Create a website without limits
Wix is one of the world's largest website builders, powering over 280 million websites. Known for its drag-and-drop editor, extensive template library, and app marketplace, Wix offers an accessible way to build websites, online stores, and portfolios without coding knowledge.
Patterns extracted from real user feedback — not raw reviews.
Once you publish your Wix site, you cannot switch to a different template. Changing your design means starting from scratch with a new site. This template lock-in frustrates users who want to rebrand or refresh their design without rebuilding everything.
While Wix offers some custom code options, access to source code is restricted. Advanced developers find the platform limiting - you can't fully customize or optimize at the code level. This restriction prevents unique designs and limits scalability for larger projects.
Wix sites are frequently criticized for slow loading times due to heavy JavaScript code, shared hosting environment, and the platform's architecture. Google PageSpeed scores are often poor, affecting both user experience and SEO rankings. Limited optimization options available to users.
Wix's proprietary ecosystem makes migration virtually impossible. You cannot export your website data, content, or design to another platform. If you outgrow Wix, you must manually recreate everything from scratch elsewhere. This vendor lock-in is one of the most devastating limitations.
Marketing directors and CMOs consistently complain about Wix's SEO limitations. Issues include URL structure constraints, limited schema markup options, slow page speed (a ranking factor), and JavaScript rendering problems that affect indexing. Competing seriously for keywords is difficult.
The Wix editor itself can be slow and unresponsive, especially with complex designs. Some sections take up to a minute to load. Users report glitches, site crashes during editing, and lost progress. The sheer number of features makes the interface somewhat sluggish.
Wix provides basic website analytics but may not offer all the in-depth data that businesses require. Tracking capabilities are limited compared to dedicated analytics platforms. Growing businesses find they need to integrate external analytics tools for meaningful insights.
Users report having to 'jump through hoops' to cancel accounts instead of easy cancellation. Some claim Wix wouldn't issue refunds even with years remaining on multi-year plans. The 14-day money-back guarantee exists, but processing refunds beyond that is problematic.
Users report long wait times, scripted unhelpful responses, and difficulty reaching live agents. Free plan users have severely limited support access. Ticket responses take 24-48 hours and quality varies significantly between representatives - some thorough, others provide only basic guidance.
Users complain about prices changing without adequate notice and difficulties obtaining refunds. Some report being charged for annual subscriptions earlier than expected or having cancellation requests ignored. The pricing structure has become less competitive as the company has grown.
The free plan displays Wix ads on your site, doesn't allow a custom domain, and has limited storage and bandwidth. To remove branding and look professional, you must upgrade. This creates a bait-and-switch feeling for users who didn't realize the limitations upfront.
Wix isn't very mobile-friendly for editing - major changes must be made from desktop. The mobile editor is limited in functionality, and some users report inconsistencies between desktop and mobile views. Mobile performance of published sites is also a common complaint.
Wix ecommerce works for simple stores but has significant limitations: POS only available in US/Canada, restricted multi-currency options, basic inventory management, and limited advanced features. Stores needing international flexibility or advanced capabilities outgrow Wix quickly.
While Wix has an app marketplace, many apps aren't reliable and don't integrate well with other applications. Users report compatibility issues, apps breaking after updates, and missing integrations for business-critical tools. The ecosystem is less robust than it appears.
True drag-and-drop editor with design freedom
Wix's editor offers genuine drag-and-drop capability with more design freedom than most competitors. Elements can be placed anywhere on the page, not just in predefined areas. This creative flexibility makes it appealing for users who want precise control over their layout.
Extensive template library (900+ options)
Wix offers over 900 professionally designed templates across dozens of categories. Templates are modern, mobile-responsive, and suitable for various industries. This variety helps users find a starting point close to their vision without extensive customization.
Free plan available for basic sites
Unlike Squarespace, Wix offers a genuinely free plan that lets you build and publish a website permanently. While limited (with Wix branding), it's useful for testing the platform or running simple personal sites without any financial commitment.
Large app marketplace (500+ apps)
Wix's App Market offers over 500 apps for extending functionality: booking, email marketing, social feeds, live chat, and more. While quality varies, this ecosystem lets users add features without coding. Many apps have free versions to get started.
No transaction fees on sales
Wix doesn't charge transaction fees or take a percentage of your sales - only the standard payment processing fees apply (2.9% + $0.30 for cards). This is a significant advantage over platforms like Shopify that charge additional fees unless using their payment processor.
AI tools help beginners get started
Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) can build a basic website by asking a few questions about your business. While results need refinement, it helps complete beginners get a starting point quickly. Additional AI tools assist with content creation and design suggestions.
Users: 1 user
Storage: 500 MB
Limitations: Wix ads on site, No custom domain, Very limited storage, No ecommerce features, Limited support access
Users: 2 collaborators
Storage: 2 GB
Limitations: Only 2 GB storage, No ecommerce, Limited marketing tools, 2 collaborators only
Users: 5 collaborators
Storage: 50 GB
Limitations: Limited advanced ecommerce, No advanced shipping, Basic automations only
Users: 10 collaborators
Storage: 100 GB
Limitations: 100 GB storage cap, Advanced reporting limited, No priority support
Users: 15 collaborators
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: Expensive jump from Business tier, Still platform limitations on SEO/code access
Complete beginners and non-technical users
Wix's drag-and-drop editor, AI website builder, and extensive templates make it one of the most accessible platforms for beginners. No coding required, and you can build a professional-looking site quickly. Just understand the limitations before committing.
