You can build a working website for free using platforms that handle hosting and domain names for you

The cheapest way to start a website is to use a free website builder — a service that gives you hosting, a domain name, and design tools all in one place. You do not need to buy anything separately or know how to code. The trade-off is that free plans come with limitations: your domain name will include the platform's name (like yourname.wix.com instead of yourname.com), you get less storage space, and the platform may display ads on your site.

If you want a domain name that is just your name or business name without the platform attached, you will need to pay for that separately — usually $10 to $15 per year. But the hosting and builder tools themselves stay free.

Key Takeaways

  • Free website builders like Wix, Squarespace, Google Sites, and Weebly let you build and host a site without paying anything upfront.
  • Free plans include a domain name with the platform's name in it (example.wix.com), limited storage, and sometimes ads on your pages.
  • A custom domain name (yourname.com) costs $10 to $15 per year and can be connected to most free builders.
  • The best choice depends on what you are building: a simple informational site, a portfolio, a small online store, or a blog.
  • You can start free and upgrade later if you need more storage, remove ads, or add features like email marketing.

The main free website builders and what each one is built for

Wix is the largest free website builder. It offers drag-and-drop design, hundreds of templates, and a free domain name (with Wix in the URL). The free plan includes 500 MB of storage, which is enough for a small business site or portfolio with text and a few images. Wix shows ads on free sites unless you pay to remove them. You can add a custom domain name for about $5 per month on top of the free plan.

Google Sites is the simplest option if you already use Google services like Gmail or Google Drive. It is very basic — no fancy animations or complex layouts — but it is genuinely free with no ads and no storage limits for text and simple pages. You get a free domain name (yourname.sites.google.com). Google Sites is best for a one-page resume, a class project site, or a simple informational page.

Weebly (owned by Square) offers a free plan with 500 MB of storage, a free domain name, and no ads. It is simpler than Wix but has fewer design options. Weebly is good if you want something between Google Sites and Wix — more polished than Google Sites but easier to learn than Wix.

Carrd is designed for one-page sites: a personal landing page, a portfolio, a resume, or a small business card site. The free plan includes one site with a Carrd domain name. It is the fastest to set up if you do not need multiple pages.

How to choose between free builders based on what you are building

If you are building a portfolio or resume site, Wix or Weebly work well because they have professional templates and enough storage for images. Google Sites also works if you want something very simple and do not mind the basic look.

If you are starting a blog, consider Wix or Weebly — both have built-in blog tools. If you want more control over how your blog looks and works, Blogger (Google's blogging platform) is free and has no storage limits for text. Blogger gives you a free domain name (yourblog.blogspot.com) and lets you add a custom domain later.

If you want to sell products online, the free plans on Wix and Weebly both include basic online store features, though they limit how many products you can list. Wix allows up to 100 products on the free plan; Weebly allows up to 10. If you plan to sell more than that, you will need to pay for an upgrade or use a different platform.

If you are building a simple informational site — for a club, class, or local group — Google Sites is often the best choice because it is free, has no ads, and is easy for multiple people to edit together.

What you lose with a free plan and when to upgrade

Free plans come with real limits. On Wix and Weebly, you get 500 MB of storage — enough for about 100 to 200 medium-sized images, or a text-heavy site with fewer photos. If you plan to upload many high-resolution photos or videos, you will run out of space quickly. Paid plans start at about $10 to $15 per month and give you more storage (usually 50 GB or more).

Free plans on Wix and Weebly display ads on your site. These are ads that the platform chooses, not ads you control. If you want to remove them, you need to pay. Google Sites and Blogger do not show ads on free sites.

Free plans usually do not include email marketing tools, advanced analytics, or the ability to use your own custom code. If you need these features, you will need a paid plan. Most platforms let you start free and upgrade only the features you actually need.

How to connect a custom domain name to your free site

A custom domain name (like yourname.com or yourbusiness.com) costs about $10 to $15 per year. You buy it from a domain registrar — a company that sells domain names. The largest registrars are GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, and Bluehost.

Once you own a domain name, you can point it to your free website builder. Most builders have instructions for this in their settings. The process usually involves copying some technical information from your domain registrar and pasting it into your builder's settings. It takes about 24 to 48 hours for the change to take effect across the internet.

Some builders, like Wix, let you buy a domain name directly through their platform. This is convenient but usually costs more than buying from a registrar separately. If you buy through Wix, the domain is still yours — you can move it to another registrar later if you want.

The real costs of a "free" website

If you use the free plan with the platform's domain name (like example.wix.com), you pay nothing. Your only cost is your time to build the site.

If you want a custom domain name, you will pay $10 to $15 per year for the domain itself. The hosting and builder stay free. So the minimum cost is about $1 per month for the domain.

If you want to remove ads, add more storage, or use advanced features, paid plans range from $10 to $30 per month depending on the platform and what you choose. You do not have to upgrade — many small sites run fine on free plans for years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move my free website to a different platform later?

Yes, but it depends on what you built. Most builders let you export your content (text, images, pages) but not the exact design. You would need to rebuild the design on the new platform. If you own a custom domain name, you can point it to a new site. If you are using the platform's free domain name, you lose that URL when you leave.

Do I need to know how to code to build a free website?

No. Free website builders are designed for people with no coding experience. You drag and drop elements, type text, and upload images. If you want to add custom code later, most paid plans allow it, but it is not required.

Will my free website show up in Google search results?

Yes, but it may take weeks or months. All the major free builders are indexed by Google. You can speed this up by submitting your site to Google Search Console (a free tool from Google). Having a custom domain name may help slightly with search visibility, but content and regular updates matter more.

What happens to my site if I stop paying for a custom domain?

Your site stays live on the platform's free domain name (like example.wix.com). The custom domain stops pointing to your site, and someone else can buy it. If you want to keep the custom domain, you need to renew it each year.

Can I add email to my free website?

Free plans do not include custom email addresses (like yourname@yourbusiness.com). You can add a contact form so visitors can message you. If you need a custom email address, you can buy one separately from a service like Google Workspace or Zoho Mail, which costs about $6 to $12 per month per address.