Wix Website Builder: Is It Actually Worth It or Just a Good Marketing?

Searching for the best free website building tool, and you don’t come across the Wix website builder; that’s something like you search for smartphones and you don’t hear about iPhones. Wix has actually marketed itself as the "best website builder", and you can see it everywhere, from search results and YouTube ads to website building comparisons.

However, not everyone is influenced by marketing And asks a simple, practical question: Is the Wix website builder worth it? As a team of industry insiders, we don’t make decisions based on assumptions or a few positive reviews; we question practicality, cost, ease of use, customization options, SEO capabilities, scalability, and long-term value. So, the potential users would have an honest and unbiased Wix website builder review that guides them to better decision-making.

Through this detailed review of the Wix website builder, we will look closely into what this platform has to offer apart from its promotional promises. We will also evaluate its features, pros, limitations, pricing and overall performance to determine whether it's actually worth using or its marketing team has simply done an exceptional job of grabbing attention.

What is Wix Website Builder?

Wix is an online website-building platform with over 250 million global users. The platform is especially ideal for businesses looking to create a website themselves, but who lack coding skills. It has an easy drag-and-drop feature and tons of customizable templates, which are probably the best things we discovered about Wix.

At the same time, there is also a Wix AI website builder tool that uses artificial intelligence to simplify the website development process further. We just answered a few questions about our design preferences, website purpose and specific branding and were shocked by how The system generated a personalized website in minutes.

Wix Website Builder’s Features Worth Mentioning

While preparing for this Wix website builder review, we discovered a few features that are probably the reasons behind the widespread popularity of this platform.

Uploading and Editing Media

The level of customization the Wix website builder offers is truly exceptional. We appreciate its Wix photo editor, which is a built-in solution for basic editing. There is also an advanced editing option through Adobe Express. After uploading the pictures, you can choose between the built-in editing tools or go to Adobe for more advanced editing. While we were impressed with its built-in tools’ fast execution, Adobe may take a good time to load.

Widget Library

Wix also has an app market, namely Wix App Market, where you can choose from the hundreds of widgets, plug-ins and extensions. The app store is always available and accessible through the side menu. The app store has an app for every function, whether you need it for social media integration or print-on-demand capabilities. While many apps are free, some may have a price attached to them. The secret trick we found here is that upgrading to a paid plan will get you more free app options.

E-commerce Tools

The E-commerce tools integrated into the platform may look good, but require a good knowledge to get started. They can connect you to dropshipping partners, help in generating marketing campaigns, creating coupons, and monitoring customer cart status. There is literally a tool for every crucial function, whether it is about managing customers, building brand loyalty or taking payments. During testing, we found it really easy to list products and start selling right away.

SEO and Blogging Tools

Before writing this review of the Wix website builder, we researched a lot about this platform and found that the lack of SEO tools is the biggest complaint users have with the platform. However, when we checked, Wix had already fixed it by creating An SEO checklist that helps businesses rank on Google. Although they won’t impact your marketing plan, improving content may positively influence your searchability in search results.

Marketing Tools

We heard a lot about Wix’s marketing capabilities and were eager to try them out. Undoubtedly, the platform has a long list of marketing tools. In addition to SEO and email marketing, it offers social media integration and even to Google Analytics. You can easily schedule weekly email campaigns and target the right demographics.

Wix Web Hosting

Wix doesn’t just make website development so simple, but it also gets it running even faster. You have a site designer who does most of your work and a Dev mode that offers advanced options to people with coding knowledge and skills. But that doesn’t mean you need to be a coder to use Wix.

The platform has offered creative freedom to users to literally add any element anywhere on the page through a drag-and-drop editor. You don’t have to repeat the process every time; just do it once for mobile and once for the desktop layout. That’s it! The best part is that there are also third-party apps on the Wix App Store. Although Wix’s free plan comes with plenty of features, the paid plan includes some of the premium ones –

• Marketing tools and detailed analytics

• Rock-solid servers

• PCI-compliance for eCommerce sites

Security and Bandwidth

Security is a non-negotiable aspect of website development. A single cyberattack on your website and all your efforts go in a single shot. But Wix seems to take security seriously. Although there is no clear information regarding its security program, it discloses the use of data encryption via TLS 1.2 and HTTPS. Additionally, all websites developed on Wix have an SSL certificate.

As a comprehensive website builder package, Wix handles security as a crucial background task, with users having little control over the server’s security features. Wix website builder offers security features that mainly include

• Firewalls

• A dedicated security team

• DDoS protection

• Malware and user activity scanning

• 2FA

• A bug bounty program

• PCI compliance

• Customizable website permissions

What we disliked in Wix’s security preparations is the lack of built-in external backup options. However, the platform compensates for it with its own backups and Site History feature that allows users to roll back previous versions if needed.

