6 Best Personal Website Builders (4 Are Free) – 2024 Update

Many website builders are so focused on impressing business customers that they forget about the needs of personal users. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not pay a premium for a whole lot of fancy features that I’ll never use.

I know from past experience that figuring out the best and most relevant option can be overwhelming. In fact, I gave up and got somebody else to design my site for me. But then I ended up with a website that didn’t reflect my personality and what I’m all about. Now that I’m back to square one, I’m doing the research for my benefit – as well as yours.

Whether you’re starting a fashion blog to build your following, a personal diary to share with friends, or an online resume to impress prospective employers, here’s my selection of the best personal website builders around.

While any of these builders would be a good option, Wix stands out as the best of the best. It offers the most templates, features, and creative freedom and has a generous free plan. Try it risk-free or read on for more inspiring options.

What I Looked For in the Best Personal Website Builders

Since this is a personal project and not a business venture, you’ll probably want to keep costs down. However, you also don’t want to put in a ton of effort on your own time just to end up with a website that doesn’t meet your needs. I narrowed down the countless website builders out there by focusing on both value and the following features:

• Attractive templates. Your personal web page represents who you are, so it needs to look good. I picked out website builders with a diverse range of template designs specifically for personal websites.
• Personalization options. Templates are convenient, but the best personal websites are always highly customized. These builders allow you to customize your template’s design so your identity shines through.
• User-friendly interfaces. Most of us aren’t coders or designers, so we need platforms that make customization easy. All six builders on this list make it simple to set up a site and make it your own.
• Content features. Many personal web pages are about sharing content, so I’ve highlighted the builders that let you enhance your site with blogs, portfolios, and even podcasts.

1. Wix: Perfect for Building Your First Personal Site

Wix gives you different ways to easily create a personal website. If you’re uncertain how to begin, you can answer a few questions and Wix ADI will build your site for you. If you want more design freedom, choose from Wix’s huge selection of templates for everything from resumes and personal portfolios to blogs, vlogs, and podcasts. Its intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to add your own content and move it around until the layout suits you.

It’s also incredibly easy to add a blog to your portfolio or resume website, to demonstrate your expertise. Wix guides you through each step, including search engine optimization (SEO) – which will help your blog rank higher in search engine results. You can easily post, edit, and update content as needed using the intuitive blog manager. You have full control over your online presence.

Wix is also affordable, with a range of pricing plans to suit everyone. In fact, if you’re on a super tight budget, it’s possible to build a free personal website. However, you won’t be able to get a custom domain name, and Wix branding will appear on your site.

Features

• Podcast templates. If you want to speak your mind, Wix makes it easy to share your audio recordings and even offers advice on how to create a podcast. If you’ve already started one on another platform, you can integrate its RSS feed into your site so new podcasts appear automatically.
• Easily upload videos. Wix also has a great video player which allows you to upload content quickly and easily. If you’re using YouTube or Vimeo, you can also embed content from there so you don’t have to worry about Wix’s storage limits.
• Wix App Market. Wix offers hundreds of free apps that can be used to add features like search bars, pop-up boxes, and forms to your website. With just a couple of clicks, you can enhance your personal site with a wide variety of features.
• Free photos. Wix offers a range of free stock images and videos, so if you don’t have your own photos, you don’t need to stress about photoshoots or copyright infringement.

If you want to learn more, read our Wix review.

2. SITE123: For Getting a Personal Site Online in a Hurry

SITE123 has updated its template library and added a bunch of new features, while maintaining its commitment to making it quick and easy for anyone to build an attractive, professional-looking website. If you’re rushing to get a resume site together or build an online presence for your blog or portfolio, SITE123 could be your best option.

You’ll find a variety of templates designed for personal websites that are easily customized using SITE123’s point-and-click editor. You only need to click on the heading, image, or text box to add your own content or update your site’s overall structure with a pre-built layout.

I love how you can swap your template’s homepage image for a video background or slideshow. It’s a great feature for photographers, graphic designers, and bloggers who want to create an eye-catching site that grabs visitors’ attention as soon as they hit the page.

The free plan may lack some advanced design features like custom color palettes and font choices, but SITE123’s ease of use makes up for that. If this is your first time building a site and you find the prospect daunting – or if you’re in a pinch and just need to get your site or resume online quickly and easily – SITE123 won’t let you down.

