Home WordPress Themes Wix vs WordPress- Best Platform in 2022

Wix vs WordPress- Best Platform in 2022

by rigotechnology

Suppose you want to build yourself a website. Such questions are very likely something you’re thinking about. These questions are not easy to answer. As both Wix and WordPress are really good systems. WordPress is the trusted platform. It has been in the game for years now. Dominating the popularity charts.

While Wix has been making impressive strides lately. With its new user interface and addition of various powerful features. In this article, we will compare Wix vs WordPress and cover the main differences between them as well as their pros and cons. 

Then, we will compare which is likely the better choice for your needs.

Also Read :- Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders of 2021 Compared

Contents

  • 1 Website Builders vs CMS
  • 2 Open Source vs Closed
  • 3 WordPress.com and Wix
  • 4 Why is WordPress free, and what’s the catch?
  • 5 Wix or WordPress: Which Is Better for You (Everything You Need to Know)
  • 6 Pricing and Costs
  • 7 Ease of Use
  • 8 Design and Layout
  • 9 Plugins and Apps
  • 10 Which one is better for blogging?
  • 11 E-commerce Comparison
  • 12 Data Portability Options
  • 13 Value For Money
  • 14 Help and Support
  • 15 SEO
  • 16 Ongoing Maintenance
  • 17 Wix is better for you if…
  • 18 WordPress is better for you if…
  • 19 Wix versus WordPress: Our Final Thoughts

Website Builders vs CMS 

WordPress is a highly customizable CMS but has a steeper learning curve. WordPress is open-source software that is easy to install and modify. 

WordPress and Wix can be differentiated based on their templates, hosting, features, customer support, and much more. However, there is no right or wrong answer to which is better than the other. 

What matters is what suits your needs and which you find easier to use. 

Open Source vs Closed 

Being an open-source CMS making modifications to WordPress is comparatively easier. But this is not only its strength but also a weakness.

A large number of plugins and themes created by the open-source community is another major advantage of using WordPress.

WordPress currently has an upward of  58,000+ plugins on WordPress.org and more than 12,000 themes on Themeforest. This is much more compared to any other website builder.

But such a large number of features also make it difficult to use WordPress. With long technical settings pages and language being abstract and jargon, it can be a backend nightmare.

Also, you will not always be able to use all the themes and plugins because of restrictions. 

Users often face Incompatibilities, and fixing them can require users to make changes to the code. This can become very difficult for people who are not comfortable with coding.

To better understand the issues, you can always search for theme and plugin reviews.

Wix, on the other hand, offers an App Market that looks similar to WordPress’s plugins, but it is really not. It is a collection of over 300 apps, which is not even close to the huge library of WordPress plugins. 

The good thing about Wix is that it checks all apps for compatibility. That way, you can be confident they’ll integrate perfectly. There are rarely any compatibility issues or the need for changing the code.

Similarly, with themes, Wix has around 500 themes only. But they do not require any changes. 

Also, Wix’s visual theme editor is customizable. And you can design your own theme from scratch right from the start.

Wix is user-friendly. And does not need outside help unless you’re doing something really unusual.

For WordPress, you may have to hire WordPress professionals. To help you integrate themes and plugins when building your website.

So, Wix is user-friendly and tries to be more customizable. In comparison, WordPress is customizable and tries to be more user-friendly.

The difference between the two has more to do with the nature of website builders and CMS’s. This is why you must think hard about what you need before making a decision. Again, three is no right or wrong decision.

Also Read :- How ImageEngine can Optimize Contentful CMS For Faster Web Performance

WordPress.com and Wix 

WordPress.com and Wix are both platforms that include everything necessary for quickly launching a site. They are very similar in functionality, and you do not need to be a developer to create a website.

They both offer you a number of templates or themes. These templates can even be customized to your needs. But the customization is still limited.

Suppose you are an advanced user and want to customize the site further. Choose the WordPress.org site instead.

WordPress.org uses the same functionality. But it has fewer features than are ‘ready-to-launch. This means the setup time could be longer depending on your skillset. Also, WordPress.org does not include hosting.

It is not meant for users looking to quickly launch their website. Wix and WordPress.com are better options when designing a website with limited time.

On the other hand, if you want to customize your site without learning to code, WordPress.org is the best solution.

Why is WordPress free, and what’s the catch? 

For starters, you need your own domain name and web hosting to install WordPress. Depending on your budget, you can choose from a number of WordPress hosting providers. 

With more premium WordPress themes or plugins, the cost will increase. But there are thousands of free plugins and themes that you can use to reduce costs. 

Also Read :- Best Managed WordPress Hosting

Wix or WordPress: Which Is Better for You (Everything You Need to Know) 

  • Pricing and Costs

Pricing and cost is the most important factor when building your website. Especially if you are a small business or have a smaller budget.  Remember that you always know what you need. Your needs would define the costs of developing and maintaining your site.

