What each option is
WordPress is open-source software you run on a host, Wix Studio is a hosted platform, and custom code is a site built specifically for you.
WordPress. This article means the self-hosted software from WordPress.org. It's open source under the GPL, which lets you run it for any purpose, study and change it, and share copies. You run your copy on a web host and add features through themes and plugins.
Wix Studio. Wix describes it as a platform for designers, developers and marketers. Sites run on infrastructure Wix manages. It includes a content system that lets clients update content without changing the design, and it also allows custom code.
Custom code. A developer builds the site in code, using a framework such as Astro, and hosts it wherever suits the project. This site is built that way, on Astro and Netlify.
How they compare side by side
The biggest differences are who carries the upkeep and how easily you can leave.
| Factor | WordPress | Wix Studio | Custom code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who updates it | Your team in the WordPress admin. Bigger changes often need a developer. | Your team in the Wix content tools. Design changes usually go to whoever built it. | A developer, or your team if a content editor was built in. |
| Hosting and maintenance | You choose and pay a host. Someone has to watch theme, plugin and major WordPress updates, and backups. | Hosting comes with the Wix plan, and Wix runs the infrastructure. | You or a provider hosts it. A simple site has few moving parts, but nothing updates unless someone does it. |
| Plugin or app dependence | Usually high. Most features come from plugins, each with its own author and update schedule. | Moderate. Wix's own tools and apps cover much of it, and those tie you closer to Wix. | Low for plugins. You still depend on code libraries and services such as Stripe. |
| Portability | High. You can move it to another host that meets its requirements. | Low. The site has to stay on Wix, though you can connect your own domain. | High. It's a standard codebase that can be hosted elsewhere. |
| Performance control | Wide, but results depend on the host, theme and plugins you choose. | Wix handles servers and delivery. You control your design, media and apps, not the platform. | Full control, and full responsibility for getting it right. |
| When it fits | Large existing content, an in-house person who knows it, or a plugin you truly rely on. | Teams who want to edit often and don't want to think about servers. | Custom features, careful performance work, or no wish to depend on a site-builder plan. |
We haven't included prices, because they change and they aren't ours to quote. Wix publishes its current options on its plans page. For WordPress, you'd compare web hosts and any paid themes or plugins.
When WordPress is the better choice
WordPress is the better choice when you already have a lot invested in it, or when freedom to modify and move the software matters most.
The strengths are real. The license gives you rights no hosted builder offers. WordPress.org says it runs millions of sites, and its plugin directory is large. If your business has years of posts, a staff member who knows the admin, or a workflow built around a specific plugin, moving away may cost more than it saves.
The upkeep is manageable, but it needs an owner. WordPress says most sites apply minor and security updates automatically, while major releases still need someone to click update, and it recommends a backup first. The WordPress sites we'd worry about are the ones where nobody has that job.
When Wix Studio is the better choice
Wix Studio is the better choice when your team wants to make its own edits and you'd rather not manage hosting.
Hosting is part of Wix's plans, and tools for stores and bookings are available on the platform. The Queen of the Nile salon's site runs on Wix Studio, with a service menu, online booking, a product shop and gift cards, and our work there included training so the salon can run the site day to day. The Burbank Arts & Education Foundation site is another Wix Studio build.
The tradeoff is where the site can live. Wix's help center says a Wix site must run on Wix's infrastructure. That article doesn't single out Wix Studio, but we tell clients the same thing: a Wix Studio site stays on Wix.
When custom code is the better choice
Custom code is the better choice when the site has to do something specific, or when you want full control over how it's built and where it runs.
The Pinkelicious Catering site lets visitors search a menu, save dishes to an event menu and order lunch boxes through Stripe. The Audiology Center of Burbank site has a searchable resource library and a Spanish-language section. Both are custom-coded.
The tradeoff is who makes changes. Without a built-in editor, even small updates go through a developer. That's fine if your content rarely changes, or if you have someone on call for it. It's frustrating if you want to change something every week.
What we build, and what we don't
We build new sites on Wix Studio and in custom code, and WordPress isn't our default for new small-business sites.
You should read this comparison knowing that. Our reason is upkeep: for a business with no one to own plugin and update work, we'd rather hand over a site with less of it. That's a judgment about fit, not a verdict on WordPress, and it wouldn't hold for every business.
We don't turn WordPress owners away. Our maintenance plans cover WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and custom builds, including sites we didn't build. And we can move a site from WordPress to Wix Studio or custom code if that's the right call. If you're already happy on WordPress, staying may be the right answer.
How to decide
Decide by answering four questions about ownership rather than features, because most platforms can cover the common features.
- Who will change the content, and how often? Weekly edits by your own team point toward Wix Studio or WordPress.
- Who will own updates a year from now? If nobody will, avoid any setup that depends on someone remembering.
- Does the site need something a builder or plugin can't do well? If so, custom code deserves a look.
- How much would it hurt to be unable to leave? If it would hurt a lot, favor WordPress or custom code.
For more on the two we build, read Wix Studio vs custom code.
Sources
All pages checked on 2026-11-03.
- WordPress.org about page, on open source, the GPL and its four freedoms.
- WordPress.org update documentation, on automatic updates, major releases and backups.
- WordPress.org hosting page, on choosing a host.
- WordPress.org plugin directory, the official plugin listing.
- Wix Studio product page, on who it's for, managed infrastructure, custom code and client handover.
- Wix plans page, on hosting being included with plans and current pricing.
- Wix Help Center article on exporting or embedding a site, on external hosting and connecting a domain.
Written by Romik Hacobian, founder of Media City Design, a Burbank web design studio since 2021.