Best Totally Free (Relatively Simple) Website Building Tool

GnarlyKnuckles on 02/04/2018 - 18:01
Last edited 02/04/2018 - 19:01 by 1 other user

I want to create a relatively simple website that looks vaguely professional. I want more than 1 page, but I could get by with 10 pages or less. I already have a hosted domain name/'website host' that comes with unlimited email addresses etc., but their 'complementary website builder' service/thingy is crap, because it's limited to 1 page.

I'm finding it surprisingly difficult to locate a free/(open-source?) program online (preferably with a few easy-to-use templates to choose from) that I can use to create a simple website, which I can then upload to the web-hosting service I am paying for. There seems to be a real dichotomy; either you pay a 'host' and are then virtually forced to use their website building tools/options, or conversely, you pay for a website builder and that comes bundled with hosting.

Or am I missing something here?!?

Needless to say, this is far from my area of expertise… any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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  dcep on 02/04/2018 - 18:14

  maybe wordpress ?

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  brokenglish on 02/04/2018 - 18:25

  Yes, usually the website builder that comes with standard cPanel is crap.
  Easiest interface for layman is Wordpress.
  Find Softaculous in your cPanel if any and install Wordpress to the root folder of your hosting, otherwise install Wordpress manually. It's free.

  Edit: oh wait, I just reread your post. Do you even have access to the cPanel at all? What's the provider? Who do you pay to get this service? If you don't have access to the cPanel then you chose the wrong provider/scammed.

  • 

    No Username on 02/04/2018 - 19:55

    It sounds like he is using Crazy Domains as they offer free websites hosting but it is only limited to one page.

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  Quantumcat on 02/04/2018 - 19:19

  +1

  What about Dreamweaver? It helps you build static html pages visually.

  • 

    No Username on 02/04/2018 - 19:53

    But you need to know how to code with HTML, CSS, and JS

    • 

      Quantumcat on 02/04/2018 - 21:04

      You don't need js if building a static page, and any kid can learn html

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  AJW on 02/04/2018 - 19:37

  wix premium about $10/month - you might be able to downgrade current hosting (to use email only as they host your site) to save some $
  or
  squarespace is about $15/month, same deal you may be able to downgrade current hosting

  both have free design tools

  Or buy a template from somewhere like envato market if you can use tools like dreamweaver
  https://themeforest.net/category/site-templates

  edit: I would be slightly wary of using something you have to keep updated yourself like a Wordpress CMS because usually people build there site using latest version 1.2.3, and then 3 years later when it is 26 versions behind and some of your add-ons are not compatible or you have a tricky migration or upgrade path you will simply give up…then it gets hacked :(

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  No Username on 02/04/2018 - 19:51

  +1

  All of these are free to use and easy to operate.

  • Wordpress
  • Joomla
  • Drupal
  • 

    peterpeterpumpkin on 02/04/2018 - 20:39

    As a long-time Drupal developer (who admittedly quit before Drupal 8 became a serious option), I would never suggest a novice bother with it for a simple website. I've seen people on Airtasker and elsewhere pay a premium to solve the simplest of problems due to
    absence of competition.

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  c9 on 02/04/2018 - 19:58

  if you are ok with html/css, you can just bootstrap from example template.

  https://getbootstrap.com/docs/4.0/examples/

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  Oofy Doofy on 02/04/2018 - 23:38

  What happened to good ole WYSIWYG webpage designers? All the rage back in the late 90s and early 2000s.