In short
- WordPress is free; you pay for the domain, hosting and, optionally, premium themes or plugins.
- There are two versions: WordPress.org (installed on your hosting) and WordPress.com (a hosted service).
- Themes change the design and plugins add features.
- Its weak point is maintenance: it needs updating to stay secure.
What WordPress is
WordPress started in 2003 as a blogging tool and is now a complete CMS (content management system). Once your website is set up, you log into an admin panel in your browser and write pages, upload photos or change menus, much like editing a document.
Because it is open source, nobody owns your website but you. You can change hosting provider, designer or theme without losing your content.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com
| WordPress.org | WordPress.com | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The software, which you install on your hosting | A service that hosts WordPress for you |
| Cost | Free + domain and hosting | Limited free plan and paid plans |
| Plugins and themes | Any you like | Limited depending on plan |
| Control | Full | Partial |
When an agency talks about "building your site in WordPress", it almost always means WordPress.org on your own hosting.
How it works: themes, plugins and page builders
Themes
The theme sets the look of your website: fonts, colours, header, footer and layout. There are thousands, free and paid. A good theme is lightweight, regularly updated and works well on mobile.
Plugins
Plugins add features: forms, SEO, backups, bookings, multilingual content or a full online shop with WooCommerce. For a bilingual site in Spain, a translation plugin lets you run English and Spanish versions side by side. The golden rule is to install only what you need: every extra plugin means more weight and more updates.
Page builders
Plugins such as Elementor let you design pages visually by dragging blocks around. They make design easier but can slow a site down if overused. WordPress also has its own block editor, which is lighter and enough for many websites.
Pros and cons for a business
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free, no licence fees | Needs regular updates |
| You can edit text and photos yourself | Too many plugins can slow it down |
| Very flexible: blog, shop, bookings, languages | A common target for attacks if not maintained |
| A good starting point for SEO | Steeper learning curve than a website builder |
| You own it and can move it | You need your own hosting |
WordPress vs Wix
Wix is a website builder: everything lives on its platform, you drag and drop, and hosting, security and updates are included in a monthly fee. It is easier to start with; WordPress is more flexible and the site is fully yours.
| Wix | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Very easy | A bit more to learn |
| Cost | Limited free plan with Wix ads and a Wix subdomain; paid plans for business | Free software + hosting and domain |
| Ownership | The site lives on Wix and can't be exported | Yours, and you can move it |
| SEO | Fine for small sites | More technical and content control |
| Online shop | Fine for small catalogues | WooCommerce scales to large catalogues |
| Maintenance | Wix handles it | You (or someone) update it |
Choose Wix if you'll build a small site yourself and don't want any technical work. Choose WordPress if you want to rank on Google, expect the site to grow (more pages, languages, bookings, a shop) or want to own it outright. Moving from Wix to WordPress later means rebuilding the site.
Is WordPress right for your website?
For most small businesses and freelancers who want a site they can edit and that ranks on Google, yes. At Wabiwebs we build WordPress websites from €550: lightweight, bilingual if you need it, and set up so you can change the text yourself.
FAQ
Is WordPress free?
The software is. You pay for the domain, hosting and, optionally, premium themes or plugins and design work.
Do I need to know how to code to use WordPress?
Not for everyday tasks: writing pages, uploading photos or changing text is done from a visual panel. Custom designs or features do need technical knowledge.
Which is better, WordPress or Wix?
Wix is easier to start with on your own; WordPress is more flexible, usually cheaper in the long run and fully yours. For a business that wants to grow and rank on Google, WordPress is usually the better bet.
Can I build a bilingual English–Spanish website with WordPress?
Yes. With a translation plugin you can run both languages, each with its own URLs, so Google can show the right version to each visitor.
Your WordPress website, ready to edit
Custom design, lightweight build, SEO basics and training so you can change your text yourself. From €550.
See WordPress websites