Top 12 NZ Free Website Builders

Wix is one of the most well-known online website building applications and solutions currently available today. The intuitive drag-and-drop builder is easy to use for anyone, regardless of web design and programming experience.

With Wix, users have the ability to take advantage of more than 300 templates for each individual web page they create for their website, providing virtually endless options when it comes to the design and layout of your creations.

Wix website building packages start at approximately $15.13 NZ a month, but the plan also includes a free domain name for all users. Additionally, beginner plans for Wix also include 3GB of storage, 2GB of bandwidth, and 30 video minutes.

WordPress.com is one of the oldest and longest-lasting blogging platforms on the internet today. It is free to create your own WordPress.com username, which will instantly provide you with a free WordPress.com blog free of charge.

If you are interested in a simple blog and you are less concerned over graphics, layouts, and various features or plugins to attract and retain visitors, consider launching a free WordPress.com blog to help you get your idea off of the ground.

With WordPress.com, it is possible to purchase an official domain name and use the free WordPress.com blog host on your domain if you are interested in a more professional appearance when sharing your blog with others online.

For those who prefer complete and total control over the type of websites they build, WordPress is an optimal solution, especially with today’s demand for mobile optimization, SEO, and app integration.

Self-hosting and using WordPress provides you with maximum control over choosing your preferred web host based on your needs and budget and creating a WordPress website with virtually endless possibilities.

WordPress itself is free to use, and it is possible to integrate WordPress with just about any well-known and reputable web host. With WordPress, create a blog, or an entire eCommerce store with the use of free plugins such as WooCommerce and Shopify.

Create newsletters, track stats, and implement social media sharing icons into all of your posts and updates to promote additional engagement and interactions on your website. With more creative control, provide users with additional features.

For anyone interested in expanding their web programming and design skills, consider using WordPress in conjunction with a web host of your choice.

Similarly to Wix, Weebly is another simple, yet modern website builder that offers a free plan as well as premium plans. Weebly is one of the most affordable and cost-effective website builders available.

Weebly is ideal for those who do not have investors or are seeking low-cost startup options that are still effective and useful.

The interface is straightforward and easy to use, allowing users the ability to create modern, engaging, and professional web pages within minutes using a vast library of templates, layouts, and other graphic elements to help get you started.

Using Weebly may cost you as little as $5 a month for an annual plan to $46 a month for a Business plan, still making Weebly one of the cheapest website builders available for New Zealanders.

Strikingly is another drag-and-drop website builder that is the perfect solution for anyone who is not familiar with web design but wants to maintain creative control over their own website.

Simply add text, links, paragraphs, images, and other forms of media using Strikingly’s drag-and-drop intuitive builder. Strikingly also provides users with a plethora of layout templates to choose from to get started if you are feeling uninspired.

Using Strikingly is easy and only requires a few minutes to get started with a new account, allowing you to begin the building of your website and its pages immediately.

Plans for Strikingly range from $8 a month for an individual website to $49 for businesses that require 5 websites or more. For anyone on a budget, Strikingly is a great choice to get started with your very own website.

Squarespace is an extraordinarily powerful website designer and page builder, allowing users complete and total control over the look and feel of their websites, even with an editor working in the background.

Using Squarespace may require a bit of patience and the willingness to learn if you are unfamiliar with design and various elements involved in a web page. SquareSpace provides more design control than its current online competitors.

Because of SquareSpace’s powerful editor, users can create pages that are not available with the use of alternative drag-and-drop competitors, giving SquareSpace an advantage among professional web designers who use the service.

Starter plans for SquareSpace begin at approximately $16 AUD a month, but include unlimited bandwidth and storage along with a free SSL and domain name, which is ideal for just about anyone who is seeking a total package with their website builder.

Are you a New Zealander who is looking to sell products and launch an eCommerce store online? If you want to get involved with the eCommerce industry but you are unsure of where to begin, consider a Shopify account.

Shopify is a self-hosted all-inclusive eCommerce solution for individuals and businesses alike. Using Shopify is easy as it can be integrated with a variety of web hosts, applications, and social media networks.

