Web Design
How to Register a .com.au Domain
How to get a .com.au domain: eligibility, choosing a name, registering it, WHOIS privacy and the .au direct option if you have no ABN.
Wix vs WordPress is a trade-off between ease and control. Wix is a hosted website builder: you pay a plan, drag and drop your pages, and Wix looks after hosting, security and updates. WordPress (the free, self-hosted software from WordPress.org) gives you full control, any plugin and the freedom to move hosts, but someone has to set it up and maintain it. Wix suits simple sites you run yourself; WordPress suits sites that need to grow.
What is the difference between Wix and WordPress?
Wix is one company’s all-in-one platform. WordPress is open-source software that powers websites on hosting you choose. That one difference drives most of the others:
| Wix | WordPress (self-hosted) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A hosted website builder | Free, open-source software you install on your own hosting |
| Cost | A free plan, then paid plans: Light, Core, Business and Business Elite | Free software; you pay for hosting, a domain and any premium themes or plugins |
| Ease of use | Drag and drop, built for beginners | A dashboard and block editor; set-up takes more work |
| Hosting and updates | Included and handled by Wix | Your job, your developer’s or a care plan’s |
| Add-ons | Apps from the Wix App Market | Tens of thousands of plugins and themes |
| Blogging | A built-in blog | WordPress started as blogging software, and it’s still its strength |
| Ownership | Your site lives on Wix and works within Wix’s plans and terms | Your files and database sit on hosting you control |
| Best for | Simple sites the owner builds and edits | Business sites that need to grow, rank and integrate |
Wix plan names are as shown on Wix’s plans page in November 2026. WordPress software is free to download from WordPress.org.
Is Wix better than WordPress?
For some people, yes. Should you use WordPress or Wix? It depends on who will build and run the site.
Choose Wix if you want to build the site yourself this weekend, you don’t want to think about hosting, updates or backups, and the site is fairly simple: a few pages, a contact form, maybe a small shop or bookings.
Choose WordPress if the site is a key part of how you win customers, you want lots of content (services, locations, articles), you need particular features or integrations, or you want to own the site and be free to change developers or hosts.
Is Wix easier than WordPress?
To start with, yes. Wix’s drag-and-drop editor lets you see the page as you build it, and there’s nothing to install. WordPress has more to learn at the beginning: hosting, a theme, plugins and settings. Once a WordPress site is set up, though, everyday editing (changing text, adding a page or a blog post) is straightforward, and many owners have a developer build the site and then manage the content themselves.
Wix vs WordPress cost
The two charge in different ways, so compare the cost over a few years, not just the first month.
- Wix: a free plan with Wix branding and a Wix address, then paid plans billed monthly or yearly. Plans include hosting, and most yearly paid plans include a free domain for the first year. Business features such as payments sit on the higher plans. Prices show in your local currency on Wix’s plans page.
- WordPress: the software is free, but you pay for hosting, your domain, any premium theme or plugins, and the time to build and maintain the site. With us, hosting starts from $400 + GST a year, and website care plans start from $275 + GST a month (minimum 6 months).
Is WordPress cheaper than Wix?
The software is, but the total may not be. If you build it yourself on low-cost hosting, WordPress can cost less to run than a Wix business plan. If you pay a developer to build it and a care plan to maintain it, it usually costs more, and you’re paying for a site that does more and that you own.
Wix vs WordPress for SEO and blogging
Both can rank. Wix covers the basics well: editable titles and descriptions, clean web addresses, sitemaps and mobile-friendly pages. WordPress gives you more control, with SEO plugins, full access to page code, and an editor built for publishing lots of content. For a business that plans to blog regularly or build many service and location pages, WordPress is usually the stronger choice. Our WordPress SEO service covers the search side.
Does Wix use WordPress?
No. Wix is its own platform, built and run by Wix.com Ltd. WordPress is separate, open-source software. They don’t share code, themes or plugins.
What about Wix Studio vs WordPress?
Wix Studio is Wix’s platform for agencies and freelancers who build sites for clients, with more design control than the standard editor. It’s still hosted by Wix, so the core trade-off stays the same: convenience on Wix, ownership and flexibility on WordPress.
Can you transfer a Wix website to WordPress?
Not automatically. Wix sites can’t be exported as a package that WordPress can open, so moving means rebuilding:
- Set up hosting and install WordPress.
- Choose a theme and rebuild each page’s layout.
- Copy your text and images across. Blog posts can often be brought over using your Wix blog’s RSS feed and a WordPress RSS importer.
- Point your domain at the new hosting.
- Set up permanent (301) redirects from old Wix page addresses to the new ones, so you keep your search rankings.
That’s how to transfer a website from Wix to WordPress for most small sites. For bigger sites, our website migration service can plan and handle the move.
How we work with Wix and WordPress
We work with both. Our website packages include a WordPress user manual on the Standard package, so you can make everyday changes yourself, and they start at $5,000 + GST for up to 5 pages. If you’re already on Wix and happy there, our Wix website design service can tidy up your structure, SEO basics and design rather than rebuilding. We’ll tell you which platform suits your business before we quote. See our web design packages for what’s included.
Frequently asked questions
Why do businesses choose WordPress over Wix?
Mostly for control and room to grow: any theme or plugin, full SEO settings, integrations with CRMs and booking systems, and the freedom to move hosts or developers. The trade-off is that someone has to maintain it.
Can I use my own domain with Wix or WordPress?
Yes. Wix lets you connect your own domain on paid plans, and a self-hosted WordPress site runs on your own domain. Our guide to registering a .com.au domain explains the Australian rules.
Is WordPress.com the same as WordPress?
Not quite. WordPress.com is a hosted service built on the WordPress software, closer to Wix in how it works. This article compares Wix with self-hosted WordPress from WordPress.org. Our guide to WordPress.org vs WordPress.com explains the difference.
What about Squarespace?
Squarespace is another hosted builder, similar to Wix in how it works. See our comparison of Wix vs Squarespace.
The short version
In Wix vs WordPress, Wix is easier to start and includes hosting and updates, while WordPress gives you full control, more plugins and stronger content tools in exchange for upkeep. Pick Wix for a simple site you’ll run yourself, and WordPress for a business site you want to own and grow.
If you’d like help choosing a platform, book a free 30-minute discovery call.
