Can AI Really Make Coding Easier? How Wix Plans to Disrupt App Development

The question isn’t new: how hard is coding, really? For decades, software development has remained a specialized skill, accessible primarily to those with formal training or exceptional self-teaching discipline. But artificial intelligence is beginning to change that equation. Companies like Wix are betting that AI-powered tools can dramatically lower the barrier to entry for developers of all skill levels—and in doing so, unlock massive market opportunities.

The traditional coding barrier has always been steep. Complex syntax, debugging challenges, and the sheer volume of programming languages required to stay competitive mean that many aspiring developers never make it past the initial learning curve. Even experienced programmers spend considerable time on repetitive, mundane coding tasks that could be automated. This inefficiency in the development process has long been recognized as a drag on innovation and market growth. The real question now is: can AI solve what humans have struggled with for years?

Why Traditional Coding Remains a Major Barrier to Entry

Software has always served as a gatekeeper to digital creation. Website builders like Wix democratized web design in the mid-2000s by allowing non-technical users to build professional sites without writing a single line of code. That innovation drove explosive growth: Wix became the largest software-as-a-service (SaaS) website builder globally, powered by superior marketing execution and strong customer retention metrics. The company’s net retention rates remain impressively high, proving that its customers value the platform’s simplicity and effectiveness.

But website design represents only a fraction of what developers want to build. Apps, complex business software, and custom solutions remain largely trapped behind the coding wall. Creating an application still demands hours of learning and hands-on programming expertise. This is where the market opportunity explodes—if someone can make app development as accessible as website design.

The Rise of Natural Language Programming

Here’s where Wix is making its boldest move. The company has been investing heavily in what the industry calls “vibe coding”—essentially, using AI agents to generate functional code from natural-language prompts. Instead of typing traditional code syntax, developers can describe what they want to build in plain English, and AI generates the underlying programming automatically.

In June 2024, Wix acquired Base44, an AI company specializing in precisely this technology. The acquisition wasn’t merely strategic—it was transformative. Within months, Wix applied its proven marketing playbook to Base44’s platform, growing active users from a fraction of a million to over 2 million by late 2024. That sevenfold surge demonstrates Wix’s core competency: taking existing technology and scaling it through superior go-to-market execution.

Currently, Wix is investing heavily in infrastructure and operational scaling for this AI service. The costs are significant. However, the addressable market dwarfs the near-term expenses. If Wix can execute its established playbook—strong marketing, excellent customer experience, high retention—then revenue growth should accelerate substantially, and margins should expand over time as the service matures.

Expanding Beyond Simple Websites

Before diving into vibe coding, Wix had already begun its evolution. In 2023, the company launched Wix Studio, a more powerful tool targeting professional agencies and freelancers who build websites for businesses. This product line drove impressive growth: the partners segment climbed 24% year-over-year in the most recent quarter. That performance proves Wix’s ability to move upmarket and capture higher-value customer segments.

The partners segment also became a gateway drug for other Wix services, including payments processing and business solutions. This upsell momentum is crucial—it shows that Wix’s customers increasingly depend on the platform as their primary development and business infrastructure.

Now, with vibe coding integrated into its ecosystem, Wix is positioned to serve an even broader market: app developers who want to move fast without getting bogged down by traditional coding complexity. The company isn’t trying to replace expert programmers; rather, it’s expanding the population of people capable of building applications. That’s a fundamentally larger market than professional website design alone.

The Competitive Landscape

Admittedly, Wix faces real competition. Tools like Claude Code (developed by Anthropic) represent powerful alternatives that could theoretically make specialized platforms redundant. At first glance, this looks like a genuine threat to Wix’s business model. The market certainly priced that risk in, driving Wix’s stock down significantly on AI-disruption fears.

However, history suggests Wix can compete effectively. The company has consistently carved out substantial market share in large, competitive markets through superior marketing and customer experience. It did so with website builders. There’s no reason to believe it can’t do the same in app development, especially as vibe coding tools become more sophisticated and demand explodes. Wix’s combination of strong product execution, proven distribution muscle, and excellent customer retention creates a defensible competitive moat—even against powerful generalist AI tools.

Valuation Creates an Attractive Entry Point

What makes the situation even more compelling for investors is the valuation. Wix currently trades at just 13 times forward earnings expectations. For a software company positioned at the intersection of a massive market opportunity (app development), a transformative technology (AI-powered code generation), and proven execution excellence, that’s extraordinarily cheap.

The market is pricing in significant pessimism about Wix’s ability to navigate AI disruption. But that pessimism appears overdone. The company has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to adapt, scale, and thrive in competitive software markets. The vibe coding opportunity represents the next chapter in that story—and investors can buy the book at a steep discount.

The Bottom Line

The coding barrier has existed for decades because solving it is genuinely hard. But Wix, armed with proven marketing expertise, strong customer relationships, and a transformative AI platform, is making a credible attempt. Whether the company succeeds remains uncertain—execution always is. What’s clear is that the market hasn’t fully priced in the upside potential of Wix’s pivot into AI-powered app development, leaving attractive risk-reward dynamics for patient investors willing to bet on the company’s proven track record.