In 2020, it’s easier than ever to create a free website. There are dozens of powerful online tools that let you build a free website quickly, easily, and without knowing any code at all. If you already have a great idea for your site, you can be up and running in an afternoon. However, these sites are not without their drawbacks.
Important Limitations of Free Websites
Before you get started though, you need to understand that your free website will have some limitations that might make it difficult to use for your small business. Here’s a quick rundown of the limitations of every free website builder on the market today.
1. You Can’t Use a Custom Domain Name
The first and most important limitation of a free website for small business owners is that you will not be able to use a custom domain name. In other words, instead of “Jensflowers.com,” your free website will need to use a subdomain provided by the website builder you use.
That means your domain name will have to be something like “jensflowers.wordpress.com” or “wixsite.com/jensflowers.” While custom domain names and hosting services are very affordable starting at $2.95 per month, they are not truly free.
2. Your Website Might Load Slowly for Some Users
While web hosting is very affordable, it’s still not free. That means your free website might load slowly for some users. While that might not seem like a big problem, according to data from Google, the odds of a user on mobile leaving your page before it loads increases by 90% if it takes more than five seconds to load. While that might not seem like a big deal, remember that more than half of all online traffic is on mobile today.
3. It Will Be More Difficult to Sell Products Online
Like registering a domain name and web hosting, high-quality ecommerce platforms are very affordable, but still not free. That means you’re probably going to have to spend some money if you want to use your free website to sell your products online.
4. Your Free Website Might Have Ads on It
Some free website builders, like Wix and Weebly, can only offer free websites supported by ads. If you want a free website for your small business, this means you might end up creating free advertising for a competitor.
Pro tip: While it can be appealing to create a free website, it can end up costing you in the long run as your business won’t appear professional or credible online. The good news is you can easily build a professional website for as little as $3 per month. Learn how to build your small business website.
What Free Websites Are Great For
If you’re just trying to create a personal blog or portfolio website, then you will probably not be too bothered by the limitations of free website builders. If you’re running a small business, however, you’re probably going to want to spend a few dollars to get a custom domain, hosting, and ecommerce. While you can usually upgrade a free website after it’s built, in most cases, it will be easier to start with a professional website.
If you just want to create a blog for your personal use or want to test out some ideas for your business, planning your blog is crucial. Before you get started, we suggest you check out our in-depth guide on how to create a free blog here.
5 Tools You Can Use to Build a Free Website in 2020
Now that you have a better idea of the limitations of free websites, here is a quick comparison of the tools available to build a free website in 2020. Just keep in mind that none of these platforms offer free custom domain names.
In order to make your decision a little easier, we also include costs for upgrading as well as a link to user reviews for each platform below this section.
1. WordPress
Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
WordPress is the largest blogging platform on the web today. An incredible 35.7% of all websites use WordPress. WordPress is also open source, which means that the work to build and refine the platform is carried out by thousands of talented software developers around the world.
Since it’s such a popular platform, there are far more themes (website templates) available than with other platforms, and finding help is very easy. WordPress is also much more customizable and scalable than other platforms.
Pros
- Free, open source platform
- Unlimited customization options
- Tons of templates
- Comprehensive support forums
- Free version does not display third-party ads
Cons
- Not the most user-friendly
- Involves a steeper learning curve than other platforms
- Does not include direct support
- Free version hosts websites on a subdomain (e.g., yoursite.wordpress.com)
- Businesses need to purchase a domain name and web hosting
Upgrade Costs
While you can create a totally free website with WordPress, you will have to pay for a custom domain name, quality hosting, and also might want to upgrade your theme to a paid theme. A domain name and hosting can be had for $2.99 per month, and themes can cost anywhere from $5 to hundreds of dollars.
How to Build a Free Website With WordPress
Building a free website with WordPress is relatively easy, but there will be a slightly higher learning curve than with other platforms. Here are the basic steps to building a free website with WordPress.
- Install WordPress
- Choose and install a theme
- Choose and install plugins
- Add pages to your site
- Build or customize site navigation and menus
- Customize your header and footer
- Prepare your site to launch
- Launch your website
Pro tip: Looking for the full step-by-step instructions? Check out our article to learn how to make a WordPress website.
2. Squarespace
Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Though less popular than WordPress, Squarespace allows bloggers and small businesses to create websites quickly and easily. It is somewhat less flexible than WordPress and there are fewer resources available, but many people find Squarespace easier to get started with.
Pros
- Attractive site templates
- Ability to add contributors
- Affordable upgrades
- Ad-free websites
Cons
- Only free for 14-day trial period
- More limited customization options than WordPress
- Smaller user base means fewer online tutorials and forums
- Fewer templates than WordPress
Upgrade Costs
Like WordPress, Squarespace is free to get started, but only for the first 14 days. After your free trial, Squarespace monthly plans start at $12 per month, which include a domain name, hosting, 24/7 customer support, and more.