 Aim for a goal that you can achieve with the budget you have. This section would compare the pricing of Wix and WordPress so that you can decide which one works the best for you.

Wix WordPress
Offers a free basic website builder. Open source and is free to use.
The Basic plan adds Wix branded advertisements on the top and bottom of your website. Need your own domain name and web hosting to install.
The basic plan does not allow you to use a custom domain name. Basic plan costs $2.75/month and includes a free custom domain name.
For basic plan the address will be : username.wix.com/sitename Managed WordPress hosting costs $29/month.
Basic plan does not offer necessary add-ons such as Google Analytics, eCommerce, Favicons, etc. Using premium WordPress themes or plugins will increase the cost.
To remove ads and get additional features you will have to upgrade to a premium plan. Thousands of free WordPress themes and plugins available.
Each Premium plan has different bandwidth and storage and limitations. Use plugins to add features to the website without upgrading your plan.
For premium plans pay monthly or yearly. Use free themes and plugins to reduce the cost.
Unlimited plan offers the best value.
Unlimited plan costs $12.50/month.
Business & Ecommerce plan best for eCommerce and business features.
Small business websites and eCommerce plans start from $17 / month.
No apps included in any plans.
To get apps, buy from the Wix app market.

With its flexible plans from a variety of web hosting companies, WordPress definitely has the upper hand on Wix. Also, WordPress being an open-source website, can be used in any way you want.

  • Ease of Use

For beginners who do not want to hire a website designer, bot Wix and WordPress can be a good option. They both will allow you to create your website without the need to learn to code.

The following draws a comparison between Wix and WordPress on ease of use for beginners. 

Wix WordPress
Has powerful and easy tools Incredibly powerful WordPress block editor to edit your pages with a live preview.
Offers a simple drag and drop interface to select any element on your site and start editing it in a WYSIWYG interface. Create visually stunning layouts by adding blocks.
Drag and drop items anywhere on the site. Blocks for all common elements like text, headings, buttons, background, galleries, images and more.
Rearrange things on the pages. Access to thousands of themes and templates.
Write content All the themes are customizable
Add media in a user-friendly environment. Intuitive drag and drop page builder plugins.
No need to deal with any code. Tools to create professional-looking websites without writing code.

With both platforms offering code-free and easy ways to make pages, write content, and manage business and eCommerce websites, this category is a definite tie.

Wix lacks advanced capabilities but has a great editor interface. WordPress has a bit of a learning curve but offers ease of use that can be great in the long run.

  • Design and Layout

An important part of a website’s success is its design and layout. A user-friendly and good-looking design is what makes a brand stand out.

Wix WordPress
Offers 900+ pre-made templates. 30,000+ free and paid themes.
All designs are fully responsive and written in HTML5. Free themes offer limited support but with a strict review process.
Built-in tools to change your site design, change layout, and rearrange items as you see fit. Paid themes offer more features and premium support options.
Designs for every type of website. Themes have built-in customization options.
Templates available in different categories. Styling plugins to further style or customize themes.
Templates can be modified with built-in tools. Free themes available at WordPess.org directory.
Cannot change a template once selected. Create custom themes.
Some plugins can quickly deploy a website, a sales page, product page, or even a coming soon page regardless of the theme.
Themes can be changed anytime.

With a much larger range of design layouts and themes, WordPress offers much more flexibility than Wix.

  • Plugins and Apps

Plugins and apps are similar to extensions used within a platform to add more features. WordPress calls them plugins, and Wix calls them apps.

This section compares the apps and plugins available on both platforms.

Wix WordPress
200+ apps 58,000+ free plugins.
App features include adding contact forms, comments, gallery, social media buttons, email marketing and so on. Plugins available for creating a contact form, install Google Analytics, sell online courses, or build a membership website.
Some Apps also have free lite versions. Free and paid plugin that offer a lot of flexibility.
Apps cover the commonly used features.

Again WordPress exceeded Wix with an extensive plugin library that offers a wide range of functions.

  • Which one is better for blogging?

Blogging is another essential aspect of a website. Wix and WordPress can both be used to create blogs. Let us compare which is better.

Wix WordPress
Easy to add blog sections. Started as a blogging platform.
Offers basic blogging features. Offers blogging features unavailable in Wix.
Commenting systems are slow and difficult to manage. Powerful Gutenberg block editor to create beautiful blog layouts.
Lacks several features like backdating posts, creating private posts, and more. Blogs can be extended using plugins.
Uses a plain text editor with limited formatting options.

 For blogging ability, Wix doesn’t even come close to WordPress. Features offered by Wix are very basic in comparison with WordPress.

