Guide 2026
Is Wix Really Free? The True Annual Cost of Wix and Squarespace in the UK (2026)
No, Wix isn't really free. The free plan shows Wix adverts, gives you a clunky wixsite.com/yoursite address and can't take card payments. To run a proper UK business site in 2026 you'll pay roughly £400–£550 in year one and £1,200–£1,900 over three years once you add a plan, domain, business email, apps and transaction fees. Squarespace works out much the same.
- Wix's free plan is unusable for business: it carries Wix ads, uses a wixsite.com/yoursite address, and can't take card payments.
- A realistic Wix business setup costs about £400–£550 in year one, then roughly £400+ every year after that.
- Squarespace sits in the same ballpark: about £320–£400 in year one, plus a 3% transaction fee on its cheaper Business plan.
- Over three years, DIY builders typically total £1,000–£1,900+ once email, apps and card fees are counted — before your own time.
- —Wix's free plan is unusable for business: it carries Wix ads, uses a wixsite.com/yoursite address, and can't take card payments.
- —A realistic Wix business setup costs about £400–£550 in year one, then roughly £400+ every year after that.
- —Squarespace sits in the same ballpark: about £320–£400 in year one, plus a 3% transaction fee on its cheaper Business plan.
- —Over three years, DIY builders typically total £1,000–£1,900+ once email, apps and card fees are counted — before your own time.
- —A one-off, built-for-you site can cost less across three years while removing the monthly plan, app juggling and transaction surcharges.
What does Wix mean by "free"?
Wix and Squarespace both dangle a free or cheap starting price. It's a hook. The free Wix plan is fine for a hobby page, but it carries three deal-breakers for any real business:
- Wix adverts sit on your pages, and you can't remove them.
- Your web address is
yoursite.wixsite.com/name, notyourbusiness.co.uk. - You can't take card payments or use your own business email.
The moment you want to look professional, take bookings or sell anything, you're onto a paid plan — and the paid plan is only the first line on the bill.
What does a Wix website actually cost in the UK?
Most people compare the headline plan price and stop there. The real cost is five separate things stacked on top of each other, and most of them recur every month or year. Here's a realistic UK breakdown for a small business site in 2026.
| Cost item | Wix (typical) | Squarespace (typical) | Brightray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website plan | Core |
Business |
£0 — one-off £500 build, no monthly plan |
| Domain (yourbusiness.co.uk) | Free year 1, then ~£12–18/yr | Free year 1, then ~£18–20/yr | ~£12–15/yr, and you own it |
| Business email | ~£6/user/mo (optional, your choice of provider) | ||
| Premium apps / plugins | £5–15/mo each = £120–300/yr (bookings, SEO, reviews) | Some built-in; add-ons extra | £0 — features built into your site to spec |
| Transaction fees | 2.9% + 25p per card sale (Wix Payments) | 0% on Commerce plans, 3% on the cheaper Business plan | None charged by Brightray |
| Typical year-1 total | ~£400–550 | ~£320–400 | £500 one-off + ~£70 running |
| 3-year total (est.) | ~£1,200–1,900+ | ~£1,000–1,450+ | ~£710 (£500 + ~£210 running) |
Figures are representative UK 2026 prices billed annually and exclude VAT and your own time. Transaction fees are on top and grow with your sales.
What hidden costs do Wix and Squarespace add?
The domain "free year" trick. Both platforms hand you a free domain for 12 months, then quietly start charging £12–£20 a year. Always check you can transfer the domain out if you leave — on some builders that's easier than others.
Business email is separate. A tidy hello@yourbusiness.co.uk address isn't included in the website plan. You bolt on Google Workspace or similar at around £6 per person per month. For a two-person firm that's roughly £144 a year on email alone.
Apps are where the money leaks. Wix's App Market is the classic trap. A booking system, a proper SEO tool, a reviews widget, a pop-up — each one is £5–£15 a month. Add three and you've doubled your plan cost. A purpose-built site can include these from day one.
