Posted: August 19, 2024 | Updated:
Any buyer interested in creating a website might consider using Wix. Wix is popular among small business owners for its user-friendly design that doesn’t require previous web development skills. It is recommended for those who prefer to design a website independently without the need to hire a developer or learn coding skills. However, Wix is not the best option for everyone. Those planning to expand their website, seeking extensive customization, or needing to maintain a budget due to rising plan costs might look for Wix alternatives.
In that case, comparing different website builders and exploring alternatives is beneficial. Below is a detailed list of some of the best alternatives to Wix.
Wix is a widely used website builder, boasting over 250 million users globally in 2025. It is trendy among new businesses and individuals with limited experience in website development. However, numerous competitors offer services similar to Wix’s and alternatives that provide more advanced features for small and medium-sized businesses.
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Wix is known for several key features:
Wix offers four pricing tiers to suit different business needs. At $159 per month, the top-tier Business Basic plan includes unlimited storage, advanced marketing tools, and a developer platform for scaling businesses. It also supports up to 15 collaborators.
The Business plan costs $36 per month and is geared towards growing brands. It offers 100 GB of storage and standard marketing features for up to 10 collaborators. For smaller needs, the Core plan, at $29 per month, provides 50 GB of storage and basic features for five collaborators, while the Light plan offers the essentials for $17 per month with 2 GB of storage for 2 collaborators. All plans include a free domain for one year and payment processing capabilities.
Business owners might look for alternatives to Wix for several reasons, with website loading times being a primary concern. Wix is suitable for smaller sites or portfolios, but larger sites, especially those with ecommerce functionality or multiple pages, can experience slow loading. This makes alternative platforms more appealing, especially for those managing websites for small to medium-sized businesses. Additionally, while varied, Wix’s template options often lead to a uniform appearance that may not meet clients’ needs, requiring more customization control over their site’s design and functionality.
Regarding performance and SEO, Wix may also not perform well against other platforms. Wix is often seen as a “heavy” platform due to its extensive use of JavaScript, unlike other platforms that primarily utilize HTML and CSS. This excess JavaScript can lead to bloated code on many Wix sites that don’t require it, resulting in slower load times. As website speed is a crucial factor for search engine rankings, this excess code can negatively impact a site’s ability to rank well.
For e-commerce-focused clients, Wix’s features may need to be revised, as more robust tools and marketing capabilities are needed to run online stores effectively.
Wix may not be the most cost-effective choice for agencies handling multiple websites, as costs can quickly accumulate with each separate site and plan upgrade. Lastly, as an agency expands and takes on larger, more complex projects, Wix’s limitations in scalability and flexibility in terms of custom coding, integrations, and plugins may prove inadequate.
Each alternative to Wix varies in its offerings. Some provide straightforward, easy-to-use services, while others cater to users seeking more tailored features, possibly requiring a bit of coding experience or willingness to tackle a learning curve for more complex functionalities. Here are key factors to consider in a Wix alternative:
Wix stands out as the leading website builder in our research, yet numerous other strong options are available. Certain alternatives surpass Wix in areas where it may fall short, offering better solutions for businesses with particular requirements. Continue reading to discover more about these competitors in the industry below:
If Wix leads the DIY website market, Squarespace is a robust second-place contender. It offers functionality similar to Wix, such as a drag-and-drop editor, but Squarespace provides more complex features and requires a bit more skill to master. It is well-suited for creating visually appealing portfolios and websites that effectively represent a brand’s distinct style.
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Squarespace has fewer templates than Wix, but its templates are recognized for their excellence and high level of customization, enhancing the design process. Users can develop unique content types and multi-column layouts. Unlike Wix, Squarespace allows multiple templates at once, supporting work on various designs simultaneously.
Squarespace focuses on design quality, mobile compatibility, and website speed. Although it enables the creation of custom templates and faster websites, it lacks extensions, restricting users to its built-in features. Its user-friendly editor and impressive designs have made it a top-rated alternative to Wix.
Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial to explore its features before committing to a paid plan. The plans are billed annually and range from $16 to $52 per month, catering to different needs:
WordPress is an ideal choice if you have a precise vision for your website. It stands out as one of the top alternatives to Wix, suitable for creating both complex sites and simple blogs. While WordPress requires a greater learning investment than Wix, it rewards users with significantly more flexibility.
