10 Best Free and Cheap Wix Alternatives [TESTED in 2025]

There’s a lot to like about Wix, but that doesn’t mean it’s ideal for everyone. While its templates look great, you can’t switch to a new one without losing your edits. If you run an online store, Wix’s e-commerce tools might feel limiting as your business grows. And while Wix offers a free plan, adding apps can lead to unexpected costs beyond your base plan.

Whatever your reason, there are plenty of affordable (and free!) alternatives available, but it can be hard to tell which ones are worthwhile. That’s why I decided to test the most popular web builders on the market. I built a website with each service’s free or cheapest plan and took a close look at their offerings.

Among the best free and cheap Wix alternatives, my top choice is SITE123. It offers a more user-friendly editor than Wix and lets you build a professional website at very low rates. However, each builder on this list is bound to be ideal for a different kind of user.

You can sign up to SITE123 for free right now, or keep reading to find the best Wix alternative for you.

What We Look For in the Best Wix Alternatives

If I’m going to recommend an alternative to Wix, it needs to do more than offer a free plan or trial. It has to provide something Wix doesn’t or outperform it in a key area. In particular, I looked out for the following:

• Value for money. Wix charges extra for access to some of its most important features. I looked for website builders that are more cost-effective than Wix.
• Built-in features. While Wix offers apps for extended functionality, some website builders come with more built-in tools (like Squarespace’s Analytics tool). With native features, you don’t have to waste time looking for apps and installing them.
• Mobile-responsive templates. Editing a separate mobile version of your website can be frustrating. I looked for platforms that give you responsive templates that automatically look great on smartphones and tablets.
• Design flexibility. Wix offers plenty of flexibility for your design, so any recommended alternative needs to match or exceed that freedom, giving you the tools to design the exact site you want.
• SEO tools. Wix’s SEO tools may not be as powerful as the ones offered by similar platforms. All website builders on my list have essential SEO features, some of which are AI-powered, to help you boost your online presence with ease.

Quick Look at Our Top Wix Alternatives

1. SITE123: Best Simple Website Builder for Busy Professionals

When it comes to editing your site, few builders make it as simple as Wix – but I found SITE123 simpler and faster to use. SITE123 has a no-frills editor that makes it hard to get lost in the process. You customize pages and settings using simple dropdown menus, and each button is clearly labeled – no confusing icons, like those you’ll find in Wix or WordPress.

The downside is that SITE123 offers less storage and bandwidth compared to Wix, so it’s not ideal if you want to upload lots of images or other media files. Still, you’ll get more than enough for a simple site. And if you need more, a paid plan is worth considering – you’ll get more storage, more bandwidth, and access to e-commerce and third-party apps, for cheap.

Overall, SITE123’s free plan is your best bet if you want to launch a small website as quickly as possible, and you know you won’t need a ton of resources to do it.

Features

• Mobile-responsive templates. There are over 80 templates across multiple categories (restaurants, community, portfolio, etc.), all designed to look good on any device.
• Lots of page layouts. You can choose from a variety of prebuilt layouts for each section of your page, so it’s easy to create a good-looking, well-aligned site. For instance, there are 14 different layouts for About pages, with various text, image, and alignment options.
• Excellent support. If you run into a problem, real-time help is a click away. You can chat with a SITE123 assistant from within the editor by clicking the “Need Help?” button.
• Speedy editor. The SITE123 editor loads very quickly, so you’re not stuck waiting every time you want to make an adjustment to your site. I almost never saw the dreaded loading icon during my tests.

Want to learn more? Head over to our full SITE123 review.

2. Webador: Best Affordable E-Commerce Tools

Webador’s plans are some of the cheapest around, and you can save even more by paying annually. Webador’s Business plan (the highest-tier option) is cheaper than any of Wix’s upper-tiered plans. But that doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing value – the Business Plan includes unlimited storage, AI tools, and complete e-commerce features.

On the Business plan, you can sell unlimited products (physical and digital) and you won’t pay transaction fees. This can save you a lot of money if you plan to scale quickly. By comparison, Wix doesn’t let you sell unlimited products (even on its more expensive plans), and it takes a commission on sales.

Webador is also extremely easy to use. Thanks to its drag-and-drop builder, you can set up a professional website in a couple of minutes.

You should know that Webador’s templates mostly showcase what’s possible on the platform. You’ll get the same hero header and general structure shown in the demo, but the rest is yours to build.

