WordPress vs Wix: Which Actually Costs More for a Small Business Website?

If you're starting a small business website, you've probably landed on two names again and again: WordPress and Wix. Both promise a "quick and affordable" website, but the real cost picture looks very different once you get past the sign-up page. This guide breaks down what each platform actually costs, upfront and over time, so you can decide with real numbers instead of marketing claims.

The short version: Wix paid plans run from roughly $17 to $159 a month on annual billing, with most small business sites landing between $17 and $39. A self-hosted WordPress site usually costs $10 to $50 a month in hosting plus a one-time setup. Which one costs less over time depends on how much you plan to grow.

Note: platform prices change often, and the figures below are approximate. Always confirm current plan prices on the provider's own pricing page before you buy.

Quick Comparison: WordPress vs Wix Cost

WordPress Costs Explained

WordPress itself is free and open-source. But "free software" doesn't mean a free website. To actually launch, you need:

• Hosting: Shared hosting starts around $5–$15/month; managed WordPress hosting runs $20–$50/month for better speed and security.
• Domain name: Roughly $10–$20/year.
• Theme: Free themes work fine for many small businesses; premium themes range from $30–$200 one-time.
• Plugins: Contact forms, SEO tools, and caching plugins are often free. Specialized plugins (booking systems, advanced forms) can run $50–$300/year each.
• Development/setup: If you hire a developer to set it up properly instead of DIY, expect a one-time cost depending on complexity. See our WooCommerce developer cost breakdown for a detailed range.
• Maintenance: Updates, backups, and security checks. You can do these yourself or pay for a plan. Our guide to WordPress maintenance costs shows what plans include.

The upside: once it's built, you own everything. You can switch hosts, switch developers, or move to a completely different server without losing your site.

Wix Costs Explained

Wix looks cheaper on the surface because hosting, templates, and basic tools are bundled into one subscription. But the real cost adds up differently:

• Free plan: Comes with Wix ads and a Wix subdomain, so it is not usable for a real business.
• Paid plans: Roughly $17–$159/month on annual billing, depending on features (custom domain, storage, eCommerce).
• Business/eCommerce plans: Needed for online stores, starting around $29/month and climbing as your needs grow.
• Apps: Many useful features (advanced forms, memberships, marketing tools) are separate paid apps, often monthly subscriptions.
• Switching cost: If you ever want to leave Wix, there's no clean export. You're rebuilding from scratch elsewhere.

If you've already decided WordPress is the better long-term fit, see our Wix to WordPress migration cost guide for exact pricing and the SEO steps that protect your rankings during the move.

Wix Plans and What They Cost

Wix sells four paid plans. The prices below are approximate monthly figures on annual billing. Different sources show small differences, especially for the Business plan, so treat these as ranges.

Paying month to month instead of annually costs noticeably more, often 15–30% extra on each plan. Most plans include a free custom domain for the first year, but you pay the normal renewal price after that.

How Wix Compares to Other Website Builders

If your question is "what is Wix's cost relative to other website builders," the honest answer is that Wix sits in the middle of the pack. Entry plans on the major builders are in a similar range, and the gap grows once you add an online store.

Compare the same features across platforms, not just the headline price. A cheaper plan that lacks the booking tool or store you need will cost more once you upgrade. For a full side-by-side with another popular builder, read our WordPress vs Squarespace cost comparison.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

The plan price is rarely the full monthly bill. Here are the extras that catch small business owners off guard.

• Paid apps: Booking, memberships, email marketing, and advanced forms are often separate subscriptions on Wix.
• Domain renewal: The free domain is usually for the first year only.
• Monthly billing premium: Paying monthly instead of annually adds a noticeable percentage to every plan.
• Payment processing fees: Selling online means payment providers take a cut of every sale, on any platform.
• Business email: A custom email address through a separate provider is an extra monthly cost on both platforms.
• Renewal pricing: Promotional first-year prices can change at renewal, so check the renewal price before you commit.
• Rebuild cost: If you later leave Wix, you pay again for design and content rebuild.

Three-Year Cost Comparison

Here is a rough illustration of what each route can cost over three years. These are examples, not quotes, and they exclude your own time and any custom design work.

Notice what this shows. For a basic brochure site with no changes, Wix is often cheaper or about the same. The picture shifts when you add a store, a booking system, or many apps. Those are the areas where Wix costs climb and WordPress costs stay flat.

Which One Actually Costs Less Long-Term?

For a five-page brochure site with no ongoing changes, Wix's all-in-one pricing can be genuinely convenient and comparable in year-one cost. But for most growing small businesses, especially anyone planning to add a store, blog, or custom features, WordPress tends to cost less over two to three years because:

• You're not locked into recurring platform fees on top of hosting
• WooCommerce (free) avoids Wix's escalating eCommerce plan tiers
• You can move hosts anytime without rebuilding the site
• Features that are paid apps on Wix are often free or one-time purchases on WordPress

If you're weighing this decision more broadly, including whether to build it yourself with any website builder versus hiring a developer, our Website Builder vs. Hiring a Developer cost comparison covers that angle in more depth. For general budget ranges across business types, see what a small business website costs.

When Wix Makes Sense

Wix is a reasonable choice if you need something live today, have no plans to scale past a basic informational site, and don't mind paying a flat monthly fee indefinitely. It also suits people who want to design everything themselves and never touch hosting or updates.

When WordPress Makes Sense

WordPress is the better long-term investment if you plan to grow, adding a store, blog, bookings, or custom functionality, or if owning your website outright, rather than renting space on someone else's platform, matters to you. This is especially true for industry-specific sites with real integration needs: a real estate website pulling live listings through an IDX/MLS feed, for example, needs the flexibility WordPress allows and that Wix's closed app ecosystem typically can't match.

Frequently Asked Questions