7 Best Free Website Builders for Small Businesses in 2024

This article presents the 7 best free website builders for 2023 that are ideal for different types of businesses. 

Key Takeaways

1. Shopify: Best for E-Commerce Businesses Shopify shines as the top choice for e-commerce businesses of all sizes. Its user-friendly interface, secure checkout process, and extensive range of customizable templates empower entrepreneurs to set up and manage their online stores effortlessly.
2. Wix: Best for Creative Professionals and Small Businesses Wix offers unparalleled creative freedom, making it an excellent option for creative professionals like photographers, artists, and designers. It also caters to small businesses that want a visually stunning and unique website without the need for coding skills.
3. GoDaddy: Best for Individuals and Small Businesses GoDaddy is a trusted name in the web hosting industry, and its website builder is best suited for individuals and small businesses. Its beginner-friendly editor and reliable hosting services make it easy to create a professional-looking website.
4. Square Online: Best for Streamlined E-Commerce Square Online is the go-to choice for businesses looking for a simplified and seamless e-commerce experience. It integrates seamlessly with Square’s payment processing, managing online stores and tracking sales effortlessly.
5. Webflow: Best for Design Enthusiasts and Non-Designers Webflow caters to both design enthusiasts and non-designers. Designers will appreciate its advanced customization options, while non-designers can create stunning websites using pre-designed templates.
6. Site123: Best for Simplicity and Efficiency Site123 is the ideal platform for users seeking simplicity and efficiency. It streamlines the website-building process, making it easy to create basic websites quickly. It is perfect for personal blogs, portfolios, and small business websites.
7. Pagecloud: Best for On-the-Go Website Management Pagecloud stands out as the best choice for those who need to manage their websites on the go. Its cloud-based platform allows users to edit their sites from anywhere, making it convenient for busy entrepreneurs and professionals.
8. Shopify

Shopify: At  A Glance

Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform that empowers businesses of all sizes to create and manage online stores without extensive coding skills. It is known for its user-friendly interface and wide range of features.

Why we picked Shopify:

• User-Friendly Interface: Shopify’s intuitive and user-friendly interface makes it easy for beginners to build and manage their online stores without any coding knowledge. The platform offers a drag-and-drop editor that allows users to customize their website’s layout, add products, and create pages effortlessly.
• Extensive Theme Collection: Shopify provides a wide range of professionally designed themes, including free and paid options. These mobile themes are responsive, ensuring that your website looks great on various devices without manual adjustments.
• App Ecosystem: Shopify boasts an extensive app ecosystem that allows users to enhance their online stores with various functionalities such as marketing tools, analytics, and more. These apps eliminate the need for custom coding and enable users to add advanced features to their store with just a few clicks.
• Secure and Reliable Hosting: With Shopify, users don’t need to worry about hosting their websites separately. The platform provides reliable and secure hosting, ensuring your website runs smoothly and protects against potential security threats.
• Built-in SEO Features: Shopify has built-in search engine optimization (SEO) features that help improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. It allows users to optimize meta tags, URLs, and product descriptions to attract organic traffic.
• Affordable Pricing: Shopify offers a range of pricing plans, including a basic plan suitable for small businesses and startups on a tight budget. The platform’s affordable pricing and ability to scale as the business grows make it an attractive choice for new entrepreneurs.

Areas of improvement:

• Limited Free Plan: Although Shopify does offer a free trial, it doesn’t have a permanent free plan with basic features for users who wish to test the platform extensively before committing to a paid subscription.

Shopify Features

Ease of use

Shopify is well-known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use, making it an ideal platform for users of all skill levels, especially those without coding experience. Shopify’s dashboard is designed with simplicity in mind. It provides a clear and organized layout, making it easy for users to navigate and manage their online stores efficiently.

With Shopify’s drag-and-drop store builder, users can easily create and customize their online stores without needing coding knowledge. They can select elements they want to add, move them around, and customize the design to match their brand.

Shopify App Store provides a vast selection of apps that can be seamlessly integrated into the store. These apps offer various functionalities, such as marketing tools, customer support, and inventory management, allowing users to enhance their store’s capabilities with just a few clicks.

Design Flexibility

Shopify provides a wide range of pre-designed themes that users can choose from as a starting point. Once a theme is selected, users can customize various elements such as colors, fonts, images, and layouts to match their brand identity and preferences.

For users who require a more unique and tailored design, Shopify allows the creation of custom themes. This enables businesses to have a fully customized online store that reflects their brand personality and stands out from competitors.

Shopify provides a wide range of pre-designed themes 

Shopify allows users to create multilingual stores, which benefits businesses operating in different regions or targeting international audiences. This feature enables them to provide a localized shopping experience to their customers.

