best free website builders 2025 wix vs wordpress vs github pages vs netlify
A practical, small-business focused comparison — pros, cons, SEO impact and real costs in 2025.
If you need a simple brochure site or a fast blog, free or low-cost builders can work well. This page compares Wix, WordPress, GitHub Pages and Netlify so you can pick the right route for your time, budget and growth goals.
At a glance
Platform breakdown
Wix — easy visual builder
Wix is a hosted, drag-and-drop builder with lots of templates and built-in features. Good for owners who want to design visually without touching code.
- Fast visual editing; built-in hosting and security
- App marketplace for common features
- Beginner-friendly — launch quickly
- Less control over SEO fine-tuning than self-hosted setups
- Performance and flexibility vary by template
- Can become more expensive with add-ons
WordPress — flexible CMS
WordPress powers a large share of the web. Choose WordPress.com for hosted convenience or WordPress.org with a host for full control.
- Extremely flexible with themes & plugins
- Best choice when you need blogs, complex content or integrations
- Large ecosystem and SEO plugins available
- Requires hosting & maintenance for WordPress.org
- Plugins can conflict and need updates (security risk if neglected)
- Initial setup and SEO tuning take time
GitHub Pages — free static hosting
GitHub Pages serves static sites from a repo. Ideal for simple brochure sites or documentation that can be built with static site generators (Hugo, Jekyll).
- Free for public repos, fast CDN delivery
- Full git-based versioning and low running costs
- Great uptime and minimal maintenance for static sites
- Requires git workflow knowledge or developer help
- Not suitable for dynamic features (forms need external services)
- No built-in visual editor — content updates need commits
Netlify — Jamstack + CI/CD
Netlify combines build automation, global CDN and modern frontend workflows. It powers fast static and serverless sites with easy deploys from git.
- Fast, secure, great for developer workflows
- Serverless functions and forms built-in
- Good free tier and scalable pricing
- Requires developer setup for most sites
- Not a WYSIWYG editor — content pipeline needed
- Costs can grow with advanced team features or high bandwidth
Feature comparison
| Feature | Wix | WordPress | GitHub Pages | Netlify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Visual editor, low learning curve | Moderate — easier on hosted WordPress.com | Developer-focused (git) | Developer workflow |
| SEO control | Basic→Good | Excellent (plugins + control) | Good (static speed) | Good (speed + custom) |
| Performance | Template-dependent | Depends on host & config | Fast (CDN) | Fast (CDN + build optimisations) |
| Cost (entry) | $0–$20+/mo | $0–$10+/mo (hosted) or $5–20+/mo hosting | Free for public | Generous free tier |
| Content updates | Visual editor — easy | Easy with admin; non-technical friendly | Requires commits or CMS overlay | Requires git / headless CMS for non-devs |
| Best for | Owners who want quick, no-code sites | Content-rich sites and growth cases | Simple static brochure / docs | High-performance static + serverless |
Which should your small business pick?
Wix gets you live fastest with minimal technical overhead. Good for single-location services and simple contact-driven sites.
WordPress (self-hosted with good hosting) gives the most long-term SEO and content flexibility, but requires setup and maintenance.
GitHub Pages is excellent for static brochure sites maintained in code. For teams using modern frontends, Netlify adds CI/CD and serverless options.
Choosing a platform is only part of the job. A managed service that handles hosting, structured local SEO, page titles, schema, analytics and fast mobile builds saves time and reduces mistakes. For busy owners, that can mean more enquiries and faster ROI — regardless of platform.
Common questions
Can a free GitHub Pages or Netlify site rank well in Google?
Is Wix bad for SEO?
What about forms, bookings and e-commerce?
Need help choosing and getting live?
If you want a fast, mobile-optimised site with local SEO and ongoing updates handled for you, many small businesses find outsourcing the build and optimisation saves time and increases leads. Regardless of platform, consistent content and correct SEO signals matter most.
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