7 Free website builder with custom domain name
Trying to build a website on a tight budget (or probably none)? Well, it can be done but you will have to dig deeper than normal as it is not as easy to find a solution as you think. Most website builders will charge you a monthly fee if you wish to connect a custom domain. Lucky for you as I will show you 7 website builders where you can build your own website and connect to a custom domain for free!
If you want to starting building your own website without spending much money, this is a good place to do so.
What is a domain name?
In very simple terms, a domain name is simply the name of your website. It is the name that you type into your web browser to reach the website you want to visit. For example, google.com is a domain name, just as is reviewsmill.com.
If you want to have your own website, having a custom domain name is very useful in creating a brand and allowing your readers or customers to recognize and remember you.
Most of us take it for granted now that “all” websites should have their own domains, but in actual fact, some people are still using free sub domains that really does not give them much recognition. I would say these are really just for casual hobbyists.
Examples of subdomains include thisismyhobbyblog.blogspot.com and givemeabreak.wixsite.com.
What is a website builder?
Gone are the days when the only way to build a website was by learning how to code. These days, technology has made life much easier for every and anyone to start their own website.
Website builders are web based software that allows you to use drag and drop functions to build a website. It follows a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) principle. My site is build on WordPress, a content management system, and I use Elementor to design the it.
This is slightly more complicated as you will have to deal with plugins and what not, but still easy enough for most people who can operate a laptop and a mouse. This is also my recommended way to start a website and make money off it.
Other popular options include Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly.
7 Free website builders to create a website with your own domain
Frankly speaking, building a website these days is really quite inexpensive. Mostly, you will only need to deal with the cost of a domain and web hosting. Now, I’m not sure how you have a custom domain, but it is likely that you bought it for a steep discount, someone gift it to you, or it could be from a previous project that no longer requires it.
If you don’t have one, head over to Namecheap, my top recommendation for purchasing domains to get yourself one. They frequently have deals going on, but even without one, you can still get a custom domain for less than $10 (for a year). For the price of 2 coffees, you now have an asset!
As for hosting, pretty much all website builders will host your site for you. However, if you decide to eventually find your own hosting, I highly recommend A2 hosting for beginners and Rocket hosting for those with bigger pockets and requirements.
Ok, let’s dive into the website builders you can use to connect a custom domain for free now!
1. Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop (previously known as 3Dcart) is an ecommerce platform that allows you to create your own web store effortlessly. I really like the fact that they provide 24/7 customer support as that gives me lots of confidence to use their services.
And the best part? You get to build your own revenue generating asset without spending a dime. The only drawback here is that this offer is valid for US customers only.
For you guys from other parts of the world, not to worry as there are more options coming up.
Here’s what you get when you sign up for a free account with Shift4Shop:
- Free ecommerce platform
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free Domain Name
- 100+ Free Website Themes
- Unlimited Products
- SEO & Marketing Tools
- Unlimited Staff Users
- Integrated Blog
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- 24/7 Customer Support
- No Revenue Caps
- API Access
- Secure Online Payments
When they say you can build any kind of shop you want, they mean it. The options are unlimited and mind boggling so no matter what your business sells, you can build a site that caters to that.
Examples of online shop you can set up with Shift4Shop:
- Dropshipping
- Print-on-demand products
- Apparel
- Furniture
- Electronics
- Books
- Downloadable ebooks
- Toys and games
- Arts and crafts
- Event tickets
- Firearm and tactical accessories
- Hardware
- Nonprofits
- Subscriptions
- School or office supplies
- Music and band merchandise
PROS
- Lots of premium features you can use even with a free account
- Very reliable; they have been in business for over 20 years
- Great blog feature
- Includes business management tools like CRM
- Free migration
CONS
- Themes are somewhat dated
- No customer loyalty program
- Only for US customers
2. WordPress
I have decided to include WordPress in this list even though it is not purely a website builder. However, it has so many features and functionalities that can be added on for free, such as the Elementor page builder, that I simply cannot leave it out.
To set up a WordPress account, you will need to have your own hosting. Since you are trying to keep your cost down here, you will want to try out a free web hosting service provider such as byet.host. Their free plan allows you to connect your own domain.
WordPress can be used to build all kinds of sites including ecommerce sites, personal blogs, and business sites. The fact that WordPress powers over a quarter of the all the websites in the world says a lot about how good it is.
With access to hundreds and thousands of plugins, both free and paid, you can customize your site to your heart’s content.
PROS
- User friendly content management system (CMS)
- Lots of high quality plugins to add extra functionalities to your site
- Great for SEO
- Thousands of themes to customize your site
- Active forum to get support
CONS
- Slightly complicated for the absolute technology newbie
- Need to be quite hands on and manage frequent updates
- Too many options might confuse the user
3. UCraft
UCraft is a lesser known website builder that allows you to create beautiful and responsive websites super easily, all with the help of their drag and drop website builder.