Free Plan Limitations

Shopify offers a 3-day free trial that allows users to explore the platform and set up their online store; there are limitations to what can be done during the trial period. After the trial period ends, users are required to select a paid plan to continue using Shopify’s services.

During the trial period, users can explore various features and functionalities of Shopify, including creating and customizing their online store, adding products, setting up payment gateways, and configuring shipping options.

Starting Price 

The starting price for the “Starter” plan is $5 USD/month. This plan is designed to offer basic features and functionality for those just starting their online business. The Starter plan provides an affordable entry point for entrepreneurs and small businesses to establish their online presence and sell their products online.

It allows users to sell products through social media and messaging apps, making it a convenient option for reaching customers and selling products in a simple and accessible way. 

Pros and Cons 

Pros:

• User-Friendly: Shopify is known for its ease of use, making it accessible even to those without coding skills. The platform offers a simple and intuitive interface, allowing users to create and manage online stores easily.
• Extensive App Store: Shopify App Store provides a wide range of plugins and extensions to enhance the functionality of your online store. You can find various apps to meet your specific needs, from marketing tools to inventory management.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Shopify automatically optimizes your online store for mobile devices, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for customers on smartphones and tablets.
• Secure and Reliable: Shopify takes security seriously and provides a safe and reliable hosting environment for your online store. It also offers regular updates and backups to ensure the safety of your data.
• 24/7 Customer Support: Shopify offers round-the-clock customer support to assist users with issues or questions.

Cons:

• Transaction Fees: While Shopify offers various pricing plans, some come with additional transaction fees, which can add up and affect your overall costs.

2. Wix

Wix: At A Glance

Wix is the ultimate website design solution that empowers users to create stunning websites easily. With its intuitive technology and a wide array of built-in features, Wix offers complete design freedom, making it a top choice for individuals and businesses.

Why we picked Wix:

• Ease of Use: Wix’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes website creation a breeze, even for beginners with no coding experience.
• Design Flexibility: With vast templates and customization options, Wix allows users to craft unique and visually appealing websites that align with their brand identity.
• Free Plan: Wix’s free plan provides essential features, enabling users to build functional websites without incurring costs.
• Starting Price: Wix offers premium plans with additional features at competitive prices, providing scalability as your website grows.
• App Market: The Wix App Market offers various plugins and extensions to enhance your website’s functionality, from e-commerce to SEO tools.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Wix ensures that your website looks great on all devices, offering a seamless browsing experience for visitors on smartphones and tablets.

Areas of improvement:

• Onboarding Experience: While Wix is user-friendly, some users might find the initial setup overwhelming due to the abundance of options and features.
• Clarity in App Market: Improving the transparency of which apps are free and which require payment would streamline the app selection process for users.
• Template Switching: Allowing users to change templates easily, even after the site is live, would provide more flexibility in website design.

Wix Features

Ease of use

Wix’s gallery feature is designed with user-friendliness in mind. The intuitive interface allows users to create stunning galleries effortlessly without technical expertise. The drag-and-drop editor lets you arrange and organize your media files with just a few simple clicks.

Design Flexibility

Wix showcases remarkable design flexibility, allowing users to create visually captivating and unique websites. Wix provides a diverse range of options for different industries and website types. This extensive collection ensures that users find a template that aligns with their vision and brand identity.

The intuitive drag-and-drop editor is at the core of Wix’s design flexibility. It enables users to arrange, customize easily, and position elements on their web pages without coding knowledge. This user-friendly interface allows for effortless adjustments, giving users complete control over the layout and appearance of their sites.

It goes beyond templates by offering a myriad of customization options. Users can personalize their website by modifying fonts, colors, backgrounds, and other visual elements to reflect their brand identity and creative vision.

Free Plan Limitations

Regarding Wix’s free plan, there are a few restrictions that users should be aware of before diving into website creation. While the free program offers an excellent opportunity to get started, it has certain limitations that might impact your online presence.

First and foremost, one of the main constraints is the absence of a personalized domain. Moreover, there’s a character limit of 20 for the “your site” part of the address. Choosing a professional and concise username is crucial to ensure a clean and user-friendly URL.

Another restriction of the free plan revolves around storage and bandwidth. With only 500MB at your disposal, you might be constrained in the media you can use on your website. Uploading too many images or videos could quickly save your storage space.

Starting Price 

Wix offers premium plans packed with impressive features to cater to different website needs. To embark on a remarkable online journey with Wix, let’s explore their starting price and what it entails.

Wix’s premium plans begin at $16 per month. Embrace the freedom of a custom domain, elevating your online presence and making your website your own. Additionally, the Light plan boosts your storage to a generous 2GB, ensuring ample space for your content and media.

