Key facts (UK, 2026)
• You can build a website for £0 on a free plan, but it comes with the builder's own address (like yourname.wixsite.com), their adverts, and no custom domain.
• A proper .co.uk domain costs about £10–£20 a year. Builder plans that let you use it start at about £7.49–£9 a month on annual billing.
• “Free website” offers from agencies and directories usually mean £0 upfront, then a monthly fee. One UK provider publishes £49.95–£249.99 a month.
• Over three years, that can be £1,800+ for a site you may not own.
• Wix sites can't be moved to another host. Wix says so itself, so leaving means rebuilding.
Can I create a website without paying?
Yes. Wix, Google Sites and several other builders let you make a website for nothing. The catch is what you get for £0. On Wix's free plan, the site sits on a Wix address (yourbusiness.wixsite.com/site), shows Wix adverts on every page, and can't use your own domain name. Google Sites is free with a Google account and has no adverts, but it's basic and not built for being found by customers.
For a hobby, that's fine. For a business, a builder's address and someone else's adverts tell customers you haven't invested in it, and a subdomain gives Google very little to go on. Most businesses end up paying for at least a domain and a plan.
Is there a free website builder with no monthly fee?
Only on the free plans, with the limits above. As soon as you want your own .co.uk address and no adverts, builders charge. Wix's UK plans start at £9 a month on annual billing (Light), and £16 if you want to sell online (Core), according to ExpertSure's 2026 UK pricing. Other builders start from about £7.49 a month.
Paid plans often include a free domain for the first year only. After that you pay renewal, usually £10–£20 a year. Watch the renewal price: first-year deals are often much cheaper than year two.
What do “free” and pay-monthly websites really cost?
These offers are common, often by phone or email: “We'll build your website for free.” What usually follows is a monthly fee, sometimes a minimum contract, and the question nobody mentions until later: who owns it?
As one published example, a UK pay-monthly website provider lists plans at £49.95, £99.95 and £249.99 a month, and says websites “remain the property of” the provider, and are removed if you cancel. That's not a trick: it's renting, stated clearly. But it's very different from owning a website.
Directory companies work similarly. A basic listing may be free, while their websites and advertising are sold as monthly packages, often with a 12-month minimum term. Always check the contract.
The one question to ask: “If I stop paying you in two years, what do I keep?” The answer you want is your domain name, your content, and your website.
Free, paid or pay-monthly: how do they compare?
| Free builder plan | Paid builder plan | “Free” / pay-monthly deal | Your own website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your own .co.uk address | No | Yes | Usually | Yes |
| No adverts for someone else | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| You can change it yourself | Yes | Yes | Often not, or pay per change | Yes |
| Pages for every service and town | Yes, but on their address | Yes | Depends on the package | Yes |
| Your own Google Analytics and Search Console | Limited | Yes | Ask: often not | Yes |
| You can take it with you | No | Domain yes, site no | Often nothing | Yes |
| Typical cost | £0 | £7.49–£25 a month | £50–£250 a month | £175–£1,200+ once, plus hosting |
How much does a “free” website cost over three years?
Rough totals for a small business site, using the prices above:
| Option | Year 1 | 3 years | Do you own it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free builder plan | £0 | £0 | You own the content, but it's on their address, with their adverts |
| Builder paid plan + domain (e.g. Wix Light) | about £108 | about £350 | Your domain, yes. The site only runs on that builder |
| “Free website” at £49.95 a month | about £600 | about £1,800 | Often no: check the contract |
| One-off small website + hosting | about £250–£1,400 | about £400–£1,800 | Yes, if the domain and hosting are in your name |
The builder figure is £9 a month plus about £15 a year for the domain from year two. The one-off figure uses published UK prices of £175–£1,200 for a small site, plus hosting at about £5–£15 a month and a domain. More detail: how much does a website cost in the UK? and how much does website hosting cost?
Can I get a free domain for a small business?
Usually only for the first year, bundled with a paid builder or hosting plan. The domain itself is the one part you should always own, in your name, with your own login at the registrar. If someone else registers it for you, ask for it to be in your name from day one. Your domain carries your email address and every link to your business. Losing it is far worse than losing a website. See do I own my website?
Can I move my website from Wix to another host?
No. Wix says it plainly: “Since Wix is a SaaS solution, your site must run on Wix's servers.” (Wix Help Center). You can move your domain away and copy your words and photos, but the website itself has to be rebuilt elsewhere. Squarespace lets you export some content, such as pages and blog posts, but not the design, so moving still means rebuilding. Most “free website” packages are similar or stricter. That's fine if you're happy to stay. Just know it before you start, not after. What moving really costs: how much does it cost to move a website?
Is Wix bad for SEO?
Not in itself. Wix sites on a paid plan with your own domain can and do rank on Google. When a Wix site doesn't bring in work, the reason is usually the same as on any platform: one page trying to cover every service, towns never mentioned, thin text, or no Google Business Profile. The free plan is the real handicap, because the builder's address and adverts give Google and customers less reason to trust it.
Is Google Sites good for a small business website?
It's free, has no adverts, and you can connect your own domain (which you pay for separately). For a simple one-page presence, it works. But it's basic: few layouts, limited control over how pages appear in search results, and no proper tools for things like quote forms or a guides section. Most businesses that want to be found for several services and towns outgrow it.
Questions to ask before you accept a free website
- Is there a monthly fee, and is there a minimum contract?
- Whose name is the domain registered in?
- Can I log in and change things myself, or do I pay for every change?
- Can another web designer work on it?
- What happens to the website, the domain and my email if I leave?
- Can I add my own Google Analytics and Search Console, so I can see what's working?
- Can I add pages for each service and town I cover?
A “free” website that can't do the last two often can't bring you much work either. That matters more than the price. See how to get more customers from Google without paying for ads.
Can I do it myself?
Yes. A paid builder plan and your own domain is a perfectly good start for a small business, and you keep control. The hard part isn't building the pages. It's making them clear to Google and AI tools and easy to get in touch from.
This is the kind of work Website Clarity does: fixing and improving websites people already have, taking over sites from a previous designer, and building new ones you own outright. See website services.
Common questions
- Is a free website really free?
- The website itself can be, on a builder's free plan, but with the builder's address, their adverts and no custom domain. Business-ready options cost from about £7.49–£9 a month plus a domain at about £10–£20 a year. “Free website” offers from agencies usually carry a monthly fee.
- What is the best free website builder for a small business in the UK?
- For a genuinely free site, Wix's free plan and Google Sites are the usual choices, but neither lets you use your own domain for free. For a business, a paid plan with your own domain is the realistic starting point.
- Is Yell free?
- A basic listing on Yell.com is free. Its websites and advertising are paid products, usually sold on monthly contracts. Check the minimum term and who owns the domain before signing.
- Do I own a website built for free by an agency?
- Not necessarily. Some providers state that the website remains their property and is removed if you cancel. Always ask in writing what you keep if you stop paying.
- Does Wix own my website?
- You own your words and photos, but the website itself only runs on Wix and can't be moved to another host. A domain bought through Wix can be transferred away. So you can keep your address and content, but not the site.
- Can I create a website without paying anything at all?
- Yes, on a free builder plan. You'll have the builder's web address and adverts, and no custom domain. It's fine for testing an idea, but most businesses outgrow it quickly.