The cheapest website builder depends on what you need to pay for: a web address, multiple pages, forms, email, online sales, or simply a place to publish information. A free Google Sites or Carrd site can cost nothing, while a professional custom-domain site may start at $19 per year for the builder before the domain fee.
For most budgets, Google Sites is the cheapest overall, Carrd is the cheapest polished one-page option, and WordPress.com Personal is the least expensive flexible managed platform. Hostinger advertises a lower monthly rate, but that rate requires paying for 48 months upfront and renews at a much higher price.
Cheapest website builders at a glance
| Best for | Builder | Starting cost | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic informational site | Google Sites | Free | Limited design and business features; a custom domain costs extra |
| One-page portfolio or landing page | Carrd | Free, or $9 per year for Pro Lite | Custom-domain publishing starts at the $19-per-year Pro Standard tier |
| Flexible managed website | WordPress.com Personal | $4 per month billed annually | Annual or multiyear payment is required for the displayed lower monthly equivalent |
| Low advertised rate with hosting included | Hostinger Premium Website Builder | $2.99 per month for 48 months | $143.52 is charged upfront; renewal is listed at $10.99 per month |
| Small-business starter site | Jimdo | Free plan available | Custom domain, advertising removal, and additional tools require a paid plan |
| Design-focused site | Squarespace | 14-day trial, then paid | No free-forever plan |
These are U.S. prices or U.S.-facing prices where the provider publishes them. Promotional pricing, taxes, billing terms, domains, and renewal rates can change.
1. Google Sites: cheapest if free is the priority
Google Sites is the lowest-cost choice for a school project, club, internal resource, event page, or simple informational website. Anyone with a Google account can start at sites.google.com/new and publish without paying for hosting.
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It works particularly well when you need a few pages, text, images, and embedded Google services. It is less suitable when you need a highly customized design, advanced forms, ecommerce, detailed analytics, or a conventional business website.
A Google Sites site can be free to publish, but that does not make a custom domain free. You still need to register the domain separately and configure it. If you use Google Workspace, an administrator can control access through Admin console → Menu → Apps → Google Workspace → Sites.
2. Carrd: cheapest polished one-page website
Carrd is usually the best value for a resume, portfolio, landing page, link page, personal profile, or very small service business that can fit its information onto one page.
- Free: Up to three published sites, responsive layouts, SSL, unlimited edits, and a
carrd.cosubdomain. - Pro Lite: $9 per year: Removes Carrd branding and adds unbranded
.crd.coURLs and other upgrades, but does not provide custom-domain publishing. - Pro Standard: $19 per year: The practical starting point for custom domains, forms, embeds, analytics, meta tags, and local fonts.
- Pro Plus: $49 per year: Adds advanced options such as custom forms and downloadable unminified site sources.
The important budgeting distinction is between a cheap Carrd plan and a cheap custom-domain site. If you want yourname.com, budget for Pro Standard plus the domain registration and future domain renewal. Claims that Pro Lite includes custom domains are outdated or incorrect according to Carrd’s current plan information.
3. WordPress.com: cheapest flexible managed platform
WordPress.com is a stronger choice than a simple one-page builder if you expect to publish articles, create many pages, install plugins, or expand the site over time. Hosting is included, so you do not need to buy separate web hosting.
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The free plan includes a WordPress.com subdomain, 1 GB of storage, unlimited pages and posts, and basic recent statistics. It does not include a custom domain, plugin installation, or an ad-free visitor experience.
The Personal plan is listed at:
- $4 per month when billed annually
- $3.25 per month when billed every two years
- $2.75 per month when billed every three years
Those are monthly equivalents, not necessarily monthly payments. The applicable annual or multiyear amount is billed in advance. Annual and multiyear plans include a custom domain for the first year. Plugin installation is available starting with the Personal plan, contrary to older comparisons that said a Business plan was required.
The free first year does not mean the domain remains free. WordPress.com’s published standard prices include $13 per year for a .com, $14 for a .net, and $12 for a .org; renewal pricing for an existing domain may differ.
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4. Hostinger Website Builder: low first-term price, expensive renewal
Hostinger has one of the lowest advertised monthly prices among conventional all-in-one builders, but the headline rate requires a large upfront payment.
| Plan | Advertised rate | First payment | Listed renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Website Builder | $2.99 per month for 48 months | $143.52 upfront | $10.99 per month |
| Business Website Builder | $3.79 per month for 48 months | $181.92 upfront | $16.99 per month |
The Premium plan includes up to three websites, 20 GB of storage, a free domain for one year, and two mailboxes per website free for one year. Business supports up to 50 websites, 50 GB of storage, ecommerce for up to 1,000 products, and zero Hostinger transaction fees.
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There is no free-forever Hostinger Website Builder plan. Before buying, check the renewal amount in hPanel → Billing → Subscriptions → Renewal price. Manual renewal is available through hPanel → Billing → Subscriptions → Renew now or hPanel → Websites → Manage → Renew.
