Are you new to website creation and looking for an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution?
If so, a free website builder may be just what you need.
A website builder is a tool that allows you to create a website quickly and easily, without any coding or design skills required. Whether you want to create a website for your business, blog, portfolio, or any other purpose, a free website builder can help you get started.
In this article, we’ll introduce you to the best free website builders for beginners, share our unfiltered user experience, and help you choose the one that’s right for you.
Here are the ten best free website builders for beginners:
- Wix – Beginners heaven
- GoDaddy – Quickest and most effective builder
- Weebly – Ideal for beginners
- Jimdo – Small online store builder
- Site123 – Great design assistance
- Strikingly – Made for simple websites
- Webflow – Best for designers
- Webnode – Set up in a jiffy
- Ucraft – Multilingual website superstar
- WordPress.org – Best all-around website builder
Using a free website builder has several benefits, especially for beginners:
- User-friendly: Website builders are designed to be easy to use, with drag-and-drop interfaces and intuitive features that require no technical knowledge.
- Cost-effective: Free website builders offer a cost-effective solution for beginners who don’t want to invest a lot of money upfront.
- Customizable: Website builders offer a range of templates, designs, and customization options, allowing you to create a website that reflects your brand or personality.
- Time-saving: Website builders allow you to create a website in a matter of hours, rather than days or weeks, with no need for specialized technical skills.
- No coding required: With a free website builder, you don’t need to learn any coding or programming languages to create a website.
By using a free website builder, you can create a professional-looking website that meets your needs and goals, without the need for technical skills or experience. Let’s take a closer look at the best free website builders for beginners and share our genuine user experience to help you make an informed decision.
Wix
Wix is one of the most popular website builders available, with over 180 million users worldwide. It offers a wide range of features and customization options, making it an excellent choice for beginners who want to create a professional-looking website quickly and easily.
So, in a nutshell, Wix is a breeze to work with, loaded with cool features, and allows you to have complete control over your site’s design with its simple drag-and-drop editor.
Even though the free domain that Wix provides isn’t the snappiest, you can still tweak it to suit your brand. That’s a plus over other builders like SITE123, where you’re stuck with a domain that can’t be modified.
Wix User Experience Review
The Best:
Wix is super flexible and lets you unleash your creativity – altering text, images, and backgrounds is as easy as a few clicks.
And the best part?
Wix has a built-in image library, which makes the whole process even more speedy!
The Good:
- Incredibly easy to use, with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
- Offers over 800+ templates, covering a wide range of industries and styles.
- App Market offers over 250+ third-party apps, including social media, e-commerce, and marketing tools.
- Give some freedom to customize the domain
- Mobile-optimized websites ensure they look great on any device.
- Built-in SEO features help optimize your website for search engines.
- SSL security is included on the free plan (Wanna know more about this, the answer is in the end)
The Cons:
- On-site advertisements on the free plan are prominent and distracting.
- The cheapest upgrade costs $14/month
- Can’t change templates once you’ve published your website.
Room for Improvement:
- Offering more storage space on the free plan would make it more attractive to users.
- Reducing the number of on-site advertisements would improve the overall user experience.
- The editor can look complex and tricky on first look because of so many options without any proper tool tour
Pricing:
Wix’s free plan comes with basic features, Wix-branded ads, and limited storage and bandwidth.
If you want more advanced features, premium plans start at $16 per month, including a free domain, increased storage to 3GB instead of 500MB and bandwidth, and access to more advanced features and templates.
The most expensive plan is $59 per month.
But the most popular plan of Wix is $22/month best for freelancers and business owners. At just $22 a month, you can say goodbye to ads, enjoy using your own domain, and benefit from unlimited bandwidth. Plus, you’ll get a whopping 20 times more storage space compared to the free plan!
So, you’ve got the options of FREE, $16/month, or $22/month. The choice is yours, but I’d recommend considering the long-term impact rather than just focusing on building the website. After all, it’s your business’s online image we’re talking about!
GoDaddy Website Builder
GoDaddy is a well-known web hosting and domain name provider that also offers a website builder. Its website builder, known as GoDaddy Website Builder, is a user-friendly and quick builder that is an excellent choice for beginners who want to create a website quickly and easily.
