Wix Studio vs WordPress: what a Swiss company actually pays
Updated: Oct 7
For most Swiss service companies without an in-house developer, Wix Studio costs less to own over three years than WordPress with Elementor. The difference rarely comes from the licence. It comes from the hours spent keeping WordPress updated, secure and fast.
That said, WordPress is still the better choice for some businesses. This guide compares both platforms on the points that matter to a small or mid-sized company in Switzerland, shows where the real costs sit, and explains when we would recommend WordPress over Wix Studio.
Check out our Portfolio of Wix Studio Websites
The short answer
Choose Wix Studio if you want a professional, multilingual website your team can update without a developer, with hosting, security and updates included in one subscription.
Choose WordPress if you have developers in-house, need deep custom functionality, or want full control over hosting and code.
Compare the total cost, not the monthly fee. A WordPress site often looks cheaper at launch and becomes more expensive over time.
Wix Studio vs WordPress side by side
Both platforms can produce a fast, professional website. The differences are in who maintains it, what it costs over time and how much control you need.
Wix Studio | WordPress with Elementor | |
Best fit | Service companies that want reliability and simple upkeep | Companies with developers or highly custom technical needs |
Running costs | One subscription covering hosting, security and updates | Hosting, premium plugins and developer hours, billed separately |
Maintenance | Platform updates handled by Wix | Plugins, themes, core and hosting need regular updates |
Security | Managed by Wix, no security plugins needed | Depends on hosting, plugins and how often they are updated |
Multilingual | Built into the platform | Usually a paid plugin such as WPML |
Customisation | High design freedom, limited code access through Velo | Full code access for any custom feature |
Plugins and integrations | Smaller app market, many functions built in | Very large plugin ecosystem, quality varies |
Ownership and portability | Site cannot be moved to another platform as is | Open source, can be moved to any host |
Editing | Content can be updated without affecting the layout | Edits can break layouts if the site is not well built |
Design workflow | Designed and built in the same tool | Often designed in Figma, then rebuilt in WordPress |
The real cost of ownership
Over three years, maintenance usually costs more than the platform itself. A WordPress site typically needs three to five hours of care each month, which at Swiss agency rates of CHF 100 to 150 per hour adds up to CHF 300 to 750 per month.
Monthly task | Wix Studio | WordPress with Elementor |
Plugin and theme updates | Not needed | 0.5 to 1 hour |
Security patches and monitoring | Not needed | About 1 hour |
Performance tuning | Rarely needed | 1 to 2 hours |
Hosting management | Not needed | 0.5 to 1 hour |
Content and app updates | About 0.5 hours | Included above |
Typical total | About 0.5 hours | 3 to 5 hours |
These figures exclude larger incidents such as a broken update, a hacked site or a hosting migration, which are more common on WordPress and can cost several days of developer time.
Wix Studio is not free to run. Plans are billed monthly or annually and range from entry level to enterprise, with the price depending on storage, CMS items, collaborators and e-commerce needs. The point is that hosting, security, multi-language and platform updates are included in that price.
What drives the cost after launch
The build is paid once. Maintenance is paid every month for as long as the site runs. These are the factors that decide how much that monthly cost becomes.
Who can update the content. If a simple text or image change needs a developer, every edit becomes a billed hour.
Integrations with other systems. CRM, booking, payment, newsletter or ERP connections can break when either side updates, and someone has to fix them.
Plugins and extensions. Each one has its own update cycle, licence renewal and risk of conflicts.
Languages. Every new page, change and update is multiplied by the number of languages.
E-commerce. Payments, VAT rules, stock and shipping add components that must work every day.
Custom code. Custom features need a developer who knows the code, which makes you dependent on that person or agency.
Security and compliance. Updates, backups, monitoring, cookie banners and privacy changes under the Swiss nDSG and the GDPR.
Major upgrades. New PHP versions, major platform releases or a theme that stops being supported can force a partial rebuild.
Incidents. A broken update or a form that silently stops sending. The repair is visible on the invoice, the lost enquiries are not.
Your own team's time. Briefing developers, waiting for changes and checking their work never shows up on an invoice, but it is real.
