Wix Pricing, Actually Explained
The advertised price, the fine print, and the hours nobody counts.
Wix advertises $17/mo and most businesses land between $29 and $46 once commerce and apps enter, plus roughly 4 percent platform transaction fees below Elite, plus paid apps, plus your 20 to 60 hours of build labor. The subscription is the visible fraction of the cost.
Wix plans in 2026
Prices move; these are the published numbers as of July 2026, worth re-checking on Wix's own pricing page before you buy.
| Plan | Advertised price | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Light | $17/mo annual | $24 month to month; core features only |
| Core | $29/mo annual | $36 monthly; where commerce actually starts |
| Business | $39/mo annual | $46 monthly; commerce fees still apply |
| Business Elite | $159/mo annual | $172 monthly; the fee-free commerce tier |
The fine print that changes the math: As of July 2026 Wix runs $17 (Light) to $159/mo (Business Elite) on annual terms, higher monthly, with commerce carrying roughly 4 percent platform transaction fees before processing, and billing complaints (surprise renewals, mid-cycle hikes) leading its review pages.
The cost nobody puts on the pricing page: your hours
Wix is priced like software, but it consumes your time like a job. Budget the hours honestly: learning the editor, fighting layouts, writing every word of copy, sourcing images, making it work on mobile. For most owners that is 20 to 60 hours for a first site. At even $50 an hour of your time, the "cheap" plan costs $1,000 to $3,000 in labor you paid yourself, before the subscription.
That is the actual comparison with PISCES: Starter at $99/mo or Pro at $399/mo is more than Wix's entry plans on the sticker, but the AI does the design, the copywriting and the structure in about 90 seconds, and you edit by typing instructions. You are not buying software; you are replacing the labor.
Side by side
| Feature | PISCES | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free preview; paid from $99/mo | Free plan; Light $17/mo to Business Elite $159/mo annual |
| Who does the work | The AI builds the whole site; you approve and edit in plain English | You build in the editor; Harmony AI assists |
| Time to a finished site | About 90 seconds to a full preview | Days to weeks of your work |
| Blog / CMS | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| E-commerce | Yes, Stripe checkout (Pro) | Yes, with ~4% platform fees on lower plans |
| Booking / scheduling | Yes, built in | Yes, Wix Bookings |
| AI edits in plain English | Yes, core feature | Harmony editor (Jan 2026) with Aria agent |
| Own your code (export) | Yes, full Next.js project zip on Pro | None, total lock-in |
| Best for | Business owners who want the site done for them, with code they own | Hands-on owners who enjoy building |
See your site rebuilt by AI, free
Paste your current website's URL and PISCES rebuilds it, 10x better, in about 90 seconds. Keep it only if you love it.
Get my free rebuild →Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to use Wix?
The free plan with ads on a wixsite.com subdomain, or Light at $17/mo annual for a real domain. Neither includes commerce, and both still cost you the build hours.
What does Wix really cost per year?
A typical small business on Core or Business with a couple of paid apps lands between $450 and $700 per year before labor, with commerce sites paying platform transaction fees on every sale below the Elite tier.
Is PISCES really free to try?
Yes. The free preview rebuilds your site (or builds one from scratch) with no credit card. You only pay if you keep it: Starter is $99/mo for a 5 page site with a custom domain, Pro is $399/mo with blog, CMS, lead forms with Stripe checkout and full code export.
Am I locked into PISCES the way I would be with a site builder?
No. On Pro and up you can download your entire site as a Next.js project zip and host it anywhere. Most website builders, including Wix, never let you take working code with you. PISCES treats your site as code you own.