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Custom Website vs WordPress vs Wix: an Honest Comparison
The short rule: if your website only has to present the business and won't change much, a template will do; if it has to do something a template can't handle, it's cheaper to go custom from the start, not after hitting the limit. Wix and WordPress.com start from 17.77 $/mo and 9 €/mo respectively; a custom website with Zemog, from 1,200 €, VAT not included.
What exactly is each option?
Wix and WordPress.com are template-based builders: you pay a monthly or annual fee, pick a predefined design and edit the content yourself, within limits set by the platform. A custom website is designed and built from scratch for your specific business: there's no catalogue of templates involved, and the limit on what's possible is set by budget and development time, not by a third-party platform.
How much does each option cost in 2026?
These are the official prices published by each platform, alongside the starting price of a custom website with Zemog:
| Option | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Wix, Light plan | 17.77 $/mo | Own domain, no Wix ads, editable template |
| Wix, Core plan | 29.77 $/mo | Adds marketing tools and more storage |
| WordPress.com, Personal plan | 9 €/mo | Blog or simple website, no custom plugins |
| WordPress.com, Business plan | 40 €/mo | Custom plugin and theme installation, developer access |
| Custom corporate website (Zemog) | From 1,200 €, VAT not included | Original design, technical SEO from the start, no platform fee |
Sources: Wix.com — Premium Plans, accessed on 22 September 2026 and WordPress.com — Plans & Pricing, accessed on 22 September 2026. Zemog's price VAT not included.
Why does a custom website cost more than a Wix plan?
Because you're not paying for the same thing. Wix's or WordPress.com's price covers hosting and the platform's editor: the design is still a template shared by thousands of sites, and features that fall outside the platform's catalogue (a specific integration with your management system, load speed above average, a design that doesn't look like anyone else's) have a ceiling that no monthly fee can raise. A custom website is paying for exactly that: original design and development that solves your specific case, not the generic case the template covers.
When does WordPress or Wix genuinely make sense?
It's only fair to give the other option its due here, not just defend our own. A template plan is the right choice when:
- You need a minimal, functional presence as soon as possible, on a very tight budget, and you can live with a generic design.
- You'll be maintaining the content yourself often (a personal blog, for instance) and would rather use a simple editor than depend on someone else for every change.
- Your project is still in the idea-validation stage: it's wiser to spend little while you check whether the business works, before commissioning a full build.
In these cases, recommending a custom website would be selling you more than you need.
When does a custom website NOT make sense?
Even though it's what Zemog sells, it needs saying just as plainly as the above: a custom website isn't worth it if your real need is small and stable, if you won't invest in content or long-term maintenance, or if a delivery time of several weeks doesn't fit a need you have to solve tomorrow. Paying for custom development to get something a template already solves just as well for that specific case isn't a good decision, whoever's making it.
What limits does each template plan have that don't always get mentioned?
The Wix and WordPress.com prices in the table are the entry point, not the final cost: common features like advanced forms, bookings, an online store or removing third-party ads usually require a higher plan or a paid app or plugin, with its own monthly fee. Switching templates later also has a real time cost, because content doesn't always move cleanly from one design to another. Neither issue is exclusive to these platforms, but they're worth knowing before deciding on entry price alone.
How do you choose without getting it wrong?
Ask first what the website needs to do, not how much each option costs on its own: if the answer is "show basic information and a contact method", a template plan solves it for a low monthly fee. If the answer includes a feature outside those platforms' standard catalogue, or if a generic design is a real problem for your brand, then the extra cost of a custom website with Zemog buys you something no template can.
One more thing worth checking before deciding: who actually owns the result. With Wix or WordPress.com, your content lives inside their platform, and moving away later means exporting and rebuilding, not simply taking a folder of files elsewhere. With a custom website, the code and the hosting choice are yours from delivery, with no platform lock-in behind them — a difference that rarely shows up in the price comparison, but matters the day you want to change something the platform won't let you touch.
If you're not sure which group your project falls into, tell me in the contact form: I'll tell you honestly whether a custom website makes sense or a template is enough for now, and I reply within 24 hours.