Comparison
Bespoke website vs Wix.
Wix does a brilliant job of getting a first website online. But once you add up the monthly plan, the add-on apps, and the SEO ceiling you eventually hit, the "£11 a month" headline looks much less tempting. Especially when a bespoke site, built and designed specifically for you, can cost you £0 to build.
The bit most "bespoke vs Wix" articles skip
Your base bespoke site is free.
If you're a UK small business, retailer or tradesperson, I'll build you a bespoke informational website for £0. You pay for hosting and a domain name, which you'd pay for either way. Extras — custom functionality, booking, e-commerce — charged at a small hourly rate, pay-as-you-go. No monthly plan tax, no feature paywall, no app store.
£0
Base build & design
£25/mo
Managed hosting
£20/yr
Domain name
For a small informational site.
The kind of site most small businesses actually need — services, about, contact, maybe a blog. Here's what Wix and my free offer really cost, with nothing hidden.
| Aspect | Free bespoke offer | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront build | £0 | £0 DIY, or £300-1,000 designer-led |
| Monthly plan | None — no plan, ever | £11-45/mo depending on tier |
| Hosting + domain | ~£25/mo + £20/yr | Included in plan |
| Apps & add-ons | Features built in. No app store. | £10-50/mo typical for SEO, bookings, CRM etc. |
| Design | Hand-designed around your brand | Template-based, bounded by Wix's system |
| 5-year realistic cost | ~£1,600 | ~£1,500-4,500 (plan + apps) |
Not that different on total cost. But at the end of year five on Wix, you've paid rent. At the end of year five with me, you've paid hosting — and you own the site.
For something more complex.
Bookings, custom e-commerce, portals, membership. This is where Wix runs out of runway — and where my hourly rate replaces Wix Velo, a pile of apps, or a second platform entirely.
| Aspect | Bespoke (Laravel) | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Custom logic | Any workflow, any integration | Velo helps, but bounded |
| PageSpeed (mobile) | 95+ routinely, sub-second LCP | Often 40-70; JS-heavy frontend |
| SEO ceiling | None. Full control of URLs, schema, HTML | Improving, still template-bounded |
| Lock-in | None. Code is yours. | High. Can\'t export the site. |
| Ongoing work | Hourly pay-as-you-go | More apps, higher tier |
When each is the right call.
Bespoke wins when…
- — You qualify for the free offer and want a unique-looking site.
- — You've hit Wix's SEO ceiling or performance ceiling.
- — You want to stop paying a monthly software subscription.
- — You need custom logic Wix can't handle cleanly.
- — You want to own the site at the end of it.
Wix wins when…
- — You love Wix's visual editor and want to DIY everything yourself.
- — A simple portfolio or hobby site is all you need.
- — You genuinely don't qualify for a bespoke free offer and budget is tight.
- — You need something live tonight, not in two weeks.
Wix is a decent starting point. If you're not a UK small business and your needs are modest, it's a perfectly reasonable choice — and an honest answer from me is "try Wix first."
Bespoke vs Wix FAQs.
What's the catch with the free website offer?
Genuinely no catch. I offer it because every small business deserves a proper website, and my costs are mostly my time — which I'm happy to give. You pay hosting and domain either way; extras are hourly pay-as-you-go. If you ever want to leave, the code is yours.
Can you migrate my Wix site to a bespoke build?
Yes. Content, images, blog posts, domain — all come across. URL structure usually improves too, with proper redirects so you don't lose SEO rankings.
Will I lose my domain name if I leave Wix?
No. Your domain is yours. I handle the DNS transfer so your email and domain stay live throughout the move.
Why is Wix not as SEO-friendly as a bespoke site?
Wix has improved, but it's still template-bounded — URL structure, schema flexibility, JavaScript-heavy rendering, and HTML you can't fully control. Bespoke gives you control over every SEO signal.
Outgrowing Wix?
Let me audit your current Wix site for free — you\'ll get a PDF telling you exactly where it's holding you back.