Best Free Website Builders of 2018

Social media has transformed the way businesses and individuals connect online, but the truth is that having a website is still the best way to reach out to people. A professional-looking website can help you sell products or talk about yourself in an engaging way, giving visitors a place they want to return to time and time again.
Traditionally, to achieve a professional-level website, you would need to pay a lot of money. However, that is no longer the case as free website builder services have improved greatly in recent years. Gone are the services that were slow, limited in features, and stifling in performance. Modern free website builders provide professional tools, massive amounts of free hosting space, and desktop-to-mobile compatibility.
There are literally hundreds of free website building services on the market, and choosing the right one can be hard. Luckily we have done the hard work for you so you don’t have to. Our list of the best free website builders of 2018 includes services that come with all the leading features. SEO optimization, sleek templates, mobile editing, and site analytics are all available in the following services.

1. WiX

WiX is widely regarded as the best free website builder, and for good reason. The software has become a firm favorite amongst small businesses thanks to its rich suite of tools and templates. It is worth noting the free version of WiX has ad placements that do not always land in ideal locations. However, for strong website building features, the free version is still excellent.
Easy to use, the WiX interface is intuitive and fun. You will enjoy building your website with this software thanks to its quality and varied templates. You can jump into WiX website builder even as a beginner and quickly understand how to create a dynamic and engaging web space.
We like the fact that there is no page limit even in the freemium plan, while it also comes with SEO optimization (all pages) and a generous 500MB of space. Developers will also be happy to see flawless integration with mobile devices and a store that allows the purchase of add-ons.
License: Freemium
Price: Free trial, $4.50 to $24.50 per month
Our Rating: 9 / 10

2. Jimdo

Jimdo is a relatively new name in the free website building market, but it has already become a popular destination for crafting new web spaces. That’s because it boasts a strong selection of unique templates which are compatible with mobile. Indeed, Jimdo online website builder itself is available as a mobile app so you can edit your website on the move.
We like that the free version of Jimdo lets users include a small online store on their site, a feature that is often omitted from free builders. SEO optimization is available, but it is limited to one page whereas WiX offers it across all website pages. The WYSIWYG nature of Jimdo is welcome, allowing you to design a site with simple drag and drop gestures.
That said, the general interface has a slight learning curve to get past, making some building features hard to find. Despite these limitations, Jimdo is an excellent free alternative with good social integrations, 500MB of space, and unlimited pages.
License: Freemium
Price: Free trial, $7.50 Pro Version, $20 Business Version
Our Rating: 9 / 10

3. Duda

Duda is arguably the best website builder for users looking to create a mobile-first site for free. That’s because the service started to capitalize on the increasing number of people browsing on smartphones. Since then, Duda has expanded to include desktop creations through an easy-to-use interface.
Still, if you want a website that easily converts to mobile, Duda is a fantastic choice of an online website builder. It also comes with solid e-commerce integrations, with the free version allowing businesses to sell their products online. Template choice is not the best, but the 94 available themes all look nice and are designed well.
Out of all the free tools we tested, Duda produced the best site-traffic analysis data. However, the service is somewhat limited by a basic widget arrangement. There is no third-party store, so users are limited to the widgets available on Duda. Sure, leading names like Facebook and Disqus are present, but there is no large catalog of widgets.
License: Freemium
Price: Free trial, $14.25 per month, $22.50 per month
Our Rating: 9 / 10

4. Weebly

There’s no doubt that Weebly is a powerful choice when looking for the best website builder that one can use for free, and it is among the most famous services. Most people will probably agree that Weebly delivers an amazing user experience, offering a slick interface that’s a joy to use. When building a site, an easy and even fun experience can make you actually enjoy the task at hand.
There is an enviable number of themes available and like WiX, Weebly offers SEO optimization across all pages and 500MB of free space. One of the standout features is the availability of site statistics through the free version, something that is often reserved for premium services.
We really love the iPad application, which allows mobile site editing on a larger form factor. However, staying on the subject of mobile, while Weebly supports mobile websites, they are not customizable. Another notable limitation is a lack of e-commerce options on the free version.
License: Freemium
Price: Free trial, $18.00 to $25.00 per month
Our Rating: 8 / 10

5. Webstarts

Webstarts is arguably the most complete free website builder on the market, so why is it ranked 5th on our list? Well, for all its slick looks and amazing features, the service loses points because it struggles to cope with mobile sites as well as its rivals. In this age, that may well be a deal breaker for many, but we expect the company to update its mobile capabilities at some point.
For example, Webstarts has bags of style, with some of the best looking templates available. In terms of third-party integrations, users can use PayPal, Apple Pay, Facebook, photos, videos, and many more services on their sites.
Webstarts is excellent for creating hugely responsive and professional websites that look amazing and work well on mobile and desktops alike. It is also noteworthy that some true e-commerce features are available.
License: Freemium
Price: Free trial, $4.89 to $19.99 per month
Our Rating: 8 / 10

A revolution in the website building market has allowed services to grow. Users can now expect to create a professional-level website, with very few compromises to be found. If you want a website with unlimited pages, or a basic e-commerce store front, the best free builders can deliver the goods. Ideal for small businesses and individuals alike, free website builders are now engaging and worthwhile tools. Those who are willing to create a website from scratch might find our list of the best free stock photo websites rather useful; each website has to look nice and be appealing to its visitors.