Is Wix.com The Website Design Wizard It Claims To Be? – We Review
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Our Verdict: #1 Website Design Wizard
With the Wix website builder you can create an impressive site or online store in minutes. Managing your website is easy with the drag-and-drop editor.
Get the best Wix discount by using any of our links on this page. Prices start as low as $4.08/month.
Pros:
- Value: plans include unlimited bandwidth and free domain name
- Grow traffic and sales: choose from over 300 App Market add-ons
- Social media tools and customer support included
Cons:
- May not be suitable for extremely complex sites
- Doesn’t support WordPress
Wix scores 3.5 stars as rated by over 45 customer reviews and gets its highest marks for website quality.
Is Wix the Perfect Host For Your Website?
Want to know about something specific? Jump to our most popular sections:
- Expert review – Get the straight scoop from our expert, Dale Cudmore.
- Best reviews – Read over 45 reviews by Wix customers.
- Hosting plans – See which plan is best for you.
- FAQ – Read answers to the most common questions about Wix.
You want a website or online store that looks great and works well. It needs to be easy to set up and easy to use.
And it needs to fit your budget.
Does Wix fit the bill? Do you need the free plan or paid plan?
In this review, you’ll learn about Wix’s features, how it works, and how it compares to other popular website builders like Weebly and WordPress.
I’ll share both the good and bad from my experience as a user and provide some pro tips.
How Wix Got Started
Wix was founded back in 2006 and has grown steadily to over 110 million users around the world.
Wix By Numbers
Wix is one of the most popular website builders on the market. But how many people really use the website builder?
Here’s an overview:
- More than 3.3 million sites have been built using Wix. (Source: BuiltWith)
- 17,556 live sites in the US were built using Wix. (Source: BuiltWith)
- 287 of the top 100K sites in the US were built with Wix. (Source: BuiltWith)
- As of 2017, Wix had 110 million users. (Source: Wix)
- Each day nearly 45,000 people sign up to use Wix. (Source: Wix)
The numbers don’t lie. But, what do real users have to say about Wix?
Wix Reviews by Our Community
Overall Rating from 51 Reviews by Wix Customers
| Support | |
|---|---|
| Quality | |
| Features | |
| Value |
Most Helpful Reviews
Pascal Laube pascallaube.com
Sep 18, 2018
I am creating websites on wix.com for four years. I also have experience with the former editor. I can tell you, i was always happy about the high grade of design flexibility you have, to build up your absolute personalised website.
It’s possible to edit and customise almost everything. Editor is quite good, sometimes a bit shaky (and no, its not my internet connection:). Online performance: It’s ok.
From time to time it takes quite a while to load the page. (and no, its not my connection). Support: Was always average. You can reach them by email.
They will answer you of course, but you will get some standard answers. and those you can read by yourself on the support page. If you really have a problem, like with the DNS or connection problems, it will be faster if you have the knowledge to fix it up by yourself.
The only thing i am really upset about, is the new blog. Absolutely rubbish. It’s almost an affront.
A lot of bugs and everything standardised. Not the way i know wix… And i was working with the old blog before, and this app was absolutely amazing to work with.
I don’t understand why a leading company with great programmers going to realise such a crappie blog even there was a brilliant product before. Also, be aware: If you are blogger, test the features carefully before you make a final decision and buy a product you won’t be happy with. Also, the latest release of the member area they created, is not really what i want to have or what I personally expected from wix.
Quite a few failures in design and usability. I am a bit worrying, that wix will cut down the design flexibility and reduce the highly customisable contents…. Its just a thought…
Just one more thing: If you think you can sit down, and create a nice website in 5 hours you are wrong. For a great looking website with a intuitive and unique looking interface you need time. Even with wix.com. :))
Becca Su listentoyourmusic.com
Nov 02, 2018
Wix is pretty great,
1. It’s simple to understand, menus and all they need to be, no fancy stuff to get in the way, it’s great for blogging, easy to navigate around too.
2. The actual building of your website is pretty easy too, mostly drag and drop, not a whole lot of menus, even someone who wasn’t a computer nerd could understand it.
3.
I’ve used other website builders like Weebly and Squarespace but I like Wix the most, it’s simple and easy to understand.
4. Customer service seems okay, the FAQ section doesn’t have all the answers but it has the answers to the questions I ask and that’s what matters most.
