A builder's free plan lets you publish a business website at no cost. Wix, Google Sites, Canva, WordPress.com, Carrd, Webflow and Square each offer a plan with no monthly fee. The trade-off is getting a platform subdomain instead of yourbusiness.com.
The process is the same with every builder, so the real question is which free plan’s limits work for you. This guide compares the plans and then takes you through putting a small business site online.
Free plan terms below come from each vendor's own help and pricing pages as seen from the United States on 4 November 2026. They change often, so check the linked page before you commit.
Free plans compared: what you get and what is locked
| Builder | What the free plan gives you | Main limits |
|---|---|---|
| Wix | Hosting, the drag-and-drop editor and templates | Wix address and ads, 500 MB storage, 1 GB bandwidth, no custom domain, no online payments |
| Google Sites | Create and publish a site with a Google account | No published per-site storage figure, a custom domain you own can be connected, but the domain itself is a separate purchase |
| Canva | Up to five published websites on a my.canva.site address | 10 sections per page on a free site, no ecommerce, custom domain needs a paid plan |
| WordPress.com | Hosted site, themes, unlimited pages and posts | wordpress.com address, WordPress.com ads, 1 GB storage, no custom domain, no plugins |
| Carrd | Up to three sites per account | Custom domain needs Pro Standard or higher, branding removal is a paid feature |
| Webflow Starter | Publishing to a webflow.io address | 2 static pages, 50 CMS items, 1 GB monthly bandwidth, 50 lifetime form submissions, Webflow badge stays |
| Square Online (Free) | Website and online store with pickup, local delivery and shipping | 3.3% + 30 cents on each online card payment |
These are ongoing free plans, not trials. None charges a monthly fee, but several keep platform branding and block a custom domain unless you pay.
Which free builder fits which kind of business
Choose a builder based on what your site needs to do from day one.
- A basic information site with your services, hours and a contact form is a good fit for Google Sites or Wix. Google Sites is the simpler tool, while Wix offers more design control. Our Wix free plan guide explains what the free tier does and does not allow.
- A single-page site for a freelancer or local trade is a good fit for Carrd or Canva. The pages are brief and quick to publish.
- A blog or content site is a good fit for WordPress.com, which provides unlimited pages and posts on the free plan.
- A shop or service that takes orders is a good fit for Square Online because its free plan includes an online store. Payments still cost money: each online card transaction costs 3.3% + 30 cents.
- A designer's portfolio is a good fit for Webflow Starter, but the 2 static pages limit makes it more of a test than a business site. See Webflow pricing for the paid tiers.
Canva can also serve as a quick site maker. Our Canva website guide explains how to use it step by step.
The steps to build the site
- State the site's purpose. Decide if visitors should call you, book, buy or get your address. Every part of the page should guide them toward that one action.
- Choose a builder from the table above. Base your choice on limits first and appearance second.
- Select a template that's close to what you want. Changing the layout later takes more effort than picking a good one now.
- Swap the sample text and images for your own. Include your logo, business name and real photos.
- Include the essential pages covered in the next section.
- Review the mobile view in the builder's preview before publishing, because the mobile layout can differ from the desktop one.
- Publish, visit the live address on your phone, and tap each button and link once.
If you have never created a site, how to build a website without code covers the same process in more detail.
The pages a small business site needs
The U.S. Small Business Administration lists five core pages: Home, About, Products or Services, Contact and Testimonials. It also recommends considering FAQs, appointment scheduling for businesses that take appointments and a blog that is updated regularly.
- Home: explain what the business does and tell visitors what to do next.
- About: a brief overview of the business, its background and the people behind it.
- Products or Services: clearly explain what you sell and arrange it so customers can compare.
- Contact: include email, phone, address if relevant, hours and, if people visit, directions or a map.
- Testimonials: real customer comments as proof.
Google recommends that your site work well on mobile and describes responsive design as the easiest approach to implement and maintain. Every builder above has responsive templates, so choose one and test it on a phone.
