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Wix vs WordPress comes down to one trade-off: Wix is easier on day one, WordPress gives you more control for as long as you have the site. Wix bundles hosting, editor and support in one subscription, and your site can only live on Wix. WordPress is free software you install on any hosting you like, and the site is yours to move. This guide compares them on cost, design, SEO and ownership, tells you which one fits your case, and shows how to switch from Wix to WordPress without rebuilding your design by hand.
Wix vs WordPress at a glance
Both build good-looking websites. They differ in who runs the site and who owns it.
| Wix | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An all-in-one website builder (software, hosting and support) | Free, open-source software you install on your own hosting |
| Ease of use | Easiest to start: drag and drop, no setup | Some setup; easy day to day with a visual editor like Elementor |
| How you pay | A Wix subscription | Hosting and a domain; the software is free |
| Design | Wix templates and editor | Any theme, plus page builders such as Elementor |
| Extensions | Wix App Market | WordPress.org plugin directory |
| Where the site lives | Only on Wix's servers | Any hosting you choose, and you can move it |
| Share of the web | 4.2% of all websites | 40.1% of all websites |
Share of the web: W3Techs, October 5, 2026.
Cost: what you actually pay
Wix has a free plan with Wix branding and paid plans. Hosting, security and support are included, and you don't buy anything else to get started. Prices change by country, so check the current ones on Wix's plans page.
WordPress software is free. What you pay for is:
- Hosting, usually a monthly or yearly plan. Most hosts install WordPress for you in one click.
- A domain, if you don't have one yet. If your domain is on Wix today, you can keep it and point it to your new host.
- Optional extras. The Hello Elementor theme and the Elementor page builder are free. Paid themes and plugins exist, but a typical business site doesn't need them.
Which is cheaper depends on your plan and your host. The real difference is control: with WordPress you can change hosts whenever you find a better price. With Wix, the price of your plan is the price of keeping your site online.
Design and editing
Wix's editor is its strength. You drag elements anywhere on the page and see the result straight away. The limit is that you design inside Wix's templates and features.
WordPress on its own is less visual, which is why most people pair it with a page builder. Elementor is one of the most popular, and its free version gives you a drag-and-drop editor: containers, headings, text, images, buttons and responsive settings for desktop, tablet and mobile. You get Wix-style editing on a platform you own.
One thing to know before you switch: Elementor's free version doesn't include the Theme Builder, which is how Pro builds a header and footer for every page. A free plugin fills that gap. We cover it in the switching steps below.
Wix vs WordPress for SEO
Both platforms can rank on Google. Search engines rank pages, not platforms. The difference is how much you can control:
- Wix has built-in SEO tools and a setup checklist that walks you through titles, descriptions and indexing. Good for beginners; less room for advanced changes.
- WordPress gives you full control of URLs, titles, structured data, redirects and site speed, usually through a free SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math. More to set up, more you can tune.
If you already rank on Wix, switching doesn't have to cost you that. What matters is keeping your content and setting up 301 redirects from your old Wix URLs to the new ones. That's step 6 below.
Ownership: can you take your site with you?
This is the difference most comparisons skip, and it's the one that matters when you outgrow your platform.
Wix sites can't be exported. In its own help center, Wix says that "your site must run on Wix's servers" because its "SaaS architecture does not support external hosting" (Wix Help Center). Your content belongs to you, but the site itself can't leave Wix.
That's why the usual advice for leaving Wix is to rebuild. WPBeginner puts it plainly: "Wix doesn't provide any automated way to do this, so we will have to recreate each page in WordPress one by one."
WordPress sites can move. The files and the database are yours. You can change hosts, take a full backup or hand the site to another developer at any time.
