Updated August 2025
After building over 1,000 websites and helping countless businesses choose the right platform, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to understand not just the advertised prices, but the real costs of running a website on Wix. Whether you’re launching your first business website or scaling an established online store, this comprehensive guide will help you make the smartest choice for your budget and goals.
Wix Pricing at a Glance: What You Need to Know
Wix offers six different pricing tiers, ranging from completely free to enterprise-level solutions. Here’s what you’re really paying for in 2025:
Wix’s Current Plans (Billed Annually):
- Free Plan: $0/month – Perfect for testing
- Light Plan: $17/month – Basic websites and portfolios
- Core Plan: $29/month – Small online stores (my top recommendation)
- Business Plan: $36/month – Growing ecommerce businesses
- Business Elite: $159/month – Large-scale operations
- Enterprise: Custom pricing – Global brands and industry leaders
The Bottom Line: After testing every plan extensively, I recommend the Core plan ($29/month) for most small businesses. It offers the best balance of features and value, especially if you plan to sell products or services online.
Breaking Down Each Wix Plan: Real-World Analysis
Free Plan ($0): Worth It for Testing Only
I always tell my clients to start here, but never stay here if you’re serious about your business. Here’s why:
What You Get:
- 500MB storage (enough for basic text and images)
- Wix-branded domain (yourname.wixsite.com)
- Wix ads displayed on your site
- Basic templates and design tools
- No ecommerce capabilities
My Professional Take: In my experience building websites for small businesses, the free plan is excellent for learning the platform and testing your design ideas. However, the Wix ads and branded domain make your site look unprofessional. I’ve seen potential customers abandon sites immediately when they see those telltale signs of a free website.
Best For: Absolute beginners wanting to experiment with web design, or anyone testing Wix before committing to a paid plan.
Light Plan ($17/month): Clean and Simple
The Light plan removes the biggest barriers to looking professional online. Here’s what changes:
New Features:
- No more Wix ads on your site
- Free custom domain for the first year
- 2GB storage space
- Basic marketing tools (email campaigns, contact forms)
- 2 collaborator accounts
- 24/7 customer support
Storage Reality Check: 2GB fills up faster than you’d think. After working with hundreds of portfolio sites, I’ve found that photographers and designers often hit this limit within months if they’re not careful with image optimization.
My Professional Take: This plan works beautifully for service-based businesses like consultants, freelancers, or small agencies. I’ve built stunning portfolio sites on this plan that convert visitors into clients. However, you can’t sell products directly, which limits your revenue potential.
Best For: Professional portfolios, service businesses, bloggers, and anyone who needs a clean, professional web presence without ecommerce.
Core Plan ($29/month): The Sweet Spot for Most Businesses
This is where Wix gets serious, and it’s the plan I recommend most often to my clients. Here’s why:
Full Feature Set:
- Everything from Light plan
- 50GB storage (plenty for most businesses)
- Complete ecommerce functionality (sell up to 50,000 products)
- Accept payments through multiple processors
- Inventory management and order tracking
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Product reviews and ratings
- Basic analytics and reporting
- 5 collaborator accounts
- Wix Bookings for appointments
- Social media integration
The Ecommerce Game-Changer: What makes this plan special is the robust ecommerce functionality. I’ve helped dozens of businesses launch their first online stores using this plan, and the results speak for themselves. The built-in payment processing, inventory management, and marketing tools rival platforms that cost twice as much.
Real Client Success Story: I recently helped a local bakery move from a basic website to the Core plan. Within three months, they were processing over $5,000 in monthly online orders. The abandoned cart recovery feature alone recovered 15% of potentially lost sales.
My Professional Take: Unless you’re absolutely certain you’ll never sell anything online, choose this plan. Even if you’re starting with just services, having ecommerce ready means you can quickly add digital products, merchandise, or premium offerings without switching platforms.
Best For: Small to medium businesses, online stores, service providers wanting to sell digital products, restaurants taking online orders, and any business planning to grow online.
