Wix vs a $100 website: the real cost over 3 years

Wix and a done-for-you $100 website solve the same problem in opposite ways. With Wix, you rent a builder and make the site yourself. With a $100 site, someone builds it once and you own it. Which is cheaper depends on how long you keep the site and how often you change it.

Here are the real numbers, using Wix’s own prices as of October 2026. WeBuildYours isn’t affiliated with Wix in any way.

Wix’s prices as of October 2026

From Wix’s plans page, checked from a US connection on October 20, 2026. Prices are per month on a yearly plan, paid in full upfront, before tax.

Wix plan	Per month, billed yearly	Per year
Free	$0	$0
Light	$17	$204
Core	$29	$348
Business	$39	$468
Business Elite	$159	$1,908

The details that matter for the totals:

• The free plan shows Wix branding and uses a wixsite.com address. You need a paid (Premium) plan to connect your own domain.
• Taking payments, online selling, and scheduling start on Core. Light doesn’t list them.
• A free domain for the first year comes with most yearly or multi-year Premium plans, as a voucher for a new domain bought from Wix. After that it renews at Wix’s standard rate. Wix’s own domain pricing guide lists $21.35 a year to renew a .com, and says the voucher doesn’t cover WHOIS privacy.
• Sales. When we checked, Wix had 50% off Core and higher plans, valid only for the first yearly term. We use the regular prices, because that’s what you pay from the second year.
• Paying monthly. Wix shows yearly prices, says other billing periods are available, and recommends yearly or multi-year plans for the best value.

The 3-year cost, side by side

The $100 site columns use $11.08 a year for a .com at Porkbun, hosting on a free plan such as Netlify’s or Cloudflare Pages, and our optional Basic maintenance at $20 a month.

Cost over 3 years	Wix Light	Wix Core	$100 site	$100 site with Basic maintenance
Building the site	You build it	You build it	$100 once	$100 once
Plan or hosting	$612	$1,044	$0 on a free host	$0 on a free host
.com domain	$42.70 (free first year, then $21.35 a year)	$42.70	$33.24	$33.24
Upkeep	Wix updates the software, you make the edits	Same as Light	Each change is priced before work starts, or you edit the files you own	$720, including 30 minutes of changes a month
3-year total	$654.70	$1,086.70	$133.24	$853.24

Year by year, Wix Light costs $204 in year one and $225.35 in each of the next two years. The $100 site costs $111.08 in year one and $11.08 a year after that, or $351.08 and then $251.08 a year with Basic maintenance.

If you’d rather keep your domain outside Wix, you can: Wix lets you connect a domain bought elsewhere. You give up the free first year, but your address isn’t tied to your plan.

What the totals leave out

• Your time. Building on Wix costs nothing extra in dollars, but it takes your hours: picking a template, writing every word, sorting photos, and checking the phone layout.
• Tax. Wix’s prices don’t include it.
• Domain privacy. Porkbun includes WHOIS privacy for free. The Wix voucher doesn’t cover it.
• Email at your domain. Neither option includes a mailbox. Wix sells Google Workspace for this, and with a site you own you buy email from any provider.
• Extra revision rounds. The $100 site includes 2. Extra rounds are $39 each.

When Wix is the better choice

Wix is a capable product, and for some owners it’s the right one:

• You want to edit the site yourself, often. If you change specials, events, or photos every week and enjoy doing it, a drag and drop editor beats sending requests.
• You need built-in business tools. Core and higher plans include taking payments, basic online selling, and scheduling, and the Wix App Market adds apps for marketing, stores, and more.
• You want to grow page by page on your own. Adding a page on Wix doesn’t need a quote.
• You want one account for everything. The editor, hosting, and domain sit in one dashboard.
• You want to try before you pay. Wix has a free plan to start, and its plans page lists a 14-day money-back guarantee.

When a $100 site is the better choice

• You want it done for you. We build it, write it if you want, and it’s live within 48 hours of a complete brief.
• One page covers what you need. Most of the 3-year gap comes from not paying for a plan every year.
• You want to own it outright. Wix says a Wix site has to be hosted on Wix’s servers, so you can’t take it to another host. With us, you get every file, login, and setting, and can move it whenever you like.
• You want the lowest running cost. About $11 a year for the domain, with free hosting for one page.

Switching later

From a $100 site to Wix: you can rebuild on Wix whenever you like and point your domain at it. From Wix to a site you own: your content is yours, but the site itself runs only on Wix, so moving means rebuilding. That’s one more reason to register your domain in your own name from day one. Our guide to choosing a domain name covers how.

For the wider trade-off, read DIY website builder or hire a pro. When you’re ready, a one-page site is $100 flat, maintenance is optional, and the free website check will grade your current site, Wix or not.

Sources

Prices checked on October 20, 2026, from a US connection. Vendors change prices often, so check the page before you buy.

• Wix: plans and pricing
• Wix: domain pricing guide
• Wix: domain renewal guide
• Wix Help Center: exporting or embedding your Wix site elsewhere
• Wix App Market
• Porkbun: domain pricing
• Netlify: pricing
• Cloudflare Pages