How to Create a Website for Free

How do you feel when you hear the phrase: “create a free website”? Sounds almost too good to be true, right? Whether you are a student, freelancer or small business owner, the prospect of getting a web presence without spending a single dollar is undeniable.

However, the reality is that every “free website” comes with hidden strings attached. Free plans usually include visible advertising banners, mandatory subdomains, limited storage space and restrictions on crucial features like eCommerce or SEO tools. What seems like a no-cost opportunity can quickly turn into a frustrating experience once you hit those limitations.

In this article, we’ll focus on the two most popular and widely used platforms that offer a free entry point: Wix and WordPress CMS with hosting. Both have global recognition, extensive communities and proven track records. While there are dozens of other builders and niche platforms out there, most are either less flexible or less future-proof. Need a broader overview? Then check out our guide to the best website builders to create a website.

Our promise to you is simple: a clear, honest breakdown of what “free” really means, where the pitfalls lie and which option offers the best foundation for long-term growth.

What Does “Free Website” Really Mean?

A free website looks like a perfect solution: you get a chance to launch a site online without investment, test an idea or just start a personal project with zero risk. To some extent, that’s true – using Wix and WordPress CMS with free hosting give you an entry point without opening your wallet.

The catch, however, is that every free website comes with strict limitations. Platforms offset the cost by showing ads on your pages, forcing you onto a branded subdomain (like yourname.wixsite.com) or restricting storage, bandwidth and access to advanced features. This may be ok for a small personal site, but for a business project, blog or online store this quickly becomes a problem.

In practice, “free” only works as a starting point. Once you want more credibility, better performance or growth opportunities, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. The key difference lies in how Wix and WordPress handle those upgrades and what hidden costs appear along the way.

Here’s a side-by-side look at their free options:

Free Website with WordPress CMS

WordPress.org is quite a powerful, open-source CMS that’s free to download and use. According to the Statista report, the system is leading the market share among contemporary website builders. To put it online, however, you need a web server. That usually means a hosting plan (paid or free) plus an optional custom domain. The software itself costs $0; infrastructure does not.

Advantages

• Full control over your site. You own the code, decide the architecture and can move between hosts at any time.
• Thousands of free themes and plugins. From design systems to SEO, forms, caching and security – there’s an enormous ecosystem to extend functionality.
• Scales from blog to eCommerce. Start simple, then add membership, multilingual, LMS or WooCommerce for a robust store as you grow.

Limitations

• Free hosting adds strings. Many free hosts inject ads, throttle resources (CPU/RAM/IO), or cap bandwidth and storage.
• Performance trade-offs. Expect slower load times and tighter limits than on even a modest paid shared plan.
• Higher setup complexity for beginners. Installation, updates, backups, and security are your responsibility unless your host automates them.

Quick Step-by-Step (no-cost start)

1. Pick a free host. Choose a provider that supports PHP and MySQL and clearly states limits. Understand that ads and resource caps are common on free tiers. We recommend Bluehost or Dreamhost as the best hosting providers with the default WP installation.
2. Create a database. In the hosting panel, make a new MySQL database and user; note the credentials.
3. Install WordPress.
• If the host offers 1-click install, use it and follow the prompts.
• Otherwise, download WordPress, upload files via the file manager/FTP, visit your-subdomain.com/wp-admin to run the installer, and enter your DB credentials.
4. Choose a free theme. From Appearance → Themes, browse and activate a lightweight, well-maintained option.
5. Add essential plugins. Typical starters: an SEO plugin, a forms plugin, a caching plugin (if allowed), and basic security.
6. Set the basics. Configure Settings → Permalinks, site title, timezone, and create core pages (Home, About, Contact, Blog).
7. Harden & back up. Enable auto-updates where possible, add a security plugin, and set up backups (some free hosts include daily/weekly snapshots).
8. Review performance. If pages feel sluggish or you hit quotas, that’s your signal to upgrade to an entry-level paid host for faster speeds and fewer limits.

Bottom line: Summing up our WordPress CMS review, we may conclude that the system makes a zero-cost launch possible, but the true value appears when you move beyond free hosting. Even a low-cost shared plan dramatically improves reliability, speed, and room to grow.

Free Website with Wix

Wix comes with a genuinely free plan that has a drag-and-drop editor, so you can design and publish a site in minutes – but it comes with notable limits you should understand before committing. We break down the pros and cons in our in-depth Wix review yet the main points are listed below.

Advantages

• Visual, intuitive editing. Arrange sections, images and text with true WYSIWYG control—no coding required.
• 900+ templates for any use case. Portfolios, restaurants, coaches, blogs, and more; each template is mobile-responsive out of the box.
• Built-in essentials. Add contact forms, image/video galleries, site search, basic SEO settings, blog, and simple bookings/events via Wix’s native apps.
• App Market for extras. Extend your site with social feeds, live chat, pop-ups and other add-ons (some are free tiers).
• AI Tools. Wix users report the increased performance of the website builder after the introduction of advanced AI tools. The website builder now deploys a completely AI approach to the process of website creation and customization.

