Wix and WordPress.com free plans use platform addresses; connecting your own domain requires an eligible paid site plan. Free static hosting can fit an eligible project, with technical and usage limits.
On Wix and WordPress.com, a free site does not include connecting your own custom domain. You can start with their platform address and upgrade later. Owning a domain already does not remove the builder’s site-plan requirement. Some free static hosting supports custom domains, but it is a different publishing workflow with its own usage rules.
Choose the address and workflow your site needs. A free starting point can be sensible for learning or testing an idea. A business that must use its own address should budget the eligible website plan and the domain renewal separately, rather than discovering those costs after building every page.
Three offers that sound similar
| Offer | What it means | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Free website address | An address under the platform’s domain | Ownership of a separately registered domain |
| Free custom domain for one year | An eligible registration benefit attached to stated conditions | Free website subscription or permanent free domain renewal |
| Connect a domain you own | Point your existing address to the website | Free domain connection on every website plan |
The domain is the address; hosting runs the website; the builder is the editing and publishing environment. They may appear in one checkout but remain distinct services. Our domain and hosting explainer separates those jobs.
What the checked free options allow
| Route | Free address | Own domain on this free route? | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com Free | WordPress.com subdomain | No; eligible paid site plan required | Platform ads; paid features remain separate |
| Wix free site | Wix platform URL | No; eligible paid site plan required | Wix branding; each upgraded site needs its own plan |
| GitHub Pages on GitHub Free | github.io address | Yes, with an owner-controlled domain | Public repository static workflow; business and transaction-use restrictions |
| Local WordPress learning site | Local address on your computer | Not a public website | Public hosting and a live address are another step |
WordPress.com describes its free plan as hosted publishing on a subdomain. Its domain connection documentation lists eligible paid plans. Wix requires an upgrade to connect an existing domain; upgrading alone does not automatically purchase or connect that domain.
Choose by the task, then the budget
Use this original decision checklist before comparing prices. If every answer in a row is true, that route is worth investigating; it is not a guarantee that every feature fits.
- Learning or a personal experiment: a platform address is acceptable, branding is acceptable, and you can postpone the features behind an upgrade. Start free.
- A public business website: your own address is required, you need a maintainable editor, and the ongoing plan plus domain bill fits. Compare eligible paid plans.
- A personal or project static site: you can maintain files or a build workflow and the use complies with GitHub Pages rules. Investigate that technical alternative.
- A store or affiliate publishing business: do not use a technical free-hosting recommendation without checking commercial-use terms and the full working stack.
GitHub Pages serves static files and is available for public repositories on GitHub Free. It supports custom domains, but its usage limits prohibit using it as free hosting for an online business or ecommerce site. It is therefore not our free alternative for running this commercial editorial portal.
A first-year domain voucher is a temporary benefit
Wix documents a one-year domain voucher with selected initial yearly plans. Before valuing it, check the eligible extension, redemption conditions and later renewal quote. A voucher you cannot use for the desired address has no saving for that purchase. A domain you already registered is a separate case.
Our practical budget sheet has five rows: website plan, domain registration or renewal, mailbox, required paid features and tax. Record the first invoice beside the later recurring amount. Do not subtract a temporary domain benefit every year. The regional builder cost guide helps compare terms while keeping unconfirmed checkout and renewal figures visible.
If you already own the domain
Keep the registrar account under your control. Ask whether you are connecting the domain or transferring its registration. A connection can leave renewal with the existing registrar; a transfer changes the registration relationship. Neither operation automatically moves your mailboxes or message history.
Before changing DNS, inventory the current website and email records and follow the selected platform’s exact instructions. WordPress.com documents a website-record approach when existing email must be preserved. Read connecting a domain without breaking email before accepting a nameserver wizard. Do not change live records just to explore a builder.
What to try before upgrading
- Create one representative page with your own text and an image you can reuse.
- Check navigation, text size and the contact route on a phone.
- List the features that actually require payment, including domain connection.
- Check the editor’s export and exit options before a long commitment.
- Get the quote for your real country, term and required site features.
These are suggested evaluation steps, not tests we performed. A free preview answers whether you understand the workflow; it does not confirm every paid feature. Compare a builder with WordPress if portability or a specific extension matters. Upgrade when a defined requirement makes the cost worthwhile, and keep the original content in an owner-controlled archive.
Sources and verification
Editorial review 2026-10-08. Source check dates are recorded separately. Notes describe what each source supports and its limits.
View sources
- WordPress.com free planChecked The free hosted plan uses a WordPress.com subdomain, displays platform ads, and custom domains require paid plans.
Limits: No account created, no editor test and no country-specific checkout. A content export is not proof of full design portability. - WordPress.com connecting an existing domainChecked Domain connection requires Personal, Premium, Business or Commerce; connection can preserve the current registrar.
Limits: The exact DNS method depends on existing email and authoritative DNS. No live domain connection performed. - Wix free URL and domain connectionChecked An existing custom domain requires a site upgrade; selected yearly plans have a first-year voucher; each site has its own plan.
Limits: Voucher eligibility, TLD, tax and later domain renewal require an actual quote. - Wix site upgradesChecked Paid plans add domain connection and remove Wix branding; feature scope varies by plan.
Limits: A plan entitlement is not a tested editor or store workflow. - GitHub Pages overviewChecked Static hosting is available from public repositories on GitHub Free and supports a custom domain.
Limits: This is a technical static publishing workflow, not a drag-and-drop builder or free domain registration. - GitHub Pages custom domainsChecked Custom domains are supported and domain verification reduces takeover risk.
Limits: The domain must already be controlled by the owner; DNS and publishing must meet the provider's requirements. - GitHub Pages usage limitsChecked GitHub Pages is not allowed as free hosting for an online business, ecommerce or sites primarily facilitating commercial transactions; resource limits apply.
Limits: A personal or project site is different from an affiliate business or store; review current terms for the intended use.