Best website builders for freelancers

Being a freelancer is great—you can choose your working hours, decide how much to charge and work on exciting projects. That said, you still need to market your services and attract new clients.

And given that 44% of people start their buyer’s journey on search engines, building a professional website to appear in the top search engine result pages (SERPs) is an excellent way to do that. 

Although designing a website from scratch can be time-consuming, using a website builder can help you skip a few steps and get your website up and running quickly. This guide will introduce you to the best website builders for freelancers, along with tips on how to build a website for your freelance business. 

But first, let’s start with the basics.

Freelance websites help freelancers (e.g., photographers or yoga teachers) showcase their portfolios and services online. They allow freelancers to sign up clients, create subscriptions and sell products or services. 

A blog is often a part of a freelance website and it helps the freelancer rank high on SERPs. Beyond that, a professionally designed website conveys the freelancer’s style, process and vision.

Wix is an industry leader in website builders, with 250+ million users worldwide. Wix offers over 800 stunning website templates and an intuitive drag-and-drop website editor powered by artificial intelligence. 

Best for: Freelancers who want to create a highly personalized website and online store with zero coding.

• AI website builder: Wix comes with a powerful AI tool that allows you to create a custom website from a simple text prompt. Wix also helps you create images and web copy using AI. 

• Streamlined website building: Wix asks you a series of questions to understand your requirements and suggests a template that is best suited for your business. It also populates your dashboard with apps relevant to your website.

• Wix App Market: The app market helps you make a website with features like appointment booking, subscriptions/memberships, contact forms and event ticketing.

Weebly is a freelance sie builder with a beginner-friendly website editor. Weebly has limited templates but it’s cost-effective and easy to use. 

Best for: Freelancers who want to create a simple website with ecommerce capabilities.

• Integrated ecommerce platform: Weebly’s e-commerce platforms help you set up a store to sell physical goods. Selling digital goods, like ebooks, requires a premium plan. 

• SEO blogging: Weebly has a drag-and-drop blog creator with SEO tools like custom URL, title tag, description and customized header and footer.

• Weebly App Center: Weebly integrates third-party apps to enhance your website. Apps are categorized into e-commerce, marketing tools, communication, website tools and others.

• Free plan with limited features

• Personal: $10/month when billed annually

• Professional: $12/month when billed annually

• Performance: $26/month when billed annually

Webnode is an AI-powered site builder with an integrated e-commerce platform. It supports websites in different languages and online stores with multiple currencies. 

Best for: Creating a multilingual freelancer website suitable for translators or freelancers working with international clients. 

• Multilingual websites: Webnode allows you to create websites in 24 languages and provide customer support in different languages.

• Form creator: Webnode has a versatile form creator. You can use forms for appointment booking, event registration, email list sign-up or contact forms. 

• Visual effects: Webnode allows you to create graphics-rich websites with a video background and parallax scrolling (i.e., the website’s background moves slower than the foreground).

Carrd is a freelance website builder for simple websites with a single page. It offers many one-page website templates, especially with paid plans. That said, Carrd isn’t the right choice if you want a website with a blog and an online store.

Best for: Freelancers who want to create a site with a single webpage, like a portfolio website or a contact form.

• Highly responsive templates: Carrd’s one-page templates are optimized for mobile devices, tablets and desktops. The templates are clutter-free, helping freelancers focus on a specific function, like an event landing page or countdowns.

• Versatile forms: Carrd gives you great customization options for creating versatile forms. You can create secure contact forms, sign-up forms and payment-enabled forms. 

• Cost-effective: Carrd offers a free plan, and other pricing plans are also very affordable. 

Showit advertises itself as a drag-and-drop website builder with in-depth customization options. It also integrates with WordPress, a popular content management system. However, Showit doesn’t have a free plan and is costly compared to other website builders for freelancers. 

Best for: Creative professionals (e.g., artists, graphic designers and photographers) who want a highly personalized website with full creative control.  

• Special templates for creative professionals: Showit has specially curated templates to highlight the work of creative professionals.