Pros and Cons 

Pros:

• User-Friendly Interface: One of the most significant advantages of Wix is its user-friendly interface. Its drag-and-drop editor makes it effortless for users to design and customize their websites without coding knowledge.
• Design Flexibility: Wix offers a wide selection of templates, allowing users to choose from various themes and styles to suit their unique preferences. With its customization options, you can create a website that reflects your brand identity.
• Abundance of Features: Even with its free plan, Wix provides many features, including SEO tools, image galleries, contact forms, and more. Upgrading to premium plans unlocks even more powerful tools and functionalities.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Wix automatically ensures that your website is mobile-responsive, adapting its design to different devices and screen sizes, providing a seamless experience for mobile users.
• Customer Support: Wix offers reliable customer support through various channels, including live chat, email, and a comprehensive knowledge base, helping users with queries or issues.
• E-commerce Capabilities: Wix’s e-commerce features are a valuable asset for businesses looking to sell products online. From inventory management to secure payment gateways, Wix simplifies the process of running an online store.

Cons:

• Advertisements on Free Plan: The free plan includes Wix-branded advertisements on your website, which can be distracting and compromise your site’s professional look.
• Limited Storage and Bandwidth: Wix’s free plan has a limited storage capacity of 500MB and bandwidth, which could restrict the amount of media and traffic your site can handle.
• No Code Export: If you ever decide to move your website away from Wix, you won’t be able to export the website’s code. This can be a drawback if you migrate your site to another platform.
• Template Change Limitations: Once you publish your website with a specific template, changing it afterward is not possible. You must rebuild your site from scratch to switch to a different template.
• Cost of Premium Plans: While Wix offers valuable premium features, premium plans might be considered higher compared to other website builders.

3. GoDaddy

GoDaddy: At A Glance

GoDaddy offers various services to help you launch, promote, and grow your business online. From websites and domains to marketing tools and security, they aim to turn your ideas into reality.

Why we picked GoDaddy:

• User-Friendly Interface: GoDaddy provides an intuitive and easy-to-use platform, making it accessible for users with varying technical skills to create their websites effortlessly.
• SSL Security: With SSL certificates, GoDaddy prioritizes the security of your website, protecting data transmission and building trust with your visitors, which can positively impact your business.
• Professional Email: A professional email address matching your domain name adds credibility to your business, and GoDaddy offers this feature and built-in organizational tools.
• Web Hosting Services: GoDaddy’s hosting plans offer fast and reliable performance, ensuring your website is always available to visitors, and their 24/7 support is beneficial for troubleshooting.
• Websites + Marketing Tools: GoDaddy provides a convenient all-in-one solution for website creation, marketing, and even online store setup, which can save time and effort for business owners.
• GoDaddy InSight: Their AI-powered advice tool, GoDaddy InSight, offers personalized business guidance, helping you make informed decisions to improve your online presence.

Areas of improvement:

• Free Plan Limitations: While GoDaddy offers a “Start for Free” option, having a more precise outline of the limitations and features available under this plan would be beneficial.
• Design Functionality: Although GoDaddy provides industry-specific templates, users might want more design flexibility to create fully customized websites.
• Lack of Mobile Editor: One area where GoDaddy could improve is by providing a dedicated mobile editor. While the platform claims to optimize websites for mobile devices automatically, users prefer having greater control over the mobile layout and design to ensure the best user experience on smartphones and tablets.

GoDaddy Features

Ease of use

GoDaddy is renowned for its user-friendly interface and seamless navigation, making it an ideal choice for beginners and experienced users. The platform’s intuitive design allows users to create and manage their websites without extensive technical knowledge effortlessly.

One of the standout features of GoDaddy is its drag-and-drop website builder, which simplifies the process of designing a website. Users can easily add and arrange elements, such as text, images, and videos, simply by dragging and dropping them onto the page.

Furthermore, GoDaddy offers step-by-step guidance throughout the website creation process, ensuring that users have a smooth experience from start to finish. The platform’s user-friendly editor allows quick updates and modifications, enabling users to keep their websites up-to-date easily.

Design Functionality

GoDaddy provides a range of design functionalities that enable users to create visually appealing and professional-looking websites. The platform offers a variety of pre-designed templates that cater to different industries and purposes, giving users a head start in the design process.

GoDaddy offers a variety of pre-designed templates

For users who prefer to have more control over the design, GoDaddy allows the use of custom CSS, allowing advanced users to make precise design adjustments and tailor the website to their specific preferences.