With only a few questions (up to three!), GoDaddy starts crafting a sleek site for you. But don’t worry, there are customization tools at your disposal to give it your own flair. You can have fun experimenting with themes, fonts, colour schemes, and even CTA buttons!
GoDaddy User Experience Review
The Best
SEO Wiz tool to help optimize your website for search engines.
The Good:
- User-friendly with Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI), making it easy for beginners to create a website.
- Provides over 100+ templates that are fully customizable.
- Yep, you will get mobile-optimized websites
- SSL security included in the free plan
- GoDaddy ads on a free website are only in your URL and at the footer of the page where it says “powered by GoDaddy.” Which is kind of fair, I mean It’s free soo..
The Cons:
- Limited creative freedom compared to other website builders. You can’t quite move or resize image blocks beyond your site’s edges. It might be slightly bothersome if you’re working on a truly distinctive layout that captures the essence of your brand. No biggie, though; you’ll still create an awesome site!
Room for Improvement:
- More design customization options would be a great addition for users who want a more unique and personalized website.
- Offering a custom domain Instead of something like this: https://yourname.godaddysites.com/ without upgrading to a paid plan would be a welcome addition for users looking for a professional online presence.
Pricing:
The free plan comes with basic features and a bottom banner for ads. For more advanced features, premium plans start at $9.99 per month, including a custom domain, increased storage and bandwidth, the ability to send 100 emails per month for your business and access to more advanced features and templates.
The most expensive plan is $469.99 per month.
but If your business is ready to level up, the Premium plan might be the perfect fit. At just $14.99 a month, it allows your clients to book online appointments through your site and gives you a substantial allowance of 25,000 emails per month!
And for those aiming to conquer the digital commerce space, GoDaddy’s dedicated Commerce plan, available for $16.99 a month, is your ultimate choice. With features that enable you to sell on social media giants like Facebook and Instagram and connect with well-known marketplaces, including Amazon and Etsy, it’s the complete package
Weebly
Weebly is a super approachable website builder that’s perfect for those just starting out. It has a lot in common with Wix, especially the handy drag-and-drop interface that makes building a website quick and effortless.
But, when you take a closer look, you might notice that it’s kind of like a scaled-down version of Wix, with a more restrictive drag-and-drop functionality and tools that seem a bit behind the times. Still, it’s a solid option for beginners!
Weebly User Experience Review
The Good:
- A simple drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for beginners to create a website.
- A good selection of 50+ templates and customization options.
- Integrated app library, SEO guides, blogging tools and e-commerce features, second best after WIX.
- Absolutely! Your websites will be mobile-optimized, ensuring you can connect with your audience wherever they are.
The Not-So-Good:
- Limited creative freedom compared to other website builders.
- Comes with the usual free plan drawback – a small slide-up on-site ad for the builder.
- No phone support for the Free plan – you can only access a community forum, chat, and email support.
Room for Improvement:
- It would be fantastic if Weebly could offer more design customization options for users seeking a truly unique and tailored website. The one area where we’d love to see improvement is in the creative freedom department. Changing text colours and sizes shouldn’t be a hassle or necessitate coding skills.
Pricing:
We can’t wholeheartedly recommend Weebly’s Personal plan, which is priced at $6 per month when you choose annual billing.
The main appeal of the Personal plan is the ability to connect a custom domain. However, it falls short in other areas, like not removing ads from your site, not providing a free domain, and lacking phone support.
Instead, we suggest considering Weebly’s $12/month Professional plan, which offers much more value. With features like unlimited storage, ad removal from your site, and additional benefits, it’s definitely worth considering over the Personal plan.
The most expensive plan is $26 per month.
Jimdo
Jimdo is a user-friendly website builder that is perfect for beginners looking to create a small online store. With e-commerce features and a range of customization options, Jimdo is a great choice for those looking to sell products online. With Jimdo, you have the ability to sell up to five products for free, and upgrading your plan to expand your store, later on, is both simple and reasonably priced.
Jimdo User Experience Review
The Good:
- Easy-to-use interface, making it simple for beginners to create a website.
- You’ll find a decent variety of templates available, each catering to a range of industries and sectors, making it easier to find one that suits your specific needs.
