Wix Not Good for Blogging: Unpacking the Real Issues

If you’ve been poking around for a place to start a blog, Wix probably popped up in your search, right next to the big echo of “no coding needed!” and “drag and drop in minutes!” Sounds chill. But honestly, when you push past those first few shiny minutes, blogging on Wix shows its cracks pretty fast.

The main problem? Wix boxes you in. You can drag stuff around, but you can’t really build your blog the way you want. Want to tweak your post layout, change your comment system, or use advanced plugins? Good luck. I tried making a blog about fatherhood moments with my kids, Aditya and Ayaan, and keeping things clean and simple was weirdly hard. And then you get weird URLs like “username.wixsite.com/blogname” — not easy to share or remember.

Before you spend hours fiddling with your site, let’s break down where Wix really struggles if you want to take your blog seriously. Trust me, picking the right platform at the start saves a boatload of stress later.

• Limited Customization and Ugly URLs
• SEO Headaches on Wix
• Tough Love: Migrating Away from Wix
• Cost and Feature Traps

Limited Customization and Ugly URLs

One of the quickest ways to feel boxed in: try switching up your blog look on Wix. You get a few pre-made templates, but if you want to really change things, you hit a wall. Stuff like swapping how your posts are shown, adding advanced widgets, or even using popular commenting platforms just isn’t possible without heavy workarounds—or at all. You’re stuck using what Wix gives you, while blogging platforms like WordPress offer loads of themes and let you tinker as much as you want.

Wix shops its drag-and-drop editor as a game-changer, but it isn’t a win for folks who want a unique blog. For example, say you try to create a custom page design for individual posts. Nope—Wix has a single layout for blog posts. Want sticky posts or a custom sidebar per post? Not happening unless you upgrade or pay for add-ons, which gets annoying fast.

Then there’s the issue of URLs. Free Wix blogs always come with odd addresses like “username.wixsite.com/blogname/post-title.” They’re long, clunky, and just look unprofessional. Plus, when someone tries to remember your blog’s name or share your content, that URL’s a mess. Wix doesn’t let you set a real custom domain unless you go for their paid plan, which defeats the whole point of choosing a free blogging site.

Here’s why this matters: Search engines and people both prefer clean, simple addresses. Google’s own SEO starter guide says simple URLs “are easier to read and tend to get better click-through rates.” With Wix, you’re fighting an uphill battle before you even write your second post.

• Templates are locked down with limited editing.
• You can’t fully change post layouts or add custom code unless you’re on higher-priced plans.
• Free blogs get long, forgettable URLs you can’t customize.

So if you’re planning to stick out in the blogging crowd, these limits will creep up and drag your blog down sooner than you think.

SEO Headaches on Wix

Here’s where things get messy for bloggers hoping to get noticed: search engines and Wix don’t always play nice. The Wix blog builder has a reputation for weak SEO, especially when stacked up against platforms like WordPress. Sure, they’ll say you can change page titles, meta descriptions, and even use some basic SEO tools, but there are some annoying walls you hit pretty fast.

One major issue is sloppy URLs. Wix throws in a mess of extra characters or folders—like “/post/” and random numbers—which Google doesn’t really love. Pretty URLs matter for both ranking and getting people to actually click your links in search. Then there’s the slow load times. Wix websites are known to be heavier because of all the scripts they stuff in for drag-and-drop design. Speed is a real ranking factor; Google’s confirmed this, and Wix sites often lose points here.

If you want to geek out, here’s a realistic comparison—these numbers are based on data from a 2024 NVISION study that looked at 1000 small blogs on different platforms:

See what I mean? Visitors get tired of waiting, and Google’s bots don’t like slow sites either. Another headache is editing your sitemap and robots.txt files. Wix keeps these locked down, so if you want to hide some posts from Google or control what gets indexed, you're out of luck. Tools like Yoast SEO don’t work with Wix either, so you miss out on handy helpers for keyword research and page optimization.

• Can’t easily add schema markup for rich snippets (which boosts your click-through rates)
• Blog post images may not have custom alt text fields—hurting image search SEO
• Limited headline and link structure options, which affects keyword focus and internal linking

For people who just want a simple website, these details might seem small now, but if you ever want your blog to grab more traffic, these SEO limits can really hold you back.

Tough Love: Migrating Away from Wix

Ready for some real talk? Moving your blog off Wix can be a big pain. If your site is feeling too small, slow, or boxed in, migrating isn’t as simple as a click. Wix doesn’t play nice when you want to take your whole blog somewhere else, especially to a blogging platform like WordPress.

Here’s what stops most people in their tracks: Wix offers no official way to export posts, pages, or designs in bulk. So if you thought you could just hit an “export” button, nope. You’re left with two main options:

• Copy-paste all your content into your new platform. This is slow and you lose stuff like images, SEO tags, and formatting. If you’ve got over 50 posts, prepare for some real late nights.
• Use third-party scripts or paid migration services. These can get expensive and might not move everything perfectly, leaving behind comments or broken links.

To make it clearer, check this quick table showing how Wix stacks up against other free blogging sites when it comes to migration:

The problem isn’t just about effort. Sites like WordPress and Blogger were built to let you grow—and to help you leave if you want. Wix keeps you locked in, and honestly, that’s pretty rough when you outgrow their tools or want more control.

If you do end up moving, here’s what helps:

• Take screenshots of your old layouts for reference so you can try to rebuild your look.
• Set up redirects from your old Wix URLs to your new site, if possible, so readers don’t get lost (though this usually costs extra or needs Wix support).
• Back up all your images and files before shutting down the old site, since you’ll need to re-upload them manually.

Migrating from Wix is like untangling old Christmas lights. It’s doable, but you’ll definitely wish you chose a more flexible platform from day one. If you’re just testing, sure—try Wix. But for anyone wanting to grow or move fast? This is where Wix drops the ball.

Cost and Feature Traps

Wix grabs a lot of folks with the promise of being a free blogging site, but the reality comes with a bunch of small print. The free plan sounds great—until you hit limits that really matter for blogging. For starters, you’re stuck with big Wix ads splashed on your pages. Not just a tiny logo in the corner, but straight up banners at the top and bottom, reminding every reader that you didn't pay.

Want to connect your own domain instead of that long, messy Wix address? That's not free. You’ll need at least a basic premium plan, which starts around $16 per month if you pay annually. Need more storage or video space? Those costs jump up, especially if you want features like site analytics or accepting payments. It adds up quick, and a lot of these features are standard or even free on other platforms. You can end up paying more than you would on WordPress or even squarespace for must-have stuff.

Wix’s blogging features are also chopped up between free and paid tiers. Here’s a quick look at what you do and don’t get depending on your plan:

A lot of these things are deal-breakers for people who actually want to grow their blog. It’s one thing if you’re just testing ideas, but if you’re hoping to make money or build a brand, these limits kill momentum fast. Plus, Wix makes it hard to switch platforms later. You can’t just export your posts and move to WordPress—the data sticks with Wix. You’ll end up copying and pasting everything, which is a pain once you have more than a few blog posts.

• Ads can’t be removed on the free plan. You have to pay.
• Custom domains require a premium plan.
• Advanced SEO and real analytics are locked behind higher payments.
• Trying to switch platforms later is a serious time drain.

Before picking Wix, sit down and add up what you really want from your blog now—and where you imagine it a year down the road. For most people, the “free” label just becomes a gateway to a long list of upgrade prompts and bills you didn’t plan for when you started.