Wix
There are several free website builders that have more comprehensive public footprints than Wix . Every time you give up, there is a Wix ad on TV and online. Therefore, as expected, most people go to Wix to set up free websites for the first time.
Wix offers numerous options for creating a free website . You can use a drag and drop builder to set up your website from scratch , or answer some simple questions for Wix to walk with you throughout your process. There are also various customizable templates that allow you to create your website quickly .
What I really like about Wix is its drag and drop builder. I went through answering questions for my website and presented quite a lot of good designs. Drag and drop founder is a great selling feature for Wix . It also provides a full Application Center that offers both free and paid apps that can add functionality to your website .
What I don't like about Wix is its limitations. The free plan is one of the most limiting I've ever seen . First, I was allocated a Wix subdomain with URL that is not very SEO friendly for Google.
Then, Wix destroyed my website with advertisements on EVERY website. There was even an ad in my tab icon in the URL. Storage space and bandwidth are both limited to 500MB, so you can't really add a lot of media. Also, I could not run a web store.
If you choose to upgrade the plan, you will get the following features:
Increased storage space up to 20GB
Unlimited increased bandwidth
Free area
Online store operating ability
Email campaign functionality
Site booster application
The free plan is great for personal and small startup websites like blogs. Otherwise, you need to upgrade to the paid plan.
Site123
Like the other founders of the website Site123 , it allows you to create your website easily using a wide variety of customizable templates. It offers music websites, event websites, photography websites, restaurant websites, resume websites, and more . The thing to note is that the variety of these templates is insufficient . The design of the website templates is not much different from the others.
What I really like about Site123 is that I can encode my websites in over 80 languages, which means I can make my website multilingual. When every country is more comprehensive, there is a multilingual website, less luxury and more needs.
The free plan has a lot of limitations. You only get 500MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth . It also allocates you a Site 123 subdomain, which means your ads will. Also, you will not receive any e-mail address for the free plan. If you want to run an online store, you have no chance because you need to upgrade to the paid plan.
The main thing I don't like about Site123 is the variety of templates. Despite the large number to choose from, it was as if they made four or five templates and only made changes from each. As such, I don't think my website will be very unique compared to other Site123 websites.
When you upgrade to one of Site123's paid plans, you get the following features:
Free domain
More storage and bandwidth
Option to remove Site123 ads
Email marketing capabilities
E-commerce functionality
This platform is best for those who want to create basic websites and often multilingual informational websites. Limited storage and bandwidth make anything more impractical.
SimpleSite
As the name suggests, you can quickly set up a website with SimpleSite . Free websites are optimized for mobile devices and you can choose from a handful of themes to create your website.
The dreadful thing about using SimpleSite over other free website builders is the limited ability to sell products with free plans . I sell collections from the website and with SimpleSite, I can sell up to five products without upgrading my account. Also, I was able to integrate PayPal for easier payment transactions . I decided to use my website for some of my high-end products such as billboards.
Of course, the free plan has a lot of limitations:
The website is limited to 15 websites
Images are limited to 300 for the entire site
Video is limited to 600 seconds (ten minutes)
Limited font design options
Forced a SimpleSite subdomain to use
No email address
SimpleSite ads on every website
You have two options to upgrade your plan: Pro and E-commerce. With these plans, you get:
Unlimited pages
Unlimited images and video minutes
Unlimited design and font options
Free domain
No ads
Five email addresses
Ability to sell products online (five for Pro and unlimited for E-commerce)
What I don't like about SimpleSite is that the templates are a bit too simple, and the free plan doesn't give much ley in terms of variety. Also, the design options are limited . I really felt like the templates looked more like what I saw from website builders 10 to 15 years ago.
The free plan is suitable for small websites or limited web stores, such as short-term fundraising or selling many handmade items. You will need to upgrade your plan for something else.
WordPress
WordPress is used for most people who want a free website because templates tend to be stronger than those on other platforms. While WordPress does not offer drag and drop installer, it offers various templates in the category list that is constantly evolving.
WordPress.com was the first free website builder I've ever used. I bought this because you get 3GB of storage space from 3 to 5 times of other platforms . I also liked its various templates, which are more than other websites. There are enough online tutorials to choose from, given the lack of a drag and drop builder.
Of course, it also has many disadvantages. With free WordPress.com, you establish with the WordPress.com subdomain, and you only have access to free themes. You also get only basic design formats , which means you cannot make any changes to CSS or HTML code. Also, you cannot add customer themes or plugins, and your website will display WordPress.com ads.
I have a constantly growing problem with WordPress, especially in the free plan, I feel like I have been handcuffed to a little too much platform. The inability to add custom code or snippets to your website will limit your website and force you to upgrade the plan or switch to another supplier.
WordPress.com's free plan is best for blogging websites and informative websites that do not require many serious personalization. For most other websites, you need to upgrade to the paid plan. Your best choice is to go with a Premium or Business plan, as they offer all of the following features:
Free domain
Chat and email support
Unlimited Premium themes
At least 13GB of storage (limited on Business)
A web store operating feature on the WordPress website
Weebly
Weebly allows you to quickly create a website using the drag and drop builder along with the great selection of pre-configured templates.
One thing I appreciate about building a website with Weebly is that it offers a variety of design features that I haven't seen in other builders. For beginners, Weeby offers video backgrounds that make my website more media-rich than other options . It also offers an image editor that allows you to change my images instantly instead of installing additional software . I can even add animation effects to add entertainment to my site .
Like Wix, Weebly also has App Center, which has several tools to add more functionality to your website . Some apps, like the web store, will be restricted for free users.
Of course, there are numerous limitations to using the free version of Weebly. You will continue with the Weebly.com subdomain and limitation with only 500MB of storage. In addition, your website shows Weebly ads.
One of the important reasons people love Weebly is the ability to sell products online. I am very disappointed, the truth is that Weebly, like SimpleSite, does not allow the basic web store in its plan . This skill requires the least paid Starter plan.
Weebly offers three paid plans that provide the following features:
Free area
Good ads loans
Unlimited storage
Advanced website statistics
Password protected files
HD video and audio
Ability to register membership
com payment location online sale feature
If you want to start a personal blog, resume website or even a wedding announcement page, the free plan is SUITABLE. Otherwise, continue with the paid plan.
Free Plans are Limited, but a Great Starting Point
While free website builders might not be suitable for some websites, it's still a great launch block for others. Basic websites take advantage of their content online and their presence is known. Only those who will start designing websites relax with the founder and then easily switch to the paid plan at the right time.
Free website builders are often the launch block for some of the successful websites. If you have worked hard to create great content and attract fans, your website may have grown too large to be supported by the free website builder - which is a big problem. This means your website is successful. So by upgrading your plan, you can explore the world of possibilities, including the ability to turn your brand into money entirely.