Top Free Website Builders for Startups

Launching a site shouldn’t drain your runway. If you’re a founder, solo maker, or small team, free website builders for startups let you validate an idea, collect leads, and look legit before you commit budget.

In 2025, the free tiers are surprisingly capable: drag-and-drop editors, AI setup, responsive templates, even CMS-lite in some cases. Limits on domains, storage, branding, and ecommerce.

This guide compares the best free website builders, what each one does well, the fine print, and how to choose the right platform for your first version.

You’ll also get practical tips for startup website design, no-code website builders, and DIY website launch checklists.

Quick Picks by Use Case

• Best all-round free starter: Wix (Free Plan) — generous editor + templates to prove a concept fast.
• Best for blogging & long-term growth on the WordPress ecosystem: WordPress.com (Free Plan).
• Best no-code designer control / modern animations: Webflow (Free Starter)—great for hands-on designers; custom domain requires upgrade.
• Fastest “internal” or simple brochure site: Google Sites (Free)—no hosting cost, dead simple.
• Best for visual landing pages with modern polish: Framer (Free)—free subdomain, strong design system; custom domain on paid.
• Best one-page MVP/portfolio: Carrd (Free)—up to 3 sites on a subdomain; ultra-simple.
• Best technical option for dev-leaning teams: GitHub Pages (Free)—static sites with Jekyll support; bring your own workflow.
• Squarespace: quality templates and beginner-friendly UX, but trial only, no permanent free plan. Great to test, not free to keep.

What “Free” Really Means in 2025

Most free tiers include:

• A subdomain (e.g., yoursite.wixsite.com / webflow.io / framer.app / wordpress.com).
• Platform branding and limited customization (no custom code in many cases).
• Core editor + templates, responsive design, and starter hosting.

Common limitations:

• No custom domain until you upgrade (hurts branding & SEO).
• Ads or platform badges on free sites.
• Storage/bandwidth caps; sometimes page limits (e.g., Webflow free).
• Ecommerce typically requires a paid plan.

Use free plans to validate messaging/market fit, not to scale the whole business long-term.

The Shortlist: Pros, Cons, and Best Fit

1) Wix (Free Plan)

Why startups choose it: Speed to first publish. Massive template library, drag-and-drop editor, and AI creation tools to scaffold a site quickly. Start free, upgrade when you need a domain or ecommerce.

Pros

• Friendly editor; hundreds of modern templates.
• Built-in forms, galleries, basic SEO controls.
• Easy to iterate copy and layout for beginner-friendly website creator needs.

Cons

• Platform branding on the free tier; custom domain requires upgrade.
• App add-ons can add cost later.

Best for: Landing pages, brochures, simple small business website builder setups, first-time founders.

2) WordPress.com (Free)

Why startups choose it: The on-ramp to the WordPress ecosystem. The free plan keeps it simple; you can upgrade later to expand plugins, themes, and ecommerce. WordPress.com explicitly lists a free plan on pricing.

Pros

• Blogging powerhouse; good for content marketing from day one.
• Familiar editor; SEO-friendly structure.
• Big community for tutorials and themes.

Cons

• Heavier customization (plugins/themes) needs paid plans.
• Platform ads/branding on free tier; custom domain requires upgrade.

Best for: Free website for business that will lean on blogging/SEO, personal sites, long-form content.

Note: WordPress.com has been experimenting with AI-assisted site builders; publishing fully may require a paid plan. Useful for quick concepts.

3) Webflow (Free Starter)

Why startups choose it: Designer-grade control, CSS-level layout, interactions, and CMS-style content (with limits). Try as long as you want on a free Starter plan; paid site plan needed to host on a custom domain.

Pros

• Precise layout/animation control for startup website design that needs polish.
• Clean, semantic output—good technical base for SEO.
• Helpful for design-heavy marketing sites.

Cons

• Learning curve for non-designers.
• Free plan limits pages/hosting options; custom domain on paid site plans.

Best for: Design-savvy founders, no-code website builders power users, creative agencies validating a concept site.

4) Google Sites (Free)

Why startups choose it: It’s 100% free to build and host. Dead simple, fuss-free, and integrated with Google Workspace. Great for internal microsites, documentation, and quick brochures.

Pros

• No hosting fees; instant publishing on a Google domain.
• Simple drag-and-drop sections; responsive out of the box.
• Perfect for internal tools/FAQs, investor updates, or event minisites.

Cons

• Minimal design flexibility; limited components.
• Not ideal for SEO-heavy or brand-critical sites.

Best for: “We need something up today,” internal docs, hiring pages, hackathon demos.

5) Framer (Free)

Why startups choose it: Beautiful, modern marketing pages with superb typography and component-driven design. Free plan publishes to a framer.app subdomain; custom domain on paid.

Pros

• Polished templates; slick transitions and layouts.
• Free plan includes CMS collections and many pages—great for early content work.
• Rapid iteration—perfect for landing page AB tests (on paid tiers).

Cons

• Free plan shows platform branding; domain requires upgrade.
• Not ideal for complex ecommerce on free.

Best for: High-design marketing sites, launch pages, online portfolio builder needs.

6) Carrd (Free)

Why startups choose it: The ultimate one-page MVP tool. The free tier lets you build up to three sites per account—perfect for testing messaging across multiple landers.

Pros

• Lightning fast to build; clean, responsive one-pagers.
• Great for waitlists, betas, and personal landing pages.
• Paid plans are extremely cheap if you need forms/custom domains later.

Cons

• One-page focus; advanced features (forms, custom domains) need Pro.
• Limited SEO depth vs. multi-page platforms.

Best for: MVP signup page, personal site, micro-landing experiments.

