Is Wix Really Free?

Wix does have a genuinely free plan. You can sign up, build a website, and publish it without paying anything. But the honest answer to "is Wix really free?" is: yes, with significant strings attached. The free plan comes with Wix-branded ads on every page, a Wix subdomain instead of your own domain, and storage limits tight enough to constrain most real websites within months.

This guide covers what you actually get on the free plan, what costs you should expect when you need to grow, and the hidden expenses many users don't see coming until they're already invested in the platform.

Features of Wix Free Plan

Wix's free plan offers a range of features that allow users to create a basic website without needing to know how to code. Here are some of the key features of the Wix free plan:

Drag-and-drop Website Builder

Wix's drag-and-drop website builder is one of the most popular features of the free plan. It allows users to create a website without needing to know how to code.

Hundreds of Templates and Design Features

Wix offers hundreds of templates and design features that can be customized to suit the user's needs. These templates cover a range of industries and styles, from minimalist portfolios to vibrant e-commerce stores.

Ability to Add Pages, Images, and Videos

Users can add pages, images, and videos to their website with ease. Wix's editor allows users to add new pages, and to customize the layout and design of each page.

Free SSL Certificate

Every Wix site, including those on the free plan, gets a free SSL certificate. This encrypts the connection between your visitors and your site, displays the padlock icon in the browser, and ensures your site loads over HTTPS. Wix provisions and renews SSL certificates automatically, so there is no setup required. For more on how this works and how to verify your SSL is active, see our guide on how SSL works on Wix.

Limited Storage and Bandwidth

While the free plan offers a range of features, it does come with some limitations. Users are limited to 500MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth, which may not be enough for larger websites or those with a lot of traffic.

Limitations of the Wix Free Plan

While the free plan offers a range of features, there are some limitations that users should be aware of. Here are some of the key limitations of the Wix free plan:

Wix Ads Displayed on the Website

One of the main limitations of the free plan is the presence of Wix ads on the website. These ads can be intrusive and may detract from the user experience.

No Custom Domain Name

Users are not able to use a custom domain name with the free plan, which means their website will have a Wix-branded URL (e.g. yourusername.wixsite.com/yoursite). This can make it harder for users to establish themselves online and may make it harder for people to find their website. To use a custom domain, you'll need a premium plan -- learn more about how much a Wix domain costs.

Limited Access to Advanced Features

While users can add basic e-commerce functionality with the Wix Stores app, they will not be able to access more advanced features such as abandoned cart recovery or customizable shipping options. Additionally, users are limited to the apps and features available in the free plan, and may not be able to access more advanced features without upgrading to a premium plan.

Free SSL Certificate

Every Wix site, including those on the free plan, gets a free SSL certificate. This encrypts the connection between your visitors and your site, displays the padlock icon in the browser, and ensures your site loads over HTTPS. Wix provisions and renews SSL certificates automatically, so there is no setup required. For more on how this works and how to verify your SSL is active, see our guide on how SSL works on Wix.

Limited Storage and Bandwidth

Users are limited to 500MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth with the free plan, which may not be enough for larger websites or those with a lot of traffic. This means that users may need to upgrade to a premium plan if they want to create a larger website or if they expect a lot of traffic.

Is Wix Free Forever?

Yes -- Wix's free plan does not expire. You can keep a free site online indefinitely without ever paying. However, "free forever" comes with permanent trade-offs that become more limiting as your site grows:

• The Wix ad banner stays permanently. A branded banner appears at the top of every page on your free site for every visitor. This is not removable without upgrading to any paid plan.
• Your URL stays branded. Your site address will always be username.wixsite.com/yoursite on the free plan. There is no way to use a real domain without paying.
• Storage fills up faster than expected. At 500MB, a site with a dozen high-quality photos will be approaching the limit. Check your Wix storage space regularly to stay ahead of upload failures. Adding video or a product gallery pushes you over it quickly.
• You cannot sell anything. eCommerce features -- taking card payments, managing orders, setting up shipping -- require at least the Core plan.