Transaction fees compound. Take £30,000 a year through Wix Payments at 2.9% + 25p and that's roughly £870 in percentage fees, plus per-sale pence — every year, forever, on top of your normal card-processor cut. Squarespace's cheaper Business plan adds a flat 3% surcharge; you only escape it by paying for a dearer Commerce plan. Either way, the platform takes a slice of every sale.
Your time is the hidden line. DIY means you're the designer, the copywriter and the tech support. A weekend to launch is optimistic; most owners lose several evenings, then keep fiddling for months. If your time is worth anything, it belongs on the invoice too.
Is a £500 built-for-you site cheaper than Wix over three years?
For most small businesses, yes. Look at the three-year column again. A DIY Wix setup lands somewhere between £1,200 and £1,900 once email, apps and card fees are counted — and that's before a single hour of your own time. Squarespace is a little cheaper but still four figures.
Brightray builds your site for a fixed £500, one-off. There's no monthly platform plan to feed, no App Market to shop in, and no transaction surcharge from us. You still need a domain and (optionally) email — sensible running costs any site has — but the big recurring bills simply disappear. Over three years the built-for-you route typically works out cheaper, and you're not the one maintaining it.
You also get things the DIY builders make hard:
- A site designed for you, not squeezed into a template you have to wrestle.
- Live in about 7 days — no lost weekends.
- You own your domain and content, so you're never locked in.
- Straight answers over WhatsApp instead of a help-centre article.
Who is a fixed-price website right for?
If you're a sole trader, tradesperson, professional or small charity, you don't need a page-builder subscription — you need a site that quietly does its job and sends you enquiries. That's exactly the gap here.
- Trades and local services: see websites for tradesmen for the clean, enquiry-focused sites that win local jobs.
- Accountants, solicitors, consultants and clinics: websites for professionals covers the credibility-first approach.
- Charities, community groups and churches: charity and community website design keeps costs down without cutting corners.
- Not sure we cover your town? Check locations.
So, is Wix really worth it?
Wix isn't free, and neither is Squarespace once you build a real business site. Between the plan, domain, email, apps and card fees, you're looking at £1,000–£1,900 over three years on a DIY builder — plus your own hours. A fixed £500 site, built for you and live in about a week, removes the monthly drip and usually costs less across the same three years. For most UK small businesses, that's the easier and cheaper call.
Asked and answered.
Is Wix genuinely free forever?+
Yes, Wix has a free plan you can keep forever — but it isn't usable for a real business. It displays Wix's own adverts on your pages, gives you a wixsite.com web address instead of your own domain, and won't let you take card payments or use a business email. To remove those limits you need a paid plan (Core is around £13.50 a month, billed annually), plus the extras stacked on top.
How much does a Wix business website really cost in the UK in 2026?+
Expect roughly £400–£550 in year one, then £400+ every year after, once you add a Core plan (~£162/yr), business email (~£72/yr), a domain (free year one, then ~£12–18/yr) and a couple of premium apps. Card sales cost an extra 2.9% + 25p each through Wix Payments, so heavy sellers pay considerably more.
Is Squarespace cheaper than Wix?+
Slightly, in year one — a typical Squarespace business setup runs about £320–£400 — but it lands in the same territory over three years. Watch the transaction fees: Squarespace's cheaper Business plan adds a flat 3% surcharge on every sale, which you only avoid by paying for a more expensive Commerce plan.
Does the £500 Brightray price include hosting and a domain?+
The £500 is a one-off fee for building your site. You'll still want a domain (around £12–15 a year, and you own it) and optionally business email. What's confirmed is that there's no monthly platform subscription and no transaction fee from us — check the websites-from-500 page for exactly what's included so you can compare like for like.
Will a built-for-you site really cost less than Wix over three years?+
For most small businesses, yes. A DIY Wix setup typically totals £1,200–£1,900 over three years once email, apps and card fees are counted — before your own time. A fixed £500 build plus modest running costs (domain and optional email) usually comes in lower across the same period, and you don't have to maintain it yourself.