8 Best Free Website Builders I've Tested (2027 Edition)

I tested 8 tools to find the best free website builders for 2027. These are Canva, CRMOne, Duda, GoDaddy Website Builder, Google Sites (part of Google , HighLevel, HubSpot Content Hub, and Wix.

If you run a business, any kind, from a bakery to a bookkeeping firm, a website stopped being optional a while back. It's the first place people check before they call, buy, or trust you. Most people still assume a proper site means hiring a developer or learning to code. That hasn't been true for years, and free tools are exactly why.

I've launched enough test sites on free plans to know that "free" means something different depending on which tool you're looking at. A permanent free plan and a 14-day trial are not the same offer, even when both get called free, and that gap matters whether you're a freelancer putting up a portfolio, a small business that needs a site live this weekend, or an agency evaluating a tool before recommending it to clients.

For this guide, I went through the top products on G2's free website builder software and tested each one on what it actually gives you for free, how far that gets you toward a real launch, and where it pushes you to upgrade. Here's what I found about the best free website builders in 2027.

Comparison of the best free website builder software

Here's a side-by-side look at free plan limits and pricing before diving into the full reviews.

*All pricing details mentioned in this article are based on publicly available data at the time of publication and are subject to change.

The global website builder software market is projected to grow from $5.79 billion in 2025 to $6.38 billion in 2026, and on to $9.26 billion by 2030. A free plan or trial is usually the difference between testing an idea this weekend and putting it off for another quarter.

What I look for in free website builder software

Building eight test sites back to back makes certain things obvious that a feature list alone won't tell you. Here's what I actually paid attention to:

• Whether "free" gets you a published site, not just a sandbox: Some free plans let you design forever but ask for a card the moment you hit publish. That's not really free; it's a preview. I checked which tools actually let a real URL go live at zero cost.
• Custom domain and branding removal: Almost every free plan on this list eventually shows its edges here. A site still wearing yourbusiness.wixsite.com or a GoDaddy watermark isn't something most people want to hand a client or a customer, so I noted exactly where each tool draws that line.
• How much design freedom you get before hitting a wall: Some tools hand you a polished site in minutes with almost no decisions to make. Others expect you to build every section yourself. Neither approach is wrong, but they suit very different people, and testing both back to back makes the difference obvious fast.
• Whether the tool is actually built for website building: A few tools on this list are primarily known for something else- design, CRM, marketing automation, with a website builder bundled in almost as an afterthought. I flagged this clearly wherever it applies, since it changes how deep the free site-building feature actually goes.
• SEO basics and mobile rendering out of the box: A site nobody can find, or one that looks broken on a phone, isn't really doing its job yet. I looked at what's handled automatically versus what gets locked behind an SEO or mobile add-on.
• The specific upgrade trigger: Beyond domain and branding, e-commerce and page limits are the other walls every free plan or trial eventually hits. Knowing where yours sits before you build around it saves a rebuild later.

To be included on this list, a tool must:

• Offer a platform for creating a website
• Provide unique templates for website organization, navigation, and components (e.g. pages, widgets, etc.)
• Provide extensions for common website features such as blogs or multimedia
• Generate an accessible link or integrate with external hosting services

*This data was pulled from G2 in 2026. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.

1. Canva: Best for teams that already design in Canva

Canva built its reputation on design, not web development, and its Websites feature carries that DNA directly into the browser. The same templates, brand kit, and drag-and-drop editor used for a social post or a presentation are what you use to build and publish a page.

I published a simple one-page site from an existing Canva account to see how much of the design workflow actually carries over, and the answer was all of it. No separate learning curve, no re-uploading brand assets, no second login. For a portfolio or a straightforward one-page site, that continuity is the entire pitch, and it's the reason teams already living in Canva reach for it before opening a dedicated builder.

Where Canva genuinely stands out:

• I like that I can build a website using the exact same templates and brand kit I already reach for on other design tasks, so there's nothing new to learn before publishing.
• I appreciate that the template library is deep enough to always have a real starting point, even without a design background.