Free Plan Limitations

On the free plan, users cannot use a custom domain, which means their website’s URL will be in the format yourusername.wixsite.com/yoursite instead of a personalized domain like www.yourdomain.com. This may not give a professional and branded impression to visitors.

The free plan does not include full ecommerce functionality. Users wanting to create an online store and sell products or services must upgrade to a paid program that offers ecommerce tools and features.

While GoDaddy provides a variety of templates and design options, the free plan might have some restrictions on design elements and customization. This could limit users’ ability to create a customized website.

Starting Price

GoDaddy offers a range of plans to suit different business needs. The cheapest plan is the Basic plan, priced at $9.99 per month when billed annually. This plan provides a custom domain and allows you to send up to 100 monthly emails for your business and other additional features.

The Premium plan is available for businesses looking to expand their services and appointments at $14.99 per month. With this plan, customers can book appointments online, and you have a generous limit of 25,000 emails per month.

For those interested in starting an online store and exploring the world of ecommerce, GoDaddy offers a dedicated Commerce plan at $16.99 per month. This plan provides everything you need to sell on platforms like Facebook and Instagram and connect with marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy.

Pros and Cons 

Pros:

• Variety of Plans: GoDaddy offers a range of plans to cater to different business needs, providing flexibility and options for businesses of all sizes.
• Custom Domain: With all plans, you get access to a custom domain, which gives your business a professional online presence.
• Email Marketing: The Premium plan and above offer generous email marketing capabilities, allowing businesses to engage with customers through email campaigns.
• Ecommerce Features: The Commerce plan is well-suited for businesses looking to venture into ecommerce, with tools for selling on various platforms.
• On-The-Go Editing: GoDaddy’s platform allows easy editing on the go, enabling businesses to update their websites quickly.

Cons: 

• Lack of Mobile Editor Control: GoDaddy’s platform supposedly optimizes sites for mobile devices automatically, but users need more control over the mobile editing process.
• Design Limitations: Some users may find design flexibility restricted, particularly when creating unique website layouts.
• Price Increase on Renewal: While the starting prices may seem attractive, it’s essential to be aware that the renewal prices can be higher, so long-term costs should be considered.
• Free Plan Limitations: The free plan has limitations, such as a longer domain name and restricted storage and bandwidth.
• Limited Appointments Features: The appointment-related features are unavailable in all plans, and businesses requiring more advanced scheduling capabilities may need to opt for higher-tier plans.

4. Square Online

Square Online: At A Glance

Square Online is an ecommerce platform that empowers businesses to power their entire operation, from selling products and services to managing staff and streamlining processes. It offers a range of features and tools to help companies to reach their customers through various channels, whether in person, on social media, or online.

Why we picked Square Online:

• Versatility: Square Online enables businesses to sell anywhere, providing a seamless shopping experience for customers across multiple platforms.
• Comprehensive Tools: The platform offers an integrated suite of tools covering sales, payments, inventory management, payroll, and more, making it easier for businesses to manage various operations from a single platform.
• Customizable Hardware: Square’s hardware options are functional and visually appealing, offering businesses a chance to create a setup that suits their unique needs.
• Integrations: Square Online integrates with various business tools, allowing businesses to connect with other platforms and enhance their functionality.

Areas of improvement:

• Design Flexibility: Some users may need more than the design options, hindering their ability to create highly customized website layouts.
• Learning Curve: While Square Online offers powerful tools, new users may find the initial setup and learning process challenging, especially if they are new to ecommerce platforms.

Square Online Features

Ease of Use

Square Online offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it relatively easy for businesses to set up and manage their online presence. The platform’s straightforward design and navigation allow users to create and customize their websites with minimal hassle, even for those without extensive technical knowledge.

The platform also offers helpful guides and support resources, making it easier for users to familiarize themselves with the features and functionalities. Square Online’s user-friendly approach ensures businesses can quickly get their online stores up and running.

Design Flexibility

Square Online’s lack of a drag-and-drop editor and limited design options for templates and elements can be seen as a drawback, especially for users who prefer more creative freedom and customization in their website design. 

The platform’s approach of starting users in mobile view to choose a template and restricting the switch to desktop view until a decision is made can be frustrating for those who want to see how their site would look on different devices from the start.

However, if you want to create an essential website, especially for a small business, Square Online might still be viable. It prioritizes functionality over elaborate design, making it suitable for companies primarily to showcase products and provide essential information to their customers.

Free Plan Limitations

The Free Plan may need to provide access to detailed or advanced reporting and analytics tools. Businesses that require in-depth insights into their sales and customer data may find this limitation restrictive.

Additionally, with the Free Plan, you won’t be able to use a custom domain for your website. Instead, your site’s URL will include the “square. site” domain and a subdomain based on your business name. 

