Pros
Wide number of enticing templates
Site builder may be very straightforward to make use of
Great server efficiency
Good customer support
Cons
No capacity to modify templates afterward
High beginning price
Low storage on most inexpensive plans
Founded manner again in 2006, Wix is a mainstay of the code-free web site creation {industry}. But is it any good?I examined Wix by creating an internet site to judge the web site builder’s ease of use, server efficiency, customer support and worth. Wix impressed me at nearly each flip with beginner-friendly web site enhancing instruments, nice server efficiency and strong customer support. However, the excessive price and restricted storage of the lowest-tier plan imply it won’t be the only option in case your finances is tight.Wix plans and pricing: At a lookThe Wix web site builder makes use of cloud internet hosting, storing web site knowledge in a sequence of interconnected (usually digital) servers as an alternative of inserting all the pieces on one bodily internet server. This supplies a number of advantages you gained’t get with extra conventional internet hosting varieties like shared internet hosting, together with:Redundancy: Using a number of servers signifies that if one server goes down, guests’ browsers can nonetheless entry your web site by grabbing its knowledge from one other server. This ensures near-continuous uptime. Wix particularly presents an above-average uptime assure of 99.99%.Scalability: Cloud internet hosting grows along with your web site by pulling assets from extra servers as wanted. This means you gained’t have to modify to a extra complicated form of internet hosting like VPS internet hosting when your web site reaches a sure dimension. This additionally lets Wix provide limitless bandwidth on all paid plans.Better worldwide web site pace: Cloud internet hosting networks use servers in varied geographic places. This lets customers’ browsers retrieve knowledge from the server closest to their area as an alternative of forcing them to depend on a server on the opposite aspect of the world, usually leading to higher web site pace.All Wix plans are totally managed, which means Wix performs all server upkeep for you, together with updates to the web site builder. Wix additionally supplies a full roster of safety instruments like safe socket layer — SSL — certification, distributed denial of service — DDoS — safety and a customized firewall. As an added bonus, each plan features a free area for the primary 12 months.Here’s an in depth breakdown of the 4 Wix plans: Plan Best forStorageE-commerce featuresMonthly worth (billed yearly)Light Personal websites {and professional} portfolios2GB (sufficient for no less than 20 pages)Google Ads with Wix, restricted lodge administration instruments, 4 lead-capture types$17Core Blogs, e-commerce shops, small enterprise web sites50GB (sufficient for no less than 500 pages)Full advertising and marketing suite, primary e-commerce options, on-line course creation, restaurant and lodge administration instruments, artwork/content material monetization instruments, WixMatch, occasion administration instruments$29Business Medium-sized enterprise web sites100GB (sufficient for no less than 1,000 pages)Automated gross sales tax for 100 transactions per thirty days, loyalty program creation, capacity to cost in a number of currencies$36Business Elite Large enterprise websitesUnlimitedAdvanced advertising and marketing suite, automated gross sales tax for 500 transactions per thirty days$159 If you’re operating an e-commerce enterprise, it’s price noting that Wix costs 2.9% plus 0.30 USD on all transactions from US-based bank cards. These charges come immediately out of your prospects’ purchases, so that you’ll wish to regulate your costs to soak up these prices. There is not any Wix plan with out transaction charges.Wix additionally has a free plan, which I’ve overlooked because of its strict limitations. You can discover out extra about this feature in our checklist of the most effective free web site builders.Wix templates: Something for everybody however ensure you select the appropriate oneWix presents over 900 web site templates in classes like trend, well being and electronics. There are additionally specialised templates for blogs, e-commerce shops {and professional} portfolios. Most of those templates are extremely enticing, with a great steadiness of photographs, textual content and interactive components like buttons. There are a number of duds, however with so many choices, you’re sure to seek out one thing you want. Screenshot/CNETThe key right here is to ensure you select a template you’ll like working with for a very long time, as there’s no straightforward method to change your Wix template afterward. If you resolve to vary your template you’ll must create a brand new web site with the template you wish to change to and manually switch knowledge out of your outdated web site to the brand new one. You can then reassign your premium plan and area to the brand new web site. The entire course of is clumsy and annoying, however you may keep away from it by selecting an evergreen template and taking full benefit of Wix’s web site customization instruments.Wix AI web site generator: Clunky at finest Screenshot/CNETThe Wix AI web