8 FREE (or cheap!) Website Builders for 2024
Written and updated by ©Lien Design 2024
A great website is so important. It’s often the first form of contact a potential client will have with your business. And we all know how vital it is to make the right first impression.
If you are a startup, you may not have a lot of money to put into a website design. Fortunately, there are free and extremely cheap website builders available.
We have compiled a list of nine great free (and cheap) website builders for 2022. Hopefully, they will get you on the right path when it comes to developing an amazing web design for your startup.
1) BlueHost
At the current fee of $2.95 per month, we thought this was a strong contender to add to the list that you can use for pocket change.
The Bluehost Website Builder is an easy-to-use website creator that allows you to build a website with no coding or technical knowledge.
Build your site to look great on any screen. You design your website once and Bluehost's Smart AI will make sure it shows up perfectly on every device, whether it's a computer, tablet or mobile.
Users are able to easily drag and drop content to build a home page and several additional content pages. And the best part is, it utilizes the full power, flexibility, and tools of the WordPress platform. With WordPress, your site grows with you. Want to start simple and build as you go? With WordPress, you can, knowing you have the tools and power of the web’s most popular platform.
As far as custom emails go, when you purchase a shared hosting plan and select the “Plus” package you have access to one Microsoft 365 Email Essentials license that is free for 30 days. After 30 days, the Microsoft 365 Email Essentials license will automatically renew monthly at the current renewal price until it’s canceled.
The great thing about using the Bluehost Website Builder is that it provides you with the flexibility to change the look and feel of your website at any time. It allows you to visually review your website in real-time as you make changes, so if you want to change pictures, text, movies, music, etc. you can see how your pages will look for your visitors before you re-publish to the world.
If you can click, the building is a snap. Quick-start templates get you started fast. Real-time layout edits keep things simple without code. Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or an old pro to WordPress, the Bluehost Website Builder is an awesome tool to use when creating an amazing, easy, and professional website.
We like the UENI platform because, with a small one-time fee, you get a website plus hosting, for life.
Once you opt into UENI's lifetime deal you will get a professional website all ready in 3 days. Not to mention unlimited hosting and a 1 on 1 call with a marketing professional to get you going.
The first step is to pay the lifetime fee of $149. This is a one-time payment for them to start working on your website. Once that is paid, you will be asked to answer a few questions and send UENI materials (logos, images, and videos) related to your business so that they can custom make your website for you. After that, all you need to do is wait 3 days for your website to be ready.
This limited-time offer includes everything you need to sell your products and services. There are no hidden or extra fees. You also have a 30-day money-back guarantee. They have been helping small businesses since 2014 and have launched websites for over 600,000 business owners.
Also, they provide you with much more than just a website. Other than building, designing and launching your website in 3 days, they also provide unlimited lifetime hosting and maintenance. Your lifetime deal also includes everything you need to sell online (shopping cart, online payment integrations, 24/7 online bookings), and an easy-to-use website editor so you can update your information in seconds.
They will also set up your Google Search and Google Maps listings so that customers can easily find you online and you can build your online reputation by collecting 5 stars reviews on Google.
On top of that, they will help you every step of the way, starting with a training call as soon as your website is live, and with ongoing support via our premium Live Chat.
Great for: A speedy site builder that has multi-language capabilities
Price: FREE basic version ($8/mo for Pro)
Mozello has everything you need to create a unique, beautiful and modern website that will help you stand out and achieve your goals.
Easily create a powerful online store with shopping cart, payment processing and many essential features that will help you sell more.
They take care of all complex technical details, such as domain registration and web hosting, so that you can focus on things that are important to you.
Create your own unique, professional-looking design by choosing your style, your colours, your pictures, fonts and layout.
Some of the key features of Mozello:
• Each design can be customized by changing colors, images and fonts
• All designs are adaptive and mobile-ready
• Designs can be switched at any time
• Powerful marketing and SEO features
• Create multilingual websites
• No technical skills required
• Fully compatible with mobile devices
Great for: Beginner-friendly and scalable with hundreds of templates
Price: FREE basic version ($14/mo for Pro)
Wix is one of the first names that come to mind when people think of website builders. They offer a free plan, but you will be able to access more features if you pay for their premium service.
