Website
WordPress vs Wix: which is better for a small business in Latvia?
If you need a simple business card site that you will edit yourself and you do not plan to change developers, Wix is easier: hosting and editor come in one subscription. If you need to move the site later, three languages or a store, WordPress is better: the software is free and the files are yours. Our 5-page website in three languages costs €300 + VAT, 3 working days.
What is the main difference between WordPress and Wix?
Wix is a website builder: the editor, the hosting and the site all live on Wix servers, and you pay a subscription for it. WordPress is open source software under the GPLv2 license that you download for free and install on any hosting that meets its requirements (wordpress.org, checked 25 October 2026).
We have not built Wix websites, so we write about Wix from its official pages, opened on 25 October 2026. We build online stores on WooCommerce, and WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin.
In practice you choose between two models. Wix gives you a ready house to rent: everything works at once, but you cannot take the house with you. WordPress is a house on your own land: you can move it and rebuild it, but someone has to look after the roof, meaning updates and backups.
| Criterion | WordPress | Wix | Better for you if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can you move the site to another host | Yes, the files and database are yours | No, the Wix Help Center says the site must run on Wix servers; you can buy a domain from another provider and connect it to the Wix site | WordPress |
| Software price | Free; you pay for hosting, domain and work | Subscription (Light, Core, Business, Business Elite plans); price depends on country, see wix.com/plans | Depends on hosting, work and plan |
| Hosting | You choose; needs PHP 8.3+ and MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.11+ | Included in Wix | Wix, if you do not want to choose |
| Software updates | Your job or your developer's (plugins and backups too) | Wix handles them | Wix |
| Latvian in the admin area | WordPress core translation 100% (8,142 of 8,142 strings, version 7.1.x) | Latvian is on the Wix Multilingual language list | Both work |
| Editing text yourself | Possible if the site is built with content management | Possible, that is what a builder is for | Wix, if you do everything without help |
| Adding a store later | WooCommerce plugin, Latvian translation 39% | Wix offers an online store builder | See the WooCommerce vs Shopify article |
| Changing developers | The new developer continues with the same site | The new developer works in the Wix editor or builds a new site elsewhere | WordPress |
Who owns the website, and can you move a Wix site?
A WordPress site's files and database sit on your hosting, so you can move them to another host or hand them to another developer. The Wix Help Center article "Exporting or Embedding Your Wix Site Elsewhere" says the site must run on Wix servers, because Wix is a SaaS solution (checked 25 October 2026).
You can still buy and manage the domain with another provider and connect it to the Wix site; connecting it needs a paid Wix plan (Wix Help Center, checked 25 October 2026). The site itself stays on Wix servers, so if you move to another platform, the site structure and design have to be built again.
So before you choose, ask one simple question: what happens to the site if in two years you want a different developer? On the websites we build, the domain, the site and all access are registered in your name from day one, and there is no annual contract.
How much does WordPress cost, and how much does Wix cost?
The WordPress software is free; you pay for hosting, the domain and the work. Wix is a subscription, and its price depends on the country and the plan. The Wix plans page shows prices in US dollars "for reference" only, so we do not give a euro price here. You will see the exact amount for Latvia at wix.com/plans.
WordPress hosting has to meet the requirements: WordPress 7.1.3 needs PHP 8.3 or newer and MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or newer (wordpress.org/download, checked 25 October 2026). Check that your hosting meets them before you buy it.
Our price: a website with 5 pages in three languages (LV, EN, RU), 15 pages in total, costs €300 + VAT and is ready in 3 working days. The extended version with 10 pages in three languages, 30 pages in total, costs €700 + VAT, 5 working days. The VAT rate in Latvia is 21% (VID, checked 25 October 2026), so the invoice will be €363 or €847. What raises the price is a separate topic: how much a website costs for a small business.
| Item | WordPress | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Software | €0 (GPLv2, free) | Included in the subscription |
| Hosting | Paid to the hosting company | Included in the subscription |
| Domain | Paid to the registrar | Register with Wix or connect your own |
| Plan price | None | Depends on country; see wix.com/plans |
| Work on the site (with us) | €300 + VAT for 15 pages or €700 + VAT for 30 pages | We do not build Wix sites |
Can a Wix website be in Latvian, English and Russian?