5. Wix has many features, Wix E-Store, Wix Chat, Wix Blog, etc.
You can add many apps to your site to help your visitors and boost traffic.
6. Wix was the first website builder I used, when I was new to building websites, and so far I haven’t had any problems, I’ve used Wix for about 2 years now, it’s the best website builder for people who are new to building websites or are not the best when it comes to computers.
Reynard Gunawan milklegend.wixsite.com
Sep 22, 2018
Wix.com is a great website maker, it isn’t complicated to create a website with Wix. The editor and the support center are very good tools to help you and your business. It was very simple to make my website and it looked very professional.
It only took 2 days to finish my website, but if I coded my website it would have roughly taken at least 2 months. I love Wix because of it structure and how cheap the plans are. From, MilkLegend
Website -> https://milklegend.wixsite.com/overrealm-music
Who Uses Wix?
Wix website builder is a solid option for small businesses who need a basic website.
It’s suitable for:
- Small local shops
- Local services like plumbing or furniture repair
- Restaurants
- Community centers
- Gyms and personal trainers
- Small online stores
- Artists or musicians.
If you want to build a website and don’t know how to code and don’t want to dive into WordPress, Wix is worth exploring.
Wix Plans
Wix offers paid and free plans. Let’s take a look at both.
Free Sitebuilder Plans With Hosting
You can take Wix for a test drive by signing up for a free plan. This is adequate for building a basic website.
Web hosting is included.
Paid Plans
The pricing for the Wix Premium plans is reasonable.
They range from $11/month to $35/month for the Business VIP plan.
| Wix Plans | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wix Free Plan | Mid-Tier Plan | Top-Tier Plan |
| Free stock photos | Everything in Free Plan plus: | Everything in Mid-Tier Plan, plus: |
| Responsive design | No Wix ads | Online store |
| Free hosting (storage & bandwidth limits) | Free domain | VIP support & priority response |
| Wix app market | Unlimited bandwidth | Professional site review |
| Online help & tutorials | More storage | — |
| Subdomains only (e.g., yoursite.wix.com) | Ad Vouchers | — |
| Wix logo & ads on your site | — | — |
Choose from over 500 Templates
This is an area where Wix really shines. While competitors, like Weebly, offer just a few dozen templates, Wix offers over 500 themes. (Themes are pre-built website designs.)
Find the Right Website Design
Conveniently, you can find a design suited for your purpose by browsing Wix’s categories which include:
- Business
- Online store
- Photography
- Video
- Music
- Design
- Restaurants and Food
- Travel and Tourism
- Events
- Portfolio and CV
- Blogs and Forums
- Health and Wellness
- Education
- Creative Arts
- Coming Soon Pages
- Landing Pages
Drill Down With Subcategories
Within each category, there are specific themes grouped into sub-categories.
For example, under restaurants you can choose from themes suitable for:
- Breakfast cafe
- Indian restaurant
- Food truck, and vegetarian restaurant.
Even though all of the themes are customizable, starting with a theme built with your business in mind can make it easier to get started.
Here are a few examples of themes available in Wix.
How to Create a Website in Minutes
Wix used to only have one website builder.
It had a steep learning curve and required some technical skills. But now it offers you a user-friendly option.
Two Ways to Build a Site
When you go to create a new website in your Wix account now, you’ll first pick which type of site you’d like to make:
After that, you’ll now see 2 different options to create your website:
The Wix Artificial Design Intelligence site builder (ADI) is much more beginner-friendly while the standard Wix Editor is good if you’ve used Wix before or are used to other website builders.
Let’s preview both options quickly.
Option #1: Use the Wix ADI
The ADI asks you a few basic questions.
Then it uses artificial intelligence to choose a unique combination of styles and structures from billions of combinations.
If you picked an online store in the first step of creating a new website, you’ll be asked to be more specific about what type of Wix store you’re trying to create:
Then, you’ll be asked to pick the main website features you’d like to have:
After a few more basic questions, which you’re allowed to skip if you’d like, you’ll be presented with a final choice of which type of design you’d like.
Instead of picking a specific theme, you choose a general design and ADI will design an appropriate site.
How the Wix ADI Creates a Site For You
Using all the data you just entered, ADI uses artificial intelligence to create your unique website and generates it in just a few seconds.
