WordPress, Wix or a Custom Website: Which Is Right for You?

Updated: 12 October, 2026

WordPress vs Wix is one of the first questions a business owner asks when planning a website, and a custom-built site is often the third option on the table. There's no single right answer. Each one trades cost, control and effort differently, and the best choice depends on what your site has to do, who will look after it and how long you plan to keep it. This guide compares the three in plain terms, with the points that matter most for small businesses in Gibraltar and on the Costa del Sol.

The short answer

• Wix suits a simple site you want to build and look after yourself, quickly, and you're happy to stay on Wix for good.

• WordPress suits a site that will grow, with a blog, many pages or a shop, and where you want to own the site and choose your host.

• A custom website suits a business that needs speed, a particular feature or a design that sets it apart, and wants a developer to look after the technical side.

Wix: quick to start, harder to leave

Wix is a website builder. You pick a template, drag elements into place and pay a monthly subscription that includes hosting. Nothing needs installing and there are no software updates to worry about.

The catch is that you're renting rather than owning. A Wix site can't be moved to another host as it is: if you leave, you rebuild. You're also limited to what the builder allows, which is fine for a few pages but can become frustrating as a business grows.

Choose Wix if you want a small site live this month, you're comfortable designing it yourself and you don't expect to need much beyond pages, a contact form and perhaps a simple booking tool.

WordPress: flexible, but it needs looking after

WordPress is free software that runs a large share of the world's websites. You install it on hosting of your choice, pick a theme and add features with plugins: bookings, shops, forms, languages and almost anything else.

That flexibility comes with responsibility. WordPress, its theme and every plugin need regular updates, and an out-of-date plugin is one of the most common ways small sites get hacked. Too many plugins also slow a site down. A well-run WordPress site is excellent; a neglected one becomes slow and risky.

Choose WordPress if you'll publish regularly, need features like a shop or bookings, and either have someone to keep it updated or pay for a care plan.

A custom website: built around your business

A custom site is designed and coded for your business alone. There's no template to fight and no plugins you don't need, so it can be very fast and look exactly as you want. Content can still be edited by you, through a content management system set up for your pages.

It costs more upfront, and you'll rely on a developer for new features. In return, you get a site that does precisely what you need, loads quickly on a phone and has fewer moving parts to go wrong.

Choose custom if speed and design matter to how you win customers, you need features off-the-shelf tools handle badly, or you've already outgrown a builder.

How they compare

Running costs

Wix charges a subscription that covers hosting. WordPress itself is free, but you pay for hosting, often for premium themes or plugins, and for someone's time to update it. A custom site has a higher build cost and then a monthly hosting and care fee. With us, hosting and care is €29 or €35 a month (or £25 to £30 in Gibraltar), including updates, backups and email.

Who owns the site

With WordPress or a custom build, the site and its content are yours to move. With Wix, your content is yours, but the site itself only runs on Wix.

Speed and Google

All three can rank on Google, but speed matters, especially on phones. Builders and plugin-heavy WordPress sites carry extra code; a lean custom site or a carefully built WordPress site usually loads fastest.

Two languages

Many businesses here need Spanish and English. Each platform can do it, but it's easiest when each language has its own pages and addresses, so Google shows the right version to the right person. Plan this from the start rather than adding it later.

Legal pages in Spain and Gibraltar

Whichever you choose, you'll need a privacy policy and a cookie banner that lets visitors refuse non-essential cookies, and in Spain an aviso legal with your business details. Builders and plugins offer templates, but your lawyer or gestor should check the wording.

Questions to ask before you decide

1. Who will update the site, and how often?

2. Will you need bookings, a shop or more than one language?

3. How important is speed on mobile to your customers?

4. Do you want to be able to change host or developer later?

5. What's your budget for the first year, and for each year after?

If the answers point to "small, simple, do it myself", start with a builder. If they point to growth, features or speed, WordPress or a custom build will serve you better.

How we can help

We build on whichever platform fits the job, so our advice isn't tied to one tool. Our website packages start at £1,500 in Gibraltar and €1,750 in Spain, and every site comes with hosting, updates and backups. You can read more in how much a website costs in Gibraltar and how much a website costs in Spain, or request a quote for your project.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wix good for a small business?

It can be, for a simple site you want to build yourself. It's less suitable if you expect to grow into many pages, complex features or a move to another platform later.

Is WordPress better than Wix for SEO?

Neither guarantees rankings. Both can be set up well for Google; WordPress gives you more control over speed and structure, which helps on larger sites.

Can I move my Wix site to WordPress later?

Not as it is. The content can be copied across, but the site has to be rebuilt on the new platform, and the old addresses should be redirected to keep your Google traffic.

Is a custom website more expensive?

It usually costs more to build. Running costs can be similar once hosting and maintenance are included, and a lean site has less that needs fixing.

Can I edit a custom website myself?

Yes, if it's built with a content management system. You log in and change text, photos and prices without touching code.