What G2 users like about Canva:

"I love that, when I want to create a social media design or even a simple website, I can use several great features and draw from lots of design examples. I'm not a designer, but even so I can do a lot with it, and I even made my own wedding party website as well."

- Canva review, Jessica V.

What I dislike about Canva:

• Reviewers note that layout control is noticeably lighter than a dedicated website builder, since Canva's editor is built for design flexibility first. For a simple, single-purpose site, that trade-off rarely gets in the way.
• Some reviewers mention that the better templates and tools sit behind the Pro plan. The free plan still covers a simple site well before that ceiling comes into play.

What G2 users dislike about Canva:

"The speed at which you can turn an idea into a polished, professional asset is unmatched. But it can feel very restrictive if you want to create something truly unique or custom from scratch. The lack of precision editing tools makes it frustrating when you need to tweak specific details or design custom shapes."

- Canva review, Francisco Javier S.

2. CRMOne: Best for a website tied directly to your CRM

CRMOne is an AI-first CRM built for startups and growing businesses, and its website builder is one module inside that platform rather than a standalone product. That's the lens to view everything else through.

I tested CRMOne's AI website builder during the 14-day trial, and the standout is how directly it connects to the rest of the platform: a lead who fills out a form on the site lands in the same pipeline tracking your deals, with no separate integration to set up. For a small business that wants a site and a sales pipeline live at the same time, that single-platform connection is the reason to pick CRMOne over a website tool bolted onto a CRM after the fact.

Where CRMOne genuinely stands out:

• Contacts, deals, and follow-ups all live in one place instead of scattered across spreadsheets, and the website builder publishes straight into that same pipeline.
• Task automation and structured workflows bring real consistency to how a sales team follows up on leads.

What G2 users like about CRMOne:

"The drag-and-drop website builder made life so easy. We updated our site ourselves, no need to hire anyone from outside."

- CRMOne review, James B.

What I dislike about CRMOne:

• Onboarding tends to take longer than expected, with documentation that could go further for first-time users. The 14-day trial gives enough room to work through that curve without pressure.
• Reports and export options stay fairly basic, and email templates leave little room to customize, a fair trade for a tool that keeps the CRM and site builder this tightly connected.

What G2 users dislike about CRMOne:

"The initial setup requires some time, especially for teams that are new to CRM tools."

- CRMOne review, Verified G2 User

3. Duda: Best for agencies managing multiple client sites

Duda is built specifically for agencies and freelance web professionals managing client sites at scale, not for a single business building one page for itself. That focus shows up in almost everything the platform prioritizes, from client management tools to white-label branding.

I built a sample client-style site during Duda's 14-day trial, which unlocks White Label, the platform's top tier, from day one, a meaningfully longer look than most free trials on this list offer. The editor handled a real build fast, and the pattern in reviews backs that up: agencies managing dozens or hundreds of client sites describe it as materially faster than rebuilding on WordPress for every new client, with page speed and Core Web Vitals scores that reviewers say noticeably outperform their previous stack.

Where Duda genuinely stands out:

• The drag-and-drop editor seems to move fast enough for a real client build, with AI tools that give a genuine starting point for page structure instead of a blank canvas.
• Pages built here reportedly hold up well on Core Web Vitals, which matters a lot for anyone relying on this to bring in client traffic.

What G2 users like about Duda:

"Efficient and easy to use. Duda is awesome to use for building websites. The layout of the editor is easy to navigate and it is not hard to pick up. They consistently update their system with the latest tools to help keep websites to keep the process efficient, as well us giving more options for design. Highly recommend."

- Duda review, Derrick L.

What I dislike about Duda:

• The starting price point gives casual testers pause, since it's a real cost before knowing whether you're building for one site or fifty, though it's an easy number for an agency already billing clients to justify.
• Built-in integrations and finer design controls stay somewhat limited without jumping a tier, a fair ceiling for a freelancer managing a handful of client sites rather than running complex custom builds.

What G2 users dislike about Duda:

"Some advanced design options could be more flexible, particularly when we want to make very specific visual changes. I would also like to see more integrations available without requiring additional setup or higher-tier plans."