If you create a site with ADI, you’ll have a different drag-and-drop website editor than the standard Wix Editor.
It’s simpler, more modern, and less cluttered.
Get Started With Tutorials
One of the nicest features that this editor comes with is an onboarding support checklist (that you can hide if you’d like).
The checklist gives you a tour of the most important areas of the editor, as well as a quick tutorial to show you how to use them.
Once you’re done with that, you can edit the content on your web pages.
Customize Everything
Clicking any element will bring up a custom sidebar editor that will let you customize text, color, style, and more:
You also have access to any advanced features you asked for upfront in the questions, like a store manager:
Option #2: Use the Standard Wix Editor
Sometimes you just want more control over how your website is structured and designed.
In that case, the Wix Editor is a good choice.
The only real setup step is to choose from the hundreds of templates that Wix offers.
After that, your basic site template will be generated and you’ll be sent to the editor.
The Wix Editor: Powerful But Complex
The editor gives you full control over your site’s:
- Background
- Apps
- Store
- Bookings
- Blog.
You can enable or disable any feature, and customize them to your site.
There is a fairly steep learning curve, but Wix has hundreds of clear support articles to walk you through things.
Finally, you’ll notice that certain features, like the store manager, are different than they look in the ADI editor.
While they contain all the same functionality, they do have a different design and structure. Since the ADI editor is newer, it’s usually more user- friendly.
Wix Code
What if you want to build a website without much coding knowledge but decide to add more functionality later?
Or, what if you build a Wix site and then hire a developer later?
With a bare-bones website builder, you are likely to get stuck with what you have or are forced to rebuild from scratch. Some don’t give you access to the coding at all.
Not so with Wix!
Wix gives users who want to dig into the coding the opportunity to do so through Wix Code.
Advanced Options for Developers
Get access to advanced capabilities, including:
- Full control through JavaScript and Wix Code API.
- Separate your site from your content so you can easily add text and images
- Use dynamic pages to create hundreds of new pages with custom URLs and unique content.
- Create custom forms, quizzes, and other interactive content.
- Implement custom interactions, which trigger actions when customers take specific actions, such as clicking a button or hovering over a shape.
Interested in Wix?
Get online today with our special discount link. Includes a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Behind the Scenes With Wix Apps
Apps: Wix offers 250+ apps. WordPress has 54,000+.
The Wix app market is powerful.
It contains apps that allow you to add functionality to your site.
You can think of apps as LEGO bricks that you add to your site to give it a different look or to create interactivity.
For example, by searching for “social media,” you can add social media buttons to your website for all the major social networks with just a few clicks:
While the default Wix editor isn’t quite as powerful as some competitors, the apps can more than make up for it in certain situations.
E-Commerce Options on Wix
If you are looking to build an online store with Wix, you will want to choose their e-commerce plan called Wix Stores.
This plan is designed for small to medium-sized businesses who are looking for a basic e-commerce option.
With Wix Stores, you can:
- Choose from dozens of mobile-responsive e-commerce themes. Sell physical or digital products.
- Use the store manager to track orders or manage your inventory from your phone or computer.
- Create product pages to highlight products in an eye-catching layout.
- Accept a wide range of payments, including credit cards and PayPal-with no commission fees.
- Create and accept discounts and coupons, such as free shipping or holiday sales.
- Customize tax and design shipping rules based on the destination of products.
Mobile Responsiveness on Wix
All Wix sites are mobile-responsive by default. This means when a visitor comes to your site from a tablet or phone, your site will automatically adjust the size of elements to fit their screen.
In addition, you can use the Switch Editor Views button at the top of your website editor dashboard to view your site on a mobile device.
This way you can ensure your site looks great no matter what device your visitors use.
Why Does Mobile Responsiveness Matter?
There are two major reasons: more people surf the web on mobile than on desktop, and Google recently rolled out “mobile-first indexing.”
This means Google will look at your mobile site, not your desktop, to determine where to rank your site.
TL;DR: Mobile responsive sites are better for users and Google likes them better, too.
Wix Support Options
Wix has an extensive knowledgebase. Anyone with a paid plan can receive phone support or use the ticketing system.
There is no live chat.