Starting Price

The starting price for Square Online’s Plus plan is $29 monthly. This plan is designed to cater to businesses that require advanced features and functionalities, especially restaurants, retailers, or appointment-based companies. It offers a comprehensive set of tools to enhance the online presence and operations of these specific types of businesses.

Pros and Cons 

Pros:

• Diverse Selling Options: Square Online allows you to sell in person, online, over the phone, or even out in the field, giving you the flexibility to reach customers through various channels.
• No Setup Fees: The free plan has no setup fees or monthly fees. You only pay when you take a payment, making it a cost-effective option for small businesses and startups.
• Quick Transfers: Square Online offers transfers as soon as the next business day, ensuring you have access to your funds promptly.
• End-to-End Encrypted Payments: The platform ensures secure transactions with end-to-end encryption, providing peace of mind to both businesses and customers.
• Active Fraud Prevention: Square Online implements active fraud prevention measures, helping to protect your business from fraudulent activities.

Cons:

• Limited Design Flexibility: The platform lacks a drag-and-drop editor and has limited design options for templates and elements. This could be restrictive for users seeking highly customizable website designs.
• Subtle Ads on Free Plan: The free plan includes a subtle ad, which may be better for businesses aiming for a completely ad-free online presence.
• Additional Costs for Custom Domain: The free plan does not allow custom domains, and users would need to upgrade to a paid plan to connect a custom domain, incurring additional costs.
• Pricing Increase for Ecommerce Plans: As businesses grow and require ecommerce-specific features, they must switch to the Plus or Premium plan, which may seem significantly more expensive than the free program.

5. Webflow

Webflow: At A Glance

Webflow is an excellent choice for web designers and those seeking a high level of customization and creative control over their websites. It’s templates and design tools offer versatility and efficiency for experienced users, while beginners might find it challenging to navigate the platform initially.

Why we picked Webflow

• Versatile Template Selection: Webflow offers diverse templates tailored to specific industries, making it effortless for users to discover designs that match their business requirements. 
• Unleash Your Creativity: With Webflow, users can unleash their creativity and design stunning websites without limitations. The platform’s robust customization features allow for extensive changes, empowering users to craft unique and captivating online experiences that resonate with their target audience.
• User-Friendly Interface: Although Webflow targets web designers, it also accommodates beginners with its user-friendly interface. By providing short keys and intuitive right-click options, Webflow streamlines the website-building process, even for those unfamiliar with web design tools.

Areas of improvement

• Beginner-Friendly Onboarding: Webflow’s interface and working with padding and section block areas might be overwhelming for beginners. Improving the onboarding process by providing more guided tutorials and interactive tooltips can help newcomers feel more comfortable and confident when starting with the platform.
• Drag-and-Drop Editor Option: While Webflow focuses on giving web designers granular control, incorporating a drag-and-drop editor option would make it more accessible to a broader range of users. 

Webflow Features

Ease of use

Webflow provides high creative freedom, allowing users to design custom websites that align with their brand and vision. This flexibility is precious for small business owners and startups aiming to establish a unique online presence.

Webflow’s visual editor enables users to build websites without writing code. This feature benefits bloggers and content creators who may need more technical expertise but still want to share their thoughts and creativity through a professional-looking website.

With Webflow, users can create responsive websites that adapt to different devices and screen sizes. This is crucial for small businesses and startups seeking to engage customers on various platforms, including mobile devices.

Design Flexibility

Webflow offers impressive design flexibility, making it an attractive choice for small business owners, bloggers, and startups who want complete control over their website’s appearance and user experience.

With Webflow’s visual editor, users can fully customize the structure and layout of each page. This level of control allows businesses to create a website that aligns perfectly with their brand identity and target audience.

Unlike website builders relying on templates, Webflow empowers users to start from a blank canvas. This freedom benefits creative bloggers and content creators who want to build unique and visually captivating sites.

Free Plan Limitations

Webflow’s free plan, while a great starting point, has some limitations that might not suit everyone’s needs. You must know these restrictions if you’re considering building a website for your small business, blog, or startup.

Firstly, on the free plan, you won’t have the option to use a custom domain name. While functional, it might provide a different professional touch than you want for your online presence.

Additionally, the free plan doesn’t include access to advanced design tools. While Webflow is known for its design flexibility, some more powerful features and customization options are reserved for the premium plans.

Starting Price

Webflow’s starting price for its premium plans is $14 monthly. This allows users to unlock additional features and benefits, such as a custom domain name and access to advanced design tools. If you want more creative control to take your website to the next level, upgrading to one of Webflow’s premium plans could be a great option.