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Approximately 35% of all websites run on WordPress, making it the most widely used Content Management System (CMS). Its popularity stems largely from its being free, unlike Wix, which imposes many restrictions in its free version. However, to use WordPress, you must purchase a separate hosting plan and domain name.
Buying a hosting package with a domain name and setting up WordPress is straightforward and can be completed in minutes. Leading hosting providers such as Bluehost, SiteGround, or DreamHost offer specialized WordPress hosting packages. These packages feature convenient one-click installs and additional functionalities not offered by Wix, like database access, free domain emails, manual backup options, and more. Furthermore, these plans are typically very cost-effective, starting at less than $5 per month.
WordPress is an open-source free download platform offering a free framework at no cost. However, using WordPress may involve various additional expenses. These can include an annual fee of approximately $12 for a domain name and hosting services starting at $2.95 per month. Users may also purchase pre-made themes, ranging from free to $200 as a one-time charge, and plugins, which can vary from free to $1,000, depending on whether they require ongoing payments.
Security features might start at a one-time or ongoing charge of $50. Furthermore, hiring developers can incur costs between $0 and $1,000 as a one-off expense. While comparing the total cost of WordPress with platforms like Wix isn’t straightforward, the expenses can add up, especially for those seeking advanced features.
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Shopify stands out as a top alternative to Wix for ecommerce store owners. It features a robust website builder with over 100 mobile-responsive templates and a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor. Additionally, Shopify enables web developers and business owners to tailor their sites to specific needs.
Explicitly designed for ecommerce, Shopify has essential features to help users create and manage effective online stores. The platform supports rapid loading times and offers a selection of over 150 themes and customizable templates, although only a few are available for free. Shopify also supports a variety of payment methods and third-party integrations and provides ongoing maintenance and 24/7 customer support.
Beyond just setting up an online store, Shopify offers a range of ecommerce tools, including content creation, email marketing, analytics, and sales and logistics support, enhancing the management of an ecommerce business. Accessing these additional tools and features may require a separate subscription fee.
Compared to other website builders such as Wix, Shopify tends to be pricier. Shopify offers four pricing tiers, starting at $9 per month for Shopify Lite, which is ideal for adding e-commerce to blogs or existing websites. The Basic Shopify plan costs $29 monthly and is designed for new businesses. For growing businesses, the Shopify plan is available at $79 per month, and the Advanced Shopify plan, aimed at scaling businesses needing advanced features, is priced at $299 per month.
It includes a three-day free trial. Despite the higher cost, these plans include essential features for expanding your business, such as support for multiple inventory locations and local selling points worldwide. If your business involves a substantial inventory and operates globally, these features can provide significant value for the investment.
GoDaddy could be an excellent choice if you need to launch a website quickly and without much hassle. The platform offers a selection of straightforward templates along with basic features like SEO and mobile optimization. With pricing starting at $10.99 per month, GoDaddy is both affordable and user-friendly, making it an attractive option for business owners starting their online presence.
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While GoDaddy’s design capabilities are not as extensive as those of Wix or Squarespace, its Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) feature can efficiently produce an attractive website. The ADI also assists in generating content and images to complete the site setup swiftly, which is beneficial for users under time constraints.
Additionally, GoDaddy provides reliable uptime with a 99.9% service guarantee and includes continuous security monitoring to defend against DDoS attacks and other threats. The platform offers daily backups and a range of free applications that facilitate the creation of CMS-driven sites, forums, and blogs.
GoDaddy Website Builder offers four distinct pricing tiers with a 30-day free trial to accommodate various user needs. The Basic plan is $9.99 per month and provides essential features. Slightly above this, the Standard plan is available at $10.49 per month. Users can opt for the Premium plan for more advanced features at $14.99 per month. Lastly, for those interested in online selling, the E-Commerce plan is offered at $16.99 per month, which includes additional tools tailored for e-commerce websites.
Jimdo is a website builder that offers robust customization features. It provides various responsive templates that automatically adjust to different screen sizes, ensuring a consistent viewing experience on all devices. Users can tailor their selected template by altering layouts, colors, fonts, and more. Jimdo particularly serves business owners and entrepreneurs with a specific option for creating online stores.
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Similar to other website builders like Wix, Jimdo allows users to construct websites using a drag-and-drop editor, requiring no prior coding or design skills. While it offers some degree of customization, those seeking more extensive modifications might find it limiting for their needs and those of their clients.
Jimdo offers several pricing tiers tailored to different needs.
