Are you looking to create a website for your small business? If so, you have most likely heard of both Wix and WordPress. These are two of the most popular website building platforms available today. Both platforms have their own unique set of features, advantages, and disadvantages.
In this article, we will take a closer look at both Wix and WordPress to help you decide which one is better suited for your needs. We'll be comparing to two platforms based on:
- Ease of Use
- Customisation and Design Flexibility
- E-Commerce Capabilities
- SEO and Marketing Tools
- Pricing and Plans
- Support and Community
Let's start with a brief background on each.
What is Wix?
Wix is a cloud-based website builder that allows users to create beautiful and functional websites with ease. With over 200 million users, Wix is one of the most popular website builders in the world.
The platform offers a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy for users of all skill levels to create a professional-looking website. Wix also offers a wide range of features such as customizable templates, mobile optimization, and e-commerce capabilities. Additionally, Wix has a user-friendly dashboard that allows users to manage their website and track their performance.
One of the biggest advantages of using Wix is that it is an all-in-one solution. This means that users can create and host their website on the same platform, without the need for additional hosting services.
Wix also offers a free plan that allows users to create a basic website with limited features. However, to access more advanced features, users will need to upgrade to a paid plan.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system that allows users to create and manage websites, blogs, and online stores. With over 835 million websites powered by WordPress, the CMS is responsible for 41.3% of all websites on the internet. WordPress offers a wide range of features such as customisable themes, plugins, and widgets that allow users to create a unique and personalised website.
One of the biggest advantages of using WordPress is its flexibility. WordPress can be used to create any type of website, from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce store. Additionally, WordPress is highly customisable, allowing users to add custom code and functionality to their website. WordPress also has a large community of developers and users who contribute to the platform, providing support and resources for users.
However, unlike Wix, WordPress requires users to have their own hosting and domain name. This means that users will need to purchase hosting services and a domain name separately, which can be a bit more complicated for beginners.
Additionally, while WordPress is free to use, users may need to purchase premium themes and plugins to access more advanced features.
Ease of Use
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a website building platform is ease of use. A website builder should make it easy for users to create a website without the need for extensive coding knowledge or experience. Let's take a closer look at how both Wix and WordPress measure up in this area.
Wix's User Interface
Wix has a very user-friendly interface that uses a drag-and-drop editor to allow users to customize their website without any coding knowledge. Users can add text, images, videos, and more with ease. If you're not a coding expert, you can still create a website that looks professional and polished.
Furthermore, Wix offers a mobile editor that allows users to optimise their website for mobile devices. This is becoming increasingly important as more and more people access the internet from their smartphones and tablets.
WordPress's User Interface
While WordPress can be a bit more challenging for beginners, it offers more advanced customisation options than Wix. WordPress requires users to have at least some coding knowledge, although there are still many drag-and-drop options available through certain plugins and themes.
One of the advantages of WordPress is its flexibility. Users can choose from thousands of themes and plugins to customise their website's design and functionality. However, this flexibility can also be a disadvantage for beginners who may find the process of choosing the right theme and plugins overwhelming.
Wix wins on ease of use
Both Wix and WordPress have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ease of use. However, if you're a small business owner and have never made a website before, Wix's super easy user interface makes it so much easier.
Customisation and Design Flexibility
When it comes to building a website, customisation and design flexibility are important factors to consider. Not only do you want your website to look good, but you also want it to be unique and reflective of your brand. Let's take a closer look at the customisation options available in two popular website building platforms: Wix and WordPress.
Wix's Design Options
Wix offers a vast selection of over 800 templates to choose from, making it easy for users to create a website that matches their vision. These templates cover a wide range of industries and styles, from minimalist to bold and colorful.
The platform also offers a variety of tools and features that make it easy to customise your website's design and layout. For example, users can choose from a variety of fonts, colours, and backgrounds to create a unique and personalised website.
Wix hosts its own marketplace of third-party apps, which can be integrated into your website to add additional functionality. These apps cover a wide range of categories, from social media integration to e-commerce tools. This means that you can customise your website to meet your specific needs, whether you're running an online store or a blog.
WordPress's Design Options
WordPress is known for its flexibility and customisation options, making it a popular choice for businesses and individuals alike. With WordPress, you have access to a vast selection of themes that can be fully customised through coding or drag-and-drop editors. With external theme marketplaces, like ThemeForest, the options are endless.