Phone Support
- The phone support is available between 5:00 am and 5:00 pm PST (Pacific Standard Time).
- It’s available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
- You can opt to schedule a callback.
VIP Priority Support
If you’re signed up for the VIP or Business VIP plan you’ll have priority support.
There are no details on the website about priority support. Since the options are the same as on other paid plans (phone and ticketing support), it’s likely that “priority support” means that those with VIP status will be served first.
ALERT: Free plans don’t come with personalized customer support (chat, email, phone) outside of the online knowledgebase.
What Could Wix Do Better?
Here’s what I believe Wix could improve upon:
- Editor interfaces are inconsistent — As I showed you, the editor interfaces are very different. If you use both the ADI and classic Editor, you’ll need to learn both, resulting in wasted time.
- More focus on SEO — Besides a few basic SEO extensions, there’s very little SEO support for your websites offered.
- Full online store support is only available on the most expensive plans.
If You Like Wix, Check Out These Builders Too
Before you make a choice, it’s a good idea to compare a few options. Here are some you may want to explore.
Weebly: Advanced Features
If you’re looking for a website building platform with more advanced e-commerce site functionality, I’d consider Weebly.
Weebly has advanced functionality and lets you add and sell as many products as you’d like on certain plans.
Squarespace: Visually Impressive
On the other hand, if you’re most concerned about support, consider trying Squarespace.
Like Wix, Squarespace wants you to use support articles whenever possible, but you can reach them by email or live chat. Plus they offer 24/7 support.
A word of caution: Squarespace is known for the visual beauty of its designs, not for its site loading speeds.
WordPress: Versatility and Power
Perhaps the most versatile DIY platform is WordPress. WordPress is free to use, but you do need web hosting.
Those interested in e-commerce with WordPress will want to explore WooCommerce, It’s a free plugin that instantly turns your WordPress site into an online store.
Most web hosts enable you to install and launch a basic WordPress site with one click. Then you select a pre-designed theme and add your content and images.
For assistance with WordPress site questions consider using WP Live, a monthly paid service or sign up for WordPress’s own service: WordPress.com. You’ll get hosting, templates, and WordPress experts available via customer support.
Looking for a great Wix deal?
Create and launch your website today and get the best deal by using our special discount link. Includes a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Final Thoughts: Is Wix the Website Builder for You?
With the addition of the Wix ADI, the Wix website builder has become a great choice for web development beginners who just want to build a simple site.
It’s not for you if you’re looking to build a complex site, or want to build a website with few or no ongoing fees.
If you’re planning on creating a small business website, explore Squarespace and WordPress. These options are geared specifically towards small business owners.
Most Popular Wix Hosting Plans
| Connect Domain | Unlimited | eCommerce | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disk Space | 500MB | 10GB | 20GB |
| Bandwidth | 1GB | Unlimited | 10GB |
| Price | $4.08 / mo (Billed as $4.08 Per Month) ⓘPrices in are approximate, based on current exchange rates. The host will likely charge you in USD, or at a different exchange rate. Usual price: – Get % off! | $6.21 / mo (Billed as $4.08 Per Month) ⓘPrices in are approximate, based on current exchange rates. The host will likely charge you in USD, or at a different exchange rate. Usual price: – Get % off! | $8.08 / mo (Billed as $4.08 Per Month) ⓘPrices in are approximate, based on current exchange rates. The host will likely charge you in USD, or at a different exchange rate. Usual price: – Get % off! |
| Visit Wix Now | Visit Wix Now | Visit Wix Now |
| Plan | Disk Space | Bandwidth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combo Shared | 3GB | 2GB | $8.25 / mo Visit Host Now |
Wix Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there anything I can’t do with Wix?
Customers can do most things that they could do with a traditional hosting company like SiteGround. However, Wix doesn’t provide dedicated, VPS, or a reseller hosting, and its customers have significantly less control over their hosting environment.
- What does “less control” mean?
With Wix, there’s no control panel access and no access via programming language at all. All website management happens through Wix’s proprietary backend system, which makes it extremely easy for non-developers to get a site up and running but does limit what tech savvy customers can do.
- What payment options are available? What billing cycle does Wix run?
Wix accepts payments via major credit cards only and bills either monthly, annually, or bi-annually.
- Are there any discounts available?