Which one should you choose?
| If you are… | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Building a first, simple site and want it live fast | Wix | Nothing to install or maintain |
| A small business that plans to grow | WordPress | Any feature through plugins, any host, no lock-in |
| A designer or portfolio owner | Either | Wix is quicker; WordPress with Elementor gives more control over layouts |
| Running a serious blog | WordPress | Built for publishing, with categories, archives and SEO plugins |
| Selling online at scale | WordPress (with WooCommerce) | More payment, shipping and catalog options |
| Already on Wix and hitting its limits | WordPress | You can now bring your design with you (see below) |
What about Squarespace?
Squarespace sits in the same group as Wix: an all-in-one builder with hosting included, polished templates and a site that stays on its platform. If you're choosing between Wix, Squarespace and WordPress, the decision is the same: an easy, managed builder or a site you own and can move. If you're already on Squarespace and want to leave, our Squarespace to Elementor converter moves Squarespace 7.1 pages the same way.
How to switch from Wix to WordPress without rebuilding
If you've decided to switch from Wix to WordPress, you don't have to recreate every page from screenshots. Web2Elementor converts the design of each Wix page (layout, text, images and buttons) into an editable Elementor template.
- Check that your site is Wix Classic. The converter works with sites built in the Wix Classic editor. Wix Studio and Editor X sites are detected and rejected before anything is charged.
- Install WordPress, Hello Elementor and Elementor. Install WordPress from your hosting panel. Then go to Appearance → Themes, install and activate Hello Elementor, and install Elementor when WordPress offers it. You need Elementor 4.3 or later; the free version works.
- Convert your pages. Paste your Wix site's address into the Wix to Elementor converter. Convert one page, or the whole site: up to 15 pages, at 2 credits per page, with the price shown before you pay. If a page fails, its credits go back to your account automatically.
- Import into Elementor. In WordPress, go to Elementor → Editor → Templates → Saved Templates, click Import Templates, upload each JSON file and insert it into a page.
- Add a header and footer for every page. Elementor Free has no Theme Builder, so use a free header and footer plugin from WordPress.org and save your converted header and footer there.
- Move your domain and set up redirects. Point your domain to your new host or transfer it away from Wix. Then add 301 redirects from your old Wix URLs to the new ones, so visitors and Google land on the right page.
What moves with the design, and what doesn't
The converter moves how your pages look. A few things on Wix are apps, not design, and need their WordPress equivalent:
| On Wix | On WordPress |
|---|---|
| Page design: layout, text, images, buttons | Converted to Elementor by Web2Elementor |
| Images | The converted pages link to your images on Wix. Move them to your WordPress media library before you cancel your Wix plan |
| Contact forms | A free form plugin such as WPForms Lite or Contact Form 7 |
| Blog posts | WordPress's RSS importer, using your Wix blog feed |
| Online store | WooCommerce |
| Bookings and members area | A dedicated WordPress plugin |
| Your rankings | 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones |
Wix vs WordPress FAQ
Is WordPress better than Wix?
For a site you want to own and grow, usually yes: you can host it anywhere, add any feature and move it whenever you want. For a simple site you want live quickly, without maintenance, Wix is easier.
Is WordPress better than Wix for SEO?
Both can rank. WordPress gives you more control over URLs, structured data, redirects and speed; Wix gives you built-in tools and guidance. The content and how well you set it up matter more than the platform.
Is WordPress more expensive than Wix?
Not necessarily. WordPress, the Hello Elementor theme and Elementor's free version cost nothing; you pay for hosting and a domain. Wix is one subscription that includes hosting. Compare your Wix plan with the hosting plan you'd need.
Can I switch from Wix to WordPress?
Yes. Wix can't export your site, but you can rebuild it in WordPress, or convert the design of a Wix Classic site into editable Elementor pages with Web2Elementor and keep your domain.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I move from Wix to WordPress?
Not if you keep your content and add 301 redirects from your old Wix URLs to the new ones. Expect some movement for a few weeks while Google recrawls the site.
Do I need Elementor Pro to move my Wix design?
No. The free version of Elementor 4.3 or later is enough to import and edit the converted pages. For a header and footer on every page, use a free header and footer plugin.