Free Website Design Software: A Comprehensive Guide (2024)

Free Website Design Software

Having a great website is important for businesses, organisations, and individuals. It helps you reach more people and build trust. However, hiring someone to make a website can be expensive. Learning to code isn’t easy for everyone either. Luckily, there are free tools that let you make and customise websites without spending money or learning complex coding.

Google Sites: Simple and Straightforward

Google Sites is great for making a simple website quickly. It’s very easy to use, making it perfect for beginners. You can choose from various pre-made designs and change them to fit what you need.

Google Sites works well with other Google tools. If you use Gmail, Google Drive, or Google Docs, you’ll find it easy to add content from these to your website. This is really useful for team projects or for businesses that use Google’s tools a lot.

However, Google Sites has some limits. It’s great for simple, informative websites. But it might not be the best choice if you need advanced online shop features or complex design elements. It also doesn’t offer many ways to improve your search engine rankings.

Despite these limits, Google Sites is still a great option for personal websites, small business sites, or school projects. Its simplicity makes it a top choice for many first-time website creators.

Wix: AI-Powered and Feature-Rich

Wix has become popular as a comprehensive website builder. It works for all kinds of users, from complete beginners to experienced designers. Its artificial intelligence tools, like Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence), can create a personalised website based on your answers to a few simple questions. This is really helpful if you’re not sure about your design skills or don’t have a clear idea for your website.

One of Wix’s strengths is its large collection of templates. With hundreds of professionally designed templates, you’re likely to find one that matches what you want. These templates cover many industries and purposes, from online shops to portfolios and blogs. After you choose a template, you can use Wix’s drag-and-drop editor to change every part of your site’s design.

Wix also offers many built-in features to make your website work better. These include a blog platform, online shop tools, and even systems for booking appointments. While the free version of Wix does show adverts, you can pay to remove these and get more features.

For those interested in selling things online, Wix offers good online store features. You can set up product pages, manage your stock, and process payments directly through your Wix site. This makes it a good choice for small businesses or entrepreneurs who want to sell products online without using a separate e-commerce platform.

However, it’s worth noting that while Wix offers great flexibility in design, it can be hard to change your template once you’ve started building your site. So it’s important to choose your initial template carefully.

WordPress: Customisable and Widely Used

WordPress is one of the most popular website platforms in the world. It powers a large percentage of all websites on the internet. It’s especially good for blogs and content-heavy websites, but with the right plugins and themes, you can use it to create almost any type of website.

One of WordPress’s biggest strengths is its flexibility. The platform offers two main versions: WordPress.com, which is a hosted solution similar to Wix or Google Sites, and WordPress.org, which you host yourself and offers even more customisation options. For beginners, WordPress.com might be the easier starting point, as it handles hosting and basic setup for you.

The real power of WordPress is in its large ecosystem of themes and plugins. Themes control how your site looks, and there are thousands available, both free and paid. Plugins add functionality to your site. Whether you need a contact form, a tool to improve your search engine rankings or a way to create online courses, there’s likely a WordPress plugin that can help.

WordPress also offers excellent tools for improving your search engine rankings. With the right plugins and optimisation techniques, WordPress sites can perform very well in search engine results. This makes it a good choice for businesses or bloggers who want to attract more visitors to their sites through search engines.

However, WordPress does take more time to learn compared to some other platforms. While you don’t need to know how to code to use WordPress, understanding some basic concepts like how themes and plugins work will help you get the most out of the platform. Additionally, if you choose the self-hosted WordPress.org version, you’ll need to handle tasks like security and backups yourself (although plugins can help with these).

Yola: Intuitive and Fuss-Free

Yola is a website builder that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It’s designed for users who want to create a professional-looking website without dealing with complex features or design options. Yola’s straightforward editor lets you create basic websites quickly and without fuss.

One of Yola’s strengths is its selection of clean, professional templates. These templates are designed to look good right from the start, requiring minimal customisation. This can be a big advantage for users who don’t have strong design skills or who want to get their website up and running quickly.

Yola also offers some basic online shop features, allowing you to set up a simple online store. While these features aren’t as comprehensive as what you’d find on platforms like Wix or Shopify, they can be enough for small businesses looking to sell a few products online.

However, Yola’s simplicity can also be a limitation. The platform doesn’t offer as many advanced features or design options as some of its competitors. This means that while it’s great for creating simple, professional websites, it might not be the best choice for users who need more complex functionality or unique designs.

HubSpot CMS: Business-Focused with Marketing Tools

HubSpot CMS (Content Management System) is part of HubSpot’s wider suite of marketing, sales, and customer service tools. It’s designed specifically for businesses looking to create websites that generate leads and convert visitors into customers.

One of HubSpot CMS’s key features is its integration with HubSpot’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. This integration allows you to personalise your website content based on visitor data, creating a more tailored experience for your audience. For example, you could show different content to first-time visitors versus returning customers.

HubSpot CMS also offers powerful marketing tools, including email marketing, social media management, and analytics. These tools can help you attract visitors to your site, engage with them effectively, and track the results of your marketing efforts.

The platform includes features specifically designed for business websites, such as forms, live chat, and meeting scheduling tools. These can help you capture leads and engage with potential customers directly through your website.

However, HubSpot CMS does take more time to learn compared to some other website builders. It’s designed for businesses serious about their online marketing efforts, and as such, it includes many features that might be overwhelming for beginners or small businesses with simple needs.

Additionally, while HubSpot offers a free CRM, the CMS itself is not free. There is a free trial available, but ongoing use requires a paid subscription. This makes it more suitable for established businesses rather than individuals or very small organisations.

