Every website builder claims a free tier. Most are demos in disguise. Here's what you actually get for $0 — and where each builder starts charging.
The rankings
1. Carrd — best for single-page sites
One responsive page, free, with a Carrd subdomain. Dead simple for a landing page or link-in-bio. No blog, no multi-page, no export. Pro is $19/year (not per month).
2. WordPress.com — best for blogs
Free blog on a wordpress.com subdomain. Themes, plugins (limited on free), and a genuine CMS. The free tier includes ads. Remove ads + custom domain at $4/month.
3. Wix — best for non-technical beginners
Full site builder with AI assistance. Free tier shows Wix branding and uses a Wix subdomain. Functional but branded. Remove branding at $17/month.
4. Framer — best free design tool
Beautiful editor with a free tier for 1 site. Framer branding, framer.app subdomain. The design quality is high; the lock-in is total. No code export.
5. Webflow — limited free
2 pages, Webflow subdomain, Webflow branding. Enough for a demo, not for a real site. Paid plans start at $14/month per site.
When free isn't enough
Every free tier has the same end-state: you outgrow it, then pay for branding removal, custom domain, or core features you assumed were included. If you know you'll need a real product, paying upfront for a tool with clean code export and no usage caps is usually cheaper than the "free for a month, then $25/mo forever" trap. InBuild starts at $49/month with unlimited projects and clean Next.js code export — you own everything you build.
What to check on any free tier
- Custom domain? Most free tiers force a subdomain. A real business needs a real domain.
- Branding? "Made with Wix" at the bottom erodes credibility for business sites.
- Code export? If you can't take the code and leave, the free tier is a free trial with extra steps.
- SEO basics? Can you set page titles, descriptions, and canonicals? Some free tiers strip SEO features.
- How many pages? A 2-page limit means you can't build a real marketing site.
The honest answer
The best free website builder depends on what you're building. For a business that wants code ownership: InBuild. For a single-page site: Carrd. For a blog: WordPress.com. For visual design: Framer. For the absolute lowest learning curve: Wix. None of them are free forever for a serious business — budget $15–25/month for the real cost.