Yes, Latvian is on the Wix Multilingual language list (Wix Help Center, checked 25 October 2026), so you can build Latvian, English and Russian versions. Wix pages say different things about automatic translation of store system texts into Latvian, so if you plan to sell, check this in your own Wix dashboard.
On 25 October 2026 the Latvian translation of WordPress core was 100% complete: 8,142 of 8,142 strings in version 7.1.x (translate.wordpress.org). That applies to WordPress itself. Plugins differ: the Latvian translation of WooCommerce was 39% complete, so you will have to translate part of the store texts yourself.
Our website price already includes three languages: 5 pages each in LV, EN and RU.
Which four factors decide between WordPress and Wix?
The choice is often made not by taste but by four factors. If one of them applies to you, one of the platforms drops out on its own.
- Will you change developers? If that is possible, a new developer will have to continue a Wix site in the Wix editor or build it again. A WordPress site they take over as it is.
- Who will handle updates? If nobody, a WordPress site will age over time. Wix does this itself.
- Will you have a store in a year? If yes, it is worth deciding on the store platform now: WooCommerce vs Shopify.
- Will you edit texts yourself every week? The Wix editor is made for that. WordPress can do it too, if the developer builds the site with content management.
When is Wix the better choice?
Wix is better if you need a small business card site that you want to build and edit yourself, in one window and with one bill. You do not choose hosting, you do not think about software updates, and you do not look for someone to maintain it.
Wix also fits if the site needs no complex integrations and you do not plan to hand it to another developer. If you are ready to stay on Wix for a long time, its main drawback hardly affects you.
The Wix downside: the site stays on Wix servers. If you ever want to leave, the site will have to be built again.
When is WordPress the better choice?
WordPress is better if the site has to grow: three languages, more service sections, a store or integrations later. Because the software is open source, you can move the site to another host and hand it to another developer, and nothing has to be built again.
WordPress also fits when several people maintain the site together: you edit the texts, the developer looks after the technical side. An example of this split is our client 787bro.lv: a website with content management that the client edits, in three languages (LV, RU, EN).
The WordPress downside: someone has to look after updates, plugins and backups. If nobody does, the site ages and becomes vulnerable. That is your job or your developer's, and you should agree on it before launch.
Can you start on Wix and switch to WordPress later?
Yes, but it means building a new site, not moving it with one button, because a Wix site runs only on Wix servers. The site structure and design have to be built again.
The most important part of the switch is the links: every old address has to point to the new one, so Google does not send a buyer to an empty page. We have moved a store to a new platform without losing its place in Google for our client hybridenergy.lt.
What should you ask a web developer before choosing a platform?
Six answers tell you more than the platform name. Ask them before you sign, whether the developer offers WordPress, Wix or something else.
- In whose name will the domain and hosting be? The right answer: your company's name from day one.
- Where will the site physically live? On Wix servers or on hosting you have access to.
- What happens if you change developers? Can the site be handed over, or will it have to be built again.
- How many languages are in the price? And whether each extra language costs separately.
- Who does updates and backups? And whether that is in the price.
- What happens after a year? Is there an annual contract, and what will you pay if you change nothing.
Does WordPress or Wix affect visibility in Google and AI answers?
The platform alone does not get you a place in Google or a ChatGPT answer. Most of it is decided by content: whether the page answers the buyer's question with numbers and whether crawlers can reach the text. We found no source showing that WordPress or Wix ranks better, so we do not claim it.
Our measurement: in the Search Console "Generative AI features" report for the Lithuanian store hybridenergy.lt, from 28 July to 10 October 2026 there were 4.82 thousand AI impressions out of 19.3 thousand, which is 25%. Seven of the ten pages with the most AI impressions are buyer's guides. Whether AI crawlers can reach your site is shown by the free AI visibility check. If you have a site but it brings no clients, that is a separate question: why a website brings no clients.
