Best Free Website Builders in 2025: Top Platforms to Create Your Website for Free

Best free website builders in 2025

Free website builder is a platform that allows users to create and publish a website without paying upfront costs. These builders offer basic features at no charge but often have limitations to encourage upgrades to paid plans.

Here are some of the best free website builders in 2025, offering a balance of ease of use, design flexibility, and features:

1. Wix

Wix offers a free website builder with an easy drag-and-drop editor, but it has key limitations. Here’s what you need to know:

✅ What You Get for Free with Wix

1. Free Subdomain

   • Your site URL will be: username.wixsite.com/sitename (not a custom domain like yourname.com).

2. Drag-and-Drop Editor

   • Intuitive design tools with 100s of free templates.

3. 500MB Storage & 500MB Bandwidth

   • Enough for a small portfolio or blog (but not for heavy media or high traffic).

4. Basic Features

   • Blogging, contact forms, and Wix App Market (limited free apps).

5. Wix Ads

   • A small "Made with Wix" banner appears at the top and bottom of your site.

❌ Limitations of Wix Free Plan

1. No Custom Domain

   • Free sites use a Wix-branded subdomain (looks unprofessional for businesses).

2. Wix Ads Displayed

   • You can’t remove the "Made with Wix" branding without upgrading.

3. No E-Commerce

   • Selling products requires a paid plan (starting at $27/month).

4. Limited SEO & Analytics

   • Basic SEO tools, but no Google Analytics integration on the free plan.

5. 500MB Storage

   • Not enough for large galleries or videos.

6. No Premium Support

   • Priority help is only for paid users.

Wix’s free plan is great for beginners and simple sites, but the ads and subdomain make it unsuitable for professional use. If you’re serious about your website, upgrading to at least the $16/month plan is recommended.

2. Weebly (by Square)

Weebly (owned by Square) offers a free website builder with a simple drag-and-drop interface. Here’s everything you need to know before using it.

✅ What You Get for Free with Weebly

1. Free Weebly Subdomain

   • Your site URL: yoursite.weebly.com (no custom domain).

2. Drag-and-Drop Editor

   • Easy-to-use, beginner-friendly interface.

3. 500MB Storage

   • Enough for small blogs or portfolios.

4. Basic E-Commerce (With Restrictions)

   • You can list products, but Square payments take a 3% transaction fee (paid plans reduce this).

5. Free Themes (But Limited)

   • Decent templates, but premium designs require an upgrade.

6. SEO Basics

   • Edit meta titles/descriptions, but advanced SEO needs a paid plan.

7. Lead Capture & Contact Forms

   • Basic forms are free.

❌ Limitations of Weebly’s Free Plan

1. Weebly Branding in Footer

   • "Powered by Weebly" appears at the bottom (can’t remove without paying).

2. No Custom Domain

   • Stuck with yoursite.weebly.com (unprofessional for businesses).

3. Limited E-Commerce Features

   • No checkout on your domain (visitors see square.site).

   • No abandoned cart recovery or advanced selling tools.

4. 500MB Storage Cap

   • Not enough for large image/video galleries.

5. No Membership or Password Protection

   • Can’t restrict access to pages.

6. Basic Analytics Only

   • No Google Analytics integration (requires paid plan).

      

Weebly’s free plan is decent for small sites and basic stores, but the branding and transaction fees make it hard to scale. If you’re serious about your website, upgrading to at least the $10/month Personal plan is worth it.

3. WordPress.com (Free Plan)

WordPress offers both WordPress.com (hosted, beginner-friendly) and WordPress.org (self-hosted, more powerful). Here, we’ll focus on WordPress.com’s free plan, which is the easiest way to start for beginners.

✅ What You Get for Free with WordPress.com

1. Free Subdomain

   • Your site URL: yoursite.wordpress.com (no custom domain).

2. Basic Blogging & Website Tools

   • Create posts, pages, and galleries.

3. 3GB Storage

   • More than Wix or Weebly (500MB), but still limited for large media.

4. Free Themes (But Limited Customization)

   • Dozens of free themes, but advanced design changes require CSS (paid upgrade).

5. Basic SEO Features

   • Edit meta titles/descriptions, but no Google Analytics integration.

6. WordPress Mobile App

   • Manage your site on the go.

7. Community Support (No Live Chat/Email)

   • Help forums only (priority support is paid).

❌ Limitations of WordPress.com Free Plan

1. WordPress Branding & Ads

   • Your site shows "Powered by WordPress.com" and may display WordAds (you don’t earn from them).

2. No Plugins (Unlike WordPress.org)

   • Can’t install plugins like Yoast SEO, WooCommerce, or contact form tools.

