The Best Free Website Builders (Compared)

Do you want to start your own website?

Perhaps you have a business, or maybe you want to start a blog.

Whatever the case, having a website will be a great way to build your online presence.

However, building your own website these days can be a bit overwhelming.

Not because the process is confusing, but because there are so many platforms to choose from.

If you are unsure what platform to go with, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about the best free website builders.

If you are ready to find out what website builder is best for you, let’s get started.

Best Overall: Wix

After reviewing the pros and cons, we have decided that Wix is the best free website builder.

This site is a great choice for beginners since it is so simple.

Wix is an easy drag-and-drop website builder that anyone can use.

The ideal market for the platform is independent companies and personal blogs.

If you are looking for the best free website builder for a small business with all of the basics set up for you, this site will be a good choice.

Specs

• Price: You can use Wix for free, but there will be ads. If you want more features, you can pick either a website plan or a business & eCommerce plan. The website plans range from $5 a month to $29 USD a month. Expect to pay between $20 to $35 a month for an eCommerce site.
• Space Available: Depending on the plan you get, you will have anywhere between 500 MB and 35 GB of space on your site. There is also a limited bandwidth for each month. However, you can get unlimited bandwidth by choosing the VIP and unlimited plans.
• Customer Support: There is a FAQ section that you can post in if you need support. You can also email or phone Wix customer support. They normally answer promptly and are eager to help.

Unique Features

You will have a lot of freedom when it comes to the look of your site.

Wix has over 500 professionally designed templates to choose from.

When you have a template you like, you can customize it as much as you want and add elements using the drag and drop feature.

If you are wary about the design process, you can always have the site generate a template for you.

Just answer a few questions, and Wix will design a website personalized to your brand.

One of the best features of Wix is its compatibility with phones.

Wix will optimize your site for mobile view as well as desktop, and you can easily edit the mobile view with the Mobile Editor.

Furthermore, Wix will SEO optimize your site for you.

Simply answer a few questions, and Wix will generate an SEO plan for your site.

This feature will help people notice your website online.

One of the best free eCommerce website builders, Wix will help you start the online business you have always dreamed of.

Pros

• The platform supports eCommerce
• The site offers online scheduling software
• You can create your own logo through the site
• Your site will be compatible with mobile view on phones
• There are over six plans to choose from
• You can add animations and videos to your site
• Wix has over 500 professionally designed templates

Cons

• It is difficult to change templates once you choose
• You have to pay for a plan to get an ad-free website
• Some plans are quite expensive
• The mobile version of your site might load slower than other platforms

Runner Up: WordPress

WordPress is the best free website builder for artists.

WordPress is a hosted platform that allows users to build a blog, website, or eCommerce business.

Millions of people use the platform since there are many features, and it is relatively simple to use.

The site has a lot of customization options as well.

Specs

• Price: There is a free option for WordPress that will include ads. The paid plans will be anywhere from $4 to $47 USD per month. The paid plans include personal, premium, business, and eCommerce.
• Space Available: WordPress has a lot of space available, from 3 GB to 200 GB.
• Customer Support: If you have a paid plan, you will have access to 24/7 customer support through an online chat. There is also an FAQ section and an email you can contact. WordPress typically answers promptly and solves your issue right away.

How Is This Platform Unique?

When you get started with the site, there are hundreds of templates to choose from that are professionally designed, making it one of the best free website hosting and builder platforms.

You can also refine your search by searching different theme categories such as portfolio, magazine, blog, business, wedding, travel, food, and music.

The website builder is also relatively straightforward. You can easily add tables, forms, videos, and other elements to the site. When you choose a theme, there are options to customize the colors, fonts, and layout.

Your WordPress site will also come with pre-installed plugins that will allow you to check your site’s statistics and monitor spam or security threats. The platform also offers SEO optimization for your site to help you get noticed online.

There are also thousands of additional plugins to add to your site to further customize it to your liking. For instance, you can download a contact form plugin that is both stylish and user-friendly.

Benefits of WordPress

• There is a large video library you can access for website demos
• You can easily change the template anytime
• There are thousands of plugins to install
• Has one of the best eCommerce platforms

The Downsides

• Customizing your website can be difficult for beginners
• The site builder is not drag and drop compatible
• The free version will have ads
• WordPress is a bit more expensive than other sites

Alternative: Site123

Many consider Site123 the best free website builder since it is one of the easiest platforms to use.

