You can build a working website for free using platforms that handle hosting and domains themselves
Free website builders like Wix, Squarespace, Google Sites, and Carrd let you create and publish a site without paying anything upfront. These platforms host your site on their servers and give you a free subdomain — a web address that looks like yourname.wix.com or yourname.carrd.com instead of yourname.com. You design the site through their editor, which means you don't write code or rent server space.
The trade-off is that free plans come with limits. You'll see the platform's branding on your site, have less storage for images and files, can't use your own domain name, and may have fewer design options than paid tiers. Some platforms also show ads to your visitors. If you outgrow the free plan later, you can upgrade to paid — but you can start for zero dollars and learn whether you actually need a website before you spend money.
Key Takeaways
- Free website builders host your site and give you a free web address, so you don't need to buy hosting or a domain separately.
- Free plans include limits like platform branding, less storage, no custom domain, and sometimes ads — but they're fully functional for small projects.
- Google Sites is the simplest option if you just need a basic informational site; Wix and Squarespace offer more design control but with more features to learn.
- You can upgrade to a paid plan later if you want a custom domain, remove branding, or unlock more storage and features.
- Some platforms let you export your site if you leave, while others lock you in — check before you invest time building.
What each major free platform offers
Google Sites is the most straightforward. You get a free Google account, click "Create," and build a site by dragging blocks of text, images, and embedded content onto a page. There's almost no learning curve. Your site lives at sites.google.com/view/yourname. Google Sites is best if you need a simple informational site — a resume, a small business landing page, or a project portfolio — and you don't care about custom branding.
Wix offers more design flexibility. You pick a template, then customize it by dragging elements around and editing text and images. Wix has a larger template library and more built-in features like contact forms, image galleries, and basic e-commerce. Your free site appears as yourname.wix.com. The editor is more powerful than Google Sites but also has more buttons and options, so it takes longer to learn.
Squarespace sits between the two. Its templates are visually polished and designed to look professional with minimal tweaking. The editor is less drag-and-drop than Wix — you're more often editing within structured sections — but that also means fewer ways to break the design. Your free site is yourname.squarespace.com. Squarespace is good if you want your site to look finished quickly without spending hours in the editor.
Carrd is built for single-page sites — one long scrolling page instead of multiple pages. It's extremely simple and fast to build, with a focus on portfolios, landing pages, and resumes. Your site is yourname.carrd.com. If you need only one page, Carrd is the fastest option.
How to choose between them
Start by asking what your site needs to do. If you need multiple pages (like a home page, an about page, and a contact page), Google Sites, Wix, or Squarespace all work. If you need only one page, Carrd is faster. If you want the least amount of learning, Google Sites is simplest. If you want the most design control, Wix gives it to you.
Next, think about whether you'll outgrow the free plan. If you're building a portfolio or a small business site and you might want a custom domain (yourname.com instead of yourname.wix.com) in six months, pick a platform that makes upgrading easy. Wix and Squarespace both let you add a custom domain to a free account — you just pay for the domain itself, not a new hosting plan. Google Sites requires you to upgrade to a paid plan to use a custom domain. Carrd charges for a custom domain on any plan.
Finally, check whether you can take your content with you. Wix and Squarespace make it difficult to export your site if you decide to leave. Google Sites and Carrd are easier to migrate away from. If you're experimenting and might switch platforms later, that matters.
The step-by-step process for building on Wix (the most popular option)
Go to wix.com and click "Create a Website." You'll be asked to pick a category (like "Business," "Portfolio," or "Online Store") and then choose a template. Pick one that's close to what you want — you can change almost everything later. Click "Start Editing."
The editor opens with your template loaded. On the left side is a menu of elements you can add: text boxes, images, buttons, forms, and more. Click an element to add it to the page. Click any existing element on the page to edit it — change the text, swap the image, adjust the color. The toolbar at the top lets you undo, redo, and preview how the site looks on phones.