3. No Custom Themes

   • Only pre-approved free themes (no uploading custom ones).

4. No Monetization

   • Can’t run ads (like AdSense) or accept payments without upgrading.

5. No E-Commerce

   • Need at least the $25/month "Commerce" plan to sell products.

6. No Video Uploads

   • Must embed from YouTube/Vimeo (no direct uploads).

      

WordPress.com’s free plan is great for bloggers, but the branding and lack of plugins make it hard to scale. If you want a professional website, consider:

Upgrading to at least the $4/month Starter plan (removes ads).

Using WordPress.org + cheap hosting (more freedom, ~$3/month).

4. Webflow (Free Starter Plan)

Webflow is a powerful design-first website builder that bridges the gap between visual design and code. Its free plan is great for learning and testing, but has key limitations. Here’s what you need to know:

✅ What You Get for Free with Webflow

1. Free Webflow Subdomain

   • Your site URL: yoursite.webflow.io (not a custom domain).

2. Full Design Control (No Coding Needed)

   • Visual CSS/HTML editor with animations, interactions, and responsive design.

3. Up to 2 Projects

   • Limited to 2 "unhosted" projects (can’t connect a custom domain).

4. Basic CMS (Content Management System)

   • 50 CMS items (e.g., blog posts, product listings).

5. Static Site Hosting

   • Good for portfolios, simple blogs, or business sites.

6. No Webflow Branding on Published Site

   • Unlike Wix/Weebly, no forced ads on your free site.

7. Code Export (Free Plan Allows It!)

   • Download your site’s HTML/CSS/JS and host it elsewhere.

❌ Limitations of Webflow Free Plan

1. No Custom Domain

   • Stuck with yoursite.webflow.io (unprofessional for businesses).

2. Limited to 2 Projects

   • Need more? You’ll have to delete old ones or upgrade.

3. No E-Commerce

   • Selling requires at least the $29/month "Standard" plan.

4. 50 CMS Item Limit

   • Fine for small blogs, but restrictive for larger sites.

5. No Advanced Features

   • No password protection, form submissions cap (50/month), or member logins.

6. 10,000 Monthly Visits Limit

   • If traffic exceeds this, you’ll need to upgrade.

Webflow’s free plan is perfect for learning and small projects, but the lack of a custom domain and CMS limits make it hard for serious sites. If you love Webflow’s editor, upgrading to the $14/month Basic plan is worth it.  

5. Carrd

Carrd is the simplest free website builder for ultra-minimalist sites—perfect for one-page portfolios, resumes, or landing pages. Here’s everything you need to know.

✅ What You Get for Free with Carrd

1. Free Carrd Subdomain

   • Your site URL: yoursite.carrd.co (no custom domain).

2. 3 Active Sites

   • You can create and publish up to 3 sites for free.

3. Basic Templates & Customization

   • 50+ simple, mobile-friendly templates.

   • Limited design tweaks (colors, fonts, basic layouts).

4. No Ads or Branding

   • Unlike Wix/Weebly, no "Made with Carrd" banners on free sites.

5. Basic Features

   • Contact forms, buttons, embeddable media (YouTube, social links).

   • Google Analytics integration (manual setup).

6. Lightweight & Fast

   • Sites load quickly since they’re single-page and optimized.

❌ Limitations of Carrd Free Plan

1. No Custom Domain

   • Stuck with yoursite.carrd.co (not ideal for businesses).

2. Only 1-Page Sites

   • No multi-page navigation (unless you upgrade).

3. No E-Commerce

   • Can’t sell products directly (must link to external stores).

4. Limited Sections per Page

   • Free plan restricts advanced layouts (e.g., no tabs, pop-ups).

5. No Password Protection

   • Can’t lock pages for members-only access.

6. Basic Support

   • No priority help (email support is for paid users).

Carrd’s free plan is fantastic for simple, elegant one-page sites, but the lack of a custom domain and multi-page support limits growth. If you love Carrd, upgrading to $9/year (Pro Lite) is a steal.    
 

 6. Google Sites

Google Sites is Google's 100% free, no-frills website builder—ideal for quick internal projects, student work, or basic business pages. Here's the full breakdown.

✅ What You Get for Free

1. Completely Free (No Hidden Costs)

   • No ads, no trial limits, no forced upgrades.

2. Google-Guaranteed Reliability

   • Hosted on Google servers with 99.9% uptime.

3. Unlimited Storage (Tied to Google Drive)

   • Store as many images/docs as your Google account allows.

4. Real-Time Collaboration

   • Multiple people can edit simultaneously (like Google Docs).

5. Simple Drag-and-Drop Editor

   • Add text, images, embeds (YouTube, Google Maps, etc.).

