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Free AI Website Builder vs Free Hosting: What Actually Stays Free?

· 5 min read

"Free AI website builder" is an attractive search because the promise sounds complete:

describe the website, get the website, publish the website.

The real cost usually appears after the first draft.

The Free Part​

The free part is often generation or experimentation:

  • prompt a first version;
  • edit a few screens;
  • preview the result;
  • test whether the idea is worth continuing.

That is valuable. It lets a business owner or solo builder get unstuck without hiring a designer first.

But the first draft is not the full cost of ownership.

The Parts That May Not Stay Free​

Before committing to a builder, check:

  • custom domains;
  • hosting limits;
  • bandwidth limits;
  • form submissions;
  • file storage;
  • databases;
  • authentication;
  • code export;
  • team access;
  • analytics;
  • commercial usage;
  • removing platform branding;
  • whether the site can be redeployed from GitHub.

The cheapest launch can become expensive if the project cannot move later.

Free Hosting Is a Different Question​

Hosting is about serving the final website.

W7S Cloud lets projects deploy from GitHub Actions without a W7S account, credit card, or separate cloud setup for the hosted starter path. That is different from a free AI builder trial.

The workflow is:

  1. generate or write the site;
  2. put it in GitHub;
  3. create .github/workflows/deploy.yml;
  4. deploy with the W7S GitHub Action;
  5. keep future changes in the repository.

The free value is not only price. It is that the deployment path is visible.

That file path is literal. In the root of the repository, create a .github folder, create a workflows folder inside it, and create deploy.yml inside workflows:

your-repo/
  .github/
    workflows/
      deploy.yml

Paste the workflow from Deploy From GitHub into that file. GitHub Actions runs it when you push to main, and W7S uses the repository's GitHub token to deploy that same repository. If the site was generated by a framework, add the build steps shown in Build before deploy.

When a Builder Subscription Is Worth It​

Pay for a builder when it keeps solving real problems:

  • visual editing matters;
  • nontechnical teammates need dashboard access;
  • the built-in CMS is important;
  • the platform handles payments, bookings, or ecommerce well;
  • the team wants one product to own hosting and editing.

That is a valid tradeoff.

Just make the tradeoff intentionally.

When Repo-First Hosting Is Better​

Use GitHub plus W7S when:

  • the site was generated as code;
  • you want a public URL quickly;
  • you want commits and rollback history;
  • you expect developer edits later;
  • you do not want hosting tied to the builder that generated the first draft;
  • you may add backend routes or storage later.

AI generation can be temporary. The repository should be durable.

What the Free W7S URL Looks Like​

When W7S deploys from GitHub, it does not ask you to invent a separate app name first. The URL is based on the GitHub owner and repository.

For example:

github.com/acme/free-ai-site

deploys from main or master to:

https://acme.w7s.cloud/free-ai-site/

If you push a branch named test/new-copy, W7S serves that branch environment at:

https://test-new-copy--acme.w7s.cloud/free-ai-site/

If your repository is named the same as the owner, such as github.com/acme/acme, it can serve the owner root:

https://acme.w7s.cloud/

Those routing rules are covered in URLs And Routing. The deployment workflow itself is covered in Deploy From GitHub.

What If You Do Not Want a w7s.cloud Domain?​

Use a custom domain when the site is ready for customers.

Add a CNAME file to the deployed files:

CNAME
www.example.com

Then add DNS for that hostname:

Type: CNAME
Name: www
Target: w7w.cloud
Proxy: enabled

W7S reads CNAME from the root or common build output folders like dist/, build/, out/, frontend/dist/, frontend/build/, and frontend/out/. Add a TXT allowlist if you want to restrict future claims to your GitHub owner or exact repository:

Type: TXT
Name: _w7s.example.com
Value: acme/free-ai-site

See Custom Domains for the DNS details. Custom domains are also part of the free-tier shape limits listed in Deploy API, so check the current limits when planning multiple hostnames.

If the site grows, the same repository can add more W7S features instead of starting over: backend routes, runtime values, key-value or database bindings, queues, schedules, workflows, logs, usage warnings, and custom domains. Start with the static deploy, then add only the pieces the site actually needs.

Recommendation​

Use a free AI website builder to explore.

Use GitHub to keep the project.

Use W7S to deploy it when the site should become more than a one-time prototype.

Sources​