Several years ago, when I worked in London for a very dynamic marketing agency (and drank way too much coffee), I managed digital projects for large accounts.
One of the requests that came up most often was for landing pages (or landing pages ). My clients regularly ran big budget email marketing campaigns and so logically needed landing pages to direct their prospects.
As is often the case in agencies, client needs were generally urgent. And they were willing to shell out thousands of dollars to get what they wanted.
Yes, you read that right: thousands of dollars, most often for a simple landing page.
I am not saying that this amount is not justified. A quality landing page requires many thoughts and a talented team of designers, developers, and project managers.
If your company is a recognized brand capable of investing this type of budget, why not. But what if you’re a smaller business that needs a landing page just as much?
Fortunately, things have changed a lot in recent years. Thanks to online tools such as email marketing software and website builders, it is now possible to create low-budget landing pages.
Let’s review the various free landing page builder tools and their pros and cons.
But let’s start from the beginning: what criteria should I consider when choosing a free landing page builder?
We have listed below the things to consider when evaluating a free landing page’s quality of services. Some of these criteria are essential for lead generation, while others are assets that will optimize your campaigns:
- Neat design: designing landing pages is quite an art. They should be created with ease of use in mind. It is therefore essential to choose a tool that offers ergonomic and well-thought-out models.
- CTA forms and buttons: The landing page’s main goal is to capture leads and convert them into customers. Make sure that the solution you choose allows you to embed forms or CTA buttons on your page.
- Responsive display: your landing page must be displayed perfectly on mobile. Most free landing page builder software offers this feature.
- Social media sharing: Sharing your landing page on social media is a great way to increase visibility. Check that your tool allows you to enable sharing with the different platforms.
- Integration with your email marketing software: if your landing page builder allows you to automatically add leads to your emailing or marketing automation software, it will save you time and energy considerations.
- Tracking: can your landing page tool be connected to Google Analytics? This will allow you to gather valuable information about your pages’ performance and how you can improve them.
- A / B testing: Although this feature is rarely offered in free plans, it can be very useful if your pages are getting heavy traffic and you want to know how to optimize them.
MailerLite
Using email marketing software to create your landing pages is advantageous: grouping all your contacts, landing pages, and emailing campaigns in one place greatly facilitates their management.
MailerLite is an email marketing tool that is one of our favorites at Web Design and Development: we appreciate its simplicity and ergonomics. Luckily, it offers a free plan that includes an unlimited number of landing pages and up to 1,000 subscribers.
We like:
the flexible and easy-to-use landing page editor. You can modify the template as you like by moving the content blocks with the mouse. The fields of the forms are easily adjustable, and the data collected is sent directly to the list of your choice. Social media sharing buttons are included, as well as options to modify SEO settings (you can specify whether you want your landing page to be indexed or not). Another highlight is that you can trigger some handy automation for new contacts, such as welcome messages and drip marketing campaigns.
Needs Improvement :
Surprisingly, with MailerLite’s free plan, you can access more templates for landing pages than emails. No email template is included, which means you’ll have to create one yourself (but it’s still easy to do in the visual editor). Your page is hosted under a generic domain name (www.pagedinscription.com/yourpage), which is quite common for free plans.
Who is this tool for? Both beginners and experts in marketing. MailerLite is one of the best free landing page builder tools: neat templates, great flexibility, and practical options to manage automation. Its advanced options for forms are particularly useful for companies targeting the European market and sensitive to privacy issues under the GDPR.
MailChimp
You might be surprised (or not) to learn that the world’s most popular email marketing software also offers a solution for creating landing pages. They are available in MailChimp’s “Free Forever” plan, allowing you to send 12,000 emails per month to up to 2,000 subscribers.
We like:
the landing page editor, like MailerLite, is easy to use and offers many customization options. You can analyze your pages by integrating the Facebook pixel, Google Analytics, or the MailChimp tracking system. You can also trigger automation via the editor, which is not the most intuitive, however.
Needs improvement:
The choice is limited to five models, but the designs are quite successful. You can’t customize your Thank You / Confirmation page, and there are fewer options for changing form settings than with MailerLite. By default, your URL will use a MailChimp domain. To use your domain, you will need to pay $ 99 / year.