6. Mobile-Optimized Templates

   • Basic but professional-looking designs.

7. Custom Domain Option

   • Unlike most free builders, you can connect a domain you own (e.g., yourbusiness.com).

❌ Limitations

1. Extremely Basic Design

   • No animations, parallax effects, or advanced layouts.

2. No E-Commerce

   • Can’t sell products or accept payments.

3. Limited SEO Control

   • Barebones meta tags; not ideal for ranking on Google.

4. "Google-y" Aesthetic

   • Sites often look like internal wikis rather than polished websites.

5. No Third-Party Apps/Plugins

   • Can’t add tools like live chat or booking widgets.

Google Sites is the easiest truly free option, but only useful for basic sites. For $0, it’s unbeatable for:

• Class projects

• Team dashboards

• Quick "We Moved!" notices

7. Canva Websites

Canva now offers a free website builder integrated with its popular design tools. It’s ideal for visually rich portfolios, landing pages, and simple business sites—but has limitations. Here’s what you need to know:

✅ What You Get for Free

1. Drag-and-Drop Editor

   • Use Canva’s intuitive design tools (like for social media graphics).

2. Free Canva Subdomain

   • Your site URL: yoursite.canva.site (no custom domain).

3. 100+ Free Templates

   • Portfolios, resumes, event pages, and small business sites.

4. Stock Photos/Icons

   • Access to Canva’s free media library (limited premium assets).

5. Mobile-Optimized Designs

   • Auto-responsive layouts (but less control than Webflow/Wix).

6. Basic SEO Tools

   • Edit page titles/descriptions (no advanced analytics).

7. Embeddable Media

   • Add YouTube videos, Google Maps, and social links.

❌ Limitations of the Free Plan

1. Canva Branding

   • Small "Made with Canva" footer (removable on paid plans).

2. No Custom Domain

   • Stuck with yoursite.canva.site (unprofessional for businesses).

3. No E-Commerce

   • Can’t sell products directly (link to external stores like Etsy).

4. Single-Page Only

   • No multi-page navigation (unlike Carrd’s paid tiers).

5. Limited Storage

   • 5GB free (shared with your Canva account for designs).

6. No Code/Custom CSS

   • Less flexibility than Webflow or WordPress.

Canva’s free website builder is great for quick, beautiful one-page sites, but the lack of a custom domain and multi-page support limits professionalism.

Upgrade if:

• You need branding removed ($12.99/month).

• Otherwise, try Carrd or Wix for more features.

Which One Should You Choose?

• For beginners → Wix or Weebly
• For bloggers → WordPress.com
• For designers → Webflow
• For a simple one-page site → Carrd
• For a quick, no-frills site → Google Sites

Most free plans have limitations (ads, no custom domain, etc.). If you want a completely free option without branding, consider GitHub Pages (for tech-savvy users) or Netlify with a static site generator.

What typically makes a website builder “free”?

1. No Upfront Cost

• Users can sign up and build a website without paying.

• No credit card is usually required for the free plan.

   

2. Free Subdomain

• Instead of a custom domain (e.g., yourbusiness.com), free plans provide a subdomain like:

  • yoursite.wixsite.com (Wix)

  • yoursite.wordpress.com (WordPress.com)

  • yoursite.webflow.io (Webflow)

     

3. Basic Templates & Design Options

• Access to free templates/themes (but premium designs may require payment).

• Drag-and-drop editors with limited customization.

   

4. Limited Storage & Bandwidth

• Free plans often restrict:

  Storage (e.g., 500MB – 1GB)

  • Monthly visitor limits

  • File upload sizes

     

5. Ads & Branding

• The builder’s logo or ads appear on your site (e.g., "Made with Wix").

• Some remove ads only on paid plans.

   

6. Limited Features

• No (or very basic) eCommerce functionality.

• Restricted SEO tools.

• Fewer integrations (e.g., no Google Analytics on free plans).

   

7. No (or Limited) Customer Support

• Priority support is usually reserved for paying users.

   

Why Do Companies Offer Free Website Builders?

• Upsell Strategy: Encourage users to upgrade for more features.

• User Acquisition: Get more people to try their platform.

• Lock-in Effect: Migrating a site later can be difficult, making users stick with the platform.

Limitations of Free Website Builders

• Not Professional: Ads and subdomains make sites look less credible.

• Scalability Issues: If your site grows, you’ll likely need to upgrade.

• Ownership Concerns: Some platforms can suspend free sites for inactivity.

• Best Truly Free Alternatives (No Ads/Branding)

• GitHub Pages (for static sites, needs coding knowledge).

• Netlify (hosts static sites for free).

• Tilda.cc (limited free plan with no ads).