Quick Answer: The best Wix alternative for most people is Framekit if you need a fast, professional portfolio or business site without ongoing subscription costs. Squarespace is better if you want polished templates and don't mind paying monthly. Webflow is better if you have technical skills and need complete design control. Shopify is better if e-commerce is your primary focus.
Our ranked list:
Why People Are Searching for Wix Alternatives in 2026
Wix serves over 200 million users, but three issues consistently push people to explore alternatives:
Performance. Wix sites typically score 45-65 on Google PageSpeed tests. Competitors like Framekit and Webflow consistently score 85-95+. For businesses relying on SEO or serving impatient visitors, this gap matters.
Design quality. Wix offers 800+ templates, but quantity doesn't equal quality. Many feel dated or generic. Creative professionals especially find it difficult to stand out.
Long-term cost. Wix charges $17-159/month forever. Over five years, that's $1,020-$9,540. Alternatives like Framekit offer lifetime pricing at $349 per site, while others provide better value at similar subscription rates.
That said, Wix excels at breadth. Its app marketplace (500+ integrations), built-in booking systems, and restaurant/hotel features are genuinely useful. If you depend on these, switching may not make sense.
The right alternative depends on why you're leaving and what you need next.
Comparison Table: Wix Alternatives at a Glance
| Platform | Best For | Ease of Use | Performance | 5-Year Cost | Free Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framekit | Creatives, portfolios | Very Easy | Excellent (90+) | $349 total | Limited |
| Squarespace | Template purists | Easy | Good (65-75) | $720-1,380 | No |
| Webflow | Developers | Hard | Excellent (85+) | $840-2,340 | Yes (limited) |
| Framer | Designers | Medium | Good (70-80) | $600-1,800 | Yes (limited) |
| Shopify | E-commerce | Easy | Good (70-80) | $1,740-4,380 | No |
| WordPress | Bloggers, flexibility | Medium | Varies | $500-1,500+ | Yes |
| Carrd | Simple landing pages | Very Easy | Excellent | $95 | Yes |
| Wix | Broad use cases | Easy | Fair (45-65) | $1,020-2,160 | Yes (branded) |
Detailed Rankings: The 7 Best Wix Alternatives
1. Framekit - Best Overall Wix Alternative for Creatives
Best for: Photographers, designers, videographers, freelancers, coaches, consultants, and small service businesses.
Why it ranks #1: Framekit combines the ease of Wix with significantly better design output and site performance. The AI was trained by senior designers with 10+ years of experience, so you get genuinely professional results without needing design skills. Sites typically launch in 2-4 hours rather than days.
Key advantages over Wix:
- Performance scores in the 90+ range versus Wix's 45-65
- AI trained by senior designers produces agency-quality results
- $349 lifetime pricing per site eliminates ongoing costs
- Responsive design handled automatically (no manual mobile adjustments)
- Add complete template pages and components instantly from the library, all adapting to your color scheme
- Upload images from Pinterest or inspiration sites and the AI helps recreate those designs
Limitations:
- Fewer third-party integrations than Wix's marketplace
- Not designed for complex e-commerce or web applications
- Less granular design control than Webflow
Pricing: $349 one-time per site (lifetime), or $19/month subscription
Migration difficulty from Wix: Easy. Plan 2-4 hours to rebuild. Content must be manually transferred since Wix doesn't allow full exports.
Choose Framekit if: You want a professional portfolio or business site that loads fast, looks excellent, and doesn't drain your budget with monthly fees.
2. Squarespace - Best for Template-Driven Sites
Best for: Users who find a Squarespace template they love and don't need heavy customization.
Why it ranks #2: Squarespace templates are genuinely beautiful, more curated than Wix's overwhelming library. The platform prioritizes visual polish and works well when you stay within the template's intended structure.
Key advantages over Wix:
- Higher quality template designs overall
- Cleaner, more cohesive aesthetic
- Better built-in blogging features
- Stronger brand perception among creative industries
Limitations:
- Templates become rigid when customized heavily
- Performance averages 65-75 PageSpeed (better than Wix, worse than Framekit)
- No lifetime pricing option
- Less flexible than Wix for non-standard use cases
Pricing: $16-52/month depending on plan
Migration difficulty from Wix: Moderate. Similar rebuild process, 4-8 hours typical.
Choose Squarespace if: You found a template that matches your vision exactly and prefer the "Squarespace look" over customization flexibility.
