How to Build a Free Website with Wix in 10 Minutes (Wix Tutorial 2026)

Can you really build a free website with Wix — or is there always a catch? In this tutorial from the Julian Weber channel, you'll learn exactly what Wix's free plan includes, how to go from zero to a live website in minutes, and at which point upgrading actually makes sense.

Wix is one of the most popular website builders in the world, and yes — you can sign up and start building without paying a single cent. The free plan gives you access to the full editor, all templates, and even some business apps.

That said, there are limitations. You won't get a custom domain, and Wix will display a branded banner at the top of your published site. More on that below.

To get started, head over to Wix using this partner link. Using the link helps support the channel, and signing up is completely free — no credit card required.

Just enter your email address and a password, and you're in. After signing up, Wix's AI assistant greets you and asks about your project. Answer a few quick questions and you'll land in the Wix dashboard.

From the dashboard, click Design Site to browse Wix's template library. There are over 800 templates available — and they are all included in the free plan, no strings attached.

You can filter by industry: business, health & wellness, education, design, and more. Click View on any template to preview it before committing. Once you find the right one, click Edit to open the editor.

The Wix editor is a full drag-and-drop builder — and it's free to use. You can move elements around, change text, swap colors, and completely reshape the layout to make it your own.

Uploading your own images is just as easy. Click on any image, select Change Background Image, then upload from your desktop. Wix automatically optimizes the file size so your site loads fast.

You can also add unlimited pages on the free plan. Wix even provides page templates — for example, an About Us page or a Contact page — so you don't have to start from scratch.

Wix offers a range of built-in business apps, and many of them are free to install. These include:

• Wix Stores — set up a product catalog and add prices
• Wix Chat — let visitors send you messages directly
• Wix Bookings — allow people to book appointments with you

You can install all of these on the free plan and try them out. Some — like Wix Chat — work right away. Others, like actually accepting payments through Wix Stores, require a paid plan.

When you're happy with your site, hit Publish. Your website will go live instantly — no waiting, no approval needed.

The catch? Your site will be hosted under a wixsite.com subdomain, such as yourname.wixsite.com/mybusiness. You can customize the path, but the wixsite.com part stays. Wix also adds a banner at the top of your page promoting their platform.

Despite these limitations, the site is publicly accessible on the web. You can share the URL with colleagues, co-founders, or family to get early feedback — and visitors can already contact you through Wix Chat.

The free plan is great for experimenting and getting started, but there are two main reasons you'll eventually want to upgrade:

1. Custom domain — connect your own domain (e.g., yourname.com) instead of using the wixsite.com subdomain
2. Remove the Wix banner — that top bar advertising Wix looks unprofessional for a real business

If you want to sell products or services, you'll also need a paid plan to accept payments. That's the point where upgrading becomes necessary rather than optional.

Wix offers several plans, but for most beginners the choice comes down to two: Light and Core.

The Light plan gives you 2 GB of storage — enough for a typical site with 10–20 images — plus a free domain for the first year. It's a solid starting point for personal websites or simple business pages.

The Core plan adds more storage and, crucially, lets you accept payments. If you run an online store or want basic e-commerce functionality, Core is the one to go for.

You don't need the Business or Business Elite plans right away — those are for established businesses with more complex needs. You can always upgrade later as your site grows.

Here's a quick overview of what you get on each tier:

Absolutely. Wix is one of the most beginner-friendly website builders available. You don't need to know any code — the drag-and-drop editor handles everything visually.

The AI assistant helps you get started quickly by setting up an initial layout based on your answers. From there, you just customize and fill in your content. Most beginners can have a live site within minutes.

If you're looking for a design tool to make your site look polished, Canva is a great companion for creating images and graphics without any design experience.

When you upgrade, you can connect any custom domain to your Wix site. If you already have a domain, connecting it is straightforward from the Wix dashboard.

If you still need to register a domain, IONOS is a reliable and affordable option for buying domains. Julian uses it personally for his own projects.