Best free website builders in 2024

Even if you’ve never built a website before and don’t consider yourself the most technically adept person, you can create a professional-looking site with Weebly by Square. You don’t need programming or design experience (or even an understanding of industry terminology).

Weebly’s free website builder guides you through every step with help bubbles that pop up and explain what you can do with different elements and how to do it. With this in mind, Weebly is our top pick for beginners.

Seasoned pros also use Weebly to build sites quickly and access advanced editing tools. It lets you immediately promote your brand, sell Square gift cards and offer coupons. Most free website builders don’t have e-commerce functionality, so we love that Weebly supports cash-strapped freelancers, startups and small businesses.

Still, we consider Weebly a temporary solution because Square acquired it in 2018 and has yet to commit to supporting it after July 2025. Professionals who want to test new markets or ideas or promote a one-time event might be okay with the temporary status but shouldn’t plan on a long-term investment.

Built-in photo editing, a straightforward user interface and guided instructions make Weebly the best free website builder. It provides some customer support, whereas some rivals offer none. Also, we appreciate being able to sell physical products from our inventory or dropshipping business without paying steep transaction fees.

Value

The free version of Weebly by Square is an excellent value for small businesses, freelancers and solopreneurs. While Strikingly and Square limit the number of pages your free site can have, Weebly allows unlimited storage. You won’t encounter issues when uploading images, products or blog posts.

We also appreciate the time savings of using Weebly. Its ease of use is second to none. You can edit images without leaving Weebly, switch themes easily and add video backgrounds.

Unfortunately, Weebly’s value degrades daily. Although Square has said it will support the product until July 2025, we’ve noticed that certain functionalities randomly stop working, and we’re still determining if Square will resolve these issues.

Functionality

After creating a free Weebly account, you can choose from many templates and use the beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor. While other site designers restrict free users’ choices of themes or tools, Weebly provides complete access to professionally built website templates. Unlike WordPress.com, you can even change fonts and colors with Weebly’s free plan.

Beyond site-building features, Weebly also offers native e-commerce functionality. It allows unlimited products and in-store pickup, making it a flexible platform for dropshipping or brick-and-mortar businesses. However, the free plan does not allow you to sell digital products or subscriptions; advanced features like a shipping calculator also require payment.

Support

Weebly offers more support than WordPress.org or WordPress.com but fewer options than Strikingly. It’s available by live chat during standard business hours, or you can email them anytime. Some paid plans provide phone support.

We love Weebly’s help center. The articles include screenshots that guide users through each step. This, combined with in-app guidance when using the site builder, makes Weebly very user-friendly. Yet, the previously helpful community forums now redirect users to Square’s community forums. We’ve found these more challenging to navigate and find Weebly solutions.

Learn more: Read our full Weebly review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

When you invent a life-changing product or course, you want to get it to market quickly to help people. You may have finished your first novel or want to host one or more virtual or in-person events. With Strikingly, you can quickly take your product, service or idea to your audience with zero coding or website-building experience.

Strikingly’s simple design tools and no-frills landing pages are ideal for budding entrepreneurs, artists and inventors. Go ahead and test new ideas with a Strikingly site to gather feedback. Or, build buzz around your latest creation while collecting email addresses to jumpstart marketing before launch day.

Although Strikingly takes a cut of product sales (on top of PayPal, Square or Stripe processing fees), business owners who think outside the box can use Strikingly to accept pre-orders or deposits and manually follow up with buyers to complete the sale through a third-party platform.

Strikingly is the best free website builder because it’s purpose-built for single-page sites, which make excellent launch pages for niche products. Yet, it’s possible to add multiple pages and sell one item. With built-in support from your dashboard, you can take your idea to market in no time.

Value

Most entrepreneurs place a high value on their time, and anyone looking to build a brand understands the importance of market research, creating a contact database and generating post-launch buzz. We love that Strikingly supports all of these with its free website builder plan.

However, selling through Strikingly is expensive. The vendor charges transaction fees in addition to third-party processing rates on free and certain paid plans. Also, the platform doesn’t scale as easily for small businesses wanting e-commerce and monetization tools. WordPress.com or Square are better alternatives.

Functionality

With Strikingly’s site editor, you can manage several free sites or landing pages from the main dashboard. This is excellent for serial creators or inventors, as you can switch seamlessly between brands or products. It supports images and video but does not have a free media slider section. Plus, you must stay aware of storage limitations (500 MB per site).

Each free website supports five pages or sections. Although this is more limited than WordPress.com, it is ideal for sites that serve as a central hub for one idea or goal. The contact form even allows a map, which is perfect for brick-and-mortar startups.

Support

Strikingly offers better support options than several other free site builders. When building or editing free Strikingly sites, there is an icon on the bottom right side with a question mark. Click on it to view the knowledge base articles and to chat with or email support.

The help desk tutorials go through features or site editing tasks step-by-step. Each guide has screenshots, which we found easy to read and understand. However, Strikingly’s free version doesn’t have phone options like Square or an active user community forum like WordPress.

