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Wix and WordPress both build good websites. The difference is what happens as your business grows: Wix keeps things simple by keeping everything inside its platform, while WordPress gives you a site you own and can take anywhere. Here’s how to decide, and how to tell when it’s time to switch.
Wix vs WordPress at a glance
| Wix | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | All-in-one website builder | Open-source software you install on any host |
| Ownership | Your site lives on Wix and can’t be moved to another host | You own the files and database and can move anytime |
| Ease of use | Drag-and-drop editor, very quick to start | Easy to edit once built; set-up usually needs a developer |
| Hosting and security | Included and managed by Wix | Your host plus maintenance (updates, backups) |
| SEO control | Good built-in tools, fixed URL patterns for blogs and products | Full control of URLs, schema, redirects and technical SEO |
| Speed | Decent, but limited by the platform | As fast as the theme and hosting you choose |
| Features | Wix apps and built-in tools | Thousands of plugins, plus custom development |
| Online store | Wix Stores, from the Core plan | WooCommerce, with any payment gateway |
| Leaving | No full-site export: moving away is a rebuild | Export everything; move host in hours |
What each costs in 2026
Wix charges a monthly plan. Its paid plans run from about US$17 a month (Light) to US$159 (Business Elite), billed yearly, with Core (about US$29) the cheapest plan that can take payments and Business (about US$39) the one Wix recommends. Monthly billing costs more, prices vary by country, and paid apps from the Wix App Market are extra.
WordPress itself is free. You pay for:
| Cost | Typical price (NZD) |
|---|---|
| Hosting | $25–$80/month |
| Domain | $25–$40/year |
| A professional build | $1,200–$2,500 for a business site, $2,500–$6,000 for a custom theme |
| Maintenance (optional) | $200–$500/month, or do it yourself |
Wix prices are Wix’s own US-dollar figures for yearly billing as of November 2026. WordPress figures are typical New Zealand prices; see the NZ pricing guide and maintenance costs for detail.
Wix usually costs less to start, because there’s no build fee if you design the site yourself. WordPress usually costs less to grow, because you’re not paying a platform for every feature, and the site is an asset you own.
When Wix is the right choice
Wix is genuinely the better option if:
- You want to build and update the site yourself, without a developer
- The site is small: a handful of pages, a contact form, maybe a few bookings
- You don’t want to think about hosting, updates or backups
- Your budget is tight now and the site isn’t a major source of sales yet
- You’re happy to stay on Wix long-term
If that’s you, Wix is a sensible choice. There’s no reason to move a small site that’s doing its job.
Signs it’s time to switch to WordPress
- The site brings in real money, and you want to own it rather than rent it
- Speed is holding you back: your PageSpeed scores are low and you can’t fix them inside Wix
- SEO has hit a ceiling: you need control over URLs, structured data or technical settings that Wix doesn’t give you
- You need a feature Wix doesn’t do well: a bigger store, memberships, multilingual content, custom calculators or integrations
- The monthly bill keeps growing as you add apps and upgrade plans
- You want a developer to build something custom, without working around a closed platform
Can I move my website from Wix to WordPress?
Yes. There’s no “export my whole site” button in Wix, so a move is a rebuild in WordPress plus a content transfer: blog posts come across through Wix’s RSS feed, pages and images are moved and checked, and every old Wix URL gets a 301 redirect so you keep your Google rankings. A small business site usually takes 2–3 weeks.
The full step-by-step process, including how Wix URLs map to WordPress, is in the Wix to WordPress migration guide.
What about moving from WordPress to Wix?
It’s possible, but it’s a rebuild too. Wix has an official importer for WordPress blog posts, which brings over post text, images, dates and categories. Tags, comments, forms and plugin features don’t come across, pages and design are rebuilt in Wix, and redirects from your old URLs have to be set up by hand.
Moving to Wix makes sense if you no longer want to look after a WordPress site and your needs fit inside Wix. If the real problem is that your WordPress site is slow or hard to manage, fixing or rebuilding it is usually cheaper than leaving.
The bottom line
- Wix is the quicker, simpler start; WordPress is the one you own and can grow
- Wix costs about US$17–$159 a month on yearly billing; WordPress costs hosting, a domain, the build and upkeep
- Stay on Wix if the site is small, you edit it yourself and it does its job
- Switch to WordPress when the site drives revenue and Wix’s limits start to cost you
- Either move is a rebuild, and redirects protect your rankings