Wix alternative
Built for you, and yours to take anywhere
Wix is the biggest DIY builder, and its booking tools are genuinely built in. Aystra builds you a custom site with booking and orders in 2 to 4 weeks, then you run it yourself from €39/mo — and unlike a Wix site, your storefront code can leave with you.
Written July 2026. This is an honest comparison of two different things: a DIY builder and a done-for-you studio plus platform.
Why owners look past a DIY builder
Wix is a capable product and genuinely fits some businesses. Owners come to us when one of these starts to bite.
The site can never leave
Wix’s own help centre is clear: a Wix site cannot be exported to another host. Products and contacts export; the site you spent months polishing stays behind.
You are the one building it
A template still needs your hours: layout, copy, images, and the fiddly bits. That time is real, and it competes with running the business.
Cheap until it isn’t
Free and Light look cheap, but payments and booking need Core, and real needs pull in App Market subscriptions. The bill creeps up app by app.
The template ceiling
Templates look like templates, and switching one later means rebuilding the site. For a business that charges on craft or a premium feel, “recognisably Wix” undersells you.
Side by side
The honest comparison. Wix is a DIY builder you run yourself; Aystra is a custom build plus a self-serve platform underneath.
Who builds it
- Aystra
- We do — custom, in 2 to 4 weeks
- Wix
- You do, from a template
Cost model
- Aystra
- Build from €3,500 one-time, then a flat plan from €39/mo
- Wix
- Free with Wix ads; Light €14–19/mo; payments and booking need Core from €25/mo (July 2026)
Booking & orders
- Aystra
- Built in: services, multi-staff calendars, orders, reviews
- Wix
- Wix Bookings and stores are native on paid plans — one of Wix’s real strengths
Design
- Aystra
- Bespoke to your brand, fast by default
- Wix
- Template-based; switching templates later means rebuilding
Who runs it day to day
- Aystra
- You, in a self-serve admin, plus one person who built it
- Wix
- You, in the Wix editor and help centre
Your data & code
- Aystra
- Your storefront code in your repo; full export any time
- Wix
- Products and contacts export; the site itself cannot leave Wix
Changes later
- Aystra
- A person who knows your setup, billed by the hour
- Wix
- You, or a freelancer working inside the same editor
Prices from wix.com and aystra.co/pricing, July 2026.
Who should build on which
Aystra fits you if
- You want the site built for you, not another project on your plate
- You need real booking or orders with a premium, one-of-a-kind look
- You want to own the code — and be able to take it elsewhere
- You sell in more than one language and want it native, not an add-on
Wix still fits if
- You enjoy building it yourself and native booking on a budget is enough
- A free or €14/mo site covers your needs for now
- You are happy inside one ecosystem and do not plan to leave it
- The tightest possible monthly cost matters more than a custom build
Getting started
How it works
- 01
Tell us about the business
Share your services or products, staff, prices, and photos on the join page. We reply with a scope and a fixed quote.
- 02
We build the site, 2 to 4 weeks
A custom site with booking or orders built in, designed to your brand. Two feedback sessions are included.
- 03
You run it
From €39/mo the platform hosts the site and gives you the admin: bookings, products, clients, reviews, no code. Export your data any day.
Moving from Wix? The site itself cannot be exported — but your content, products, and contacts can. Send them with the join form and we scope the rebuild as part of the quote.Start on the join page
Wix alternative FAQ
Is Aystra a website builder like Wix?
No. Wix is a DIY builder you use yourself. Aystra builds you a custom site, then hands you a self-serve admin for the day-to-day — bookings, products, clients, reviews — without touching code.
What does it cost compared to Wix?
Aystra is a one-time build from €3,500 plus a flat plan from €39/mo. Wix is cheaper monthly — Light is €14–19/mo and Core from €25/mo — but you build and maintain it yourself, and the site can never move elsewhere. You are paying for a custom build and a person, not a template.
Can you move my Wix site over?
Wix sites cannot be exported, so we rebuild custom — usually better than a copy. Your content, products, and contacts come across, and most builds take 2 to 4 weeks with two feedback sessions included.
Does Wix not do booking too?
It does — Wix Bookings is native and decent, and we say so. The difference is who does the work and what you end up owning: a template you assembled inside Wix, or a custom site with booking built in, whose code sits in your own repo.
Tell us what you are building.
Take the two-minute estimate or send a note. We read it the same day.