Business Plan ($36/month): Scaling Up Smart
When my clients outgrow the Core plan, this is usually their next stop. The additional $7 monthly gets you:
Advanced Features:
- 100GB storage
- Advanced ecommerce tools
- Multi-currency support (crucial for international sales)
- Enhanced shipping options and rate calculations
- Automated sales tax calculations
- Advanced loyalty programs
- 10 collaborator accounts
- Enhanced analytics and reporting
When to Upgrade: I typically recommend this upgrade when clients are consistently hitting $10,000+ in monthly sales or when they’re expanding internationally. The multi-currency support and advanced shipping tools become essential at this level.
My Professional Take: This plan shines for established businesses that need sophisticated ecommerce features. The automated tax calculations alone save hours of bookkeeping work, and the advanced analytics help optimize conversion rates.
Best For: Established online stores, businesses selling internationally, companies with complex shipping needs, and growing ecommerce businesses ready for advanced features.
Business Elite Plan ($159/month): Enterprise-Level Power
This is serious business territory. For $159/month, you get:
Premium Features:
- Unlimited storage
- All advanced ecommerce features
- Priority VIP support
- 100 collaborator accounts
- Advanced marketing automation
- Comprehensive analytics suite
- White-label capabilities
My Professional Take: I only recommend this plan to clients doing $50,000+ monthly in sales or those with complex, content-heavy websites. The unlimited storage is fantastic for media-rich sites, but most businesses don’t need this level of firepower.
Best For: Large ecommerce operations, media companies, businesses with extensive product catalogs, and companies requiring enterprise-level support.
Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing): For Industry Leaders
Wix’s enterprise solution is custom-built for major brands. Expect to pay $5,000-$25,000+ annually, depending on your needs.
What You Get:
- Dedicated account management
- Custom development capabilities
- Advanced security features
- Global content delivery network
- Multi-site management
- Custom integrations
My Professional Take: Unless you’re running a major brand or have extremely specialized needs, the regular plans will serve you better. I’ve only recommended enterprise solutions to clients with massive traffic and complex integration requirements.
Hidden Costs and Extra Fees: What They Don’t Tell You
After the first year, several costs kick in that many businesses don’t budget for:
Domain Renewal Fees
- Year 1: Free with all paid plans
- Year 2+: $14.95+ annually (varies by domain type)
- Pro tip: Register your domain independently through a domain registrar for better control and potentially lower renewal costs
Transaction Fees
- Standard rate: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
- Annual cost impact: For a business processing $50,000 annually, that’s $1,600 in fees
- Alternative: Some dedicated ecommerce platforms offer lower transaction rates for high-volume businesses
Email Hosting
- Google Workspace: $6/month per email address
- Custom email: Essential for professional credibility
- Budget tip: Factor in at least $72 annually for professional email
Premium Apps and Add-ons
- Range: $3-$50+ monthly for premium functionality
- Common additions: Advanced booking systems, specialized marketing tools, inventory management
- Budget wisely: These costs add up quickly, often doubling your monthly platform fees
Professional Setup and Design
While Wix is user-friendly, many businesses benefit from professional setup. Our custom web design services help businesses launch faster with professional results, often saving money compared to trial-and-error approaches.
Smart Strategies to Save Money on Wix
After helping hundreds of businesses optimize their Wix investments, here are my proven cost-saving strategies:
Annual vs. Monthly Billing
- Savings: Up to 20% by paying annually
- Cash flow consideration: Requires upfront payment but significantly reduces long-term costs
- Recommendation: If you’re committed to your business, annual billing is always smarter
Right-Size Your Plan
Common mistake: Choosing plans based on “what if” scenarios rather than current needs
Smart approach: Start with what you need now and upgrade as you grow
Example: Begin with Core plan, upgrade to Business when processing $10,000+ monthly
Leverage Free Alternatives
- Use free tools for basic analytics before investing in premium options
- Start with basic features and add premium apps only when necessary
- Consider our AI website builder recommendations for comparison before committing
Professional Setup Investment
Why it matters: A professionally set up site converts better from day one
Cost vs. benefit: Spending $500-1,000 on professional setup often generates that back within the first month through better conversion rates
Our approach: We help businesses launch with optimized designs that sell from day one
