Wix in 2026: I Finally Gave It a Real Shot (and Here’s What Happened)

I’ll be honest— I’ve avoided Wix for years. Back when I started freelancing, everyone said it was for beginners who didn’t know any better. So I went with WordPress, because real professionals use WordPress, right? Then 2026 rolled around, I had a side project that needed to launch in three days, and my usual stack felt like overkill. I figured, why not give Wix another look? Spoiler: I didn’t hate it. But I also didn’t love it as much as the hype suggests. Let me break down my experience with Wix and two other builders I tested side by side.

Wix in 2026: The Good and the Annoying

First off, Wix has clearly grown up. The drag-and-drop editor is smoother than I remember. You can pretty much move anything anywhere, which feels liberating compared to the rigid templates of Squarespace. I built a simple landing page in about two hours, including custom fonts and a contact form that didn’t break. That’s rare for me.

But here’s the thing— the freedom comes with a cost. You can absolutely make something that looks good, but if you want something that looks great, you’ll spend a lot of time tweaking. The AI design assistant (Wix ADI) is decent for a draft, but it still spits out layouts that feel a bit… generic. I ended up scrapping its suggestions and doing it manually. Also, the loading speed isn’t amazing. My page scored a 68 on mobile PageSpeed Insights with minimal images. Not terrible, but not great.

The app market is huge, which is nice. I added a booking widget and a simple analytics tool without coding. But some of those apps are pricey or poorly supported. And the basic plan? You get Wix branding and limited storage. That’s fine for a hobby site, but for a serious business, you’re looking at at least the Combo plan ($16/month in 2026, though it was $14 last year— classic). The price creeps up fast once you need e-commerce features.

Squarespace: The Pretty One That Costs Too Much

I also rebuilt the same landing page on Squarespace, because every Wix review needs a comparison. Squarespace’s templates are undeniably beautiful out of the box. I didn’t have to adjust much— just swapped text and images, and it looked like a polished magazine. That’s its strength: you get a great look with minimal effort.

But man, the limitations. Want to move a button two pixels to the left? Too bad. The editor is way less flexible than Wix. You’re stuck with their grid system, and after using Wix’s freedom, it felt like typing with oven mitts. Also, Squarespace’s pricing in 2026 is a joke. The Personal plan starts at $19/month (billed yearly) and still doesn’t include email campaigns or advanced analytics. For a similar Wix plan with features, you’re paying maybe $2 less, but you get more flexibility. I’d only recommend Squarespace if you have zero interest in customizing and just want a pretty site fast.

WordPress: Free but You’ll Earn It

For the third comparison, I had to include the classic WordPress.org (not .com). I’ve used it for years, so I’m biased, but I wanted to see if Wix could match its power. Short answer: not even close— but that’s not always a bad thing.

WordPress is free, but hosting costs money (I use SiteGround at about $8/month). The real cost is your time. I set up the same landing page with a lightweight theme, and it took me a full day. Installing plugins, tweaking CSS, debugging a conflict between the contact form plugin and the caching tool— it’s a lot. For a simple site, Wix is way faster. For a complex site with custom post types, membership, or heavy SEO, WordPress wins.

But here’s the kicker: WordPress’s SEO plugins (like Rank Math or Yoast) are far better than Wix’s built-in tool. I got my WordPress page to a 90+ PageSpeed score easily. Wix? Not so much. If search traffic matters to you, WordPress or maybe even a static site generator (like Webflow, which I didn’t test here) might serve you better. Wix’s SEO has improved, but it’s still a tad behind.

Honest Comparison Thoughts

So which should you pick in 2026? It depends on your priority. If speed of setup and ease of use matter most, Wix is actually solid now. I wouldn’t call it a game-changer— it’s just a good tool that’s gotten better. But if you care about performance, customization, or long-term costs, WordPress is still the smarter choice. Squarespace sits in the middle: prettier than Wix, but less flexible and pricier for what you get.

A few small frustrations with Wix: the editor can lag with big sites, mobile editing is clunky, and once you pick a template, you can’t change it without rebuilding. That’s a big deal. Also, exporting your site out of Wix is almost impossible. You’re locked in. With WordPress, you can move hosts or change themes easily. That freedom matters if you think your website will grow.

Real Conclusion

For my three-day project, I used Wix. It got me online fast, and the client liked it. But for my own freelance site? I’m sticking with WordPress. Wix is a great tool for beginners, small businesses, or anyone who hates dealing with hosting and plugins. Just know the tradeoffs: less speed, less control, and a higher base price once you need real features. It’s not a ripoff, but its not the best for everyone either.

FAQ: Questions People Actually Ask

Is Wix good for SEO in 2026?
It’s okay. They’ve added more controls like meta descriptions, alt text, and URL editing. But page speed is a weak point, and you don’t get the deep optimization of something like Yoast. Expect slower rankings than a well-tuned WordPress site.

Can I migrate from Wix to another platform easily?
Not really. You can export basic content like blog posts and images, but the design is locked in. If you think you might want to switch later, avoid Wix. Ive seen people rebuild entire sites because they couldn’t move their templates.

Is Wix really free?
Technically yes, but the free plan includes Wix ads (like a big banner) and a subdomain. It looks unprofessional. To remove ads and use a custom domain, you’re looking at $16/month for the Combo plan. So “free” is more of a trial than a real option.