Pros and Cons 

Pros:

• Template Choice and Designs: Webflow offers diverse templates, clearly indicating which ones are best suited for various industries. Compared to other website builders, Webflow provides a substantial selection of free templates, making it easier for users to find one that fits their needs.
• Creative Freedom: Webflow empowers users with a high level of creative control. Its free plan includes numerous customizable features, allowing users to tailor their websites to their specifications.
• Efficient Navigation: Webflow streamlines the design process by incorporating short keys and right-click options to add or remove elements. This efficient navigation enhances the overall website-building experience.

Cons:

• Learning Curve: Due to its unique design approach, building a website with Webflow may take longer than traditional drag-and-drop editors. Users may need some time to familiarize themselves with its features and functionalities.
• Cost: Although Webflow offers a free plan, to access more advanced features like custom domains and additional design tools, users need to upgrade to premium projects, which may be cost-prohibitive for some small businesses, bloggers, and startups on a tight budget.

6. Site123

Site123: At A Glance

Site123 is a user-friendly website builder that is particularly well-suited for beginners. It allows users to create simple and visually appealing websites with ease. The platform offers an AI-powered ADI builder, streamlining the setup process and making it quick to get a website up and running.

Why we picked Site123:

• User-friendly interface and ease of use: Site123 provides a simple and intuitive platform, making it easy for beginners to create a website without technical skills or prior experience.
• Excellent 24/7 live support for assistance and guidance: Site123 offers round-the-clock live chat support, ensuring prompt and helpful service throughout the website building process.
• SEO tools for better website optimization: Site123 includes built-in SEO tools that help optimize your website for search engines, improving its visibility and ranking in search results.

Areas of improvement:

• Design Quality: Enhancing creative freedom and updating the available designs to offer more modern and stylish templates.
• Custom Domain: Allowing users on the free plan to customize their domain name instead of being limited to a random combination of letters and numbers.
• Feature Expansion: Adding more advanced website features to both the free and paid plans to offer users a more comprehensive range of options and capabilities.

SITE123 Features

Ease of Use

Site123 is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use, making it an excellent choice for beginners and individuals with zero technical skills. The website builder provides a straightforward and intuitive building experience, allowing users to create their sites with minimal effort.

With Site123’s simple and efficient website editor, users can build their websites without coding knowledge. The platform streamlines the website creation process, making it easy to choose from ready-made styles and layouts and customize them according to personal preferences.

Design Flexibility

Site123’s design flexibility is one area where it needs to improve compared to other website builders. While the platform excels in ease of use, it has limitations regarding design customization and creative freedom.

Site123’s design options are limited, which may be better for users looking to push the boundaries of their site’s aesthetics. The builder provides pre-made templates that offer a quick and straightforward way to build a website, but these designs can feel outdated and need more modern appeal.

Free Plan Limitations

While the free plan allows you to create an essential website, you’ll have limited options to customize its design. Users may need access to advanced design tools or the ability to create a unique and personalized look for their site.

With the free plan, your website will have a subdomain under site123.com. Your site’s URL will look something like “yourname.site123.com.” A subdomain can make your site look less professional and may need to be better for businesses or individuals seeking a more professional online presence.

Starting Price

Site123 offers a range of pricing plans to suit different needs. When you first visit their website, you’ll find two options: a free plan and a premium plan priced at $12.80 per month when billed annually. However, once you sign up for a free account, you’ll discover additional premium plans with varying features. 

Pros and Cons 

Pros:

• User-Friendly Interface: Site123 is known for its ease of use, making it an excellent choice for beginners with little to no technical skills. The platform offers a simple website-building process.
• 24/7 Live Support: Site123 provides excellent customer support with its 24/7 live chat assistance. If you encounter any issues or need guidance during the website-building process, their support team is readily available to help.
• SEO Tools: The platform offers built-in SEO tools to optimize your website for search engines, which can improve your site’s visibility and rankings.

Cons:

• Limited Design Flexibility: Site123 provides little creative freedom and customization options compared to other website builders. Users may need help to achieve highly unique or modern designs.
• Free Domain Limitations: The free domain provided with the free plan consists of random letters and numbers, making the site look unprofessional. Customizing the domain is not possible with the free plan.
• Essential Website Features: The free plan and even some premium plans offer only basic website features, and storage may be limited. Users looking for more advanced features may need to upgrade to higher-tier plans.

7. Pagecloud

Pagecloud: At A Glance

Pagecloud is a website builder that offers a powerful combination of design flexibility and ease of use. It allows users to create high-performing websites with creativity and the support of AI to manage and enhance their content.

