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Web design guide

The Best Wix Alternative for Canadian Small Businesses (Own It Instead of Renting)

If you're tired of paying Wix every month and worried you can never really leave, you're not alone. Here's a simpler way: own your website outright, one time, with no subscription and no lock-in.

Why Canadian businesses look past Wix

The first reason is the bill that never ends. Wix runs $17 to $159 a month. That's every month, forever, just to keep your site online. Stop paying and the site goes away.

The second reason is harder to see until you try to leave. Wix is a closed platform. You can't export your site's design. You can pull out some content like your contact list or store data as a CSV, but the actual site you paid to build stays behind. After years of payments, you walk away with nothing to show for it.

For a lot of owners, that's the moment the search for a Wix alternative in Canada really begins.

Squarespace has the same problem

If you're weighing Squarespace as the next step, know that it's the same rent-forever model. It runs $16 to $99 a month, and the export is limited XML only. No images come with it, and Squarespace 7.1 doesn't support XML export at all.

So a Squarespace alternative isn't really an alternative if you're still renting and still locked in. The question isn't which platform to rent from. It's whether you should be renting at all.

What to actually look for in an alternative

Ownership comes first. When you pay, you should get the real files and keep your own domain. That's yours to walk away with.

Then editability. You should be able to make changes yourself without learning code or calling anyone. Hosting freedom matters too. Host it wherever you want, even on your own setup, and switch any time.

Last is cost that makes sense. A clear one-time price beats a monthly bill that runs as long as your business does.

GetFavours is the own-it alternative

We build you a custom website and hand it over. You get all the files and your domain, so you own it outright. We also include a plain-English PDF guide that walks you through editing it yourself, written for a business owner, not a developer.

Pricing is one-time and clear. Starter, a single page, is $49. Business, multi-page with online booking or a quote form, is $149. Custom builds start from $399. For comparison, freelancers elsewhere typically charge $500 to $5,000, and agencies $5,000 to $50,000 or more for a one-time build.

Host it anywhere you like. If you'd rather not deal with hosting, an optional care plan runs about $19 a month, but it's never required. The site is yours either way.

Own it, don't rent it

The simple difference: rent a site from Wix or Squarespace and you pay forever, then leave with nothing. Buy one from GetFavours and you pay once, own the files, and keep your domain.

Any business type, anywhere in Canada. One price, no subscription, no lock-in.

Frequently asked questions

Can I move my Wix site to GetFavours?

We build you a fresh custom site rather than moving the old one. Wix doesn't let you export your site's design, so it can't be lifted out cleanly. You can bring over content like text, images and your contact list, and we build the new site around it. You keep your domain.

Do I really own the website?

Yes. You get all the files and keep your own domain. The site is yours to host anywhere, edit yourself, and keep with no ongoing payment to us.

What does it cost compared to Wix?

GetFavours is one-time: Starter $49, Business $149, Custom from $399. Wix is $17 to $159 every month with no end. Over a year or two, the one-time price usually works out far cheaper, and you own the result.

Is GetFavours a good Squarespace alternative too?

Yes. Squarespace is the same rent-forever model at $16 to $99 a month with limited XML export and no images, and 7.1 doesn't support XML export at all. With GetFavours you pay once and own your files outright instead of renting.

Can I edit the site myself after it's built?

Yes. Every build comes with a plain-English PDF guide that walks you through making changes, written for a non-technical owner. No code and no calls required.

Do I have to pay a monthly fee?

No. There's no required subscription. You can host the site anywhere, even locally. If you'd like us to handle hosting and upkeep, there's an optional care plan at about $19 a month, but it's entirely your choice.

Own your website — from $49

Pay once, own it outright, and edit it yourself with a plain-English guide. Tell us what you need and we’ll build it — for any local business.