How to Build a Website for Free — No Coding Required

Building a website used to require knowing HTML, CSS and how to configure a server. Today's free website builders handle all of that for you — you just drag, drop and publish. Here is a complete guide to going from zero to a live website in an afternoon.

Best free website builders

Wix

Wix is the most popular free website builder in the world. Over 800 templates cover every type of site — portfolios, class websites, event pages, small businesses and blogs. The free plan hosts your site on a Wix subdomain (yourname.wixsite.com), includes 500 MB storage and shows small Wix ads. Drag anything anywhere on the page — Wix has no grid constraint.

Weebly

Weebly uses a block-based editor where sections snap into a grid — less flexible than Wix but easier to get consistent results. The free plan includes 500 MB storage and a Weebly subdomain. Strong e-commerce foundation if you ever want to sell products.

Google Sites

Google Sites is the simplest option — a lightweight tool built into Google Workspace. Sites are clean, responsive and integrate automatically with Google Drive, Docs, Slides and YouTube. No ads on the free plan. Ideal for class websites, project pages and student portfolios. Hosted on sites.google.com.

Webnode

Webnode is a less-known but capable builder with a clean editor and multilingual support built in. The free plan includes a Webnode subdomain and 100 MB storage. Good option for international or multi-language sites.

Step-by-step: Build a site on Wix

1. Sign up at wix.com with your email.
2. Choose how to start — let Wix ADI (artificial design intelligence) build a first draft based on your answers, or pick a template manually. Choose a template for more control.
3. Select a template — filter by category (Education, Portfolio, Blog etc.) and click Edit This Site.
4. Replace placeholder content — click any text element to edit it. Click any image to swap it. Delete sections you do not need by selecting them and pressing Delete.
5. Add new sections — click the + icon between sections to insert a contact form, image gallery, video embed, map or blog feed.
6. Check mobile view — click the mobile icon at the top to preview how the site looks on a phone. Wix automatically creates a mobile version, but you may need to adjust some elements.
7. Publish — click Publish in the top right. Your site is now live on a Wix subdomain.

What you can do with a free website

• Share class resources, homework and timetables (teacher class site)
• Create a student portfolio showing work across the year
• Build a project website to present research findings
• Start a blog or magazine
• Create an event page with an RSVP form

Free plan limitations to know about

• Your URL will be a subdomain (e.g. username.wixsite.com/mysite) — a custom domain requires a paid plan.
• Storage is limited (typically 500 MB–1 GB) — for video-heavy sites, host videos on YouTube and embed them instead of uploading directly.
• Wix and Weebly show small branded banners on free sites. Google Sites shows none.

Upgrade when you're ready

Free plans are genuinely sufficient for most class and student projects. When you need a custom domain, more storage or e-commerce, upgrade. Wix plans start at around $16/month; Weebly's at $10/month.