Wix vs WordPress: Which Should You Use?

Choose Wix if you want one company to run your site end to end and never touch code. Choose self-hosted WordPress.org if you want to own the software, the database, and every plugin, and are willing to manage updates and hosting yourself. Choose WordPress.com if you want WordPress's editor and plugin ecosystem without running your own server — but check which plan you'd need, because that changes what you actually get. "Wix vs WordPress" is really a three-way choice, because WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress.org are different products with different rules. This guide treats them separately wherever they diverge.

What's actually different between the three?

Can I export my content if I leave?

Wix: no full export, ever, on any plan. Wix's help center states plainly that a Wix site "must run on Wix's servers," and there's no HTML/CSS export button (Wix). What you can take with you: a CMS collection's content as a CSV file (Wix), plus your own copies of your media files. If your blog runs on the Wix Blog app rather than a CMS collection, Wix's help center says directly: "it is not possible to export blog posts to other platforms" (Wix). Our full export capability matrix covers Wix alongside the other major builders, and our Wix-to-WordPress guide covers the real, documented workaround for blog posts (an RSS feed capped at 20 posts, per Wix's own stated limit).

WordPress (either version): a real content export exists, but it isn't the whole site. Self-hosted WordPress's built-in Tools → Export screen produces a WXR/XML file with posts, pages, comments, categories and tags — the same format WordPress.com uses (WordPress.org). WordPress.com's own export guide adds that the file "will not include your theme design, customizations, or plugins," and that media is referenced, not bundled (WordPress.com). Self-hosted WordPress adds one thing WordPress.com plans do not offer: direct file and database access, so you (or your host) hold a full backup independent of any export screen.

What does each one's AI actually do?

Wix ships AI inside the editor, and which tools you get depends on which Wix editor your site uses. Wix's AI tools overview lists AI for generating a site, text, site sections, images, a logo, product descriptions, marketing emails and CMS collections (Wix). In the newer Wix Harmony Editor, an assistant called Aria works inside the editor and can add sections, change colors, revise text and change site structure on request, though Wix warns directly: "Aria is powered by AI and as such may produce unexpected or inaccurate results. Always review Aria's suggestions or changes before finalizing your site" (Wix). Wix also publishes a developer MCP server that lets an agent such as Claude "perform real actions on a site, like applying a discount to all store products, adding a bookings staff member, or sending an email to a contact," authenticated through your own Wix account and permissions (Wix, checked September 2026).

WordPress.com ships a comparable built-in agent, currently called the WordPress Agent, available on the Personal, Premium, Business and Commerce plans (WordPress.com). Inside the editor it can rewrite text, generate page-title options, and — in Appearance → Editor — restyle a site on request ("Change my site colors to be more bright and bold," in WordPress.com's own example). It can also generate and edit images in the Media Library, and you can reach it by email, Telegram or Slack in addition to the editor itself (same source). Separately, WordPress.com runs its own MCP server: connect an external client such as Claude or ChatGPT, and it exposes tools that read (such as your site stats) and act (such as publishing a post). WordPress.com states that "MCP respects the user role permissions on your site" (WordPress.com). MCP access is included on every WordPress.com paid plan; on a free site it works for the first 30 days after the site is created (same source).

Self-hosted WordPress has no first-party AI editor built into WordPress core itself. What you get instead is whatever AI plugin or externally-connected tool you choose to install, plus the same open MCP option: WordPress.com's support documentation notes MCP is "also available on self-hosted WordPress sites connected through Jetpack with a Jetpack AI or Jetpack Complete plan" (WordPress.com). Neither Wix nor WordPress is "AI-free" — the real differences are which plan unlocks the AI feature, and whether it edits inside the vendor's own editor or through an external agent.

What does each cost, and what do I get for it?

Plan prices change often and, on Wix, depend on where you are: Wix's own pricing page says "Prices and currency vary by location. USD prices displayed for reference only" (Wix). Check Wix's plans page and WordPress.com's pricing page for the current numbers. What matters more for the comparison is what each plan unlocks.

Wix: a custom domain comes with the paid plans ("All plans include: Custom domain" on Wix's plans page). The code and hosting stay on Wix at every tier.

WordPress.com: plugin installation, once a Business-plan feature, is now on every paid plan: "Installing plugins is available on all WordPress.com paid plans: Personal, Premium, Business, and Commerce plans" (WordPress.com, checked September 2026). SSH and SFTP file access is still limited to the Business and Commerce plans (WordPress.com).

Self-hosted WordPress has no platform subscription — you pay a hosting company instead, and prices vary by host. The software itself is free, and WordPress.org's own requirements page lists what any host needs to run it: "PHP version 8.3 or greater," "MariaDB version 10.11 or greater OR MySQL version 8.0 or greater," and HTTPS support (WordPress.org). Every plugin in the WordPress.org directory is free to install; some plugin authors charge for premium versions, but that's a plugin-by-plugin decision, not a platform fee.

Who maintains the site day to day?

Wix and WordPress.com both run the server, apply security patches, and handle uptime for you — that's the trade you're making for giving up code-level access. Self-hosted WordPress puts that job on you or your host: you (or a managed-WordPress host you pay for) apply WordPress core updates, keep plugins current, and are responsible for backups unless your host handles them. Choosing a host that meets WordPress's requirements is also your job.

What happens to my URLs if I switch?

None of these platforms carries your old URLs to a new one automatically. If you're moving from Wix to WordPress, our dedicated guide covers WordPress.com's built-in Wix importer (which pulls pages, images, menus and your site title straight from your live Wix URL) and what it can't touch — Wix's /post/-prefixed blog URLs, Stores, Bookings, and native Forms all need a separate plan. Any URL that changes needs an explicit 301 redirect on the new host; our redirects guide covers building that map.

Where does Figment fit in?

Neither of these — Figment isn't a CMS, a blogging platform, or a store. Figment publishes a Figma file as a live website through its Figma plugin, for people whose main need is design control over a marketing site or portfolio rather than a blog, a plugin ecosystem, or ecommerce. If you need Wix's or WordPress's content tools, a CMS, or a store, this comparison is the one that matters; Figment isn't a substitute for either.

Which should I actually pick?

• Pick Wix if you want one bill, one dashboard, and zero server maintenance, and you're comfortable knowing your content (not your design) is what you could take with you later.
• Pick WordPress.com if you want WordPress's editor and (on paid plans) its plugin ecosystem, without hosting anything yourself, and the Business or Commerce plan's SSH access matters to you as a future off-ramp.
• Pick self-hosted WordPress.org if you want full ownership of the code and database now, are willing to manage hosting and updates (yourself or through a managed host), and want the largest plugin selection with no platform-imposed plan gate.

Bottom line: Wix trades code ownership for a fully managed, all-in-one product with no true site export. WordPress.com sits in between — real content export, an expanding plugin allowance, but still not your own server. Self-hosted WordPress.org is the only one of the three where you hold the files and the database from day one. None of the three's AI tools require you to hand over your login to a third party; check the plan and the permission model before you connect one.