- Duda review, Daniel S.

4. GoDaddy Website Builder: Best for a fast, no-fuss launch

GoDaddy Website Builder is built around one idea: get a real site live with as few decisions as possible. It doesn't try to be the most flexible tool on this list, and that's deliberate rather than a shortcoming.

I ran GoDaddy's AI setup tool, Airo, from a blank free account to see how much of a real site you get before touching a single design decision, and it produced a genuinely usable, published site in minutes. Airo gets specific praise from reviewers for how few errors it introduces compared to other AI-generated builds, which lines up with what I saw testing it: the free plan isn't a stripped-down demo, it's a real, live site with GoDaddy's branding attached.

Where GoDaddy Website Builder genuinely stands out:

• Reviewers specifically praise Airo's AI setup for launching a clean site in minutes with almost no errors, a contrast to some other AI-generated builders that need heavy cleanup afterward.
• Not needing to manage plugin or theme updates comes up repeatedly as a reason non-technical users pick GoDaddy over a self-hosted WordPress site.

What G2 users like about GoDaddy Website Builder:

"I find GoDaddy Website Builder to be a top-tier tool thanks to its robust and user-friendly AI-driven infrastructure. After trying many alternatives for AI web design, I appreciate that GoDaddy Airo is flawless, problem-free, and affordable. The initial setup was very easy and trouble-free."

- GoDaddy Website Builder review, Kubilay U.

What I dislike about GoDaddy Website Builder:

• The trade-off for simplicity is limited creative control. That's a fair exchange for the target user, someone who wants a working site fast and doesn't want to make dozens of design decisions along the way.
• The overall set of design options stays fairly narrow too, a trade that makes sense for a first-time site owner who'd rather pick from good defaults than start from scratch.

What G2 users dislike about GoDaddy Website Builder:

"Some of the layouts aren't customizable, and there also aren't many options to choose from."

- GoDaddy Website Builder review, Verified G2 User in Non-profit Organization. 

5. Google Sites (part of Google Workspace): Best for teams already living in Google Workspace

Google Workspace is Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet bundled into one subscription, and Google Sites, its website builder, is a quieter piece of that suite rather than a flagship feature. It's genuinely free with any Google account, which is the whole reason it belongs on this list.

I built a simple page in Google Sites using an existing Google account to see how it holds up against dedicated builders, and the appeal is friction, or the lack of it. There's no new signup, no separate login, and anyone already comfortable in Docs or Drive can start editing immediately, which makes it the fastest possible route to a free page if you're already in the Google ecosystem.

Where Google Workspace genuinely stands out:

• For teams already working in Gmail and Drive, there's no new platform to learn or separate login to manage, which reviewers consistently cite as the reason they stay within the Google ecosystem for simple tasks rather than adopting a new tool.
• Real-time collaboration across Google's suite extends naturally to Sites, so multiple people can work on the same page without exporting or re-uploading anything.

What G2 users like about Google Workspace:

"I love the fact that I can do all of my business from one place. For instance, I can book my travel, create a site page for people to book me, share client files easily."

- Google Workspace review, Kierra M.

What I dislike about Google Workspace:

• Sites is a small piece of a much larger productivity suite, so it doesn't get the dedicated development attention that purpose-built website builders receive. For a simple internal or public page, that's rarely a dealbreaker.
• Advanced administrative and security features require upgrading to a paid Workspace tier, though the free Sites feature itself never requires that step.

What G2 users dislike about Google Workspace:

"One noticeable downside is that some advanced administrative and security features require upgrading to higher-tier plans, which can increase costs for smaller teams or growing businesses. Deep customization for specific workflows can sometimes feel rigid compared to standalone specialist software."

- Google Workspace review, Simphiwe M.

6. HighLevel: Best for agencies running CRM, funnels, and a website in one platform

HighLevel is an all-in-one sales and marketing CRM built for agencies, and its website builder is one tool inside a much larger toolbox that includes funnels, automation, and client sub-accounts.