Learn more: Read our full Strikingly review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

When you decide to take your business online, finding a free platform with e-commerce functionality is challenging. That’s why Square is best for cash-strapped entrepreneurs. It’s free to create an online ordering page to swiftly serve up curbside orders, enable in-store pickups or generate a multi-page store with unlimited items.

Since it syncs to any Square POS system (including the free version), Square’s website builder is perfect for brick-and-mortar locations. It even supports digital sales, which isn’t an option with Dorik, Strikingly or Weebly.

The free site editor isn’t as easy to use or customizable as paid versions, but it’s absolutely beginner-friendly. Square’s tools are a good fit for users who don’t mind having preset page layouts yet still want to choose the images, icons, fonts and colors.

With Square’s site editing tools, small businesses have all the essentials to open a shop and sell to customers online. It charges standard transaction fees and has customer service representatives available by phone and live chat. The website builder is the best solution for e-commerce for startups and established companies.

Value

Square’s website builder has a lot to offer small businesses and solo service professionals. With basic layouts and curated typefaces, you’ll have a functioning online store in under an hour. POS integration expands its functionality for brick-and-mortar companies and can boost productivity, saving time when performing inventory or running sales reports.

We appreciate Square’s built-in payment processing. You won’t pay extra transaction fees, whereas WordPress.com charges 10%. Phone and live chat support are valuable during business hours but less so for entrepreneurs updating their sites or processing payments on the weekends.

Functionality

From the start, Square lets you take one of two approaches: an online ordering page or a multi-page e-commerce site. Unlike WordPress.com and WordPress.org, you can’t move site elements around. So, finding a theme that aligns with how you want your content organized is essential. Also, you can’t change your theme. This is a key difference between Square and Weebly by Square.

After you’ve built your free site, you can sell unlimited products online. This is where Square’s free version shines. It offers tools most free plans don’t, like an automatic tax calculator, shipping rate discounts and label printing. Square also covers your in-store sales with operations management features.

Support

Square is the only free website builder that you can reach by phone. You can also contact them by chat. Both options are available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. For any business managing customer payments online, having live support is a must-have, even when using free site builders and web hosting services.

Yet, we wish Square had live support on weekends, especially for e-commerce. You can also turn to Square’s seller community for support. It’s active, but the Square Online board isn’t organized into categories. The help center answers most questions step-by-step, and many of the articles have videos.

Learn more: Read our full Square review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Personal and professional users rely on WordPress.com for secure, fast website hosting, flexible design tools and unlimited blogging capacity. It doesn’t require design or developer expertise, but it’s better for individuals who want more control over site layout and aren’t necessarily dealing with time-sensitive matters.

The free plan has room for growth because it doesn’t have page and bandwidth limits, which is great if you don’t have a launch day in mind for your branded domain. Also, if you’ve been thinking about earning passive income or otherwise monetizing content, WordPress.com is an excellent choice. It made its name as a blogging platform, and the free plan allows you to add affiliate links and sponsored posts.

Lastly, consider using WordPress.com to build your audience and authority. With built-in newsletter tools, you can share expert insights or insider tips, add case studies or promote upcoming events on your blog. The site editor’s design flexibility makes WordPress.com work equally well for financial advisors, wellness professionals and event organizers.

WordPress.com offers more layout flexibility than other free website builders. You can drag and drop dozens of blocks into pages for custom designs. Even better, you can switch themes anytime without losing your data. It’s arguably the best blogging platform, especially for affiliate marketers, and it includes 30 complimentary social media shares monthly as a bonus.

Value

WordPress.com stands out from rivals because it does not limit site traffic or number of pages. While you could spend more time designing a WordPress.com site than with Weebly or Dorik, you can insert a Mailchimp signup form, photo gallery, calendar or payment button almost anywhere on your page to save time in that regard.

On the other hand, WordPress.com takes a 10% cut from any online sale in addition to Stripe’s 2.9% plus $0.30 fee. Paid WordPress plans reduce transaction fees. It also provides no customer support besides community forums and its knowledge base. Both are extremely helpful, but better options exist if you prefer real-time assistance.

Functionality

Flexible editing tools top our list of favorite features. WordPress.com achieves this with its block editor. Each block is for a specific type of content, from columns, quotes and images to maps, social icons and star ratings. It even offers an AI Assistant Block with 20 requests monthly on free plans. This level of customization isn’t available with any other site editor except for WordPress.org, which uses the same tool.

We also like that we can capture leads and blog subscriptions through WordPress.com. You can even personalize the newsletter settings. For instance, we appreciate the ability to allow visitors to see newsletter content about blog posts in specific categories.

Support

WordPress.com’s live support is nonexistent for free plan users. In comparison, Dorik, Square, Weebly and Strikingly provide at least some level of live service. If you have questions about how the vendor handled charges for its 10% transaction fee, the lack of support is concerning.

Nevertheless, its robust community forums are rich sources of information. Discussions are grouped into categories. Experts and staff jump in to answer queries, but response times vary. WordPress.com also has a vast knowledge base with a solid search tool and guides with plenty of screenshots. While WordPress.com falls behind on live support, it’s excellent for DIY website builders.

