Best website builders for poets in 2026: WordPress.com ($2.75/mo billed every 3 years), Substack (free + 10% fee), Carrd ($9/yr), Squarespace ($19/mo), Google Sites, and Heya ($0, or paid from $3/mo)

The short answer

Best for poetry newsletters Substack is free to publish on regardless of subscriber count, lets you publish free or paid posts, and charges a one-time $50 fee if you want a custom domain.
Best for a full poetry archive WordPress.com has a free plan with unlimited pages and posts, built-in newsletter and RSS subscriptions, and paid plans with custom domains starting at $2.75 per month billed every 3 years.
Best low-cost one-page site Carrd has a free Basic experience and paid plans from $9 / year, while Pro Standard at $19 / year adds custom domains, email signup forms, and Stripe or Gumroad embeds.
Best for a simple multi-page bio Heya has 68 templates, a $0 Free plan with up to 5 pages per site, and a $3 a month Pro Lite plan with up to 20 pages per site.

How website builders for poets compare at a glance

This table compares free plans, entry paid prices, custom domain access, and tools for sharing poems, newsletters, and books.

Builder	Free plan	Cheapest paid plan	Custom domain	Blog or newsletter	Selling books or chapbooks
Heya	$0, up to 3 sites, 5 pages per site	$3/mo (Pro Lite)	Included on Pro Standard ($6/mo): 1 custom domain per account, up to 5 sites	Link from a links block	Link a button to your store or checkout page
WordPress.com	Free plan, 1 GB storage, unlimited pages/posts	$2.75/month billed every 3 years ($4/month billed annually)	On paid plans from $2.75/month	Unlimited posts, built-in newsletter and RSS	WooCommerce on Business and Commerce plans
Substack	Free to publish for any number of subscribers	10% fee on paid subscriptions plus Stripe fees	$50 one-time fee	Newsletters, podcasts, and video built in	Paid subscriptions only; store not stated
Squarespace	14-day free trial; plan required to go live	$19 per month (Basic)	Included on paid plans; free domain on Basic	Built-in blog with paywalls and Email Campaigns	Online Store built in (2% fee on Basic, no fee on Core)
Carrd	Free Basic experience	$9 / year (Pro Lite)	On Pro Standard ($19 / year) and Pro Plus ($49 / year)	No blog stated; signup forms on Pro Standard+	Stripe, PayPal, and Gumroad embeds on Pro Standard+
Google Sites	Not stated	Not stated	Supported (up to five custom domains per site)	Not stated	Not stated

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Not stated means the product's provided documentation did not specify that detail.

Detailed review of each website builder for poets

Heya

Free; Pro Lite $3 a month; Pro Standard $6 a month; Pro Plus $15 a month

Heya is our no-code builder with 68 templates and a blank page option. Free ($0) gives you up to 3 sites and 5 pages per site at yourname.heya.bio, while Pro Lite costs $3 a month and allows up to 20 pages per site. You can embed YouTube or SoundCloud recordings of your readings and build or edit your site on a phone.

Better at: Quick author bio pages, audio or video reading embeds, and $0 multi-page sites.
Watch out: Free sites show a small "Made with Heya" badge and allow up to 5 pages, and connecting a custom domain you own requires Pro Standard at $6 a month.

WordPress.com

Free; paid from $2.75/month billed every 3 years

WordPress.com has a free plan with 1 GB of storage, unlimited pages and posts, and a yoursite.wordpress.com subdomain. Paid plans start at $2.75 per month billed every 3 years or $4 per month billed annually. All plans include RSS and newsletters for poem updates.

Better at: Poets publishing an ongoing archive of poems, essays, and RSS or email updates.
Watch out: The free plan shows ads to visitors and does not allow a custom domain.

Substack

Free to publish; 10% of paid subscriptions; $50 custom domain

Substack is free to publish on, and you keep your content and subscriber list. You can post free or paid newsletters, podcasts, and videos. For paid subscriptions, Substack takes 10% plus Stripe fees, and a custom domain costs a one-time $50 fee.

Better at: Sending poems and audio readings straight to readers' inboxes with optional paid subscriptions.
Watch out: Connecting a custom domain costs $50 once, and paid subscriptions lose 10% plus card fees.

Squarespace

14-day free trial; paid from $19/month

Squarespace has a 14-day free trial, with plans starting at $19 per month on Basic or $29 per month on Core (up to 36% off annually). You get the Fluid Engine editor, a blog with paywalls, Email Campaigns, and an Online Store for books.

Better at: Poets who want a custom domain, blog, email marketing, and direct book store in one place.
Watch out: After the 14-day free trial, you must choose a plan to go live, and the Basic plan is $19 per month.

Carrd

Free Basic; Pro from $9/year

Carrd offers a free Basic plan and a 7-day Pro trial. Pro Lite costs $9 / year for 3 unbranded sites, and Pro Standard is $19 / year for 10 sites with custom domains. Pro Standard and Pro Plus ($49 / year) support Gumroad, Stripe, and PayPal widgets.

Better at: A poet portfolio with a custom domain and signup form for $19 / year.
Watch out: Custom domains and signup forms require upgrading to Pro Standard at $19 / year.

Google Sites

Pricing not stated

Google Sites is a drag-and-drop builder with templates and a grid layout. It links with Google Docs, Sheets, and Presentations, using Google Docs sharing and version control. You can connect up to five custom domains via Google Search Console with a DNS TXT record.

Better at: Poets who already keep manuscripts in Google Docs and want custom domain support.
Watch out: Custom domains must use a subdomain like www and may break if moved into a Team Drive.