Additionally, Jimdo provides three pricing levels for its online store feature based on the number of products and pages required: Basic ($19 per month), Business ($25 per month), and VIP ($49 per month).
The IONOS website builder is designed primarily to create easy-to-navigate business websites. Although it lacks general features such as blogging or highly customizable sections, it compensates with strong business-oriented features like AI-powered SEO tools and a website checker. The user-friendly platform suits those with little experience who must efficiently set up a business website.
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While IONOS may not offer as many options as Wix, with only 18 templates available, these templates are up-to-date, mobile-friendly, and diverse enough to meet different needs. The design options are limited but sufficient to start a website, making it ideal for beginners or those who prefer fewer choices to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
IONOS provides scalable performance management, enabling users to modify their project’s performance as necessary. It supports numerous popular apps and includes various plugins to improve a website’s functionality. These include a WordPress plugin and options for IONOS Managed WordPress Hosting. Additionally, IONOS includes a free domain for one year with any plan, which is a benefit over using a Wix subdomain.
IONOS offers various pricing tiers for its Website Builder and Online Store plans. For the Website Builder, the Starter plan costs $6 per month for the initial six months, after which the cost increases to $12. The Plus plan begins at $1 monthly for the first six months before rising to $18 monthly. The Pro plan costs $15 monthly for the first six months, escalating to $28 monthly after that.
For the Online Store options, the Starter plan starts at $6 per month for the first six months, then jumps to $24 monthly. The Plus plan offers an initial rate of $1 monthly for six months, increasing to $30 afterward. The Pro plan is $30 per month for the initial six months, with the price subsequently doubling to $60 per month. Lastly, the Expert plan is offered at $40 per month for the first six months before rising to $90 monthly.
Weebly stands out as an excellent free alternative to Wix. It provides a straightforward platform for building and managing websites. Weebly streamlines website creation with its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop features. It includes ready-to-use templates, secure payment options, and inventory management capabilities.
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For small business websites, Weebly is ideal. It offers essential e-commerce functionalities like inventory tools, automatic order confirmation emails, and shipping tracking capabilities. While it may not offer the advanced features of e-commerce platforms like Shopify, it remains a solid choice for starting out.
Weebly offers a range of pricing plans that are quite competitive compared to Wix, positioning it as a reasonable alternative. Their plans include a forever-free option, which is entirely free of charge. For those needing more features, Weebly also provides a Personal plan at $13 per month, a Professional plan at $16 per month, and a Performance plan at $29 per month. This pricing structure makes Weebly an appealing choice for users looking for cost-effective website solutions.
Hostinger’s website builder, enhanced by AI, simplifies website creation with its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. It’s designed for users ranging from beginners to advanced, offering rapid website development at an affordable cost. Hostinger appeals to those interested in AI-driven development, requiring only three simple questions about your business to create a tailored website for you.
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This AI-powered platform provides exceptional hosting services, a free domain, easy website transfer, an SSL certificate, and notably fast loading speeds.
Hostinger includes various tools, such as an AI-powered logo maker and content writer, eCommerce features, extensive integrations, and a practical Heatmap tool to boost conversions. The design grid ensures proper alignment, and the platform allows for significant customization, including image galleries, slideshows, and customizable contact forms.
Regarding pricing, Hostinger is highly economical, starting at just $2.49 per month, depending on the subscription term. It stands out as one of the most cost-effective AI website builders available.
Hostinger provides a single subscription plan, priced at $11.99 per month for monthly users. However, the cost decreases significantly to as low as $2.99 per month if you commit to a subscription period ranging from 12 to 48 months. Overall, Hostinger’s pricing is quite reasonable and fits most businesses’ budget constraints.
Google Sites is a superb no-code website builder that fully integrates with your Google Workspace account. You can design, launch, and manage your website using the same platform from which you access your favorite Google Apps, such as Docs, Gmail, Slides, and Sheets.
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Google Sites is particularly effective for information-based businesses. However, it’s also viable for online stores. By integrating with Ecwid, a free online store builder, you can list and sell up to 5 products directly on your Google Site. Google Sites is available to both free and paid Google Workspace users and is ideal for small businesses eager to expand their online footprint.
In contrast to Wix, Google Sites is more straightforward to use, has no hidden fees, and suits local businesses that utilize Google Business Profile well. For Google users seeking a basic and free website builder to enhance visibility and gather emails, Google Sites offers a compelling alternative to Wix.