3. Webflow - Best for Developers and Custom Projects
Best for: Developers, technical designers, and agencies building complex custom sites.
Why it ranks #3: Webflow offers complete design freedom through visual CSS controls. You can build virtually anything without writing code directly. The output is clean, performant, and highly customizable.
Key advantages over Wix:
- Total design control over every element
- Excellent performance when built well (85-95+ PageSpeed)
- Professional-grade CMS with relational content
- Clean code output
Limitations:
- Steep learning curve (40-60+ hours to proficiency)
- Responsive design requires manual work across breakpoints
- Higher cost at scale
- Overkill for simple sites
Pricing: $14-39/month for site hosting, plus optional Workspace plans
Migration difficulty from Wix: Hard. Requires rebuilding from scratch with significant time investment.
Choose Webflow if: You have development skills (or want to learn) and need custom functionality that template-based builders can't provide.
4. Framer - Best for Designers Using Figma
Best for: Designers already comfortable with Figma-style interfaces who want to build sites without traditional coding.
Why it ranks #4: Framer bridges the gap between design tools and website builders. If you think in Figma, Framer feels natural. It handles animations and interactions particularly well.
Key advantages over Wix:
- Figma-like interface familiar to designers
- Excellent animation capabilities
- Better design output quality
- Strong prototyping-to-production workflow
Limitations:
- Assumes design tool familiarity (not beginner-friendly)
- Performance can suffer with complex animations
- Limited template selection compared to competitors
- Smaller ecosystem and community
Pricing: $10-25/month
Migration difficulty from Wix: Moderate to Hard. Requires design skills to use effectively.
Choose Framer if: You're a designer who already works in Figma and wants the tightest design-to-website workflow.
5. Shopify - Best for E-commerce Focus
Best for: Businesses where selling products is the primary goal, not a secondary feature.
Why it ranks #5: Shopify is purpose-built for e-commerce. Inventory management, payment processing, shipping, and sales analytics are all first-class features. If you're running a real store, Shopify does it better than any general website builder.
Key advantages over Wix:
- Superior e-commerce features and reliability
- Better payment processing and checkout
- Larger app ecosystem for e-commerce specifically
- More scalable for growing stores
Limitations:
- Expensive if you don't need full e-commerce
- Templates feel more "store-like" even for non-product pages
- Transaction fees on non-Shopify payments
- Less flexible for non-commerce content
Pricing: $29-299/month plus transaction fees
Migration difficulty from Wix: Moderate. Product data can be exported/imported. Design requires rebuilding.
Choose Shopify if: E-commerce is your primary business, not an add-on feature.
6. WordPress - Best for Content-Heavy Sites and Maximum Flexibility
Best for: Bloggers, publishers, and users who need extensive plugin functionality.
Why it ranks #6: WordPress powers 40%+ of all websites. Its plugin ecosystem is unmatched. Nearly any feature you can imagine exists as a plugin.
Key advantages over Wix:
- Unlimited flexibility through plugins
- Own your content (self-hosted option)
- Massive community and resource library
- Lower long-term costs possible
Limitations:
- Requires more technical management
- Security and updates are your responsibility
- Performance varies wildly based on setup
- Steeper learning curve than drag-and-drop builders
Pricing: $0 (self-hosted) to $45/month (WordPress.com), plus hosting costs
Migration difficulty from Wix: Moderate. Many migration plugins exist. Expect 4-10 hours.
Choose WordPress if: You need specific plugin functionality, want to own your hosting, or plan heavy content publishing.
7. Carrd - Best Budget Option for Simple Sites
Best for: Single-page sites, landing pages, and link-in-bio alternatives on a tight budget.
Why it ranks #7: Carrd does one thing well: simple, fast, single-page sites. At $19/year for Pro, it's the cheapest option by far. Perfect for MVPs, personal sites, or basic landing pages.
Key advantages over Wix:
- Dramatically cheaper ($19/year vs $204+/year)
- Faster to set up (under an hour)
- Excellent performance for simple sites
- No unnecessary complexity
Limitations:
- Single page only (Pro Plus allows 3 pages)
- Very limited functionality
- Not suitable for portfolios, blogs, or businesses needing multiple pages
- Minimal customization options
Pricing: Free (limited) or $19-49/year
Migration difficulty from Wix: Very Easy (because scope is so limited).
