Guide · Free builders

Best Free Website Builder (2026)

By the WBF Editorial Team · Website Builder Finder — Updated July 2026

Every major website builder advertises a free plan. What they don't always say upfront is what "free" costs you — in ads on your site, a branded subdomain instead of a real URL, limited storage, or missing features you'll quickly need.

This guide explains exactly what you get on each platform's free tier, and when it makes sense to pay.

What free plans typically include

• A subdomain URL like yoursite.wixsite.com — not a .com address
• The builder's branding or ads displayed on your pages
• Limited storage (usually 500 MB–1 GB)
• No ability to connect a custom domain without upgrading
• Basic templates and most core editing features

Best free plans in 2026

• Wix Free — the most generous free tier. Full drag-and-drop editor, 800 MB storage, all templates available. Shows Wix ads in a floating banner. Your URL will be username.wixsite.com/sitename. Great for learning the platform before committing.
• WordPress.com Free — powerful blogging features, 1 GB storage, and access to the block editor. The free plan is limited but the platform scales well if you eventually upgrade.
• SITE123 Free — simplest setup experience. Your site is live in minutes. Shows a SITE123 floating badge. Good for very simple personal pages.
• Webflow Free (Starter) — 2 projects, 1 GB bandwidth. More suited to developers exploring the platform than first-time builders.

When free is the right choice

• You're learning and not ready to commit
• It's a hobby or personal project with no business purpose
• You want to test the builder's editor before paying
• You don't mind the subdomain URL and builder ads

When you should pay

If you're using your website for any professional purpose — a business, freelance work, a portfolio you're sending to clients — the free plan will work against you. A yourname.wixsite.com URL signals to visitors that you haven't invested in your own brand. Most paid plans start at $8–14/month billed annually, which is worthwhile for any professional use case.

You'll also need a paid plan the moment you want to sell anything online. No free plan includes e-commerce functionality.

Cheapest paid plans (billed annually)

• Hostinger Website Builder — from around $2–3/month
• SITE123 — Basic plan from ~$5/month
• Wix Light — ~$17/month (custom domain, no ads)
• Squarespace Personal — ~$16/month

Pros and cons of each free plan

Wix Free

Pros:

• Permanent free plan — no expiry date, no credit card required to sign up
• Full access to the drag-and-drop editor and all 900+ templates
• 800 MB storage — generous for a free tier
• Access to most Wix apps on the free plan (some require paid plans)
• Great for learning the platform thoroughly before upgrading

Cons:

• Your URL is username.wixsite.com/sitename — not a custom domain
• Wix shows a floating ad banner on your published site
• No e-commerce, no custom email, no Google Analytics connection without upgrading
• Some premium features (Wix Bookings, Wix Stores) are locked behind paid plans

WordPress.com Free

Pros:

• 1 GB storage — the largest among the free plans compared here
• Excellent blogging tools with the full Gutenberg block editor
• Access to thousands of themes on the free plan
• ActivityPub integration for Mastodon and the fediverse — useful for content creators
• Good upgrade path if you eventually want WordPress features with self-hosting

Cons:

• WordPress.com shows ads on your site unless you pay
• URL format is yoursite.wordpress.com
• Plugin installation not available on the free plan
• Block editor has a steeper learning curve than Wix or SITE123
• Free plan is primarily useful for blogs — not great for business or portfolio sites

SITE123 Free

Pros:

• Simplest free setup experience — live in minutes with guided steps
• Live chat support available even on the free plan
• Clean, functional templates suitable for basic personal or hobby sites
• Good for non-technical users who find Wix's editor overwhelming

Cons:

• Floating SITE123 badge visible on all free-plan pages
• Very limited design flexibility — you can't customise much beyond colours and text
• 250 MB storage — the most restrictive of the free plans listed here
• You'll outgrow it quickly if you want anything beyond a simple single-page presence

Webflow Free (Starter)

Pros:

• 2 published projects — useful for developers or designers testing layouts
• Full access to Webflow's advanced design tools
• Generates clean, semantic HTML/CSS — better output quality than most builders
• CMS functionality available even on Starter plan

Cons:

• Site is published on a webflow.io subdomain
• 1 GB bandwidth limit — extremely restrictive for any real traffic
• Webflow has a steep learning curve; not suitable for true beginners
• Free plan is really a development environment, not a viable free hosting solution

Pricing comparison

How to choose a free website builder

The right free plan depends on what you need it for. If you want to learn a drag-and-drop builder without spending anything, Wix is the clear winner — full editor access, the most templates, and no expiry on your account. If you're primarily writing content or running a blog, WordPress.com gives you more storage and better publishing tools. For pure simplicity with zero learning curve, SITE123 gets you something live in minutes.

Be honest about how long you'll actually stay on the free plan. If you know you'll need a custom domain within the next few months, the builder with the best paid plan at an affordable price matters more than which free tier is most generous. Wix and Squarespace have strong paid plans; Hostinger is cheapest if budget is tight.

One thing to watch: free plans are designed to show off the builder's editor while creating mild friction (ads, subdomain, feature limits) that nudges you to upgrade. That's fine as a business model — just be aware of what you're getting into. Use the free plan to genuinely evaluate whether the editor suits you before committing to a year's subscription.

If any part of your website involves professional credibility — sending the URL to clients, potential employers, or business contacts — the subdomain and builder ads will work against you. In that case, the cheapest paid plan at $3–5/month is a worthwhile investment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free website builder?

Wix has the best free plan in 2026 — it's permanent, includes 800 MB storage, gives you access to all templates and the full drag-and-drop editor. The trade-off is a Wix-branded subdomain (username.wixsite.com) and a floating Wix ad on your published pages. WordPress.com's free plan is the better choice for bloggers — more storage and a cleaner writing experience. SITE123 is best if you want the absolute simplest setup.

Can I build a professional website for free?

You can build a functional, well-designed website for free using Wix or WordPress.com. However, free plans always come with a branded subdomain and platform advertising on your pages. For a website that looks fully professional — with a custom domain and no builder branding — you'll need a paid plan. These start from $2.99/month (Hostinger) or $5/month (SITE123) on the most affordable options. For any business or professional use, the small monthly cost is justified.

Does Squarespace have a free plan?

Squarespace does not have a permanent free plan. It offers a 14-day free trial, after which you must choose a paid plan starting at around $16/month. The trial gives you full access to the editor and all templates, which is enough time to build a draft site and decide if Squarespace suits you. If you're comparing free options only, Squarespace is not on the list — look at Wix or WordPress.com instead.

What are the limits of free website builders?

Free plans on most website builders share the same set of restrictions: your site URL uses the builder's subdomain (e.g. yoursite.wixsite.com), the builder shows its branding or ads on your pages, storage is limited (usually 250 MB–1 GB), and you can't sell products or connect a custom domain without paying. Some builders also restrict which templates or features are available on the free tier. Upgrading to the cheapest paid plan removes most of these restrictions at once.