Unlike traditional drag and drop sites, Site123 is all about letting you solely focus on your content and not the design aspect of website building.

The platform has a content management system that does all of the work for you.

Specs

• Price: There is a free option for this platform. You can expect to pay around $10 to $30 USD, depending on the plan you get. The plans include basic, advanced, professional, and gold.
• Space Available: 250 MB to 270 GB depending on the plan.
• Customer Support: Site123 has 24/7 live support available through the online chat. You can also use the FAQ section to find answers or email them for more help.

What Features Does Site123 Have?

With this site builder, you can create a website in three steps.

All you have to do is pick a design, add content, and publish the site.

Every site will have the capability to run an online store as well as a blog.

When choosing a template, there are specific categories you can choose from, such as themes for gardeners or hairstylists, for example.

There is also a function to translate your website into several different languages.

If your site has a broad audience, this feature will be helpful.

This platform is the best website builder free because it is easy to SEO-optimize your site.

Your website will come with a built-in search engine optimization advisor that will scan and recommend changes on your site.

Why Site123 Is Worth It

• It is very easy to use
• Compatible for eCommerce businesses
• You can easily optimize your site for SEO with its built-in SEO advisor

Any Downsides?

• You do not have a lot of freedom when it comes to the design and looks of the website
• The website builder does not have a large variety of widgets
• Site visitors cannot comment on the blog section of your website

Alternative: Weebly

Weebly is one of the best free website builders with its large selection of templates.

People know the platform for their professional designs, ease of use, adaptability, and customization potential.

The site has a drag-and-drop system, making it great for beginners.

Specs

• Price: Weebly has a free version with many of the same features you get with paid plans. The paid plans (personal, professional, and performance) will range from $5 to $35 USD.
• Space Available: The free plan will have a limit of 500 MB. If you get a paid plan, there will not be a limit of space.
• Customer Support: Weebly has some of the best customer support; they have a telephone line, 24/7 email and online chat, and a FAQ section.

Unique Features

The drag and drop editing software makes for an easy and effective system.

You will have dozens of professionally designed themes to choose from that you can customize to suit your style.

Each Weebly website will also be compatible with phones.

Even though you won’t be able to edit how it looks on mobile devices, the format is usually fine.

You can also add several apps and widgets to the site, such as comment sections, social media links, and much more.

Additionally, Weebly has built-in image editing software.

If you want to add a photo to your website template but don’t like how it looks, you won’t have to leave the site to edit it.

Weebly has a number of visual elements to add to the site, including video, animation, audio, and other graphics that will enhance the look.

Lastly, Weebly has a strong eCommerce system.

Customers can easily add items to their shopping cart and quickly view an estimated tax and shipping price with the automatic calculator.

Pros

• The site has a drag and drop editing system
• Hundreds of professionally designed templates
• Weebly has SEO tools to increase the noticeability of your site
• You will have an option to send marketing emails

Cons

• Weebly does not have a lot of options when it comes to converting your site into other languages
• You may have some limitations while customizing your website template compared to other popular sites (you won’t be able to move around some elements)

Alternative: Mozello

Many people consider Mozello the best free website builder for photographers.

With its wide range of templates and SEO tools, photographers will find it easy to promote their brand and display their photos.

The platform will take care of all the difficult aspects of building a website, such as domain registration.

With Mozello, you can create a website or an online store.

Specs

• Price: There is a free version of Mozello that has many features that the paid plan does. The paid plans include online store plans and premium plans ranging from $7 to $14 USD a month.
• Space Available: You will get 0.5 GB of storage for the free version. Some paid plans will offer unlimited storage.
• Customer Support: The site encourages users to refer to their FAQ section first. You can also email them if you still have questions.

What Features Does Mozello Offer?

Mozello is one of the best free blog website builders.

The platform has powerful SEO and marketing tools to get your site noticed.

Your website will also be compatible with mobile devices.

One of the main features of Mozello is that you can offer your site in multiple languages.

Visitors will be able to click on their preferred language and access your website from there.

If you want to run a blog alongside your website, you can do this with Mozello.

You will be able to upload videos, pictures, tables, and many other elements to your blogs.

The layout of the blog is also customizable.

There are also hundreds of templates that you can choose from and customize.

You can also switch the template anytime during the editing process without losing any data.

Many other website-building platforms do not offer this feature.

The best free website builder without ads, Mozello can host eCommerce businesses as well.

