Comparison of Ad-Free Website Builders

by Christopher Prüfer Web hosting expert

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Website Builder without Advertisements - What Features are Important?

More and more providers are offering their customers the option to use a website builder without advertisements to easily and freely create a website without any technical knowledge. In the past, many web hosts financed themselves by providing free storage space with the display of ads, banners, or other measures like video clips in a separate window. This concept has evolved significantly, as on one hand, the costs for technical infrastructure have decreased considerably, and on the other hand, conflicts have arisen increasingly because, for example, ads are displayed automatically without consideration for customers or age restrictions on content. A website builder without advertisements thus represents a minimum requirement for the credibility of the owners, which is why more and more providers are offering this option to their users.

Which providers offer a website builder without advertisements?

Today, it is not a problem to create a website without detailed technical knowledge, based on a website builder or a Content Management System (CMS). Many providers combine this option with additional services such as domain name reservation, to easily and freely enable their customers to have an individual online presence. Additionally, there are numerous web hosts that offer a website builder without advertisements on their own web space and without the need to register a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or internet address. Typically, these are subdomains or links to an internal reference, which redirects to a simply automatically generated presence like a newly created subpage.

Oftentimes, providers use Open Source licensed software in conjunction with virtual servers or dedicated servers to offer their services for free and minimise their own investments. This allows their users to easily create a website without needing technical knowledge. Due to the relatively low-cost infrastructure, this concept has become established in many parts and is now considered a classic model that can be optionally expanded with fee-based services. Some providers offering their customers an ad-free website builder are web hosts for virtual and dedicated servers, as well as developers of software such as WordPress, Wix, or Jimdo.

How is an ad-free website builder financed?

A provider can offer their customers an ad-free website builder because the expenses per individual online presence are low. Essentially, they consist only of the fees for a single domain and the monthly rent for a powerful dedicated or virtual server, on which up to several hundred customers can create and publish their websites. Additionally, a variety of suitable software systems are available, some of which, like Wix or WordPress, are developed and maintained by the provider themselves. Many international providers, on the other hand, rely on a freely released CMS such as Joomla with their own extensions and integration into the menu structure, or licensed applications such as tools for administration including Plesk or DirectAdmin.

An ad-free website builder provided for free is typically financed through fee-based extensions offered for specific purposes. These may include:

• One or more databases
• Access to the server via Secure Shell (SSH) or the File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
• More webspace for storing media files or other data
• Higher bandwidth and optimised Server Response Time (SRT)
• A comprehensive selection of templates to create a custom website
• Rapid support for technical issues or software difficulties

An ad-free website builder offers optimal conditions for small and private online presences, where users without technical knowledge want to create a website to have a simple and comfortable online presence. However, it is only suitable to a limited extent for professional and more complex websites that may involve high visitor numbers, confidential payment systems, or other sensitive data. For example, it is rarely possible to set up a functional and customer-attractive online shop for free, as the software often has limited features and necessary extensions are not offered.

What are the key disadvantages of an ad-free website builder?

An ad-free website builder allows users to create and maintain a custom website for free. However, many providers impose a variety of limitations, primarily aimed at offering users acceptable added value through paid extensions. This approach results in various hurdles that individuals face when creating a website:

• Severely limited web space that does not allow storage of large files
• No access to the server via SSH or other protocols like FTP
• No free choice between different CMS
• Firm, difficult-to-break ties to a single provider
• Often lack of compatibility with other systems or CMS
• Limited resources and poor Server Response Time (SRT)
• Inadequate security with plug-ins and payment systems

It is undoubtedly an advantage for users to be able to create a website without requiring specific technical knowledge. However, if it is an ad-free website builder, it typically includes specific limitations in its services. The majority of web hosts that offer an ad-free website builder for creating a website for free supplement it with fee-based options that are essential for a professional online presence.

If you do not have a domain yet, then a website builder with a domain could be of interest to you!

If you want to sell products on your website, check out the offers in the website builder with a shop category!

If you are looking for a particularly convenient and easy way to create your own website, opt for a website builder with AI functionality and benefit from the numerous advantages of artificial intelligence in content creation.