Automatic renewal can be controlled at hPanel → Billing → select the service’s arrow → Enable auto-renew. Hostinger says automatic charges may occur 14 days before annual or longer hosting renewals, one day before monthly renewals, and 27 days before domain renewals.
There is also a recovery risk. Hostinger says Website Builder sites can generally be restored only within 30 days after being lost, and its later file-backup exception does not cover Website Builder sites. Keep copies of important text, images, and product information outside the builder.
5. Jimdo: free starter site for a small business
Jimdo offers a free plan that lets you create and publish a basic website without a credit card or subscription. It is aimed at freelancers and small businesses that want a straightforward starting point.
Paid plans add a custom domain, remove advertising, and provide additional SEO tools, statistics, and personal support. You can upgrade a free site using the Upgrade control in the upper-right area of the website editor.
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Jimdo says its ecommerce product does not charge its own transaction fees. That does not eliminate payment-processing costs: Stripe, PayPal, or another payment provider may still charge its normal fee.
6. Wix: free to build, but not a free professional website
Wix is free for testing and basic publishing, but its free tier uses an address such as siteprefix.wixsite.com/siteaddress and displays Wix advertising. It includes up to 500 MB of storage and 1 GB of bandwidth.
Connecting a custom domain, removing Wix ads, increasing storage, and enabling other premium features require a paid plan. To upgrade, use Wix account → Upgrade page → Select under the desired plan → choose billing cycle → Continue to Checkout → enter payment details → Submit Purchase.
Wix pricing varies by geographic location, and each premium plan applies to one site. If you run several sites, you generally need separate plans. When a premium plan expires, the site reverts to its free Wix address and loses premium features. Upgrading also does not automatically give the site a custom domain; you must purchase or connect one.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Squarespace: paid-only after the trial
Squarespace is not a free website builder. It offers a 14-day trial without requiring a credit card, followed by paid plans. Hosting is included, and annual subscriptions include one year of domain registration for a new website.
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It can be a sensible choice when visual design matters more than getting the absolute lowest price. However, it is not the right comparison for someone looking for a free site or a $9-per-year one-page site. Selling products or services is available on paid plans, while commerce features, analytics, and payment-related fees vary by plan.
What a “cheap” website really costs
Compare the full cost of the first term and the renewal term, not just the largest monthly number in an advertisement.
- Upfront payment: Hostinger’s $2.99 monthly equivalent requires $143.52 upfront for 48 months.
- Renewal: A promotional rate can become a much higher standard rate. Record the renewal price when you buy.
- Domain: A free subdomain is not the same as a branded address. A domain included for one year will normally have a renewal cost.
- Email: Mailboxes may be included only for the first year or only on selected plans.
- Features: Check limits on pages, storage, forms, products, bandwidth, and the number of websites.
- Payment fees: “No platform transaction fee” does not mean payment processing is free.
- Portability: Some hosted builders do not let you export a fully independent copy of the finished site.
- Recovery: Find out what happens if you miss renewal and how long deleted content can be restored.
Which cheap website builder should you choose?
| Your situation | Best starting choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You need a basic site at no cost | Google Sites | No builder subscription and easy Google-service embeds |
| You need an attractive one-page site | Carrd Pro Lite | $9 per year and no Carrd branding |
| You need a custom domain on a one-page site | Carrd Pro Standard | $19 per year before the domain fee |
| You need plugins, posts, and room to grow | WordPress.com Personal | Managed hosting and plugin installation at the entry paid tier |
| You need a conventional builder and can prepay four years | Hostinger Premium | Low first-term effective rate, but higher renewal |
| You want to test a small-business site before paying | Jimdo | Free publishing with paid upgrades available later |
FAQ
What is the cheapest website builder overall?
Google Sites is the cheapest for a basic informational website because it can be published free with a Google account. Carrd is usually cheaper for a polished public one-page site, starting free or at $9 per year for Pro Lite.
What is the cheapest website builder with a custom domain?
Carrd Pro Standard is listed at $19 per year and is the first practical Carrd tier for custom-domain publishing. You must also pay for the domain registration and future renewals.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIs Hostinger really $2.99 per month?
That is the effective monthly rate for a 48-month prepaid Premium Website Builder term. The first charge is $143.52, and the listed renewal price is $10.99 per month, so it is not a permanent $2.99 monthly subscription.
Can I build a professional website for free?
You can publish a basic site for free with Google Sites, Carrd, Wix, Jimdo, or WordPress.com. Free plans commonly use a provider subdomain, show advertising, limit features, or lack forms and custom-domain support, so a professional branded site usually has at least a domain cost.
The Bottom Line
Choose Google Sites for the lowest possible cost, Carrd for the cheapest attractive one-page site, and WordPress.com Personal for a more flexible managed platform. Hostinger can be inexpensive during its first four-year term, but its $143.52 upfront payment and $10.99-per-month renewal make it less straightforward than the headline rate suggests.
Before buying, write down the total first payment, renewal price, domain renewal, email cost, site limits, payment fees, and recovery options. That comparison usually matters more than the advertised monthly figure.
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