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Squarespace starts at $16/month. Wix at $17. WordPress.com at $4. Building a website doesn’t have to be expensive if you pick the right tool. Here are the best cheap website builders for small businesses that don’t need enterprise features.
Last updated: March 18, 2026.
Best Cheap Website Builders Compared
| Builder | Cheapest plan | Free plan? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com | $4/mo | Yes (limited) | Best value with flexibility |
| Carrd | $9/yr | Yes (3 sites) | Single-page sites, landing pages |
| Google Sites | $0 | Yes (fully free) | Simple internal sites, portfolios |
| Wix | $17/mo | Yes (Wix-branded) | Drag-and-drop, non-technical users |
| Squarespace | $16/mo | 14-day trial | Best-looking templates |
| Hostinger Builder | $3/mo | No | Absolute cheapest with custom domain |
1. Carrd — Best Value for Simple Sites ($9/year)
Carrd builds beautiful single-page websites for $9 per year. Not per month. Per year. That’s 75 cents a month.
What you get: Custom domain, responsive templates, forms, payment buttons (Stripe/PayPal), embeds, and no Carrd branding on Pro.
Free tier: 3 sites with carrd.co subdomain. No custom domain.
Limitations: Single-page only. No blog, no multi-page navigation, no e-commerce beyond simple payment buttons. If you need more than a landing page, Carrd isn’t enough.
Best for: Freelancers, link-in-bio pages, portfolio sites, product landing pages. If a single page is all you need, nothing beats $9/year.
2. WordPress.com — Best Value with Growth Potential
WordPress.com’s Personal plan at $4/month gives you a custom domain, 6GB storage, email support, and access to dozens of free themes. No WordPress.com ads on your site.
Growth path: Premium ($8/mo) adds advanced design tools. Business ($25/mo) adds plugins and themes. You can start cheap and scale without rebuilding.
Best for: Small businesses that might grow. Starting at $4/month and upgrading later is more cost-effective than starting on Squarespace at $16.
3. Google Sites — Actually Free
Google Sites is completely free, no catches. Unlimited pages, custom domain support (via Google Workspace), and drag-and-drop editing integrated with Google Drive.
Limitations: Very basic design options. No e-commerce. Limited SEO tools. Sites look functional but not professional. No blog functionality.
Best for: Internal team sites, simple portfolios, project documentation. Not for customer-facing business sites where design matters.
4. Hostinger Website Builder — Cheapest Custom Domain Site
Hostinger bundles a website builder with hosting starting at $3/month (48-month commitment). Custom domain included for the first year. AI-powered builder generates a site from your description.
Best for: Absolute budget minimum. You get a real website with a custom domain for less than a coffee. Quality and flexibility are limited, but the price is unbeatable.
5. Wix — Best Drag-and-Drop Builder
Wix at $17/month is the most expensive “cheap” option here, but it’s the most capable for non-technical users. True drag-and-drop (place anything anywhere), 900+ templates, built-in SEO tools, and an AI site builder.
Free plan: Wix-branded subdomain, Wix ads on your site, limited storage. Functional for testing but not for a real business.
Best for: Non-technical small business owners who want full design control without code.
6. Squarespace — Best-Looking Templates
Squarespace at $16/month has the most polished, professional templates of any builder. Every template is responsive and well-designed out of the box.
Best for: Creative professionals, photographers, restaurants, and anyone where visual presentation is the priority. You’re paying a premium for design quality.
Cost Comparison: First Year
| Builder | Year 1 cost | Includes domain? |
|---|---|---|
| Google Sites | $0 (or $12 for domain) | No (use your own) |
| Carrd Pro | $9 + $12 domain = $21 | No |
| Hostinger | $36 (3yr plan) | Yes (1st year free) |
| WordPress.com Personal | $48 | Yes (1st year free) |
| Squarespace Personal | $192 | Yes (1st year free) |
| Wix Light | $204 | No |
Absolute cheapest: Carrd at $9/year for landing pages. Hostinger at $3/month for multi-page sites.
Best growth potential: WordPress.com. Start at $4/month, scale to a full CMS without rebuilding.
Best looking: Squarespace at $16/month. Worth it if design is your differentiator.
Non-technical users: Wix. Most flexible drag-and-drop builder.
Literally free: Google Sites. Basic but functional, forever free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the cheapest way to build a business website?
Carrd ($9/year) for a single page. WordPress.com ($4/month) for a multi-page site. Both include or support custom domains.
Is WordPress.com the same as WordPress.org?
No. WordPress.com is a hosted platform (like Squarespace). WordPress.org is self-hosted software you install on your own server. The .com version is simpler but less flexible. The .org version is free but requires hosting ($5-30/month).
Do I need a website builder or can I use social media instead?
A website gives you ownership and SEO visibility that social media doesn’t. But if budget is truly zero, a well-maintained Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn profile can serve as a temporary online presence while you save for a proper site.
Which cheap builder is best for SEO?
WordPress.com and Squarespace have the best SEO tools among website builders. Carrd and Google Sites have minimal SEO capabilities.
Pricing verified as of March 18, 2026. Introductory prices may increase at renewal. Always check current rates.