site generator has two phases. First, you inform a bot your web site’s title and goal. The bot makes use of this info to personalize your web site dashboard with a customized to-do checklist primarily based on the performance you’ll want.Next, click on on the Design your web site button. Select Build with AI and Wix will use the knowledge from step one to generate an internet site, full with photographs and customized textual content. This course of is fast, however I used to be disenchanted with the end result: an unpleasant web site with an irrelevant and poorly positioned header picture. Screenshot/CNETThe weblog photographs and pattern textual content had been related to my proposed advertising and marketing enterprise, however the total web site wasn’t practically as enticing as many of the premade templates. I regenerated the location and obtained comparable outcomes.The Wix AI generator was significantly disappointing in comparison with the elegant web site I constructed with the Squarespace AI generator. I believe it’s because Wix operates extra like a regular generative AI instrument, utilizing primary info to spit out photographs primarily based on what it thinks you need. Squarespace, then again, supplies a collaborative AI course of the place you may dictate a number of components of your design — like model tone and coloration scheme — and regulate them till you’re glad along with your web site.I strongly suggest utilizing one among Wix’s many elegant templates as an alternative of this AI generator. You’ll get a greater design and keep away from the ethical and authorized points related to generative AI, which is commonly educated by scraping content material from the online with out its creators’ consent.Wix ease of use: Where Wix actually shinesI examined Wix for ease of use in three areas: the acquisition course of, account/web site administration and web site creation.Purchase course of Screenshot/CNETThe Wix buy requires you to create an account and arrange your web site dashboard earlier than you should buy a plan. The excellent news is that, in contrast to Squarespace, Wix allows you to skip many of the steps for making a “site profile” (just like the AI chat referenced within the earlier part) to achieve your dashboard rapidly.You’ll see a purple bar throughout the underside of your dashboard with a button to Upgrade now. I want this button was extra distinguished, however the coloration does make it straightforward to identify. The remainder of the method is straightforward: choose a plan, enter your cost info and also you’re good to go. Screenshot/CNETLike Squarespace, Wix’s pricing mannequin has no hidden charges or elevated renewal prices, stuff you’re nearly sure to come across when shopping for conventional webhosting. This makes it simpler to decide on the most effective plan in your web site.Account and web site managementLogging into Wix takes you to the location dashboard, the place you may see a personalized web site creation to-do checklist. This web page additionally options fast hyperlinks to areas for establishing content material subscriptions, creating on-line programs/packages, managing your weblog and viewing your analytics. Everything is clearly labeled and simple to navigate. Screenshot/CNETYou can attain your account and billing settings by clicking on the particular person icon (or your profile image) within the prime proper nook. I want this icon had been extra distinguished, but it surely’s in the identical location because the account menu on many different websites (together with internet hosts like HostGator and GoDaddy) so it’s nonetheless straightforward for skilled web customers to seek out.Website creationI was initially confused when Wix despatched me an e-mail confirming my area buy and telling me to attach it to my web site. I used to be sure I’d already linked my area to my web site, however I clicked the hyperlink within the e-mail to ensure. This hyperlink launched the dashboard personalization course of and had me midway by way of constructing a brand new web site earlier than I spotted my area was, in actual fact, already linked to my unique web site.Thankfully, this was the one complicated a part of constructing a Wix web site. The guided web site creation course of makes it straightforward to decide on a template, choose elements to auto-install (like a weblog) and begin enhancing your web site. My solely grievance is that Wix doesn’t say you’ll be caught along with your theme eternally. I solely knew this due to earlier expertise with Wix, and I needed to attain out to customer support to study that it’s nonetheless true.The web site editor itself is remarkably easy. The first time you log in, Wix shows labels that can assist you perceive the menu icons for issues like including components and menus to your web site. Screenshot/CNETYou can click on on any factor of your web site to pull it to a brand new spot or edit it. You also can select to switch the placeholder content material, like photographs and textual content, your self or click on on the three diamonds within the enhancing bar to generate new content material with AI. Screenshot/CNETYou can add content material by clicking on both the suitable icon (Add Elements or Add Section) within the sidebar or the realm