Are you building your first website or your most recent? The best free website builders are very often provided by the platforms vying to rank as the best website builder, and offer users the ability and opportunity to use and test leading platforms before investing in a paid plan.
Are free website builders good?
Free website builders are sufficient for creating basic personal or portfolio sites, but we wouldn't recommend them for professional business sites.
As with anything you don't pay for, there are limitations, and the best free website builders are no exception. Make sure you're aware of the limits placed on you in terms of tools, features, and general capabilities and elements such as storage, number of pages, and bandwidth.
While you won't get the full range of services paid plans offer, and intrusive advertisements are something you'll have to accept on certain platforms, free website builders are ideal for trying out leading builders before you sign up to premium plans.
By utilising free trials and free-forever plans, you can get the best possible experience of a range of top services without spending a dime.
In our guide below, we've evaluated, reviewed, and ranked the best free website builders. In studying and exploring their free elements, limitations, advantages and disadvantages, and their performance against key factors such as customer support, site creation tools, and much more, we aim to help you find the best free builder for your site.
The 3 best free website builders right now
Wix: best all-round free builder
Wix is our top choice of the best free website builders, with the full builder available with 500MB storage. A sleek drag-and-drop UI makes site building super-intuitive, with over 500 visually-appealing templates to choose from. A 14-day money-back guarantee is available, should you want to try a premium plan, with the cheapest available for £11 a month.
Webflow: advanced site creation for developers
Webflow is a website builder aimed at those with site development experience, providing an exhaustive level of customisation and flexibility. On its free account plan, you can create two sites of two pages with access to all settings, while its paid plans offer advanced tools starting from £12.30 a month.
Zyro: the best free builder for blogging
Zyro offers an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, a wide range of AI-based features, and over 150 templates. It's best for simple projects, and its free plan offers 500MB storage. While there are non-intrusive advertisements displayed on sites, upgrading to paid plans starting at £9.83 a month removes these and offers more features.
What are the best free website builders?
If you're looking for a free website builder with great functionality, you can’t go wrong with our top three providers: Wix, Webflow, and Zyro.
Wix is the best all-round website builder, and we found it to be the best ecommerce and small business site creator, with its competitive free plan offering access to the full builder.
Webflow is the free builder of choice for those with more advanced experience in site creation, and allows you to create two sites with the full range of tools before you might upgrade to its paid plans. Zyro is a great beginner's option even with limited creative freedom, offering excellent ease-of-use and some nifty AI tools.
Weebly offers free ecommerce applications with its free plan, while WordPress is the industry leader for content creators and bloggers. In turn, Strikingly, Site123, Jimdo, Webnode, and Mozello each offer different types of sites and various free packages.
The best free website builders, compared
The best free website builders available
Wix
The best all-round website builder
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 500MB
- Bandwidth: 500MB
- Adverts on sites: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
- Full website builder available on free plan
- 500MB of free storage included
- AI-based builder tool provides quick set-up
REASONS TO AVOID
- Ads displayed across free sites
- No ecommerce functionality
Score: 4.5/5
Wix is arguably the best all-around website builder for most people. It employs a sleek drag-and-drop UI that makes website building super intuitive. Unsurprisingly, Wix currently boasts more than 200 million users across 190 countries.
Wix’s proprietary artificial intelligence-based web design tool, WixADI, can help you set up a website after answering a few simple questions. If you would rather create your site manually, there are over 500 premade templates to help you expedite the process. You can also customise every aspect of your website using the drag-and-drop site editor.
When you sign up for a new account, Wix offers 500MB of free storage for building your first website. However, you can’t use your own domain name or create an ecommerce site on this free plan. There’s also a sizeable banner advertisement displayed across each free website.