How to Build a Free Website With Squarespace
While you can’t build a totally free website with Squarespace, here are the basic steps to building a site using its platform.
- Select a template
- Create a Squarespace account
- Customize your template
- Customize pages with images and copy
- Add and configure plugins
- Prepare your site to launch
- Publish your site
Pro tip: If you want more detailed steps to building a website, get the complete breakdown on how to build a website with Squarespace.
3. Weebly
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Like Squarespace, Weebly is an easy-to-use website platform that allows users to create a free website. It is the second-most popular website builder after WordPress. Weebly also includes a free shopping cart to sell your products online. The only drawback is that its free sites are supported by ads.
Pros
- Its site editor is easy to use
- Inventory management and shopping cart are included with free sites
- Site search included
Cons
- Not as customizable or scalable as WordPress
- Free sites will have ads on them
- Smaller user base than WordPress or Squarespace
Upgrade Costs
Weebly offers upgrades with a custom domain starting at $6 per month.
How to Build a Free Website With Weebly
- Sign up for Weebly
- Choose a basic website or one with an online store
- Choose a theme
- Add and edit pages
- Add site navigation
- Edit site copy
- Add or change images
- Add apps or other elements
- Publish your Weebly website
Pro tip: For more detailed steps, learn how to build a small business website using Weebly.
4. Wix
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Wix is a website builder that allows you to create a free website based on an HTML5 platform. Like Squarespace, Wix is easy to use. Unlike Squarespace, Wix does offer a totally free website. The drawback is that like Weebly, your free website will have ads on it.
Pros
- Totally free website
- Good-looking templates available
- Easy-to-use editor
Cons
- Free websites are supported by ads
- Fewer customization options than WordPress
- Squarespace templates are nicer
Upgrade Costs
If you don’t want your website to have ads on it, Wix offers several monthly and yearly plans starting at $13 per month, and increasing all the way up to $500 per month for enterprise websites.
How to Build a Free Website With Wix
- Go to Wix.com and create an account
- Select a template
- Add and edit pages
- Customize your template and navigation
- Publish your Weebly website
➡️ Interested in building a free website with Wix? Get the complete breakdown with step-by-step instructions on how to build a Wix website.
5. GoDaddy
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
One of the oldest hosting platforms online, GoDaddy also offers websites that are not supported by ads for free for one month. While they might not beat WordPress for customization or Squarespace for great-looking site templates, they do offer some interesting extras, like a business email address and phone number.
Pros
- Ultra-easy to use
- Free for one month
- Built-in appointment booking tools
- Built-in email marketing integration
- Business email address and phone number included in paid plans
Cons
- Will require users to purchase a paid plan after the free trial ends
- Not as customizable as WordPress
- Far fewer templates than Squarespace or WordPress
- No included shopping cart
- Small user base means fewer online forums for help
Upgrade Costs
In order to upgrade to a more professional website, GoDaddy’s pricing starts at $10 per month, and goes up to $25 per month with ecommerce features when billed annually.
How to Build a Free Website With GoDaddy
- Go to Godaddy.com and create a free website account
- Select a template
- Build your header and footer
- Add and customize pages
- Upgrade to a paid plan to publish your GoDaddy website
Pro tip: Interested in building a site with GoDaddy? Check out the full step-by-step instructions on how to build a GoDaddy website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free website builder?
For small businesses that want unlimited customization and upgrade options and don’t mind a slight learning curve, WordPress will likely be the best choice. However, if you want to build a personal website that’s easy to use and don’t mind ads, then Weebly or Wix can be great options as well. However, none of the free website builders include a custom domain name, so small businesses will likely want to purchase upgrades for whichever of these platforms they choose.
Is it possible to get a free custom domain name?
Yes, but in order to get a free domain name, you will have to purchase a hosting package or pay to upgrade one of these platforms. Luckily, hosting is very affordable today. For example, Bluehost offers a free domain name with hosting packages that start at just $2.95 per month. Learn more about your options for getting a free domain name.
Is it possible to get a free custom business email address?
Yes, but you will have to purchase a domain name or hosting package and free domain in order to get one. Bluehost and Zoho are two good options for creating free custom business email addresses. To learn more about getting and setting up your free custom business email address, check out our step-by-step guide here.
Bottom Line
As long as you are aware of the limitations of free websites, there are several great tools available that can help you build a site in an afternoon. WordPress is the most popular and customizable free website builder, but will have a steeper learning curve than other options like Squarespace and Weebly.
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