of the web page the place you wish to add one thing. Elements are objects like headers and buttons. Sections are pre-formatted multimedia blocks for issues like firm and workforce info. Screenshot/CNETYou can entry different pages of your web site by clicking on the Pages icon within the sidebar and choosing the web page you wish to open. From there, you’ll have the ability to edit the web page. This is less complicated than switching pages in Squarespace, which entails leaving the location editor totally to achieve the navigation menu. Screenshot/CNETI additionally cherished the cellular web site editor. This editor makes use of the identical instruments because the common Wix editor however shows your web site because it’ll seem on a smartphone. This helps you perceive — and management — how smartphone customers will expertise your web site. The cellular web site editor is absolutely useful, particularly with cellular units now accounting for 58% of all web visitors. Screenshot/CNETOverall ease of useI gave Wix a 9/10 ease of use rating, notably larger than the 7/10 rating earned by each Squarespace and Shopify, Wix’s prime opponents. Wix is simpler to buy, the account administration space is extra accessible and the location editor is extra streamlined.Wix efficiency: Some of the most effective within the bizI constructed a check web site with Wix and used it to judge Wix’s server efficiency over the course of 1 week, specializing in two metrics:Uptime: The share of time your web site spends on-line. High uptime is vital, as individuals who can’t entry your web site will typically go some other place, and with 1.1 billion web sites on the web, there’s at all times some other place for them to go.Site pace: The variety of seconds it takes in your web site to load. I like to recommend aiming for a web site pace of lower than three seconds, as bounce fee — the share of people that solely view one web page earlier than leaving — decreases by 32% when web site pace goes from three seconds to 1.I additionally researched the efficiency instruments provided by Wix. Let’s check out what I discovered!Performance instrumentsWix makes use of two protocols to enhance web site efficiency:Caching: A way of storing knowledge in a fast-access layer usually linked to your server’s CPU or central processing unit. Caching improves web site pace as a result of retrieving knowledge from the CPU is quicker than retrieving it from the extra conventional RAM.Content supply community or CDN: A community of interconnected servers that retailer web site knowledge in varied geographical places. Users’ units can pull web site knowledge from the server closest to them, which is often quicker than pulling knowledge from a server on the opposite aspect of the world.These protocols are routinely enabled, so that you don’t must do something to expertise their advantages.UptimeThe industry-standard uptime assure is 99.9%, promising that server points gained’t trigger greater than 10 minutes of downtime per week. Wix presents a good larger uptime assure of 99.99%, which means your web site shouldn’t expertise greater than two minutes of downtime per week.I tracked my Wix web site for one week with BetterStack to see if Wix lives as much as this promise. My web site skilled no downtime throughout this week, suggesting that Wix would possibly even exceed its bold 99.98% uptime assure. This places it on par with different prime web site builder firms like Squarespace and Shopify.Site speedI used WebPageTest to check my web site’s pace over 5 days, operating pace assessments for each desktop and cellular units in varied nations to know how a broad vary of customers expertise Wix websites.I used the info from these assessments to ascertain the next averages (keep in mind, decrease numbers are higher): USUKGermanyIndiaDubaiAustraliaMobile 3.072.672.6133.513.55Desktop 1.521.261.2322.312.22 While these assessments aren’t an ideal illustration of web site pace (customers’ expertise will range primarily based on their units and web plans) they’re robust sufficient to offer a tough concept of how customers will expertise Wix websites. Specifically, I used these numbers to find out that:Wix’s common cellular web site pace is 3.06 secondsWix’s common desktop web site pace is 1.70 secondsWix’s total common web site pace is 2.38 secondsThis places it effectively forward of Squarespace’s common of two.67 second common however considerably behind Shopify’s 1.71 seconds common, largely due to Wix’s mediocre cellular pace. However, Wix makes it straightforward to enhance your cellular web site pace by optimizing your structure with the cellular web site editor.Overall efficiencyWix earned an 8/10 efficiency rating with its glorious server efficiency and strong web site pace. This places Wix on par with its prime competitor, Squarespace, and newer high-quality web site builders just like the Hostinger web site builder.Wix safety: Comprehensive protocols to maintain your knowledge protectedWix makes use of a wide range of safety protocols and instruments to maintain your knowledge — and your guests’ knowledge — protected:Secure socket layer — SSL — certification: A protocol that encrypts knowledge despatched to and out of your web site so malicious customers can’t intercept it. SSL