The platform will offer a few different features for customers to make it easy to navigate the store.

Potential customers can view products by category, see different currency options, and have various payment options to choose from, making it one of the best free website builders.

Benefits

• You will be able to run a blog as well with your Mozello site
• There are hundreds of templates to choose from
• If you have coding knowledge, you will have a lot of freedom when designing the site
• Mozello is affordable compared to other site builders
• Compatible for eCommerce businesses
• Can support multiple languages

Drawbacks

• You will have to translate the website on your own (no auto-translate feature)
• You need coding experience to make any major changes to the site
• It does not have a drag and drop editing software

Free Website Builder FAQ

How Do I Build My Website for Free?

Building a website for the first time can be daunting. Luckily, there are free website builders you can use that will make the task much more manageable.

Let’s take a look at the main steps involved with building a free website. 

• Choose a website builder platform. All of the above website builders have a free version. Take your time and go through all of the features, and choose a website builder that is most suited for your needs. If you are a beginner in the process, it may be best to choose a drag and drop platform such as Wix or Weebly. Site123 will be the most simple site to use.
• Choose and customize a template for your business/blog. The next thing you will do is choose a template that will suit your brand. Whether you are a photographer or hairstylist, there should be a template tailored for your business. WordPress or Site123 will have many options like this. After you pick the template, customize the colors and font to your liking.
• Choose a domain name. If you are building a website for free, you will not be able to get your own domain name without the platform name being in your URL. For example, if you go through WordPress, your site will be www.example.wordpress.com. Even so, choose a domain name that reflects your business or blog well. You can either use your name or your company name for the domain.
• Upload content. Once you build the foundation of your site, start entering data and uploading content. Consider taking some photos of your business/blog content or upload some professional headshots in the “about” section.
• Publish your website. Now that your site is ready to go, it is time to go live. Most website builder platforms will have a button labeled “publish” or something related to that. After you have double-checked your website, publish it and go live.

Does Google Offer a Free Website?

If you are wondering if you can simply create a website with your Google account, you are in luck.

Google offers a free website builder called “Google Sites.”

Small projects and businesses will get the most out of this platform.

People also use it as a medium to communicate with other workers on a shared project.

However, Google Sites is not like any of the website builders listed in this guide.

The platform does not have a large selection of templates, and you will not receive a personal domain with the site.

Basically, Google Sites will let you share a project you are working on with the rest of the world.

Some people find it hard to call Google Sites a website builder since it is so basic.

However, this will be a good option for creating an online presence in a few minutes.

You will be able to edit and create a main home page for the site and add extra pages.

The editor will allow you to add pictures, links, text boxes, and a few other elements to the pages.

This process is very simple.

There is also an option to add buttons, YouTube videos, and calendar events to the site.

Overall, if you are looking for the most basic website builder, Google Sites will be a solid starting point.

Is There a Free Version of WordPress?

WordPress has a free version that will work great for small businesses, projects, and blogs.

If you are not planning to build an eCommerce site, the free version of WordPress will work just fine for many people.

With the free version, you can still access hundreds of website templates and edit them.

You won’t have as much freedom as you would with a paid plan, but you can still customize the template’s color, fonts, and images.

Furthermore, you will still be able to add a few widgets and plugins to the site.

The downside is that you will still have ads and will not have as many storage or SEO tools as you would with a paid plan.

Which Type of Website Is Best for Earning?

There are many kinds of websites you can run, but there are a few that are more likely to generate income. 

• Blogs – One of the most popular ways to make money online is through blogging. Anyone can blog, and once you build an audience, you can monetize your blog.
• ECommerce – This kind of website is where you sell products online. While it may take a while to get started, eCommerce will be a solid way to generate income once you have consistent customers.
• Business – If you have some sort of service or product you are providing people with, it will be beneficial to set up a business website. The website will allow potential customers or clients to learn more about your company, leading to more income.
• Review Website – Review websites allow people to leave comments, ratings, and reviews on different products. If your website grows in popularity, you can make a lot of money through affiliate links.

Conclusion On The Best Free Website Builders

There are several free website builders that will help you grow your business.

If you are looking for the easiest website builder with the least amount of steps, Site123 will be your best choice.

Wix and Weebly will give you the most freedom when designing the site since they have a drag-and-drop function.

If you have some coding knowledge and want to build a more intricate site, check out Mozello or WordPress.