The platform stands out for its website editor which can be run in Artificial Intelligence Design (ADI) mode. Its basic interface makes it beginner and user-friendly.
Those who are more advanced can use it to tweak their designs to achieve a customized look. Visual previews allow you to see results before they are finalized.
The platform also provides excellent customer service and support for a wide range of media. The newly introduced Wix Turbo improves the performance and speed of the websites. The blog functionality is an added bonus.
Some of Wix's best features:
• Wix’s drag-and-drop building tools make its editor extremely easy to use, even for beginners with no tech experience
• Great online store offering – Wix has a great selection of eCommerce tools that make it a top choice if you’re looking to open an online store
• Very good help and support. Wix’s searchable knowledge base is particularly useful
• Lots of flexibility and creative freedom, meaning you can easily customize your template so it looks exactly how you want it
Great for: An easy drag 'n drop editor with great customer support
Price: FREE basic version ($8/mo for Pro)
Strikingly is on a mission to bring awesome websites to everyone.
They boast that they have the easiest editor possible. Absolutely no code or design experience is needed. Click anything to edit, and publish instantly. Also that they have beautiful mobile sites.
Their responsive templates look great on any device, automatically. Be mobile-ready with no extra effort. You won't need to worry about hosting. All Strikingly sites include our fully-managed, high performance cloud hosting.
If you already have a domain, Custom domain is a feature in paid plans. Strikingly provides detailed instructions to help you connect your site with a domain you already own. Don't have a domain? You can buy one from right within Strikingly.
After upgrading to a plan, you can purchase additional sites from right within the dashboard. Pro accounts have access to custom code, which you can use to embed all kinds of cool things.
With the Limited monthly plan, which is the cheapest at $8/month, here are some of the robust features you'll get:
• 2 Limited sites
• Unlimited free sites
• Connect custom domain
• Free domain for a year!
• 1 GB storage per site
• Sell up to 5 products
• 24/7 chat support
Great for: Website builder is extremely easy to use & great for an online store
Price: FREE basic version ($9/mo for Pro)
Jimdo is committed to helping users create free websites that can be used as the backdrop for a Facebook store or a similar site. It allows you to sell up to five products on the free plan and it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to upgrade from there.
The platform is beginner-friendly and provides question mark tooltips that can be helpful if you get stuck. It makes uploading images and changing texts and backgrounds effortless. It also has ADI features that will build a website for you based on your answers to key questions.
The website claims that you will be able to "Effortlessly create your professional website or store with the website builder made for the self-employed. Design your website exactly the way you want it and with everything you need as a small business."
In addition to being a nice website builder, they have a logo maker to get your business up and running. You can create a logo that gives your website that professional edge and download it in all the formats you need for digital and print, and you can try it out for free.
You can upgrade to a paid website with more features at any time if you start with the free website builder, and if you decide to cancel, you just need to let them know within the first 14 days. So there's no risk to you.
If you’re more advanced and you’d like to develop your website with code, you can try their Creator editor. Creator's coding features give you the freedom to customize websites for specific needs. Build your navigation menu, online store, and design elements—just the way you want them.
Best for: If you want more control over site layout than most site builders.
Price: FREE basic version ($7/mo for Pro)
With Webstarts you can get your basic website up and running for FREE. Which is a huge perk for beginners who just want to dip their toes in the water.
With WebStarts you don't need to know any code to create a beautiful website. Their easy-to-use drag and drop editor makes it a breeze to place photos, text, and other elements exactly where you'd like them to appear on your page. And when it's time to add a domain name, you simply choose one and it's automatically set up to work with your site. You'll never have to worry about hiring an expensive web designer or not being able to make changes to your website in a timely manner again.
WebStarts hosts your website in the cloud. So you'll never have to worry about configuring web servers, using an FTP program to transfer files, or configuring IP addresses again.
When you create a website with Webstarts you can add a domain name to your website and it starts working instantly. There's no fiddling around with registrars, DNS, or pointing IP addresses.
You don't need to have a web design software program installed on your computer to make changes to the look and feel of your website. Just log in and everything is drag and drop. Nothing could be easier.
Webstarts boasts that you can easily create a beautiful custom website that truly conveys the value of your products, service, or information. And also claim that it is loaded with more value than any other website builder or CMS.
Choose from hundreds of designs. Customize it with our easy-to-use drag and drop editor.