certification additionally alerts that your web site is protected. Many browsers and VPNs gained’t open a web site with out it. Similarly, Google will assume a web site with out SSL is unsafe, which can end in decrease rankings.Firewall safety: Like sporting a masks throughout COVID or flu season, having a firewall in your web site retains out most viruses whereas nonetheless letting the great things — air or, on this case, common internet visitors — in. Wix makes use of a number of firewalls to make sure most safety.Distributed denial of service — DDoS — safety: Software and safety protocols designed to stop your web site from being flooded with malicious visitors, which might gradual your web site down and even shut it down totally.Two-factor authentication: A protocol requiring you to enter each your login credentials and a second “factor,” like a quantity despatched to your cellphone, to entry your account.24/7 safety monitoring: Employees on the Wix Security Operations Center are always analyzing visitors and different knowledge to seek out and eradicate vulnerabilities and threats.These safety measures are just like these taken by different common web site builders like Squarespace and Shopify. It’s additionally higher than the safety you’ll get from most prime internet hosts, with the largest profit being two-factor authentication. This nets Wix a 10/10 safety rating, on par with different common web site builders and forward of most conventional webhosting firms.Wix buyer help: Slightly above commonThe web is 24/7. Your web site builder’s customer support must be 24/7, too. They also needs to be accessible by way of a number of channels — like stay chat or cellphone — fast to reply and educated in a wide range of web site builder-related points. I examined each Wix buyer help channel to find out how effectively Wix lives as much as these expectations.Knowledge baseThe Wix information base, known as the Help Center, is accessed by way of a drop-down menu. There’s a search perform if you already know precisely what you’re in search of and several other classes of content material you may peruse for normal recommendation. Screenshot/CNETYou can discover the classes with out opening a brand new tab, which I appreciated since I at all times have already got too many tabs open. Once you’ve discovered the article you want, you may maintain studying within the menu or open the article in a brand new tab.The articles themselves use beginner-friendly language, photographs and step-by-step directions. Just a few even have animations demonstrating the way to carry out particular duties throughout the web site builder. However, video tutorials are few and much between, which might show irritating if you happen to want to study by way of video. This lack is especially notable when in comparison with the Squarespace Help Center, which paired nearly each article with a video tutorial.Direct communicationWix primarily presents buyer help by way of stay chat. You’ll initially be directed to an AI chat that pulls solutions from the information base. After receiving glorious responses to some primary questions, I requested to talk to an individual. The AI requested for extra particulars about my question, then despatched one other AI-based response. These responses had been nice, however I used to be annoyed by the bot’s dedication to maintain me away from Wix’s customer support representatives.I attempted once more, and this time typed in “speak to a person” twice. The bot lastly bought the trace and linked me to a customer support rep in a couple of minute. The rep had atrocious spelling and a behavior of offering three-word solutions, forcing me to ask for clarification a number of occasions. They additionally didn’t have entry to my info (they requested if I had a Wix web site regardless of me being logged in).Wix additionally presents a callback service in a number of languages. However, English is the one language with 24/7 callback service. You can examine the callback info web page to examine the hours for different languages your workforce would possibly want help in.I submitted a callback request and obtained a name two minutes later. Again, the preliminary solutions had been brief and unhelpful, forcing me to ask regularly extra granular questions till I bought a helpful reply. This leads me to consider the help workforce is educated to reply particular questions, to not have a broad understanding of how Wix instruments work. Still, as soon as I discovered the appropriate questions I managed to get useful solutions, and the entire course of took lower than ten minutes.Wix doesn’t provide customer support through help ticket or e-mail. While this could be irritating for some customers, the stay chat and cellphone help are ok that I don’t really feel prefer it’s a significant loss.Overall buyer serviceOn the entire, Wix customer support is spectacular. The information base is complete and simple to navigate. The stay chat — each the bot and the customer support rep I spoke to — was quick and comparatively useful. The cellphone help was quick and, after some preliminary confusion, useful. This earns Wix a 7/10 buyer help rating, higher than Squarespace however decrease than Shopify.FameWix has a wonderful fame, with a 4.6 out of 5 star Trustpilot