Wix

Wix was born out of a very relatable kind of frustration. Back in 2006, three Israeli developers—Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami, and Giora Kaplan—were trying to build a website for another startup idea they had. They realized that the process was way too hard and way too expensive for most people. Instead of building their original idea, they decided to build the tool they wished they had: a simple, accessible way for anyone to get online.

Headquartered in Tel Aviv, the company has grown from a small group of friends into a global titan with thousands of employees and millions of users. Avishai Abrahami still leads the company as CEO, and he is known for his aggressive pursuit of new technology. They were the first to pivot away from Flash to HTML5 when the iPhone launched, and they have stayed ahead of the curve by being early adopters of AI. Today, they are a public company on the NASDAQ, but they still feel like a product-led team that genuinely cares about helping small businesses survive in a digital-first world.

Wix is the "everyman" of website builders. It is designed for anyone who wants a professional presence without the professional price tag of a custom developer. It’s perfect for Local Business Owners—like bakers, plumbers, or lawyers—who need a site that looks trustworthy and allows customers to book appointments or see a menu.

It is also a playground for Creatives and Portfolio Seekers. If you're a photographer or a designer, you want your work to be the star, and Wix’s blank-canvas approach lets you design layouts that don't look like everyone else's. While it's great for beginners, it also has a "Studio" version for agencies who want to build high-performance, responsive sites for clients at a faster pace than traditional coding allows.

The short answer? Almost anything you need for a business. Wix has specialized apps for almost every industry. If you run a hotel, Wix Hotels handles your room bookings and cancellations. If you're a musician, Wix Music lets you sell tracks and manage your tour dates. They even have a full CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system built-in, so you can track every lead that fills out a form on your site and send them automated follow-up emails.

The most impressive part in 2026 is the AI Assistant. It doesn't just build the site; it helps manage it. It can suggest new blog topics, help you edit your product photos to remove messy backgrounds, and even draft your social media posts based on your site's content. With Wix Payments, you can start selling physical products or digital downloads the second your site is live, and it even automates your sales tax calculations so you don't get a headache come tax season.

Wix has a "Free" tier, which is great for practice, but for anything professional, you’ll need a paid plan. Most people end up on the Core Plan, which is roughly $29 per month if you pay for the year upfront. This plan is the sweet spot because it removes all the Wix ads and lets you start selling products or services. If you don't need to sell anything and just want a portfolio, the Light Plan at $17 per month (annually) is the way to go.

• • Yearly vs. Monthly: Paying annually saves you around 25-30% and usually includes a free domain for the first year.
• • Business Elite: At $159/month, this is for heavy-duty stores that need unlimited storage and priority support.

There are two main things you need to watch out for. First is the Template Lock-in. Once you choose a template and build your site, you cannot just swap to a new one later. You can move things around, but you can't hit a button to change your entire "theme" like you can on WordPress. Choose wisely at the start!

Second is the Mobile Editor. Because Wix lets you drag elements anywhere, it doesn't always "know" how to stack them for a phone screen. You’ll need to spend a bit of extra time in the mobile view to make sure your site doesn't look like a mess on a smartphone. Lastly, remember that while the first year of your domain name is often free, the renewal cost (usually around $17-$20) will show up on your bill the following year.

If Wix feels a bit too "noisy" or expensive, you have options. Squarespace is the biggest rival; it’s more restrictive but also harder to break, resulting in very clean, high-design sites. If you’re a serious coder or want 100% ownership, WordPress is the old-school king, but you have to handle your own hosting and security. For those on a tight budget, Hostinger’s AI builder is a lot cheaper, though it lacks the deep business apps that Wix offers.

Can I use my own domain on the free plan? No, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan (starting with the Light tier) to connect a domain you already own.

Is Wix actually good for SEO in 2026?
Yes! It used to have a bad reputation, but those days are long gone. Wix now has some of the best built-in SEO tools in the business, including a personalized checklist and fast loading speeds that Google loves.

What happens if I stop paying for my subscription?
Your site won't disappear, but it will revert to the free version. This means you'll lose your custom domain and Wix ads will show up again on your pages.