WordPress or Wix: which is right for your small business?

The core difference

Wix is a hosted website builder. You sign up, pick a template, edit on their platform and pay them for everything: the software, the hosting and add-on features. Your site lives on Wix and runs on Wix's own system.

WordPress is open source software that you install on hosting of your choice. You pick the host, the theme and the plugins. Your site is a set of files and a database that you can copy, back up and move to another host whenever you like.

Most of the practical differences follow from that one distinction: Wix is a service you rent, WordPress is software you own and run.

Side by side

Question	Wix	WordPress
How fast to get started?	Very fast, everything in one account	Fast with a host that installs it for you
Who handles updates and security?	Wix	You or your host
Can you move the site elsewhere?	Not as a working site; content is moved largely by hand	Yes, full copy to any WordPress host
Design freedom	Good within the editor's limits	Very wide, especially with a builder like Elementor
Extra features	Wix apps, some billed monthly	Plugins, many free, some paid
Help from developers and agencies	Smaller pool	Very large pool

Ease of use and getting started

Wix's strength is that you can sign up and start dragging elements around within minutes, without thinking about hosting, installs or plugins. For someone building a simple site alone, that is a real advantage.

WordPress used to mean a steeper start. With a host that installs WordPress and a visual builder for you, the gap has narrowed a lot. Elementor gives a similar drag and drop experience, and you get the same live editing on the page. What remains is a slightly more technical dashboard and the need to understand plugins and updates.

Costs and what you pay for

Wix uses tiered plans, and features such as ecommerce, bookings or removing Wix branding depend on which plan you are on. Some apps from the Wix App Market carry their own monthly charges. Check Wix's current pricing page for plan details, as they change.

With WordPress, the software is free. You pay for hosting, your domain and any premium theme or plugins you choose. Costs can be very low for a simple site, or higher if you rely on several paid plugins. The real difference is that you choose each piece and can switch suppliers. Our guide to WordPress hosting costs in the UK breaks down what to budget.

When comparing, add up everything over two or three years, including renewal prices and the add-ons you will actually need, rather than the introductory price.

Also count your own time. A platform that saves you an hour a month on maintenance may be worth paying more for, while one that forces a rebuild in two years because you outgrew it can cost far more than any monthly difference. Price the whole journey, not just the first year.

Ownership and moving later

This is where the two differ most. If you outgrow Wix or want to change provider, you cannot take the working site with you. You keep your domain, but pages, design and most content need to be rebuilt elsewhere. Wix does offer some ways to get data out, such as blog content in certain cases, so check their help pages for what applies to you.

A WordPress site can be copied in full to another host: files, database, design and content. If you fall out with your host or need more power, you move. That matters more the longer you plan to keep the site and the more you invest in it.

Design, features and growth

Wix templates look polished and the editor is flexible within its own structure. When you need something it does not support, your options are a Wix app, custom code in their developer tools, or doing without.

WordPress has a vast choice of themes and plugins for almost any feature: booking, memberships, multilingual sites, online shops through WooCommerce, directories and more. That freedom comes with responsibility. Plugins need updating and a poor one can slow or break a site, so choose carefully. See WordPress plugins every site needs for keeping that list sensible.

SEO and speed

Both can rank well. Wix has improved its SEO tools considerably and covers the basics such as titles, descriptions and redirects. WordPress, with an SEO plugin, gives more detailed control over structure, sitemaps and technical settings, and a large community explaining how to use it.

Speed depends on how each site is built. Heavy pages are slow on either platform. On WordPress, you have more control over speed because you choose the host, caching and how much code loads.

How to decide

Wix tends to suit you if:

• You want the simplest possible start and will maintain the site yourself.
• Your needs are modest and unlikely to change much.
• You are comfortable with the site living on one company's platform.

WordPress tends to suit you if:

• You want to own the site and be free to change host or developer.
• You expect to add features, content or a shop over time.
• You want a wide choice of designers and developers who can help.
• You are willing to keep it updated, or to pay a host to do it.

The upkeep that puts people off WordPress can be handed over. On WP Web Hosting, every plan comes with Elementor pre-installed and the site set up within one working day of choosing your domain, and the WP Managed plan handles WordPress, theme and plugin updates for you. Plans are monthly, so you can try it without a long commitment.

Frequently asked