It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Wix. Not only have I built and hosted all my personal websites on it for over 5 years, I also awarded it the top spot in my list of the best website builders - it genuinely is the best option for most people, in most cases.
So why the sudden change of heart?
In reality, Wix isn’t always the best option. Over the last few years, I have spent hundreds of hours testing and reviewing website builders and realized that Wix just doesn’t work for me anymore.
That might be the case for you too. Let me explain.
Why not Wix?
Wix does a lot of things well. But in some cases, it just isn’t right.
I built my personal website on Wix around 5 years ago. It’s a simple site. A picture of me, a blog, some examples of my work, and a few links to the things I’m involved in at the moment.
During that time I have had exactly zero problems with that site. But the numbers aren’t adding up.
I’m currently paying $17/mo for this website on Wix’s cheapest plan.
This isn’t going to bankrupt me, sure. But it’s a blog and a few links, I’m sure there is a better and cheaper option.
Let’s do the math
At the moment, I’m paying $204 a year for this basic site. To save some cash I have a few options:
Option 1: Go for a free website builder
Potential saving: $204/year
Free website builders can be good but come with limitations like a non-custom domain and onsite ads. This site represents my personal brand, I want to keep my domain and onsite ads aren’t going to look professional.
This option doesn't work for me.
Option 2: Get cheap hosting and build my site
Potential saving: $172.92/year for 3 years, then $132.12/year after
I can already hear my colleague, Web Hosting Editor James Capell, encouraging me to go this route. In fact, I asked him and he recommended using DreamHost and WordPress.
This web hosting option would cost me $31.08/year for the first three years on an introductory rate and then $71.88/year from year 3 and beyond.
It is incredibly tempting, especially with that sort of cost saving. But I haven’t always enjoyed using WordPress and I love the simplicity of an ‘all-in’ website builder.
Sorry James, not this time.
Option 3: A cheaper website builder
Potential cost saving: $168.12/year for 4-years, then $60.12/year after
Third time lucky - I hope.
My final option is simply to use a cheaper website builder. On my best website builder guide, I recommend Hostinger as the best value, so that feels like a good option to explore.
If I sign up for 4 years I can build my site on Hostinger for just $35.88/year. This then goes up to $143.88 after, which is a sizable jump, but still cheaper than Wix.
I like the Hostinger website builder, it’s intuitive and has all the features I need for this website. This feels like the best option for me.
Will it work?
Moving your website isn’t the easiest task, especially when you have built it using a website builder. In most cases you cannot simply transfer your site to a different provider, you have to start from scratch.
Some of my other Wix sites have around 100 pages, ecommerce, and a built in booking platform. I would take a lot longer to consider the pros and cons of moving these sites. Besides, as I am using some of Wix's great business tools, I am confident that I am getting great value for money in these cases.
But for my personal brand site switching shouldn’t be too tricky. A few hours, some help from Hostinger’s built in AI tools, and I should have a great site live again.
Hostinger has fewer tools and features than Wix, but I’m not using them on this website anyway, so that isn’t an issue. Although the cost savings go down after that initial 4-year period, that’s a long time away, and I could always look at moving it again.
Stay tuned - I'll report back when it's done.
