With free website builders like Vista x Wix, it’s possible to build a well-functioning business website that looks professional without spending a dime. For individuals and small businesses looking to establish an online presence, free website builders offer accessible solutions. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through how to build a free website—from choosing the right platform to adding content and maintaining your site.
- Free website builders give you the tools to get online without technical skills or upfront costs. When you’re ready to develop your site further, paid options offer more customization, features and control.
- Building a free website is perfect for testing ideas, accessing design templates and getting a site up and running before developing it later. This way, you can see how visitors respond and adjust your approach without financial risk.
- Limitations of free websites include having the platform’s name in the web address, less storage space and fewer features. Knowing these constraints can help you decide whether a free plan meets your needs now or whether upgrading makes more sense.
- Top free website builders include Wix, which offers easy drag-and-drop tools, WordPress.com, best for blog sites, Weebly, great for straightforward business sites, SITE123, which offers guided setup, and Google Sites, which can be used with other Google tools. The best free website builder for you will depend on your website needs.
- With good planning, a free website can still look professional and effectively showcase your brand. Smart content organization and design choices help overcome the limitations of free plans.
Step 1: Plan your free website
Define your website purpose and goals
First, get clear on why you’re creating the website. Ask yourself:
- What do you want your site to accomplish? Showcasing your portfolio, selling products via an online store or sharing valuable information with your target audience.
- What are your goals? Building brand awareness, generating leads or providing customer support.
- What actions would you like visitors to take? Making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter or getting in touch about your services.
Source: Website design by Yevhen Genome via 99designs by Vista
Whether creating an informational online business card to generate leads or selling print-on-demand products using dropshipping to increase revenue, having clear objectives will make the site building process easier.
Identify your target audience
Knowing who you want to visit your website will affect how you design and write copy for it. Take some time to think about your target users—their age range, interests, online behaviors and expectations. Are they mostly browsing on their smartphones or making purchases on laptops? What questions are they hoping your website will answer?
The better you understand your target audience, the easier it is to build a website that appeals to them. Create a user persona of your ideal site visitors to help guide your web design choices.
Design the layout and structure
Before you decide which is the best website builder platform for your needs, sketch out your plan. Consider:
- Web pages beyond the basics like Home and Contact, such as detailed product or checkout pages.
- What kind of navigation and menus make sense for your specific website content?
- Whether you need a clean, minimalist design that highlights website copy, or a more visual approach to showcase photos and videos.
Source: Website design by Yevhen Genome via 99designs by Vista
List which features you need, such as contact forms, product galleries or booking systems. This bit of planning saves you from the frustration of forcing your content into a design template that doesn’t quite work for your needs. Think of it as creating a simple blueprint before building your online storefront.
If you’re building an e-commerce online store, explore this guide to e-commerce tools.
Step 2: Choose a free website builder
With your plan in place, it’s time to select the best free platform for building your website. At this point, you might be asking, what website builder is 100% free? While Google Sites is completely free with no ads or storage limits, Wix, Weebly, SITE123 and WordPress.com offer free plans with some restrictions, such as platform branding, limited storage and subdomains.
Factors to consider when choosing a website builder
Not all website builders offer the same features—while some platforms offer easy-to-use, beginner-friendly tools, others offer more advanced features that require more technical skill. When deciding which website builder to use, check out how customizable their templates are and whether they allow for responsive website design. Since most people browse on their cells, your site will need to look great on smartphone screens too.
Source: Web design optimized for mobile by malzi. via 99designs by Vista
If you’re unsure whether a free website is right for you, consider how many photos and videos you’ll upload, as some free plans have a storage limit, and whether you’re okay with having yourbusiness.websitebuilder.com as your web address or if you need a custom domain name. Don’t forget, you can always move onto paid options as your site grows and needs more features.
Popular free website builders
Let’s explore some of the best options for how to build a website for free.
Wix
Wix offers an intuitive drag-and-drop editor that makes it easy for beginners to create a professional-looking website. But is Wix actually free? Yes, Wix provides a free plan that lets you build and publish a website. However, it includes Wix-branded ads, a Wix subdomain (yourwebsite.wixsite.com) and a 500MB storage limit. While the free version works for basic sites, upgrading to a paid plan offers a custom domain, more storage and additional features.
Pros of Wix free website builder:
- Extensive template library with modern designs
- Flexible drag-and-drop editor that allows precise placement of elements
- App marketplace with free and paid add-ons
- Mobile optimization editor for smartphones and tablets
Cons of Wix free website builder:
- Wix branding and ads
- 500MB storage limit and bandwidth
- You can’t export your site if you decide to switch platforms
Source: Wix website design by Deandesign via 99designs by Vista
WordPress.com
WordPress.com (separate from self-hosted WordPress.org) offers a simplified version of the popular platform.
Pros of WordPress free website builder:
- Clean, professional templates
- Excellent blogging capabilities
- Good SEO features
- Large community and support resources
Cons of WordPress free website builder:
- Less intuitive than some drag-and-drop website builders
- Limited plugin access
- 3GB storage limit
Weebly
Weebly provides a straightforward experience with solid features for small business websites.
Pros of Weebly free website builder:
- Simple, structured editor that’s easy to use
- Responsive design templates that work well on mobile
- Basic SEO tools
- Some e-commerce features
Cons of Weebly free website builder:
- Weebly branding
- Limited design flexibility compared to Wix
- 500MB storage limit
SITE123
SITE123 focuses on simplicity, making it one of the easiest ways to build a website from scratch for free.
