Is Wix Website Builder Really Free?

in Website Builders

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Wix is trusted by thousands of website owners around the world. Their website builder platform is one of the easiest and most reliable. You can use it to build anything from a photography portfolio to a full-fledged online store that competes head-to-head with the giants in your industry. In this article, we’ll find out – is wix completely free and is it worth it.

From $0 to $16/month

Start your FREE site using 500+ customizable templates

TL;DR: Is Wix free? Yes. Wix offers a two-week free trial on all its premium plans and a completely free plan to launch your first site. 

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Most people who come across Wix start using their free plan not knowing how much they are missing out on…

Don’t get me wrong, the free plan is a good starting point if you’ve never built a website before. But if you are a serious business owner, you’ve no business staying on the free plan.

So, does Wix have a free plan? The Wix plan looks free, but it can cost your business a lot in the long term.

DEAL

Start your FREE site using 500+ customizable templates

From $0 to $16/month

So, is Wix.com free to use and is Wix website builder free? Yes, it is, however…

What You Get on The Free Plan

Wix’s free plan is good for when you are just starting and want to test the waters. You get a free subdomain on top of Wix’s domain name.

And you get to play around with the website builder to see if it’s a good fit for your business. Wix gives you access to dozens of different website templates for free.

Why Wix’s Free Plan Isn’t Worth It

If you are trying to build a serious business, you should focus on building a professional presence right from the start.

It takes a long time to gain a foothold in SEO. If you start Today, you’ll thank yourself (and me) in the future.

Wix’s free plan doesn’t allow you to use a custom domain of your own. Building your business website on a subdomain on another website is one of the worst ideas.

You don’t own the subdomain. It can be taken away anytime Wix comes up with a policy change.

Not only that but if and when you move your website to a custom domain name, you’ll lose all good karma you’ve gained in the eyes of Google.

And the longer you are on the free plan, the longer Wix will display ads on your website. This can seem weird if you’re trying to build a real online business.

Moreover, if your website starts gaining traction and starts getting too much traffic, Wix can suspend your account at any time for violating its fair-usage policies.

If you aren’t sure which pricing plan is right for you, read my review of Wix’s pricing plans. It will clear up any confusion you might have about their pricing plans.

Wix Premium Features

If you are on Wix’s free plan, let me show you the premium features you’re missing out on:

Hundreds of Premium Templates

If you want to gain a foothold in your market, you need to stand out. One easy way to stand out is to have a website that looks different and better than most other websites in your market.

This is where Wix’s hundreds of premium templates can help. Wix’s premium templates are built to stand out…

They are designed by professional designers.

wix templates

Wix has dozens of premium templates for every industry imaginable that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Not only that Wix allows you to customize all aspects of these themes when you are on the premium plans.

Design, Launch, and Manage an Online Store From One Place

Wix offers you all the tools you need to start an online store.

Whether you want to turn your arts & craft hobby into a small business, or you want your customers to be able to order from your catalog of hundreds of different products, Wix can handle it.

Wix doesn’t just help you design and launch your online ecommerce store, it also helps you manage it completely. With Wix, you don’t need any other software to manage your online store:

wix ecommerce

Wix lets you manage everything about your online store from one place including the products, inventory, orders, invoices, customers, and much more.

Sell Your Services Online

Unlike other platforms, Wix doesn’t just give you the ability to sell and leave you hanging. It helps you manage your schedule, availability, and payments all from one place.

This is the only tool you need to sell your time online. Whether you want to teach fitness classes online or sell appointments, you can easily start doing so within 20 minutes.

wix online scheduling

Wix will not only help you take payments but will even help set everything up from scheduling to sending Zoom links.

Your customers will be able to see your availability based on your calendar schedule and set up appointments on their own.

You can then sync your Wix schedule with your favorite calendar app. This will display your appointments directly in your calendar app and even display notifications for these appointments on your phone.

You can even sell membership packages for your classes or gym or online courses. You can even create a membership website with gated content that is only available to paid members.

Manage Your Staff From Wix

Wix gives you the ability to add your staff and give them their accounts so they can help you manage your growing business.

staff management

If you sell classes or sessions, you can assign particular sessions or timings to your team members and automate everything…

Powerful Analytics

Wix’s analytics tool is very easy to learn and use, but at the same time, it is very powerful.

wix analytics

It can help you realize what areas you can improve. It can also help you analyze what’s working best and what’s not.

For example, it can tell you what services or products are selling the most, and which are selling the least.

It will also give you a bird’s eye view of your business’ finances.

Promote

wix marketing tools

Wix Pros and Cons

Wix is trusted by thousands of website owners, and there’s a reason for that; they’re reliable…

But Wix may not be suitable for every business.

So, before you sign up for their service, be sure to check out some of the best Wix alternatives.

