The useful answer first.
Wix can be a sensible choice for a straightforward business website you want to manage yourself. A custom build is worth considering when your design, content structure, or customer journey needs more flexibility. Compare the full cost of running each option before choosing.
What affects the answer?
What you are taking on
| Decision | Wix | Custom website |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | An editor and platform in one place; still needs content and setup. | Design and development are scoped around your requirements. |
| Editing | Use the platform’s editor and supported tools. | Agree which pages and fields need a content editor. |
| Design | Work within the chosen editor and its capabilities. | More control, with additional design and development responsibility. |
| Running costs | Check the plan, apps, domain, and any paid services. | Check hosting, maintenance, licences, and change requests. |
| Moving later | A Wix site cannot simply be exported to another host. | Portability depends on the contract, code, and third-party services. |
A café needs a menu and a booking link
If the owner has good photographs, a short menu, and an existing reservation service, a builder may cover the job. A bespoke reservation system would add work without solving a new problem. If the café later adds events, catering enquiries, and two languages, reassess the structure before adding more tools.
Write down the awkward requirements first
Most platforms can show a photo, paragraph, and contact button. The useful comparison starts with the less obvious tasks: separate menus by location, a booking service that must stay in sync, staff permissions, or product information that changes every week.
Give both suppliers the same short brief. Ask them to demonstrate the most difficult task using a realistic example. A polished homepage is reassuring, but seeing a staff member change tomorrow’s opening hours tells you more about everyday ownership.
Compare the first year and the next one
Build a small cost sheet with separate lines for initial setup, content, translation, domain renewal, hosting or platform subscription, paid tools, support, and future edits. Mark who pays each bill and which charges can increase when usage grows.
A builder can still involve a designer or copywriter. A custom website can still depend on paid software. Ask for assumptions in writing, including the amount of content being entered and how many rounds of changes are included. Avoid comparing a finished service with a subscription price alone.
Bilingual content needs a maintenance plan
Before choosing a platform, test a real Thai heading, an English paragraph, and the language switch on a phone. Find out whether each language can have its own page title and URL, and whether staff can see which translations need updating.
You will also need someone to review the language. A translation tool does not know that a particular dish name, service promise, or booking condition needs your approval. Start with the pages customers actually use and keep both versions accurate.
Ask what you can take with you
Wix explains that its sites run on Wix infrastructure and cannot be exported as a complete working site to another host. That may be an acceptable trade-off for the convenience of its platform. Keep copies of original images and written content either way.
For custom work, agree access to the domain, repository or source files, content, hosting account, and third-party services. Ask what another developer would need to take over. Custom code alone does not guarantee an easy handover if only one person understands the setup.
- 01List the tasks
Use real customer needs
- 02Try the hard part
Test editing and integrations
- 03Compare ownership
Costs, access, and support
What should be included?
- A written list of required features
- A real mobile editing demonstration
- A first-year and renewal cost sheet
- Language coverage agreed
- Domain access in your business’s name
- A documented handover and support plan
When a simpler option may be enough
Use a builder when it covers the important tasks and you are comfortable managing it. Commission a custom build when you can name the restrictions it needs to remove. Either choice still needs good content and regular care.
Questions worth asking
- 01Can you show how our most difficult requirement works?
- 02Which changes can our staff make without help?
- 03What costs sit outside this proposal?
- 04What happens if we change supplier?
How we approach it
We start by checking whether a straightforward site and existing tools will do the job. When custom work is useful, we agree the editing needs and handover alongside the design.
See selected workShort answers
Can a Wix website appear on Google?
Yes. Platform choice alone does not decide search visibility. Useful content, crawlable pages, and a clear structure matter on either approach.
Is custom always faster?
No. Performance depends on how the site is built, the images, scripts, and services it loads. Ask to test representative pages on mobile.
Can I move from Wix later?
Yes, but expect to rebuild the site on the new platform rather than export a complete working Wix site. Plan content transfer and URL redirects if you migrate.