BLOG · THE REALITY
Free Website: How to Get Started with Wix, WordPress.com or Google Sites
You can get started without an upfront charge on a free plan—but check its limitations first.
If you are looking for how to make a free website, you can try the free plans from Wix and WordPress.com or use Google Sites. They do not offer the same tools, limits or publishing capabilities. Before choosing, consider whether you need a simple information page, a blog or a business presence with specific functions.
To get started yourself: (1) choose a platform based on the type of site, (2) organize its main sections and prepare text and images, (3) build a draft page, (4) check how it looks on mobile, and (5) confirm in the provider’s current terms which features—such as your own domain—require an upgrade. If the site is for a business, use the business website selection checklist before deciding.
What do you actually get for “free”?
Features vary by provider and may change. Use the table below as a checklist, not as a comparison with one answer that applies to every platform:
| What you need | What to check in the plan |
|---|---|
| Your own domain (mycafe.gr) | Whether you can connect your own domain or need a paid plan; domain registration may be a separate cost. |
| Appearance and advertising | Whether provider branding or ads appear, and which design options are available. |
| Search visibility | Whether the published page can be indexed and whether you can set a title, description and basic content. Rankings do not depend on the plan alone. |
| Speed and mobile | Test the actual published page on a phone; there is no single load time that applies to all free plans. |
| Email and support | Whether business email is included, which support channels are available and whether they cost extra. |
The cost you don’t see: your time
Even without an upfront charge, you will spend time learning the editor, preparing text and images, organizing pages and checking how they work on mobile. The time required depends on your experience and the content you already have; do not rely on one general estimate of hours or cost for every project.
A free plan may be suitable for a simple start. But account for the time needed to set it up and keep it updated.
Then comes “upgrade now”
If you later need your own domain, more features or removal of provider branding, compare the current plans and terms before upgrading. Also check whether and in what format your text and images can be exported, what happens if you cancel the subscription, and who controls the domain. These options vary by platform and do not mean your content is automatically lost.
When is free actually worthwhile?
To be fair: if you are making a personal hobby blog, a page for a school event, or simply want to experiment—yes, start for free; that is perfectly reasonable. That is exactly what a free plan is designed for.
But if you have a business—a café, restaurant, garage or shop—check whether the solution meets your communication needs, supports your own domain, is accessible and can grow with you. A free plan may be enough for a simple temporary page, but not necessarily for the functionality you need in the long term.
The conclusion (which you probably knew already)
You can publish a basic page without an upfront charge, but whether it is suitable depends on your needs. Compare your time, the free plan’s capabilities, the cost of a potential upgrade and what a professionally built site would include. For the latter, see the website cost guide.
Well… there is ONE exception
Codehouse offers website creation with no initial build fee, with a monthly subscription for the ongoing service. This is a different model from a website builder’s free plan. Check exactly what is included, the duration and the terms before comparing. See the website solution with no build fee for businesses.
This is a separate service from builders’ free plans: there is no initial construction charge, but there is a monthly subscription. Review the offer and its terms before comparing options.
Free Website Creation—with a small monthly subscription
We design, build and maintain it. You simply tell us what you need.
I’m interested in the offer →