- Integrated e-commerce features make it easy to set up a small online store.
- Mobile-optimized websites, Check.
The Not-So-Good:
- Limited design customization options compared to some other website builders.
- Same on-site advertisements with the free plan. But can’t complain because they just put a small note on the footer barely visible instead of bombarding your visitors with popups and banners.
Room for Improvement:
- More design customization options would be a great addition for users who want a more unique and personalized website.
- It’s unfortunate that with Jimdo, the higher the plan you choose, the quicker you receive support. This means that users on the free plan end up at the end of the line when it comes to assistance. It’s not really fair, because getting support is every user’s basic need.
Pricing:
Jimdo has two types of plans: ADI builder plans ($9 to $39/month) and Creator editor plans ($10 to $40/month), both billed annually. Upgrading offers benefits like faster support, a custom domain, extra storage and bandwidth, ad removal, and email accounts.
Site123
Site123 is a user-friendly website builder that offers great design assistance to beginners. With a variety of templates and customization options, Site123 is a great choice for those looking for an easy-to-use website builder with design support.
On the other hand, if you’re aiming to express your creative side and truly customize your site’s design, SITE123 might not be the ideal fit.
Its limited design options can feel constraining, and the free domain that comes with the plan is a random combination of letters and numbers, which isn’t visually appealing or easy to remember. This could be a significant drawback for those who want a more personalized and memorable web presence.
Site123 User Experience Review
The Best:
Simple and intuitive interface with so many features and helpful suggestions like fount pairing basic web design and complementary colour options.
The Good:
- Design assistance helps users create a professional-looking website without needing design skills.
- A pretty good batch of options to pick from, suitable for all kinds of businesses.
- Mobile-optimized websites ensure a great look on any device.
The Cons:
- Lack of creative freedom, it’s like someone is strictly keeping you within the boundaries.
- There’s a banner on the bottom of the website that says “I built my site using SITE123” using the free plan. When you scroll down, the banner moves down with you.
Room for Improvement:
- More design customization options would be a great addition for users who want a more unique and personalized website.
Pricing:
If you’re considering using SITE123 to build your website, you’ll be pleased to know that the platform offers both a free plan and a premium plan that costs $12.80 per month when billed annually.
But what you might not know is that there are actually four plans available once you create a free account, with prices ranging from $12.80 to $34.80 per month when billed annually. It’s always a good idea to check for sales, as SITE123 frequently offers discounts on its plans.
When you’re deciding which plan to choose, consider your specific needs and budget. The more expensive plans offer additional features, such as increased storage and more email accounts, so it’s important to think about what you’ll need to run your website effectively.
Strikingly
Strikingly is a website builder designed for creating simple, one-page websites. With a user-friendly interface and a variety of customization options, Strikingly is a great choice for beginners looking to create a straightforward, visually appealing website.
But as their focus is to provide cost-efficient, simple and quick websites you can’t expect that much creative flexibility. You have to stick to the design.
Strikingly User Experience Review
The Good:
- A simple and easy-to-use builder with an editor tour and image gallery makes it the best choice for beginners.
- A pretty good set of options to pick from, for whatever biz you’re in.
The Not-So-Good:
- Limited to one-page websites, which might not suit everyone’s needs.
- Unfortunately, Strikingly’s site speed performance falls short compared to its top competitors like Wix or Weebly.
- If you’re using the free plan, you may see a bright purple pop-up advertisement button on your website. This button may stand out and clash with your design unless you’ve already incorporated the same purple colour into your website palette.
Room for Improvement:
- Let’s break free from rigidity! More design options and creative flexibility would be a welcome addition for creative users who want to achieve a unique look and feel for their websites.
Pricing:
Get Strikingly’s free plan it includes basic features and small ads pop-up. For more advanced features and no ads, premium plans start at $8 per month, including a custom domain, increased storage of up to 50GB, and access to advanced features and templates. No need to go for the most expensive plan $49 per month.
Webflow
Webflow is a website builder designed for designers and developers looking to create a more advanced and custom website. Webflow takes a different approach to website design compared to Wix and Squarespace. Rather than relying on the typical drag-and-drop functionality, Webflow utilizes padding and section block areas to create its designs.
