A simpler Wix alternative for small businesses
Wix can build almost anything. That's the problem if you run a shop, a studio or a coaching business and just need a site that works. Here's how Stooplight compares, including where Wix is the better pick.
Prices last checked: Wix September 28, 2026Why people switch
You don't have to be the web designer.
Wix hands you an editor and 900+ templates, and the building is up to you. Stooplight builds your site in about fifteen minutes from a short guided setup, and you tweak it from there.
Taking money costs less.
Wix's cheapest paid plan, Light ($24/mo), can't take payments at all. Selling starts at Core ($36/mo). Stooplight Pro is $34.99/mo and includes tickets, a shop and an AI concierge, with payments going straight into your own Stripe account.
You can run it from your phone.
Wix's editor is built for a desktop. Stooplight's whole dashboard works on a phone: change your words, add an event, check who's coming, scan tickets at the door.
The starter plans
Stooplight Basic against Wix Light, Wix's cheapest paid plan. Prices are month to month; in parentheses is Wix's per-month price if you pay for a year up front. Stooplight has one price either way.
| Feature | Stooplight Basic$9.99/mo | Wix Light$24/mo ($17 annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Full hosted site, your own domain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Site builds itself, live in minutes | ✓ ~15 min, guided setup | — you build it in their editor |
| Instant email alert on every lead | ✓ | — |
| Visitor stats included | ✓ anonymous, no cookies | — none on this plan |
| FAQ section you edit yourself | ✓ | build it manually |
| Run everything from a phone | ✓ the whole dashboard | editor is desktop-first |
| Version history & undo publish | ✓ | ✓ |
| Design freedom | 12 templates × 12 color sets × 23 fonts — 18,000+ looks | 900+ templates, full editor |
The plans that take money
Stooplight Pro against Wix Core, the plan you'd need at Wix to sell online.
| Feature | Stooplight Pro$34.99/mo | Wix Core$36/mo ($29 annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Sell products with a cart | ✓ up to 50 products | ✓ up to 50,000 |
| Platform's cut of your sales | 0% your own Stripe; card fees only | 0% + processing fees |
| Event tickets + door check-in | ✓ QR scan from a phone, live seat counts | tickets yes, phone door scanner no |
| Online events with gated join links | ✓ personal links, auto check-in | — |
| AI that answers your visitors | ✓ from your site's own info, 24/7, saved conversations | add-on apps |
| Automatic post-event feedback | ✓ | — |
| Gift certificates & services | ✓ receipts carry your redemption note | ✓ |
| Appointment booking | connect any scheduler Cal.com, Calendly, Square, Google | ✓ Wix Bookings included |
| Advanced shipping (zones, carriers) | — pickup, flat rate, free-over | ✓ |
| Where the money lands | your Stripe account | Wix Payments / Stripe |
When Wix is the better choice
We'd rather you pick right than pick us.
Pick Wix if you're building a store with hundreds of products, complex shipping zones, or you want a giant app market and total design control — that machinery is real, and we deliberately don't build it.
Want the three-way view? See Stooplight next to Wix, Squarespace and Durable.
Try the whole thing free for 7 days
Sign up, pay nothing for a week, and your site is live in about fifteen minutes. Cancel before day 7 and you're never charged.
Build my siteRather look around first? Three live demo sites are open right now.