Wix, WordPress or Custom: Which One Fits You?

Wix and Squarespace are site builders where everything is taken care of: little maintenance, less room for your own choices. WordPress is open source software on your own hosting; it can do a lot, but needs maintenance. A custom build is made specifically for you. Choose a site builder or template for low effort, WordPress for flexibility, and a custom build for your own approach.

Wix or WordPress: what is the real difference?

The difference lies in who takes care of what.

Wix is a site builder. You drag parts onto a page, Wix hosts the site and handles the technology around it. That is easy, but you stay inside Wix: you cannot choose where the site lives and cannot adjust everything.

WordPress is open source software (GPL licence, see wordpress.org/about). You can use the software freely, but you need hosting, and you arrange themes, plugins (separate add-ons), updates and backups yourself. That gives a lot of freedom, and it gives work too. An outdated plugin is a well-known source of security and speed problems.

There is also WordPress.com, a paid service where WordPress is hosted for you. In 2026, according to wordpress.com/pricing, it runs from about 4 dollars per month (Personal) to 25 dollars (Business) and 45 dollars (Commerce) with yearly billing. With the cheapest plan you do limit your options.

Wix, WordPress or Squarespace: what do you choose?

This is how I put them side by side. The amounts are 2026 indications from the providers' pricing pages, with yearly billing. They change often.

| | Wix | Squarespace | WordPress | |---|---|---|---| | Type | Site builder | Site builder | Open source software | | Cost | About 18 to 40 dollars per month (wix.com/plans) | About € 12 to € 32 per month (squarespace.com/pricing) | The software is open source; you pay for hosting, themes and maintenance, or WordPress.com from about 4 dollars per month | | Maintenance | The platform handles it | The platform handles it | Usually you, or someone you hire | | Design | Many templates, freely draggable | Clean, design-focused | Endless themes | | Freedom | Limited | Limited | Large | | Moving away | Difficult | Difficult | Easier |

My honest advice on these three:

• Wix suits anyone who wants to be online quickly without digging into details.
• Squarespace suits anyone who values a polished design with few choices.
• WordPress suits anyone who wants their own look and has someone to maintain it. Without that person it becomes a risk.

What does it cost to have a WordPress website made?

The software is open source, but a WordPress site is not free. You pay for:

• Hosting: a server the site runs on.
• Theme and plugins: some are free, others have a yearly licence.
• Build and setup: by yourself or an agency.
• Maintenance: updates and security, otherwise you run a risk.

An agency that sets up WordPress charges its own rates for it. Always ask what comes on top per month for maintenance, and who does the updates. With a site builder that is part of the subscription, with WordPress it is not. A WordPress site that has not been updated for years becomes vulnerable and slow sooner or later, and the bill for repair often comes unexpectedly. So with a cheap start, also count the maintenance costs for the coming years.

What is a good WordPress alternative?

If you are looking for a WordPress alternative, the answer depends on why you want to leave:

• You find it too much hassle: a site builder such as Wix or Squarespace, or a template website where someone else does the maintenance.
• Your site is slow: this often comes from heavy themes and many plugins. A site built for speed, without that extra layer, is then the alternative.
• You want more control than a site builder gives: a custom build.

At Tieman IT the alternative is a template website or a custom site on Next.js, a technology where pages are prepared in advance and therefore load quickly. Are you on WordPress now and want to move? The page about WordPress migration explains how that works, keeping your texts and your findability.

When is a custom build worth it?

A custom build is not for everyone. It pays off when:

• your site is an important source of new clients and speed and findability count;
• you need something a site builder cannot do, such as your own booking system or a link with your software;
• you have no appetite for updates, plugins and security notices;
• you want to be able to take the site to another party in a few years without hassle.

Speed is a good example here. Google calls a main-content load time under 2.5 seconds good (Google Search Central, Core Web Vitals). On a Magento webshop with over 3,400 products, the mobile load time (LCP) measured 14 to 16 seconds in the lab in my hands. For real visitors, Google now measures 2.14 seconds. That is a webshop, but it shows what targeted technical work can do.

For a small business owner who is just starting, a custom build is almost always too much. Then a site builder or template is the wiser choice.

How do you choose in five questions?

1. How important is Google for your new clients? Very important: choose a fast template or a custom build. Not important: a site builder will do.
2. Do you want to work on the site yourself? Yes: Wix, Squarespace or WordPress. No: have an agency manage it.
3. Who does the maintenance? If you do not know who does the updates, WordPress is a risk.
4. What fits your budget, upfront and per month? Calculate over several years, not just the first year.
5. Do you want to be able to move easily later? Then open and your own is better than locked into a site builder.

A full comparison of the options is on the comparison page. Cannot decide? Get in touch. If a site builder suits you best, I will say so.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, Wix or WordPress?

It depends on what you need. Wix is easier and needs no maintenance of your own; WordPress gives more freedom, but needs hosting, updates and someone to manage it. For a small site with little time Wix is often handier, for a growing site with its own wishes WordPress or a custom build.

What is the difference between Wix, WordPress and Squarespace?

Wix and Squarespace are site builders with hosting included. Squarespace focuses on a polished design, Wix on freedom of layout. WordPress is open source software that you host and manage yourself, or have hosted through WordPress.com.

What is a good WordPress alternative?

That depends on your reason. If you want less hassle, choose a site builder or a template website managed by an agency. If you want speed and control, a custom site on Next.js is an alternative.

Can I move from WordPress to another solution without losing my Google position?

Yes, provided the move is done carefully: the same addresses or correct redirects, keeping your texts and checking after the switch. On the WordPress migration page I explain how I handle that.