WordPress vs Wix comes down to convenience against control. Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder where you place things exactly where you want them on the page, and Wix runs everything behind the scenes. WordPress is free software on your own hosting that can do almost anything, but you keep it updated.
The short answer
- Wix has a free plan, but it shows Wix branding and cannot use your own domain. Paid plans start at £9 a month, paid yearly, before tax.
- WordPress costs hosting plus a domain and gives you more control and features, but needs updates.
- Wix suits a quick, simple site you build yourself. WordPress suits a site you want to grow and own.
Wix prices in the UK
| Plan | Price (paid yearly) | Main points |
|---|---|---|
| Free | £0 | Wix branding, no own domain |
| Light | £9 a month | Own domain, 2 GB storage |
| Core | £16 a month | 50 GB, accept payments, basic online shop |
| Business | £25 a month | 100 GB, standard online shop |
| Business Elite | £119 a month | Unlimited storage, advanced shop |
Wix says the prices are for yearly plans paid in full upfront and do not include tax, so add VAT. Paid plans include a voucher for a free domain for the first year. So Light is £108 a year and Core £192 a year before VAT.
Side by side
| WordPress (self-hosted) | Wix | |
|---|---|---|
| Editing | Block editor; layouts follow the theme | Free drag and drop anywhere on the page |
| Free option | Software free, hosting is not | Free plan with Wix branding |
| Features | Plugins for almost anything | Wix apps and built-in tools |
| Updates and security | Your job (or a care plan) | Handled by Wix |
| SEO | Full control with plugins | Good built-in tools, less fine control |
| Changing template later | Change theme, keep content | Hard: content is tied to the template design |
| Leaving | Take your files and database | No full export of the site; you rebuild |
Where Wix wins
- Easiest to start. No hosting, no installing, and the editor feels like arranging a poster.
- Nothing to maintain. Wix does updates, hosting and security.
- Try for free. You can build the whole site on the free plan and only pay when you are ready to go live on your own domain.
Where WordPress wins
- Room to grow. Shops, bookings, memberships and multilingual sites through plugins.
- You own it. Move host or designer whenever you like.
- Long-term cost. Usually cheaper to run once your site needs more than the basic Wix plan.
- Clean redesigns. Change the theme and your content stays; on Wix, a new look often means rebuilding pages.
Common Wix worries, honestly
- “Wix is bad for SEO”: this was true years ago. Today Wix has decent SEO tools, and good content matters more than the platform.
- “Wix sites are slow”: heavy designs on any platform are slow. Keep pages simple and compress images.
- “I can never leave Wix”: you can, but you rebuild the site elsewhere. Plan for that if you might outgrow it.
So which one?
If you want to build a simple site yourself this weekend and never touch anything technical, Wix is a good choice. If your site matters to your business for years and you expect it to grow, WordPress usually works out better. See also WordPress vs Squarespace, WordPress pros and cons and the full comparison in WordPress vs Squarespace vs Wix vs Shopify.
Sources
Prices were read on each provider’s UK pricing page on 13 November 2026. They change often, may not include VAT and can include first-year offers, so check the provider’s page before you buy. We build and look after WordPress sites, so we have tried hard to be fair to the other platforms.
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