With a variety of templates and customization options, Webflow is a great choice for users who want more creative control over their website’s design. But hear me out, if you are a beginner it might look a little overwhelming and messy.
Webflow User Experience Review
The Best:
With Webflow’s free plan, you won’t see any ads on your website. Only a small ‘Powered by Webflow’ line at the bottom of the page, gives your website a professional look.
The Good:
- Advanced design customization options for users with design experience.
- A good selection of templates to choose from, catering to a variety of industries.
- Even with a free plan you get tons of customizable options and creative freedom
The Cons:
- Steeper learning curve compared to other website builders, making it less beginner-friendly.
Room for Improvement:
- Simplifying the interface for beginners would make Webflow more accessible to a wider audience.
- Offering a custom domain without upgrading to a paid plan would be a welcome addition for users looking for a professional online presence.
Pricing:
Webflow has two types of paid plans:
General Plans and E-commerce Plans. The four General Plans – Basic, CMS, Business, and Enterprise – range from $14-$39 per month, while the Ecommerce Plans – Standard, Plus, and Advanced – range from $29-$212 per month.
If you’re looking for creative freedom, we recommend the Site Plans for content-driven websites, while the Ecommerce Plan is better suited for growing traffic and marketing tools.
Keep in mind that the free plan is a great way to test the platform before deciding to upgrade to a paid plan.
Webnode
Webnode is an easy-to-use website builder for those wanting a simple site fast. While Webnode’s simplicity may suit novice users or those with little time for design, its creative potential falls short compared to other builders.
Webnode User Experience Review
The Good:
- The simple and intuitive interface makes it easy for beginners to create a website.
- The quick setup process allows users to create a website in a matter of minutes.
- A solid set of templates for many fields.
- A very small ad on the foot.
The Not-So-Good:
- Limited design customization options compared to some other website builders.
- Webnode’s free plan offers limited storage, with only 100MB available, which is five times less than other builders on our list.
The Cons:
- Upgrading is required to unlock password protection, backups, and e-commerce features.
Room for Improvement:
- More design customization options would be a great addition for users who want a more unique and personalized website.
- Allowing users to have their own website address without paying more would be helpful for people who want a professional website.
Pricing:
Webnode offers a free plan with basic features. So, if you want to connect your own custom domain, Webnode’s basic paid plan will cost you just $3.90 per month – not too shabby, right?
But, if you need more storage space, you’ll need to upgrade to the Mini plan for $7.50 per month.
And, if you want to remove that pesky little Webnode ad from your site, you’ll need to go for the Standard plan, which will set you back $12.90 per month.
Ucraft
Ucraft is a website builder that excels in creating multilingual websites. Ucraft is a user-friendly, image-driven platform that lets you showcase your products or services in a bold and colourful way. It’s all about aesthetics and making your website look amazing!
Ucraft User Experience Review
The Good:
- Easy-to-use interface, making it simple for beginners to create a website.
- Multilingual support allows users to create websites in multiple languages.
- A good selection of templates to choose from, catering to a variety of industries.
- Ucraft offers a decent domain name option, such as “yoursite.ucraft.site”, which still allows for some brand visibility.
The Not-So-Good:
- While Ucraft’s templates are great for showcasing visuals, they may not be the best option if you want to focus on texty content.
- Keep in mind that with Ucraft, the free trial period lasts only 14 days and your website will display a Ucraft banner at the bottom unless you upgrade to a Pro plan.
Room for Improvement:
- Ucraft’s free plan only allows for up to 15 website pages.
- Free plan users miss out on important features such as SEO tools, designer and blogging tools, and eCommerce capabilities.
- Upgrading to a Pro plan unlocks data management services and access to Ucraft’s 24/7 support.
- The design process is more limiting on the free plan, even for creating a basic online presence.
Pricing:
Ucraft’s Premium plans start at $10/month when billed annually, which includes a free domain and access to advanced features like multilingual options, custom fonts, and over 20 integrations. Choose from Pro Website, Pro Shop, or Unlimited plans depending on your needs, but keep in mind that the higher the plan, the higher the price tag.
WordPress
Why WordPress.org is the Top Choice for Most Businesses, Despite Its steep Learning Curve
When it comes to website builders, WordPress.com is the clear winner. While it may seem overwhelming for beginners at first, its powerful capabilities and vast customization options make it the ultimate choice for businesses of all sizes and industries.
