4 Genuinely Free Ways to Build a Website
Four routes publish a real website at ₹0, and only one of them will ever try to sell you an upgrade:
- Free WordPress.com: a real blog on yourname.wordpress.com — catch: the subdomain, platform limits, and plugin restrictions until paid tiers.
- Google Sites: free to build, host and maintain with a Google account, with no paid tier at all — catch: a sites.google.com address, embed-only code access, and no real ecommerce.
- Free website-builder plans: AI website builder and similar tools give a working page set free — catch: branding, limited pages, and export difficulty. GoDaddy's free start, for example, is 50 AI credits a month.
- Blogger: Google's veteran platform — catch: dated design culture and an audience that reads it as a hobby signal.
What free plans do not give you: a custom domain, real control over code and SEO, and a professional email — the three things a business site needs on day one. The step-by-step for Blogger and WordPress.com follows below, along with the budget upgrade path: domain ₹500-1,200/year plus hosting from ₹300/month converts any free build into a proper site. Test the concept free, launch the business on your own stack — the AI website builder is the middle door.
| Free route | Address you get | True cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com free | yourname.wordpress.com | ₹0 — ads on your pages on the free tier | Blogging with a real publishing engine |
| Google Sites | sites.google.com/view/… | ₹0 — no paid tier exists | Info sites, portfolios, project pages |
| Free builder plan | Builder's subdomain | ₹0 — branding and page limits; custom domain is a paid feature | One-page teaser sites, fast launches |
| Blogger | yourname.blogspot.com | ₹0 — dated templates | Hobby blogs, zero-cost writing |
Free Website Builders vs Free WordPress.com
Builders give you a designed template in minutes but lock the layout, the page count and the export; WordPress.com free gives you a real blog engine with themes on a subdomain but holds plugins and the custom domain for its paid tiers. Google Sites sits between the two — fully free with no ads, but you can only embed code, never edit it. Pick a builder when looks matter most and the site stays small; pick WordPress.com free when writing is the product; pick Google Sites when ₹0 must stay ₹0 forever.
What Free Plans Do Not Give You
No free plan gives you a custom domain, control over code and SEO, a professional email address, or a clean export path. Builders gate domains and premium templates behind paid tiers — Canva marks them "Pro", GoDaddy's free start is 50 AI credits a month — while Google Sites charges nothing but only allows code in fixed embed blocks, desktop-only editing, and a Google account. Free plans are for testing an idea, not for owning a web presence.
Step-by-Step: Free Site on Blogger or WordPress.com
Both routes are live in under an hour at ₹0. On WordPress.com: create the account, choose the free plan, name the site (this sets yourname.wordpress.com), pick a theme, write and publish the first post. On Blogger: sign in with a Google account, click New Blog, set the title and the blogspot address, choose a theme, and publish. On either platform, delete the sample post and set a real password before you share the link.
When Free Stops Working for a Business
Free stops working the moment the site has to sell: customers expect a custom domain and a professional email, the platform's branding and ads read as amateur, SEO control is limited to what the free tier exposes, and checkout or booking flows either do not exist or carry the platform's cut. The rule of thumb: while the site is a test bench, free is fine; the day it carries a business name, it needs its own domain and hosting. If you are still weighing the fork, read web hosting vs website builder next.
The Budget INR Upgrade Path: Domain Plus Hosting
Converting a free build to a proper site costs a domain at ₹500-1,200 a year plus WebJi® shared hosting at ₹300, ₹400 or ₹700 a month before 18% GST (live billing prices, read 30 October 2026) — so the entry combination lands near ₹4,100-4,800 in year one. WordPress installs from the one-click installer, your free-tier content imports, and the site owns its address, its email and its SEO. See the exact rows on the WebJi® shared hosting plans and prices page.
Keep Your Content: Moving Free to Paid
Nothing written on a free tier is trapped. WordPress.com exports your posts and pages from its tools menu, and Blogger's export file imports straight into self-hosted WordPress — so the move to your own domain keeps the words, images and URLs you already ranked with. Free migration onto WebJi® is subject to terms and approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create a website for free?
Yes. WordPress.com's free plan, Google Sites, free website-builder plans and Blogger all publish a real website at ₹0 — you get a subdomain address and live pages in under an hour. What you do not get is a custom domain, code-level control or a professional email; those need a paid plan or your own domain and hosting.
What is the best free website builder?
Match the tool to the job. Google Sites is the only one with no paid tier at all — free to build and host, best for informational sites and portfolios. WordPress.com free suits bloggers who want a real publishing engine. Builder free plans (Canva, GoDaddy-style) give designed templates fastest but show branding and limit pages; GoDaddy's free start is 50 AI credits a month. Blogger is the simplest zero-cost hobby blog.
Is a free website good for business?
For testing, yes; as a business front door, no. A free site carries a subdomain, platform branding or ads, no professional email and limited SEO control — the three things customers judge a business on. Test the concept free, then move to your own domain: ₹500-1,200 a year for the domain plus WebJi® shared hosting from ₹300 a month before 18% GST.
How do I get a free domain and hosting?
You cannot get a real custom domain free. What free plans give is a platform subdomain — yourname.wordpress.com, sites.google.com/view/… or yourname.blogspot.com — with hosting bundled at ₹0. A domain you actually own costs money (₹500-1,200 a year at WebJi®), and paid hosting starts at ₹300 a month before 18% GST.
Do free websites show ads?
It depends on the platform. Blogger and free builder tiers can show platform branding or ads you do not control and cannot always switch off; WordPress.com free runs its ads on your pages; Google Sites shows none but locks code access to embeds only. Removing ads and branding is a paid-tier or self-hosted decision.
How do I move from free to a custom domain later?
Buy the domain (₹500-1,200 a year), then either map it to the free platform on a paid plan, or move the content to your own hosting: WordPress.com and Blogger both export content, and Blogger imports straight into WordPress on WebJi® shared hosting (from ₹300 a month before 18% GST). Free migration onto WebJi® is subject to terms and approval.
Is WebJi® an Indian company?
Yes. WebJi® is headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan and has operated since 2005. Billing, support and governance all run from India.
Do you provide GST invoices?
Every purchase and renewal gets a GST invoice with our GSTIN, and hosting prices are quoted exclusive of 18% GST. Claim input credit as applicable.