Top 10 Cons & Disadvantages of Wix

by Peter Kanai · March 19, 2025

With over 240 million users worldwide, Wix stands out as one of the most widely used website builders, known for its simplicity and adaptability. Its drag-and-drop interface and AI-powered tools make creating a website straightforward, even for people without technical experience. With more than 900 templates designed for industries ranging from e-commerce to personal blogs, Wix offers solutions that cater to a wide variety of needs. Small businesses, freelancers, and individuals often choose it to build a professional-looking site quickly without hiring a developer. The platform’s affordability and ease of use make it a practical option for anyone looking to establish an online presence.

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However, despite its widespread popularity and ease of use, Wix does have its limitations. While it excels in providing a quick and straightforward way to get a website online, several drawbacks can make it a less ideal choice for certain users or specific types of websites. Understanding these potential disadvantages is crucial for anyone considering Wix as their primary website-building platform.

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10 Disadvantages & Drawbacks of Using Wix

Before you fully commit to building your website on Wix, it’s essential to be aware of its limitations, which can save you time and frustration down the line. These drawbacks can range from design flexibility restrictions to e-commerce functionality limitations. Let’s explore ten significant disadvantages of Wix that you should carefully consider.

Disadvantage #1: Limited Design Flexibility After Initial Setup

Wix offers many high-quality templates, but switching to a different template without losing your content is impossible once you select one and start building. This lack of flexibility can be a significant issue if your branding evolves or you decide you want a completely different look for your website later on. Users are essentially locked into their initial design choice.

Template Lock-In: Once a template is chosen, it cannot be easily changed.
Manual Content Transfer: Switching templates requires manually transferring all content.
Redesign Can Be Time-Consuming: A major redesign often means starting from scratch.

Real-Life Example: A small business owner initially chooses a simple Wix template for their website. As their business grows and their brand identity becomes more defined, they realize their current template no longer reflects their vision, but switching requires a complete site rebuild.

Solution: Carefully browse and preview multiple templates before making your final selection. Consider the long-term vision for your website’s design and choose a template that offers enough flexibility within its structure to accommodate future changes.

Disadvantage #2: Restrictions on E-commerce Functionality in Lower-Tier Plans

While Wix offers e-commerce capabilities, many essential features like accepting online payments, selling subscriptions, and advanced shipping options are often locked behind higher-tier, more expensive plans. This can be limiting for small businesses or startups operating on a tight budget. Basic plans offer very basic store features.

Payment Gateway Limitations: Accepting online payments requires upgrading to a Business or E-commerce plan.
Advanced Features Cost More: Features like dropshipping support and product reviews are not available on the most basic e-commerce plan.
Scalability Concerns: Businesses with growing e-commerce needs may find the lower-tier plans quickly become insufficient.

Real-Life Example: A new online store owner starts with a basic Wix e-commerce plan. They soon discover they need to offer subscriptions and integrate with a specific dropshipping supplier, but these features are only available in much pricier plans, impacting their profitability.

Solution: Thoroughly review the features offered in each Wix e-commerce plan before committing. Consider your current and future e-commerce needs and factor in the cost of necessary upgrades when making your decision.

Disadvantage #3: Limited SEO Capabilities Compared to Other Platforms

While Wix has improved its SEO features over time, it still lags behind platforms like WordPress in terms of customization and control. Certain technical SEO aspects, such as full control over the robots.txt file or the implementation of Hreflang tags for multilingual sites on lower-tier plans, are either limited or unavailable. This can hinder search engine rankings for businesses with specific SEO needs.

Lack of Full Technical Control: Limited access to and control over certain crucial SEO elements.
Hreflang Restrictions: Implementing Hreflang tags for multilingual sites might require higher-tier plans.
Potential Code Bloat: The way Wix generates code can sometimes lead to code bloat, potentially affecting site speed.

Real-Life Example: A business aiming to rank highly in specific international markets finds that Wix’s limitations in implementing Hreflang tags make it difficult to properly target different language versions of their website, impacting their global SEO strategy.

Solution: If SEO is a top priority, carefully research Wix’s current SEO capabilities and compare them with other platforms. Consider if the available features meet your specific SEO strategy and whether upgrading to a higher-tier plan is necessary.

Disadvantage #4: Websites are Not Easily Transferable

Once you build a website on Wix, it’s not easily transferable to another platform. If you decide to migrate your website to a different hosting provider or another website builder in the future, you’ll likely have to rebuild it from scratch. This vendor lock-in can be a significant concern for businesses that anticipate needing more flexibility in the future.