That is not to say that they do not have many features, as on the contrary, their service does pack a punch.
You can use it to create your own blogging site, or use it to build your ecommerce empire.
I love the fact that simplicity is the order of the day so newcomers to the scene can get started easily and quickly.
Here is what you can expect from their free plan:
- Connect Your Domain
- Number of Pages
- SSL Security
- Connect to Google Analytics
- 24/7 Support
- Password Protected Pages
- Unlimited bandwidth for your website (Unlimited web visitors)
It is not often that companies offer 24/7 support to their non-paying customers, and this is where UCraft is really outdoing their competitors. Not sure how to build your site? Encountering technical difficulties. Help is not far away.
PROS
- Modern templates available so you do not need to start from scratch
- 100% responsive website for both desktops and mobile
- Integrations with lots of other tools
- Free image library
CONS
- Not for complex websites
- Limitation on the number of products you can publish
- UCraft branding will be visible in the footer of your site
4. Big Cartel
Another ecommerce platform that offers free services! Do we have a trend here?
Big Cartel has been on the scene for a while now, since 2005. Their main competitors are Shopify and Bigcommerce, but they have carved out their own market with their unique offerings, such as the free website builder.
By the way, their subscription prices are also far more reasonable than the big boys, so they are definitely worth looking into if that’s on your plate.
Having an ecommerce store with your own custom domain is very important in my opinion. No one really wants to shop at myshop.somerandomwebsite.com isn’t it? And Big Cartel has got it right here.
A free website builder with custom domain. Boom! And you are in business.
PROS
- Lots of customization options even in the free plan
- Access to new templates and themes
- Real time statistics
- Inexpensive premium plans
CONS
- Can only list 5 products
- Cannot edit the site code much
- Cannot track inventory (not a problem for digital product store though)
5. Branchbob
Guess what? Another free ecommerce platform that is offering free website building services! Plus connection to your own custom domain for free. How cool is that?
As you already know by now, ecommerce platforms like Branchbob are created so that you can build an online store very easily.
They have premade templates that are attractive and more importantly, responsive.
Branchbob takes it a notch further by not imposing any restrictions on their free plan. Yes, that means you can list as many products as you want with them.
You can also integrate with popular payment processors such as Stripe and Paypal to ensure you can serve the widest range of customers possible.
While they do not have a live chat support, their response speed is pretty impressive. You can expect a reply typically within 24 hours.
Here are some of the key features you can access:
- Product management
- Inventory management
- Order management
- Customer management
- Business intelligence
- Payment and shipping
PROS
- Lots of customization options even in the free plan
- Useful video tutorials available to guide you along
- You can further customize the look and feel if you know coding
- Great for startups
CONS
- Theme designs are quite basic looking
- The range of integrations is still pretty limited right now, but you can still build a fully functioning store
- Branchbod branding is present in your site footer
6. IMCreator
To be honest, I do not know much about IMCreator and do not have much experience with them either. However, a quick search and some testing later, I can say that their website builder is pretty top notch and easy to use.
They have even been featured on big sites like CNN and New York Times, and they claim to have over 17 million sites built on their platform! That’s a pretty impressive resume.
At first glance, it looks like they are mostly used to build websites rather than ecommerce, but I was wrong. They do have the functionalities required to build a solid online store.
And guess what, the free plan comes with unlimited hosting and bandwidth. Even some paid hosting services do not offer that.
Not much skill is required as they have a big bunch of ready made templates at your disposal, so you know you can have your site up in no time.
PROS
- Option to white label the sites so you can actually use them to start a website development business
- Beautifully designed templates
- Inexpensive paid plans
CONS
- Slightly complicated to use compared to other builders
- Free plan restricted to students and non profits only
7. Google Sites
Google has a ton of useful services that are made free for everyone, including websites. The way it works is very easy and can be set up in just a few clicks. On the flipside, there is not a lot you can do about customizing the site though.
You can use standard drag and drop functions like text boxes, images, and buttons, but beyond that, you should not expect to do a lot more.
That being said, simplicity is actually an advantage. The sites are responsive and looks great across all devices. They are also fast to load which is important to SEO and the experience for your viewers.
Plus, you can use your own custom domain! Here’s a link to google on how to do it.
PROS
- Very easy to use and not much learning curve involved
- Great for newbies who are not good with technology
- Integrates with other Google apps
CONS
- Limited functionality
- Not really suitable for businesses and ecommerce
In conclusion
So there you have it, 7 website builders that allows you to connect a custom domain for free. Which one to use depends on your needs, the amount of customization you need, and the types of features you require.
All of them have their own strengths and can suit most people’s needs.
My personal preference is to use WordPress to build my sites as well as use my own hosting. When you use website builders, your data is hosted by them which leaves you vulnerable to any problems they might face, such as company closure.
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