WordPress.org User Experience Review
The Good:
- Powerful website-building capabilities that are unmatched by other website builders
- Wide range of templates catering to various industries
- Integrated blogging features that make content creation a breeze
- Mobile-optimized websites that look great on any device
- Robust plugin library that can enhance your website’s functionality in countless ways
The Not-So-Good:
- Its learning curve can be overwhelming for beginners
Room for Improvement:
- Providing more beginner-friendly resources in one place to help users navigate the platform more easily
Pricing:
- Free plan with basic features and ads: If you’re just starting out and don’t have a lot of money to invest, the free plan is a good way to get started. However, be aware that your website will have limited features.
- The personal plan starts at $3/month: For those looking to create a more professional online presence, the Personal plan is a great choice. But hear me out, this price can vary on a wide scale for WordPress so do little research or seek help. Because it is worth it.
Our Advice:
- Consider your budget: While WordPress.com offers a range of plans to suit different budgets, it’s important to consider how much you’re willing to spend.
- Think about your website’s purpose: Are you creating a personal blog or a professional website? Different plans offer different features, so make sure you choose one that fits your needs.
- Don’t be afraid to upgrade: If you start with a free or lower-tier plan and find that you need more features, don’t be afraid to upgrade. You can always change plans later on.
Key factors to consider in a free website builder:
When it comes to choosing a free website builder, there are a few important factors to consider for SEO purposes. Here are some things to keep in mind:
When it comes to picking a free website builder, you want to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck (or lack thereof!). Here are some things to keep in mind to help your website shine:
- Clear domain name: Let’s face it, a janky domain name can make your site look unprofessional. Take a peek at the domain name options provided by each builder and choose the one that’s easiest on the eyes.
- Low upgrade cost: Upgrading to a paid plan can come with some sweet perks, but you don’t want to break the bank. Check out the upgrade costs and what benefits you get with each plan.
- Minimal advertising: Ads can be annoying and distracting for visitors. Look for builders that offer minimal advertising or give you the option to remove ads for a fee.
- Free SSL certificate: Having an SSL certificate is crucial for website security and building trust with your visitors. Most builders include this for free but be aware that some don’t. You can always purchase one separately if needed.
- Sufficient storage: If you’re planning on having lots of photos and videos on your site, make sure the builder you choose offers enough storage for all your content.
- Easy to use: Ain’t nobody got time for a complicated website builder! Look for one that’s user-friendly and intuitive, so you can spend less time wrestling with the builder and more time creating awesome content.
- E-commerce functionality (optional): If you’re looking to sell products on your website, you’ll want to make sure the builder offers e-commerce functionality or integrations with third-party platforms.
By keeping these factors in mind, you’ll be able to choose a free website builder that suits your needs and helps you make a splash online!
Remember, free versions are great for getting started, but they often come with limitations(coz business). Don’t hold back on purchasing upgrades that are important for your business – your website deserves to shine!
Wow, we’ve gone through a lot of options, but let’s be real, WordPress is the ultimate free website builder for beginners! It beats out other builders like Wix, Weebly, and GoDaddy with its advanced customization options, a wide range of plugins and themes, and amazing SEO capabilities. Plus, it’s super scalable, making it a great choice for businesses of all sizes.
Here are the ten best free website builders for beginners:
- Wix – Beginners heaven
- GoDaddy – Quickest and most effective builder
- Weebly – Ideal for beginners
- Jimdo – Small online store builder
- Site123 – Great design assistance
- Strikingly – Made for simple websites
- Webflow – Best for designers
- Webnode – Set up in a jiffy
- Ucraft – Multilingual website superstar
- WordPress.org – Best all-around website builder
But, we get it – building a website can be overwhelming, especially if you’re new to it. That’s why our expert team is here to help! We’ll work with you to build a website that looks professional and meets your business’s unique needs using the powerful WordPress platform. Trust us, your online presence will be top-notch!
So, what are you waiting for? Give WordPress.com a try and watch your online presence soar! And if you need any help along the way, we’ve got your back.
Let’s do this! – CloudFly.So