Vendor Lock-In: Websites built on Wix cannot be easily exported and hosted elsewhere.
Rebuilding Required for Migration: Switching platforms generally means a complete website rebuild.
Data Migration Challenges: Exporting data and media from Wix can be a cumbersome process.

Real-Life Example: A growing online business decides that it needs the advanced customization and plugin ecosystem of a platform like WordPress. They discover that their entire Wix website needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, costing significant time and resources.

Solution: Before choosing Wix, consider your long-term plans and the potential need to migrate your website in the future. If platform independence is crucial, explore other website builders or content management systems that offer easier migration options.

Disadvantage #5: Potential for Slow Loading Times with Media-Heavy Sites

While Wix websites are generally fast, sites with many high-resolution images, videos, or complex animations can experience slower loading times. Page load speed is a crucial factor for both user experience and SEO, so this can be a significant drawback for content-heavy websites.

Media Files Can Slow Down Sites: Large or numerous media files can negatively impact loading speed.
Third-Party App Impact: Integrating many third-party apps can also contribute to slower loading times.
Optimization Responsibility: While Wix optimizes to some extent, users need to optimize their own media.

Real-Life Example: A photographer builds their online portfolio on Wix, featuring numerous high-resolution images. They notice that their website loads slowly, leading to frustrated visitors and potentially lower search engine rankings.

Solution: Optimize all images and videos for web use by compressing file sizes without sacrificing too much quality. Limit the number of unnecessary third-party apps and regularly check your website’s loading speed using online tools.

Disadvantage #6: Limited Functionality in the Basic Store Navigation

The basic store navigation offered by Wix can be somewhat simplistic, especially for businesses with a large and diverse inventory. Organizing a wide range of products into intuitive categories and subcategories can be challenging, potentially leading to a less user-friendly shopping experience.

Simple Navigation Structure: The navigation system might lack the depth needed for complex inventories.
Organization Challenges: Categorizing and subcategorizing a large number of products can be difficult.
User Experience Impact: Customers may find it harder to browse and find specific products.

Real-Life Example: An online retailer selling a wide variety of clothing items struggles to organize their inventory effectively using Wix’s basic navigation, making it difficult for customers to find specific types of apparel within their online store.

Solution: Carefully plan your product categorization and utilize the available navigation features to their fullest potential. Consider using clear and concise category names, and if your inventory is extensive, explore if upgrading to a plan with more advanced e-commerce features offers better navigation options.

Disadvantage #7: No External Third-Party Apps or Plugins on Lower-Tier Plans

While Wix has its own app market, the availability of external third-party apps and plugins, similar to those found on platforms like WordPress, is limited, especially on lower-tier plans. This can restrict the functionality and customization options available to users who need specific integrations or features not offered by Wix’s native app ecosystem.

Limited External Integrations: Fewer options for integrating with third-party services or tools.
App Market Dependency: Users are primarily limited to the apps available in the Wix App Market.
Specific Feature Limitations: Certain niche functionalities might not be available through Wix’s app ecosystem.

Real-Life Example: A business wants to integrate a specific customer relationship management (CRM) system with their website, but the necessary integration plugin is not available in the Wix App Market and cannot be added externally to their current plan.

Solution: Before building your website on Wix, research the availability of the apps and integrations you need in the Wix App Market. If specific external tools are essential for your business, consider platforms that offer broader plugin and integration capabilities.

Disadvantage #8: Branding Restrictions on the Free Plan

If you opt for Wix’s free plan, your website will display Wix branding, which can appear unprofessional for businesses looking to establish a strong brand identity. Removing this branding requires upgrading to a paid plan. This can be a significant drawback for businesses aiming for a polished online presence.

Wix Branding on Free Sites: Free websites display Wix logos and branding.
Professionalism Concerns: Visible branding might detract from a business’s professional image.
Upgrade Required for Removal: Removing Wix branding necessitates upgrading to a paid plan.

Real-Life Example: A startup creates a website using Wix’s free plan to test the waters. Potential customers visiting their site see the Wix branding and might perceive the business as less established or professional compared to competitors without such branding.

Solution: If you are serious about your business and want to present a professional image, consider investing in a paid Wix plan to remove the Wix branding. The cost is often worthwhile for the enhanced professionalism it provides.

Disadvantage #9: Limited Monetization Options Beyond E-commerce

While Wix is suitable for e-commerce, its options for other forms of monetization, such as displaying third-party advertisements or integrating advanced membership features on lower-tier plans, can be limited compared to platforms like WordPress. This can be a drawback for content creators or businesses looking for diverse revenue streams.

Ad Integration Limitations: Integrating third-party advertising networks might be restricted.
Advanced Membership Features Cost More: Implementing complex membership levels or features often requires higher-tier plans.
Content Monetization Challenges: Options for directly monetizing content beyond selling products might be limited.

