Wix Website Cost vs a Custom Website

What does a Wix site cost over three years?

On Wix's published plan prices, a typical small business site costs between USD 640 and 1,430 in plan fees over three years. Wix's plan page showed the prices below in November 2026. It labels them in US dollars, says they apply to yearly subscriptions paid up front, and says prices vary by location, so yours may differ.

Paid plans include a free domain for the first year. You also need a paid plan to connect your own domain, according to Wix's FAQ. After year one, the domain, any paid apps, business email and payment provider fees are extra. Check the renewal price at checkout, because the first-term price may not repeat.

What does a custom site cost over three years?

A custom build costs more up front, then little in plan fees. Everything below is illustrative and uses the planning figures from our guide to the cost of building a website: a 5 to 8 page site at 60 to 110 hours and EUR 30 to 90 an hour, which is EUR 1,800 to 9,900.

The hosting row uses WordPress.com's annual plan prices, checked in November 2026, only as a reference for what managed WordPress hosting costs. A hired build can sit on any host. The care row assumes one hour a month of updates, backups and checks, covered in our website maintenance cost guide. We have kept the currencies separate rather than convert them, because exchange rates and Wix's local pricing both move.

Does your own time change the answer?

Yes, and it is the line most comparisons leave out. Suppose you spend 40 hours choosing a template, writing pages, fixing mobile layouts and learning the editor. If your time is worth EUR 30 to 90 an hour, that is EUR 1,200 to 3,600, which is already near the bottom of the custom range. If you have spare evenings and enjoy it, the real cost is lower. If you run the business, it is higher.

The hours here are assumptions, not measurements. Replace them with your own estimate.

What do you give up with each route?

Wix gives you speed and a single bill. A custom site gives you control and portability. Wix's own article on AI-generated sites says that your text, images, product data and blog posts are yours to take, while templates, themes and platform code are licensed to you and generally do not transfer to another platform. That matters if you ever outgrow the builder, because moving means rebuilding the design.

Which should you choose?

Choose Wix if the site has fewer than about ten pages, you want to edit it yourself, you sell little or nothing online, and a template layout fits your business. Clutch's August 2025 survey of small businesses reported that DIY builders such as Wix and Squarespace power 41% of the sites launched in the past year. Clutch does not publish the sample size, so treat the share as indicative. It shows the route is common and workable.

Choose a custom build if the site is your main source of enquiries, you need features no template offers, you have rankings to protect through a migration, you want two languages with careful search setup, or you expect to move platforms. If you are unsure, start with the cheapest plan that does the job, and keep your text and images in your own files so a later move costs less.

For a quote on a hired build, see our web design service. We quote in writing and do not publish a price list.

How do you test a builder before you commit?

Build one page and measure it. Wix and other builders offer free plans or trials, so you can create a draft and run it through PageSpeed Insights before paying. Google's web.dev sets the "good" targets at the 75th percentile: largest content in 2.5 seconds or less, interaction response of 200 milliseconds or less, and layout shift of 0.1 or less. A draft that passes is a good sign, and one that fails is a warning to settle before you pay for a year. We make no claim about how Wix performs, because that depends on your template, images and apps.

What about Wix's AI builder?

Wix's AI website builder generates a new site from a text prompt, and its page does not describe redesigning an existing site. Building is free to start, but connecting a custom domain and collecting payments require a Premium plan. Our guide to AI and website redesign covers what AI can and cannot do for a site you already have. If you sell products, compare platforms in Shopify vs WooCommerce.