SailWP

Wix, but you own your site.

Wix builds nice sites. The catch: you rent them forever and can't take them with you. SailWP gives you the same on-rails simplicity on WordPress, so the site is yours.

Get managed SailWP Hosting Or download the free theme

Wix vs SailWP, in one screen

Both build nice sites quickly. The real difference is what you have a year from now.

You rent it.

Monthly forever

No real export

Plan renews yearly

SailWP

You own it.

Your files

No lock-in

Export any time

Try it before you read the rest.

Managed hosting installs SailWP for you, no WordPress admin needed.

Get SailWP Hosting Download theme

Hour one, side by side

Same goal: a working site with SEO, analytics, mobile responsive, your own domain. Different routes, very different exits.

0:00

Create Wix account

0:05

Generate starter site

0:20

Edit in Wix editor

0:45

Hit paywall for domain

Live on rented ground. Annual bill kicks in, with no way to take the site with you if you leave.

SailWP

0:00

Download theme (94KB)

0:04

Run setup wizard

0:15

Tweak with Co-pilot chat

0:40

Publish on your domain

Live on infrastructure you own. Theme is free forever. If you ever leave SailWP, you keep the site.

Feature by feature

No marketing language. What's included on day one, what costs extra, and what happens the day you want to leave.

		SailWP
Who owns the site	WixYou rent your URL on their infrastructure.	YouWordPress files on your hosting.
Export the whole site	Not supportedBlog posts export as XML. Design, layout, apps, and database do not.	Full WordPress exportStandard XML, media, database. Importable on any host.
Move to another host	Effectively noYou'd rebuild from scratch on the new platform.	Standard migrationAny agency can move a SailWP site in an afternoon.
Monthly cost	~€14 to €34+/month, billed yearlyForever. Site goes offline if you stop paying.	Theme: €0 foreverCo-pilot €19/mo or €190/yr if you want AI editing. Cancel anytime, site stays live.
Custom domain	Paid plans onlyFree tier shows a Wix subdomain and Wix branding.	AlwaysYour domain on your hosting from day one.
SEO control	Improved, but constrained by Wix's stack.	Full WordPress + technical access.Schema, robots, redirects, all editable.
AI page builder	Wix ADI / Wix Studio AI	SailWP Co-pilotChat panel inside WP admin. Edits a site you actually own.
Apps & integrations	Wix App Market, ~1,000 appsLocked to Wix's ecosystem.	60,000+ WordPress pluginsAnything in the WP world still works.
Custom code	Velo (Wix's JS framework), limited.	Full. Edit any theme or plugin file.
Source code access	None	All of itGPL v2+, on GitHub.
Lock-in	HighLeaving means rebuilding.	NoneIt's WordPress underneath.

Where Wix still wins

SailWP isn't the right call for everyone.

Fair credit

If "one bill, never think about it" is your goal, Wix is built for that.

Wix bundles hosting, SSL, CDN, backups, app marketplace, and updates into one dashboard. Wix Studio's visual builder is genuinely strong; pixel-precise drag-and-drop is mature in a way SailWP's editors are not yet. If your site is small, your brand is stable, and you're certain you'll never sell, switch agencies, or migrate, the lock-in cost is effectively zero and Wix wins on simplicity. SailWP's value kicks in the moment any of those certainties wobbles.

Set sail from Wix.

Switching is part rebuild, part import. Faster than people expect.

Oil painting of a sailboat leaving a grey stone harbor at dawn, sailing across calm water toward a distant coastline with a small warmly-lit cottage on the horizon, visual metaphor for migrating from Wix to a SailWP site you own.

Wix exports your blog as XML. WordPress reads it natively. Co-pilot rebuilds the design from your Wix URL. A typical small business site is back online in an afternoon.

Want help with the switch?

SailWP Hosting includes a free assisted migration from Wix.

See hosting plans Talk to us

So, which one for you?

A rough guide. If you're between the two, start with SailWP. The theme is free; you keep the site even if you uninstall Co-pilot.

SailWP fits you

The owner-operator

You want to own your site, not rent it
You might sell, switch agencies, or migrate hosts one day
SEO and technical control matter to you
You'd rather pay nothing forever than a yearly fee forever
You want AI page editing on infrastructure you control

Stick with Wix

The set-and-forget owner

You never want to think about hosting or files
One bill, one dashboard, one company is the goal
You'll never migrate, sell, or hand off the site
Wix Studio's visual polish is non-negotiable for your design
You don't mind paying every year, forever, to stay live

Quick questions

Can I really move my SailWP site to another host?

Yes. SailWP is just a WordPress theme. Any hosting company that supports WordPress can run it. Migration takes an afternoon for any developer or agency, and standard WordPress exports include all your content and media.

Can I move my Wix site to SailWP?

Partially. Wix lets you export blog posts as XML, which import into WordPress directly. The visual design has to be rebuilt, but our Co-pilot can recreate the look in a few prompts. SailWP Hosting includes a free assisted migration if you'd rather not handle it yourself.

Is SailWP really free?

The theme is free forever, GPL v2+. The Co-pilot (the AI page builder) is optional at €19/month or €190/year. You can use the theme without ever paying us. We make money on Co-pilot subscriptions and managed hosting.

Do I need to know WordPress?

No. SailWP Hosting installs everything for you. If you'd rather not see the WordPress admin at all, the Co-pilot edits your site via chat, from your phone or laptop. You can run a SailWP site without learning what a plugin is.

What about hosting? Is it included?

Not bundled. You choose. SailWP Hosting is fully managed and starts low; or use any WordPress host you prefer. Either way, the site stays yours.

Build it once. Own it forever.

Get managed hosting and skip the WordPress setup, or just download the theme and run it on your own host.

Get SailWP Hosting Download free theme