Site icon D-fsl

12 Best (REALLY FREE) Website Builders in 2025

d-fsl

Finding a reliable free website builder can be challenging, as many free plans are simply designed to hook you into paid upgrades later. Often, these free options lock essential features behind paywalls, making your efforts feel wasted once you hit limitations like storage caps or intrusive ads.

To help you navigate this landscape, my team and I rigorously tested the top website builders to identify which ones genuinely allow you to create a functional, professional-looking site at no cost. We examined their free offerings, read the fine print, and verified their complete features to ensure you’re choosing a tool that won’t disappoint.

While you can indeed build a decent website with free plans, keep in mind that there are some trade-offs—such as limited storage, branding from the platform, or ads displayed on your site. To give you a full picture, we’ve also included some paid options offering generous free trials, letting you explore premium features risk-free for a limited time.

My top recommendation remains Wix, thanks to its unmatched design flexibility even on the free plan. Continue reading to discover which free website builder best suits your needs, or get started today with Wix.

Short on Time? These Are the Best Free Website Builders in 2025

What We Look For in The Best Free Website Builders

Many free builders promise the moon but often come with significant compromises like restricted storage, limited design options, or intrusive ads that can make your site look unprofessional. When selecting free options, I prioritized those that deliver enough functionality so you won’t feel forced to upgrade prematurely. Here’s what I focused on:

Quick Look at Our Best Free Website Builders

Top Truly Free Website Builders

Only a handful of free builders allow you to build and publish a complete website without a credit card. These platforms offer flexible design tools, beginner-friendly editors, and essential features suitable for blogs, portfolios, or small business sites on a forever-free plan.

Wix: Industry Leader in Free Website Building

Wix has long been a leader, constantly improving its platform. It boasts one of the most feature-rich free plans available.

All 2500+ templates are free, not just a select few, and they’re highly customizable via Wix’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor. You can easily modify text, images, and layout to match your vision.

The free plan includes:

Note: The free plan displays Wix branding and limits you to a subdomain (e.g., username.wixsite.com/sitename). You won’t be able to connect a custom domain unless you upgrade.

While Wix’s extensive freedom makes designing a site more complex initially, most users can have a professional site up in a few hours.

Features:

Learn more about Wix in our full review.

| Best For | Precise design control & professional layouts |
|—|—|
| Free Features | 2500+ templates, drag-and-drop, SEO tools, free apps, blogging |
| Free URL | username.wixsite.com/sitename |
| Storage/Bandwidth | 500 MB / 1 GB |

SITE123: Simplicity for Beginners

SITE123 is perfect for newcomers who want a straightforward, no-fuss experience. Its interface is clean, and it offers over 80 mobile-responsive templates suitable for blogs, restaurants, or events.

Key features:

While it doesn’t offer full drag-and-drop freedom like Wix, adding images, texts, or pages is quick and easy. The free plan provides:

Features:

Check out our full SITE123 review.

| Best For | Beginners seeking simplicity |
|—|—|
| Free Features | Basic design, blogging, forms, business tools |
| Free URL | RandomName.site123.me |
| Storage/Bandwidth | 250 MB / 250 MB |

Webador: Fast Setup for One-Page Sites

Webador excels at quickly launching simple websites, especially one-page portfolios or landing pages. Its AI guides you through setup, generating a site based on your answers, which you can then customize.

Features include:

The free plan offers:

A downsides are the larger banner ad at the bottom and the requirement for AI-generated templates before editing.

Read our Webador review for more.

| Best For | Simple, one-page sites |
|—|—|
| Free Features | Media widgets, SEO tools, social links |
| Free URL | sitename.webador.com |
| Storage/Bandwidth | Unlimited / Unlimited |

Affordable and Risk-Free Builders (Limited Free Trials)

While these platforms don’t offer permanent free plans, they provide free trials or starter plans that let you test their premium features without long-term commitments.

Squarespace: Stylish, Minimalist Design

Squarespace is renowned for sleek, professional templates. It offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can explore its features risk-free.

Features include:

Ideal if you want a sophisticated site with minimal effort. Plans start at $16/month after trial.

Hostinger Website Builder: Budget-Friendly & AI-Powered

Starting at just $2.99/month, Hostinger provides an easy drag-and-drop editor, AI tools (like logo and text generators), and a choice of dozens of templates.

It offers a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

IONOS: Cost-Effective with Business Features

IONOS focuses on small businesses, providing professional templates and a simple interface. No free plan, but plans start at $1/month with a 30-day money-back option.

It includes features like:

Learn more in our IONOS review.

Other Noteworthy Free Builders

These platforms didn’t make the top of the list but are still solid choices for specific needs.

When to Consider Upgrading

A free website builder is perfect for personal projects, hobbies, or short-term events. However, as your site grows—requiring custom domains, removal of ads, increased storage, or advanced features—it’s time to consider paid plans.

Upgrading allows you to:

Visit what are the seven stages of designing a website for a deeper understanding of the website creation process.

Which Free Builder Is Right for You?

The best choice depends on your goals:

Consider your needs, technical comfort level, and future growth plans to pick the best free builder.

FAQs

What is the best completely free website builder?

It depends on your needs. Wix offers broad customization and flexibility, ideal for those wanting full control. Site123 is perfect for beginners seeking ease of use. For blogging and content-heavy sites, WordPress.com is a solid choice.

Is Wix actually free?

Yes, Wix provides a free plan that enables you to build and publish a website without cost. Your site will display Wix branding, and you’ll have limited storage (500 MB) and bandwidth (1 GB). To remove branding and access custom domains, upgrades are necessary.

What’s the difference between a free trial and a free plan?

A free trial grants temporary access to premium features for a limited period, after which you need to upgrade. A free plan offers ongoing, though limited, access to basic features permanently.

Which is best for small businesses?

Wix remains the top choice for small businesses due to its comprehensive features, templates, and ease of use. SITE123 is also good for beginners, offering essential business tools like appointment scheduling.

Is Google Sites free?

Yes, Google Sites is free but offers limited design flexibility, SEO tools, and integrations. For more features, consider platforms like Webador.

Where can I get a free website and domain?

Platforms like Wix offer free subdomains (yourname.wixsite.com). For a custom domain (yourname.com), you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan, which often includes a free domain for the first year.

Choosing the right free website builder depends on your specific goals and comfort with web design. Start with one that matches your skill level and future plans, and upgrade when your site needs to grow.

Exit mobile version