Read our comprehensive Wix review; our interview with Wix's Head Product Manager Michal Bignitz; and learn how to build a website on Wix
Webflow
Best for visuals and the technically experienced
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: N/A
- Bandwidth: Unlimited
- Adverts on sites: N/A
REASONS TO BUY
- Ideal for developers and agencies
- No coding required
- Built-in CMS
REASONS TO AVOID
- Free plan only covers two sites
- Email support only
Score: 4.5/5
While most website builders focus on ease of use, Webflow prides itself on functionality. The tool is best suited to freelance web developers and creative agencies in need of a professional visual builder, and competes with the top-level builders such as Editor X in this regard for advanced users.
The service is able to accomplish any web design task without the need for coding. Want to create a custom slideshow for your favourite posts? Done. Need a parallax hero section to decorate the top of your website? No problem. Webflow gives you full control over your website, whether or not you know HTML and CSS.
Webflow has a forever-free plan that allows you to publish up to two websites on its .webflow.io subdomain. This plan requires no credit card details to subscribe. Additionally, both free and paid themes are available, as well as a host of additional plugins to enhance the functionality of your site.
Read our comprehensive Webflow review.
Zyro
Best for beginners and simple projects
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 500MB
- Bandwidth: 500MB
- Adverts on sites: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
- Editor and platform easy to use
- AI-based features for automation
- Excellent uptime
REASONS TO AVOID
- Adverts on free plan's sites
- Limited design elements
Score: 4/5
Zyro is a website builder from Hostinger, our choice for the best web hosting service provider. The drag-and-drop editor is very easy to use, and boasts a huge collection of AI-based features to automate the process of creating a new website.
Zyro has over 150 templates for users to choose from. The platform is very easy to use and is best for simple projects that don’t require advanced design features. Zyro is a new player in the website builder space, which means it’s regularly updated. One such update is the great AI-based content writing tool that automatically writes web pages and blog posts for your site.
Zyro’s free plan comes with 500MB of storage space. However, there will be some non-intrusive advertisements displayed on your website. Upgrading to a paid plan gives you access to more features and removes all adverts.
Hostinger offers the Zyro website builder, among the best website builders available, for site construction: read our comprehensive Zyro review to find out more, and our interview with CEO Giedrius Zakaitis about the company's biggest successes, challenges, and plans for the future.
Weebly
Best for ease-of-use and ecommerce
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 500MB
- Bandwidth: 500MB
- Adverts on sites: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
- Mobile-responsive templates
- Helpful SEO guides
- Very easy to use
REASONS TO AVOID
- Limited drag-and-drop functionality
- No site design assistant
Score: 3.5/5
Weebly is super straightforward. While it lacks advanced features, you will find this website builder sufficient for basic web development. Simply enter your name, email, and password, and you can set up your website in no time.
Like Wix, Weebly uses an intuitive drag-and-drop interface as well as readymade templates to aid you in the website creation process. This platform is especially good for creating ecommerce websites thanks to a fully integrated shopping cart and lots of payment options to choose from, due to Weebly's tie-ins with Square Online.
Weebly is also very social media-friendly, allowing visitors to share content across Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and more.
Weebly’s free-forever plan requires no credit card details to sign up. You get 500MB of free storage and a free SSL certificate with it. However, you will be required to use a .weebly.com domain and display certain advertisements.
Read our Weebly review, our comparison pitting Wix vs Squarespace vs Weebly, and our interview with Square Online's ecommerce product lead Katie Miller.
WordPress
Best for blogging sites and content creation
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 3GB
- Bandwidth: Unlimited
- Adverts on sites: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
- Huge range of free features
- Hundreds of templates available
- Full access to WordPress plugin and theme libraries
REASONS TO AVOID
- Restricted to WordPress domain
- Limited design flexibility
Score: 3.5/5
WordPress.com (not to be confused with WordPress.org) is a free website-building platform that’s ideal for bloggers and content creators. It runs on a modified version of the WordPress.org software and offers a range of features that are perfect for publishers from every niche.