Webflow: Advanced Design with Extensive Customisation

Webflow is a powerful website design tool that bridges the gap between visual design and coding. It offers a level of design control that’s closer to what you’d get with custom HTML and CSS, but with a visual interface that doesn’t require you to write code directly.

One of Webflow’s standout features is its ability to create responsive designs. You can see exactly how your site will look on different devices as you build it, and make specific adjustments for mobile, tablet, and desktop views. This level of control ensures your site looks great on all screen sizes.

Webflow also offers a unique approach to content management. You can create custom content types, which is particularly useful for sites with diverse types of content. For example, if you’re creating a recipe site, you could create a custom “Recipe” content type with fields for ingredients, cooking time, and instructions.

The platform includes a powerful animation tool that allows you to create complex interactions and animations without writing JavaScript. This can add a level of polish and interactivity to your site that’s difficult to achieve with many other website builders.

However, Webflow’s power comes with a trade-off in terms of complexity. While you don’t need to know how to code to use Webflow, understanding web design principles and having some familiarity with concepts like HTML structure and CSS properties will help you get the most out of the platform.

Webflow offers a free plan that allows you to experiment with the platform and even publish sites to a Webflow subdomain. However, to use a custom domain and access more advanced features, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.

Webnode: Quick AI-Powered Website Creation

Webnode is another website builder that aims to make the process of creating a website quick and easy. It offers AI-powered tools that can help you set up a basic website structure based on your needs and preferences.

One of Webnode’s strengths is its multilingual support. If you need to create a website in multiple languages, Webnode makes this process relatively straightforward. This feature can be particularly useful for businesses or organisations that serve an international audience.

Webnode also offers a good selection of modern, responsive templates. These templates are designed to look good on both desktop and mobile devices, which is crucial in today’s mobile-first web environment.

The platform includes basic e-commerce functionality, allowing you to set up a simple online store. While it’s not as comprehensive as dedicated e-commerce platforms, it can be sufficient for small businesses looking to sell a few products online.

However, Webnode’s simplicity can also be a limitation. The platform doesn’t offer as much design flexibility or as many advanced features as some of its competitors. This means that while it’s great for creating simple, professional websites quickly, it might not be the best choice for users who need more complex functionality or highly customised designs.

Choosing the Right Free Website Design Software

When selecting a free website design software, consider these factors:

Factor	Description
Ease of use	If you’re new to web design, look for platforms with intuitive interfaces and drag-and-drop editors.
Design flexibility	Think about how much control you want over your site’s appearance. Some platforms offer more design options than others.
Features and Functionality	Consider what you need your website to do. Do you need an online shop? A blog? Contact forms?
SEO tools	Look for platforms that offer built-in SEO features to help improve your site’s visibility in search engines.
Scalability	Think about whether the platform can grow with your needs. Can you easily add new pages or features as your site expands?
Support and resources	Check what kind of support and learning resources are available. Good documentation and an active user community can be very helpful.
Mobile responsiveness	Make sure the platform creates sites that look good on both desktop and mobile devices.
Integration capabilities	If you use other tools for your business, check if the website builder can work with them.

The Benefits of Free Website Design Software

Using free website design software offers several advantages:

Benefit	Description
Cost-effective	The main benefit is that it’s free, allowing you to create a website without any upfront investment.
Accessibility	These tools make web design available to everyone, regardless of technical skills or budget.
Learning opportunity	Using these platforms can help you understand basic web design principles and best practices.
Quick setup	Many of these tools allow you to get a basic website up and running in just a few hours.
Flexibility	You can make changes to your site whenever you want, without having to rely on a web designer.
Templates and designs	Most free website builders offer a range of professional templates, giving your site a polished look even if you’re not a designer.
Basic SEO tools	Many platforms include basic SEO features to help your site perform better in search results.
Community support	Popular platforms often have large user communities where you can find help and inspiration.

Making the Most of Free Website Design Software

To get the best results from free website design software, follow these tips:

Tip	Description
Plan your site	Before you start building, plan out your site structure and content. This will make the design process much smoother.
Choose the right platform	Based on your needs and skills, select a platform that offers the right balance of features and ease of use.
Explore templates	Take time to browse through the available templates and choose one that aligns with your brand and goals.
Customise thoughtfully	While it’s tempting to use all the available design options, remember that sometimes less is more. Aim for a clean, professional look.
Optimise for mobile	With more people browsing on mobile devices, make sure your site looks good and works well on smartphones and tablets.
Use high-quality images	Good visuals can make a big difference. Use high-quality, relevant images to enhance your site’s appearance.
Write clear, concise content	Your website’s text should be easy to read and understand. Use short paragraphs and simple language.
Include clear calls-to-action	Make it obvious what you want visitors to do on your site, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you.
Test thoroughly	Before launching, test your site on different devices and browsers to ensure everything works as it should.
Keep it updated	Regularly update your content to keep your site fresh and relevant. This is also good for SEO.
Learn from analytics	Most platforms offer basic analytics. Use these to understand how visitors interact with your site and make improvements accordingly.
Consider upgrading	While free plans can be great to start with, as your needs grow, you might want to consider upgrading to a paid plan for additional features and functionality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, free website design software gives you a great way to establish an online presence without spending a lot of money or needing technical expertise. Whether you choose a simple platform like Google Sites, a feature-rich solution like Wix, or a more advanced tool like WordPress or Webflow, there’s a free option out there to meet your needs. By carefully thinking about factors such as ease of use, design flexibility, and room for growth, you can choose the perfect platform to create a website that effectively represents your brand and engages your audience. With some time, effort, and creativity, you can build a professional-looking website that helps you achieve your online goals, whether that’s attracting customers, sharing information, or showcasing your work to the world.