Short answer: Wix runs your site as a service on its own servers and updates it for you, and Wix says the site can’t move to another host. WordPress is free, open source software you can install on the host you choose or use through WordPress.com’s hosting. Choose Wix to have everything in one place; choose WordPress to pick and change your host.
We build websites on WordPress, so keep that in mind as you read. Every point below comes from what Wix and WordPress say in their own documentation.
How each one works
Wix describes its platform as cloud-based software as a service, or SaaS. Your site is built with Wix’s technology, and Wix says it needs to be hosted and run on Wix’s servers to work properly. Hosting is set up when you publish, and Wix updates the software and adds features for you.
WordPress is a free, open source content management system for building and managing websites. Its license, the GPL (version 2 or later), gives you the freedom to run it for any purpose, study and change it, and share copies, changed ones included.
WordPress.com and WordPress.org run the same WordPress software, and the main difference is hosting. WordPress.com, a commercial service owned by Automattic, includes managed hosting. With WordPress.org you download the software for free and install it with a hosting provider you choose, which is called self-hosting. Our web hosting guide explains what a host does.
| Wix | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Included; the site runs on Wix’s servers | A host you choose, or WordPress.com’s managed hosting |
| Updates | Wix updates the software for you | WordPress.com handles them, or you or your team on your own host |
| Moving the site | It can’t run on another host; your content is yours | It can move to another host, and your content is yours |
Our summary of the Wix Help Center, WordPress.org and WordPress.com Support, read November 5, 2026.
Hosting, domain and upkeep
Wix offers free hosting for every Wix site, with 500 MB of storage and 500 MB of bandwidth, and a free address such as username.wixsite.com/stunning. To get your own domain, or connect one you already own, you need a paid plan. Wix adds that you can buy and manage the domain with another provider; our guide on who owns a domain shows how to keep it in your business’s name.
With self-hosted WordPress, WordPress.com says you pay yearly fees to a hosting provider for your hosting and domain, and you are more involved on the technical side. WordPress.org recommends a host that supports recent versions of PHP and of a MySQL or MariaDB database, plus HTTPS.
WordPress.com says that on your own host, customization, maintenance and configuration are more hands-on and need intermediate technical knowledge. Its own plans include managed hosting that takes care of updates, security and backups. Our website maintenance guide covers what that upkeep involves.
If you want to move later
Wix says the content you build on Wix belongs to you. The site itself can’t use another host, because Wix’s SaaS architecture doesn’t support external hosting. If you embed a Wix site somewhere else, Wix can’t support it, and Google Analytics and search engines may not work properly.
WordPress.com says any WordPress site can move to or from WordPress.com, wherever it is hosted. On either version, you own your content and can move it. Our website migration guide covers the steps of a move.
Which one fits your business
Wix fits a business that wants hosting, security and updates in one place and doesn’t plan to change host. Self-hosted WordPress fits one that wants to choose its host, extend or change the site’s code, and has someone to look after it. WordPress.com sits in between: the same software, with managed hosting.
How to choose between Wix and WordPress
- Write down what the site must do, such as show your services, take bookings or publish articles.
- Decide who will look after the site and how much time they have for it.
- If you want hosting and updates handled for you, compare Wix with WordPress.com.
- If you want to pick your own host and be free to change it, look at WordPress.org.
- Check that the plan you choose lets you use your own domain.
- Read what happens to the site if you leave the platform.
- Before you sign up, check what the plan or the host costs when it renews, not only the first payment.
Before you decide
- You know who takes care of backups.
- You know who will keep it up to date.
- Your plan includes your own domain.
- The domain is registered in your name.
- You know whether the site can move to another host.
- You compared the renewal price, not only the first one.
RememberWix keeps hosting and updates in one place, and the site stays on its servers. WordPress lets you choose your host and move the site, and asks more of you or your team in return.
Our web design service builds on WordPress. If Wix fits you better, the points above still help you set it up well. You can reach us on WhatsApp or through the form.
Quick answers about Wix and WordPress
Can I move my Wix site to WordPress?
Not the site itself. Wix says your site has to run on its servers, because its system doesn’t support hosting elsewhere. The content you build belongs to you, so a move means building the site again on WordPress with that content.
Is WordPress free?
The software is. WordPress.com says you can download it for free and then pay a hosting provider yearly fees for your hosting and domain. WordPress.com itself has a free plan and paid plans, and on WordPress.com plugins and custom themes need a paid one.
What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
Both run the same WordPress software, and the main difference is hosting. WordPress.com, owned by Automattic, includes managed hosting. With WordPress.org you download the software and find and manage your own host, which WordPress.com calls self-hosting.
Can I use my own domain on a free Wix site?
No. Wix’s free hosting gives your site an address on wixsite.com, and you need a paid plan to use your own domain or connect one you already have. You can still buy and manage the domain with another provider.
Who owns the content on Wix and on WordPress?
You do on both. Wix says the content you build on Wix belongs to you, and WordPress.com says that with either version you own your content and can move it. The difference is the site itself: Wix says it has to run on Wix’s servers.
Sources
All read on November 5, 2026. Wix Help Center: Exporting or Embedding Your Wix Site Elsewhere. Wix Site Hosting. WordPress.org: About. Requirements. WordPress.com Support: WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: What’s the difference?