Wix review 2024: is it the best website builder to use?

What’s it like building a website with Wix?

Wix may be my top website builder, but what is it like to build with? I’ve been using and testing Wix for years. As a result of this hands-on experience, I can confidently say that Wix’s onboarding process is the easiest it’s ever been thanks to its AI chatbot.

When I first logged in, the AI chatbot began by asking about my site. Some AI website builders request a few simple details like this, and that’s it – with Wix, I was impressed by the conversational nature of the AI. It asked me detailed questions about my business needs, such as my target audience and unique selling point. As a result of this chatbot conversation, I was presented with a personalised theme for my site.

I found it easy to get started with Wix thanks to the AI chatbot – I was particularly impressed by the detailed site profile it created based on my answers. Source: Startups.co.uk

Because of this, I highly recommend Wix for beginners and small business owners, as the AI building support makes getting online so quick and easy.

Alternatively, the option to choose a template is also available to users, and Wix is lightyears ahead of its competitors when it comes to design functionality. With over 900 free templates, Wix provides more choice than any other web builder. For example, Squarespace offers 178, and Shopify has just 13 free templates available.

I could view each Wix template before editing, and toggle between the desktop and mobile view. Source: Startups.co.uk

After using Wix’s AI chatbot or picking a template, I could then use Wix’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor to customise almost every aspect of it – adding my own text and images, moving elements anywhere on the page, and changing fonts and colours to really make it my own.

I had no trouble styling my site’s pages to suit my business needs, and I saved a lot of time by using the pre-designed sections for things like testimonials and contact forms. In fact, Wix gave me total creative freedom, and I could preview my changes along the way.

When I first landed in Wix’s editor, the builder provided useful signposting to help me get familiar with the different tools. Source: Startups.co.uk

Of course, I’d really recommend testing out Wix’s free plan to give the builder a go for yourself. But, if you’re looking for a quick overview of why Wix is good – and where it falls short – you can see the key pros and cons below:

How much does Wix cost?

Wix offers a free plan (which you can stay on forever), and four premium plans that are more suitable for small businesses. The prices listed below are billed annually, so on these, you’ll pay for a year upfront. You can also pay monthly, but Wix charges higher monthly prices for this, and so it will be more expensive in the long-term.

• Light: £9 per month – Best for small, personal sites only (e.g. blogs, portfolios)
• Core: £16 per month – For businesses starting to sell online
• Business: £25 per month – For growing online shops
• Business Elite: £119 per month – For large-scale businesses

Unfortunately, Wix isn’t the most affordable website builder on the market. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, consider Hostinger or GoDaddy.

But, for a closer look at each of Wix’s plan, you can read our dedicated Wix pricing page to find the right fit for your business.

Can you build a website for free with Wix?

Wix’s free plan is very limited in comparison to the paid plans. Your site will be home to Wix ads, you’ll be stuck with a Wix URL (username.wixsite.com/siteaddress), and you’ll be restricted to just 500MB of storage space. It’s a good way to see what Wix has to offer without spending a penny, but the free plan isn’t suitable for any serious business use.

My free site with Wix included an ad at the top of the screen. Source: Startups.co.uk

What website features does Wix provide?

Wix provides business owners with an unbeatable range of built-in website features. These tools cater to a variety of website types, whether you’re looking to set up a business blog or create an online booking system. For example:

• SEO features: Optimise your website content and structure to attract organic traffic and boost visibility – I could even get personalised SEO support based on my business needs.
• Email marketing: Design and send email campaigns using a drag-and-drop editor, making it easy to connect with your target audience and promote your business. This is especially important if you want to showcase new products or announce special deals – thankfully, Wix has a selection of email templates, or you can use AI to generate an email from scratch for you.
• Social media integration: Wix lets you add social links and feeds to your website, helping customers find you across a variety of channels. Plus, you can design and schedule social media content all from within Wix.
• Internationalisation support: Wix can automatically translate your content, supporting over 180 languages. This makes Wix one of the best builders to choose if you want to expand your business globally.
• Analytics and reporting: Track website traffic, user behaviour, and performance to gain insights that can help shape your business strategy.
• Members areas: Create a members-only section on your site to offer exclusive content, discounts, or community features. This is a great tool for boosting engagement and brand loyalty.
• Customisable contact forms: Make it easy for visitors to contact your business using a contact form. When building my site, I could tweak the form settings and add new criteria from the editor.
• Booking system: Manage appointments and take bookings directly through your website.

I could connect my site to my social media accounts and create posts through my Wix dashboard. Source: Startups.co.uk

As you can see, there’s a lot – and, because it offers so much, Wix can be overwhelming for users who don’t need all of the bells and whistles. You might have to sift through to find the features you actually want, but at least you know the tool you need is likely already built-in if the need ever arises.

Can you add extra functionality to your Wix site?

If you do find yourself needing a feature that’s missing from Wix, the app market should have what you’re looking for. With hundreds of readily available apps, these add-ons can help you enhance your site’s functionality, such as optimising your shipping and integrating customer reviews.

I could browse different categories in Wix’s app market, such as “Communication”, which highlighted apps to help me engage with my visitors. Source: Startups.co.uk

Does Wix offer AI tools?

Like most major website builders, AI is an integral part of Wix’s offering and the website builder continues to make steady improvements in this area.

Some of the main AI tools available include:

• AI website builder: I’ve spoken extensively about Wix’s AI chatbot, but to recap, you can get a personalised template based on a few questions
• AI portfolio creator: Introduced in May 2024, this AI tool helps you group media and assets together so you can easily showcase your work.
• AI text creator: Generate copy for your website pages, from headlines to product descriptions.
• AI section creator: If you can’t find what you’re after with Wix’s pre-designed sections, create your own using AI!
• AI image creator: Create unique imagery for your website based on a prompt.
• AI product recommender: This tool suggests similar products to customers as they’re shopping your site.

And there are so many other AI features as well. Wix’s new AI theme assistant is the most recent addition to this suite of AI features – it was launched in September 2024 and is still in its testing stage.

When I used the tool myself, I could ask for help with my colour scheme or font choice, or I could explore other Wix themes. It asked some mundane questions, like “What type of site do you have?”, which you’d think it should pick up automatically since you’re in the site’s editor, but the answers were generally quite helpful.

I used the new AI Theme Assistant to get suggestions for font changes across my site. Source: Startups.co.uk

How does Wix support your business?

If you get stuck at any point when using Wix, have no fear. Wix came out on top in our help and support testing, offering a solid range of support resources. These include:

• 24/7 phone support
• Live chat, available on weekdays between 2AM and 6PM EST
• Social media channels, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Pinterest, and LinkedIn
• A Help Center full of guides and articles to answer your questions, such as “How do I choose a premium plan?”
• Additional learning resources, such as Wix Learn (for online courses) and the SEO Learning Hub (for SEO-specific content and tutorials)

I was impressed by all of the SEO resources in Wix’s SEO Learning Hub – it’s a great tool for improving your knowledge of the subject. Source: Startups.co.uk