Google Sites and PutBoard can both give a community a web address for information. The choice is about how you want to build and maintain that destination: a general website whose pages you arrange, or a community Board with defined places for notices, information, events and contacts.
This comparison is written by PutBoard, using the official documentation linked below, checked on . The examples are illustrative; we have not benchmarked publishing speed across the two products.
When Google Sites makes sense
Google Sites lets you publish a public or restricted website. You can also invite other editors. A community website does not necessarily require a developer for each change or depend on one person.
If your main requirement is to arrange introductory pages, explain facilities and create a navigation structure of your own, evaluate Sites on those terms. An existing site that already works well may simply need clearer responsibilities and a regular review.
Compare the publishing decisions
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare all columns.
| Decision | Google Sites | PutBoard |
|---|---|---|
| Information structure | Design your pages and navigation around the community. | Use Posts, Information Pages, Events and Directory resources. |
| Current updates | Decide where notices belong and how editors retire them. | Publish Posts in the Noticeboard; paid plans support timed publishing and expiry. |
| Shared editing | Invite people to edit the site. | Use defined management roles on a paid plan. |
| Public reading | Publish the site publicly. | Open a public Board without a viewer account. |
| Own address | Connect a custom domain, subject to Google’s sharing requirements. | Connect a domain you control with Community Plus. |
A worked example: a community centre
The centre already has a website describing its rooms, history and enquiry process. Its volunteers also need to publish a temporary entrance closure and keep booking instructions easy to find.
Using the existing website: agree where the closure appears, who updates it, and when it is removed. Keep the booking instructions on a clearly named page.
Adding PutBoard: retain the website and add a “Notices and information” link. Publish the closure as a Post and maintain the instructions as an Information Page. Share links to those details through the centre’s usual channels.
Try both arrangements before redesigning anything. Ask a visitor to find the closure on a phone, then ask a second volunteer to correct its dates. The useful result is a process your actual editors can maintain.
Check restricted access and domains together
Google Sites supports restricted sharing with selected people or groups. Its custom-domain documentation says a site must be shared publicly or visitors are redirected to its Google Sites address. Check both the access setting and the address a visitor actually sees.
PutBoard’s Community and Community Plus plans offer a shared password and an invitation link that grants access without manual password entry. Anyone holding the link can use it; changing the password invalidates old links. Community Plus combines this with a custom domain. This shared-access model does not identify or approve individual members.
Consider appearance and the route back
Community Plus supports PutBoard navigation branding and colours. Readers can save the Board to a compatible device’s home screen, and Community and Community Plus support a custom Board icon. The shortcut opens the Board homepage; its displayed name depends on the device.
Home-screen saving is available to other websites too. Judge the whole journey: can someone recognise the destination, find the answer and return to it later?
Choose based on ongoing work
List the editors, access requirements and branding you need, then compare the actual ongoing costs. Include domain registration, any subscriptions and the time spent maintaining pages. Use PutBoard’s current plan comparison rather than assuming every feature belongs to the Free plan.
Keep Google Sites if its flexibility serves you well and information stays current. Consider PutBoard when a defined publishing structure would help organisers. Use both when the website and everyday community information have clear, separate jobs.
Try publishing a notice and explore the reader’s Board. For the broader decision, read website or online noticeboard?