Features

• Digital personal/business card. This free tool makes it easy to create a custom virtual card that aligns with your brand. Simply choose a template and then add your photo, information about yourself, a gallery (for portfolio sites), links to your social media, and contact information.
• Free SEO tools. These will help you attract traffic to your website and can help you grow a following or get discovered by a potential new employer or client.
• App market and plugins. SITE123 offers a variety of apps and plugins, that let you add everything from marketing tools to analytics. For your personal site, you might consider using these tools to enhance your pages with polls or social share buttons, though both require a paid plan.
• Google Analytics. Find out more about your visitors by connecting your website to Google Analytics. This will show you exactly where your visitors are from, how long they stay on your site, and other useful information that will empower you to improve your site’s content.

Is SITE123 right for you? See our expert review for more.

3. Squarespace: Ideal for Portfolio Sites

Squarespace’s slick and professional templates are ideal for the likes of designers and photographers who need their website to look sharp. Its easy-to-use editor and customization options will allow you to make these great pre-built designs your own.

Squarespace has specific templates for everything from blogs to portfolios. The designs tend to be polished and contemporary. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll have no problem building the website of your dreams.

The second you sign up, Squarespace walks you through the process of editing a template. Whether you want to add a logo, delete a page, or change a font, the instructions are accessible right there in the editor.

The platform doesn’t offer a free option, but there is a 14-day free trial, and the personal plan offers pretty good value. While you’ll need to upgrade to sell on your site, the personal plan includes a free custom domain, SSL certificate, 24/7 support, and access to Squarespace extensions. This means you won’t have to worry about a costly upgrade any time soon.

Features

• Unlimited bandwidth and storage. Whichever plan you choose, you’ll never need to worry about limits on how much content you can upload or how many people visit your site.
• Plenty of social features. Personal templates feature built-in social media icons, which are great for encouraging people to connect with you. You can also automatically post newly published content to social media or embed a feed. You can get conversations started by allowing readers to comment on your blog posts, too.
• Extensions and integrations. If you ever want to expand your site’s reach, Squarespace has lots of handy marketing extensions that can help.
• Sophisticated blogging. Squarespace gives you tools to create a blog that will start building your audience. You can organize posts with tags and categories, add featured images and excerpts, and optimize for SEO with customized URLs and title tags.

Get more info in our expert Squarespace review.

‌Try Squarespace for Free >>

4. Webador: Beginner-Friendly Website Builder

Webador offers a selection of 50+ smart-looking templates – although just 14 are designed for personal websites and include resumes, portfolios, blogs, and wedding announcements. Unlike other builders, Webador also doesn’t organize its templates in categories, the theory being any template can be used to create any type of website. Still, I found it harder to choose the perfect template with this system.

While you don’t have as much creative freedom as you get with Wix, Webador’s drag-and-drop editor is easy to use. Creating pages, changing fonts/colors, adding/removing features like buttons, and linking to external pages is straightforward. If you’re building an online resume or want to market your professional services, you can also upload a downloadable PDF of your CV for potential clients/employers.

While I felt Webador’s free plan offered a fair number of features, some advanced tools require an upgrade to a Pro or Business plan. That includes adding your domain to Google Search Console to track your site’s performance or linking Google Analytics to get information about your visitors and other useful analytics data. That said, even these  plans are quite affordable.

Features

• Multi-media tools. Webador lets you add YouTube videos and MP3 audio to your site. Other elements you can drag-and-drop onto your pages include slideshows and photo albums.
• Social buttons and sharing. Engage with your site visitors by linking your social platforms and social media feeds via icons. You can also allow visitors to share your site on their social media to boost your online presence.
• Image editor. All images are automatically optimized for viewing on desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile. The updated image editor gives you tools to resize and add text and frames to your images.
• Detailed reporting. You can review information about your visitors, their geographic locations, and devices, as well as learn which pages on your site are the most popular. To get detailed analytics, you’ll need to upgrade to a Pro plan or higher.

Our full Webador review has more details.

5. IONOS: For Personal Sites with International Reach

IONOS’s MyWebsite Now builder is one of the easiest ways to create a personal website for your portfolio, business, or wedding. While the template selection is small – 23 in all – the designs are clean, modern, and mobile-friendly.

Once you choose your template, personalizing the design to suit your brand or vision is easily done using pre-made layouts and color schemes. Adding photo galleries to feature your best design or photography projects takes minutes. It’s just as easy to integrate your feed from Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest and add YouTube videos to your site.

IONOS doesn’t offer a free plan, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, which should give you ample time to decide if it’s right for you. And MyWebsite Now’s entry-level plan is one of the most affordable options out there. When your site takes off you can upgrade to MyWebsite Now Plus to access more advanced features, including the AI text generator, online booking tool, and SEO wizard.