I tested HighLevel's website and funnel builder during the free 14-day trial, and the standout wasn't the page builder in isolation, it was how much else came bundled around it. Agencies consistently describe the platform's biggest advantage as consolidation: replacing a separate CRM, funnel builder, email tool, and website builder with one login that can be white-labeled and resold to clients.

Where HighLevel genuinely stands out:

• Agencies consistently point to the all-in-one consolidation, replacing a CRM, funnel builder, email tool, and website builder with a single subscription, as the reason the switch pays for itself.
• The white-label option lets agencies present the whole platform, website builder included, under their own brand when pitching and onboarding clients.

What G2 users like about HighLevel:

"HighLevel is a game-changer. It is an all-in-one platform for a business' marketing and operational needs. It's like 6 different software in one login."

- HighLevel review, Henriech J.

What I dislike about HighLevel:

• The website and landing page builder specifically isn't as robust as dedicated tools for more demanding projects, a fair trade-off given HighLevel's real strength is the marketing platform surrounding it rather than the page builder in isolation.
• The learning curve is steep for a platform this broad, though the free trial gives new team members enough runway to get comfortable before any money changes hands.

What G2 users dislike about HighLevel:

"The website and landing page builders are not as robust as I need for most of my projects, so I usually build these outside of HighLevel and integrate with HighLevel through embedding HighLevel forms into my websites."

- HighLevel review, Orlando M.

7. HubSpot Content Hub: Best for a website connected to your CRM and marketing tools

HubSpot Content Hub, formerly CMS Hub, pairs a real website builder with HubSpot's free CRM, so the two aren't separate products bolted together; they share the same data from the start.

I built a few pages on HubSpot's free tier to see how far the 30-page limit actually gets a small site, and it comfortably covers a straightforward business site with room to spare. The consistent theme in reviews matches what I found: teams that used to run their blog on one platform, email on another, and analytics on a third describe Content Hub as collapsing that into one place, all without paying anything to start.

Where HubSpot Content Hub genuinely stands out:

• Reviewers repeatedly cite not having to jump between separate blog, landing page, email, and SEO tools as the single biggest time saver, especially for small marketing teams juggling everything themselves.
• The Design Manager lets teams build reusable custom modules for landing pages, which reviewers running membership or donor sites specifically call out for launching new pages fast.

What G2 users like about HubSpot Content Hub:

"Best thing is not having to jump between 5 tools anymore. Blog, landing pages, email, SEO recs, all in one spot. Saves me so much time every week. The AI content writer is pretty good for first drafts too, cuts my writing time in half easy."

- HubSpot Content Hub review, Chanchal R.

What I dislike about HubSpot Content Hub:

• Pricing escalates quickly once you outgrow the Starter tier, though the free plan itself has no time limit, so there's no pressure to upgrade before you're actually ready.
• Template customization can feel rigid without CSS and JS workarounds for non-standard designs, a reasonable trade for a tool built to get a functional site up quickly rather than a fully bespoke one.

What G2 users dislike about HubSpot Content Hub:

"One area that could be improved is the flexibility of customization and advanced workflow management for larger teams. While the platform is very user-friendly, some advanced configurations can feel limited without additional setup or integrations. It would also help to have more granular reporting and easier navigation for managing large-scale content operations."

- HubSpot Content Hub review, Harshit S.

8. Wix: Best for design flexibility and the widest template selection

Wix is the name most people already think of when they picture building a website, and that recognition comes from genuine breadth rather than serving one narrow use case. It's also the rare tool on this list where the free plan isn't a stripped-down preview of what you're paying for; it's the same editor, just capped."

I ran Wix's AI website builder from scratch and then spent time customizing manually to see how much real control you keep after the AI does its first pass, and the balance held up well. You're not locked into a rigid template the way some free builders work, but you're also not starting from a blank canvas the way a fully custom build would require, which is exactly the middle ground reviewers describe when they compare Wix to more limited free tools.