Features

• Free plan. Webador’s free plan offers unlimited storage and bandwidth, a blogging platform, plus a massive stock image library. You’ll be limited to a .webador domain with ads, but it will be more than enough for a simple website.
• Media-streaming tools. Webador has built-in audio and video players and a document-sharing system, which works great for content-rich websites.
• Business mailboxes. You’ll get a personal mailbox on the Pro plan and above, which allows you to set up an email address with your custom domain. You can access your emails through the builder or set up your custom email address with another client like Gmail.
• Free domain names. All paid plans include a free domain. Plus, when you pay to set up another language on your website, Webador will give you an additional free domain.

See more great features in our in-depth Webador review.

3. Hostinger Website Builder: Best AI Tools on a Budget

Hostinger Website Builder isn’t free, but it’s a solid, affordable site builder that comes with unlimited resources and is super simple to use. Even if you’re a complete newbie, you’ll be able to build your site quickly. Plus, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test the features risk-free.

Hostinger has an impressive set of AI tools to improve your site’s design, content, and SEO performance. In addition to the AI website builder, you get tools for generating on-brand images and SEO-friendly text, so you can create an effective website with minimal manual effort.

One downside is that, unlike Wix, Hostinger doesn’t give you complete creative control. But unless you’re a designer, that’s probably a good thing. Its built-in grid system ensures your website stays well-aligned and clean, while still offering plenty of flexibility to personalize your site. You can add image galleries, slideshows, customize contact forms, and more.

Features

• Free domain. If you pay annually for your plan, Hostinger Website Builder gives you a free domain for a year.
• AI heatmaps. This tool uses your website’s structure to predict where visitors will focus. You can adjust design elements such as images and buttons to guide their attention effectively for better engagement.
• No transaction fees. Unlike Wix, Hostinger doesn’t charge transaction fees, making it a cost-effective e-commerce solution, especially if you regularly have a high sales volume.
• Free email. Every Hostinger plan includes a mailbox with 1 GB of storage at no extra cost.

Our in-depth Hostinger Website Builder review has more on the platform’s features.

4. Squarespace: Best for Beautiful, Responsive Templates

Squarespace has a well-earned reputation as one of the best platforms for creating aesthetically pleasing, well-structured websites. Each template in Squarespace’s library is expertly designed and visually attractive. The editor itself gives you the structure you need to create a beautiful-looking site in minutes.

You also get access to impressive SEO features. For instance, you’ll get AI-generated SEO-friendly text and optimization suggestions. Alongside that, Squarespace offers plenty of backend solutions like automatic sitemaps, clean URLs, and SEO tools for e-commerce like automatic product indexing.

If your focus is e-commerce, Squarespace is a strong choice. Its Commerce plan is significantly cheaper than Wix’s Business plan and offers roughly the same e-commerce tools. There’s no free plan, but you can test the platform risk-free with a 14-day free trial.

Features

• Responsive templates. Squarespace’s 180+ templates are built to make your website look modern and attractive, and they are all mobile-responsive. You can even design your own personalized template with Squarespace Blueprint.
• Tools for small online stores. The platform has what you need to build a small to medium-sized online store at a fairly low cost. It comes with inventory management, product display, marketing tools, and more.
• Analytics tracker. While Wix gives you Google Analytics integration, Squarespace’s native analytics feature lets you monitor your website’s performance directly. You can even track key metrics on the go using the mobile app.
• Top-tier security. Squarespace provides high levels of server-side security and built-in SSL to keep your website data protected from hackers.

Want to learn more? Head over to our expert Squarespace review.

5. IONOS Website Builder: Best Simple Builder for Business Sites

IONOS Website Builder is designed with business users in mind, focusing on clean, scrollable layouts that are easy to navigate. That means that it might be a little thin on all-purpose features like blogging or highly customizable sections. Still, it makes up for it with great features for businesses like AI-powered SEO integrations and its website checker.

It offers an incredibly gentle learning curve, so you won’t have to worry if you need to create a functional site for your business without much experience.

Sure, IONOS is a lot more basic than Wix. You’ll only get 30+ templates to choose from, but they’re all modern, mobile-friendly, and offer plenty of variety. And, even though you don’t get complete freedom with your website’s layout, you’ll get enough options to get you started.

On top of that, you’ll get a free domain for one year on any of IONOS’s plans. That definitely beats having to use a Wix subdomain.

Features

• Cheap e-commerce support. You can add e-commerce features to any IONOS plan. While this bumps up the price, it still works out cheaper than paying for Wix, making it great for businesses on a budget.
• Professional email. You can make an unlimited number of professional email addresses with your IONOS domain at no extra cost.
• RankingCoach integration. RankingCoach is a free SEO app that teaches you how to set up your site’s SEO and improve your rankings. This integration makes it easy to automate your website’s SEO, even if you’re on a budget.
• Logo generator. Get a free, simple logo for your business with the built-in logo generator – ideal for new businesses that don’t have the money to hire a designer.

