There are three genuine free routes: Carrd (no-code, free plan, live in 30 minutes, limited to 3 pages), a 14-day free trial of Leadpages or Unbounce (full professional builder access, no credit card required on some plans), or a simple HTML file hosted on Netlify’s free plan forever — no page limits, no monthly fee, no platform branding, custom domain supported. This site uses that last option. The right choice depends on how technical you are and whether you want free forever or free to start.
- Which path is right for you
- Path 1: No-code tools (Carrd — free forever)
- Path 2: Professional builders on free trial (Leadpages, Unbounce)
- Path 3: HTML + Netlify (free forever, full control)
- How to deploy to Netlify in 5 minutes
- What actually makes a good landing page
- Adding a custom domain
- Who this is for
- FAQ
Which Path Is Right for You
Before picking a tool, be honest about what you actually need:
| Path | Best for | Free forever? | Time to launch | Skill needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrd | Simple link-in-bio, portfolio, waitlist | ✓ Yes (3 pages) | 30 min | None |
| Leadpages trial | Conversion-optimised pages, A/B testing | ⚠ 14 days only | 45 min | None |
| Unbounce trial | Paid ad campaigns, Smart Traffic AI | ⚠ 14 days only | 45 min | None |
| HTML + Netlify | Full control, permanent free hosting | ✓ Yes (forever) | 2–3 hours first time | Basic HTML |
The honest rule: if you want free forever with no platform dependency, the HTML + Netlify route is the only genuine answer. Everything else is either limited in features (Carrd free tier) or free only for a trial period. That said, Carrd is excellent for simple use cases and the trial builders are the right choice if you need professional conversion features for a campaign.
Path 1: Carrd — No-Code, Free Forever
Carrd is the most straightforward no-code option for a simple free landing page. The free plan gives you up to 3 sites with a yourname.carrd.co URL and basic building blocks: text, images, buttons, contact forms, and video embeds.
How to build a Carrd page:
- Go to carrd.co and click Start Building — no account required to start
- Choose a template that matches your goal (portfolio, waitlist, contact page)
- Edit text, images, and colours directly on the canvas
- Add a form or button linking to your email or booking tool
- Click Publish — your page is live at yourname.carrd.co
Free plan limits: 3 sites maximum, Carrd.co subdomain only (no custom domain on free tier), basic elements only, Carrd branding in the page footer. For a quick waitlist page or personal link-in-bio, these limits are fine. For a professional business landing page you plan to use long-term, the custom domain limitation is the main reason to look at other options.
💡 Carrd Pro at $19/year removes branding, enables custom domains, and unlocks forms with email notifications. At $19/year it is the cheapest paid option for a permanent simple landing page. If you are not comfortable with HTML and want something permanent, Carrd Pro is worth considering.
Path 2: Professional Builders on Free Trial
If you need conversion-optimised templates, A/B testing, or integration with your email marketing or CRM, a professional landing page builder on free trial is the right path. Both Leadpages and Unbounce offer 14-day full-access trials.
Leadpages is the better choice for most users — simpler interface, lower cost after the trial ($37/month), and a large library of conversion-focused templates for lead generation, webinar signups, product launches, and consultancy inquiries. HubSpot integration is native.
Unbounce is better if you are running paid ad campaigns and want Smart Traffic AI — it automatically routes visitors to the page variant that is most likely to convert for their profile. Starts at $74/month after trial, so the cost is higher. Worth it if you are spending serious money on ads.
Full access to all templates and features. Unlimited pages during trial.
Smart Traffic AI, A/B testing, full builder access during trial.
Path 3: HTML + Netlify — Free Forever, Full Control
This is the route most guides do not cover because it requires some basic HTML knowledge. But it is the only path that gives you a professional landing page with zero ongoing cost, no platform branding, no monthly fee, and complete control over every element.
This is also how Industry AI Hub itself is built and hosted. The site you are reading right now is a collection of HTML files deployed to Netlify’s free plan. The hosting costs nothing. The custom domain costs around €10/year from Namecheap. There is no CMS, no WordPress, no platform fees.
What you need:
- A text editor — Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac, or VS Code (free)
- A basic HTML file — see the template below
- A Netlify account — free, takes 2 minutes to create
A minimal landing page HTML structure:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Your Page Title</title>
<style>
body { font-family: sans-serif; max-width: 640px; margin: 60px auto; padding: 0 20px; }
h1 { font-size: 2rem; line-height: 1.2; }
p { font-size: 1.1rem; color: #555; line-height: 1.7; }
.btn { display: inline-block; background: #1e40af; color: #fff;
padding: 14px 28px; border-radius: 8px; text-decoration: none;
font-weight: 700; margin-top: 24px; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Your Headline Here</h1>
<p>One sentence explaining what you offer and who it is for.</p>
<p>One sentence on what they get or what happens next.</p>
<a href="mailto:you@yourdomain.com" class="btn">Get in Touch</a>
</body>
</html>
Copy that into a text file, save it as index.html, and you have a working landing page. Change the headline, text, and button link to match your purpose. Add your own CSS to make it look how you want. This is genuinely all you need for a functional, fast, professional page.
💡 Why HTML + Netlify beats WordPress for landing pages: A single HTML file loads in under 0.5 seconds. It has no database, no plugins, no security updates, no server maintenance. It scores near-perfect on Core Web Vitals. Google rewards fast pages. And it costs nothing beyond the domain. For a landing page where load speed directly affects conversion rate, plain HTML is technically superior to any CMS-based approach.
How to Deploy to Netlify in 5 Minutes
Netlify Drop is the simplest deployment method — no command line, no Git, no technical knowledge required. You literally drag a file onto a webpage.