What do we offer a small business?
A website with 5 pages in three languages (LV, EN, RU), 15 pages in total, costs €300 + VAT and is ready in 3 working days. The extended version with 10 pages in three languages, a custom design and the widgets you need costs €700 + VAT, 5 working days. Both include one round of revisions. The deadline counts from when we receive your texts, photos and access.
The domain, the website and all access are registered in your name from day one. There is no annual contract; a subscription, if there is one, can be canceled with 30 days' notice. More: website development.
Sources
- WordPress.org. About: open source software, GPLv2 license (25 October 2026)
- WordPress.org. Download: free, version 7.1.3, PHP 8.3+, MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.11+ (25 October 2026)
- translate.wordpress.org. Latvian translation of WordPress core: 100%, 8,142 of 8,142 (7.1.x Development) (25 October 2026)
- translate.wordpress.org. Latvian translation of WooCommerce: 39% (stable version) (25 October 2026)
- Wix Help Center. Exporting or Embedding Your Wix Site Elsewhere: the site must run on Wix servers; a domain can be bought from another provider and connected (25 October 2026)
- Wix Help Center. Wix Multilingual: Languages Available (Latvian on the list) (25 October 2026)
- Wix. Plans: Light, Core, Business, Business Elite; prices depend on country, US dollars for reference (25 October 2026)
- VID. Value added tax: standard rate 21% (25 October 2026)
- learnxMI. Website development: €300 and €700, 3 and 5 working days, three languages (25 October 2026)
- hybridenergy.lt (our client): store moved to a new platform; Google Search Console, "Generative AI features" report, 28 July to 10 October 2026 (10 October 2026)
- 787bro.lv (our client): website with content management that the client edits; LV, RU, EN (25 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress free?
Yes, the WordPress software is free and under the GPLv2 license (wordpress.org, 25 October 2026). You pay for hosting, the domain and the work on the site. A learnxMI website with 5 pages in three languages costs €300 + VAT.
Is Wix expensive?
The Wix price depends on the country and the plan (Light, Core, Business, Business Elite). The Wix plans page shows US dollar prices for reference, so check the exact amount for Latvia at wix.com/plans. When comparing with WordPress, add hosting and update work on the WordPress side.
Can I move my Wix website to another host?
No. The Wix Help Center says the site must run on Wix servers (25 October 2026), so if you move to another platform, the site has to be built again.
Can I keep my domain with another provider if I use Wix?
Yes. The Wix Help Center (25 October 2026) says you can buy and manage a domain with another provider and connect it to a Wix site; connecting it needs a paid plan.
Is WordPress hard to manage yourself?
Editing text is not hard if the developer built the site with content management, and the WordPress admin area is in Latvian (core translation 100%, 25 October 2026). Updates and backups are harder: agree on who does them.
Is WordPress secure?
As secure as it is well maintained. WordPress, its plugins and the theme need regular updates and backups. If nobody does that, the site ages. Wix updates its software itself.
Can a Wix website be in Latvian?
Yes. Latvian is on the Wix Multilingual language list (Wix Help Center, 25 October 2026), so you can build Latvian, English and Russian versions. If you plan a store, check the translation of system texts in your Wix dashboard.
Can I build an online store on Wix?
Yes, Wix offers an online store builder. If the store is the main thing, also compare WooCommerce and Shopify: learnxMI builds stores on WooCommerce from €1000, and the comparison is in the article "WooCommerce vs Shopify".
Who owns a website built by a developer?
That depends on the contract, so ask before work starts. On websites built by learnxMI, the domain, the site and all access are registered in the client's name from day one, and there is no annual contract.
How much does a website cost with you?
A learnxMI website with 5 pages in three languages (15 pages in total) costs €300 + VAT and is ready in 3 working days. 10 pages in three languages cost €700 + VAT, 5 working days. With 21% VAT that is €363 or €847.
Hard to choose?
In a free 90-minute consultation we look together at what your site has to do, how many languages you need and who will maintain it, and we tell you which platform fits.