Is Wix 100% Free? The Truth About Wix’s Free Plan

When you hear "Wix is free," it’s easy to picture a completely cost‑free website that looks like a pro’s work. The reality is a bit more nuanced. Below we break down exactly what Wix offers for free, where the limits bite, and when you should consider paying for a premium upgrade.

Key Takeaways

• Wix’s free tier lets you publish a site without paying a cent, but it adds Wix branding and a Wix‑subdomain.
• You’re limited to 500MB storage, 500MB bandwidth per month, and no custom domain.
• Advanced features-e‑commerce, SEO tools, and removal of ads-require a premium plan.
• For hobby blogs or personal portfolios, the free plan can be sufficient if you accept the branding.
• Scaling a business or wanting a professional look usually means upgrading.

What the Wix Free Tier Actually Is

Wix is a cloud‑based website builder that lets users drag and drop elements without coding. The platform markets a Wix free plan that grants access to its editor, hosting, and a collection of templates at no charge.

When you sign up, you get an automatically generated subdomain (username.wixsite.com/your‑site) and the site runs on Wix’s infrastructure. The free tier is meant for testing ideas, showcasing personal work, or learning the builder.

Features You Get for Free

• Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) helps you create a basic site in minutes by answering a few questions.
• Access to Wix Editor, the classic drag‑and‑drop interface with full design control.
• 150+ free templates covering portfolios, blogs, events, and more.
• Free Wix App Market apps that are marked as free (e.g., basic contact forms, social feeds).
• 500MB of storage and 500MB of monthly bandwidth.
• Basic SEO tools like meta‑title editing and URL customization.

Where the Free Plan Falls Short

Even though you can launch a site without paying, several constraints can hurt credibility and growth:

• Wix branding: Every page displays the Wix logo and a “Powered by Wix” badge.
• No custom domain: You cannot connect yourbrand.com unless you upgrade.
• Limited storage & bandwidth: Heavy images, videos, or growing traffic can quickly exhaust the 500MB caps.
• Restricted e‑commerce: The free plan does NOT support an online store; you need a Business Premium plan for that.
• SEO limitations: Advanced SEO Wizard, sitemap generation, and Google Analytics integration require a premium plan.
• Customer support: Free users only get community forum help, not priority support.

When You Should Upgrade

If any of these situations match your goals, a paid plan usually makes sense:

• Launching a professional portfolio where clients expect a clean domain and no third‑party ads.
• Running a small e‑commerce shop-Wix Business plans unlock product galleries, payment gateways, and cart functionality.
• Needing better performance: premium plans raise storage to 20GB+ and bandwidth to unlimited.
• Seeking SEO dominance: Wix SEO Wiz becomes fully available, and you can add Google Analytics, site verification, and custom meta tags.
• Desiring priority customer support for quicker issue resolution.

Free vs. Premium - Quick Comparison

Real‑World Example: A Sydney Boutique

Emma runs a small handmade jewellery shop in Paddington. She started with Wix’s free tier to test product photos and basic look‑and‑feel. Within a month, traffic spiked to 2,000 visits, and the free 500MB bandwidth was maxed out, causing occasional downtime. Emma also received multiple client emails asking why the site showed Wix ads.

Switching to the Wix Business Basic plan solved three problems: her own domain (emmajewels.com.au) boosted brand trust, the ad‑free experience improved conversion rates by ~12%, and the added e‑commerce tools let her accept payments directly. The monthly cost was $23 AUD, which paid for itself in the first month of increased sales.

Hidden Costs & Pitfalls to Watch

• App Marketplace fees: Some free apps have premium add‑ons that you might need later, raising the overall cost.
• Domain renewal: Wix includes a free domain for the first year; after that, renewal costs are similar to registrar rates.
• Template lock‑in: While you can switch templates, certain custom code or third‑party integrations may not transfer cleanly.
• SEO impact of subdomains: Using username.wixsite.com can affect search rankings compared to a custom domain.

Tips to Maximise the Free Plan

1. Choose a clean, ad‑light template that looks professional even with Wix branding.
2. Compress images and host videos on YouTube to stay within the 500MB storage limit.
3. Use free SEO basics: customize page titles, meta descriptions, and alt text.
4. Leverage free social media widgets from the App Market to drive traffic without extra cost.
5. Periodically review bandwidth usage in the dashboard to avoid sudden site slowdowns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bottom line: Wix’s free tier is a genuine way to launch a site without spending money, but it comes with branding, limited resources, and no custom domain. If you’re comfortable with those trade‑offs, start for free and upgrade when your goals outgrow the basics.