Google Sites is free; users need a Google Account to access and use it.
Despite being relatively new, Webnode has quickly gained popularity by consistently enhancing its platform. While not without its flaws, the latest version of Webnode represents a significant improvement over earlier versions and serves as a viable alternative to Wix.
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Webnode provides a straightforward drag-and-drop builder with hosting and a domain name in a single package. The template selection is limited to about 100 options, which is not the widest range but still offers enough diversity to suit most needs. All templates are available without additional cost, ensuring you don’t have to pay extra for any design. While the builder may not be ideal for blogging or e-commerce due to some missing functionalities, it is well-suited for small businesses, musicians, and artists.
Webnode’s pricing ranges from $3.95 to $19.95 per month, depending on the chosen plan. The basic package does not include a domain name but allows you to connect an existing one, similar to Wix. A free plan is also available, suitable for building basic websites but lacking many features in the premium plans.
Pricing for Webnode’s various plans begins with the Limited Plan, which costs $4 per month and offers 200MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth alongside a form builder that supports up to five fields. The Mini Plan costs $7.50 per month and includes a free domain for one year, 1GB of storage, 3GB of bandwidth, email support, and a video background feature.
For those needing ecommerce capabilities, the Standard Plan at $12.90 per month supports online store functionalities. It also provides Google Analytics, AdSense integration, membership registration, and support for up to two languages. The most comprehensive option, the Profi Plan, costs $22.90 per month and offers 7GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, no Webnode branding, unlimited language options, registration and backups, and a site search feature.
Drupal is an excellent choice for developers seeking a robust open-source CMS, especially those proficient in PHP, HTML, and CSS, rather than Markdown. This CMS is tailored to construct complex websites that handle large data volumes and high traffic.
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With over 44,000 modules and thousands of free themes in its directories, Drupal allows extensive customization of its core features. These elements are highly configurable, enabling developers to fine-tune both the functionality and aesthetic of their websites.
Additionally, Drupal’s architecture supports separating the front end from the back end, a strategy that can significantly enhance site loading speeds, among other benefits.
Drupal is a free alternative to Wix. It features a customizable, open-source content management framework ideal for simple websites to complex web applications.
BigCommerce is a proprietary, hosted e-commerce platform that allows business owners to set up an online store and sell products. Being a hosted solution, BigCommerce operates on its servers, meaning you don’t have to buy web hosting or install software on your computer. You can access and manage your store from anywhere with internet access and a web browser.
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As a “software as a service” (SaaS) tool, BigCommerce requires a monthly subscription rather than a one-time purchase. The platform supports the sale of both physical and digital products and includes marketing tools to promote your store. It offers a variety of customizable templates to help you design your online presence.
BigCommerce caters to users with little web design experience but provides more advanced options for users and developers to customize their sites’ HTML and CSS. The platform features over 100 themes, including 12 free options and over 100 paid themes, with prices ranging from $145 to $235.
Finding the perfect theme on BigCommerce is straightforward. You can filter themes by industry or layout, choose designs featuring large images or grid layouts, or use the search function to narrow down options or focus on free themes.
BigCommerce offers several pricing options: the Standard Plan at $39 per month, the Plus Plan at $105 per month, and the Pro Plan at $399 per month. The Enterprise Plan requires contacting BigCommerce directly for custom pricing for larger businesses.
BigCommerce provides a 15-day free trial, and if you choose to pay annually, you can save 25% on all paid plans, excluding the Enterprise Plan. Despite the similarities in pricing with Shopify, BigCommerce differentiates itself by not offering a “starter” plan for more minor, link-in-bio type businesses, and the overall services between the two platforms vary significantly.
In 2025, businesses exploring website-building alternatives to Wix will have many options tailored to various needs, from simple blogs to sophisticated e-commerce platforms. While Wix remains a strong contender due to its user-friendly design and broad template selection, its customization, scalability, and cost-efficiency limitations drive the search for alternatives. Platforms like Squarespace and WordPress appeal to those seeking greater design flexibility and robust features, whereas Shopify stands out for e-commerce functionality.
Newer entries like Jimdo and IONOS offer unique features catering to specific business requirements, emphasizing cost-effectiveness and integrated solutions. As businesses grow and their online needs evolve, choosing a website builder should align with current requirements and anticipated future needs. Therefore, exploring these alternatives allows enterprises to choose a platform that best fits their vision, operational style, and growth trajectory, ensuring their online presence is practical and scalable.