Wix Customer Support

Customer support tells a lot about the platform’s reliability and usability. We can say Wix’s customer support services are kind of appreciable, but with a few flaws. There is an AI chatbot and self-help guides that you can use to get answers to the most common questions.

However, we were a little disappointed with the AI chatbot’s responses as it keeps spinning the wheel and repeatedly asks the same questions many times. But before we got frustrated with its customer support, we found a menu where we could schedule a live chat with human agents or even request a callback.

What We Liked About Wix Website Builder? (Pros)

During our evaluation of the Wix website builder tool, we found some of the best things about this platform. Here’s a list of advantages of using the Wix website builder:

• There is a rid-free drag-and-drop interface that allows users to place images, text and layout wherever they want.

• The platform has a massive collection of over 800 pre-made, customizable industry-specific templates.

• The Wix App Market is something that sets standards in the online website building market.

• Wix provides an easy-to-follow SEO checklist, AI-powered keyword tools and Google integrations to create SEO-friendly websites.

• The platform offers in-built hosting for the website, featuring enterprise-grade security and reliable uptime.

What We Disliked About Wix Website Builder? (Cons)

Although Wix markets itself as the best website builder, we are still able to find flaws in the platform that will definitely help you understand the platform.

• If you launch your website with a specific template, you can’t change it to the new one unless you are ready to copy all your content manually.

• The most common problem with websites built on Wix is that they are not perfectly responsive for mobile devices and tablets. The mobile editor often requires frequent modification to prevent elements from overlapping each other.

• Despite offering a free plan, the cheapest ad-free Wix account starts from $17 per month, making it a bit costlier than other website builders like Weebly.

• Too many third-party apps and heavy media usage may sometimes cause the backend ditor to lag and stop working.

• As it operates on a proprietary system, the website migration to a CMS like WordPress becomes quite challenging.

Is the Wix Website Builder Really Free?

Yes, the Wix website builder is free only when you opt for a free plan that comes with limited features and customization capabilities. The paid plan starts from $17 per month for Light to $159 per month for Business Elite plans.

For hobbyists and people who are just starting out, we think free and Lite plans would be a better choice. Meanwhile, small and medium businesses with an idea to launch their website can opt for the Core plan, as it has plenty of e-commerce tools to get started.

The Business and Business Elite plans are the top-tier plans of Wix and are better suitable for large businesses or those that need to grow rapidly. Here’s a feature-wise comparison of all Wix website builder pricing plans:

Our Experience with Wix Website Builder

At the end of this Wix website builder review, we were pleasantly surprised to discover more than what we expected. We tested both the manual and the Wix AI website builder; both are easy to use and user-friendly.

However, an AI-generated website builder seems to be much more professional nd faster than the manual versions. We answered a few questions and got a fully-functional website in under 5 minutes. Our experience with the Wix website builder has been good, and we will recommend it for small businesses and online e-commerce stores.

Conclusion

Continuing from above, Wix is undoubtedly the best online website builder tool for small businesses and enthusiasts. They offer a free plan, 1000+ pre-built templates, and customizable options. What else would a business owner need?

However, for businesses with advanced website development goals and demand for a powerful business website with advanced functionality, the Wix website builder may not be as ideal as it markets itself. The platform restricts the freedom to make significant modifications and migration capabilities.

In such cases, only professional website development companies, such as Mtoag Technologies, emerge as the ideal choice. We have been in the IT industry for over 17 years and better know what works in this industry and what doesn’t. Book a free consultation with one of our expert consultants to discuss your project scope.

FAQs

What is a Disadvantage of Using Wix?

The most common drawback of Wix is limited flexibility when a website outgrows the platform. While it is easy to build and manage, advanced customization, complex functionality, and switching to another platform later can be more challenging compared to open-source solutions.

How Much Does Wix Cost per Month?

Wix offers a free plan with Wix branding and limited features. Paid plans generally start at around $17 per month for basic websites, while business and eCommerce plans cost more depending on storage, features, marketing tools, and online selling requirements.

Is Wix AI Website Builder Any Good?

Yes, Wix AI Website Builder is a practical option for beginners and small businesses. It can generate a website layout, content suggestions, and design elements within minutes, helping users launch faster without technical skills or prior web design experience.

How Secure is a Wix AI Website?

Wix websites include built-in security features such as SSL certificates, secure hosting, automatic updates, and monitoring systems. While no website is completely risk-free, Wix handles most security maintenance, reducing the technical responsibility placed on website owners.