WordPress's plugin marketplace offers thousands of options for adding additional features and functionality to your website. Whether you're looking to add a contact form, a social media feed, or a custom slider, there's likely a plugin that can help. WordPress's open-source nature means that developers are constantly creating new plugins and themes, ensuring that there's always something new to try.
WordPress just scrapes this win
Both offer a range of customisation options that allow users to create unique and professional-looking websites. However, WordPress' massive plugin library offers endless opportunity. If you opt for a drag-and-drop editor like Elementor, the world is practically your oyster.
E-commerce Capabilities
If you plan on selling products or services on your website, e-commerce capabilities are crucial. This is especially true in today's world, where more and more people are shopping online. Having an online store can help you reach a wider audience and increase your revenue. Let's compare the e-commerce features of Wix and WordPress.
Wix's E-commerce Features
Wix offers a range of e-commerce features that can help you create a professional and effective online store. With Wix, you can create an online store with product pages, shopping carts, and checkout processes. This makes it easy for your customers to browse your products, add items to their cart, and complete their purchase.
One of the great things about Wix is that it has integrations with a range of payment providers, making it easy to accept payments on your website. You can choose from a variety of payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and more. This gives your customers the flexibility to pay in a way that is convenient for them.
Wix also offers a range of other features that can help you manage your online store. For example, you can track your inventory, manage your orders, and create shipping labels. This can help you streamline your operations and ensure that your customers receive their orders in a timely manner.
WordPress's E-commerce Features
WordPress is another popular platform for creating an online store. One of the most popular e-commerce plugins for WordPress is WooCommerce. WooCommerce allows users to create an online store with a wide range of features, including product pages, shopping carts, and checkout processes.
Like Wix, WordPress also has integrations with a range of payment providers, making it easy to accept payments on your website. You can choose from a variety of payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and more.
One of the benefits of using WordPress for your e-commerce store is that it is highly customisable. There are many different plugins and themes available that can help you create a unique and professional-looking store.
WordPress coming through again
Wix and WordPress both get the job done. Users can securely pay online and have money deposited into your account. However, it's WordPress' impressive plugin collection that helps secure its win again.
Wix is catching up, however, WordPress is able to take the experience to the next level. From adding shipping tracking to using third-party platforms for emails, that little extra goes a long way. In addition, it's easier to manage personalised products/orders through WordPress too.
If you're a brick-and-mortar store and don't already have a POS, Wix may be the better here. Their POS system syncs across physical and online so you don't need to update stock manually. Already have a POS? You may already find it compatible with Woocommerce.
SEO and Marketing Tools
Search engine optimisation (SEO) and marketing tools are crucial if you want your website to rank well and attract visitors. In today's digital age, having a website with strong SEO and marketing tools is essential for any business or individual looking to establish an online presence. Let's compare the SEO and marketing tools available in Wix and WordPress.
Wix's SEO Features
Wix includes a range of basic SEO features, including the ability to add meta tags and descriptions to pages and images. This is important because meta tags and descriptions are what search engines use to understand the content on your website and rank it accordingly. Wix also offers integrations with popular marketing tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Ads. With Google Analytics, you can track your website's traffic and gain insights into your audience's behavior. With Facebook Ads, you can create targeted ads to reach your desired audience.
In addition to these basic SEO features, Wix also offers a range of advanced SEO tools for users who want to take their website's optimisation to the next level. These tools include the ability to customise URLs, add alt text to images, and create 301 redirects. With these tools, you can ensure that your website is fully optimised for search engines and that your content is easily discoverable.
WordPress's SEO Features
WordPress offers a wide range of SEO plugins, including Yoast SEO and SEOPress. These plugins make it easy to optimise your website for search engines. Both allows you to add meta tags and descriptions to your pages and posts, as well as optimise your content for specific keywords.
Like Wix, WordPress also offers integrations with popular marketing tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Ads. With these tools, you can track your website's traffic and gain insights into your audience's behaviour.
One of the key advantages of WordPress's SEO features is the ability to customise your website's code. With WordPress, you have complete control over your website's HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This means that you can make changes to your website's code to optimise it for search engines and improve its performance.
Wix wins - only if you're DIYin' SEO
If you're creating the website and managing the SEO all on your own, Wix may be better for you. You don't have to download plugins and it keeps things minimal.
However, if you're hiring an SEO expert, you should build in WordPress. Whilst both offer sound SEO foundations, WordPress allows more code customisation and better advanced SEO tools. This can make the difference between page #2 and page #1.
