite, which is why I recommend them for personal websites or one-off event websites. If you want to create an online store or anything more complicated, SimpleSite won’t offer you enough flexibility.
Pros:
- Simple to use and helpful onboarding process
- Great for mobile users who want to make changes on the go
- Small adverts on your free website
Cons:
- Only 2 template options upon sign up
- Not suitable for complex websites
- Can’t amend the mobile version of your website when using a desktop
SimpleSite Rating
10. Mozello
Mozello (Multilingual Sites)
You can create basic multilingual websites with Mozello, for free. Mozello is easy to use and offers simple features like blogging and eCommerce functionality. You can set up an online store on their free plan and sell up to 10 products. Mozello's free plan includes 500MB storage and includes a clean subdomain.
Mozello is a good free website builder, but it doesn’t exceed expectations – it’s a limited builder and takes a while to get used to which is why it’s not listed higher up in this list. Customizing the template can be difficult, but it is possible, so if you have the time and patience it’s worth the investment.
There are around 50 templates to choose from, most of which look okay, but nothing exceptional. Mozello is fairly simple to use, but it makes it restrictive which is why it can take more time to learn overall. If you want to create multilingual websites, it’s really great, and you can do this for free. You can edit your website in multiple languages, quickly and easily.
Pros:
- A basic website builder that’s easy to use if you’re happy to follow a strict design
- Ability to create multilingual sites very quickly
- A good range of templates to choose from
Cons:
- Customizing your website can take a lot of time and can be a grueling task
- Very basic website builder so not ideal for complex sites
- Gray banner at the bottom of each website with Mozello branding