Creative professionals needing design freedom
The true drag-and-drop editor allows pixel-perfect placement that's more flexible than grid-based alternatives. 900+ templates and design freedom appeal to photographers, artists, and designers who want visual control over their portfolios.
Small local businesses
For simple websites with contact info, services, and basic booking - Wix works well. The free plan lets you test, and affordable paid plans cover most small business needs. Good for businesses that won't need to scale significantly.
Businesses planning significant growth
Wix works initially but becomes limiting at scale. No site export means you're locked in - if you outgrow Wix, you rebuild everything from scratch. Consider this carefully before investing significant time building on the platform.
SEO-focused content marketers
Wix's SEO limitations - slow page speed, URL structure constraints, limited schema markup, JavaScript rendering issues - handicap serious SEO efforts. If organic search is your primary traffic strategy, WordPress is a significantly better choice.
Growing ecommerce businesses
Wix ecommerce has significant limitations: POS only in US/Canada, restricted multi-currency, basic inventory management, limited advanced features. Growing stores will outgrow Wix and face painful migration since you can't export your site.
Developers and technical users
Limited code access, proprietary ecosystem, no site export, and platform restrictions frustrate developers. You can't fully customize at the code level or migrate to another platform. For technical control, use WordPress, Webflow, or custom development.
International ecommerce sellers
POS limited to US/Canada, multi-currency options restricted, and payment processing varies by region. International sellers face friction that dedicated ecommerce platforms like Shopify handle better.
Common buyer's remorse scenarios reported by users.
Users invest hours or days building their site, then want to change the design direction. Discovery that templates can't be switched after publishing forces either accepting the current design or starting completely over.
Businesses that outgrow Wix's limitations discover they cannot export their site. Years of content, SEO value, and design work must be manually recreated on a new platform. The vendor lock-in creates massive switching costs.
Content creators invest in SEO strategy only to find Wix's technical limitations - slow speed, JavaScript rendering, URL constraints - prevent competitive rankings. Realize WordPress would have been better for organic traffic goals.
Online stores that grow discover Wix's ecommerce limitations: no POS outside US/Canada, restricted multi-currency, basic inventory. Need to migrate to Shopify but can't export anything - must rebuild entire store manually.
Users start on free plan, invest time building, then realize Wix ads and subdomain look unprofessional. Feel forced to upgrade before they're ready, then face ongoing costs for something they might have built cheaper elsewhere.
Users trying to cancel report difficulties getting refunds, being charged despite cancellation requests, and losing access to sites immediately. Multi-year plan holders particularly frustrated when denied prorated refunds.
Ecommerce sites notice slow load times affecting bounce rates and sales. Unlike self-hosted solutions, there's limited ability to optimize. Each app added makes it worse, forcing choices between functionality and performance.
Scenarios where this product tends to fail users.
Templates cannot be switched after publishing. Users wanting a fresh look must start a new site from scratch, manually recreating all content and losing any SEO value built up on the original URL structure.
When businesses need features Wix doesn't support well - advanced ecommerce, deep SEO, custom integrations - they discover migration is impossible. Everything must be manually rebuilt on a new platform, making the switch extremely costly.
Sites needing to compete for search rankings hit Wix's technical SEO limitations: slow speed, JavaScript rendering issues, URL constraints, limited schema markup. Significant competitive disadvantage against WordPress sites.
Growing stores discover POS is US/Canada only, multi-currency is restricted, and international payment options are limited. Global expansion requires migrating to Shopify or similar, but nothing can be exported.
As sites grow complex with apps and content, performance degrades. Limited optimization options and shared hosting mean you can't fix underlying speed issues. Google rankings and user experience suffer.
Business requirements demand integrations or features Wix doesn't support. The app marketplace doesn't have what you need, and limited code access prevents custom solutions. Platform constraints block business operations.
Growing teams hit collaborator limits on lower plans. Upgrading to Business Elite for more collaborators requires a huge price jump from $36 to $159/month - often more than the expanded team access is worth.
Mobile editor limitations and performance issues create subpar mobile experiences. As mobile traffic increases, the inability to fully optimize mobile views hurts conversions and user satisfaction.
Squarespace
Users switch for more polished, professional templates with simpler editing. Gain: more elegant designs, better for aesthetics-first sites, simpler interface. Trade-off: less design flexibility (no true drag-and-drop), can't switch templates in 7.1, similar SEO limitations.
WordPress
Users switch for full control, better SEO, and no vendor lock-in. Gain: unlimited customization, best SEO tools, thousands of plugins, exportable content, better for content sites. Trade-off: requires hosting, steeper learning curve, security responsibility.
Shopify
Ecommerce-focused users switch for serious selling capabilities. Gain: powerful ecommerce features, global payment options, extensive app ecosystem, better inventory management. Trade-off: primarily ecommerce focused, transaction fees without Shopify Payments.
Webflow
Designers switch for professional-grade control without full coding. Gain: pixel-perfect design control, clean code output, CMS flexibility, better performance. Trade-off: steeper learning curve, more expensive, overkill for simple sites.
Hostinger Website Builder
Budget-conscious users switch for lower prices. Gain: significantly cheaper plans, includes hosting, simple interface. Trade-off: less feature-rich, smaller template library, less established platform.
Framer
Design-focused users switch for modern capabilities. Gain: advanced animations, React components, better performance, modern tooling. Trade-off: newer platform, different learning curve, less established ecosystem.
