best free website builders 2025 wix wordpress google sites carrd github pages
A clear, balanced guide to the top free website builders — usability, features, SEO strengths, and real-world trade-offs.
If you're picking a free platform in 2025, know what you're trading off. This guide walks through Wix, WordPress.com, Google Sites, Carrd, and GitHub Pages so you can choose the best fit — or find a smarter all‑in‑one alternative if your goal is lead generation and local search visibility.
At-a-glance: Top Free Website Builders (2025)
| Platform | Best for | Free plan limits | Usability | SEO control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Small business owners who want drag & drop | Wix branding, wixsite.com subdomain, limited storage | Very easy — powerful visual editor, templates | Good basic SEO tools, but limited custom control on free plan |
| WordPress.com (free) | Blogs, content-driven sites with future growth | wordpress.com subdomain, limited themes/plugins | Moderate — familiar if you know WordPress, learning curve for newcomers | Excellent when upgraded; free plan has SEO basics |
| Google Sites | Simple intranets, internal docs, teams that need speed | No plugins, lightweight editor, google.com subdomain options | Extremely easy but structurally limited | Minimal SEO features — not designed for discovery |
| Carrd | One-page landing pages and portfolios | Free lets you publish simple one-pagers with carrd.co domain | Very fast to build; minimal learning curve | Basic — fine for simple pages, limited advanced SEO |
| GitHub Pages | Developers and static sites with custom code | Free with github.io domain, full code control | Developer-focused — requires Git and static site knowledge | High — complete control if you implement SEO best practices |
Bottom line: free plans are great for experimenting or creating simple pages, but they come with trade-offs — branding, subdomains, limited SEO features, or a reliance on developer skills. If your objective is to be found locally and drive enquiries, these constraints matter.
Wix — visual builder with lots of polish
Wix remains one of the easiest ways to build a visually rich website quickly. The free tier lets you design with drag-and-drop components and a large template library.
Pros
- True drag-and-drop editor — no code required.
- Large template and app marketplace.
- Built-in SEO Wiz to guide basics.
- Fast prototyping and visual control.
Cons
- Free plan shows Wix branding and uses a wixsite.com subdomain.
- Limited backend control — harder to fine-tune advanced SEO and server behaviour.
- Templates can be rigid once chosen; switching often requires rebuilding.
WordPress.com (free) — content-first with growth paths
WordPress powers a large portion of the web. The free WordPress.com plan is a good entry point if you're focused on content, blogging, and future scalability.
Pros
- Strong content management and blogging features.
- Huge ecosystem of plugins and themes (paid/upgraded plans).
- Good SEO foundations when configured correctly.
- Easy to migrate to self-hosted WordPress when ready.
Cons
- Free plan limits plugins, themes, and monetization.
- Can be overwhelming for complete beginners.
- Advanced SEO and performance require paid upgrades or self-hosting.
Google Sites — instant and simple, but limited
Google Sites is great for intranets, quick documentation, and simple team pages. It's extremely easy to use but is not a strong choice if you need discoverability and marketing features.
Pros
- Fast to set up and completely free for Google accounts.
- Seamless integration with Google Workspace (Drive, Docs).
- No maintenance or hosting to worry about.
Cons
- Very limited design and layout options.
- Poor SEO tooling; not built for public, discoverable marketing sites.
- No plugins, limited analytics options beyond Google tools.
Carrd — focused, fast one-page sites
Carrd is built for single-page landing pages, link-in-bio sites, and portfolios. It’s deceptively capable for small projects and very fast to publish.
Pros
- Extremely quick to build one-page sites.
- Clean templates and minimal UI — low cognitive load.
- Low cost for pro features; great for simple funnels.
Cons
- Primarily one-page — not a full CMS.
- Limited SEO features compared with CMS platforms.
- Not suited for multi-page business sites needing structured content.
GitHub Pages — free code-first hosting
GitHub Pages gives you free hosting for static sites. If you're comfortable with Git, Jekyll, Hugo, or static site generators, you get total control and excellent performance.
Pros
- Free and developer-friendly with CDN-backed hosting.
- Full control over HTML, meta tags, and site structure — excellent for SEO if implemented well.
- No vendor branding; use custom domains for free.
Cons
- Not beginner-friendly — requires Git and build tooling knowledge.
- Dynamic features require external services (forms, serverless functions).
- Maintenance and SEO best-practices are your responsibility.
Deeper look — Usability, features and SEO in 2025
Usability
Drag-and-drop platforms (Wix, Carrd) offer the lowest friction for non-technical users — you see exactly what you're building. WordPress.com balances editing power with a learning curve. GitHub Pages and static site generators are aimed at developers.
Features & extensibility
Feature sets diverge quickly: Wix and WordPress.com provide apps/plugins ecosystems (WordPress' ecosystem is far larger but many powerful plugins need paid plans). Carrd targets single-page use. Google Sites intentionally avoids extra features. GitHub Pages gives full extensibility by letting you bring your own code and integrations.
SEO and discoverability
SEO control is the decisive factor for businesses that rely on search:
- Wix: Good basic SEO tools and guides. Free plan limits (branding, subdomain) can reduce trust signals and local visibility.
- WordPress.com: Strong content and metadata tools; best SEO results when upgraded or self-hosted with plugins like Yoast or RankMath.
- Google Sites: Minimal SEO options; fine for internal and low-visibility pages.
- Carrd: Decent for single-page SEO if you craft strong meta tags and fast content.
- GitHub Pages: Highest technical SEO potential — you control canonical tags, structured data, sitemaps, and server headers — but you must implement them yourself.
Which free builder should you pick?
Quick MVP / Landing Page
Pick Carrd or Wix if you need a landing page fast and don’t require multiple pages or advanced SEO immediately.
Content-led sites / blogs
Start on WordPress.com for content management and an easy upgrade path to more advanced features later.
Developer projects & docs
GitHub Pages is ideal if you’re comfortable with code and want full SEO and performance control.
When a free builder isn't enough — a better all-in-one option
Free website builders are useful, but most businesses actually need predictable performance, local SEO, a custom domain, and ongoing updates without the hassle. That's where an all-in-one managed service can make a difference.
All-inclusive hosting
No subdomains, SSL, fast hosting and uptime monitoring included.
Local SEO setup
Meta, schema, and on-page signals optimised for "near me" searches.
Unlimited updates
Make text or image changes via simple messages — no developer invoices.
Moving from a free plan — what to expect
- Domain transfer: You usually keep your domain — point it to the new host or transfer it.
- Content migration: Simple pages move quickly; complex blogs may need exports and imports (WordPress XML, CSV).
- SEO preservation: Keep URLs or implement redirects to protect rankings and traffic.
- Timing: Plan a migration window and test analytics and forms before going live.
Frequently asked questions
Are free website builders bad for SEO?
Can I add Google Analytics on free plans?
When should I upgrade from a free plan?
Free builders are useful — but they have limits
If your aim is predictable leads, local SEO presence, and no surprise technical work, consider a managed solution that removes the friction of DIY. Try a demo to see how a done-for-you approach compares to a free builder in speed, search visibility, and results.
Quick note: Congero offers fast, managed websites with local SEO, hosting, and unlimited updates — an alternative if you want a professional site without the technical headache.
