best free website and hosting
A clear, neutral guide to popular free plans — what they include, what they don't, and when to pick a paid alternative.
Free website builders and free hosting are great for testing ideas, learning, or publishing hobby projects. But they come with trade-offs. This guide compares common free options in 2025 and explains the real-world impacts on branding, search, and growth.
Popular Free Website & Hosting Options (2025)
Below are concise overviews of the most common free choices. Each listing includes who it's best for, the main benefits, and the limitations you should expect.
Wix (Free Plan)
Drag-and-drop builder with many templates — good for quick proofs and personal pages.
- Easy visual editor, lots of templates
- No setup cost to publish
- Built-in hosting platform
- Displays Wix branding and ads
- Custom domain requires paid plan
- Limited SEO controls on free plan
WordPress.com (Free)
Hosted WordPress for blogs and content-first sites with a familiar editor.
- Fast setup for blogging
- Large theme library
- Community support and docs
- WordPress.com branding visible
- Plugins and advanced features locked to paid tiers
- Cannot use custom analytics without upgrade
GitHub Pages
Free static hosting ideal for developers, documentation, and simple project sites.
- Completely free and fast via CDN
- Custom domain supported
- Modern workflows with static site generators
- Requires developer knowledge (Git, build tools)
- No built-in CMS for non-technical editors
- Limited built-in SEO helpers
Netlify / Vercel (Free)
Modern hosting for static and Jamstack sites with generous free tiers.
- Fast CDN delivery and free SSL
- Continuous deploys from Git
- Serverless functions available on paid tiers
- Free tier has bandwidth and build limits
- Technical setup required for content editors
- Some integrations need paid add-ons
Google Sites
A simple, free editor integrated with Google Workspace — best for internal pages or quick public pages.
- Extremely simple to use
- Integrates with Google Drive and Docs
- No additional hosting needed
- Very limited design and SEO controls
- Not ideal for marketing or lead generation
- No plugin ecosystem
Blogger / Weebly (Free Tiers)
Simple blogging or small-site builders with free hosting and basic editors.
- Minimal setup and maintenance
- Free subdomain included
- Good for personal blogs or hobby projects
- Platform branding and ads on free plans
- Limited features for businesses
- Advanced SEO and commerce require paid upgrades
Side-by-side Comparison
Quick reference for the most important differences when you compare free plans.
| Platform | Branding / Ads | Custom Domain | SEO Controls | Analytics | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix (Free) | Yes — Wix ads & footer | No (paid only) | Limited | Basic site stats | Beginners, quick prototypes |
| WordPress.com (Free) | Yes — WordPress.com branding | No | Limited, plugins restricted | Basic | Bloggers, content experiments |
| GitHub Pages | No | Yes (custom DNS) | Full control if you build it | Yes (via own tools) | Developers, documentation |
| Netlify / Vercel | No | Yes | Full control | Yes (custom) | Developers, fast static sites |
| Google Sites | No visible ads | Yes, limited | Poor | Limited | Internal sites, simple pages |
| Blogger / Weebly | Often yes | Usually no | Limited | Basic | Hobby bloggers, simple pages |
| Managed Subscription (Example) | No | Yes (included) | Full, built-in | Detailed monthly reports | Small businesses that want results |
Quick takeaway
Free hosting is excellent for learning and prototypes. For any business activity—lead generation, bookings, local searches—you'll quickly hit limitations: branding, domain control, SEO, analytics, or support. If you expect customers to find and trust your site, plan for a path beyond the free tier.
Common Trade-offs with Free Plans
Branding & Credibility
Many free plans add visible platform logos, banners, or ads. That can reduce trust with paying customers and make contact conversions lower.
Domain Limitations
Free plans often force a platform subdomain (yourname.platform.com). A custom domain usually requires an upgrade which becomes an extra ongoing cost.
SEO & Discoverability
Advanced SEO features (structured data, robots control, sitemap submission, or plugin access) are commonly restricted on free tiers—making it harder to rank in local searches.
Support & Updates
Free users usually get community support or limited ticketing. If something breaks, response times may be slow—and DIY fixes can cost you time.
Feature & Storage Caps
Storage, bandwidth, database access, and plugin installation are restricted, which may block common business needs like galleries, appointment systems, or payment integration.
Analytics Gaps
Detailed visitor reports, conversion tracking, and integrated dashboards are usually not included—limiting your ability to make data-driven decisions.
When Free Plans Make Sense
Free options are useful in specific situations. Consider using them when:
- You're experimenting or learning web design
- The site is a temporary information page or internal documentation
- You don't need a custom domain, professional branding, or marketing features
- You're a developer building client prototypes and prefer tools like GitHub Pages or Netlify
If your goal is to generate enquiries, show up in local searches, or present a professional business presence, most free plans will slow you down at some point. The right choice depends on your goals, technical ability, and how much time you want to spend maintaining the site.
How to Choose: Practical Steps
- Decide the primary goal: leads, bookings, a blog, or a prototype. Goal dictates platform choice.
- Evaluate time and skills: developers can use GitHub Pages or Netlify for free; non-technical users often prefer builders.
- List must-have features: custom domain, SSL, analytics, contact forms, bookings, or local SEO.
- Test the user experience on mobile: anything clunky on phones will hurt conversions.
- Ask about upgrade paths and costs: check custom domain fees, removing branding, and support options.
Decision checklist
A Practical Alternative for Small Businesses
If you set up a free site today and expect customers to find you, many business owners discover the hidden costs: time to maintain, poor search visibility, limited analytics, and no easy way to request updates.
What to expect from a managed subscription
- No visible platform branding and a custom domain included
- Hosting, SSL, and regular maintenance handled for you
- Basic to advanced SEO setup so local customers can find you
- Clear analytics and monthly performance reports
- Fast updates and simple change requests (so you avoid doing it yourself)
For many trades and local service businesses, the real value is not avoiding a small monthly fee—it's saving time and getting reliable results. If you'd like to compare a free option to a managed subscription, see how it works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are free sites bad for business?
Can I move from a free plan to a paid plan later?
Which free option gives the most control?
What are the hidden costs of free sites?
Still not sure? Compare it yourself.
Try a free plan for experiments — and if you want a clear, low-effort alternative for a customer-facing site, see how managed subscriptions remove the common headaches.
If your primary goal is marketing or lead generation, weigh the cost of your time and missed enquiries against upgrade fees. A small monthly budget often unlocks important features (custom domain, SEO, analytics, support).
