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Wix vs Gatsby

Wix vs Gatsby: which is right for your project? Wix is drag-and-drop website builder with ai features. Gatsby is react-based ssg with graphql data layer. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

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TL;DR — Our Recommendation

Gatsby wins overall, but Wix is better for small business owners building their first website without any coding. Choose Wix for Small business owners building their first website without any coding. Choose Gatsby for Content-rich sites pulling data from multiple sources via GraphQL.

Official docs: Wix Developer Docs · Gatsby Documentation

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Feature by Feature Comparison

FeatureWixGatsby
Ease of Use
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flexibility
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost Value
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scalability
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ecosystem
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros & Cons

Wix

Pros

  • Wix ADI creates a site automatically from your answers
  • True WYSIWYG — drag elements anywhere on the page
  • Large template marketplace (800+ templates)
  • App Market adds functionality without code

Cons

  • Poor Core Web Vitals — heavy JavaScript bundle slows pages
  • No way to export your site or move to another host
  • Absolute positioning makes responsive design brittle
  • Performance degrades significantly with apps and animations

Gatsby

Pros

  • Rich plugin ecosystem for data sources (CMS, APIs, databases)
  • Unified GraphQL data layer pulls from any source
  • Excellent image optimization with gatsby-plugin-image
  • Pre-renders pages for fast initial load and good SEO

Cons

  • Build times scale poorly with page count (minutes for 10K+ pages)
  • Gatsby Cloud was shut down — hosting is now DIY
  • GraphQL data layer adds complexity to simple projects
  • Declining community momentum — many projects migrating to Astro or Next.js

Platform Details

DetailWixGatsby
Language / Stack
Proprietary (Velo for custom code)JavaScript/TypeScript (React)
Type
website builderssg
Pricing
$17-35/monthFree (open-source)
Open Source
NoYes
Best For
Small business owners building their first website without any codingContent-rich sites pulling data from multiple sources via GraphQL
Export Method
No native export — content must be manually copiedN/A (destination framework)

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Wix if…

  • You need small business owners building their first website without any coding
  • Your team is comfortable with Proprietary (Velo for custom code)
  • You want a low learning curve for non-technical team members

Choose Gatsby if…

  • You need content-rich sites pulling data from multiple sources via graphql
  • Your team is comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript (React)
  • You want an open-source solution with full code ownership
  • Budget is a top priority — free (open-source)
  • You want maximum performance with static or server-rendered pages

Which Should You Pick?

The right choice between Wix and Gatsby depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.

These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Wix is a website builder built with Proprietary (Velo for custom code), while Gatsby is a ssg built with JavaScript/TypeScript (React). That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. If your team includes non-developers who need to publish content frequently, Wix's familiar editing interface may save you onboarding time.

From a cost perspective, Gatsby is open-source (Free (open-source)), while Wix ($17-35/month) carries ongoing license costs. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.

Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP offers a free Wix → Gatsby migration tool that preserves your URLs, metadata, and content structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wix better than Gatsby?
Gatsby scores higher overall (22/30 vs 15/30) thanks to better performance. However, Wix remains the better choice for Small business owners building their first website without any coding.
Can I migrate from Wix to Gatsby?
Yes. Export your Wix content via No native export — content must be manually copied, then convert it to Markdown or import into a headless CMS. LeaveWP can help automate this process while preserving your SEO metadata and URL structure.
What are the main differences between Wix and Gatsby?
Wix is drag-and-drop website builder with ai features, while Gatsby is react-based ssg with graphql data layer. Key differences: ease of use (Wix: 5/5, Gatsby: 3/5), pricing ($17-35/month vs Free (open-source)), and ecosystem size (Wix: 2/5, Gatsby: 3/5).
How much does Wix cost compared to Gatsby?
Wix: $17-35/month. Gatsby: Free (open-source). Gatsby is open-source and free to self-host, while Wix is a paid platform.
Which is easier to learn, Wix or Gatsby?
Wix is easier to pick up (5/5 vs 3/5). Wix ADI creates a site automatically from your answers. Gatsby has a steeper learning curve, especially for teams new to JavaScript/TypeScript (React).
Which performs better, Wix or Gatsby?
Gatsby has the performance edge (4/5 vs 2/5). As a static site generator, Gatsby pre-renders pages for near-instant load times. Wix Poor Core Web Vitals — heavy JavaScript bundle slows pages.

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