Short answer: use Wix if you're just starting, enjoy doing things yourself, and need a simple 4–5 page site. Its Core plan, which includes booking and payments, costs about ₹6,000 a year before GST. Choose a custom-built site if you'd rather someone else write and build it, want to own the site outright, or plan to grow into programmes, a team or ads. A Wix site can't be moved off Wix later. For most solo counsellors, what the site says matters more than what it's built on.
We build custom websites, so read this knowing that. We've tried to be fair: for some counsellors, Wix is the right answer.
Wix vs custom at a glance
| Compared | Wix (Core plan) | Custom-built site |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ₹500 a month, billed yearly (₹6,000 a year + GST), for as long as you use it | Usually ₹15,000–₹40,000 once, then about ₹2,000–₹25,000 a year for domain, hosting and upkeep |
| Who builds it | You, using a template | A designer or studio, with you reviewing |
| Who writes the words | You | You, or the studio if it's included |
| Booking and payments | Built in on Core and higher plans | Set up to suit you, e.g. Razorpay, UPI, WhatsApp booking |
| Ownership | The site runs only on Wix. You can move your domain, not the site. | You own the files and can host them anywhere |
| Changes later | You make them yourself, any time | You make them, or ask whoever supports the site |
| Your time | Roughly 15–40 hours to set up well | One call and a review round or two |
| Help when stuck | Wix help centre and chat support | Depends on who built it: ask before you pay |
Wix prices are from Wix's India plans page on 28 Sep 2026. For a full cost breakdown, see how much a coach website costs in India.
When Wix is the right choice
Wix is a good tool. Pick it if most of these are true:
- You're testing the waters. You're newly qualified or seeing a few clients and want a presence without a big upfront cost.
- You enjoy doing it yourself. You're comfortable choosing a template, writing your own pages and fixing small things.
- Your needs are simple. An About page, what you help with, fees, a contact form and a booking link.
- You have the time. A good Wix site still takes a few weekends, mostly spent on writing and photos.
If that's you, start on Wix and put your energy into the words. A clear, warm site on Wix beats a beautiful custom site that doesn't say who you help.
When a custom site is worth paying for
A custom site makes more sense when:
- You don't want to build it yourself. Your time is better spent with clients, and you'd rather review a site than make one.
- You want to own it. Wix says a Wix site "must run on Wix's servers", so leaving Wix means rebuilding. With a custom site, the files are yours.
- You need things set up a specific way. For example, Indian payments for session packages, WhatsApp booking, pages in Hindi or Punjabi, or a separate page for each area you work in.
- You're growing. A group practice, a paid programme or workshop, or running Meta or Google ads, where page speed and tracking matter.
- You want someone to call. When the booking form stops working, you have a person to message, not a help centre.
What to get right, whichever you choose
These matter more than the platform.
- Say who you help, in everyday words. "Stress, relationships, family conflict, exam pressure" works better than a list of therapy methods.
- Add a "your first session" page. How long it lasts, online or in person, what happens, and the fee if you show it. It answers the questions people are too shy to ask.
- Make reaching you quiet and easy. A short form, a booking link and a WhatsApp button, so nobody has to phone.
- Keep forms minimal and private. Ask only for a name, a contact and a preferred time, not details of their situation. Add a clear privacy page. India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 sets rules for how personal data is collected and used. Check what applies to your practice with a professional; this isn't legal advice.
- Show your credentials. Your qualifications, training and, where it applies (for example, clinical psychologists), your registration.
- Own your domain. Register it in your own name, whichever platform you use.
- Check it on a phone. Most people will find you on their phone, often late at night.
A middle path
You don't have to choose forever on day one:
- Start small, custom. One well-written page with your offer, WhatsApp and a booking link. Add more pages as your practice grows.
- Start on Wix, plan the move. It works, but you'll rebuild the site rather than move it. If you expect to switch within a year, compare the total cost first.
How we can help
We build websites for counsellors, therapists and psychologists across India. We keep them simple, explain everything in plain words, and stay around after launch. See counsellor websites and psychologist websites for what's included, and packages and prices for fixed prices, written down before we start.
Questions counsellors ask us
Is Wix good for SEO?
Wix handles the basics well: page titles, descriptions, mobile pages and sitemaps. Where a site ranks depends far more on what it says, how clearly each page answers a question and whether other sites mention you.
Can I move my Wix site to another host later?
No. Wix says a Wix site must run on Wix's servers. You can move your domain name, but you'd rebuild the pages somewhere else.
Is a custom website more expensive than Wix?
Upfront, yes. Over three years the gap narrows. Wix Core costs about ₹18,000 before GST over three years, plus your time. A custom site costs more at the start and less each year after.
Do I need a website if I'm already listed on a directory?
A directory profile helps people find you, but it sits next to many other counsellors and follows the directory's rules. Your own site is where you explain how you work, show your fees and take bookings on your terms. Most counsellors do best with both.
What should a counsellor's website include?
Who you help, your qualifications, what a first session looks like, your fees or a starting fee, and a quiet way to get in touch: a form, a booking link or WhatsApp.