Wix Review: Is Wix Worth the High Price & Hidden Costs for Indie Authors?
- sylviakayrose
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 20 hours ago
Building a website is a necessity for indie authors seeking to establish online presence. Attracted by promises of an all-in-one hosting solution, many may consider Wix. Yet, beneath the surface, Wix disappoints with high prices, hidden fees, and frustrating customer service—or lack of it.
Our rating: 2/5
I use Wix myself and have reached the limit of disgust with this platform. I've been on a free plan for several years, and would never pay for the so-called service. Wix offers the free plan as a dangling carrot lure, in the hopes you'll get stuck into the platform and hand out more cash because you've already made an extensive time investment.
I thought of getting a paid plan, but my research turned up a lot of horrifying hidden issues and warning signs. My previous experience, and my last attempt to contact a real human about a problem, convinced me that paying for Wix was a serious mistake I would soon regret. This review explores why Wix is a bad choice for indie authors and wise consumers.
"Wix is absolutely atrocious."
High Prices and Hidden Costs Make Wix Expensive
While some people claim to have great experiences with Wix, be aware Wix offers an affiliate program. If you sign up for Wix through that person's link, the person receives a cash reward. So, beware of faked "excellent" reviews designed to get you to sign up for this or any service/product.
I feel totally scammed and there seems there’s nothing I can do about it. I will be moving my website elsewhere. PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN SIGNING UP WITH THIS COMPANY.
Mandy C.
At first glance, Wix’s pricing plans seem straightforward, if quite a lot more expensive than other popular platforms like Hostinger (this one carries extra charges too, for example email and newsletter capabilities, but even adding them up, it's a much more reasonable price, although there are numerous complaints about Hostinger too). The Wix base subscription often does not cover essential features, leading to unexpected extra costs.
Although Wix provides a complimentary domain (ie yourdomain.com) for the initial year with eligible annual Premium and Business plans, customers incur extra charges when buying or renewing a domain, usually at a higher cost than renewal through a domain service.
The drag-and-drop interface is fine if it works, but is often glitchy and frustrating, requiring the user to reload the page multiple times. For me this happens most often when writing blog posts, but other pages I'm editing have frozen up and/or required reloading too.
"You better hope you never want a refund. I've been waiting 3 months now to be refunded a substantial amount!
Adam D.
Other typical additional expenses include private registration, professional email addresses; customer review apps ($7 - $100+ per month), ecommerce transaction fees (~2.9% + $0.30/sale, higher than in-person transactions; companies claim this is to offset possibilities of credit card fraud); potential upsells for premium SEO or marketing tools; and, arguably, domain privacy. While Wix asserts the last is free, some customers claim they're charged for it.
Email accounts are not included: Years ago, a domain name always came with free email. Now, Wix is one of many providers who does not offer free email hosting with its plans. Users must purchase email services separately, often through Google Workspace, which adds a monthly fee of $8.40 - $26.40 USD on top of the hosting price.
Third-party apps come with additional charges: Wix’s App Market offers many tools to enhance your website, but most useful apps require paid subscriptions. These costs can quickly add up. Maybe you have a wealthy aunt who will cover all your expenses. If not, you should choose another provider, and don't get sucked in to Wix.
Plans are costly: Wix’s higher-tier plans, which promise more storage, bandwidth, and features, come at a steep price compared to competitors offering similar or better services.
Tricks to force customers on the free plan into buying paid plans include liberal use of .png image files, which take up massive space in your allocation. Even if you upload a space-saving .jpg, if you use any of Wix's editing tools on it, it becomes a .png. Beware of memory-hogging files which quickly fill up your 5G limit, especially if you do a lot of blogging.
For indie authors and others who work with limited budgets, these hidden fees make Wix an expensive, greed-driven platform which doesn’t deliver proportional value.
"Wix has mastered the art of hidden charges, AI “support,” and somehow locking you into their terrible platform. And yeah, trying to make a small change without breaking everything else? Good luck. Most of our clients show up after Wix ghosted them mid-crisis."
From: WIX Help & Complaints | I have never dealt with so much BS as I have with this company | Facebook
The Ecommerce Rip-off
As bait, Wix provides a free plan for creating and designing an ecommerce website, enabling users to establish product catalogs and personalize storefronts without initial expenses. Sounds great for indie authors and others who want to sell a few items from their sites. However, to actually use it - ie, process online payments and sell products - you need to upgrade to a pricy Wix Business or eCommerce plan.
Customer Service Is Nonexistent
One of the most frustrating aspects of Wix is its customer support—or the lack of direct, live assistance.
No phone or email support: Wix does not provide a phone number or direct email for customer service.
Automated responses dominate: Attempts to get help usually result in automated emails directing users to thousands of help articles. These articles often fail to address specific problems.
No live chat with real people: Unlike many hosting providers, Wix does not offer live chat with a customer service representative, leaving users stuck with generic answers sending them in robotic circles.
This lack of personal support is a widespread complaint, and a major problem for indie authors and others who need quick, clear help to resolve issues.
"They removed their email option and the customer service has tanked so badly in recent years it's almost not worth even contacting. Takes 10 times longer to fix things than it should."
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Customer Experiences Highlight Wix’s Drawbacks
Many users share similar complaints about Wix’s pricing and support:
An indie author reported paying over $300 annually for a basic Wix plan, email hosting, and necessary apps, far exceeding their initial budget.
Another user described spending hours searching Wix’s help center for answers, only to find outdated or irrelevant information.
Several reviews mention frustration with slow response times and the inability to speak with a live person when urgent website problems arise.
These experiences leave clients like indie authors feeling unsupported and overcharged.
Why Wix Is NOT Suitable for Indie Authors on a Budget
Indie authors and other smart consumers need affordable, reliable hosting with transparent pricing and accessible support. Wix falls short in these areas:
Budget constraints: Hidden fees and expensive add-ons make Wix a poor fit for authors and others who want to keep costs low.
Technical support needs: Without live customer service, authors may struggle to fix website issues quickly, risking lost sales or damaged reputations.
Limited scalability: As authors grow their audience, Wix’s pricing and app costs escalate, making it harder to maintain a cost-effective site.
Choosing Wix means accepting these challenges, which can frustrate the user, break the bank and distract from writing and marketing efforts.
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Warning About Companies Who Limit Customer Service
Wix is not alone in limiting customer service to cut costs. Other large companies like Amazon and eBay also eliminate direct contact, relying heavily on automated systems. This approach leaves customers feeling ignored, angry and frustrated.
As for hosting platforms, Indie authors should avoid providers who:
Charge high rates with hidden fees
Make it difficult or impossible to reach a live person for support
Force customers to navigate endless help files without resolution
Choosing a hosting provider with transparent pricing and accessible support is essential for smooth online experiences for both users and visitors. Be sure to research thoroughly!
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