Built-in analytics, site-wide search, comment systems, image galleries, and post archives are among the growing list of features offered by this platform. WordPress.com also comes with hundreds of free and premium templates and widgets to further personalise your website.
WordPress.com’s free plan offers about 3GB of storage space. However, you can’t use a premium domain name (.com, .net, etc.) and will have to make do with a .wordpress.com subdomain unless you upgrade to a paid plan. That said, this is standard for almost all free website builders.
Read our WordPress review; make sure to look at our listicles outlining seven great reasons to choose managed WordPress hosting, and the four S's of managed WordPress: security, scalability, speed, and service.
Strikingly
Best for personal or one-page sites
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 500MB
- Bandwidth: 5GB (a month)
- Adverts on sites: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
- Attractive single-page templates
- Great free forever plan
REASONS TO AVOID
- Limited customisability
- No free SSL certificate included
Score: 3.5/5
If the website you’re building is for personal rather than business purposes, Strikingly might be the thing for you. This simple website builder helps you create one-page websites with ease. You don’t get the same level of control as with Wix, but the tool is great if you want to set something up really quickly.
Strikingly offers a limited selection of templates to choose from. Customising your site is easy, as long as you don’t want to make any massive changes. And it’s possible to keep making changes once your website is live, so you don’t have to worry about being stuck with the wrong design. You can also add a simple blog and an ecommerce store to your site or use contact forms to gather information from visitors.
Strikingly’s free plan gets you 500MB of storage, 5GB monthly bandwidth, and 24/7 customer support. There’s no free SSL certificate included, and you have to use the compulsory .mystrikingly.com subdomain. If you want your website to have more than one page, you have to upgrade to a paid plan.
Site123
Best for getting started in website building
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 250MB
- Bandwidth: 250MB
- Adverts on sites: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
- Very easy to use
- Great free forever plan
REASONS TO AVOID
- Editor is very basic
- Very small storage allowances
Score: 3.5/5
Site123 is a great option for beginners. It lets you quickly create a standard website or blog without having to familiarise yourself with a new system. Sadly, that also means that you don’t get as much creative control over the final website as you might like.
Every website built with Site123 is fully responsive; you don’t have to apply any special effort to make templates look good across different devices and platforms. Websites are also fully SEO-optimised. Moreover, you get access to a limited collection of royalty-free images, even on the free plan. The paid plan also offers ecommerce options, should you require them.
Site123 offers 250MB of free storage, which is less than the standard for most website builders in this category. However, the biggest downside of using the platform is that your domain name is just a collection of random numbers, which looks rather unprofessional.
Jimdo
Best for learning about sitebuilding and ecommerce
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 500MB
- Bandwidth: 2GB
- Adverts on sites: No
REASONS TO BUY
- Choose between drag-and-drop or coding design studio
- HTTPS security included with all domains
REASONS TO AVOID
- Can only sell five products on free site
- Few innovative features
Score: 3/5
Jimdo is a website builder that values simplicity over functionality. Even with no prior knowledge of website design, it’s very easy to get started, and you will end up with a nice basic website before you know it.
To make things really straightforward, Jimdo scatters little question mark tooltips across the interface to provide you with information whenever you feel stuck. You can either use the platform’s AI-based website builder, or a limited manual website builder tool and pre-made templates to start building your website.
Jimdo’s free plan only lets you sell up to five products on your website and doesn’t give you access to its analytics dashboard. You also have to use the platform’s subdomain, but thankfully, there are no annoying advertisements to contend with.
Webnode
Great for getting to grips with websites
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 100MB
- Bandwidth: 1GB
- Adverts on sites: No
REASONS TO BUY
- Easy-to-use site editor
- Ideal for beginners
REASONS TO AVOID
- Only 100MB of storage
- Limited templates and flexibility
Score: 3/5
With over 30 million users worldwide, Webnode is a popular choice among those looking for a simple website builder with no learning curve. Sadly, it also seriously hinders your creative potential.