Where Wix genuinely stands out:

• The AI website builder paired with the drag-and-drop editor means you can generate a starting layout in minutes and still have full creative control to customize every element afterward, a combination reviewers highlight as the balance most competitors don't strike.
• The template library and built-in business tools, payments, scheduling, email marketing, mean many small businesses never need a separate subscription for those functions.

What G2 users like about Wix:

"What I like most about Wix is the balance it strikes between creative freedom and ease of use. The drag-and-drop editor is genuinely intuitive, so you don't need to know a single line of code to create a professional, polished website. There's a wide selection of modern, well-designed templates that give you a strong starting point, no matter what industry you're in."

- Wix review, Deinilys T.

What I dislike about Wix:

• Support experiences around billing and third-party app issues from the Wix App Market can be genuinely frustrating when something goes wrong. For day-to-day building on the free plan, this rarely surfaces at all.
• Occasional glitches, elements shifting position on their own between edits, come up in more than one recent review, though most describe it as an inconvenience rather than a dealbreaker, and republishing usually resolves it.

What G2 users dislike about Wix:

"The main issue I have with Wix is that it's very glitchy. When I'm designing a website, things can be tough to add, and elements often move around without my doing. There's freezing going on during use, and certain webpage features either stop working or require frequent reloading."

- Wix review, Patrick L.

Frequently asked questions about free website builder software

Have more questions? Find more answers below.

1. What is the best free website builder?

The best free website builder overall is Wix, which pairs a genuinely capable permanent free plan with the widest template library on this list and no credit card required at signup. GoDaddy Website Builder is worth considering instead if the priority is a live site with almost no setup decisions, since its Airo AI setup handles most of the work. HubSpot Content Hub is the better choice when the free site needs to connect to a CRM from day one, since form submissions on the site automatically become CRM contacts.

2. Are there limitations to using a free website builder?

Yes, there are real limitations to using a free website builder, and they show up in a few consistent places across this list. Branding you can't remove, no custom domain, storage or page caps, and no meaningful e-commerce are the most common ones. Wix and GoDaddy Website Builder keep their branding visible on the free tier, HubSpot Content Hub caps free users at 30 pages, and CRMOne, Duda, and HighLevel don't offer a free tier at all, just a time-limited trial that ends unless a paid plan follows.

3. Do I need any technical knowledge to use a free website builder?

No, you don't need any technical knowledge to use most of the free website builders on this list, since they're built specifically so no coding is required. GoDaddy Website Builder's Airo AI setup and Wix's AI website builder both generate a working free site from a handful of prompts about the business, and both then hand over a drag-and-drop editor for anything that needs adjusting afterward.

4. Can I transfer my website to a different platform if I outgrow a free website builder's plan or trial?

Whether you can transfer your website to a different platform depends heavily on which free website builder you started with, so it's worth checking before building anything you'd hate to lose. Duda lists code export as a feature that varies by plan, so it's worth confirming current export terms directly with Duda before committing to a site you'd want to move later. Most of the free-forever plans here, including Wix and GoDaddy Website Builder, are built to keep the site on their own platform rather than offer a clean export path elsewhere, so switching usually means rebuilding from scratch on the new platform.

5. Which free-to-test website builder is best for agencies managing multiple client sites?

The best free-to-test website builder for agencies managing multiple client sites is Duda, which is built specifically for this use case. Its 14-day trial unlocks White Label, the platform's top tier, so an agency can test the full multi-client workflow, not a stripped-down version of it, before paying anything. Reviewers who manage many client sites describe it as materially faster than rebuilding on WordPress for each new one.

6. Can I build a website for free with Google Workspace?

Yes, you can build a website for free with Google Workspace, through Google Sites, which comes bundled with any Google account at no extra cost. It's a genuinely basic tool next to a dedicated builder, without the template depth or design flexibility the other tools on this list offer, so it's best suited to a simple internal page or straightforward public site rather than anything template-heavy or e-commerce focused.

7. What's the difference between Wix and Canva for building a website for free?

The main difference between Wix and Canva for building a website for free comes down to what each tool is actually built around. Wix's free plan is a dedicated website builder, with thousands of templates and real design flexibility built for that specific purpose. Canva's free website feature runs on the same account as its design tools, which makes it a fast option if a team's brand assets already live there, though Wix goes further once the website itself becomes the primary need rather than a secondary one.