And keep these pros and cons in mind:

Pros

  • 100% free website builder: With the Wix free plan, you can build a stunning and functional website at absolutely no cost. Whether you are a small business owner, a blogger, or an artist, Wix provides all the tools you need to bring your vision to life without any financial burden.
  • Free Domain Name: All Wix plans except the Connect Domain plan come with a free domain name. 
  • An all-in-one solution for building an online business: Wix offers you all the tools you need to build and grow an online business. It offers dozens of tools to automate your workflow. For instance, you can completely automate your business if it’s based on selling appointments or sessions.
  • Free SSL Certificate: An SSL certificate makes your website look more professional. It is required if you want your website to run over the more secure HTTPS protocol.
  • Sell Subscriptions: You can sell subscriptions for your products or even create paid subscription-based membership websites that gate premium content.
  • Unlimited Bandwidth: You won’t get penalized for getting too successful, too soon!
  • 24/7 Customer Support: You can reach out to Wix’s amazing support team any time you hit a snag. They are well-trained and can help you solve almost all of your website’s problems easily and within minutes.
  • Unlimited Products: All eCommerce plans allow you to add an unlimited number of products to your website.
  • Sell tickets for your events: Sell an unlimited number of tickets.
  • Take Orders and Reservations For Your Restaurant Online on Your Website.
  • Complete solution for fitness pros: Whether you are selling gym subscriptions or coaching sessions, you can automate it all with Wix. Once you set it up, people will be able to book sessions and pay for them online without needing your attention.

Cons

  • The connect domain plan doesn’t remove ads: The cheapest $5 per month plan only allows you to connect a custom domain name. It doesn’t remove ads from your website.
  • Wix charges a 2.5% services fee on tickets.
  • Wix if free, but:
    • Limited bandwidth: The free plan comes with limited bandwidth, which means that your website may not perform well or load quickly if you exceed the allocated bandwidth.
    • Limited storage: You only get a certain amount of storage space with the free plan, which may not be enough to host all of your website’s content, especially if you have a lot of images or videos.
    • Limited customization: While Wix provides a wide range of templates and drag-and-drop tools to help you build your website, the free plan has limited customization options compared to the paid plans.
    • Wix branding: The free plan includes a Wix logo in the footer of your website, which may not be desirable for businesses looking to establish their own brand identity.
    • Limited e-commerce features: The free plan does not support advanced e-commerce features such as online stores, payment gateways, or shipping integrations.
    • Limited SEO optimization: The free plan does not provide advanced SEO optimization tools, which may make it harder for your website to rank higher in search engines.
    • Limited customer support: The free plan does not come with priority customer support, which may mean longer wait times or less comprehensive assistance when you need help.
    • Limited integration with third-party apps: The free plan has limited integration with third-party apps and services, which may restrict your ability to enhance your website’s functionality.

Summary – Is Wix Website Builder Really Free?

Wix’s free plan is great for anyone who’s just starting out. If you just want to see if a website builder is for you, then it’s a great choice…

But if you’re building a serious business, then it’s a horrible choice. Wix will show ads on your website every time someone visits your website. It won’t leave a good impression on your customers.

And worse than that, your website’s URL isn’t even your own. It’s a subdomain name owned by Wix. They can take it away whenever they want if they ever change their policies.

If you are a serious business owner, you need to consider upgrading. Wix isn’t just a website creator. It’s an all-in-one platform for building an online business. It will help you take payments for your services, and sell all kinds of products.

If you are interested in Wix, but still aren’t sure whether it’s for you or not, check out my in-depth deep-dive Wix website builder review. It will clear up all your doubts.

Sign up for the free Wix website plan and start designing your free Wix website right now. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to have a professional online presence without spending a dime. Join the millions of satisfied users who have already discovered the wonders of the Wix free website plan!

Reviewing Wix: Our Methodology

When we review website builders we look at several key aspects. We assess the intuitiveness of the tool, its feature set, the speed of website creation, and other factors. The primary consideration is the ease of use for individuals new to website setup. In our testing, our evaluation is based on these criteria:

  1. Customization: Does the builder allow you to modify template designs or incorporate your own coding?
  2. User-Friendliness: Are the navigation and tools, such as the drag-and-drop editor, easy to use?
  3. Value for Money: Is there an option for a free plan or trial? Do paid plans offer features that justify the cost?
  4. Security: How does the builder protect your website and data about you and your customers?
  5. Templates: Are the templates of high quality, contemporary, and varied?
  6. Support: Is assistance readily available, either through human interaction, AI chatbots, or informational resources?

Learn more about our review methodology here.

References:

https://support.wix.com/en/article/free-vs-premium-site

About Author

Matt Ahlgren

Mathias Ahlgren is the CEO and founder of Website Rating, steering a global team of editors and writers. He holds a master's in information science and management. His career pivoted to SEO after early web development experiences during university. With over 15 years in SEO, digital marketing, and web developmens. His focus also includes website security, evidenced by a certificate in Cyber Security. This diverse expertise underpins his leadership at Website Rating.

WSR Team

The "WSR Team" is the collective group of expert editors and writers specializing in technology, internet security, digital marketing, and web development. Passionate about the digital realm, they produce well-researched, insightful, and accessible content. Their commitment to accuracy and clarity makes Website Rating a trusted resource for staying informed in the dynamic digital world.

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