Limitations

• Subdomain only. Your site lives at a wixsite.com address; connecting a custom domain requires a paid plan.
• Wix advertising. Wix brand banners appear across your pages and footer on the free tier.
• Feature caps. Storage and bandwidth are limited; advanced SEO/analytics, payments and most eCommerce features are unavailable on the free plan.
• Perception & SEO limits. A branded subdomain and ads can reduce trust with customers and make long-term SEO harder to scale.

Quick Step-by-Step (no-cost start)

1. Sign up with Wix. Create an account and use Wix AI Website Builder to get started. For greater flexibility and customizability, you can work in the classic Editor that gives you the most precise control.
2. Pick a template. Filter by industry (Portfolio, Blog, Business, etc.). Preview on desktop/mobile before selecting.
3. Customize visually. Replace images and copy, drag in sections (hero, features, testimonials), adjust fonts/layout and manage navigation.
4. Add core apps. Install Contact Forms, Blog, Events/Bookings (as needed). Configure email notifications for submissions.
5. Set basic SEO. In SEO Settings, edit page titles, meta descriptions, and URL slugs; add alt text to images. (Custom domain + advanced analytics require upgrade).
6. Optimize mobile. Use the mobile editor to tweak spacing, font sizes and hidden elements for your mobile website version.
7. Publish. Choose your free wixsite.com address and go live. Share the link for early feedback.
8. Plan upgrades when ready. To remove ads, connect a custom domain, enable payments/store features or integrate Google Analytics, switch to a paid plan.

Bottom line: Wix’s free plan is perfect for a quick, no-risk launch and visual experimentation. For any serious brand, store, or SEO-driven project, you’ll outgrow the free tier and need a paid upgrade to unlock credibility, analytics and commerce.

Which One Is Better for Different Goals?

The right choice depends entirely on what you want to get in the long run – a personal blog, a professional portfolio, a small business website or a full-fledged online store.

Blogging

If your goal is to build a blog with room for growth, WordPress CMS is the clear winner. It offers maximum freedom, advanced SEO control, and an ecosystem of plugins for everything from newsletters to membership sites.

Wix, by contrast, is convenient for a personal blog or hobby project, but its SEO tools are limited on the free plan, and scaling into a large publication is difficult.

Small Business & Portfolio

For small businesses, freelancers and creative portfolios, the decision comes down to speed vs. flexibility. WordPress provides more control and long-term customization, but requires some setup and maintenance.

Wix makes it faster and simpler to get online, thanks to its templates and drag-and-drop editor — a major advantage for those who value time over technical depth.

eCommerce

When it comes to selling online, WordPress with WooCommerce offers unmatched potential: unlimited products, payment gateways, and advanced customizations.

Wix, on the other hand, restricts eCommerce features to paid plans, making the free version unsuitable for real online stores.

Beyond Free Plans

Free website solutions are only the beginning, not a long-term strategy. Once your project gains traction, you’ll inevitably need more control, credibility and technical capacity.

What Happens When You Outgrow Free Plans?

With WordPress CMS, upgrading is seamless. You can move from a free or budget host to a premium plan without losing your content, design or functionality. Hosting is interchangeable – you’re free to choose any provider worldwide.

With Wix, upgrading is also easy inside the platform: ads disappear, you connect a custom domain, and eCommerce features unlock. The trade-off is that you’re locked into the Wix ecosystem. You can’t simply move your site to another host.

Can You Migrate Easily from WordPress to Wix (or Vice Versa)?

• WordPress → Wix: Migration is possible but largely manual – you’ll need to copy content, adjust formatting and rebuild custom features.
• Wix → WordPress: This process is even more complex. In most cases, it means rebuilding the site from scratch since there is no native export option.

That’s why professional help saves time and frustration. We specialize in turnkey migrations. Whether you’re moving from WordPress to Wix or the other way around, our team handles the process, preserves your content and ensures the new site works flawlessly. Contact us if you need a transfer service.

Which Platform Is More Future-Proof?

• WordPress CMS: Scales indefinitely, supports thousands of plugins, and remains independent of any single provider. Ideal if you anticipate long-term growth or advanced customization.
• Wix: Reliable for small businesses, portfolios, or simple sites. It’s stable and beginner-friendly, but your options remain limited by the platform’s boundaries.

Free plans are useful for testing, but growth demands investment. WordPress offers flexibility and independence, while Wix offers simplicity within its closed system. The right choice depends on how far you want to go.