Wix vs. Alternatives: When to Choose What
When Wix Makes Sense:
- You want an all-in-one solution
- Design flexibility is important
- You need integrated ecommerce and marketing tools
- You prefer drag-and-drop simplicity
When to Consider Alternatives:
- Budget-focused: Consider our recommended website builders for more affordable options
- Ready-to-launch: Our premade WordPress websites offer professional designs at fixed costs
- Ecommerce-focused: Specialized ecommerce solutions might offer better conversion rates and lower fees
- Quick launch: Our AI website builder tools can get you online in hours, not weeks
My Professional Recommendations by Business Type
Service Businesses (Consultants, Agencies, Freelancers)
Recommended plan: Light ($17/month)
Why: Clean, professional presentation without ecommerce complexity
Upgrade trigger: When you want to sell digital products or services online
Small Online Stores (Under $5,000/month sales)
Recommended plan: Core ($29/month)
Why: Complete ecommerce functionality at an affordable price
Upgrade trigger: When processing over $10,000 monthly or expanding internationally
Growing Ecommerce Businesses ($5,000-$25,000/month)
Recommended plan: Business ($36/month)
Why: Advanced features support scaling operations
Alternative consideration: At this level, compare with specialized ecommerce platforms for potentially lower transaction fees
Local Restaurants and Retail
Recommended plan: Core ($29/month)
Why: Online ordering, booking capabilities, and local marketing tools
Success tip: Focus on mobile optimization – most local searches happen on phones
Creative Professionals and Portfolios
Recommended plan: Light ($17/month) initially, Core when adding client booking
Why: Showcases work beautifully without unnecessary complexity
Pro tip: Invest in high-quality images – they make or break portfolio sites
Making Your Decision: A Step-by-Step Process
Based on my experience guiding hundreds of businesses through this choice, follow this decision framework:
Step 1: Define Your Primary Purpose
- Information/portfolio site: Light plan
- Selling products/services online: Core plan minimum
- Scaling existing business: Business plan
- Large operation: Business Elite
Step 2: Calculate True Monthly Costs
- Base plan fee
- Domain renewal (starting year 2): ~$15 annually
- Email hosting: ~$6/month
- Transaction fees: 2.9% of sales
- Premium apps: $0-50/month
Step 3: Plan for Growth
- Choose based on 12-18 months from now, not today
- Factor in seasonal sales variations
- Consider international expansion plans
Step 4: Test Before Committing
- Start with free plan to test functionality
- Use the 14-day money-back guarantee on paid plans
- Compare with our recommended alternatives if Wix doesn’t feel right
Quick-Start Recommendations
For Immediate Launch (This Week)
Option 1: Start with Wix Core plan if you need full control and customization
Option 2: Consider our premade websites for instant professional results
Option 3: Use our AI website builder recommendations for the fastest possible launch
For Budget-Conscious Businesses
Option 1: Wix Light plan for basic professional presence
Option 2: Explore our affordable web design packages for fixed-cost solutions
Option 3: Check our website builder comparisons for budget alternatives
For Ecommerce Focus
Option 1: Wix Core plan for integrated approach
Option 2: Consider our specialized ecommerce solutions for faster time-to-market
Option 3: Explore dedicated ecommerce platforms for lower transaction fees
Final Thoughts: Making Wix Work for Your Business
After building thousands of websites and helping businesses choose the right platform, here’s my honest assessment of Wix pricing:
Wix excels when:
- You value design flexibility and ease of use
- You want an integrated solution for website, ecommerce, and marketing
- You’re willing to invest in learning the platform
- You prioritize having everything in one place
Consider alternatives when:
- Budget is your primary concern
- You need to launch immediately with minimal setup
- You’re focused purely on ecommerce performance
- You prefer ready-made solutions over custom building
My bottom-line recommendation: For most small to medium businesses, Wix’s Core plan at $29/month offers excellent value. However, don’t forget to factor in the hidden costs and consider whether a ready-made solution might get you online faster and more cost-effectively.
Remember, the best website platform is the one that helps you achieve your business goals most efficiently. Whether that’s Wix or one of our recommended alternatives, the key is choosing based on your real needs, not just the marketing promises.
Ready to make your decision? Start with Wix’s free plan to test the waters, or explore our ready-to-launch website solutions if you need to be online and selling this week.
Have questions about choosing the right platform for your business? As someone who’s helped over 1,000 businesses launch successful websites, I’m here to help you make the smartest choice for your specific situation.