See more great features in our in-depth IONOS review.

6. Wix Studio: Best for Complete Control Over Your Site’s Design

If what you need is a more powerful editor, Wix Studio (formerly Editor X) is Wix’s advanced offering for professional designers. Despite its advanced features, it maintains affordable entry-level pricing.

Wix Studio provides greater control over your website’s design, offering advanced tools like relative spacing, custom CSS embedding, and a wide range of animations. Additionally, AI-powered responsive features make adjustments seamless.

Wix Studio’s entry-level plan is cheaper than Wix’s standard entry-level option, while offering more storage and more site collaborators. If you’re working with multiple clients, it’s a cost-effective solution that streamlines your work.

Read our expert Wix Studio review to see why it’s a great choice for designers.

Features

• Advanced professional templates. Wix Studio offers its own set of 360 different templates, all of which integrate the advanced design features it offers.
• AI Coding Assistant. Wix Studio provides an AI tool to help you generate clean, effective code for your website, making the development process faster and more efficient.
• AI-powered mobile responsiveness. You can use Wix Studio’s advanced AI to help you auto-adjust any element on your page to the correct position on different screen sizes.
• Multi-site management suite. You get a powerful dashboard that simplifies the process of managing multiple sites for the same project, making it easier to keep track of all your work.

Other Notable Free and Cheap Wix Alternatives

7. Shopify

Shopify is the website builder for e-commerce websites, but it’s not the cheapest Wix alternative. Shopify’s first two plans are priced similarly to Wix’s plans, but the third plan’s hefty cost means it’s more suitable for larger businesses. Still, if you’re serious about e-commerce, the investment can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Even the cheapest plan grants you unlimited storage — something Wix only offers on its most expensive plan. Additionally, this plan includes Shopify POS Lite, which allows you to accept in-person payments from any location with ease.

8. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is one of the largest platforms for growing and larger businesses looking to scale their online presence. It stands out for its built-in sales tools, which include advanced SEO features and multi-channel selling capabilities.

That said, it isn’t the easiest platform to learn. Its advanced e-commerce functions come with a steeper learning curve compared to simpler builders. Still, if you need full control over your store’s operations and plan to grow, it’s a great choice.

8. WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a strong contender if your primary focus is blogging or publishing. Even on the free plan, you can create unlimited pages, send newsletters, and gate premium material behind a paywall – all of which make it a solid starting point for content creators.

However, you’ll need WordPress.com’s Business plan subscription to access third-party themes and plugins. While this unlocks powerful functionality, bear in mind that the cost can increase quickly depending on how many plugins you add.

10. Web.com

Web.com goes a step further than Wix in terms of advanced editing features and a comprehensive branding dashboard. These extras make it a good option for intermediate-level designers who want more creative flexibility without diving into full developer territory.

While Web.com has great initial pricing, the renewal rates are significantly higher. Still, depending on your needs, the extra functionality might be worth it, especially if you want to build a more complex site.

Which Wix Alternative Is Right for You?

While Wix might be regarded as the paramount website builder by some, it’s not the only choice available to you. Depending on your goals and budget, there are several excellent alternatives that may be a better fit.

If you’re a busy professional with no time to waste, SITE123 is the easiest option. Its no-nonsense website editor is easy to pick up and use, and the free plan means you can work on your website at your own pace.

If budget is a concern, take a look at Webador. On top of a great free plan, its paid plans are some of the most affordable on the market.

Finally, if you want sleek, SEO-friendly website quickly, try Hostinger Website Builder. It’s not free, but it has affordable plans and a suite of AI tools to elevate your site’s design and improve your search engine rankings.

FAQ

Which website builder is better than Wix?

Better is subjective, but SITE123 is at least as easy as Wix – if not easier – to learn and use. I found that it took me far less time to set up a website on SITE123 thanks to its intuitive interface and great self-help resources.

Which website builder is cheaper than Wix?

For a cheaper Wix alternative, consider going with Webador. Not only does it have a much lower price tag than Wix, but it has a great free plan you can use for simple websites. You’ll even get unlimited storage and bandwidth – something that Wix doesn’t offer.

What is the best AI website builder?

That depends on your needs. Squarespace and IONOS both offer AI-powered website builders that can quickly generate a good-looking, functional website. That said, Hostinger Website Builder has a suite of AI tools designed to improve both your site’s appearance and SEO performance.

Is Wix bad for SEO?

If you’re new to SEO, Wix’s free SEO Setup Checklist tool will likely be right for you. If you’re more advanced in your SEO knowledge, you’ll probably find yourself outgrowing Wix pretty quickly. If this sounds like you, take a look at our top website builders in 2025 to find a great alternative.