best free business website builder
Honest comparisons of the top free plans — what they include, what they hide, and how each affects SEO and growth.
If you want a zero-cost start, this guide helps you choose the right free builder for a small business in 2025 — and explains when a managed service that bundles hosting, domain and SEO is a better long-term choice.
Starting price (free tier)
Most free plans show platform ads
Custom domain often locked behind paywall
Testing ideas, portfolios, temporary pages
Top Free Business Website Builders (2025)
Free plans are useful for testing, learning, or publishing a simple brochure page. Below are the most common free options you'll encounter — each has strengths and trade-offs for small businesses.
Wix (Free)
Drag-and-drop builder with many templates
- Very easy visual editor
- Large template library
- Wix ads on free plan
- Custom domain requires paid plan
WordPress.com (Free)
Simple hosted WordPress with one-click start
- Familiar CMS, huge plugin ecosystem on paid plans
- Good for content-driven sites
- Free plan shows WordPress.com branding
- Limited SEO controls on free tier
Google Sites (Free)
Fast, minimal, and integrated with Google Workspace
- Zero cost, quick setup
- Works well for internal pages & simple info
- Very limited SEO and customization
- Not ideal for marketing-driven businesses
Weebly / Square (Free)
Basic store & site options — easy for quick pages
- Simple editor and basic ecommerce
- Good templates for small shops
- Square ads and transaction fees on low plans
- Limited SEO tools in free tier
Zyro (Free trial / limited free)
Fast builder with AI tools on paid plans
- Modern templates and AI writing tools
- Free features are limited and short-term
- Custom domain and analytics need upgrade
SITE123 (Free)
Guided setup with predictable layouts
- Fast, structured setup for beginners
- Good for landing pages
- Limited design flexibility
Feature & SEO Comparison
At-a-glance: what the free tiers include, and where they restrict growth.
| Builder | Free Plan Limits | Custom Domain | Platform Branding | SEO Controls | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Full editor, storage limits | No (upgrade) | Yes — Wix ads | Basic SEO Wiz on paid plans | Visual sites, portfolios |
| WordPress.com | Hosted WP with restrictions | No (upgrade) | Yes — WordPress.com | Limited meta control on free | Content-first blogs |
| Google Sites | Extremely limited features | Possible with domain mapping, sometimes complex | No branding, but simple URLs | Minimal — poor for advanced SEO | Internal pages, quick info sites |
| Weebly / Square | Basic store tools, transaction fees | No (upgrade) | Yes — Square/Weebly branding | Basic SEO fields | Small shops |
| Zyro (limited free) | Trials & limited features | No (upgrade) | Yes | Restricted until paid | Fast landing pages, experimentation |
| SITE123 | Simple builders, templates | No (upgrade) | Yes — SITE123 badge | Basic | Beginners & landing pages |
| Managed Subscription (example) | All features included | Yes — included | No | Full SEO, local optimisation | Busy business owners |
Note: "Managed Subscription" row reflects the benefits available from services that include hosting, domain, professional SEO and unlimited updates in a predictable monthly price.
Pros & Cons — Quick Breakdown
Wix (Free)
Pros
- Visual drag-and-drop, fast to launch
- Large template selection
- Good for non-technical users
Cons
- Wix ads on free plan reduce trust
- No custom domain without upgrade
- SEO and code access limited on free tier
WordPress.com (Free)
Pros
- Solid CMS foundation, easy to scale on paid plans
- Great for blogs and content marketing
- Large community & documentation
Cons
- Branding and ads on free plan
- Plugins and advanced SEO require paid tiers
Google Sites / SITE123 / Basic Builders
Pros
- Truly free and fast to publish
- Low learning curve
- Good for internal pages, portfolios or temporary promos
Cons
- Poor SEO controls and limited schema markup
- Design and functionality limitations when scaling
- May look unprofessional because of templates & branding
SEO & Performance: What Free Plans Often Miss
Google ranks pages on speed, mobile usability, content relevance, structured data, and trust signals. Free builders can cover the basics, but several limitations commonly hurt long-term SEO:
- Performance — Some free plans load extra scripts or ads that slow pages and reduce PageSpeed scores.
- Mobile UX — Drag-and-drop freedom can create inconsistent mobile layouts unless templates are responsive by design.
- URLs & Domain — Subdomains (yourname.platform.com) look less professional and can reduce local search trust.
- Schema & Meta Control — Many free tiers restrict schema markup, meta fields, and sitemap control — all helpful for being found.
The SEO trade-off
If you're testing an idea or need a temporary page, free builders are fine. If you want consistent local search visibility, booking leads, or measurable growth, you need full control over meta tags, schema, hosting performance and analytics.
Managed services bundle those elements — custom domain, fast hosting, on-page SEO, schema, and monthly analytics — which often yields faster real-world results than a DIY free site.
When to Move Off a Free Plan
Consider upgrading when any of these apply:
- You need a custom domain and professional branding
- Your site needs to load quickly on mobile and score well on PageSpeed
- You require local SEO (schema, Google Business Profile integration)
- Regular content updates, bookings or lead tracking are critical
- You want owned analytics and monthly performance reporting
Managed Subscription vs Free: The Practical Difference
A managed subscription removes technical friction so you can focus on running your business. Here’s the practical upside compared to free plans:
Predictable Pricing
One monthly fee that includes hosting, domain, SSL and updates — no surprise bills for basic maintenance.
Professional SEO
Full control of page titles, meta descriptions, schema markup and local optimisation that free plans often restrict.
Fast & Reliable Hosting
Managed caching and performance tuning to help pages load fast and rank better.
Where managed services typically excel
- Custom domain and no platform ads
- Unlimited content updates handled for you
- Monthly analytics and actionable insights
- Local SEO setup so you show up in nearby searches
Tip: If your time is worth more than the monthly fee (many business owners find it is), a managed plan often pays for itself in saved hours and more reliable leads.
Migration Tips — Taking Your Free Site to a Professional Home
- Keep your content tidy: Export text, images and key pages. A migration is faster if content is organised.
- Purchase or transfer your domain: Owning your domain removes the biggest branding issue with free plans.
- Set up analytics before launch: Install Google Analytics and Search Console to track performance from day one.
- Preserve URLs where possible: Use 301 redirects if page slugs change to keep SEO value.
- Test forms, booking and payments: Verify contact forms and conversion tracking after migration.
If you plan to move from a free subdomain to a professional site, a managed provider can often handle domain transfer, redirects and SEO consolidation for you — saving time and risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a free website bad for SEO?
Can I start free and upgrade later?
Will owning a domain help my business?
What’s the fastest way to get a professional site live?
Still Unsure? Try a Two-Step Approach
Start with a free builder to validate the idea. When you need leads, local search visibility and a professional presence, move to a managed service that bundles domain, hosting, SEO and unlimited updates so you can focus on customers — not the website.
No single answer fits every business. Use free tools to experiment — then choose the path that best supports steady growth.