Pricing and Plans
When it comes to building a website, one of the most important factors to consider is pricing. After all, you want to make sure that you're getting the best value for your money. In this section, we'll take a closer look at the pricing and plans available for two popular website building platforms: Wix and WordPress.
Wix's Pricing Plans
If you're considering using Wix to build your website, you'll be pleased to know that they offer a range of pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets. The Unlimited plan starts at just £11 per month, which is a great option if you're just starting out and don't need all the bells and whistles.
If you're running an online store, you might want to opt for Wix's eCommerce Unlimited plan, which starts at £20 per month. This plan includes all the features of the Unlimited plan, as well as an online store with unlimited products and 35GB of storage.
Finally, if you're looking for the ultimate Wix experience, you might want to consider the VIP plan, which costs £27 per month. This plan includes all the features of the eCommerce plan, as well as priority support and a professional site review.
It's worth noting that Wix also offers a free plan, which is a great option if you're on a tight budget. However, it does come with some limitations, such as Wix branding on your website and limited storage and bandwidth.
WordPress's Pricing Plans
WordPress is a free and open-source platform, which means that you can download and use it for free. However, you will still need to pay for hosting and any premium themes or plugins that you choose to use.
When it comes to hosting, prices can vary widely depending on the provider and plan that you choose. Some hosting providers, such as Bluehost, offer plans starting at just £2.35 per month, while others, such as WP Engine, can cost as much as £39 per month.
In addition to hosting, you might also want to invest in a premium theme or plugin to enhance your website's functionality and design. The cost of these can vary widely, but you can expect to pay anywhere from £20 to £200 for a premium theme, and £50 to £500 for a premium plugin. These can either be one-off fees or annually charges. The more functionality you want for the site, the more plugins you may have to buy.
While WordPress does require some investment in terms of hosting and premium features, it's worth reiterating that it offers unparalleled flexibility and customisation options. With thousands of plugins and themes available, you can truly make your website your own.
Wix is the cheapest
So, which platform is right for you? Ultimately, it depends on your needs, budget, and technical expertise. If you're looking for a user-friendly platform with a range of pricing options, Wix might be the way to go. However, if you're willing to invest in hosting and premium features, WordPress provide better stability and security.
Support and Community
Support and community are important factors to consider when choosing a website building platform. Let's compare the support and community available for Wix and WordPress.
Wix's Support System
Wix offers a range of support options, including phone support, email support, and a comprehensive knowledge base. Wix also has a large community of users who can help answer questions and offer support.
WordPress's Support System
WordPress offers a range of support options, including a comprehensive knowledge base, forums, and a large community of users. Additionally, many theme and plugin developers offer support for their products.
Wix keeps it all in one place
Wix has a dedicated customer support team to answer any questions. As WordPress isn't a hosting platform, you don't have the same one-point of contact. You're reliant on theme and plugin developers to be responsive - however, communities normally offer very good personalised support.
We hate that many small businesses don't have the solid one-point of contact for their website. That's why include tech support in our packages. You get the power and customisability of WordPress with the professional know-how to rely on.
Pros and Cons
Let's take a look at the pros and cons of both Wix and WordPress.
Pros of Wix
- Very user-friendly interface
- Wide range of templates to choose from
- Comprehensive e-commerce features
- Strong support system
Pros of WordPress
- Extremely customisable with a massive plugin marketplace
- Powerful e-commerce and marketing capabilities through plugins
- Strong SEO foundations
- Large community of developers and users
- Completely free (though hosting and premium plugins/themes can add up)
Cons of Wix
- Not as customisable as WordPress
- Can sometimes be limiting for advanced users
- Additional costs for third-party apps and integrations
Cons of WordPress
- Requires at least some coding knowledge to fully customise
- Can be overwhelming for beginners
- Support is scattered between theme and plugin developers
Which Platform is Right for You?
Overall, both Wix and WordPress are powerful website building platforms, each with their own unique set of features and advantages. The choice between the two ultimately depends on your specific needs and skill level.
If you're local service or brick-and-mortar business who doesn't have a lot of time and no one to help, choose Wix. It's simple, easy, and gets the job done.
If you want a complete control over your website's design and functionality, WordPress is a must. We use WordPress because it allow us to be create exactly what you want whilst keeping it super user friendly for you and your customers. Plus, WordPress grows as you grow - there's no need for a rebuild when your business doubles in size.
Want to explore WordPress more? Check out our website packages.
