Best Free Website Builders in 2026
By Sam Codes · · 8 min read
The best free website builders in 2026 let you build and publish a real site without paying anything upfront. The catch, and every free plan has one, is usually a platform subdomain instead of your own domain, the builder's branding on your site, and limits on features or storage.
This guide tells you exactly what you get on each free tier, where the walls are, and which tool is worth upgrading. Prices and limits were verified June 2026.
What to look for in a free website builder
- Can you actually publish? Some "free" plans let you build but require payment to go live.
- Is there platform branding on your site? A banner or badge saying "Made with X" can look unprofessional.
- What domain do you get? Free plans almost always give you a subdomain (yoursite.builder.com), not a custom domain.
- Can you collect leads or take bookings? Many free tiers cut forms, email capture, or ecommerce.
- How easy is the upgrade path? If you outgrow the free tier, switching to a paid plan should be smooth.
Quick comparison: free tiers at a glance
"Free" means genuinely free to build and publish. Trials are not included. Limits verified June 2026.
| Builder | Publishes free? | Platform branding? | Custom domain on free? | Starting paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Looops | Yes (subdomain) | Minimal | No | ~$12/mo |
| Wix | Yes (subdomain) | Yes (Wix ads) | No | ~$17/mo |
| Carrd | Yes (subdomain) | Carrd link in corner | No | ~$9/yr |
| WordPress.com | Yes (subdomain) | Yes (WP ads) | No | ~$4/mo |
| Google Sites | Yes (Google subdomain) | None | No (Google Workspace needed) | Free forever |
The best free website builders in 2026
1. Looops: best free AI website builder
Looops lets you build a complete, custom-looking site for free using AI. Describe your business and the AI generates the pages, layout, and copy. You refine it by chatting or clicking any element. There is no template to fill in and no blocks to drag.
On the free tier you publish to a Looops subdomain with minimal platform branding. The site is mobile-friendly and SEO-structured from the start. When you are ready to go live on your own domain and remove the subdomain, a paid plan from $12/mo handles that.
The honest difference from other free tools here: Looops generates a genuinely custom-looking result, not a recognizable template. That matters for first impressions.
- Best for: small business owners who want a real, custom-looking site without paying first.
- Pro: AI builds the whole site from a description, no design skill needed.
- Pro: mobile-friendly, fast, and SEO-structured from the first build.
- Pro: built-in forms on free tier (collect contact enquiries from day one).
- Con: published on a subdomain until you upgrade.
- Con: custom domain requires a paid plan.
- Free tier: build and publish free on a subdomain. Paid from about $12/mo.
2. Wix: best free plan for a familiar, full-featured builder
Wix's free plan lets you build and publish a real, multi-page site with its drag-and-drop editor and ADI (AI starting-point generator). You get access to hundreds of templates and most core editing features.
The limits are real: your site shows Wix ads and lives on a yourname.wixsite.com subdomain. You cannot use a custom domain, collect payments, or add ecommerce without upgrading. For a personal project or test site, the free plan is generous. For a business, the Wix branding is a problem.
- Best for: people who want to explore a full-featured builder before committing to a paid plan.
- Pro: hundreds of templates, a full drag-and-drop editor, and ADI AI starting point, all free.
- Pro: genuinely generous feature set on the free tier.
- Con: Wix ads displayed on your site.
- Con: yourname.wixsite.com subdomain only.
- Con: no ecommerce, payments, or custom domain without upgrading.
- Free tier: build and publish with Wix ads and subdomain. Paid from about $17/mo (Light plan).
3. Carrd: best free plan for a single-page site
Carrd is the cheapest and simplest way to put an attractive one-page site online. The free plan lets you build and publish up to three sites on a carrd.co subdomain with a small Carrd link in the corner. It is genuinely usable for a link-in-bio page, a personal profile, or a simple landing page.
The hard limit: Carrd is one page only. If your business needs a menu, a services page, a contact form, and an about section across separate pages, Carrd is the wrong tool. Even the paid plans (from $9/yr) are single-page focused.
- Best for: personal profiles, link-in-bio pages, and simple single-page landing pages.
- Pro: extremely cheap; genuinely attractive one-page designs.
- Pro: free plan is usable, not just a trial.
- Con: one page only, even on paid plans.
- Con: no multi-page site, no CMS, no ecommerce.
- Free tier: up to 3 sites on carrd.co subdomain with Carrd link. Paid from about $9/yr.
4. WordPress.com: best free plan for blogging
WordPress.com's free plan gives you a blog and basic website on a yoursite.wordpress.com subdomain. You get access to a decent set of themes and the block editor. For a personal blog or simple informational site, it is functional.
The catch for business use: WordPress ads run on your site on the free plan, and removing them costs money. Custom domains, plugins, and ecommerce all require paid plans. The free plan also has limited storage (1 GB). Self-hosted WordPress.org is a separate product: free software, but you pay for hosting.
- Best for: personal bloggers and writers who want a reliable free publishing platform.
- Pro: solid blogging tools, wide theme choice, and a large community.
- Pro: free plan is genuinely usable for a personal blog.
- Con: WordPress ads on your site.
- Con: yoursite.wordpress.com subdomain only; no plugins on free.
- Con: storage capped at 1 GB; limited customization without a paid plan.
- Free tier: subdomain, WordPress ads, 1 GB storage. Paid from about $4/mo.
5. Google Sites: best free plan if you need truly no budget
Google Sites is completely free, with no paid plan at all. You get unlimited sites on a sites.google.com subdomain and simple drag-and-drop editing. There is no platform branding on your published site, which is unusual for a free tool.
The trade-offs are significant for a business. The designs look dated, customization is very limited, and there is no custom domain without Google Workspace (which costs money). Google Sites works fine for internal company pages or school projects; it is not competitive for a professional business presence.
- Best for: internal pages, school and club sites, and anyone who truly cannot spend anything at all.
- Pro: completely free, no ads on the published site.
- Pro: easy to use if you know Google Docs.
- Con: dated design; very limited customization.
- Con: no custom domain without paying for Google Workspace.
- Con: not competitive for professional business use.
- Free tier: completely free, forever. No paid tier.
When should you upgrade from a free plan?
Move to a paid plan when any of these apply:
- You want a real domain (yourbusiness.com) instead of a subdomain.
- You want to remove the builder's branding or ads from your site.
- You need forms that email you, booking tools, or any kind of ecommerce.
- You are sending real customers to the site and first impressions matter.
- You want your site to show up confidently in Google for your business name.
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