Best Free Website Builders 2026
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“Free” website builders in 2026 actually mean three different things: a permanent free plan with platform branding, a generous free tier that becomes paid as you grow, or a free trial you must convert. Knowing which model you are signing up for is half the battle — the other half is figuring out which limits will bite first.
We signed up to every free website builder worth taking seriously and pushed each one until something broke or asked for money. This guide covers what is genuinely usable for free, what the catches are, and which platforms we would actually recommend for a real (if small) project.
How We Tested
We built a one-page personal site, a small blog, and a basic portfolio on each platform’s free plan. We tracked storage limits, bandwidth caps, branding visibility, custom domain support, and how long the page took to load. We also looked at upgrade pressure — some builders nag heavily, others let you live on the free tier indefinitely.
| Builder | Type | Custom domain | Branding | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix Free | Permanent | No | Wix ad + subdomain | All-purpose |
| WordPress.com Free | Permanent | No | WP branding | Blogs |
| Carrd Free | Permanent | No (Pro only) | Carrd footer | One-pagers |
| Webflow Free | Permanent | No | webflow.io subdomain | Designers |
| Google Sites | Permanent | Yes (with Workspace) | Minimal | Internal docs |
| Strikingly Free | Permanent | No | Strikingly footer | Single-page bios |
| Mozello Free | Permanent | No | Mozello banner | Multilingual sites |
| GitHub Pages | Permanent | Yes | None | Static sites |
Affiliate disclosure: Rightework may earn a commission when you sign up through links in this article. This never affects our rankings — every builder is reviewed on the same scoring rubric.
1. Wix Free — Best All-Around Free Plan
Wix’s free tier remains the most generous mainstream option: 500MB storage, 1GB bandwidth, full editor access, and the entire template library. You get a yourname.wixsite.com/sitename subdomain and a Wix banner.
Pros: Full editor, 900+ templates, AI generator, no time limit. Cons: Wix branding is unavoidable; cannot connect a custom domain.
➡️ Try at Wix
2. WordPress.com Free — Best for Blogs
WordPress.com Free gives you 1GB storage, the block editor, and a wordpress.com subdomain. Personal at $4/mo and Premium at $8/mo unlock custom domains and remove ads.
Pros: Real CMS, clean editor, strong SEO defaults. Cons: WordPress.com ads on free; no plugins until Business ($25/mo).
3. Carrd Free — Best for One-Pagers
Carrd’s free plan is one-page only, no custom domain, and shows a small Carrd footer. Pro Standard at $19/yr removes that footer and adds custom domains. Honestly, $19 a year is a steal.
Pros: Trivial to use, fast pages, generous free tier. Cons: One page only; multi-page needs paid tier.
➡️ Try at Carrd
4. Webflow Free — Best for Designers
Webflow’s Free Starter site allows up to two pages and uses a webflow.io subdomain. It is genuinely powerful for prototyping but you cannot connect a domain or add CMS items without upgrading.
Pros: Full Designer access, professional output, great for learning. Cons: Two-page cap; no custom domain on free.
5. Google Sites — Best for Internal Pages
Google Sites is free with any Google account and lets you connect custom domains via Google Workspace. The editor is basic but the output is fast and clean.
Pros: Free, fast, integrates with Google Drive and Calendar. Cons: Limited templates; no real design control.
6. Strikingly Free — Best for Single-Page Bios
Strikingly’s free tier supports unlimited single-page sites with 5GB monthly bandwidth. Best for personal landing pages and link-in-bio replacements.
Pros: Unlimited free sites, fast publish. Cons: Strikingly footer; one section style fits all.
7. Mozello Free — Best for Multilingual Sites
Mozello’s free plan supports five languages out of the box, which is rare in the free category. Storage is 500MB and you get a Mozello banner.
Pros: True multilingual on free tier, clean editor. Cons: Mozello banner; smaller template library.
8. GitHub Pages — Best for Developers
GitHub Pages is free, supports custom domains, and has zero branding. You bring your own static site (Hugo, Astro, Eleventy, raw HTML). Not a builder per se, but the cheapest path for static content.
Pros: Free with custom domain, zero ads, fast CDN. Cons: Requires familiarity with Git and static site generators.
9. Site123 Free — Best Hand-Holding
Site123’s free tier walks you through setup with templates and prompts. Storage is 250MB and you get a Site123 subdomain.
Pros: Easy onboarding, decent templates. Cons: Tight free limits; visible branding.
10. Notion + Super.so — Best Niche Free Path
Notion is free for personal use; combining it with a free Notion-to-website tool like Potion (paid) or doing a manual Notion publish gets you a free static site. Super.so charges, but Notion’s own publish-to-web is free.
Pros: Cheap or free, content stays in Notion, fast pages. Cons: Notion-only design; limited customization.
Free Tier Limits
| Builder | Storage | Bandwidth | Pages | Custom domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix Free | 500MB | 1GB | Unlimited | No |
| WordPress.com Free | 1GB | Soft cap | Unlimited | No |
| Carrd Free | 50MB | 50K visits/mo | 1 | No |
| Webflow Free | 50MB | Low | 2 | No |
| GitHub Pages | 1GB | 100GB/mo | Unlimited | Yes |
Tips for Using Free Plans
- Check whether the platform allows custom domains on free — most do not.
- Read storage and bandwidth limits before importing photos or video.
- Decide whether platform branding is acceptable for your use case.
- Plan an upgrade path; the cheapest paid tier is often $4–$8/mo.
- Back up your content regularly. Free plans deprecate features more often than paid ones.
Recommended Offers
💡 Editor’s pick: Wix Free for general-purpose websites with a Wix subdomain.
💡 Editor’s pick: Carrd Pro Standard at $19/yr to remove branding for under $2/mo.
💡 Editor’s pick: WordPress.com Personal at $4/mo when free becomes too limiting.
FAQ — Free Website Builders
Are free website builders any good? Yes for testing, learning, and personal pages. For real businesses, expect to upgrade.
Can I use a custom domain on a free plan? Rarely. GitHub Pages and Google Sites (with Workspace) are exceptions.
Will free builders show ads on my site? Most do — Wix, WordPress.com, and Strikingly show platform branding or ads.
How do free plans make money? Through upgrades, ads, and visibility — your free site advertises the platform.
What is the best free builder for a portfolio? Carrd Free for a one-pager; Webflow Free if you need two pages and design control.
Is free WordPress better than free Wix? WordPress.com Free is better for content; Wix Free is better for visual sites.
Related Reading on Rightework
- Best Website Builders of 2026
- Free Web Hosting
- How to Build a Website Without Code in 2026
- Best Drag-and-Drop Website Builders 2026
- Best Portfolio Website Builders 2026
Final Verdict
The best free website builder in 2026 depends on what you are launching. Wix Free is the broadest. Carrd Free is the cheapest path to a clean one-pager. WordPress.com Free is the right call for blogs. Webflow Free is for designers prototyping. GitHub Pages is for anyone comfortable with Git. None of the free tiers will replace a $20/mo paid plan, but each one will get you online today for zero dollars — which is exactly what they are supposed to do.
This article is for informational purposes only. Pricing, features, and platform capabilities are accurate as of publication and subject to change. Rightework may receive compensation for some placements; rankings are independent.
By Rightework Editorial · Updated May 9, 2026
- website builder
- free
- 2026
- no-code