best free website builders 2025
The top free builders compared — limits, real costs, and which option fits your small business
Free plans are tempting, but they come with trade-offs. Below you'll find an up-to-date comparison of the leading free website builders in 2025, clear pros and cons for each, plus practical advice on when to use a free plan vs. a low-cost managed service that gets results.
Wix (Free plan)
Pros: Intuitive editor, many modern templates, built-in app marketplace. Great for one-person businesses that want a polished brochure site quickly without code.
- Free includes: Wix subdomain, Wix ads, limited storage and bandwidth.
- Upgrades: Remove branding, connect a custom domain, add e-commerce and SEO tools.
- Limitations: Hard to migrate away; slower pages on complex templates; essential SEO controls behind paid plans.
WordPress.com (Free plan)
Pros: Familiar CMS, large theme library, strong content features for blogging and long-form pages.
- Free includes: wordpress.com subdomain, basic themes, WordPress.com ads.
- Upgrades: Custom domain, plugin support and theme uploads (paid tiers).
- Limitations: Plugins and advanced SEO tools not available on free plan; editing is theme-dependent.
Webflow (Free starter)
Pros: Powerful visual design and interactions, clean exported code, strong performance potential when upgraded.
- Free includes: Staging projects with Webflow subdomain; limited to 2 projects on starter plan.
- Upgrades: Hosting, CMS, and client billing features require paid site plans.
- Limitations: Not beginner-friendly; free plan is primarily for learning and prototypes, not production sites.
Carrd (Free)
Pros: Extremely quick for single-page landing sites, low learning curve, clean mobile-first templates.
- Free includes: Carrd subdomain and access to core templates.
- Upgrades: Custom domains, forms and integrations on cheap paid plans.
- Limitations: Single-page focus — not suitable for multi-page company sites or advanced SEO needs.
Google Sites (Free)
Pros: Free, quick, and reliable. Great for internal docs, team pages, or very basic public pages.
- Free includes: Google subdomain or use with your domain via DNS; simple editor; no ads.
- Upgrades: Limited — product isn't designed for advanced sites.
- Limitations: Very limited SEO, styling, and e-commerce features.
Square Online (Free)
Pros: Built-in payments and inventory for small sellers; quick to set up online ordering for local businesses.
- Free includes: Square branding, basic online store, automatic payment processing.
- Upgrades: Advanced commerce features, lower transaction fees on paid plans.
- Limitations: Branding and feature gates in free tier; monthly costs can rise as you scale with add-ons.
At-a-glance comparison
| Builder | Free Plan Limits | Best for | Upgrade triggers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Wix ads, wixsite.com subdomain, limited storage | Template-driven brochure sites | Need custom domain, remove ads, or advanced SEO |
| WordPress.com | WordPress.com branding, no plugins, limited theme customisation | Content-heavy blogs and articles | Need plugins, custom themes or full SEO control |
| Webflow | Staging only, Webflow subdomain, limited projects | Design-heavy prototypes and portfolios | Going live with CMS or custom hosting |
| Carrd | Single-page only, Carrd.co subdomain | One-page landing/coming soon | Need forms, multiple pages or integrations |
| Google Sites | Very basic styling, limited SEO controls | Internal sites, simple public pages | Need branding, SEO or rich features |
| Square Online | Square branding, transaction fees applied | Local stores, cafés, simple online ordering | Need lower fees, advanced store features |
Note: "Free" removes financial friction but often adds operational friction — branding, limited features, export constraints, and forced platform ads. Those trade-offs often lead to upgrades.
Common limitations to watch for
Platform branding & ads
Most free plans display the builder's logo, banner or footer link. That reduces trust and can lower conversions for small businesses — especially trades and local services where credibility matters.
Limited SEO & analytics
Title tags, meta descriptions, structured data and sitemap submission are often gated behind paid plans. Without basic SEO controls, your site may never rank for local searches.
Restricted exportability
Some builders lock your content to their platform. If you want to move later, you may need to rebuild or pay to export — an often-overlooked future cost.
Feature gaps for small businesses
Online booking, local schema, review integrations, and fast-loading mobile templates are usually paid features. For service businesses that depend on local leads, those features matter.
When a free plan makes sense — and when it doesn't
Good fit for free plans
- Personal portfolios or one-off landing pages
- Internal documentation or simple event pages
- Testing a design concept before investing
Not a good fit
- Service businesses that need local search visibility (plumbers, electricians, tradies)
- Any business that relies on enquiries to survive
- Stores needing reliable e-commerce and predictable fees
Quick decision guide
If you value time and predictable lead flow more than saving a few dollars each month, paid plans or managed services usually win. Free plans can save upfront cash but often cost time, sales and flexibility later.
When a low-cost managed service is a smarter move
Free builders are useful for prototypes and personal pages. But for small businesses that need consistent leads, local SEO and fast updates, the total cost of time and missed enquiries can be higher than a modest monthly fee.
What free builders don't usually include
- Built-in local SEO & schema
- Unlimited content updates handled for you
- Managed hosting, SSL, backups and security monitoring
How a managed service helps
- Faster time to live with professional design
- Predictable monthly cost and no surprise upgrade gates
- Support that updates your site for you — no coding required
Example: many trades prefer a solution that handles local SEO, mobile-first design, domain, hosting and changes so they can focus on jobs — not site maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free plan ever a good long-term choice?
Will free plans hurt my SEO?
How hard is it to switch later?
What's the minimum I should pay for a business website in 2025?
Free tools are great — but not always the best investment
If you're building a site to attract local customers, convert leads, and save time, consider whether the small monthly cost of a managed service could return more value than a free plan that limits reach and requires ongoing DIY work.
Congero builds ready-to-rank, mobile-first websites with hosting, domain support and unlimited updates for a single monthly fee — a practical alternative to juggling free plan limits while growing your business.