rating primarily based on over 21,000 critiques. There are a number of hundred recorded complaints on the Wix Better Business Bureau web page, however these are all closed, suggesting that Wix is sweet about addressing points in a well timed method.Wix worth: How does it evaluate to the competitors?With my assessments concluded, the ultimate factor to contemplate is how priceless its choices are when in comparison with different web site builders. I began by analyzing probably the most inexpensive plans from two web site builder firms, Squarespace and Shopify: Company BandwidthStorageSecurityAdditional featuresMonthly worth (billed yearly)Squarespace UnlimitedUnlimitedSSL certification, firewall safety, DDoS safety, two-factor authentication, 24/7 safety monitoringBasic e-commerce instruments and instruments for monetized content material subscriptions$16Shopify UnlimitedUnlimitedSSL certification, firewall safety, DDoS safety, two-factor authentication, 24/7 safety monitoringFully-featured retailer builder, e-mail advertising and marketing instruments, language translation, forex conversion, gross sales tax calculator, transport reductions of as much as 77%$29 This knowledge permits me to attract the next conclusions:Wix supplies common pricing, with probably the most inexpensive plan costing solely $1 extra per thirty days than Squarespace and considerably lower than Shopify.Of the three hottest web site builders, Wix is the one one which doesn’t provide e-commerce options on its most inexpensive plan. You’ll want to purchase the Core plan for primary e-commerce performance. At $29 a month, this plan is rather more costly than the fundamental Squarespace plan and equal to the fundamental Shopify plan in price.Wix supplies comparable safety to different common web site builders, together with options like two-factor authentication that aren’t usually provided by conventional webhosting firms.Wix supplies low space for storing when in comparison with Shopify and Squarespace, which each provide limitless storage.Based on these info, it’s protected to say that Wix supplies below-average worth for an internet site builder.Wix vs. conventional internet hostsMany conventional webhosting firms now provide web site builders. Hostinger is a notable instance, with an internet site builder plan beginning at $3 a month. This plan presents rather more storage than the equal Wix plan — sufficient for no less than 1,000 pages — plus e-mail internet hosting for as much as 1,000 e-mail addresses and a very good safety suite. You’ll must pay for 4 years up entrance, however that is solely $144, equal to eight months of Wix internet hosting. The renewal price of $13 a month can be lower than Wix’s $17 a month, resulting in important long-term financial savings.Other conventional webhosting firms provide important introductory reductions on their web site builders, however the renewal price is nearer to what you’ll pay for Wix. GoDaddy, for instance, presents an internet site builder that begins at $10 a month, however this rises to $17 a month on renewal.OverallThe restricted storage and the shortage of e-commerce options on the Light Wix plan means you’re getting quite a bit much less in your cash than you’ll get with different web site builders like Squarespace or Shopify. The distinction is much more drastic whenever you have a look at newer alternate options just like the Hostinger web site builder. This lands Wix a worth rating of 6/10.Wix: Is it best for you?So, what’s the decision on Wix? Well, let’s check out the rankings for the classes we examined:Ease of use: 9/10Performance: 8/10Security: 10/10Customer support: 7/10Worth: 6/10These numbers result in an total rating of 8/10, placing it forward of Squarespace however behind Shopify. However, Shopify’s options are targeted on e-commerce shops and its price is excessive for websites that will not use all of these options. If you desire a web site builder with comparable efficiency for an inexpensive worth, I like to recommend Hostinger’s web site builder, which is definitely extra inexpensive than Wix and makes use of Hostinger’s high-quality servers. The most important draw back of Wix is the price. You’ll pay no less than $17 a month to publish a web site by yourself area and the small storage allotment means you’ll most likely must improve your plan sooner relatively than later. You additionally gained’t have the ability to get e-commerce options on probably the most inexpensive plan. Using Wix is a good suggestion in order for you a easy web site builder with nice customer support and also you’re keen to pay a premium to get it. Paid Wix plans begin at $17 a month, billed yearly. Wix does provide a forever-free plan. However, there are strict limitations on bandwidth and storage, so that you’ll need to improve to a paid plan early in your web site’s progress. The free plan additionally locations intrusive advertisements in your web site and requires use of a subdomain as an alternative of your individual customized area. Wix Payments costs transaction charges on all funds. The fee is 2.9% + 0.30 USD for all transactions made with US bank cards. International firms — or US-based firms with giant worldwide audiences — ought to learn the total Wix Payments Service Fees for localized info.