7) GitHub Pages (Free)

Why startups choose it: Free static hosting—ideal for dev-friendly teams. Bring your own generator (Jekyll, Eleventy) and build fast static sites with version control. GitHub Docs

Pros

• Totally free hosting for static sites; custom domain supported.
• Developer workflow: PR reviews, CI/CD, full control of code.
• Pairs well with static site builders for performance and Core Web Vitals.

Cons

• Not drag-and-drop; developer required.
• No built-in forms/database (use third-party services).

Best for: Technical founders, docs sites, product microsites with engineer resources.

Squarespace (Trial Only)

Why mention it: For Squarespace for beginners, the editor, templates, and built-in features are fantastic. But it has no permanent free plan, just a 14-day free trial, then you must pick a paid tier. Use for evaluation, not for a free long-term site.

Comparison Table (Free Tiers at a Glance)

Builder	Custom Domain on Free	Branding on Free	Notable Free Perks	Best For
Wix	No	Yes	Full editor, many templates	General brochure/landing
WordPress.com	No	Yes	Blogging, large ecosystem	Content-driven sites
Webflow	No	Yes	Designer control, animations	High-design marketing
Google Sites	N/A (uses Google domain; mapping via Workspace)	Minimal	100% free hosting	Internal/quick brochures
Framer	No	Yes	Many pages + CMS on free	Visual landing pages
Carrd	No	Yes	Up to 3 one-page sites	MVP/waitlist
GitHub Pages	Yes (bring your own)	None	Free static hosting	Dev-first sites
Squarespace	Trial only	Trial only	Great templates	Short evaluations

(Always verify current plan limits before launch; platforms can change terms.)

Free Ecommerce Builder in 2025

If you need a free e-commerce website: most builders require a paid plan to accept payments, connect a domain, and manage inventory.

Use free tiers to stage a catalog and collect emails first, then upgrade when you’re ready to transact. (Wix, WordPress.com, Webflow, Framer, Squarespace all gate ecommerce behind paid plans; check pricing pages before committing.)

How to Pick the Right Free Website Platform

1. Define your “win” for 30 days.
   
   • Collect 100 signups? Book 10 demos? Publish 5 SEO articles? Your goal determines the tool.
     
2. Match the tool to the skill set.
   
   • Non-technical: Wix, WordPress.com, Google Sites, Framer, Carrd.
   • Design-savvy: Webflow, Framer.
   • Developer: GitHub Pages.
     
3. Plan the upgrade path.
   
   • Custom domain + SEO + analytics → expect to upgrade.
   • Ecommerce → budget for a paid tier from day one.
     
4. Think SEO & speed.
   
   • Clean HTML/CSS, fast hosting/CDN, customizable metadata matter as you scale. Webflow/GitHub Pages tend to excel technically (with work), while Wix/WordPress.com make basics easy.

Launch Checklist (Free Plan Edition)

• Brand basics: logo, color pair, 2 fonts max, favicon.
• Pages: Home, About, Offer/Services, Pricing (or “Request Pricing”), Contact.
• Lead capture: short form + “thank you” page; connect to email list.
• Trust: testimonials, client logos, press mentions.
• SEO quick wins: unique titles and meta descriptions, H1/H2 structure, sensible URLs.
• Speed: compress images (WebP), avoid heavy videos on the hero, limit third-party scripts.
• Mobile: test menu, forms, buttons with your thumb.
• Analytics: add basic analytics (or platform stats) and set a conversion goal.
• Legal: privacy policy, terms, cookie notice if you track.

Sample First-Month Plan for a Startup Site

Week 1 — Ship the MVP site
Pick a platform and publish a one-page version with a clear value prop and form (Carrd, Framer, Wix, or Google Sites).

Week 2 — Add depth & proof
Expand to 3–5 pages: problem/solution copy, FAQs, testimonials, and a simple “Pricing” or “Get a Quote” page.

Week 3 — Collect signals
Push a mini campaign to drive 100–200 visits (friends list, LinkedIn, Reddit). Track form submits, clicks, and scroll depth.

Week 4 — Iterate
A/B-style edits: headline, hero image, CTA text. Tighten mobile UX. If traction is clear, upgrade to add your custom domain and improve credibility/SEO.

Common Pitfalls (and Easy Fixes)

• Using free forever with a subdomain.
  Fine for testing, but ship a custom domain ASAP for trust and SEO.
• Skipping lead capture.
  Add a visible CTA and short form on your hero. Free plans still allow basic forms (or embed a form tool).
• Over-designing before you validate.
  Ship the simple version first; add flourish after you’ve proven the message.
• Ignoring platform limits.
  Webflow free needs a paid site plan for custom domains; Framer free publishes to framer.app; Squarespace is trial only. Plan ahead.

FAQ

Which free builder is best for SEO?
Long-term, custom domains + technical control matter more than the free tier itself. WordPress.com is strong for blogging; Webflow can be extremely SEO-friendly with clean output; GitHub Pages is blazing fast for static sites (developer setup).

Can I sell products on a free plan?
Most platforms lock payments/ecommerce to paid tiers. Use free to capture interest and pre-launch signups, then upgrade when you’re ready to sell.

Is there any truly free builder with a custom domain?
GitHub Pages supports custom domains for static sites, but it’s developer-oriented and lacks drag-and-drop convenience.

Is Squarespace free?
No. It offers a 14-day free trial, after which you must choose a paid plan.

Final Thoughts

The perfect platform is the one that gets you live today and supports where you’re headed tomorrow. Start free, validate your message, and measure signups or demos. As soon as you see traction, upgrade for a custom domain, remove platform branding, and unlock SEO and ecommerce features.If you want a hand picking the right stack or you’d rather we just build it for you, Soft Org can help with startup website design, copy, and launch. We’ll set you up on the best platform for your goals, migrate to a custom domain, and optimize for conversions and SEO.