Why we picked Pagecloud:

• Built-in analytics and SEO tools: Pagecloud equips users with essential analytics and SEO tools, allowing them to track website performance, analyze user behavior, and optimize their sites for better search engine visibility.
• Customizability and design flexibility: The platform allows users to design and customize their websites to align with their brand identity and creative vision, enabling unique and visually appealing web experiences.
• AI-powered content creation: The AI assistant feature helps users create content, enabling them to generate, edit, and optimize website copy and blog posts efficiently.
• Collaboration features: Pagecloud allows teams to collaborate effectively on website projects by providing components for sharing draft pages and adding team members, enhancing productivity and teamwork.

Areas of improvement:

• Automatic saving: It would be highly beneficial for Pagecloud to introduce an automatic saving feature that regularly saves users’ work as they progress with website building. This would prevent any potential data loss and alleviate concerns about accidental deletions or interruptions during the editing process.
• Enhance site speed: Pagecloud should prioritize optimizing the editor’s loading speed to deliver a seamless user experience. A faster editor would result in smoother and more efficient website creation, reducing the risk of browser crashes and ensuring a more satisfying experience for users.

Pagecloud Features

Ease of Use

Pagecloud is known for its ease of use, making it an excellent choice for beginners and experienced website builders. The platform offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, allowing users to create professional-looking websites without coding knowledge.

One key feature contributing to Pagecloud’s ease of use is its drag-and-drop editor. With this editor, users can easily add, remove, and customize their website’s elements by dragging and dropping them into place. This eliminates the need for complex coding or technicalities, streamlining the website-building process.

Design Flexibility

Pagecloud offers excellent design flexibility, allowing users to create unique and visually appealing websites. The platform provides various customization options, empowering users to tailor their website’s design to suit their needs and preferences.

Pagecloud also offers a rich collection of design templates that users can start with. These templates are fully customizable, allowing users to change colors, fonts, and styles to match their brand identity. Additionally, users can add their own images and multimedia content to make the website truly unique.

For users who desire more control over their website’s design, Pagecloud allows the creation of custom sections and layouts. Users can design their unique areas and save them as reusable components, which is beneficial for maintaining a consistent look and feel throughout the site.

Free Plan Limitations

The Free Plan typically restricts the number of pages you can create for your website. This means you may need to be selective about the content you include and may only be able to have a more extensive website than you desire.

Some advanced features and functionalities may be reserved for premium plans. This can include e-commerce capabilities, custom domain integration, advanced analytics, and more.

Starting Price

The starting price for Pagecloud varies depending on the plan you choose:

• Small Business: $20/month USD billed annually – Ideal for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Business: $36/month USD billed annually – Suitable for businesses with a team and additional requirements.
• Pro: $79/month USD billed annually – Designed for marketing teams, agencies, and freelancers.

Each plan offers different features and benefits to meet the needs of various users. Additionally, all plans have valuable perks, such as FREE Google Workspace and a FREE custom domain. Expert chat support is also available to assist users when needed.

Pros and Cons 

Pros:

• Ease of Use: Pagecloud offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for beginners and experienced users to build and manage websites.
• Design Flexibility: With Pagecloud’s drag-and-drop editor, users can enjoy a high level of design flexibility, allowing them to create custom websites without coding knowledge.
• AI Content Assistance: The platform provides AI-powered tools to help users create content, making generating and optimizing website copy and blog posts easier.
• E-commerce Capabilities: Pagecloud offers features enabling users to create custom storefronts, manage inventory, and sell products online.
• Built-in Analytics and SEO Tools: The platform includes built-in analytics and SEO tools, allowing users to track website performance and optimize their sites for better search engine visibility.

Cons:

• Autosave Feature: An autosave feature can be a drawback, as users may lose their progress if they forget to save their work manually.
• Site Speed: Some users have reported that the editor’s loading speed could be faster, and in some instances, it may even crash the browser, leading to a less seamless website-building experience.

What’s Important in a Free Website Builder?

When considering a free website builder, several key features are essential for different target audiences, including:

Clear Domain Name

A clear domain name is essential when choosing a website builder. It refers to the web address or URL visitors will use to access your site. A user-friendly website builder should offer a concise domain name, be easy to remember, and directly relate to your brand or business. 

Avoiding confusing extensions or unnecessary characters in the domain name ensures that your website appears professional and credible to your visitors. 

With an explicit domain name, your online presence becomes more memorable and accessible, making it easier for potential customers and readers to find and engage with your website.

Low Upgrade Cost

Low upgrade cost is an essential factor to consider when selecting a free website builder. As your website grows and your needs expand, you may want to access more advanced features and additional resources. A good website builder should offer affordable upgrade options that cater to different budgets and requirements.