The free plan is best treated as an extended trial. It is a genuine, functioning website -- but one that signals to visitors that you have not invested in your own presence.

Hidden Costs to Know Before Signing Up

When people ask "is Wix really free?", they are often worried about costs that appear after they are already committed. Here are the ones worth knowing upfront:

• Domain registration: Wix includes a free custom domain for the first year on annual paid plans. After that, renewal typically runs $10 to $25 per year depending on the domain extension. If you connect a domain you already own from another registrar, there is no extra charge from Wix -- but your registrar will charge their standard renewal fee.
• App subscriptions: The Wix App Market has hundreds of apps, many with their own monthly fees. A booking system might cost $20/month, a chat app another $10/month, a loyalty program $0 but email automation $15/month. These costs stack on top of your Wix plan and are easy to underestimate when building your site.
• Transaction fees: Wix Payments and other payment processors charge per-transaction fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per sale in the US). Wix does not charge an additional platform fee on top of this, but you should account for payment processing costs when pricing your products.
• Professional email: Wix offers business email through Google Workspace. This is not included in any Wix plan -- it is an add-on starting at around $6 per mailbox per month. If you want a [email protected] address, budget for this separately.
• Premium apps for standard features: Some features that feel like they should be built in -- advanced SEO tools, email marketing above a small send limit, form submission notifications -- require app upgrades or separate subscriptions.

Wix Premium Plans

Wix generates revenue -- and understanding how Wix makes money explains why the free plan has limits -- by offering a range of premium plans that provide users with more features and resources than the free plan.

Wix Plans (2026)

Wix now offers a simplified plan structure. All plans include a free domain for the first year (on annual billing), removal of Wix ads, and unlimited bandwidth. Here is a current overview:

For a full breakdown of what each plan includes and which is right for your needs, see our guide on how much Wix costs.

When Does the Wix Free Plan Actually Make Sense?

Despite its limitations, there are real use cases where the Wix free plan is the right choice -- not just a stepping stone to a paid plan.

• Testing whether Wix fits your workflow. If you are evaluating website builders before committing to one, the free plan lets you try the full editor, explore templates, and build a complete site without entering payment details. There is no time limit on the free plan, so you can take as long as you need.
• Hobby or passion projects with no commercial intent. A recipe blog, a family reunion site, or a personal hobby page that you only share with people you know -- these are cases where the Wix subdomain and ad banner are not a real problem. Your audience is not going to judge your credibility based on a Wix URL.
• Learning to build websites. Students, career changers, and anyone learning web design for the first time can use the free plan indefinitely to practice, experiment, and build a portfolio of practice projects.
• Temporary landing pages. If you need a single-page site for a short-term event (a fundraiser, a community meetup, a product launch you're testing) and you don't plan to run it long-term, the free plan can handle it without any upfront cost.

The free plan is not the right choice when your website represents a business, professional portfolio, or any project where first impressions matter. In those cases, the Wix ad banner and branded subdomain actively undermine your credibility.

Is Wix Worth It? Our Honest Take

While Wix does offer a free plan with limited features and Wix-branded ads, it's worth reviewing the full Wix pros and cons before committing. Wix is genuinely free to start -- but running a real website on the free plan long-term means accepting Wix ads, a branded subdomain, and tight storage limits that most growing sites will outgrow. The upgrade costs are straightforward and competitive with other website builders, but the app subscription costs are where many users find the total monthly spend adds up faster than expected.

So, is Wix really free? The answer is yes, but also no. While users can create and publish a website without paying anything, they will have to put up with Wix-branded ads and limited features. In such cases, upgrading to a premium plan is necessary to access the features and resources required to succeed online. If you do upgrade and later decide it is not the right fit, you can cancel your Wix subscription at any time without losing your site content. If you run into issues at any stage, our guide on contacting Wix customer service covers every support channel available to free and paid users.