Pros of SITE123 free website builder:
- Guided website creation process
- Multi-language support
- Mobile-friendly designs
- Free image library
Cons of SITE123 free website builder:
- Less design freedom than other platforms
- 250MB storage limit
- Subdomain only (yoursite.site123.me)
Google Sites
Google Sites integrates seamlessly with other Google services. But is the Google website builder free? Yes, it’s completely free with no ads, storage limits or hidden costs. However, design options and features are limited, so it may not be the best fit for more complex business sites.
Pros of Google Sites free website builder:
- Very easy to use
- Integrates with Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, etc.
- Reliable hosting on Google’s infrastructure
- No storage limits for documents (uses Google Drive)
Cons of Google Sites free website builder:
- Limited design options and templates
- Basic functionality only
- Less suitable for business websites
Step 3: Set up your website
Once you’ve chosen your platform, it’s time to start building your free website.
Register and create an account
Head to your chosen platform and look for their Get Started or Sign Up CTA button. Some platforms will ask a few quick questions about what kind of website you’re building to suggest suitable design templates.
Choose a template or theme
Browse template designs that match what your site is about—there are templates specifically created for business sites, creative portfolios, blogs and e-commerce stores. Do you need large image galleries, prominent blog sections or space for product listings? While you can customize visual elements later, starting with a template with a layout that works for your needs will save you time at the next stage.
Source: Web design by malzi. via 99designs by Vista
Customize the layout and design
Edit colors and fonts
Most website builders make it easy to adjust background, text and button colors to match your brand. Choose colors and fonts that match your brand identity and personality, whether professional or approachable. Make sure text is easily readable on all screen sizes.
Add and arrange modules or widgets
Add text sections, image galleries and a contact form. Map widgets help customers find your location, while social media feeds keep your site looking fresh with your latest posts. The great thing about website builders is their drag-and-drop functionality—simply place these elements exactly where you want them on the page.
Strategically placed buttons guide visitors toward taking action, whether that’s making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. Many platforms let you customize how buttons and interactive elements behave when visitors hover over them. Look for these options in the Design or Theme section in your website builder’s dashboard.
Step 4: Add content to your website
Content is the heart of your website. Here’s how to create compelling content that engages visitors.
Write effective web content
Website copy needs to emotionally connect with potential customers or clients while clearly explaining what you offer. Use relevant keywords and explain how your business solves problems for customers. Include clear prompts and calls to action telling visitors what to do next, like ‘Browse our latest collection’ or ‘Get in touch’.
Source: Medical content web design by Mediaspace via 99designs by Vista
Depending on your brand voice, write in a friendly, conversational tone or use corporate language. Break your content up into easily digestible chunks with helpful headings so site visitors can find what they need quickly.
Incorporate visual elements: Images and videos
Source custom images that represent your business and optimize them so they don’t slow down your site. Include alt text for all images, which helps with accessibility and search engine visibility. Most free website builders include basic image editing tools and libraries, making it even easier to create a visually appealing site on a budget.
Source: Tell a story with images and scrolling via Wix Studio
To add more value, upload video content of product demonstrations, a tour of sustainable production or quick introductions to your team.
Create relevant and engaging pages
Every website needs a few key pages to give visitors a complete picture of who you are and what you offer. Use your About page to tell your brand story and explain your mission in a way that resonates with visitors. Clearly highlight what makes your business unique—whether it’s your approach, values, sustainability efforts or expertise. If you have a team, introduce key members with brief bios and photos to put faces to your brand.
A well-designed Contact page opens up communication with potential customers. Include a simple contact form that visitors can fill out without leaving your site. Provide your email address, phone number and social media handles, and if you have a physical location, include the address and a map to help people find you.
Use a blog or news page to share industry insights and company updates that provide real value to your audience. Fresh, regularly updated content significantly improves your search engine rankings and helps establish your business as an authority in your field, building credibility. A comment section allows you to answer questions and build a community around your brand.
For more information, check out how to create a business website.
Step 5: Publish and maintain your free website
Before hitting publish, conduct quality testing and preview your site on different devices. Test all links and interactive elements, asking people you know to browse your site and provide honest feedback. Most free website builders include a handy Preview button that lets you see exactly how your site will appear to visitors.
Once your site is live, regularly maintain it—updating content and ensuring that software or plugins remain compatible—to keep it up-to-date, secure and functional. Consistent maintenance helps keep visitors engaged and builds trust.
Ready to publish your free website?
Discovering how to build a website for free is a great way to get started online without spending a dime. Although there are some limitations, free website builders are perfect for testing ideas, accessing design templates and getting your site up and running.
How to build a free website FAQs
What platforms can I use to build a free website?
Popular free website builders include Wix, WordPress.com, Weebly, SITE123 and Google Sites. Each offers varying templates, features and ease of use, so it’s worth exploring different options to find the best website builder for your needs.
Do I need any coding skills to create a free website?
No, you don’t need coding skills to build a free website. Modern website builders use visual editors with drag-and-drop tools, meaning anyone can create a website without knowing HTML, CSS or other programming languages.
Are there any limitations to using a free website builder?
Yes, limitations of free website builders include platform branding/ads on your site, a subdomain rather than a custom domain, limited storage, fewer templates and features, and limited e-commerce capabilities.
Can I connect my custom domain name to a free website?
Most free website builders don’t allow you to use a custom domain without upgrading to a paid plan. Your free website will typically have a domain like yoursite.wixsite.com or yoursite.wordpress.com rather than yoursite.com.
Is it possible to create a website on Wix for free and keep it that way without ever having to pay?
Yes, you can create and maintain a Wix website for free indefinitely. However, your site will include Wix branding, have limited storage (500MB), display Wix ads and use a Wix subdomain. For a more professional appearance, you may eventually want to consider upgrading to remove these limitations.
