How to Build a One Page Website on a Budget
Build a one page website on a budget using Astro, static WordPress, or Carrd. Compare free hosting options, costs, and ease of use to find the best fit.
Dragos5 min read
One page websites work well for portfolios, landing pages, resumes, and small business sites. They’re fast to load, easy to navigate on mobile, and simple to maintain.
The problem: building and hosting a website sounds expensive. Web developers charge hundreds or thousands of dollars. Managed hosting plans add recurring costs. But you don’t actually need any of that for a single-page site.
This guide covers three affordable ways to build a one page website on a budget, ranging from completely free to under $20/year. Each option has different tradeoffs around customization, technical skill required, and cost.
How to Build a One Page Website on a Budget
Option 1: Astro
Astro is a static site framework built for speed. It generates plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with no runtime overhead. Astro 7.0 (released June 2026) uses Vite 8 and includes a Rust-based compiler for faster builds.
Astro supports React, Svelte, Vue, and its own component syntax. You can mix frameworks in the same project. For a one page website, you probably won’t need any framework. Astro’s built-in templating is enough.
What it costs: Free. Astro itself is open source. You can host the built output on Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, or Netlify for free.
Technical skill needed: Moderate. You need to know HTML and CSS. Some JavaScript helps. You’ll use the command line to create the project and push to Git.
Why Astro works for one page sites
- Outputs static HTML, no server needed at runtime
- Fast build times with the Rust compiler in Astro 7
- Hundreds of free templates on the Astro themes directory
- Deploy to Cloudflare Pages for free unlimited bandwidth
Free hosting for Astro
| Platform | Free bandwidth | Free builds | Custom domains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Pages | Unlimited | 500/month | Unlimited |
| Vercel (Hobby) | 100 GB | 6,000 minutes/month | Unlimited |
| Netlify | 100 GB | 300 minutes/month | Unlimited |
Cloudflare Pages is the best free option for static sites. Unlimited bandwidth means no surprise bills, and the 300+ edge locations serve your site fast worldwide.
Getting started with Astro
- Install Node.js (v22.12.0+ required)
- Run
npm create astro@latestand pick a template - Customize the template with your content
- Push to GitHub
- Connect the repo to Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, or Netlify
- Your site is live
Useful resources:
- Best Astro.js Online Courses/Tutorials
- How To Deploy An Astro.JS Blog On Cloudflare
- Link GitHub with A SSH Key to MacOS or Linux
Option 2: Static WordPress
WordPress runs millions of websites, but it normally needs a PHP server and a database. For a one page site, that’s overkill, and it costs more than necessary.
Static WordPress solves this. You build the site in WordPress (using the block editor or a page builder), then convert it to plain HTML files. The static files get hosted on a free platform with no server to manage.
What it costs: Free if you host locally during development and deploy to Kinsta Static, Cloudflare Pages, or Netlify. Kinsta Static offers 100 free sites with 100 GB bandwidth per month.
Technical skill needed: Low. If you can use WordPress, you can do this. The conversion step uses a plugin called Simply Static.
How it works
- Set up WordPress locally (LocalWP or similar) or on cheap hosting
- Build your one page site using the block editor or a theme
- Install the Simply Static plugin
- Generate static HTML files
- Deploy to Kinsta Static, Cloudflare Pages, or Netlify
Kinsta Static hosting (free)
Kinsta’s free static hosting is generous:
- 100 static sites per account
- 100 GB bandwidth per month
- 600 build minutes per month
- Free SSL certificates
- Custom domain support
- Sites hosted on Cloudflare’s 300+ edge locations
You can connect a GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repo. Kinsta auto-detects the build settings for popular static site generators.
Useful resources:
Option 3: Carrd
Carrd is a drag-and-drop builder made specifically for one page websites. No coding required. You pick a template, customize it with the visual editor, and publish.
What it costs: Free for basic use. Paid plans start at $19/year for 10 sites with custom domains.
Technical skill needed: None. If you can use a mouse, you can build a Carrd site.
Carrd pricing
| Plan | Cost/year | Sites | Custom domains | Remove branding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 | No | No |
| Pro Lite | $9 | 3 | No | Yes |
| Pro Standard | $19 | 10 | Yes | Yes |
| Pro Plus | $49 | 25 | Yes | Yes |
Pro Standard at $19/year is the sweet spot. You get 10 sites with custom domains, forms, and the ability to embed custom code. That’s roughly $1.58/month per site.
What Carrd is good at
- Landing pages and portfolios
- Simple business sites with contact forms
- Link-in-bio pages
- Resume or CV sites
What Carrd can’t do
- Blog posts or dynamic content
- E-commerce (limited to Stripe/PayPal buttons)
- Multi-page navigation
- Complex layouts with many sections (free plan has a 50-element limit)
Useful resources:
- Carrd.co Review: The Best Budget Landing Page Builder
- How To Add a Sticky Header to Carrd
- Upgrade Your Carrd.co Website With A Cookie Notice in Minutes
- How To Add Accordion FAQs Drop-Down to Carrd.co
On carrdme.com you can find free Carrd resources and templates.
Which option should you pick?
It depends on what matters most to you:
Pick Astro if you know HTML and CSS and want full control over the design. The learning curve is steeper, but the result is a fast site hosted for free with no recurring costs. Best for developers or anyone willing to learn.
Pick Static WordPress if you’re comfortable with WordPress but want free hosting. The workflow adds a conversion step, but you get the familiar WordPress editor. Good for non-developers who want more flexibility than Carrd.
Pick Carrd if you want something live in 10 minutes with zero technical skill. The free plan works for basic sites, and Pro Standard at $19/year is cheap for what you get. Best for non-technical users who need a simple online presence fast.
Conclusions
Building a one page website on a budget is easier than ever. You have three solid options depending on your skill level and what you need:
- Astro + Cloudflare Pages = $0, fast, developer-friendly
- Static WordPress + Kinsta Static = $0, familiar WordPress workflow
- Carrd = $0 to $19/year, no code needed, live in minutes
All three options produce fast, mobile-friendly sites. The main difference is how much control you want over the design and how much technical work you’re willing to do.
