10 Must-Have Free WordPress Website Builder Plugins
WordPress is a popular and free CMS (content management system) that is used to build and manage websites. It was founded by Matt Mullenweg and released in 2005. It is currently one of the most popular Content Management Systems (CMS) available. The reasons for its popularity are easy to discover; it’s free, incredibly flexible, and has a large network of developers and designers who are willing to help with any problem.
To Build or Not To Build? That Is the Question
As with any other piece of software, WordPress has a learning curve and it takes some time to figure out how to use it effectively. If you’re looking for a free option, then it’s definitely worth taking the time to learn. However, if you already have a CMS or are looking for an easy way to create a basic website, then you may want to consider alternatives.
The Options In Depth
Here is a list of free, professional-level CMSs that you may want to consider:
Wix
Wix is an independently developed platform that builds websites and apps for businesses, teams, and individuals. One of the best things about Wix is that it’s incredibly easy to use and understand. All you need to do to set up your free account is enter a name for your website and choose a design from a variety of templates. From there, you can add a few pages and begin publishing content.
Wix is extremely versatile and allows you to build a wide variety of websites and apps. It also supports various content types (i.e. text, images, and videos) and various devices (i.e. smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers). One of the biggest differences between Wix and other CMSs is that it provides you with a large number of pre-designed templates to choose from. This makes the process of building a website much easier. Since Wix is completely free, there is no limit to the number of sites you can create. However, if you want to take advantage of all its features, you will need to upgrade to one of its paid plans.
Squidoo
Squidoo is a free platform that was created explicitly for content creators. It’s main goal is to provide a place for people to read and discuss content that interests them. Squidoo allows users to create “lenses” (i.e. short descriptions of topics that can be used to search for content related to those topics) and to submit those lenses to the community. The content published on Squidoo can be customized to fit any niche or topic.
One of the great things about Squidoo is that it’s completely free. You don’t need to register or pay to use it. However, if you want to take advantage of all its features, you will need to make an account on one of its paid plans. Luckily, all its paid tiers are quite affordable and allow you to create a fully functioning blog with ample storage.
Squidoo is a great option for people who want to create a presence for themselves on the web. With its fully functional CMS, they can do so with great ease. And since it is free, there is no concern about keeping up with the payments for the hosting (which can become costly if you have more than a few websites or blogs).
Hubspot
HubSpot is a free and open-source CMS that was built to serve as a replacement for WordPress. Its main goal is to make creating and managing websites quicker and easier. To achieve that, HubSpot provides you with a fully featured CMS that is easy to use and understand (even for those with no content management experience).
Just like with Squidoo, HubSpot is also completely free. You don’t need to register or pay to use it. However, like WordPress, HubSpot has a large network of developers and designers who are ready to help with any problem. This is one of the main reasons why HubSpot is so popular; it provides a wide array of support when you need it.
HubSpot is a great option for people who want to create a fully featured and professional-looking site without having to spend a fortune. And since it’s free, there is no concern about keeping up with the payments for the hosting (which can become costly if you have more than a few websites or blogs).
Docracy
Docracy is a free and open-source platform that was developed with privacy and security in mind. One of the best things about Democracy is that it provides you with a fully featured WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor. This allows for quick and easy content creation.
Similar to HubSpot, Democracy provides a fully featured and easy-to-use CMS. However, instead of being concerned with hosting costs, Democracy is focused on ensuring that your website is secure and private. This means that you don’t need to worry about spending money on expensive hosting or on individual subscriptions to keep your site secure (which can become costly if you have more than a few websites or blogs).
As with HubSpot and Squidoo, Democracy is also free. You don’t need to register or pay to use it. However, if you want to take advantage of all its features, you will need to make an account on one of its paid plans. Fortunately, all its paid plans are quite affordable and allow you to create a fully functioning blog with ample storage.
Tribal
Tribal is a free and open-source CMS that was developed with a focus on simplicity and usability. Similar to HubSpot and Democracy, Tribal provides a fully featured WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor and a simple dashboard where you can view your stats and make some quick updates.
Tribal is considered to be one of the best free and open-source CMSs available. This is due to its focus on simplicity and ease of use. Additionally, Tribal offers some great add-ons and benefits (e.g. SEO features, translation tools, and security) that make it even more appealing.
Tribal is also completely free. You don’t need to register or pay to use it. However, if you want to take advantage of all its features, you will need to make an account on one of its paid plans. Fortunately, all its paid plans are quite affordable and allow you to create a fully functioning blog with ample storage.
Octopress
Octopress is similar to HubSpot and Tribal in that it provides a fully featured WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor and a simple dashboard. However, Octopress offers a premium plan that allows you to manage multiple websites from a single dashboard. This allows for much greater efficiency and for those who want to take advantage of all its features, it may be the right choice.
Like with the other options on this list, Octopress is free. You don’t need to register or pay to use it. However, if you want to take advantage of all its features, you will need to make an account on one of its paid plans. Fortunately, all its paid plans are quite affordable and allow you to create a fully functioning blog with ample storage.
Sumo
Sumo is a free and open-source CMS that was designed to power blogs and websites. Similar to WordPress, it was designed to be user-friendly and flexible enough for novice website builders while still having most of the features required for more experienced developers. Its main competitor is Hyde, which as well can be used for building websites and blogs.
One of the best things about Sumo is that it was designed with security in mind. Like the other CMSs mentioned here, it provides a fully featured WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor and a simple dashboard with the ability to create and update content.
Sumo is also free and open source, which means that it is completely customizable and can be adapted to suit any use. Like the other CMSs mentioned here, even those with no content management experience can easily use it to build a fully functioning blog or website.
Sumo is another option to consider if you’re looking for a free CMS that can be used to build blogs and websites. As with any other free option, there is no guarantee that Sumo will be around in the future, so you may want to consider alternatives.