best free website builders 2025 wix wordpress google sites github pages netlify carrd
An unbiased comparison of popular free builders — features, limitations, SEO impact, and which option fits your needs in 2025.
Free builders are tempting, but not all "free" options are equal. This guide walks through Wix, WordPress (com/ self-hosted options), Google Sites, GitHub Pages, Netlify, and Carrd — so you can choose the right platform for your project and understand the trade-offs.
At a glance: who each builder is best for
Wix
WordPress
Google Sites
GitHub Pages
Netlify
Carrd
Detailed review — pros, cons and SEO notes (2025)
Wix
An intuitive drag-and-drop editor with a large template library — great for beginners who want to design visually.
Pros
- No-code visual editor; fast to create attractive pages
- Built-in hosting and CDN; easy custom domain upgrade
- App marketplace for added features (forms, bookings)
Cons
- Free plan includes prominent Wix branding and ads
- SEO controls improved but still limited compared with self-hosted setups
- Performance and flexibility can suffer at scale; migration away from Wix can be difficult
SEO note: Wix's SEO tools (meta tags, sitemaps) are usable for small sites, but advanced schema and deep technical SEO require paid plans or workarounds.
WordPress (WordPress.com vs. self-hosted)
The most flexible website platform — choose WordPress.com for ease, or WordPress.org (self-hosted) for ultimate control.
Pros
- Extremely flexible with themes and plugins (self-hosted)
- Mature SEO plugins (Yoast, Rank Math) and strong CMS features
- Large developer and support community
Cons
- WordPress.com free tier includes branding and feature limits
- Self-hosted WordPress requires hosting, security, backups, and technical upkeep
- Plugins can conflict; performance tuning may be required
SEO note: Self-hosted WordPress is one of the best platforms for SEO when configured correctly — full control of meta, schema, structured data, and speed optimisation.
Google Sites
A free, simple page builder tightly integrated with Google Workspace — engineered for quick internal or informational pages.
Pros
- Truly free with no hosting fees; integrates with Google Drive
- Fast to build basic pages and share inside organisations
- Very low maintenance
Cons
- Very limited design and layout control
- Poor plugin ecosystem and limited SEO controls
- Not suitable for businesses that need conversion tracking and advanced SEO
SEO note: Google Sites can be indexed but lacks fine-grained SEO controls, making it poor for ranking competitive local or service searches.
GitHub Pages
Free static site hosting driven by git — ideal for developer portfolios, documentation, and static landing pages.
Pros
- Completely free hosting for static sites; supports custom domains
- Version control via git; great for developers comfortable with code
- Fast performance and minimal runtime overhead
Cons
- Not beginner-friendly — requires git, static site generators or hand-coded HTML
- Dynamic features (forms, server-side functions) need external services
- SEO quality depends on how you structure pages and metadata
SEO note: GitHub Pages sites can rank well if you control titles, meta descriptions, canonical tags and serve fast assets — but you must implement those manually.
Netlify
A modern platform for JAMstack sites — deploy from a git repo with CI/CD, edge functions, and global CDN.
Pros
- Powerful build and deploy pipeline, global CDN
- Modern features like serverless functions and edge handlers
- Good performance and HTTPS by default
Cons
- Requires developer knowledge (static generators, build tools)
- Some advanced features are limited on free plan (build minutes, team features)
- Forms and dynamic capabilities need configuration or paid add-ons
SEO note: Netlify-hosted JAMstack sites can perform exceptionally for SEO when built for speed and structured data — but implementation is hands-on.
Carrd
Ultra-simple single-page builder for landing pages, simple portfolios, and link-in-bio pages.
Pros
- Fast setup for single-page sites; very affordable premium plans
- Mobile-first templates and clean design options
- Simple integrations for payments and forms
Cons
- Not built for multi-page sites or complex SEO strategies
- Free tier has branding and limited features
- Limited customisability compared to full CMS
SEO note: Great for quick landing pages; full SEO campaigns and content strategies need a multi-page site and analytics integrations.
Side-by-side comparison (free tier highlights)
| Platform | Best for | Custom Domain | SEO Controls | Ease of Use | Technical Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Visual sites, small businesses | Paid upgrade | Basic (improving) | Very easy | Low |
| WordPress.com | Blogs, content-rich sites | Paid upgrade (free on self-hosted) | Good on paid/self-hosted | Moderate | Medium–High (self-hosted) |
| Google Sites | Internal docs, quick pages | Custom domain via paid Workspace | Minimal | Very easy | Low |
| GitHub Pages | Developer portfolios, docs | Yes (free) | Manual | Developer-focused | High |
| Netlify | JAMstack apps, fast sites | Yes (free) | Manual (powerful) | Developer-focused | High |
| Carrd | Single-page landing pages | Paid upgrade | Basic | Very easy | Low |
Notes: Free tiers are great for testing and simple use-cases. If you need reliable SEO, custom analytics, conversion tracking, or fast commercial performance, many sites benefit from a small monthly investment or a managed service.
Which builder should you pick?
Hobby or experiment
Google Sites or Carrd are fastest for one-off pages with minimal overhead.
Developer or technical user
GitHub Pages or Netlify give full control, best for performance-optimised static sites and custom pipelines.
Small business or local service
Wix or WordPress (self-hosted or paid WordPress.com) give a balance of speed, features and growth options — but expect to invest time or a small monthly fee for SEO and conversions.
What about managed services like Congero?
Free builders each solve specific problems. They let you launch without hosting bills — but they often trade off time, SEO control, conversion optimisation, or ongoing maintenance. Managed services (like Congero) take a different approach: instead of expecting you to pick and configure tools, we deliver a complete, results-focused website as a service.
Simplicity for busy business owners
- No technical setup — tell us what you need via simple text/WhatsApp and we build or update it for you.
- Live in under 60 seconds for a demo and typically 24–48 hour full launch for business sites.
- Unlimited updates included — no hourly fees for content changes.
SEO and real-world results
- Local SEO optimised from day one: meta tags, schema markup, and on-page signals tuned for "near me" searches.
- Performance monitoring, SSL, hosting and analytics included so you get reliable speed and measurement.
- Clients typically see measurable enquiry increases within weeks because the site is designed to convert, not just exist.
Balanced Comparison
If you're a developer or want full control, GitHub Pages + Netlify or self-hosted WordPress may be ideal. If you want to design visually without code, Wix or Carrd work well. If you want the lowest friction and predictable outcomes for a local business — consistent SEO, fast speed, easy updates, and no surprise fees — a managed subscription service offers significant advantages.
Want a side-by-side test? Try a free demo and compare how quickly you can get a search-optimised, mobile-first, conversion-ready site versus building it yourself. See How It Works.
Frequently asked questions
Are free website builders bad for SEO?
Which free option is fastest to launch?
Can I move my site later?
What’s the cheapest way to get a business-ready site?
Compare your options — make the right choice for 2025
Free builders are powerful tools when used for the right purpose. If you need speed, low upfront cost and a single page, pick Carrd or Google Sites. If you want flexibility or a developer workflow, choose WordPress, GitHub Pages or Netlify. If you want predictable results, local SEO, and no technical headaches, consider a managed subscription service.
No matter which platform you start with, focus on content, speed and measurement — those three drive long-term search performance.