Real-Life Example: A blogger wants to display advertisements on their Wix website to generate income. They find that the options for integrating ad networks are limited on their current plan, restricting their ability to monetize their content effectively.

Solution: If you plan to monetize your website through methods other than direct product sales, carefully review Wix’s monetization features and compare them with other platforms that offer more extensive options for ad integration, membership management, and content monetization.

Disadvantage #10: Basic Analytics on Lower-Tier Plans

While Wix offers built-in analytics, accessing more comprehensive data and integrating directly with tools like Google Analytics often requires upgrading to a higher-tier plan. This limitation can make it harder for businesses on a budget to gain deep insights into their website traffic and user behavior.

Limited Insights on Basic Plans: Lower-tier plans offer basic website analytics.
Advanced Analytics Require Upgrades: Deeper data analysis and Google Analytics integration often require higher-tier plans.
Data-Driven Decision Challenges: Limited analytics can hinder informed decision-making for website improvement.

Real-Life Example: A small business owner wants to understand their website traffic in detail using Google Analytics to optimize their marketing efforts. They discover that integrating Google Analytics fully with their Wix site requires upgrading to a more expensive plan.

Solution: Evaluate your need for detailed website analytics. If comprehensive data is crucial for your business strategy, factor in the cost of upgrading to a Wix plan that offers the necessary analytics features or consider using alternative methods to track website performance if available.

How Could These Disadvantages Be Overcome Globally?

While these disadvantages exist, Wix can take several steps to mitigate them and improve the overall user experience. Addressing these areas could make the platform more appealing to a wider range of users and businesses globally. Here are some potential solutions:

Enhance Template Flexibility: Allow users to switch templates more easily without losing their content, perhaps through a content migration tool or by offering more structural customization options within templates.
Expand E-commerce Features in Lower Tiers: Include more essential e-commerce functionalities in the basic e-commerce plans to better support small businesses and startups.
Improve SEO Control: Provide users with more control over technical SEO aspects, such as the easier implementation of hreflang tags and more customization options for robots.txt files, even on lower-tier plans.
Facilitate Easier Data Export: Develop a robust system for exporting website content and data in a format that can be easily imported into other platforms, reducing vendor lock-in.
Optimize for Media-Heavy Sites: Implement more advanced optimization techniques to handle media-rich websites efficiently and provide users with better tools and guidance for media optimization.

What is Wix?

Wix is a cloud-based website builder that allows users to create HTML5 websites and mobile sites through the use of online drag-and-drop tools. It serves the purpose of providing an accessible and user-friendly platform for individuals and businesses to establish an online presence without requiring any coding knowledge. Founded in 2006 in Israel by Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami, and Giora Kaplan, Wix has grown to become a popular choice for millions of users worldwide. The platform operates on a freemium business model, offering both free and premium subscription plans.

Here are some key aspects of Wix:

It offers a wide variety of customizable templates for different industries and purposes.
Its drag-and-drop interface makes website building intuitive and straightforward.
It has an app market where users can find and install various add-ons to enhance their website’s functionality.
Wix handles the hosting and maintenance of the websites built on its platform.
It provides tools for SEO, marketing, and e-commerce.

Real-Life Example: A local restaurant owner with no prior web design experience uses Wix to quickly create an attractive website to showcase their menu, hours, and location, enabling them to reach more customers online.

Videos About Wix

For beginners looking to learn more about using Wix, numerous tutorial videos are available online. From comprehensive guides that walk you through the entire process of creating a website from scratch to videos focusing on particular aspects of Wix, like using the editor, adding specific elements, or setting up an online store, and videos that offer advice on how to optimize your Wix website for better performance and user experience. By watching these tutorials, new users can quickly get up to speed with the Wix platform and learn how to build and manage their own websites effectively.

Conclusion

Wix is a powerful and user-friendly platform that has revolutionized how people create websites. Its intuitive interface and vast template library make it an excellent choice for individuals and small businesses looking for a quick and easy way to establish an online presence without any coding skills. However, like any platform, Wix’s lack of design flexibility after the initial setup, restrictions on e-commerce and SEO functionalities in lower-tier plans, and the inability to easily transfer websites to other platforms are significant drawbacks to consider.

While Wix offers a convenient solution for many, understanding these disadvantages is crucial for making an informed decision. Depending on the scale and long-term goals of your website, you might find that other platforms offer more flexibility, control, or advanced features. Carefully evaluate your specific needs and compare them against the pros and cons of Wix before committing to it as your primary website builder. Weighing these factors will help you choose the best tool to bring your online vision to life and support your growth in the long run.