8. Do CRMOne and HighLevel offer a free website builder, or only a trial?

CRMOne and HighLevel both offer only a free trial of their website builder rather than a permanent free plan, and the two trials differ in one important way. CRMOne's 14-day trial requires a credit card at signup, while HighLevel's 14-day trial doesn't. In both cases, website builder access ends once the trial runs out unless a paid plan follows.

9. Which free website builder is best for a small business that also needs a CRM?

The best free website builder for a small business that also needs a CRM is HubSpot Content Hub, since its free website tier is natively connected to HubSpot's free CRM. A form submission on the site becomes a CRM contact automatically, with no separate integration to configure. CRMOne offers a similar pairing during its trial, though it requires a card at signup and has no free-forever fallback once the trial ends.

10. Which website builder platform is trusted by marketing teams at growing companies, and is there a free way to test it?

The website builder platform most trusted by marketing teams at growing companies is HubSpot Content Hub, largely because it runs on the same system already running their CRM and email. There is a free way to test it: the free tier lets a small team try that connection, up to 30 website pages, before paying anything, a meaningfully longer runway than most competing platforms allow for free.

11. Is GoDaddy Website Builder's free plan enough to launch a real site?

Yes, GoDaddy Website Builder's free plan is enough to launch a real, working site, though with one caveat worth knowing upfront. The free site carries GoDaddy branding and can't use a custom domain, which matters for a business that wants to look fully independent. The paid Basic plan, at $9.99/month billed annually, removes both restrictions.

12. Which free website builder has the most generous page or storage limits?

The free website builder with the most generous page allowance is Wix, since its free plan doesn't cap the number of pages at all, though storage is limited to 500MB. HubSpot Content Hub takes a different approach, capping free users at 30 website pages, which is plenty for a small site but becomes a real ceiling once a business grows past that.

13. Which free website builder is best for a founder launching a site without a developer?

The best free website builder for a founder launching a site without a developer is GoDaddy Website Builder, since its Airo AI setup generates a working free site with almost no decisions required from scratch. Wix's AI website builder offers a similar starting point on its own free plan, with more room to customize the result afterward if the site needs to grow beyond the basics.

14. Do any of these free website builders offer free trials that require a credit card?

Yes, one of these free website builders offers a free trial that requires a credit card: CRMOne asks for one at signup. Duda and HighLevel, by contrast, both run 14-day free trials that don't ask for a card at all, which matters if the goal is testing the tool without worrying about an automatic charge later.

15. Do any of these website builders include e-commerce or payment support on a free plan?

No, none of these website builders include meaningful e-commerce or payment support on a free plan. Every free plan and trial on this list stops short of real online selling capability out of the box. Wix and GoDaddy Website Builder add basic e-commerce on their entry paid tiers, which makes them the cheapest route to payment support in this group once a business is ready to sell.

16. Which free website builder trial is best for testing landing pages and marketing funnels?

The best free website builder trial for testing landing pages and marketing funnels is HighLevel's, since its funnel and landing page builder is available in full during the 14-day trial rather than locked behind a paid tier. That's enough runway to build and test a real funnel before any money changes hands.

Your website doesn't need to wait for a bigger budget

Most businesses overthink this decision. The right free website builder isn't the one with the longest feature list; it's the one that gets a real, working site live without you fighting the tool to do it.

If you need speed and don't want to make design decisions, start with GoDaddy. If you want the most room to grow on a free plan, start with Wix. If a website is really the second thing you need after a CRM, HubSpot Content Hub or CRMOne solves both at once. The free tier or trial exists to help you find out which of these you actually need before you pay for it.

Try one this week. You'll know faster than any comparison guide can tell you.

Ready to get found once your site is live? See how the best free SEO tools can help you start ranking from day one.

This article was originally written by Devyani Mehta in 2025.  It has been updated with new information based on findings from testing and evaluation of the latest list of top G2 products.