Using a free website builder

What are the advantages of using a free website builder? What are the options with free website builder software?

There are two sets of answers to these questions. A free website builder can refer to either a service which gives you free web space and which lets you create web pages visually; or free software which lets you create web pages on your own machine for uploading to a server.

With many paid and free web hosting services, you get a free website builder. These go under various names, but all do the same thing – get your web pages created without using application software or the need for you to write any html.

Some hosting services are created around the concept of website building - you are not meant to upload your files (though you can still do this), you just create your pages visually. An example of this is 350.com. Here you are able to sign up for a free account, then create fully customized layout and content just by using their interface. You can also use html if you wish, but the system is mainly designed for those who may be new to creating web pages and just want to get a site up quickly and easily. You are also able to upload content or files you have created elsewhere.

The other meaning of 'free website builder' refers to free software which is an alternative to expensive web page creation applications like Dreamweaver or Microsoft Front Page. An example of this would be the Pagebreeze application. This type of program allows you to design your site using templates and html, while also letting you preview how the pages will look in a browser. 

Unlike their larger commercial counterparts, they do not have integrated ftp, validation or site management features, they are simply a way of supporting you while you design and test individual pages.