# Wix review

A drag-and-drop website builder with a free ad-supported plan and paid tiers from about $17/month billed annually for a custom domain and e-commerce.

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified September 15, 2026.

> **Wix** is a website builder and hosting platform: users design pages with a freeform drag-and-drop editor or generate a starter site with Wix's AI-assisted builder, then publish on Wix-managed hosting with a free subdomain or a connected custom domain.

A defining constraint is that Wix does not allow switching templates after a site is published without rebuilding it from scratch, a limitation shared with Squarespace but not with more flexible builders like WordPress. Beyond the core site editor, Wix operates an App Market of third-party and first-party integrations (booking systems, forms, chat widgets) that extend functionality similarly to a plugin ecosystem, and Wix Stores provides built-in e-commerce on Business-tier plans and above. The free plan keeps a Wix-branded subdomain and displays Wix ads on the published site.

## Facts

- Website: https://wix.com
- Pricing: Free tier · paid from $17/mo
- License: Freemium
- Platforms: web, ios, android
- Best for: small businesses and freelancers who want an AI-assisted site builder with a genuinely free published-site option before committing to a paid plan
- Standout feature: The Wix App Market, a marketplace of first- and third-party apps (booking, forms, chat, marketing tools) that extends the core site editor without custom code, paired with an AI-assisted site generator.
- Biggest weakness: Templates cannot be changed after a site is published without rebuilding it from scratch, and the jump from Business ($39/month) to Business Elite ($159/month) is steep for stores that need just one advanced feature; the free plan keeps Wix branding and ads on the published site.
- Third-party ratings: Capterra 4.4/5 (10,760 reviews)
- Categories: [Website Builders](https://findalternative.to/categories/website-builders)

## Pricing snapshot

| Plan | Price | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0/mo | Wix subdomain, Wix branding and ads on the published site, limited storage and bandwidth. |
| Light | $17/mo | Billed annually ($24/month month-to-month); removes Wix ads, custom domain, basic site features. |
| Core | $29/mo | Billed annually ($36/month month-to-month); adds e-commerce and marketing tools, larger storage and bandwidth. |
| Business | $39/mo | Billed annually ($46/month month-to-month); full Wix Stores e-commerce, unlimited bandwidth. |
| Business Elite | $159/mo | Billed annually ($172/month month-to-month); advanced store management, multiple currencies, custom reporting. |

## Pros and cons

- Pro: Genuinely free plan publishes a live site, not just a builder trial, though with Wix branding and ads.
- Pro: Drag-and-drop editor allows freeform element placement, more flexible than fixed-section builders.
- Pro: AI-assisted site generator (ADI) creates a starter site from a short questionnaire, useful for fast first drafts.
- Pro: Wix App Market extends functionality without custom code for booking, forms, chat, and marketing.
- Con: Templates cannot be swapped after a site is published without rebuilding the entire layout.
- Con: Free-plan sites carry Wix branding and ads and publish on a wix.com subdomain, not a custom domain.
- Con: Business Elite jumps to $159/month billed annually, a steep increase from Business at $39/month for stores that need just one advanced feature.
- Con: Site performance and page speed lag behind custom-built or more code-flexible platforms as site complexity grows.

## AI summary

- Wix's free plan publishes a live site on a wix.com subdomain with Wix ads and branding.
- Paid plans run from Light at roughly $17/month to Business Elite at roughly $159/month, both billed annually.
- Templates cannot be changed after a site is published without a full rebuild.
- Wix operates an App Market of first- and third-party apps that extend the core editor.
- Wix holds a 4.4/5 rating from 10,760 reviews on Capterra.
- Best for: small businesses and freelancers who want a free published-site option and an AI-assisted site generator
- Pricing: Free with Wix branding and ads; paid plans start around $17/month billed annually and reach $159/month for advanced e-commerce.
- Top alternatives: Squarespace, WordPress.com, Shopify, Webflow
- Limitation: Templates cannot be swapped after publishing without rebuilding the site.
- Limitation: Free-plan sites carry Wix branding, ads, and a wix.com subdomain.
- Limitation: Business Elite is a steep jump in price for stores that need only one advanced feature.
- Limitation: Page performance can lag behind more code-flexible platforms as site complexity increases.

## Alternatives

5 vetted alternatives to Wix: https://findalternative.to/wix — top picks: Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify

## Comparisons

- https://findalternative.to/compare/shopify-vs-wix
- https://findalternative.to/compare/squarespace-vs-wix
- https://findalternative.to/compare/webflow-vs-wix
- https://findalternative.to/compare/wix-vs-wordpress

---

Markdown mirror of https://findalternative.to/wix/about — findalternative.to, honestly ranked software alternatives. AI info: https://findalternative.to/ai