- What a free Wix site includes
- Free Wix site vs upgraded plan
- How free Wix sites work
- The Wix free plan catch: the banner and the address
- How to build a free Wix site the smart way
- Using a free Wix site as a test run
- Who a free Wix site suits
- Work on your site with confidence
- Getting found on a free Wix site
- Frequently asked questions
The short version: yes, Wix is free. You can build and publish a website for free using free templates and free hosting, on a Wix address in the form siteprefix.wixsite.com/siteaddress. The catch is that free sites show a Wix banner ad at the top and a Wix favicon, and you need to upgrade to connect your own domain and remove the Wix branding.
Wix is one of the easiest ways to get a website live without touching code, which is why so many small businesses start there. The free plan is a real website, not a demo, but it doesn't look like your own brand yet.
What a free Wix site includes
- Free templates, from Wix's collection of professionally designed designs, or a site built from a prompt.
- Free, secure hosting.
- A free Wix address, siteprefix.wixsite.com/siteaddress.
- Free visual content from Wix's media library.
- Free apps from the Wix App Market to add features to your site.
Free Wix site vs upgraded plan
| Feature | Free site | Upgraded plan |
|---|---|---|
| Build and publish a site | Yes | Yes |
| Templates and hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Web address | siteprefix.wixsite.com/siteaddress | Your own domain |
| Wix banner ad | Shown at the top | Removed |
| Favicon | Wix favicon | Your own |
| Proudly Created With Wix footer text | Editable | Editable |
How free Wix sites work
Wix's own plans page says creating your own website is free and you choose a plan when you're ready. You can create your site from a prompt or start from a free template, and the hosting comes with it. When you publish, your site lives on a free Wix address that includes your site prefix and site address.
Wix also points out that the App Market has hundreds of free apps to add features, so you can go a long way on the free plan while you're building and testing.
The Wix free plan catch: the banner and the address
Here's what you need to know before you send customers to it. Wix says your free site includes a Wix banner ad at the top and a Wix favicon in the browser tab. To remove the banner and use your own favicon, you need to upgrade to a plan that includes those features.
The address is the other giveaway. A wixsite.com address works, but it's long, hard to say out loud and doesn't match your email. Wix says that with an upgraded plan you can connect your own domain and remove Wix branding.
One small thing in your favour: the Proudly Created With Wix text in the footer can be edited at any time, even on a free site.
How to build a free Wix site the smart way
- Sign up for Wix and start from a free template close to what you want, or describe your site and let Wix build a first draft.
- Write your homepage, services and contact pages before you add anything fancy.
- Choose a clear site prefix and address, since that's your web address on the free plan.
- Publish and test the site on your phone as well as your computer.
- Upgrade when you're ready to use your own domain and remove the Wix banner.
Using a free Wix site as a test run
The smartest way to use the free plan is as a rehearsal. Build the pages, write the copy, get feedback from a few people you trust and check everything works on a phone. By the time you upgrade, you're focusing on your domain and branding, not fixing a half-finished site in public.
Keep your words in a document as well as on the site. If you later decide Wix isn't for you, having your copy in one place makes moving to another builder far less painful.
Who a free Wix site suits
It's ideal for testing an idea, building a portfolio, practising before a launch or running a simple personal project. It's less suited to an established business, because a banner ad and a long Wix address undermine trust with new customers.
Work on your site with confidence
Once you're building, my guides on how to edit a Wix website and how to change your template on Wix cover the questions most people get stuck on.
Getting found on a free Wix site
A free site can still be found in search, so write each page as if a stranger is reading it for the first time. Use a clear page title that says what you do and where, describe your services in the words customers use, and make your contact details easy to find. Those basics matter more than any design tweak.
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Add your site to your social profiles and email signature as soon as it's live, even on the free address. It gets real people looking at it, and their feedback will tell you what to fix before you upgrade.
When you do upgrade and connect your own domain, update every place you've shared the old wixsite.com address. Your social bios, email signature and any printed material should all point to the new domain, so customers only ever see one address for your business.
It's also worth checking how your free site looks before you share it. Open it on a phone, a tablet and a laptop, click every button and send yourself a test message through your contact form. Fixing a broken form now is much easier than finding out weeks later that enquiries never arrived.
My verdict: Wix's free plan is a great place to build and test. For a business website your customers will see, plan to connect your own domain and remove the banner before you put the address on anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wix free?
Yes. Wix says creating your own website is free, with free templates and free hosting.
What is the web address of a free Wix site?
Wix gives free sites an address in the form siteprefix.wixsite.com/siteaddress.
Do free Wix sites have ads?
Yes. Wix says free sites include a Wix banner ad at the top and a Wix favicon in the browser tab.
Can I use my own domain on a free Wix site?
No. Wix says you need an upgraded plan to connect your own domain and remove Wix branding.
Can I remove Proudly Created With Wix for free?
Wix says the Proudly Created With Wix footer text can be edited at any time.
