Ameba Ownd alternatives include Ameba Blog and WordPress for article-focused sites, and Wix, Jimdo, STUDIO, or Peraichi for business pages and portfolios. Ameba Ownd closes on December 24, 2026 at 11:00 Japan time. Your shortlist depends on whether free publishing or keeping your existing custom domain matters more.
Know the deadlines before choosing a destination
The official Ameba Ownd closure notice says that only site viewing is available from November 2 at 13:00, when premium billing also stops. An export feature is scheduled to open during November. At that stage, dashboard access will be limited to logging in, exporting content, and deleting sites.
The operator is preparing an export feature for pages, posts, images, and other data, and says it will announce details such as the method during November. Until that guidance appears, it is not possible to tell whether exported data can be imported into a particular service.
Viewing and export both end on December 24 at 11:00, after which data cannot be restored. Premium plans are cancelled by the operator, so you need neither to cancel nor to apply for a refund. Refunds go to the credit card used for payment during December. Monthly plans are refunded in full for payments made on or after October 1. Annual plans started or renewed on or after October 1 are refunded in full. Annual plans started or renewed on or before September 30 are refunded pro rata by month, from October through the month before the next renewal month. If a refund cannot be made, for example because a card has expired, the operator will contact you individually. All closure-related times in this article are Japan time.
Start with what your site needs to keep
List the posts and images you need, the address you want to keep, and the functions you rely on. A custom domain is a site address you register yourself. It is different from a free address containing a website service's name.
Your current site | Candidates to compare first | What to check |
|---|---|---|
Personal blog or activity updates | Ameba Blog, WordPress | Everyday writing and moving older posts |
Shop, class, or small business information | Jimdo, Wix, Peraichi | Opening hours, maps, inquiries, and booking requirements |
Photography or design portfolio | STUDIO, Wix | Mobile layout, images, and adding new work |
Shop connected to BASE | Your existing BASE shop first | Publication settings and the route to checkout |
A site you build or commission | WordPress, a headless CMS | Build cost and responsibility for maintenance |
These are starting points for a shortlist. They do not mean that every booking or payment function is included as standard or available for free.
Compare Ameba Ownd alternatives
The operator names Ameba Blog and WordPress as possible destinations. Compare the finished site and the work involved in keeping it updated, including the other options below. This table does not claim automatic migration support.
Destination | Useful for | Free use and important limits |
|---|---|---|
Publishing mainly blog posts | Free posting; custom domains are not supported | |
Combining posts and permanent information pages | WordPress.com has a free plan; self-hosted WordPress needs separate hosting | |
Business sites, blogs, and portfolios | Free to build; connecting a custom domain requires a Premium plan | |
Building your own business information site | Start free; custom domains require a paid plan | |
Visually customized portfolios and business sites | Free publishing uses a studio.site address; custom domains require a paid plan | |
Business information and signup pages | A free trial exists, but the regular free plan allows zero published pages | |
Content for a site you build or commission | A Free plan exists; building and hosting the public site are separate tasks |
Prices and conditions can change, so check official pages again before subscribing.
For a blog: Ameba Blog or WordPress
Ameba Blog lets you write posts for free, making it a candidate when publishing articles is the main goal. However, Ownd's custom-domain guidance explicitly says that Ameba Blog does not support custom domains. It will not suit someone who needs to publish at their existing custom address.
WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress have different operating arrangements. WordPress.com includes managed hosting, the service that makes your site available online, and offers a free plan. Self-hosted WordPress is free software, but you must arrange hosting separately and decide who handles updates and backups. Free software alone does not make the entire site free to run.
WordPress is worth considering when you want permanent pages, such as business information, alongside posts.
For business information: Jimdo, Wix, or Peraichi
Jimdo's Japanese site describes two products: AI Builder, which guides you through creation, and Creator, which you edit yourself. Their workflows differ, so check which product has the functions you need. Test with the address, opening hours, and service descriptions you actually update.
Wix offers a website builder that requires no coding, together with blogging, online store, and booking tools. It is a candidate if you want several functions in one place. Check what the free plan covers separately from the plan required for activities such as selling online.
Peraichi lets you build pages from blocks and advertises forms, booking, and payment tools. However, its official service-change notice states that the regular free plan allows zero published pages: publication requires a paid plan. This matters if your goal is to keep a website publicly available for free.
For a portfolio: STUDIO or Wix
STUDIO offers a visual editor that requires no coding and a CMS for managing content such as articles. CMS means a system for managing and updating text and images. Its official plan guide says free publication uses a studio.site subdomain, while connecting a custom domain requires a paid plan.
Wix also offers portfolio creation. Look beyond large images: test whether visitors can find individual projects on a phone and how much editing you need whenever you add new work.
For a site you build or commission: genko.me
genko.me is a headless CMS. It manages text and images, then supplies them to a separately built site through an API, a way for software to exchange data. It does not suit someone who wants to complete an Ownd replacement entirely through visual editing. You need to build and publish the public-facing site and arrange ongoing maintenance.
Its Free plan includes 5GB for content and media combined and up to three members. A personal workspace and free teams with the same owner share storage. Website development and hosting costs are separate considerations. If you are discussing a build with a developer, read WordPress versus a headless CMS and how to choose a free headless CMS.
Check BASE and your custom domain separately
Check your BASE settings before rebuilding a shop
The official closure notice says you can continue using your shop through the linked BASE account. In BASE, open Settings → Shop information and check the following Japanese labels:
Under 「ショップページ設定」, clear 「カート機能のみを使用」 if it is selected. This is the setting for using only the cart function.
Under 「ショップ公開状況」, make sure 「公開する」 is selected so the shop is public.
Clearing the cart-only setting immediately publishes the BASE shop page, so inspect its design first. The operator says these settings do not affect current transactions or orders. If you build a new information site, decide how it will direct customers to the shop.
Change DNS after the replacement site is ready
DNS is the system that points a website address to its destination. Follow the official DNS instructions: at your domain provider, replace the CNAME record pointing to Ownd with the settings specified by your new service. A CNAME is one type of DNS entry. You do not need to disconnect the domain within Ownd.
The deadline is December 24 at 11:00, but changes can take around 24 hours to take effect. Prepare the replacement site before switching, and avoid leaving this until the deadline. If you use email on the same domain, do not change or delete email settings such as MX records.
A practical route to a free website migration
Shortlist about two services and try building one typical post or business information page. Check whether a free service address is acceptable, along with advertising, image allowances, and form conditions. Even if you fit within a free plan, domain renewals and commissioned work are separate costs.
Once export opens, save the data, inspect it, and then decide how to bring it into the new service. Meanwhile, organize original images you already have and list the pages you need. Check design, posts, images, and URLs separately. On the replacement site, test mobile display and the path to making an inquiry or purchase.
FAQ
Can I move to a free service?
Ameba Blog and Wix are among the services with free options. Free publishing and using a custom domain have different conditions. Peraichi's regular free plan does not allow public pages. Check whether your required functions fit the free offering.
Can I keep my custom domain on Ameba Blog?
Ameba Blog does not support custom domains. To keep publishing at your existing address, choose another destination that supports domain connections and select an eligible plan.
Can exported data move automatically to any service?
Compatibility cannot yet be determined because the export details have not been announced. The operator plans to announce the method during November. Once it does, compare it with your destination's import requirements.
Does my connected BASE shop close too?
You can continue using the shop through your linked BASE account. Follow Ownd's official instructions to check BASE's cart-only setting and shop publication status.