top 5 free website builders
Quick, practical comparison of free plans — features, usability, and common trade-offs for small businesses in 2025.
Quick comparison — free plans at a glance
| Builder | Free plan limits | Branding | Custom domain | E‑commerce | Ease of use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Editor + templates, limited storage | Shows Wix branding | No (uses wixsite.com) | Limited (paid only) | Very easy — drag & drop |
| WordPress.com | Simple site builder, limited plugins | WordPress.com branding | No (wordpress.com subdomain) | Paygate for store | Moderate — familiar if used WP |
| Weebly | Basic editor, fewer templates | Weebly branding | No | Limited (paid plans) | Easy — structured editor |
| Webflow | Free site on webflow.io, limited pages/cms | Webflow branding | No | Not on free plan | Steeper — designer-focused |
| Google Sites | Very basic pages, no plugins | No explicit branding, but limited features | No | No | Extremely easy — simple editor |
Notes: Free plans are useful for testing and learning. For business use, subdomain URLs, platform branding, storage limits, and lack of SEO/configuration options are common trade-offs.
Mini reviews — who each builder suits
Wix — best for quick visual sites
Drag-and-drop editor, many templates. Free plan is generous for prototypes but adds wixsite.com URLs and branding.
WordPress.com — best for content-focused sites
Good blogging and content tools. Free plan is limited on plugins and monetisation, uses a wordpress.com subdomain.
Weebly — structured and simple
Good for basic brochure sites. Easier than WordPress, fewer creative controls than Wix.
Webflow — power for designers
Free starter plan lets designers prototype on a webflow.io domain. Powerful but higher learning curve.
Google Sites — simplest, fastest
No-frills builder for internal pages, small projects, or quick sharable pages. Minimal SEO or design polish.
Summary: free builders are great to start and learn, but most small businesses outgrow the free limits quickly when they need a professional presence, local SEO, or reliable conversion flows.
Usability & common free-plan limits
- Subdomain & branding: Most free plans serve your site on a platform subdomain and display platform branding — not ideal for trust or local SEO.
- Feature caps: Limited storage, page counts, and no third-party plugins or advanced SEO tools on free tiers.
- Monetisation & ecommerce: Selling online usually requires paid plans with payment processing and checkout.
- Support & backups: Priority support, backups, and performance guarantees are reserved for paid users.
- Migration friction: Moving from a free plan to a custom domain or another host can require manual steps and downtime.
If your priority is local leads, predictable performance, and ongoing updates, most businesses find the free tier only a short-term solution.
When a managed website service can be better
Typical pain points with free builders
- Subdomain + platform branding reduces credibility for customers.
- Limited SEO tools make local discoverability harder.
- Manual updates and design fixes take business-owner time.
- Scaling to ecommerce or advanced features often requires rebuilding on paid plans.
What managed services add (what to look for)
- Custom domain and removal of third‑party branding.
- Local SEO configuration and schema for "near me" searches.
- Fast, mobile-optimised pages with monitored uptime.
- Ongoing updates handled for you (no hourly developer fees).
Practical note: many managed services move you from "free experiment" to a production-ready presence with predictable costs and measurable results. For busy trades and local services, that predictability often pays for itself in increased enquiries.
Frequently asked questions
Are free website builders truly free?
Can I switch from a free builder to a paid plan later?
Which free builder is best for a simple brochure site?
When should I consider a paid / managed service?
Deciding what’s right for your business
Free builders are great for getting started. If you need consistent leads, a local presence, reliable updates and no hidden costs, evaluate managed options that include domain, hosting, SEO and unlimited updates.
No pressure — use free builders to prototype, and choose the path that fits your growth and time priorities.