The goal is to find a website builder that provides value for money, offering a smooth transition from the free to the paid plan without imposing exorbitant fees. Look for pricing plans that align with your website’s specific needs, allowing you to access premium features and benefits at a reasonable cost. .

Minimal Advertising

Minimal advertising is a crucial aspect to consider when evaluating free website builders. When using a free plan, it’s common for website builders to display ads on your site as a way to generate revenue for themselves. However, the best free website builders keep the advertising to a minimum, ensuring it doesn’t overwhelm or distract your site visitors.

A good website builder will strike a balance between offering a free plan with minimal advertising and providing an option to upgrade to a paid plan that removes ads entirely. This way, you can maintain a professional and clean appearance for your website without the distraction of intrusive ads.

Free SSL Certificate

The best free website builders often include SSL certificates as a standard feature, even for free plans. This means that you can secure your website and provide a safe browsing experience for your visitors at no additional cost.

Having a free SSL certificate is an important feature to look for in a website builder. SSL is a crucial security protocol that encrypts the communication between a user’s web browser and the website’s server.

This encryption ensures that data transmitted between the user and the website remains private and secure, protecting sensitive information like passwords, payment details, and personal data.

Sufficient Storage

Adequate storage is essential to ensure your website runs smoothly and efficiently without running out of space. It allows you to upload and store all the necessary files without worrying about storage limitations. 

Having sufficient storage allows you to build and maintain a fully functional and engaging website that meets your needs and provides a seamless experience for your visitors.

Easy to Use

Ease of use is critical to consider when evaluating a website builder, especially for individuals without extensive technical or coding skills. A user-friendly platform makes the website building process smooth and accessible to users of all levels, enabling them to create a professional-looking website without facing unnecessary complexities.

A website builder with an intuitive and straightforward interface allows users to navigate the various features and tools easily. Drag-and-drop functionality, pre-designed templates, and a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor are some elements that contribute to the ease of use.

Ecommerce Functionality (Optional)

Ecommerce functionality is an optional but precious feature in a website builder, especially for businesses looking to sell products or services online. This functionality allows users to set up an online store, manage inventory, and process transactions directly through their website.

With ecommerce functionality, users can create product listings, add images and descriptions, set prices, and manage inventory levels. They can also organize products into categories and enable various payment options, making it convenient for customers to browse and purchase items.

How Do I Create A Free Website? (Step-by-Step)

Follow these step-by-step instructions, and you’ll have your website up and running in no time:

1. Start by signing up with your chosen website builder. Provide your email address, create a strong password, and, if required, set up a unique username.
2. Next, you have two options: pick a template that suits your style and web site’s purpose, or let the design assistant do the work for you by answering a few questions.
3. Once you have the foundation in place, add your content. Replace the default text and images with your personalized content, whether it’s about your business, creative work, or thoughts.
4. Want to add your flair? Customize the design to your heart’s desire. Experiment with colors, fonts, and layouts until it reflects your unique personality. Some builders even allow you to switch to a different template if you’re feeling adventurous (except for a few limitations with Wix).
5. When you’re satisfied with your creation, it’s time to share it with the world. Click that exciting “publish” button, and your website will be live and ready to make an impact. Don’t worry about the domain name—it’ll be generated for you, so you can proudly share it with everyone.

Is It Worth Upgrading to a Paid Plan?

Upgrading to a paid plan can be a game-changer for your website, and it’s often worth it if you want to take your online presence to the next level.

Connecting a Custom Domain Name

With a paid plan, you can connect a custom domain name to your website, such as www.yourbusinessname.com. This creates a more professional and branded image for your site, helping build trust with visitors and customers.

Access to More Storage and Bandwidth

Paid plans usually offer more storage space and bandwidth than free plans. This is crucial as your website grows, especially if you add more content, images, and videos. Increased storage and bandwidth ensure your website loads quickly and can handle higher traffic volumes.

Ability to Sell 

A paid plan is essential if you’re looking to turn your website into an online store and start selling products. Platforms like Shopify provide all the tools you need to set up and manage an e-commerce store, including payment gateways, inventory management, and shipping options.

Advanced Website Features

Paid plans often unlock various advanced features, plugins, and integrations. For instance, with Shopify’s paid plans, you can access advanced marketing tools, abandoned cart recovery, and customer analytics. These features empower you to optimize your store’s performance, boost conversions, and maximize sales.

Best Free Website Builders: FAQs

Conclusion

After reading this article, we hope that you can choose the best free website builder for your business.

The 7 Best Free Website Builders:

1. Shopify
2. Wix
3. GoDaddy
4. Square Online
5. Webflow
6. Site123
7. Pagecloud