You cannot get a website for free. There are several costs associated with website development such as a recurring cost for domain buying and web hosting, website design and development cost and if you decide to use some licensed software to add more functionality to the website, you have to buy those applications as well.

Content management system is something that allows you to add or edit the content of the website easily. If you want to have access of the backend, it is recommended to go with CMS development. With a proper content management system in place you can better control your website.
However, if you still want to reduce the cost, you can go with open source content management system. Ask your CMS development service provider to use an opensource content management system – you do not need to pay to use an open source application. You can use an open source CMS without any customization or you need to hire a developer in case you want to modify it according to your requirements.
Open source technologies are very popular these days. Many CMS development companies are offering open source CMS customization services – you have to choose one for your website. Depending on your business model and your specific requirements, the developer can add or customize the modules and create a user friendly and effective interface for the website.
The best thing about open source applications is that you will get a community of open source technology experts with you. Since the source code is available to all, anybody can create extensions, plug-ins, modules etc. to automate any mechanical or repetitive task or to add a particular feature. When you use an open source content management system your developer either creates such extensions or makes use of existing modules or plug-ins to make the platform better. Some of these extensions can be free, whereas some are paid. Bu they solve a lot of problems for sure.

Most commonly used open source content management systems are Joomla, Drupal and WordPress. All of these systems have their own pros and cons. However, WordPress is known as most user-friendly CMS. Lots of the themes, both free and paid, are available for WordPress development. One can create ecommerce website and integrate shopping cart with an open source CMS. For such advanced functionality, you have to work with CMS development experts who know how to do it professionally.

With a custom content management system, portal management becomes easy and hassle-free.