Compare free website builders for NZ businesses, including Wix, WordPress.com, Canva and Google Sites, plus a done-for-you alternative if you don't want to build it yourself.
Reviewed for 2026
There is no single best free website builder for everyone. Wix and WordPress.com are strong options for people who want to build and manage their own website, Canva can suit simple visually led sites, and Google Sites can work for very basic informational websites. If you're a New Zealand small-business owner who wants someone else to build the website, ArrowSite is a different option: eligible businesses can have the website designed and built for $0, then pay $40/month for Website Hosting if they choose to launch it.
A free website builder is a platform that lets you create and publish a website without paying an initial website subscription or build fee. Most free builders provide templates or editing tools and require you to build the site yourself. Free plans often differ from paid plans in areas such as domain names, branding, functionality or support.
ArrowSite is not a traditional free website builder because the customer does not build the website themselves — ArrowSite builds it for them.
We use qualitative recommendations by use case rather than artificial numeric scores.
| Option | Who builds it? | Free publishing? | Free address | Own domain | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | You | Permanent free DIY option | Wix URL (e.g. username.wixsite.com) | Paid plan required | Flexible DIY sites |
| WordPress.com | You | Permanent free DIY option | WordPress.com subdomain | Paid plan required | Content/blog-oriented DIY |
| Canva | You | Free publishing option | Canva URL (e.g. my.canva.site) | Depends on plan | Simple visual websites |
| Google Sites | You | Free/simple site-building option | Google-hosted address | Supported | Very simple websites |
| ArrowSite | ArrowSite | Free design/build if eligible; paid Website Hosting | Your own domain when launched | Yes; customer owns domain | NZ businesses wanting done-for-you |
Platform terms and features change, so check each provider's current plan conditions before choosing.
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This distinction is important. A free website builder usually means software or a platform where you build the site yourself. A free website build means someone else builds the website for you with no build fee, though hosting or management may still cost money. ArrowSite belongs to the second category.
ArrowSite belongs to this second category.
For a DIY user, ease depends heavily on which editing style feels most intuitive. Wix and Canva both provide visual editing experiences, while Google Sites prioritises simplicity. But if by "easiest" you mean doing the least website-building work yourself, a done-for-you option such as ArrowSite is fundamentally different because ArrowSite builds the website for you.
A free DIY website builder can work well for a small business if the owner has the time and confidence to build and manage the site. If the business mainly needs a straightforward professional website but does not want to build it themselves, a done-for-you service such as ArrowSite may be a better fit. Businesses requiring ecommerce, complex integrations or custom applications should usually consider a more advanced paid website solution.
Beginners should prioritise simplicity, templates, support and how much control they actually want. Canva and Google Sites can suit very simple projects, while Wix provides a broader visual website-building environment. A beginner who does not want to learn website-building software at all may prefer a done-for-you service instead.
At the time of writing, Google Sites supports connecting a custom domain on its free option. Wix and WordPress.com require a paid plan for a custom domain. Canva's custom-domain support depends on the applicable plan. ArrowSite uses the customer's own domain when the website is activated, with Website Hosting at $40/month. Always check the provider's current plan conditions before choosing based solely on domain support.
Some website builders genuinely allow a basic website to remain online on a free plan, but the free version may use a provider-branded address or have feature limitations. Other services offer only a trial rather than a permanent free plan. Always distinguish between a free website builder, a free trial, a free website build and free hosting.
Squarespace does not currently offer a permanent free website plan. It provides a 14-day free trial, after which a paid website plan is required to keep using the service. Squarespace is not included in the permanent-free comparison for this reason.
| Service | Model |
|---|---|
| Wix | Permanent free DIY option |
| WordPress.com | Permanent free DIY option |
| Canva | Free publishing option |
| Google Sites | Free/simple site-building option |
| Squarespace | Free trial, then paid |
| ArrowSite | Free design/build if eligible; paid Website Hosting |
More advanced requirements may justify a paid or custom solution, including ecommerce, complex booking systems, customer accounts, membership, custom integrations, web applications, large websites, large publishing requirements, significant databases or advanced bespoke functionality.
The cheapest website is not automatically the best website if it cannot perform the job the business needs it to perform.
| If your priority is… | Consider… |
|---|---|
| Build completely free and DIY | Wix / WordPress.com / other genuine free builder |
| Very simple visual page | Canva |
| Extremely simple informational site | Google Sites |
| Content or blogging | WordPress.com |
| More flexible DIY website building | Wix |
| Don't want to build anything yourself | ArrowSite |
| NZ small-business brochure website | ArrowSite if suitable |
| Ecommerce or complex functionality | More advanced paid/custom solution |
Wix and WordPress.com are platforms that allow customers to build and manage their own websites. ArrowSite is a done-for-you service: ArrowSite creates and manages the website for the customer. Eligible businesses can receive the website design and build for $0, then pay $40/month for Website Hosting if they decide to launch it.
No. ArrowSite's Free Website offer refers specifically to the website design and build. Eligible businesses pay $0 for that work, but customers who choose to launch the website pay $40/month for Website Hosting with a 12-month minimum. Businesses starting from scratch use the New Website service from $995 plus Website Hosting.
ArrowSite needs sufficient usable existing business material to work from. Potential sources include an existing website, a Facebook page, an Instagram profile or another approved online source. If there isn't enough existing content, a new website can be built from $995 plus $40/month Website Hosting.
Free website builders can reduce the financial cost, but you still need to design and build the website. If you're a New Zealand small business with enough existing business information online, ArrowSite may be able to do the build for you for $0.
Free Website: $0 design & build if eligible. No obligation to activate the preview. If you launch: $40/month Website Hosting, 12-month minimum.
New Website: From $995 + $40/month Website Hosting. 12-month minimum.
If you already have enough useful business information online, you may qualify for a $0 ArrowSite build. If you're starting from scratch, New Websites start from $995.
$0 design & build if eligible. No obligation to activate the preview. If you launch: $40/month Website Hosting, 12-month minimum.
New Website from $995 + $40/month Website Hosting. 12-month minimum.