How to make a website for free: three routes compared

Prompt to generate a complete one-page website

Replace the bracketed parts with your details, then paste the HTML output straight into ship.page.

How the five main free website options compare

What do builders like Wix, Framer and Durable give you for free?

Visual website builders let you drag text boxes and buttons around a canvas without touching code. They are the easiest way to design visually, though their free tiers attach strings like platform ads, branded addresses, or a non-commercial focus.

If you prefer starting from pre-made code instead of a locked-in builder, you can also modify free HTML templates and host the file yourself.

• The Wix free plan puts Wix ads on your site and uses an address like siteprefix.wixsite.com/siteaddress; a custom domain needs a paid Premium plan.
• The Framer free plan includes 500 AI credits to try, a free Framer domain and 5 MB file uploads; Framer calls it ideal for non-commercial use, and a custom domain needs a paid plan (Basic, $10 a month).
• Durable's free plan gives you a private website preview only, and publishing your site live starts with the Launch plan at $25 a month.

Which free static hosts keep a site up for good?

A static host serves plain HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and image files without a backend server. Choose this route if you want a free website forever, and you do not mind creating an account and managing files.

• GitHub Pages is free for public repositories on GitHub Free, with soft limits of 100 GB bandwidth a month and 10 builds an hour.
• GitHub Pages supports custom domains, requires a GitHub account and repository, and is not allowed as free hosting for a commercial, e-commerce, or SaaS business.
• Neocities free plan gives you 1 GB storage and 200 GB bandwidth a month with no ads, though free accounts have upload file type restrictions.
• Neocities offers a Supporter plan at $5 a month that raises limits to 50 GB storage, 3,000 GB bandwidth, and adds custom domains.

How does the AI chat plus ship.page route work?

When you do not want to open an account or set up a git repository, you can make a website with AI and publish it on ship.page. You get a live HTTPS subdomain in seconds, complete with a QR code you can download as a PNG.

ship.page serves static files only, with no server code such as PHP, databases or WordPress, so any contact form needs a third-party form service. If you just need a single document online, see how to make a web page.

• Zip any folder with more than about 7 MB of files before you upload it.
• Free pages show a small closeable badge and cannot be edited in place (uploading a new version creates a new link).
• Upgrading to Pro for $4 a month removes the badge, keeps pages online forever, adds password protection, and lets you update a page in place while keeping the same link.

Tip: If you upload a multi-page folder or ZIP, name your homepage index.html. File paths are case-sensitive, and about.html opens at /about.html; the short /about only works when the page is saved as about/index.html.

Which route fits your goal?

Match the service to how long you need the page and whether you need a custom domain or search engine indexing.

If you are putting together a bio link or portfolio, check our guide to making a free personal website.

• Pick GitHub Pages if you want permanent hosting with a custom domain for a non-commercial site, and you do not mind creating a public GitHub repository.
• Pick Neocities if you want a permanent, ad-free home for a personal or hobby HTML site without learning git.
• Pick Framer or Wix if you want a visual drag-and-drop editor and accept their subdomain, non-commercial guidance, or platform ads.
• Pick an AI chat plus ship.page if you want an unlisted link live in under a minute with zero signup, or pay $4 a month on Pro to keep and update it without managing a repository.