On Wix Studio, most of these are either handled by the platform or simple enough for your own team. On WordPress, each one adds hours that recur month after month.
Calculate your own numbers
Every business is different, so we built a calculator. Enter your site size, number of languages and hourly rate, and see the estimated three-year cost of both platforms side by side.
Maintenance and security in practice
The biggest practical difference is who is responsible when something needs updating. On Wix Studio it is the platform. On WordPress it is you or your agency.
A typical WordPress site with Elementor runs on 15 to 30 plugins, each updated on its own schedule. Most updates are routine. Some conflict with each other, and the site owner usually notices only when a form stops working or a page breaks.
Security follows the same pattern. WordPress itself is secure when kept up to date, but outdated plugins are a common entry point for attacks. Keeping them current requires someone to check regularly.
On Wix Studio, hosting, SSL, backups and platform updates are managed centrally. Your team can still break a page by editing it, but not by skipping an update.
Multilingual sites in Switzerland
Most Swiss companies need at least two languages, often German, French and English. This is where the platforms differ most in daily use.
Wix Studio has multilingual support built in. Each language version is managed in the same editor, with language-specific URLs and SEO settings, and no extra plugin to license or update.
WordPress usually relies on a paid plugin such as WPML or Polylang. These work well, but they add a licence, another component to keep updated, and more complexity whenever pages are added or changed.
If your site runs in three or more languages, the maintenance difference between the two platforms grows accordingly.
When WordPress is the better choice
We build most client sites in Wix Studio, but we recommend WordPress in these situations.
You have developers in-house. Maintenance hours are already paid for, and full code access becomes an advantage.
You need custom functionality. Complex booking logic, deep integrations with internal systems or unusual data structures are easier with full code access.
Portability matters to you. WordPress is open source and can be moved to any host. A Wix site stays on Wix.
You run a large content operation. Publishers with thousands of articles and complex editorial workflows often benefit from the WordPress ecosystem.
Your current WordPress site works well. If it is fast, secure and well maintained, a rebuild may not pay off.
If none of these apply, Wix Studio is usually the simpler and cheaper option over time.
Who gets most value from Wix Studio
The businesses that benefit most share one trait. Their website matters to sales, but they have no one in-house to maintain it.
Professional services and education. Consultancies, schools and training providers that update content often and need a credible, stable site.
Hospitality and travel. Hotels, restaurants and tour operators that rely on strong visuals, several languages and frequent updates.
Small online shops. Stores with a manageable product range that want payments, product management and hosting in one place.
Growing SMEs replacing an old WordPress site. Companies tired of paying for maintenance that adds no visible value.
Recent Wix Studio projects
A few examples of websites we have designed and built in Wix Studio.
Four schools, four worlds of imagination. Websites for a group of schools, including Kingsland Pre Prep.
Grönska. New website design on a Wix Studio Website
Rocket Productions. Brand position, logotype and brand universe.
We didn't want our schools to just have websites. We wanted digital worlds that reflect the imagination and creativity happening inside our classrooms.Stuart Bamford, CEO, Rocket Productions
Get a tailored quote
Use the calculator above to estimate your costs, then request a quote based on your site, your languages and your timeline. We reply within one business day.
Read more about how we work on our Website & Platforms page, or check out our Portfolio of recent websites. Also, you can start with a free website audit.
Is Wix Studio good for SEO?
Yes. Wix Studio gives you control over titles, meta descriptions, URLs, structured data, redirects and sitemaps, which covers what most SMEs need. Rankings depend far more on content and links than on the platform.
Can I move my WordPress site to Wix Studio?
Yes, but it is a rebuild rather than an automatic transfer. Content, images and URLs are moved over, and old URLs are redirected so you keep your existing search rankings.
Can I move away from Wix later?
Your content can be exported, but the design and structure cannot be transferred to another platform. If long-term portability is a priority, WordPress is the safer choice.
Who owns the website on Wix Studio?
You own your content and your domain. The site itself runs on Wix's infrastructure under your subscription.
Is a Wix Studio site cheaper to build than a WordPress site?
Build costs are often similar, because design and content take most of the time on both platforms. The savings come after launch, from lower maintenance.
