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How to Create a Website for Free (and When Free Stops Being Enough)
If you have searched "how to create a website in free", the good news is that you can, today, without paying anything. The catch is what "free" leaves out. Here is an honest look at the main free options, what each one really gives you as of November 2026, and the point at which a free site starts costing you customers.
The free options worth knowing
The short answer: You can build a free website with Google Sites, the WordPress.com free plan or the Wix free plan. Each gives you a basic site on the platform's own address (such as sites.google.com/view/yourname, yourname.wordpress.com or a wixsite.com address) with limits on branding, features and selling. Google's old Business Profile websites no longer exist; they were shut down in 2024.
There are dozens of free website builders, but three cover what most small businesses need. Facts below were checked on each platform's own pages in November 2026; plans change, so check before you start.
Google Sites
Free with any Google account. Drag-and-drop pages, easy to embed Google Maps, Forms and Docs. Very simple design options.
Best for: a basic info pageWordPress.com free
A real WordPress dashboard on a yourname.wordpress.com address, 1 GB storage, WordPress.com ads shown to visitors, no plugins.
Best for: a simple blogWix free
The most polished free editor, on a wixsite.com address with Wix branding, 500 MB storage and no online payments.
Best for: a nicer-looking trialCan you still make a free website on Google?
People often ask how to create a website on Google, and the answer changed in 2024. For years, Google Business Profile let you publish a simple one-page website straight from your listing. That feature is gone.
Google turned off websites made with Business Profiles in March 2024. Visitors were redirected to the business's Google Maps listing until 10 June 2024, after which the old addresses stopped working (Search Engine Land report). If an old guide tells you to "build your free site in Business Profile", it is out of date.
So a search for "how to create a website for free google" today really leads to two separate tools:
- Your listing on Google Search and Maps
- Hours, photos, reviews, phone and directions
- A website field where you add a link to a site built elsewhere
- Usually the single most useful free thing a local business can set up
- A separate tool for building simple web pages
- Lives at a sites.google.com/view/ address by default
- Can be connected to a domain you own, using a www-style subdomain
- That site's link can then go in your Business Profile
Google's help page on using a custom domain with Google Sites explains the DNS steps. The domain itself is not free; you buy it from a registrar.
How to create a free site with Google Sites
- Open Google Sites
Sign in with a Google account at sites.google.com and start a blank site or a template.
- Add the essentials
Business name, what you do, area you serve, phone number, opening hours and a few real photos. Keep it to what a customer needs to decide to call.
- Embed a map and a form
Insert your Google Maps location and a Google Form for enquiries, so people can reach you without hunting for a number.
- Publish and share publicly
Click Publish, choose your web address, and make sure the site is visible to everyone, not just your account.
- Link it from your Business Profile
Paste the site's URL into the website field of your Google Business Profile so searchers can find it.
What each free plan leaves out
| Free plan | Web address | Platform branding or ads | Take payments | Own domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sites | sites.google.com/view/… | Minimal | No built-in checkout | Yes, if you buy one |
| WordPress.com Free | yourname.wordpress.com | WordPress.com ads shown | No | Paid plans only |
| Wix Free | …wixsite.com/… | Wix branding | No | Paid plans only |
Sources: the WordPress.com pricing page and Wix's own guide, Is Wix free?, both checked in November 2026. Wix's guide also notes that free sites cannot use tools such as Google Analytics. Check the official pages before you decide, as plan details change.
If you are weighing up the paid versions of these platforms, our Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace comparison covers them in more depth.
When free stops being enough
A free site is a perfectly sensible start for a new or very small business. It stops being enough the moment it starts working against you. These are the usual signs:
You need your own name
A platform address on a visiting card or van looks temporary, and you cannot set up email at your own domain.
You want to sell
None of the three free plans above lets you take online payments. Selling means a paid plan or a proper store.
You need to measure
If you cannot install analytics or tracking, you cannot tell which ads or posts bring enquiries.
You want to rank
Free plans give limited control over speed, page structure and SEO settings, which matters once you compete for searches.
Branding hurts trust
Another company's ads or logo on your site distract visitors and can send them elsewhere.
You need features
Booking, WhatsApp buttons, product catalogues or custom forms often need plugins or code the free plans do not allow.
A sensible path for a small business
You do not need to jump straight to the end. Move on when the current step is holding you back.
Paying more does not guarantee better
Moving off a free plan is not a magic fix. A paid site can be slower and worse than a careful free one if it is built badly.
Whoever builds your next site, check it on real phones, test its speed with Google PageSpeed Insights, and make sure the domain and hosting are in your name. Our guide to website design cost in India explains what a fair paid build should include.
Frequently asked questions
How to create a website in free?
Use Google Sites, the WordPress.com free plan or the Wix free plan. Sign up, choose a template, add your business details, photos and contact options, then publish. You get a platform web address rather than your own domain.
How to create a website on Google for free?
Use Google Sites at sites.google.com with any Google account. Build your pages, publish them, and add the link to your Google Business Profile. Business Profile itself no longer creates websites; that feature was shut down in 2024.
Do Google Business Profile websites still exist?
No. Google turned them off in March 2024, redirected visitors to the Maps listing until 10 June 2024, and then the old addresses stopped working. Your Business Profile still exists and is free; you just link it to a website built elsewhere.
Can I use my own domain on a free website?
On Google Sites, yes, if you buy a domain and connect it. On the WordPress.com and Wix free plans, connecting your own domain needs a paid plan, as of November 2026.
Is a free website good enough for a small business?
It can be at the start, especially alongside a well-kept Google Business Profile. It stops being enough when you need your own domain, online payments, analytics, better SEO control, or features the free plan will not allow.
Will a free website rank on Google?
It can rank for your business name and some local searches, but free plans limit control over speed, structure and SEO settings. For competitive searches, a faster site you fully control usually does better.
Outgrown your free site?
Tell us what your free site does today and what it needs to do next. We will tell you honestly whether to upgrade the plan you have or move to a proper build, with a fixed quote within one business day. See how we work on our website development page.
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