Free web builders are perfect for hobby projects, portfolios or testing ideas. For trades and service businesses that need reliable local SEO, a professional look, and unrestricted control, a managed option (like Congero) often delivers better long-term results.
Get online in minutes with templates and drag-and-drop editors.
Free plans avoid hosting fees — but often trade functionality for zero price.
Ads, subdomains, limited SEO, and restricted edits are common drawbacks.
We tested the most popular free builders and summarised what matters to small businesses.
Flexible templates and an intuitive editor. Free plan includes Wix ads and a wixsite.com subdomain.
Excellent for blogs and content-driven sites. Free plan includes ads and a wordpress.com subdomain.
Fast, simple and entirely free with a Google account. Best for internal pages or tiny brochure sites.
Perfect for single-page sites and landing pages. Clean, minimal and fast.
Host static sites for free with a custom domain possible. Best when you or a developer handle code.
Short answer: maybe — if you’re testing ideas or building a simple brochure page. But for trades, plumbers, electricians and service businesses that rely on local leads, free plans often fall short.
If your website needs to actively generate jobs and calls, a managed solution with local SEO, fast hosting and unlimited updates is usually more profitable than a “free” site that limits growth.
Free builders can rank — but you must be deliberate. Follow these steps to maximise visibility.
Consider upgrading when your site needs more professionalism, reliability, and conversions.
Congero builds mobile-first, SEO-optimised websites instantly and manages hosting, domain, unlimited updates and analytics for $49/month — no lock-in. You get a site that looks professional and actually generates leads.
Try Congero DemoSave your page text, images and contact details.
Bring over meta titles, descriptions and header structure.
Preserve rankings by redirecting old URLs to the new site.
Publish, connect your domain and watch analytics for improvements.
Yes for small, low-risk projects. But note that free plans may limit security features, custom domain support and backups. For customer-facing service businesses, consider paid or managed hosting with SSL and regular monitoring.
It can, but free plans often restrict meta controls, page speed and domain authority. Focus on local SEO basics and content quality — and upgrade when growth depends on search visibility.
Usually not. Most builders require a paid plan to attach a custom domain. If brand trust is important, invest in a paid plan or a managed service that includes domain handling.
Keep a copy of your content and image assets, and choose a platform with export or migration help. Managed services like Congero specialise in migrating free sites into professionally-hosted, SEO-optimised sites with minimal downtime.
Quick comparison of typical differences that matter to local businesses.
Try Congero's 60-second demo, get a professional, mobile-first site with local SEO, unlimited updates and hosting included for $49/month. No lock-in.
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