Webnode has a limited number of templates that can be customised to create your ideal website. Its site editor is easy to use, but offers little flexibility when compared to popular platforms like Wix or Weebly. This website builder doesn’t have much to offer in the way of features, but it’s still a decent choice for those looking for a simple solution.
Webnode’s free plan includes just 100MB of storage. You also have to use the platform’s subdomain if you go with the free plan, but it’s hidden in the footer, so at least it isn’t obvious.
Mozello
A great builder for multilingual sites
SPECIFICATIONS
- Storage: 500MB
- Bandwidth: 1GB
- Adverts on sites: Yes
REASONS TO BUY
- Up to 10 products on free plan
- Ideal for multilingual sites
REASONS TO AVOID
- Not easy to use
- No free SSL certificate
Score: 3/5
Mozello is a straightforward website builder that’s great for creating multilingual websites. You also get access to some basic ecommerce features that enable you to sell up to 10 products on the free plan, which is great.
Mozello isn’t an exceptional website builder in terms of functionality or ease of use. It’s simple enough, but making advanced changes feels like an uphill battle. However, it quickly makes up for all of that with its excellent multilingual functionality. The platform also provides decent options for SEO optimisation.
Mozello offers users 500MB of storage on the free plan. You have to use the platform’s subdomain, and there’s no free SSL certificate included with the plan. However, it does offer basic ecommerce support, and lets you sell up to 10 products on your online store without paying a cent.
Free website builders FAQs
What is a website builder?
A website builder helps you create a website, regardless of your levels of experience. Website builders range all the way from simple platforms through to powerful, customisable editors, and are equipped with drag-and-drop functionality, template libraries, and additional tools for areas including ecommerce stores and portfolio design.
Free website builders vs paid website builders: what's best?
You may well be asking: how much does it cost to build a website? The answer is that this can range from between a few pounds to well over £30 a month.
Prices depend on what you need your new website to do, and you can expect to pay much more for decent ecommerce and business tools. It's worth noting when comparing free website builders vs paid that the former can be useful, but only in certain cases.
It's possible to build a website for free via trials or free plans, but even the best free website builders feature limitations such as advertising, branded subdomains, or heavily restricted bandwidth and storage.
As a consequence, they usually aren't the best option for business or commercial sites, or indeed for any type of site that goes beyond small, personal site projects. However, they continue to be a brilliant method of testing a platform before committing, or training yourself on site creation.
What is a good free website builder?
Wix is our top option when it comes to the best free website builders, simply because the full website builder is included on the free plan. It does however constrain users with very limited storage and bandwidth, and any site you create will have a branded Wix domain and advertising.
How we review the best free website builders
When we review the best free website builders, we test the builder and editor by creating our own custom sites. This enables us to establish how easy or how complex the site editor is, and allows us to let you know, as a prospective user, where it might be too simple or too complicated for your level of experience.
For a free website builder, we study the limitations of a free plan or trial. Because many free-forever plans are greatly limited in comparison to paid packages, we aim to explain to you what you'll actually get if you opt not to spend any money; as such, we also explore the paid pricing plans and what they offer in case you're ready to invest in more advanced services.
An additional area we study is a given builder's site uptime and response times over a two-week period. While this relates more to the hosting of the site (usually internally provided by the platform, but sometimes via web hosts), it's a key indicator for website builders as site uptime and site response times are integral to your website's performance, and any problems here could cost you time and money.
Additionally, we explore the tools and features included, both standard and unique to a given platform. We also trial the provider's customer support and customer service responsiveness and knowledge, because if you're new to website creation, you won't be able to solve more complex problems, and the builder needs to have adequate support available as and when you might need it.
Next steps when choosing a website builder
If you're just starting out, learn how to build a site from scratch. Wondering whether you need a website for your small business? Look at why you need one; see some top tips for creating a small business website; explore the top tools needed, and discover the foundations of a successful small business site.