- Go to app.netlify.com/drop
- Drag your index.html file (or a folder containing it) onto the drop zone
- Netlify instantly deploys it and gives you a URL like
random-name-123.netlify.app - Your page is live. Anyone can visit it.
That is it. No account required for the first deploy. To claim the site permanently, create a free Netlify account and the site transfers to your account. You can then rename the subdomain to something memorable like yourname.netlify.app.
Updating the page: Make changes to your HTML file, go back to app.netlify.com/drop, drag the updated file, and click “Deploy without renaming.” The live page updates immediately. No FTP, no file manager, no server access required.
Free plan: unlimited sites, 100GB bandwidth, HTTPS, global CDN. No credit card required.
What Actually Makes a Good Landing Page
The tool matters less than the page itself. A Carrd page with a clear headline and one strong call to action will outperform a polished Unbounce page with a confusing message every time.
The fundamentals that actually move conversion rate:
- One goal, one action. A landing page should ask the visitor to do exactly one thing — sign up, book a call, download something, contact you. Remove every link, menu, and element that does not serve that one goal. No navigation bar. No “also check out our blog.”
- Headline that states the outcome, not the feature. “Double your email list in 30 days” outperforms “Email marketing software with automation.” The visitor needs to understand immediately what they get, not what your product does.
- Above the fold CTA. The call to action button or form should be visible without scrolling. On mobile especially — most landing page traffic is mobile — if the CTA requires scrolling, a significant percentage of visitors will not reach it.
- Social proof near the CTA. One sentence from a real customer, a number (“used by 2,400 freelancers”), or a recognisable logo placed near the button increases conversion significantly. It does not have to be elaborate.
- Page speed. Every second of load time reduces conversion. This is one reason plain HTML on Netlify performs so well — there is nothing to load except the HTML and CSS.
Adding a Custom Domain
A custom domain is not required to get started, but it makes a professional difference for anything you plan to use long-term. yourname.com looks more credible than yourname.netlify.app or yourname.carrd.co.
The cheapest reliable approach:
- Buy a domain from Namecheap — most .com domains are €10–15/year. Search for your preferred name and buy it.
- In Netlify, go to your site settings → Domain management → Add custom domain
- Enter your domain name and follow the DNS configuration instructions — Netlify walks you through it step by step
- DNS propagation takes up to 48 hours, after which your domain points to your Netlify page
- Netlify automatically provisions a free HTTPS certificate (Let’s Encrypt) — no additional cost
Total cost for a permanent professional landing page on a custom domain: €10–15/year for the domain. Hosting is free.
“This site — Industry AI Hub — runs on exactly this setup. HTML files, Netlify free plan, Namecheap domain. 51 pages, zero hosting cost beyond the annual domain fee. Load times under 0.5 seconds. Near-perfect Core Web Vitals. It is the most cost-efficient publishing setup I have found for content that needs to be fast and permanent.”
Who This Is For
- Freelancers and consultants wanting a simple contact or portfolio page — Carrd free or HTML + Netlify
- Course creators building a waitlist or launch page — Leadpages trial or Carrd
- Anyone running paid ad campaigns who needs proper A/B testing — Unbounce trial, then evaluate whether to pay
- Content creators and bloggers who want a permanent free page they fully control — HTML + Netlify
- Small business owners who need something live today without spending money — start with Carrd, move to HTML + Netlify when you are ready
- Best Unbounce alternatives — if Unbounce is too expensive after the trial
- Unbounce vs HubSpot landing pages — which to use for B2B campaigns
- Why we chose Netlify over WordPress — the full reasoning behind this site’s setup
- Landing pages for paid B2B campaigns — goes deeper on conversion optimisation
If you want something live in 30 minutes for free with no technical knowledge: Carrd. If you need professional conversion features and are happy to evaluate whether to pay after 14 days: Leadpages or Unbounce trial. If you want permanent free hosting, full control, and the fastest possible page: HTML file on Netlify.
The HTML + Netlify route has a steeper learning curve the first time. Once you have done it once, deploying a new page takes under 5 minutes. This site is proof it works at scale — 51 pages, zero hosting cost, sub-0.5 second load times.
Netlify free plan: unlimited sites, 100GB bandwidth, HTTPS, global CDN. No credit card.
Try Leadpages Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Three genuine free routes: Carrd’s free plan (3 pages, no custom domain), a 14-day free trial of Leadpages or Unbounce (full access), or a simple HTML file hosted on Netlify’s free plan forever. The HTML + Netlify route is the only one that stays free indefinitely with a custom domain and no page limits.
Yes. Netlify’s free plan includes unlimited static site hosting, a free netlify.app subdomain, HTTPS, global CDN, and 100GB bandwidth per month. For a landing page at normal traffic levels, the free plan is sufficient indefinitely. You only need a paid plan for advanced form handling, team collaboration, or certain analytics features.
With Carrd: 30 minutes. With a trial builder using a template: 45–60 minutes. The HTML + Netlify route takes 2–3 hours the first time if you are new to HTML, but subsequent pages take under an hour once you have a template you are happy with.
A landing page is a single page designed to get one specific action — a signup, download, purchase, or contact form submission. A website has multiple pages. For conversion goals, a focused single landing page typically outperforms a full website because there are no distractions and no navigation menu pulling visitors away from the one thing you want them to do.
Not to start. Netlify gives you a free yoursite.netlify.app subdomain. Carrd gives you yourname.carrd.co. Both work fine for testing. For a professional page you plan to use long-term, a custom domain costs around €10–15/year from Namecheap and is worth buying once you know the page is working.