When I was raising support, money was tight, and I understand why so many missionaries search for a free website. Every dollar matters when you are trying to get to the field.
The good news is there are some real ways to get a missionary website for free. The thing to know is that every free option has limits. Some put ads on your site, some don’t let you use your own website address, and some are hard to keep updated. None of those are deal breakers, but it’s good to know what you are getting before you spend hours building something.
Here are the best free options I know of, what each one is good for, and the limits of each.
1. Your Mission Agency’s Profile Page
A lot of mission agencies give each missionary a free profile page on the agency’s website. It usually has your photo, a short bio, where you serve, and a button to give.
Good for: Giving. Since it’s on your agency’s website, donations are processed and receipted for you.
Limits:
- You usually can’t change the design or add many pages
- There is often no place for regular updates or a blog
- Your website address is part of the agency’s site, so it’s long and hard to remember
- If you ever change agencies, the page goes away
Ask your agency if they offer this. Even if you have your own website, you will probably want to link to it for giving.
2. A Page on Your Sending Church’s Website
Some churches will add a page about the missionaries they support. If your church already has a website, ask if they can create a page for you.
Good for: Credibility with your home church and the people who already know you.
Limits:
- You depend on someone at the church to update it
- It’s usually just one page
- People who don’t attend your church probably won’t find it
3. Google Sites
Google Sites is completely free and doesn’t put ads on your website. If you have a Google account, you can start building right away.
Good for: A simple, clean website with no ads. You can even connect your own domain name for free if you buy one.
Limits:
- The designs are very basic and a lot of Google Sites look the same
- There is no real blog, so posting regular updates is clunky
- No built-in email sign-up or newsletter system
- Without a custom domain, your address will be long, like sites.google.com/view/yourname
4. Wix Free Plan
Wix is one of the most popular website builders, and it has a free plan with a lot of nice templates.
Good for: Trying out a website builder and seeing what you like.
Limits:
- Your address will look like yourname.wixsite.com/mysite
- Wix shows an ad banner on your website
- Very small storage and bandwidth, so photo-heavy sites can run into limits
- You can’t connect your own domain without upgrading
- Removing the ads and connecting a domain means moving to a paid plan, which is usually around $17 or more per month
5. WordPress.com Free Plan
WordPress.com has a free plan that includes a blog, which makes it better for regular updates than some other free options.
Good for: Missionaries who mainly want a place to post updates.
Limits:
- Your address will be yourname.wordpress.com
- WordPress.com shows ads on free sites
- No plugins, so you can’t add things like an email sign-up system or custom donation forms
- Limited storage
- You need a paid plan to remove ads and use your own domain
Note that WordPress.com is different from WordPress itself. WordPress is free software that powers a huge part of the internet, but you need to pay for hosting to use it on your own.
6. Canva Websites
If you already use Canva for prayer cards or social media graphics, you might not know you can also make a simple website with it for free.
Good for: A nice looking one-page site, especially if you are already comfortable with Canva.
Limits:
- Your address will end in my.canva.site
- A custom domain requires a paid Canva plan
- It’s built more like a designed flyer than a website, so it’s not great for posting regular updates
- No blog or email sign-up system built in
7. A Free Email Newsletter Tool
Some email tools like Mailchimp and MailerLite have free plans that include simple landing pages or basic website builders. Since you will need a way to send prayer letters anyway, this can be a way to get both.
Good for: Collecting email sign-ups and sending prayer letters.
Limits:
- The pages are simple and meant for sign-ups, not a full ministry website
- Free plans limit how many subscribers you can have and how many emails you can send
- Free plans usually show the company’s branding in your emails
- You will likely outgrow the free plan as your support team grows
8. A Facebook Page
A lot of missionaries start with a Facebook page. It’s free, easy, and many of your supporters are already there.
Good for: Quick updates and photos for supporters who use Facebook.
Limits:
- Not everyone uses Facebook, especially some older supporters and churches
- Posts get buried and are hard to find later
- You don’t control who sees your posts
- It doesn’t look as established to a church missions committee as a real website
A Facebook page works best alongside a website, not instead of one.
9. A Volunteer From Your Church
Sometimes someone in your church or family knows how to build websites and is happy to help.
Good for: Getting a custom site without paying a designer.
Limits:
- Volunteers get busy, and updates can take a long time
- If they move on, you may not know how to edit or even log into your site
- Make sure you know who owns the domain and hosting, and that you have the logins
If you go this route, ask them to set it up so that you can make simple updates yourself.
A Lesson From a Free Platform That Closed
There used to be a platform that provided free websites specifically for missionaries, and a lot of missionaries used it. It eventually closed, and the missionaries using it had to find a new home for their websites.
It’s a good reminder for any website, free or paid. Keep a copy of your important content and photos, and if possible, own your own domain name. Then if a platform ever changes or closes, you can move your website and your supporters will still find you at the same address.
Free Missionary Website Options Compared
| Option | Your own domain? | Ads? | Good for updates? | Email sign-ups? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency profile page | No | No | Usually not | No |
| Church website page | No | No | No | No |
| Google Sites | Yes | No | Not really | No |
| Wix free | No | Yes | Some | Limited |
| WordPress.com free | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Canva Websites | No | No | No | No |
| Email tool free plan | Sometimes | Branding | No | Yes |
| Facebook page | No | No | Yes, but posts get buried | No |
| Church volunteer | Depends | No | Depends | Depends |
Free plans change often, so double check the current limits before you start.
Things to Check Before You Choose a Free Website
Can you use your own domain? A domain like smithsinjapan.com usually costs around $10 to $20 a year, and it’s worth it. It’s easier to remember and it stays yours even if you switch platforms.
Will there be ads or someone else’s branding? Ads on a ministry website can be distracting, especially on your giving page.
Can you post updates easily? Your website should be where your prayer letters live. If posting is hard, you probably won’t do it.
Can people sign up for your updates? Growing your email list is one of the most important things your website can do.
Who owns it, and can you move it? Make sure you can get your content out if you ever need to.
How much time will it take? Free often costs time instead of money. Learning a website builder, designing pages, and fixing things can take a lot of hours.
When It Makes Sense to Pay for a Website
A free website is much better than no website. If you are just starting out or have a very small support team, a free option can work fine for a while.
But as your ministry grows, a lot of missionaries find they want their own domain, no ads, an easy way to post updates, and an email list that grows on its own. That’s usually when it makes sense to invest a little.
That’s why I started Missions Websites. We build your whole missionary website for you, with your own domain, no ads, and pages made for missionaries. Our Premium plan also connects your website to an email system, so every update you post is automatically emailed to your supporters and shared on your social media. You can start with a $5 sample website to see what yours would look like before deciding.
If you are trying to decide between free and paid, we also wrote about whether a free missionary website is worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free website for missionaries?
It depends on what you need most. Google Sites is the best free option if you want no ads and your own domain. WordPress.com is better if you mainly want to post updates. Your agency’s profile page is the easiest place for giving.
Can I get a missionary website with no ads for free?
Yes. Google Sites, your agency’s profile page, and your church’s website don’t show ads. Most other free website builders show ads or their own branding until you upgrade.
Do I need my own domain name?
You don’t need one, but I recommend it. It’s easier to share when you speak at churches, it looks more professional, and you keep it even if you change website platforms.
Can I accept donations on a free website?
Usually you can link to your agency’s giving page from any website. Most missionaries do that rather than processing donations directly. If you aren’t with an agency, read our post on how missionaries can accept donations without being a registered nonprofit.