Wix is one product: a website builder with hosting built in. WordPress is two things. WordPress.org gives you free software that you install on hosting you pay for. WordPress.com is a hosted service with its own plans. Before you compare, decide which WordPress you mean, because the work and the bill are very different.
Facts below come from the Wix plans page, the WordPress.com pricing page, the WordPress.org download page and WordPress.com's own guide to WordPress.com vs WordPress.org, as of October 2026. Prices are in US dollars and exclude tax.
The short verdict
- Pick Wix if you want one tool that handles hosting, updates and design, and you want to try it on a free plan first.
- Pick WordPress.com if you want WordPress with hosting done for you and a lower entry price on yearly billing.
- Pick WordPress.org if you want full control over your site and code, and you or someone you pay can run hosting, updates and backups.
WordPress.org and WordPress.com
WordPress.org is the free, open software. You need a host, a domain and some time. The download page recommends PHP 8.3 or later and MySQL 8.0 or later (or MariaDB 10.11 or later), so check that your host supports them. You choose your own themes and plugins, and you are in charge of keeping the site updated and safe.
WordPress.com runs the same software for you. Its guide says updates, backups and SSL are handled automatically, and plugins can be installed on the paid Personal plan and above.
Prices
Wix, per month, billed yearly (Wix shows US dollar prices for reference and says prices vary by location):
- Free: $0, no credit card needed. You need a paid plan to use your own domain.
- Light: $17.
- Core: $29. Adds accepting payments, a basic online store and scheduling.
- Business: $39. Standard online store.
- Business Elite: $159.
Wix offers a 14-day money-back guarantee on your first paid plan.
WordPress.com, per month. The first number is the first-year price on yearly billing. The renewal price is what the page says the plan auto-renews at, still billed every 12 months.
- Free: $0, with WordPress.com ads shown to visitors.
- Personal: $4 for the first year, renews at $5. Or $9 billed monthly.
- Premium: $8 for the first year, renews at $9. Or $18 billed monthly.
- Business: $25 for the first year, renews at $28. Or $40 billed monthly.
- Commerce: $45 for the first year, renews at $50. Or $70 billed monthly.
Yearly WordPress.com plans include a free domain for the first year. So do most yearly Wix plans.
WordPress.org costs nothing to download. Your real cost is hosting, a domain and any paid themes or plugins. Hosts set their own prices, so compare first-year and renewal prices before you sign up.
Selling online
On Wix, the first plan that can accept payments is Core, at $29 a month billed yearly.
On WordPress.com, every plan lists a transaction fee on payments taken with its built-in payment tools, plus normal processing fees: 10% on Free, 8% on Personal, 4% on Premium, 2% on Business and 0% on Commerce. If you plan to sell, work out that fee on your expected monthly sales before you pick a plan.
On WordPress.org, you can add a store plugin such as WooCommerce. The plugin is set up on your own hosting, and payment provider fees still apply.
Who looks after the site
This is the difference most small businesses feel every week.
- Wix: Wix runs the hosting and the platform. You edit pages and content.
- WordPress.com: WordPress.com runs hosting, updates and backups. You manage content and any plugins you add.
- WordPress.org: You or your developer handle updates, backups and security, with help from your host.
If nobody on your team wants that job, a hosted option will cost less in time.
How to decide
- Be honest about time. If you will not check updates each month, avoid self-hosting.
- Decide if you will sell. Compare Wix Core with the WordPress.com plan whose fee suits your sales.
- Check renewal prices. The first year is often cheaper than the years after.
- Write the words first. Clear landing page copy and an about page matter more than the platform.
If you are still choosing between hosted builders, read Wix vs Squarespace and WordPress vs Squarespace. For a domain and email, see GoDaddy vs Namecheap. Once you are live, the basics of SEO for small business help people find you.