Choose Wix if you want to build and run the site yourself with as little tech as possible. Choose WordPress if you want full control and the freedom to move the site anywhere, and you or someone you pay will keep it updated. Choose a managed website if you want a professional site without touching it, and you're fine with changes going through your provider. In the Wix vs WordPress debate, the better question is usually who will run the website.
The real question: who will run the website?
Every website needs someone to change the hours, add a new service, swap a photo and fix things when they break. Before you compare features, be honest about who that person is.
- You, and you enjoy it. A builder like Wix, or WordPress if you're technical.
- You, but you'd rather not. Most owners say they'll keep the site updated and then don't.
- Someone on your team. Fine, as long as the logins don't leave with them.
- Someone you pay. WordPress with a maintenance plan, or a managed website.
Do-it-yourself builders like Wix: pros and cons
Wix is the best-known of the website builders. Squarespace and others work in a similar way: you pick a template, drag things around, and the company hosts the site and keeps the software up to date.
Pros:
- Easy to start. You can have something live in a weekend.
- Hosting, security and software updates are handled by the platform.
- Free plan to try it, and paid plans that include hosting. As of late 2026, Wix's main paid plans for a business site run roughly $18 to $40 a month on yearly billing, with higher tiers above that.
- Built-in tools for forms, bookings, simple stores and email marketing, depending on the plan.
Cons:
- Your time. The builder is easy, but writing good content, choosing photos and making the site work well on phones still takes hours.
- You can't move it. Wix says its sites have to be hosted on Wix's servers. If you leave, you keep your domain and your content, but you rebuild the site somewhere else.
- Costs creep. The free domain on yearly plans covers only the first year, and many extra features and apps cost more.
- DIY results vary. A template looks professional, but it doesn't write your headline or decide what customers need to see first.
Best for: new businesses, side businesses and owners who like doing it themselves and have the time.
WordPress: pros and cons
WordPress is free, open-source software that runs a large share of the web. You install it on hosting you pay for, then add a theme for the design and plugins for features. This guide means the self-hosted version from WordPress.org, not WordPress.com, which is a separate hosted service.
Pros:
- You own it. You can move the site to any host or any developer at any time.
- Almost anything is possible. Bookings, memberships, courses, event registration, complex forms, multiple languages and online stores all have well-tested options.
- Lots of developers know it, so you're not stuck with one provider.
- You can edit pages yourself once it's set up.
Cons:
- Someone has to maintain it. WordPress, the theme and plugins all get regular updates, many of them security fixes. Skip them and the site becomes an easy target.
- More moving parts. Plugins from different companies don't always play well together, and an update can break something.
- Hosting quality varies. Cheap hosting is often slow, and promotional prices often go up at renewal.
- The editor takes some learning, especially with page builder plugins.
Best for: owners who want control and flexibility, sites with features a builder can't handle, and businesses that already have a developer or a maintenance plan.
Managed websites: pros and cons
With a managed website, a provider builds the site, hosts it, keeps it secure and makes your changes. You email or call when something needs to change. Some charge a build fee plus a monthly care fee, others roll everything into one monthly price.
Pros:
- Least work for you. No logins to remember, no updates to run.
- A professional builds it, so content, layout and basic search setup are usually done properly.
- Changes get made, which keeps the site current. That's the part most DIY sites miss.
- Predictable cost, often with no large bill up front.
Cons:
- Less control. You usually can't make changes yourself, and you're relying on how quickly the provider responds.
- You depend on that provider. If they go out of business or you part ways, find out first what happens to your site, your content and your domain.
- Some plans are rented, not owned. When you stop paying, the site may go offline unless you buy the files.
- Over many years, monthly plans can cost more than paying up front.
Best for: busy owners who want a site that works and stays current, and who would rather pay than spend evenings on it.
Cost over three years for each
Monthly fees aren't the full picture. Add up three years, including setup and help you'll pay for. These are rough, commonly seen ranges, and your numbers will vary.
- Wix, done yourself: roughly $650 to $1,450 in plan fees over three years on the main business plans, plus domain renewals after the first year and any paid apps. Add your own hours.
- WordPress, done yourself: the software is free. Hosting can be under $200 over three years for basic shared hosting or more than $1,000 for good managed WordPress hosting. Add a domain and any premium theme or plugins.
- WordPress, built by a designer and maintained: often $1,500 to $5,000 to build a small business site, plus roughly $25 to $150 a month for a maintenance plan. Over three years, that often lands between about $2,400 and $10,000.
- Managed website: depends a lot on the provider. As one example, our own prices at theNetStuff as of November 2026 work out to $1,800 over three years for a one-page site at $50 a month, or $3,600 for up to 5 pages at $100 a month. Paying up front instead starts at $1,500 for up to 5 pages, plus a maintenance plan based on your needs.
The cheapest option on paper is usually Wix done yourself. Whether it's cheapest in real life depends on what your time is worth and whether the site brings in work.
Which fits which kind of business
- Just starting out, tight budget, enjoy DIY: Wix or a similar builder. You can move to something else later.
- Want to run it yourself and need special features: WordPress, with a good host and a plan for updates.
- Need memberships, courses, event registration or multiple languages: WordPress.
- Busy service business that wants calls and bookings, not a hobby: a managed website or WordPress with a maintenance plan.
- Selling products online: look at dedicated store options. Our online store page covers that.
Whatever you pick, put the domain in your own name. That keeps your options open no matter which platform you use. If you'd like a second opinion on which fits, get a quote and we'll tell you honestly, even if the answer is to do it yourself.
Common questions
Can I switch later? Yes, but switching away from Wix or most managed platforms means rebuilding the site. WordPress sites can usually be moved to a new host as they are.
Is WordPress free? The software is. Hosting, a domain, premium themes or plugins and maintenance are not.
Is a builder bad for Google? No. Builders can rank fine. Content, your Google Business Profile and reviews matter far more than the platform.
The short version
- Decide who will run the site before you compare features.
- Wix is easiest to start and cheapest in fees, but your site can't move off Wix.
- WordPress gives the most control and flexibility, and needs regular maintenance.
- Managed websites take the least of your time, with less control and some dependence on the provider.
- Compare three-year cost, and keep the domain in your name whatever you choose.