True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Wix saves you 5%
Best for WordPress
Drag-and-drop website builder for non-technical users. Free plan is ad-supported with Wix branding.
Best for Wix
The world's most popular CMS powering 43% of all websites. Free and open-source, but hosting, themes
The world's most popular CMS powering 43% of all websites. Free and open-source,...
Advertised
$0
/month
True Cost
$105
/month (typical)
Hosting Required
WordPress.org is free but requires paid hosting. Shared hosting $5-15/mo, managed WordPress hosting ...
Premium Plugins
Most useful plugins are paid: SEO ($99/yr), security ($99/yr), forms ($49/yr), backups ($24/yr). Ave...
Theme & Maintenance
Premium themes $50-200 one-time. Security updates, compatibility patches, and performance optimizati...
Drag-and-drop website builder for non-technical users. Free plan is ad-supported...
Advertised
$0
/month
True Cost
$74
/month (typical)
Wix Branding on Free
Free plan displays 'Wix.com' ads and uses a wix.com subdomain. Removing branding requires Light plan...
App Market Cost Accumulation
Most functional sites need 3-8 Wix Apps (booking $0-10/mo, events $0-10/mo, chat $0-30/mo, SEO tools...
Heavy Sites Performance Degradation
Sites with 50+ pages, many apps, or large media galleries experience significant load time increases...
Per-Site Pricing
Each Wix plan covers ONE site only. Running 3 business sites = 3× the subscription cost. No multi-si...
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission
Wix advertises $0/mo. WordPress advertises $0/mo.
Wix has 4 documented hidden fees. WordPress has 3.
Wix confidence: 78%. WordPress confidence: 78%.
| Metric | WordPress | Wix | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $0/mo | $0/mo | WordPress |
| True Monthly Cost | $105/mo | $74/mo | Wix |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$105/mo | +$74/mo | Wix |
| # Hidden Fees | 3 | 4 | WordPress |
| Confidence Score | 78% | 78% | WordPress |
| Pricing Tiers | 0 | 4 | — |
| Affiliate Program | None | $100 per premium referral | — |
Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.
WordPress advertises $0/mo and Wix advertises $0/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, WordPress has 3 documented hidden fees adding +$105/mo, while Wix has 4 hidden fees adding +$74/mo. Based on true cost, Wix is typically 5% cheaper.
WordPress has 3 documented hidden fees: Hosting Required, Premium Plugins, Theme & Maintenance. These add approximately +$105/mo on top of the $0/mo advertised price.
Wix has 4 documented hidden fees: Wix Branding on Free, App Market Cost Accumulation, Heavy Sites Performance Degradation, Per-Site Pricing. These add approximately +$74/mo on top of the $0/mo advertised price.
Choose WordPress if: Drag-and-drop website builder for non-technical users. Free plan is ad-supported with Wix branding. . Choose Wix if: The world's most popular CMS powering 43% of all websites. Free and open-source, but hosting, themes. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. WordPress data has a 78% confidence score and Wix has 78%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
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