Add pages by clicking the "+" next to "Pages" in the left menu. Most sites need a home page, an about page, and a contact page. You can add a navigation menu that links between them — Wix does this automatically, but you can customize which pages appear in the menu.
When you're done, click "Publish" at the top right. Your site goes live at yourname.wix.com. You can keep editing after publishing — changes appear immediately.
What you can and can't do on a free plan
Free plans let you create a full, working website with multiple pages, images, contact forms, and basic e-commerce (on some platforms). You can add a custom domain name if you buy it separately — though Google Sites makes you upgrade to a paid plan first. You own the content you create.
You can't remove the platform's branding from the free plan — visitors will see "Powered by Wix" or similar at the bottom or in the header. You get limited storage (usually 500 MB to 1 GB of images and files), so a site with hundreds of high-resolution photos will fill up. You can't install custom code or plugins. Some platforms show ads to your visitors on free plans. And you can't use advanced features like email marketing, advanced analytics, or inventory management — those are paid-only.
If you hit these limits, you upgrade to a paid plan. Paid plans typically cost $5 to $20 per month depending on the platform and which features you unlock. You can start free, build your site, and only pay if you decide you need more.
When to buy your own domain and hosting instead
A free website builder is the right choice if you're starting out, testing an idea, or building a simple site. But if you want full control, plan to scale, or want to look as professional as possible, buying a domain and hosting separately gives you more options.
With your own domain and hosting, you can use any website builder (WordPress, Statamic, or others), install custom code, use any theme or plugin, and move your site to a different host whenever you want. You're not locked into one platform. The downside is that you have to manage hosting yourself — you pick a host, set up your domain, and handle backups and security updates. It's more work and costs money (usually $3 to $15 per month for hosting plus $10 to $15 per year for a domain).
Start with a free builder. If you later need features the free plan doesn't offer, or if you want a custom domain and don't want to pay the platform's upgrade fee, then explore buying hosting and a domain separately.
Common mistakes to avoid
Don't spend hours perfecting a site before publishing it. Publish early, even if it's incomplete, so you have a live URL to share. You can keep editing after it's live.
Don't pick a template based on how it looks — pick one based on the structure you need. If you need a portfolio with a gallery, pick a template that has a gallery section, even if the colors aren't perfect. You can change colors easily; changing the overall layout is harder.
Don't assume you need a paid plan right away. Build on the free plan first. You'll learn what features you actually use and what you're willing to pay for. Many people never upgrade.
Don't use a free subdomain (yourname.wix.com) for a business site if you can avoid it. It signals that you didn't invest in a real domain, which can hurt credibility. If you're serious, buy a domain name — it costs $10 to $15 per year and makes a real difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move my site to a different platform later?
It depends on the platform. Google Sites and Carrd let you export your content relatively easily. Wix and Squarespace make it harder — they don't provide an easy export tool, so moving your site means rebuilding it on the new platform. If you think you might switch later, start with Google Sites or Carrd.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Free website builders are designed for people with no coding experience. You drag and drop elements, edit text in a visual editor, and upload images. If you want to add custom code later, some platforms (like Wix) let you add HTML and CSS in a code section, but it's optional.
Can I sell things on a free website?
Yes, but with limits. Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify all offer free plans with basic e-commerce — you can add a product catalog and a shopping cart. However, free plans usually cap the number of products you can list (often 5 to 10) and charge higher transaction fees than paid plans. If you're serious about selling, upgrade to a paid plan.
What if I want a custom domain on a free plan?
Wix and Squarespace let you connect a custom domain to a free account — you buy the domain separately (usually $10 to $15 per year) and link it in your site settings. Google Sites requires you to upgrade to a paid plan first. Carrd charges for a custom domain on any plan.
Is my site secure on a free platform?
Yes. Free website builders use HTTPS encryption by default, which protects data sent between your visitors' browsers and the platform's servers. You don't have to set up security yourself. If you collect sensitive information (like credit card numbers), make sure the platform you choose is PCI compliant — Wix and Squarespace are; check the platform's documentation for others.