Whether you are interested in launching a dropshipping company, a print-on-demand company, or if you want to sell items you have created or manufactured yourself, Shopify can help you to do so with its intuitive user dashboard and guided resources and tutorials.

Shopify costs range anywhere from $29 a month to more than $299 a month, depending on the volume you sell on your store, the traffic you expect, and the features you are interested in for your eCommerce platform as you continue to grow and scale.

It is important to note that when choosing Shopify as your preferred eCommerce hosting platform that you will also be charged interest and a transaction fee for each item you sell.

Basic users who pay $29 a month for their Shopify account and storefront will be required to pay a 2.9% interest rate and a $.30 transaction fee for each purchase that is completed.

Premium accounts and plans may only require a 2.4% interest charge with each purchase that is made on your storefront with the use of Shopify’s system in place.

Always take the time to compare and review your options before choosing a website builder or eCommerce host that is right for you.

Sitebuilder.com is a classic online website builder, designed to provide form and functionality to websites across the world. SiteBuilder.com is not a modern or design-focused website builder.

Instead, it is designed with simplistic structures in mind, optimal for local businesses, restaurants, and even contractors who are looking for a way to maximize their online reach with prospective customers and clients.

Using SiteBuilder.com is easy and straightforward and does not require an understanding of layout design to get started.

All users with a SiteBuilder.com account will receive access to a library of static web page themes that are ideal for basic and straightforward webpages. While using SiteBuilder.com is not free of charge, plans begin at as little as $7.50 AUD a month.

Each of the plans available from SiteBuilder.com currently also includes free web hosting, a domain name fo your choice, a custom email address to match with your website’s domain name, as well as the included drag-and-drop web builder to help you in the creation of your site.

While Jimdo is not yet a household name throughout New Zealand or the rest of the world, it packs a powerful punch when it comes to developing and designing a modern, yet useful website.

Jimdo’s web builder is simple to use and includes plenty of templates for users to browse when setting up their website for the first time.

Jimdo is so simple that users can create a brand new website from the ground up in as little as three minutes with the use of a template from the Jimdo library.

Currently, plans for Jimdo range from $15 to $25 AUD a month depending on the features you require as well as the amount of storage space you need for your website and its content.

Each new user of Jimdo will be provided with a free domain name as well as SEO tracking, statistics and analytics, and a free SSL certificate to help boost the privacy and security of your visitors and online users

If you are searching for an eCommerce website-building solution that is designed with bigger brands and businesses in mind, consider using BigCommerce.

While BigCommerce was originally developed to cater to expanding eCommerce brands and businesses across the globe, it welcomes individuals and startups on its platform as well.

The eCommerce platform is extremely intuitive, modern, and provides users with a walkthrough of creating a working and revenue-generating eCommerce storefront from the ground up.

Basic BigCommerce plans for new users begin at $29 AUD a month. Each paid account not only receives access to all of BigCommerce’s layout templates and eCommerce store themes, but they also receive unlimited bandwidth and storage.

Other useful features available with a BigCommerce account include real-time shipping quotes, and the ability to integrated Apple Pay, PayPal, Google Pay, and more with each transaction that is completed and processed.

Although BigCommerce is more expensive than other website builders and eCommerce platforms available on the market today, it does pack a punch with the number of features, templates, and functions it provides to each of its users.

Site 123 is a free website builder that allows anyone the opportunity to get started with their own website even if they do not have web design, programming, or editing experience that is traditionally necessary.

The platform is easy to use and is ideal for individuals who are running a small business, promoting a local restaurant, offering services to locals, or even sharing information about products and services they represent.

With Site 123, the process of getting started with a website of your own is as simple as other competitors such as Weebly and Wix.

However, if you are seeking a website builder that provides flexibility and creative control when designing the layout and template of your website, Site 123 may fall short of your expectations.

Site 123 is designed for individuals who are looking for form and function over modern design, graphics, and templates. Although Site 123 is a bit behind in the times as far as design goes, it does offer an array of layouts and templates to choose from for both free and paid users.

Users of Site 123 are provided with 5GB of bandwidth each month along with 10GB of storage for each of their websites, which is plenty more than necessary for most small and local businesses.