--- title: "How to Build a One Page Website on a Budget" description: "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." date: 2026-07-12 categories: ["web-development"] tags: ["astro","carrd"] --- import YouTubeEmbed from "../../components/widgets/YouTubeEmbed.astro"; 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](https://astro.build/) 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](https://astro.build/themes/) - 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 1. Install Node.js (v22.12.0+ required) 2. Run `npm create astro@latest` and pick a template 3. Customize the template with your content 4. Push to GitHub 5. Connect the repo to Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, or Netlify 6. Your site is live **Useful resources:** - [Best Astro.js Online Courses/Tutorials](https://www.bitdoze.com/best-astrojs-online-courses/) - [How To Deploy An Astro.JS Blog On Cloudflare](https://www.bitdoze.com/deploy-astrojs-cloudflare/) - [Link GitHub with A SSH Key to MacOS or Linux](https://www.bitdoze.com/link-github-with-ssh-maco-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 1. Set up WordPress locally (LocalWP or similar) or on cheap hosting 2. Build your one page site using the block editor or a theme 3. Install the [Simply Static](https://wordpress.org/plugins/simply-static/) plugin 4. Generate static HTML files 5. 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:** - [Free WordPress Static Site on Kinsta](https://www.wpdoze.com/deploy-wp-static-website-kinsta-static/) - [Breakdance + Kinsta Static Site](https://www.wpdoze.com/breakdance-kinsta-static-site/) ## Option 3: Carrd [Carrd](https://try.carrd.co/bitdoze) 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](https://www.bitdoze.com/carrd-review/) - [How To Add a Sticky Header to Carrd](https://www.bitdoze.com/add-stickey-header-carrd/) - [Upgrade Your Carrd.co Website With A Cookie Notice in Minutes](https://www.bitdoze.com/add-cookie-notice-carrd/) - [How To Add Accordion FAQs Drop-Down to Carrd.co](https://www.bitdoze.com/add-accordion-carrd/) On [carrdme.com](https://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.