Yes. Customers who sign on for a longer plan and pay up front get a discount. See website for specifics.
- What sort of support is available?
Wix has a dense knowledge center at the core of their support network. They also have phone support and a version of email ticketing through their knowledge center. Higher tier plans come with priority support, which gets them to the front of the call queue and instant responses in the knowledge center.
- What do other customers say about Wix customer service?
Reviews of Wix customer service are pretty varied. Some users report fantastic customer service, while a large portion report mediocre to just plain terrible service.
- Does Wix offer domain and website migration?
Sort of. Wix will help you migrate your domain, but because they use a proprietary system, instead of something like cPanel, it’s not possible to migrate website content directly over to a Wix site.
- Can I buy a domain with Wix?
Yes. Wix does let you purchase domains and most plans include a free year of domain registration.
- Does Wix offer an uptime guarantee?
No, Wix does not guarantee any uptime.
- Does Wix offer a money back guarantee or free trial?
Yes, both. They operate on a freemium business plan. Their free option lets customers get a website up and running but comes with restrictions like Wix ads on your website. For their paid plans, they offer a 14 day money back guarantee. All add-on services are non-refundable.
- What applications can I use with Wix?
Wix doesn’t use applications like shopping carts and CMSs. Instead, the use their own proprietary applications based around templates to help customers build the site they need. They also have an app store to help take the place of plugins and provide additional services and themes to customers.
- Does Wix offer any marketing support?
Yes. Wix offers their customers things like SEO help, ad credits, and UX/UI site reviews. All these services vary in cost and inclusion depending on what plan customers purchase. See website for details.
- What is the Wix website editor?
Wix uses a drag and drop website editor to help customers launch their website. It’s a WYSIWYG editor that uses artificial intelligence and Flash/HTML5 to make building a website easier. For most customers, the website editor is where most interaction with their website will happen. It’s essentially a cross between cPanel and a CMS backend.
- What backup options does Wix offer?
None. Their terms of service specify that customers need to provide their own backups and Wix is in no way responsible for that task or any lost data.
- What security does Wix offer?
Wix offers their ecommerce customers secure credit card transactions and SSL certificates. They are also PCI Data Security Standards compliant and are a level 1 service provider (the lowest of 4 levels). On their website, Wix assures its customers it is completely virus free.
- Is there a limit on things like storage and bandwidth?
It depends. Some plans do come with unlimited bandwidth, but the terms of service do outline that Wix has the right to throttle a site if it’s using too many resources. All plans are limited with storage though.
- Can I use a Wix site for anything?
Pretty much. There is no acceptable use policy outlining the usual restrictions (eg, no adult content) and the only restrictions outlined in the terms of service are that you are not allowed to run a website if you’re in a country the US is embargoing and you have to be over 18. If you’re unsure, check with Wix directly.
- Is Wix completely free?
There is a free plan, but you will find that advertising is displayed around your site content. If you want to remove the advertising, you will need to pay to upgrade your Wix plan.
- Can I send automatic emails with Wix?
Yes, you can create triggered emails to send personalized email messages to members how have completed a specific action. You will need to use Wix Code feature to create automatic or Triggered emails.
- How many visitors can a Wix website support?
Each Wix plan has a different amount of bandwidth. Bandwidth is consumed each time someone loads a page on your website.
The more expensive Wix plan offer “unlimited bandwidth.”
That doesn’t truly mean “unlimited bandwidth,” but it means that your website should be able to support a large amount of visitors with no issues. - Can you create a website on any topic with Wix?
While Wix provides the technical capabilities to build many types of websites, there are certain topics and functionalities that are deemed off limits.
In their terms of use, Wix specifies that no illegal, malicious, or obscene content is allowed.
Remember that Wix has full control over your Wix website, so if you break any of these conditions, Wix can shut down your site permanently.
Most Popular Wix Alternatives
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Sherrie Gossett
July 25, 2019
I’m a big fan of Sam Decker’s work in digital optimization via the Austin start-up he co-founded, Clearhead. That was acquired by Accenture, and unlike the other two principals, Decker didn’t climb on board with the parent firm. Turns out he’s gone on to co-found a VR (virtual reality)/AR (augmented reality) agency called Fair Worlds. What CMS does Fair Worlds use? You guessed it: Wix. https://www.fairworlds.com/