Who is this tool for? If you’re looking for an email marketing service with a built-in landing page editor and find MailerLite’s 1,000 subscriber limit a bit restrictive, MailChimp may be a good alternative.
Omnisend
While not as well-known as MailChimp, this e-commerce-focused email marketing solution also includes a landing page builder tool. With its free plan, which allows you to create up to 3 landing pages, send 15,000 emails per month, and have an unlimited number of subscribers, Omnisend fully deserves its place in our ranking.
We appreciate:
I must say that Omnisend’s landing pages are very successful with their modern and minimalist designs. However, they’re all about simplicity, so they’re not ideal if you have a lot of content (which, to be fair, isn’t recommended on a page that aims to boost conversions). You have the option to edit confirmation and error messages and add GDPR related fields.
Needs Improvement:
Except for the background, you can’t customize the design and layout. Cannot add additional fields in forms either (only email address is available), and automation is not included in the free plan. Last particularly annoying point: to publish your landing page, you will have to connect your account to an online store and sign up for a 14-day trial (after which you can switch back to the free version).
Who is this tool for? I wouldn’t use Omnisend exclusively as a landing page builder. I would recommend it instead to online store owners who will be able to use email-related features like discount codes and sales reports (included in the free plan). However, the 3-page limit of the free version is quite restrictive. At some point, you will need to consider upgrading to a paid plan.
ONTRApages
ONTRAPORT is a very powerful email marketing service known for its marketing automation and CRM functionality. ONTRApages software is offered as an independent product free of charge and separate from the landing page editor integrated into ONTRAPORT. You can create up to 10 landing pages for a maximum of 2,500 monthly visitors.
We appreciate:
The wide choice of models and the possibility of creating your model from A to Z. You also benefit from great flexibility in design thanks to a block-based approach. You can edit form fields and view visitor and conversion statistics directly in the tool.
Needs Improvement:
The user interface and design templates are a bit dated. Plus, not all models are completely “free” – some require you to subscribe to somewhat obscure third-party mailing lists. Rather imposing, the editor can also make you dizzy. You cannot integrate your landing pages with a third-party email marketing or CRM service in the free version: the leads are sent to your email address.
Who is this tool for? This tool is not revolutionary. However, if you don’t expect too much traffic, you can handle leads more or less manually. Like the idea of having access to built-in reports, ONTRApages will do just fine as an independent landing page creation software.
Wix
Praised for its polished website editor, Wix is also a great tool for creating one-page sites. Among the wide array of modern site templates, there is a selection of around 30 landing page designs. All of them are customizable and available for free (if you don’t mind using a Wix domain for your URL and having Wix ads on your page).
We appreciate:
The great flexibility in terms of design. If that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed with Wix. You have almost free rein to arrange the elements the way you want. You can use many types of content (galleries, videos, testimonials, maps, etc.). Form data is saved to your contact list in Wix. You can trigger automated emails (such as thank you or welcome emails) that will be sent to the tool through Wix ShoutOut. You can even add third-party apps so that contacts are integrated directly into your email marketing tool (such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, or AWeber).
Needs Improvement:
Overall, Wix is fairly easy to use, although the editor may seem a little overwhelming at first. As it is a complete site builder, it is not the easiest solution to create a landing page, and then getting started can take a little more time. To use your domain, you will need to purchase a paid plan.
Who is this tool for? Wix is a complete and reliable solution for building landing pages that I would recommend instead of expert design marketers who want pages to look professional while maintaining a sufficient control level.
Weebly
Weebly is another website builder often compared to Wix. It has built a solid reputation among the easiest to use website builder software. Weebly doesn’t offer landing page templates per se, but its rather polished designs can be tweaked to achieve a single page layout. As with Wix, sites can be published for free as long as you use the Weebly domain and accept publisher advertising.
We appreciate:
The great flexibility in site design and the possibility of adding multimedia elements, forms, and other content. You can also add apps that allow you to integrate your page with external email marketing tools. Not to mention that Weebly remains unbeatable in terms of ease of use: the learning curve is much less steep than that of Wix.
To improve:
The models are beautiful, but the choice is not delusional. There is no built-in option for tracking automation, and site statistics are not available in the free version. Again, you will have to pay to use your domain.
Who is this tool for? If you love the idea of using a flexible website builder for your landing pages and are looking for a very easy-to-use tool, Weebly is your best option.