Getting your own domain, and what it costs
A free address is the clearest sign that a site is free. A name like yourbusiness.com looks more credible and stays with you if you switch builders.
Squarespace's guide estimates common domains at about $10 to $20 a year for .com, $12 to $20 for .net and $10 to $18 for .org. Introductory and renewal prices vary by registrar. For example, Namecheap lists .com at $15.98 a year, with renewal at $19.98, plus a $0.20 ICANN fee, while GoDaddy lists a typical annual .com price of $22.99. Always check the renewal price, not the first year offer.
Buying a domain does not make connecting it to your site free. Wix, WordPress.com, Canva and Carrd require a paid plan to connect a domain. Google Sites is the exception: Google explains how to connect a domain you own to a site, with the domain purchased from a registrar or through a Google Workspace plan. See Google Sites pricing for details.
Google Business Profile no longer includes a website
Google Business Profile remains free and lets eligible businesses appear on Search and Maps at no cost. However, Google no longer offers the free website it used to create from a Business Profile. Google says Business Profile websites began shutting down on March 5, 2024, and the redirect to the profile ended on June 10, 2024. After that date, visitors to the old site saw a "Page not found" error.
Google recommends building a new website with another tool and adding its address to your Business Profile. Google Sites is a separate product that still works for this.
Free extras that make a free site look professional
- Photos: Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay permit commercial use without requiring attribution. Each has restrictions. You cannot resell the photos by themselves, and images of recognizable people or brands may involve separate rights.
- HTTPS: Wix and WordPress.com state that SSL is free on their sites, so the padlock comes at no extra cost.
- Search visibility: Google Search Console costs nothing. For a free subdomain, add the exact published address as a URL-prefix property. A Domain property usually requires DNS verification, which is not possible on a platform's domain.
- Accessibility: include alt text for images, make text easy to read and ensure buttons work with a keyboard. Our website accessibility guide explains more.
When a free plan stops being enough
Upgrade when a limit starts costing you customers. Common reasons include needing your own domain, taking payments, removing platform ads or reaching a storage or page cap.
You can move later, but it is rarely simple. Builders keep content in their own format, so expect to rebuild pages and set up redirects if the address changes. If you plan to sell online or expand the site, compare paid tiers first, such as Webflow pricing.
If your visitors include people in the EU, privacy rules can still apply to a free site. GDPR may cover a business offering goods or services to people there, and non-essential cookies usually require consent in advance. This is a general overview, not legal advice, so consult a professional about your situation.
Sources
- Wix Help Center: creating a website for free (limits of the Wix free plan)
- Google Sites Help: publishing and sharing (how to publish a Google Site)
- Google Sites Help: custom domains (connecting a domain you own)
- Canva Help: Canva Websites (limits on free sites)
- WordPress.com Support: plan features (storage and ads on the free plan)
- Carrd documentation: custom domains (a domain requires a plan)
- Webflow pricing (limits of the Starter plan)
- Square Online pricing and plans (fee for the Free plan)
- Google Business Profile Help: websites turned off (dates of shutdown)
- U.S. Small Business Administration: five essential pages (list of pages)
- Google Search Central: mobile-first indexing best practices (design that adapts to screen size)
- Squarespace: what does a domain name cost (domain price ranges)
- GoDaddy: guide to domain name costs (usual yearly prices)
- Unsplash license (terms for free photos)
Frequently asked questions
Can I really build a business website for free?
Yes. Wix, Google Sites, Canva, WordPress.com, Carrd, Webflow and Square each offer a plan with no monthly fee. Each plan has limits, such as a platform web address, no custom domain or limits on pages or storage.
What do I give up on a free business website?
Usually, you do not get your own domain name, and some builders also add platform ads or branding and impose strict storage or page limits. Online payments are often available only on paid plans too.
How do I get a custom domain for a free website?
Purchase the domain from a registrar, which typically costs about $10 to $20 per year, then upgrade to a builder plan that allows you to connect it. Google Sites is worth checking as an exception, since Google documents how to connect a domain you own to a site.