How Circle and Wix compare
Circle is where serious community hosts go when the community is the business. Spaces for discussion and chat, courses and events in the same place, paid memberships with branded checkout, gamification, workflows, Circle AI, and on Circle Plus your own branded iOS and Android apps. It has grown into an all-in-one for membership businesses, and the Website Builder and Email Hub mean many hosts no longer need a second tool for the front door. If your members log in every week to talk to each other, Circle is built for exactly that.
Wix can build almost anything. A free-form editor, hundreds of templates, an app market, Wix Stores, Wix Bookings, Wix Chat, email marketing, and a business inbox make it a full small-business toolkit, and the AI site builder gets you to a first draft fast. For a business that needs breadth and an app for everything, Wix is a safe bet.
Where they are different
Circle
- Circle's pages are the front door to a members-only space.
- Circle's Email Hub is an add-on priced per contact on top of the plan.
- Circle's DMs live between members inside the community.
- Circle has courses, live streams, paid tiers for users, and gamification.
Wix
- Wix adds features through apps and plan upgrades.
- Wix's inbox gathers chat and forms.
- Wix is designed for any business.
Choose Circle when a paid, private community with courses and events is the product, and you want members in a branded app.
Choose Wix when you need breadth: any layout, any app, any business type.
Compare features
What's on Circle and Wix
A check means that capability is available. Circle and Wix are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Custom domainCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Editor ModeCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Theme and fontsCircle: IncludedWix: Included
Public content
- BlogCircle: Not includedWix: Included
- Reader engagementCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Showcase pagesCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Shop pagesCircle: Not includedWix: Included
Reach and quality
- SEOCircle: IncludedWix: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Email templates and From addressesCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Marketing emailsCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Campaign workflowsCircle: IncludedWix: Included
Messaging
- Built-in chatCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Messaging CenterCircle: Not includedWix: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Circle: Not includedWix: Included
Team
- Admin usersCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCircle: IncludedWix: Included
- AI AssistantCircle: IncludedWix: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Circle or Wix, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Circle or Wix may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Circle vs Wix pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Circle
Current plans and prices
See what Circle charges on their pricing page.
Wix
Current plans and prices
See what Wix charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Circle and Wix
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Circle or Wix?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Circle or Wix when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Circle and Wix are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Circle or Wix?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Circle or Wix for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Circle and Wix?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Circle and Wix set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Circle or Wix to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.