Strikingly
Strikingly is a website editor specializing in one-page sites. The free plan allows you to create an unlimited number of landing pages and test the features, even if you will not have full access to some of them (like adding your code or defining actions specific to mobiles). As with other site builder software, you won’t escape a Strikingly domain and ad with the free version.
We appreciate:
The variety of the model catalog. You’ll be spoiled for choice, and some designs are striking. Very intuitive, the editor offers different layout options for each section. Another advantage: a very practical preview tool to check the display of your landing page on a computer, tablet, and mobile. Data such as visitor statistics are available, as is Google Analytics tracking. We also found the support to be efficient and responsive.
Needs improvement:
Unfortunately, the available form fields are limited to a handful. The contacts are sent to the chosen email address and saved in the tool, but it is impossible to integrate them with external tools.
Who is this tool for? Strikingly allows you to create more complex one-page sites than a standard lead capture landing page with minimal effort. If you want to create a complete site that displays on one page, Strikingly’s templates are for you.
Ucraft
The Ucraft website editor offers elegant and sophisticated landing page templates. With Pharrell Williams and Ice Cube on its homepage, it’s hard to imagine a cooler tool! Ucraft’s free plan lets you create sites with discreet advertising. Unexpectedly enough, you get the option of using your domain name for free (by the way, you have to have one if you want to use forms).
We like:
The easy-to-use editor in which you can move elements with the mouse allows you to add basic elements such as images, galleries, buttons, and videos. Integrating forms with MailChimp, Google Sheets, and Intercom is also a snap. Finally, it’s the only landing page builder we’ve tested that lets you use your domain name for free.
Needs Improvement:
The free version limits the pieces of content you can embed on your page (if you want to use a form, be sure to choose a template that includes a basic one).
Who is this tool for? Ucraft’s bold designs are probably more likely to appeal to the general public than to businesses. These templates are perfect for launching a brand, hosting events, offering app downloads, or building interest in new products. Finally, if you want to use your domain name without paying, that’s more or less your only option!
Webnode
Without claiming to play in the same court as Wix or Weebly, the website publisher Webnode is not doing so badly with its 30 million registered users. Recognized for its mastery of multilingual sites, Webnode does not offer models specifically dedicated to landing pages. Still, all of its designs can be personalized to obtain a one-page site.
We like:
the free version that displays only discreet advertising and the site models are among the most beautiful on the market. You can also change the SEO settings. You have the option of creating multilingual pages, but to access these features, you will need to purchase a paid plan.
Needs Improvement :
Webnode is basic website builder software that lacks some advanced customization options offered by other tools. For example, button text can only be changed to display URLs. The form options are also limited: you can add registration, reservation, and order forms, but it seems impossible to add a simple contact form.
Who is this tool for? The answer is not obvious: Webnode is not the most powerful or the most advanced tool, nor does it stand out for its ease of use. However, it is a reliable solution for those who want to create landing pages in multiple languages, but keep in mind that you will have to pay $ 11.95 / month for this feature.
Carrd
Here is a new platform that is talking about it on the one-page website market. Founded by a former template designer, Carrd offers striking responsive designs for creating landing pages, profiles, portfolios, and other single-page sites. With the free version, you can have up to three sites. Be careful, however: you will not be able to use forms unless you subscribe to a paid plan. Note that plans are starting at $ 9 / year, making Carrd the cheapest landing page builder among those we tested.
We appreciate:
Test the tool directly and start creating a landing page without registration to get an idea without committing. The modern and ergonomic interface is a big highlight. I also liked the catalog of very stylish models. Finally, integration with tools like MailChimp, MailerLite, ConvertKit, and GetResponse allows your subscribers to be referred directly to your email marketing service.
Needs Improvement:
Text formatting is not as easy as in other editors. You will need to use a markdown-like markup language to change text styles. You will also need CSS knowledge for formatting, and you cannot change fonts. Overall, the editor works a little differently than what we’re used to. Getting started is not overwhelming, but it can take a bit of time.
Who is this tool for? With the cheapest plans on the market, Carrd is the most affordable solution if you want to use your domain name and integrate the tool into your email marketing software. Just keep in mind that this platform has limits in customization and is not as flexible as other software like Wix or Weebly.
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