• WordPress integration: It’s easy to connect your WordPress blog with Showit to customize the look and feel of your WordPress blog. You can also benefit from the powerful WordPress plugins. 

• Showit: $19/month when billed annually

• Showit with Basic Starter Blog: $24/month when billed annually

• Showit and advanced blog: $34/month when billed annually

Hostinger is a versatile freelance website builder for all types of websites. It has a user-friendly, AI-powered drag-and-drop website editor. Hostinger also supports eCommerce stores with zero transaction fees. 

Best for: Small business owners who want to create a website integrated with an online store. 

• AI tools: Hostinger provides an array of AI tools for web designing. Plans come with an AI image and text generator, a blog generator and an SEO tool.

• Ecommerce capability: With Hostinger, you can quickly create an eCommerce website with a few clicks. Hostinger supports around fifteen payment options. 

Here’s how a professional website can add value to your business: 

• Build trust in your clients: Your website will have an about page, portfolio and customer testimonials, which will help you build trust in your prospective clients.

• Create a personalized online presence: Unlike freelance marketplaces and professional websites, your website helps showcase your personal style.

• Search ranking: Creating an SEO-optimized website and learning how to start a blog help you rank high in SERPs, making it easy for customers to find you online.

• Blogging: Posting regular blogs on your website allows you to establish yourself as an authority in your field and helps with SERP rankings. 

• Build an email list: Email marketing can be a powerful tool for attracting new customers. Your website can have a sign-up form to collect prospects’ email addresses.

1. Select a template/ input text prompt: First, choose a website template that matches your business requirements and personal style. You may also describe your website and let AI create a website for you.

2. Personalize the template. Using the drag-and-drop editor, customize your website. You may change fonts and colors, edit web copy and add images.

3. Choose widgets and applications: Add features to your website using the widgets or apps the builder provides. 

4. Choose a domain name/connect your domain: Some service providers will give you a free domain, especially with paid plans. You must choose a domain name that reflects your business’s essence. If you already have a custom domain, you may connect it to your website.

5. SEO optimization: Optimize your website design for search engines using title tags, descriptions, alt text and header and footer information.

6. Publish your website: Preview your website layout on desktop, mobile and tablet using the preview tool and publish it.

When building a freelancer website, it’s essential to include features that highlight your skills, attract clients and streamline your workflow. Here are some key features to consider:

• Portfolio showcase: Display your best work to impress potential clients. Use high-quality images, project descriptions and relevant details to demonstrate your expertise.

• About me section: Share your background, skills and professional journey. This helps clients connect with you on a personal level and understand your unique value.

• Services offered: Clearly list the services you provide. Include detailed descriptions and pricing to help clients understand what they can expect when working with you.

• Testimonials and reviews: Feature positive feedback from previous clients to build trust and credibility. This social proof can significantly influence a potential client’s decision to hire you.

• Contact information: Make it easy for clients to reach you by providing multiple contact methods, such as an email form, phone number or social media links.

• Blog or articles section: Share industry insights, tips and updates to establish yourself as a thought leader and keep your audience engaged.

• Responsive design: Ensure your website looks great and functions well on all devices, from desktops to mobile phones.

• Easy navigation: Organize your site with a clear menu and intuitive layout to help visitors find the information they need quickly.

• SEO optimization: Implement basic SEO practices to improve your website’s visibility on search engines and attract more organic traffic.

• Secure payment gateway: If applicable, integrate a secure method for clients to make payments directly through your website.

Wix is one of the most feature-rich, robust website builders for freelancers. Freelancers choose Wix for many reasons:

• Streamlined template selection: Wix asks a series of questions to understand your business. Based on the answers, it will suggest templates and apps for your website.

• End-to-end website infrastructure: Wix gives you everything you need to start a website, ensuring site reliability and performance. 

• AI-powered website editor: Wix integrates a powerful AI engine that lets you design a website, create stunning images and write web copy, all using text prompts.

• Integrates your store: Wix allows you to expand your freelance business to an online store in just a few clicks.

All prices were correct as of June 26, 2024