Features

• Multi-language features. When you activate automatic translation, your personal website can be viewed in up to 60 different languages.
• Personal support consultant. IONOS offers 24/7 customer support with a perk: a designated consultant, available during business hours, who can offer tips and strategies to help you succeed. And it’s free!
• SEO optimization. When it comes to the all-important task of optimizing your site for search engines, IONOS has your back. Simply download the free guide to get helpful tips on how to boost traffic and rank higher on Google search results.
• Photo editing tools. The photo editor lets you adjust brightness and saturation, crop images, and add Instagram-like filters, text, and backgrounds to make your portfolio or blog shine.

Read our in-depth IONOS review to learn more.

6. WordPress.com: For Extensive Customization and Brilliant Blogs

WordPress.com is first and foremost a blogging platform. That’s what it was originally set up to do, and this continues to be the central focus of its website themes. So if your blog is your biggest priority, WordPress.com could be a good option for you.

The WordPress.com editor isn’t quite as easy to use as some other builders on this list. But once you get the hang of it, the customization options are endless. It offers over 125 themes and loads of built-in features. If you plan to continue developing your website in the long term, this is a smart choice.

I also love that you can search themes by feature, layout, style, or subject. If you have a design in mind, you’ll be able to find something that won’t require too much editing. And if you’re ever stuck and can’t figure out how to do something in WordPress.com, there’s almost definitely a support article that can help you out.

WordPress.com’s basic plan is free, but it’s quite limited in terms of functionality. However, its personal plans come in at just a few bucks a month and include a free custom domain name for the first year. You can even connect one right in the WordPress.com interface.

Features

• In-depth statistics. At WordPress.com, we offer charts, graphs, and lists that display valuable information about your visitors, including their origins and clicked items. Furthermore, we provide detailed instructions to elucidate the significance of these metrics!
• Advanced design options. If you have the skills and want to take customization a step further, consider WordPress.com’s Premium plan or higher, which offer CSS editing and advanced design tools.
• Plugins. WordPress.com provides a wide range of advanced plugins that can enhance your blog and take it to the next level. However, it’s important to note that you can only access plugins with the Business plan or a higher tier. Some of the top plugins include Yoast for SEO, WP-Rocket for improving speed, and Sassy Social Share for adding share buttons.
• Features to drive growth. WordPress.com offers subscriber-only content features and monetization options even on its free plan – great if you want to turn your personal passion into a business.

See our expert WordPress.com review for more.

How to Build Your Personal Website

Whether you’re setting up a blog, an online resumé, or even a gallery of the cool places you’ve been, setting up a personal website only takes a few hours. Just follow my simple step-by-step guide:

1. Choose a website builder. You can expect to pay a few dollars each month for your personal website. Or, if you’ve got no extra cash, you can create a website for free with Wix.

2. Customize a template. As great as templates are, you’ll want to spend some time customizing your favorite template to make sure your website design reflects who you are. Fortunately, it’s easy to customize your template with any of the builders I’ve featured above.

3. Add your content. Your website’s pages, blogs, podcasts, and galleries are full of content that makes you unique. Most builders come with basic content features, but for more sophisticated content tools, you might need to check out the app store.

The Best Personal Website Builder Depends on Your Needs and Goals

All the builders on this list have the capability to help you create an impressive personal website. However, you can enhance efficiency and minimize effort by selecting the one that aligns most effectively with your specific requirements.

I recommend Wix for its templates, customization, and features. It’s a good choice for both total beginners and those with more experience – basically anybody looking to set up a personal website for a CV, blog, or podcast.

On the other hand, SITE123 is the go-to choice for anyone who wants to get online fast. It’s great for personal and CV sites and connecting with potential clients or employers.
If your priority is showing off your work, Squarespace is great for visually striking portfolios. It’s also a good option for ambitious bloggers because most Squarespace features are available on its personal plan.

FAQ

How do you create a personal website?

Start by choosing a template that looks great and suits your needs – that’s easiest with Wix. Then you can focus on customizing it to reflect your personality. Use the editor to tweak the layout and choose your favorite fonts and colors. Then add your own text, images, and videos.

What should you put on a personal website?

Whether you’re setting up a blog or creating a professional portfolio, your character should always shine through. Always include a biography introducing yourself. Discuss your mission and background and provide links to your social media accounts.

A website builder like Squarespace makes it easy to add as many pages as you need, and it has excellent social media integrations as well.

How can you create a personal website for free?

Many website builders offer a free plans for building a personal website, but my favorite is Wix, because you get access to almost all the features on the free plan. To get started, all you have to do is go to the Wix homepage and sign up. If you want to quickly and easily build a free site, another good option is SITE123.

Do you need to know code to create a personal website?

No, my top recommendations don’t require any coding experience or knowledge. For more information about the six website builders I’ve recommended, check out our review of the 10 best website builders in 2024.