What a poet website actually needs

Most poet websites just need a short bio, links to poems in literary journals, book or chapbook buying links, an upcoming readings list, and a newsletter link. On Heya, our links block holds up to 50 publication credits on one page, and the buttons block fits up to 6 book retailer buttons. If you share audio or video readings, Heya embeds YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, and SoundCloud on your page, while Substack has built-in podcasts and video posts.

To collect emails right on your site instead of linking out, WordPress.com has a built-in newsletter and Carrd Pro Standard ($19 / year) works with Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign, and EmailOctopus forms. For event or workshop bookings, you can embed a Calendly page on Heya or use Acuity Scheduling on Squarespace.

When a dedicated platform is worth paying for

Paying for a bigger platform makes sense if you want to sell books directly, put poems behind a paywall, or keep a blog archive on your own domain. Squarespace starts at $19 per month on Basic (with a 2% online store transaction fee) and $29 per month on Core (no store fees), giving you an Online Store, paywalled blogs, and Email Campaigns. WordPress.com removes ads and adds custom domains starting at $2.75 per month billed every 3 years, while its Commerce plan includes WooCommerce with unlimited products and 0% transaction fees in 60+ countries.

If you want paid reader subscriptions instead of shipping books, Substack is free to publish and takes 10% of paid subscriptions plus Stripe fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment and a 0.7% recurring billing fee. Poets who just link to indie bookstores or publisher pages don't need monthly ecommerce plans.

Free vs paid poet websites

You can publish a site for $0 on Heya, WordPress.com, Substack, and Carrd. On Heya Free, you get up to 3 sites with up to 5 pages each at yourname.heya.bio and a Made with Heya badge. Pro Lite is $3 a month, for up to 20 pages per site and no badge. WordPress.com's free yoursite.wordpress.com plan gives you unlimited pages and posts with 1 GB of storage, and removing ads starts at $2.75 per month billed every 3 years.

Carrd's Pro Lite costs $9 / year to remove branding on 3 sites. Custom domains cost $19 / year on Carrd Pro Standard or a one-time $50 fee on Substack. On Heya, Pro Standard costs $6 a month, and includes up to 5 sites and 1 custom domain per account.

How to set up a poet website on Heya with the author template

You can pick from Heya's 68 templates or a blank page and start building in your browser without an account. Edit on your phone or computer with 10 blocks: heading, text, image, buttons, links, socials, embed, divider, spacer, and countdown. Add your bio and a book cover up to 20 MB, list up to 50 published poems in a links block, embed readings from YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, or SoundCloud, and add a countdown block for your book release.

Pick from 42 fonts, 14 theme presets, and a 5-color palette, then set a site name, description, and 1200x630 share image. When you're ready, sign in with Google to publish for $0 at yourname.heya.bio with automatic HTTPS, sitemap.xml, and robots.txt.

Open the poets template in the editor or see what it includes.

How we checked

We compared each builder using its published documentation on plan prices, free tier limits, custom domain rules, blogging and newsletter tools, and options for sharing or selling poetry books. The facts come from carrd.co/docs/pro/plans, carrd.co/pro, workspace.google.com/products/sites, support.google.com/sites/answer/9068867, squarespace.com/pricing, squarespace.com/websites, support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost, substack.com/going-paid, wordpress.com/pricing, heya.page/pricing, heya.page/docs.

Plans change often. If a number here is out of date, email hello@heya.page and we'll fix it.

FAQ

Can I build a poet website for free?

Yes, you can publish for free on Heya, WordPress.com, Substack, and Carrd. Heya Free is $0 with no credit card or time limit for up to 3 sites (up to 5 pages each) at yourname.heya.bio, and WordPress.com gives you unlimited pages and posts at yoursite.wordpress.com. Substack is also free regardless of how many subscribers you have.

Which website builder is cheapest for a custom domain?

Google Sites lets you connect up to five custom domains, Carrd includes custom domains with SSL on Pro Standard for $19 / year, and Heya Pro Standard costs $6 a month, and includes up to 5 sites and 1 custom domain per account with automatic HTTPS. WordPress.com starts at $2.75 per month billed every 3 years or $4 per month billed annually, while Substack charges a one-time $50 fee.

How can I share audio or video of my poetry readings on my site?

On Heya, you can use the embed block for YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, and SoundCloud so people can play readings right on your page. Substack has native podcasts, video, and live videos for subscribers. On Carrd Pro plans you can upload videos up to 64MB, and Pro Standard or Pro Plus let you embed external content.

What is the best way to add a newsletter to a poet website?

Substack and WordPress.com both have built-in newsletters, and Substack lets you send free or paid posts to any number of subscribers. You can also use Email Campaigns on Squarespace, or add Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign, and EmailOctopus forms on Carrd Pro Standard ($19 / year). On Heya, you link to your newsletter with a buttons or links block.

Can I sell my poetry chapbooks or books directly on these builders?

Yes, on some platforms. Squarespace includes an Online Store starting at $19 per month, WordPress.com has WooCommerce on Business and Commerce plans, and Carrd Pro Standard ($19 / year) and Pro Plus ($49 / year) let you embed Stripe, PayPal, and Gumroad widgets. On Heya, you link a button to your checkout or book retailer page.

How do Heya's plans work for a poet website?

Heya lets you start building without an account and publish with Google sign-in. Free ($0) includes up to 3 sites with 5 pages per site at yourname.heya.bio with a small "Made with Heya" badge, Pro Lite ($3 a month) removes the badge and allows 20 pages per site, and Pro Standard ($6 a month) gives you up to 5 sites with 20 pages each and 1 custom domain per account.

Best website builders for poets to share poems, books, and readings in 2026