Learn more: Read our full WordPress.com review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

WordPress.org is unique from other website builders on our list because it’s not an all-in-one service. It’s an open-source content management system (CMS), meaning you download core software and install plug-ins to expand functionality. Site-building tools and features differ depending on your web hosting package.

Since this type of service is considered self-hosted, WordPress recommends an intermediate level of technical knowledge. It’s also better to think ahead here about site maintenance. Typically, it requires more upkeep than managed plans, so you may need to outsource this or look for web hosting services with more support.

Time and tech expertise aside, WordPress.org is ideal for business owners who want total control over their data and site layout. Migrating from other platforms is challenging, but you can take a WordPress site almost anywhere. It’s like starting with a blank canvas. If you thrive on that type of freedom, WordPress.org is an excellent choice. However, other solutions might be better if you need a wire-bound lined notebook.

WordPress powers over 43% of websites; businesses use it because it’s scalable, SEO-friendly and customizable. Programmers appreciate that it uses the widely used PHP scripting language and entrepreneurs love being able to switch web hosts at any time. With over 20 years on the market, WordPress is a reliable solution.

Value

With over 59,500 free plugins and more than 12,100 free themes, the free WordPress.org software can feel like it has unlimited possibilities. However, its value depends greatly on your skill level and goals. For many business owners, having total independence and data control is immeasurable.

Unlike rivals, the free version doesn’t include free web hosting or a complimentary subdomain (mybiz.wordpress.com). So you still need to buy both, meaning going this route technically costs more than a free WordPress.com plan.

Functionality

The software installation method and initial setup process depend on your choice of web host. WordPress.org provides three default themes, but you can find free or paid themes from the directory or third parties, so you’re not restricted to a dozen or 100 options.

Its built-in media library stores your uploaded images, which is optimal for centralizing your brand assets. Like WordPress.com, you can access the block editor and publishing tools. Both suit a broad range of industries and business requirements.

Support

WordPress.org doesn’t have customer service. It’s a software-only solution, and you can’t reach customer support agents by chat, phone or email. However, you can ask questions and interact with staff and experts on WordPress community forums. Reply times vary, but the groups are active.

The staff can’t speak to questions regarding plug-ins, and they’ll request source code to give correct answers. We also find the knowledge base extremely useful, or you can take courses and lessons to learn or brush up on your WordPress skills.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Dorik can help you get your website or portfolio published quickly. It’s the best website builder for time-strapped professionals. With AI tools, you can build a full-fledged site, landing page or individual sections — no experience needed.

Suppose you just left your full-time job. Who has time to create a portfolio website between updating LinkedIn and your resume? After writing a prompt highlighting your industry expertise, Dorik generates a website. Then, you can customize it using the site builder.

Freelancers, side gig workers and even non-profit organizations leverage Dorik’s free AI site builder to create polished sites on the fly. You can use customizable call-to-action buttons to encourage potential clients, donors or employers to view your work or previous aid recipients.

The AI-created sites have sections for services and achievements. But you can adjust these sections for your specific purpose. Dorik’s free plan isn’t for accepting payments online. Instead, it’s designed to display sleek portfolios for business professionals or eye-catching landing pages for marketers and non-profits.

Dorik grabbed our attention with its AI website builder, which works on individual pages. Its bespoke collections feature showcases portfolios and services while customer service agents are available to assist new users through live chat during the first 30 days. You can usually have a complete site ready within 30 minutes.

Value

While you can forgo AI and choose from over 80 pre-built templates or start from scratch, the fastest site-building method on Dorik is through AI. Indeed, any business owner or professional who is decision-fatigued and strapped for time will appreciate Dorik’s AI-assisted website builder. Marketers and non-profits can add up to five free sites, whereas Strikingly allows unlimited sites.

However, the user interface is a bit outdated, and support is through email only after 30 days. Moreover, we found the knowledge base search bar challenging to use. These factors make Dorik less user-friendly than some of its competitors. If you need to make frequent updates or want to customize your site, we recommend looking into these issues before investing your time.

Functionality

By far, its AI tools distinguish Dorik from competitors. Aside from generating an entire website, the beginner-friendly solution creates images and text for individual pages. We also appreciate the flexibility of Dorik’s drag-and-drop builder, which lets you move elements around the page. This capability is excellent for professionals who prefer to personalize the layout.

Dorik Collections is a standout feature. It’s like a database that you can put on any web page. Use Collections to display services, achievements, case studies or client testimonials, upcoming events or even list free courses.

Like Strikingly, Dorik allows up to five pages per site. These are your sections (About, Portfolio and related pages). While it has a built-in blogging platform, you can only create 20 posts.

Support

Dorik offers live chat support for the first 30 days, more than WordPress.com or WordPress.org provide. New customers can contact Dorik over chat Monday through Saturday from 3 a.m. to 4 p.m. UTC over chat. It also offers email support, but unlike Square, it doesn’t have agents available by phone.

Although Dorik has a Facebook community, it’s not very active, with only a dozen or so new posts in the month we checked. The knowledge base is thorough, however, and the tutorials are well-put-together, with screenshots and GIFs to guide users through each step. However, the search tool could be more functional. We had a hard time finding articles for specific features through the search bar.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.