Wix vs. a custom website
Wix is genuinely good at one thing: getting a page online fast with no help. Here's where that trade stops paying off for a business that lives or dies by local search.
The trade, line by line
| Wix | Custom (Arion) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first page online | Hours | 2-3 weeks |
| Mobile page speed | Heavier by default | Tuned to sub-second |
| SEO control | Limited by the platform | Full control of markup, schema, structure |
| Custom design | Template-bounded | Built for your trade |
| Monthly cost | $17-$59+ /mo, forever | Hosting + care plan, or self-host free |
| Code & content ownership | ||
| Move to another host |
Where Wix stops paying off
- Wix sites carry more page weight by default, and on mobile, where most local searches happen, a slower load costs you visitors before the page renders.
- You're renting. Stop paying and the site goes away. There's no export of a working website to take with you.
- SEO on Wix is constrained to what the platform exposes. For competitive local terms, the fine control over structure and schema is often what separates page one from page two.
- The subscription never ends. Over five years, the 'cheap' option quietly out-costs a build-plus-hosting arrangement.
What Custom (Arion) gives you instead
- A custom site is built to a sub-second load target and verified on real devices, because that's the number that moves conversion.
- You own the code, the content, and the domain. Leaving is a decision, not a loss.
- Full control of the markup means we can do the technical SEO that competitive local rankings actually require.
- Predictable cost: a build, then a flat care plan, or host it yourself for nothing.
About these figures
Page-speed and pricing characteristics described here reflect the platforms as of early 2026. Re-check current Wix pricing and run your own Lighthouse test before treating any figure as fixed.
See your number first.
The free Arion Scorecard grades your website, search, profile, reviews, and social out of 100, with the fixes.
Common questions
Is Wix ever the right call?
Yes, if you need something online this afternoon, you'll maintain it yourself, and search traffic isn't important to your business. For a local business competing on 'near me' searches, the ceiling is usually too low.
Can you move my existing Wix site?
We can rebuild it, content and design carry over, improved. Wix doesn't allow a true export of the site itself, so it's a rebuild, not a migration. We handle it with no downtime.
What does a custom site cost over five years vs Wix?
Depends on the build and the plan you choose, but a one-time build plus a flat care plan (or self-hosting) typically comes in at or below five years of an equivalent Wix subscription, and you own the asset at the end.
Will I be able to edit it myself?
Yes. We build on a setup you can update, text, photos, hours, services, and walk you through it at handoff.
How long until the new site ranks?
If we're rebuilding an existing site on the same domain, rankings usually hold and then improve as the speed and structure gains land. A brand-new domain takes longer.
Tell us what's leaking.
The most common first step is the free Scorecard, but if you already know what's broken, skip it and just tell us here.
- 1
You send this
Tell us what you're trying to fix. Two minutes, no obligation.
- 2
We reply in a day
A short note back, worth a call or not, and why. Often a free tip either way.
- 3
We scope it on a call
20 minutes. We agree what to fix first and what it costs. You decide from there.