WebStarts claims what makes them different is that most website builders limit you to choosing from one of the same boring templates already being used by hundreds, if not thousands of other websites. Then their idea of customization is allowing you to swap out text and align it left, center, and right. Those types of limitations don't give you the flexibility and control required to succeed online.
SITE 123 is a good choice for those looking to create a simple website without a lot of effort. However, it offers and may not be the best option for those looking to produce a site that’s more involved. The free domain also comes with a jumble of letters and numbers that can make for an unprofessional image for companies that use it.
The platform is extremely user-friendly, and no tech skills are required for those looking to build a site. You can simply tell it your company name and industry and it will build a site for you with pre-paired fonts and color suggestions. It offers live chat support which comes in handy if you get stuck.
Here are some great things about the Site 123 platform:
• It's a cross-platform suite. You can design your web pages to look their best on a number of screen sizes and devices, all in one place. This helps you cater to a site that works for everyone, no matter what device they're on.
• Site 123 allows you to use its website building tools for free. This includes a free sub-domain with 500Mb of storage and 1 GB bandwidth. Free hardware resources can be rare among website builders.
• Drop down menus and drag and drop features that are easy to build and easy for the user. Site 123 places a big emphasis on being able to create a website quickly. So they have interactive and easy-to-use tools.
• SEO features that are built-in. If you decide to be a paid subscriber, you can get access to search engine optimization tools. These tools can help your page rank higher up in search engines.
• Free web hosting if you decide to be a paid subscriber. You get a domain, and Site 123 hosts it for you on their servers for free.
• Lots of plugins and tools. You can incorporate Google maps, social media marketing tools, and others into your website at no extra cost.
• There is no web page limit despite hosting your site for free. You can have a website that is 1 page or 100 pages, with Site 123, it all comes for free.
• Free email features, which is rare for most website builders.
Bonus site:
DashClicks
One platform to run your entire business
Save time, hit your goals faster and create a transformational experience by leveraging the DashClicks ecosystem.
Hand select your customers next dream website with the click of a button, from hundreds of pre-built niche specific templates.
Keep your leads top of mind with tracking at your fingertips. Know exactly when your lead views a preview of their new website.
Don't just think, know. In-depth reporting will show you what's working best to increase conversions on your prospecting campaigns.
Why Web Design Matters for Small Businesses in our Digital Storefront
To some small businesses, they can no longer afford to have a website. In any case, having an online presence is not all that a website is about. The design of your website is important in making first impressions and converting visitors into customers. This explains why web design is crucial to small businesses:
Think of your digital storefront as a website; it should make the first impression count. Like how an untidy and disorganized physical store may discourage customers, a badly designed website can chase away visitors. A professional-looking and attractive e-commerce site demonstrates commitment to the business by encouraging customer confidence.
User experience matters most: A site must be simple to navigate with information easily reachable by users. Visitors get frustrated when menus are confusing, loading times are slow or sites are unfriendly towards mobile devices. This kind of websites prioritize user experience by making it easier for visitors to find whatever they want, from contacting you, buying things or booking appointments.
Credibility and Brand Identity: Your brand’s reflection is your website . The right image helps one remain true to their message and visual identity which will make them trusted credible figures among other brands hence improving their clients’ loyalty rate though that doesn’t really matter much especially if you are competing against bigger companies; Ideally speaking this should not bother smaller companies as well since they could create some good web designs too. A strong web design will help you stand out from the crowd and show you’re a serious player in your industry.
Good web designs can improve search engine rankings: Web design impacts SEO positively.These search engines rank websites based on various factors such as mobile-friendly nature of a site, its load speed and its content quality.A carefully made search engine optimized web design would be more visible for potential customers who look for products/services like yours online.
Competitive Advantage: In today’s competitive world, having a well-designed website can be the difference between a small business success and failure. A visually appealing and user-friendly website will help you attract new clients, keep existing ones and make your business grow eventually.
You should not worry about spending too much on professional web design services as they are available at affordable rates. There is a wide variety of affordable choices; even little modifications to your website’s design could go a long way. By making good web designs a priority, you are leading your small business in the right direction in the digital era.
Author: ©2022 Lien Design. Your all-in-one solution for packaging design, branding, logo development and graphic design.