Choose Carrd if: You need a simple landing page or link-in-bio site and nothing more.
When to Stay with Wix
Switching isn't always the right answer. Stay with Wix if:
- You rely on specific Wix apps that don't exist elsewhere
- Your site uses Wix Bookings, Restaurants, or Hotels features extensively
- You're comfortable with your current costs and performance
- Migration time isn't worth the potential benefits
- You need the breadth of features Wix offers in one place
Wix is genuinely good for certain use cases. The best alternative is sometimes no alternative.
Decision Framework: Find Your Best Wix Alternative
Answer these questions to identify your best option:
What's your primary site type?
- Portfolio or creative showcase → Framekit
- Template-based business site → Squarespace
- Custom design project → Webflow
- Online store → Shopify
- Blog or content site → WordPress
- Simple landing page → Carrd
- Need lots of integrations → Stay with Wix or WordPress
What's your technical comfort level?
- Want it easy → Framekit or Squarespace
- Comfortable learning → Framer or WordPress
- Technical/developer → Webflow
What's your budget preference?
- One-time payment → Framekit ($349 lifetime)
- Low ongoing cost → Carrd ($19/year)
- Standard subscription → Squarespace, Webflow, or Framer
- Investment in commerce → Shopify
How important is site speed?
- Critical for SEO/UX → Framekit or Webflow
- Somewhat important → Squarespace or Framer
- Not a priority → Wix is fine
Migration Tips: Moving from Wix
Before you switch:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free alternative to Wix?
WordPress.com (free tier), Carrd (free tier), and Webflow (free tier with limitations) all offer free options. Framekit offers a free tier with branding. For free e-commerce, Square Online has a free plan. None match Wix's free feature breadth, but they serve specific needs well.
What is the fastest Wix alternative?
Framekit consistently produces the fastest sites among easy-to-use builders, with PageSpeed scores typically in the 90+ range. Webflow can achieve similar performance but requires more technical skill to optimize properly.
What is the cheapest Wix alternative long-term?
Framekit at $349 lifetime per site is cheapest for anyone keeping a site more than 20 months. Carrd at $19/year is cheapest for simple single-page sites. Self-hosted WordPress can be very cheap but requires technical management.
Is Squarespace really better than Wix?
For design quality and aesthetic consistency, yes. For feature breadth and integrations, no. Squarespace templates are more polished, but Wix offers more flexibility and a larger app marketplace. Performance is similar.
Can I transfer my Wix site to another platform?
Not directly. Wix doesn't allow full site exports. You'll need to manually rebuild your site and transfer content (text, images, products) to the new platform. Blog posts can be exported in some cases.
What do agencies use instead of Wix?
Agencies typically use Webflow (for custom client work), Framekit (for portfolio and small business clients), or WordPress (for content-heavy sites). The choice depends on client needs and agency technical capabilities.
Is Webflow better than Wix?
For performance and design control, yes. For ease of use and breadth of features, no. Webflow requires significant learning investment (40-60+ hours) but produces better results. Wix is easier to start with but has limitations that become apparent over time.
Our Recommendation (From the Framekit Team)
We built Framekit, so we're biased. But here's our honest take:
For creative professionals, freelancers, and small businesses building portfolios or marketing sites: Framekit offers the best combination of design quality, performance, and long-term value. The $349 lifetime pricing means you're not paying rent on your own website forever.
For template purists who find exactly what they want in Squarespace's library: Squarespace is a solid choice if you don't need heavy customization.
For developers and technical users who need complete control: Webflow is worth the learning investment.
For serious e-commerce: Shopify is purpose-built for selling and does it better than general website builders.
For simple landing pages: Carrd at $19/year is hard to beat.
The best Wix alternative is the one that matches your specific needs. Test before you commit. Most platforms offer free trials or limited free tiers precisely so you can evaluate fit before paying.
Start Building
Ready to try Framekit? Create a free account and build your first site. Most users finish a professional portfolio in 2-3 hours. You'll know quickly whether it fits your workflow.
Still comparing options? Build the same simple page on 2-3 platforms. Nothing teaches fit better than hands-on experience. Look at the output, check the PageSpeed score, and notice how the process feels.
Need help deciding? Our team talks to people evaluating website builders every day. Reach out if you have questions about whether Framekit is right for your specific situation. We'd rather point you elsewhere than have you struggle with the wrong tool.
