# Free website builder



## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

I know I am asking a lot but is there a fairly 'simple' free website builder (with no ads) that I could use for a personal website? One where I would add my own text (html) and photos, etc.? Not one with pre-selected templates, etc. I would like to use my own text and my own background and images, etc.
Thanks for any help.


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## Epthree (Nov 11, 2016)

Have you tried https://wordpress.com/


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## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

Thanks, but I believe they include their own templates and I wouldn't be able to use my own background. I would like to start with a blank page and then add my text and my images and my background, etc.


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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

My I recommend Bootstrap in conjunction with an editor - Notepad++


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## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

I'm afraid these are way "over my head." I just wanted a simple free (no ads) website maker that would allow me to use my own text (html) and my own background and images, etc. Most of them seem to have their own templates for background, etc. which I do not want.


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## Epthree (Nov 11, 2016)

alicez said:


> I'm afraid these are way "over my head." I just wanted a simple free (no ads) website maker that would allow me to use my own text (html) and my own background and images, etc. Most of them seem to have their own templates for background, etc. which I do not want.


If you want to design your website from scratch using html you need a free web hosting provider such as 000webhost.com


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## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

Looked at 000webhost.com and believe they too have their own templates. I wouldn't be able to use my own background.


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## Epthree (Nov 11, 2016)

alicez said:


> Looked at 000webhost.com and believe they too have their own templates. I wouldn't be able to use my own background.


Yes you would, they offer a free website builder service but they also offer you FTP access where you can upload whatever content you like.


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## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

Thank you, but just a bit too complicated for this simple mind of mine. I wanted something like

https://www.biz.nf/web-hosting.php
https://www.biz.nf/create-free-website.php

but they appear to be down for maintenance or something similar.


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## TonyB25 (Jan 1, 1970)

If you want a simple static web page with no links, pick the cheapest host.


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

You are asking for a website builder and then saying you don't want templates. Those two requirements are in conflict as all website builders start with a template.

You have a choice you can do as Jim said earlier create your pages with html and css and put them on any webhost. OR you can start with one of the templates that is close to what you want in Wordpress or other CMS / builder and then modify the html and css to suit. The links you provided are a templating system that you said you don't want.


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## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

colinsp said:


> You are asking for a website builder and then saying you don't want templates. Those two requirements are in conflict as all website builders start with a template.You have a choice you can do as Jim said earlier create your pages with html and css and put them on any webhost. OR you can start with one of the templates that is close to what you want in Wordpress or other CMS / builder and then modify the html and css to suit. The links you provided are a templating system that you said you don't want.



colinsp - the following do not have templates

https://www.biz.nf/web-hosting.php
https://www.biz.nf/create-free-website.php


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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

Back in the day, Kompozer was a pretty good 'start-from-scratch' platform ...


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## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

JiminSA said:


> Back in the day, Kompozer was a pretty good 'start-from-scratch' platform ...


Thank you, but I was looking for an online sitebuilder where I could use my own background, images, (html) text. And where I could store the images in folders (Images1; Images2, etc.) But as I mentioned, all of the ones I have seen have their own templates which do no allow me to use my own (plain/simple) background (such as: ). And each page would have several student images, etc.

Similar to this
https://www.awardspace.com/web-hosting/free-shared-hosting-main/free-shared-hosting
which seems to be "down" at the moment. See 'demo' on right side of screen.


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

alicez said:


> colinsp - the following do not have templates


You obviously have not looked closely at them that is exactly what they are.


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## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

colinsp said:


> You obviously have not looked closely at them that is exactly what they are.


My neighbor has account with them and he is using his own background, photos, etc. He said they do not have templates.


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## EspressoBean (Feb 29, 2016)

If you have a template you can still customize as you see fit. If you use a Wordpress template you can still customize it to a great extent without knowing code. If you are willing to learn code you can change it even further.

I have not seen any online builder that doesn't provide some kind of a template to begin with.


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## alicez (Jul 12, 2008)

_The problem is I am not as computer savvy as all of you folks. I am just a simple octogenarian trying to put together a simple website with my own background and text, etc. Similar to the ones I mentioned above but which have been down for some time now. They allow you to create different folders for your images and pages and then simple way to publish them, etc. Very confusing, as I might have mentioned, for those of us who know little or nothing about computers and website builders, templates, html, css, etc._


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

Have you had a look at http://www.w3schools.com/? They have a whole series of tutorials on html and css that you can try on their site and see what happens as you change things.

As an example see below, this is a simple holding page for a new website I am creating. It is just one html file and one image and it produces a simple page, it was created using Notepad++ suggested earlier.


```
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Mustang Sally Garage - Home</title>
</head>
<body>

<div style ="width:1000px; height: 600px; border:1px solid #000000; margin:0 auto; background-image: url('rivets2.jpg')">
<h1 style="text-align: center; color:red;">Mustang Sally Garage</h1>
<h3 style="text-align: center; ">Website coming soon</h1>
<p style="text-align: center; "><img src="logo.jpg" alt="logo"></p>

</body>
</html>
```
Using the link above you could work through the tutorials and produce something like you want.

Alternatively as we have said use something like Wordpress *SELF HOSTED NOT .COM *then use one of the themes that is similar to the layout that you want and use the options in the 'customizer' to change background colours, images etc. For a novice imho it is the easiest way for you to get what you want.


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## Epthree (Nov 11, 2016)

alicez said:


> _The problem is I am not as computer savvy as all of you folks. I am just a simple octogenarian trying to put together a simple website with my own background and text, etc. Similar to the ones I mentioned above but which have been down for some time now. They allow you to create different folders for your images and pages and then simple way to publish them, etc. Very confusing, as I might have mentioned, for those of us who know little or nothing about computers and website builders, templates, html, css, etc._


This is what 000webhost will let you do.


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## EspressoBean (Feb 29, 2016)

alicez said:


> _The problem is I am not as computer savvy as all of you folks. I am just a simple octogenarian trying to put together a simple website with my own background and text, etc. Similar to the ones I mentioned above but which have been down for some time now. They allow you to create different folders for your images and pages and then simple way to publish them, etc. Very confusing, as I might have mentioned, for those of us who know little or nothing about computers and website builders, templates, html, css, etc._


You should really take a look at Wordpress, it is very simple to use and customize without knowledge of code.

If you can post on here then you will do well with Wordpress, it is truly simple and you can put in your own text, images and backgrounds.


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