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To have an online presence, you don’t have to rely on huge business platforms like Facebook and Twitter: you can create a website instead. And while companies spend good money on top website builders to create online destinations customers can’t resist, you don’t have to follow in their footsteps. There are many website builders that you can use to create a website without spending a penny.
We’ve tested many website builders, some of which offer a free tier. Read on for our top tips and what to look for when choosing a free website builder.
Deeper insight: Our top-tested tips
Wix site builder
Best for building free websites
Why we chose it
Wix offers almost everything you could want in a website builder. An intuitive interface lets you create beautiful pages from hundreds of available templates. Widgets and mobile-specific tools provide more flexibility and functionality. Robust ecommerce tools allow businesses to sell memberships and digital downloads. And excellent uptime ensures that your website is online.
who it is for
All. In addition to all the powerful, business-friendly paid features, the free version of Wix is ​​our editor’s choice in this category. You’ll have to sacrifice some premium features and tolerate on-site ads, but Wix is ​​by far the best option for anyone who wants to build great websites without paying monthly fees.
ADVANTAGES
- Remarkably intuitive Editor X interface
- Numerous widgets
- Hundreds of templates for specific businesses and other purposes
- Good tools for building mobile websites
- Extensive web shop functions
- Excellent availability and customer service support
- Lots of trading options including the ability to sell digital downloads
- Cool AI-powered website design tools
- Free option
Disadvantages
- Third-party apps provide better analytics
- Does not allow changing templates
Learn more
Wix Website Builder Review
GoDaddy Websites + Marketing Website Builder
Best for Marketing and SEO tools
Why we chose it
GoDaddy’s free website builder lets you create a great website that you can pair with a GoDaddy domain. With GoDaddy Websites + Marketing, you get unlimited monthly data transfers and unlimited storage at every tier, including the free ones. However, you must select one of the premium plans in order to use the ecommerce features to create an online store.
who it is for
This tool puts marketing right in the title. GoDaddy’s builder not only helps you create websites, but also gives you the features you need to make that website accessible to as many people as possible. Powerful marketing and SEO functionality makes this an excellent builder for people who want to promote their websites, businesses, or general online presence with mathematical efficiency.
ADVANTAGES
- Great looking websites on desktop and mobile
- Unlimited storage and monthly data transfers
- Great marketing and SEO tools
- More than 100 templates
- Excellent uptime
- Good customer service
- Free Tier
Disadvantages
- Limited layout customization
- Ecommerce is not available for all tiers
Learn more
GoDaddy Websites + Marketing Website Builder Review
Dorik website builder
Best suited for personal websites
Why we chose it
With Dorik’s excellent free tier, you can create an attractive, SEO-friendly website in just minutes – no coding required. You simply choose a template, customize the interactive UI elements and add your images, text or videos. If you want cool features and perks like custom domains and membership bonuses, check out a Dorik premium subscription (starting at $48 per year).
who it is for
People who want to create personal or hobby websites without much effort should check out Dorik. Company? Not so much, as Dorik’s lackluster e-commerce tools make the service ill-suited for businesses selling products online.
ADVANTAGES
- Powerful free version
- Intuitive user interface without any programming effort
- Suitable for individuals and organizations
- Easy code import and export
- Excellent uptime
Disadvantages
- Few ecommerce features
- Limited bespoke items
- Basic image editing
Learn more
Dorik Website Builder Review
Weebly site builder
Best for basic page editing
Why we chose it
Some users are happy to forgo certain advanced features if it makes the overall experience easier. Weebly doesn’t have the most customization options, but you can still create quality websites with its many attractive themes. The website builder allows you to monitor stats to see your website’s performance and sell physical and digital goods. With a free Weebly hosting account, you get a generous unlimited monthly data plan and the ability to switch themes without having to rebuild your site.
who it is for
Weebly appeals to people who value convenience. You don’t have to tinker with themes to create a great-looking website. It’s one of the few builders that lets you switch themes without having to rebuild the site, which is a huge plus. And it offers unlimited monthly data transfers everywhere. The free tier has its ups and downs. Without paying, your site will have ads, a Weebly domain, a maximum file size of 10 MB, and 500 MB of disk space. For more, including the ability to sell digital goods, you’ll need to upgrade to one of Weebly’s paid tiers.
ADVANTAGES
- Attractive themes with responsive design
- Full trading options including the ability to sell digital goods
- Site stats included
- Allows you to change the theme without having to rebuild your website
- Unlimited data transfers with all plans
- Excellent uptime
- Free Tier
Disadvantages
- Limited theme customization
- It lacks reusable photo storage
- No interface-wide undo function
- Slowly responding customer services in the test
Learn more
Weebly Website Builder Review
Eye-catching website builder
Best for previewing sample pages
Why we chose it
Strikingly, even with the free tiers, it’s somewhat limited. It doesn’t offer many templates and lacks robust site customization, but what it does have is responsive and attractive. You get a Strikingly-branded website with a throughput of 5GB per month, but you have to break the plastic to create multi-page websites, sell products, or even integrate third-party widgets. However, if you choose Strikingly, thanks to the service’s excellent uptime, you can at least have peace of mind that your website is online.
who it is for
Despite its limitations, Strikingly offers a surprising amount of flexibility. With easy-to-use tools and the ability to switch between templates while designing, you can preview your site and make changes quickly without doing a lot of extra work. Thanks to the free tier, you don’t even have to commit to paying before checking if the website builder is right for you. Think of Strikingly more as a paid website builder with a robust free trial that alone makes it more useful than the free tiers of some competing services.
ADVANTAGES
- Easy-to-use website building tools
- Attractive themes with responsive design
- Allows you to switch templates without having to rebuild your website
- Excellent uptime
- Free Tier
Disadvantages
- Less customization options than competing website builders
- Many standard features require a premium account
- Free and cheap plans are limited to five pages per site
Learn more
Striking website builder review
Buying Guide: Best Free Website Builders for 2023
Which Free Website Builder is the Best?
A free website builder is, in most cases, the free variant of a larger paid website builder. Not all website builders offer free tiers. Some instead opt for affordable basic tiers that cost a few dollars a month. Other services give you access to some features for free, while more powerful features are locked behind premium paywalls. However, if you don’t need those extra benefits, the free tier might be more than enough.
What can you expect from a free website builder? Common limitations include being only allowed to build one website with a handful of pages, limited storage options, and being forced to use the builder’s domain instead of a custom one. Some free tiers are actually more like free trials. They allow you to test the tools as many times as you like, but you have to spend money to actually release them. However, other free services are reputable hosting plans, even if the paid tiers are “better.”
Which Free Website Builder Is Best For Ecommerce?
For small businesses, a website is a must. The Internet is a huge marketplace that you just have to take advantage of. A free website builder is an easy way to start building your web presence. However, truly professional users should opt for a paid plan sooner rather than later. Customers will trust a company with their own domain, it looks legit. More importantly, free website builders typically lock their ecommerce capabilities, which is the ability to sell products on an online store, behind paywalls. spend money to make money.
Which Free Website Builder Is Best For Photographers?
Image editing is a godsend among website builders, even paid ones. Some offer robust ways to enhance photos on your site, while others allow cropping, and that’s about it. When it comes to free website builders, Wix offers comprehensive photo editing options, and GoDaddy has upped its offering as well. Weebly’s editor is fine, but Strikingly’s is fairly basic, consistent with its overall limited customization features.
Recommended by our editors
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