Freelancer reviews: Wix

There are a plethora of website builders out there for beginners, but how does Wix stack up to the competition? Read our review to find out

May 8, 2020 • 3 minute read

Brodie F.

@brodiefogg89

Technical Co-pilot

Don't build a website with Wix until you read this

Thanks to its aggressive marketing campaigns (which include a Super Bowl ad and loads of celebrity endorsements), Wix is in fierce competition with Squarespace to be the website builder on everyone's lips. Despite its reputable name, Wix might not be the first choice for beginners. Let's take a look at why.

Quick verdict: Great if you've got time, patience and a little experience

While Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace might look a little same-same from the outset, some crucial differences make the latter two a better option for beginners. Wix offers its users almost unbridled freedom with an editor that knows no boundaries, but if this is your first rodeo, you're better off saving yourself with a little structure.

What we like

Flexibility: Unlike Squarespace and Weebly, Wix allows for pixel-perfect layout customization. But that freedom can cost you a lot of time if you're just starting out.

Plugins and tools: Wix doesn't abide by the KISS mantra (Keep It Simple Stupid), instead providing its users with over 400 themes and a massive suite of plugins and customization options.

Wix Code (Corvid): Most drag-and-drop builders aren’t built to accept custom code. After all, that’s the idea behind a “no-code” website builder. As your site grows, you find yourself at a point where you would typically need to switch to a fully-fledged CMS. But Wix Code (aka Corvid by Wix) is a developer tool that enables you to create more advanced features, like database collections, dynamic pages, custom application forms, and Javascript/API integration.

What we don't like

Too many options? Wix's greatest strength is also a weakness, from a certain point of view. Options are great. We love 'em by the truckload. But for those just starting out, it can be a little overwhelming, and the quality of Wix templates and features vetted as thoroughly as some of its competitors.

So much room for error: The strict structure that grid-based builders like Weebly and Squarespace offer are there to save you from yourself. While great for some, Wix's freedom can be a detriment to users starting their first site.

Double the workload: Unlike most builders, that freedom also enables you to work on your desktop and mobile designs separately. However, that means you need to continually double back to check your changes have carried over to mobile. You can easily find yourself with an unfriendly mobile page if you haven't done your due diligence.

Wix Pricing

Free

Combo: $10/mth

Unlimited: $14/mth

Pro: $19/mth

VIP: $27/mth

*Prices above are billed annually

Like Weebly, Wix offers a free tier for users looking to trial its services. However, Weebly remains our first choice for free, as Wix locks out more features that you can only access by upgrading to a paid plan. So if you're looking for a low-tier, low-cost builder, Wix might not be your first choice. But more experienced website designers will find that its Premium options, Pro and VIP, are more affordable than its two main competitors.

Wix Logo Maker

One feature Wix users love is its Logo Maker tool. This intelligent design tool is like Canva-lite. It starts by asking you for your website name and tagline, followed by a short questionnaire about your website's purpose (e.g., e-commerce) and core design principles (professional, fun, dynamic, etc.). Once you've picked from a selection of existing logos you like, the tool uses your answers to generate a boilerplate website logo. Here's what it generated for us when we experimented with Freelancer.com.

Not perfect, but a good start! Once you select a starting point, the Wix Logo Editor allows you to customize the logo with a huge suite of options that don't complicate things too much.

Wix Templates

The official line from Wix is that the platform offers "100s of templates," but at last check, the library provided somewhere in the ballpark of 400 themes and templates. That's way more than what Squarespace and Weebly offer. The problem is, more doesn't necessarily mean better. Squarespace, to its credit, does a better job vetting each template. Even though there are fewer options, we'd recommend Squarespace if you're after a more modern template to save you some work and design know-how.