  • E-commerce Comparison

For eCommerce websites selling things is an important feature that website owners look for. Let us see what WordPress and Wix have to offer.

Wix WordPress
Offers eCommerce with their paid plans. Super easy to create your online store using.
Free plan users cannot run their eCommerce store. Uses WooCommerce. A popular eCommerce platform.
Offers its own payment system or integrate payment gateways including PayPal, Authorize.net, and more. Plenty of other eCommerce plugins.
Wix payment system charges 2.9% of the transaction amount + 0.30 USD for the US region. Best platform to sell digital subscriptions using MemberPress.
Processing fee becomes substantial with more sales. eCommerce plugins have their own dedicated themes and add-on plugins.
You can use third-party apps to promote your store.
Limited eCommerce platform features.

To build and grow a proper eCommerce platform, WordPress + WooCommerce is your best option. It offers much more flexibility, freedom, and choices when compared to Wix.

  • Data Portability Options 

Data portability allows you the freedom to move your content away when you need it. Let’s take a look at how Wix and WordPress help you move your content and use it elsewhere. 

Wix WordPress
Limited options to move your content to another platform. Proper content management system with easy content transfer.
Only export your blog posts in XML format. One-click exporter to download content in XML format.
Pages, images, videos, and other content require manual download. You can create complete WordPress backups
Content is hosted exclusively on Wix’s servers and cannot be exported elsewhere. Download your media files
Manually export WordPress database.
Easy to move WordPress site to a new host.

WordPress is far better than Wix when it comes to downloading and moving your data. Wix, on the other hand, makes it quite difficult to move your content away.

  • Value For Money

Wix Pricing varies from $14/month to $49/month.

Wix offers a completely free plan. But there are some reasons why you should not opt for it:

  • You won’t be able to remove ads from your site.
  • You won’t be able to use a custom domain name. You will have to use the username.wix.com/sitename format.

Wix has eight paid plans. All of which offer much better value. It has four eCommerce plans and four regular website builder plans.

When you buy an annual premium plan, Wix gives you a one-year free domain name. The domain is valued at $10 – $12. Along with $300 in advertisement vouchers for Google Adwords, Bing, and Local Listings Ads.

It also has a Wix App Market that offers tons of free and paid plugins. You can use them to add additional functionality to your sites, such as event booking, chatbots, image animations, and much more. 

For now, we have not factored plugin costs into the cost of a Wix site. This is because the cost of any Wix premium plan already includes tons of functionalities to help you get started.

Suppose you select an annual Wix plan. Rather than choosing to pay monthly, you can save between 17% and 24% per year. This depends upon which package you select.

WordPress Pricing varies from $0 to $200 Upfront.

As we know that WordPress is an open-source CMS, which means it is free to download, use and customize. But that is not enough. A CMS is not the only equipment you will need in order to make a website live. 

Unlike any other website builder or Wix, WordPress CMS requires you to find and pay for your own hosting provider and custom domain name. Hosting starts at $2.95/month, and custom domain name starts at $10/year.

Apart from these requirements, you will probably want to get a few optional features as well. Such as a Pre-made WordPress theme for a one-time payment of $25 to $299. Or plugins for additional functionality for $0 to $70/plugin.

Even though WordPress is a free platform, to build a WordPress website, the annual one-time cost can range from $0 to $200. Along with other ongoing monthly costs of about $10 to $40.

If in case you want to customize your WordPress website and hire a developer. The final cost of a live site will increase by at least a few hundred dollars.

Wix’s prices do offer better value and are easier to budget than WordPress. Charges for Wix are set monthly. Whereas WordPress can vary, along with at least some upfront cost. 

Suppose we factor in all the extra costs for plugins, hosting, and domain name. WordPress usually costs more than Wix. 

But, if you are someone with WordPress expertise or experience. You might be able to develop a website for almost no cost on WordPress. Without thousands of free themes and plugins, WordPress can be the best for the right person.

  • Help and Support

Wix

Wix’s in-house support team can be contacted directly over the phone or by email between 5 am-5 pm EST from Monday to Thursday. A callback can also be requested from the Wix support team, any time.

With tons of helpful articles and video tutorials created by the Wix team, you are sure to receive a high-quality support system. Also, the ease of using the Wix platform does not require much support. 

WordPress

The support offered by WordPress is not very useful. Being an open-source software makes it a lot less personal when it comes to support. What users usually rely heavily on are articles written by other WordPress users.

But, with WordPress being used to create up to 39% of websites in 2020. There is a good chance that someone might have the answer to your issues. 

The disadvantage is that you need to go through thousands of articles to find the right answer. Also, not many of these articles are lower in quality, making them even difficult to find and understand.

Suppose you are unable to get the right support. Or find the answers online. The best option is to hire an experienced developer. Someone who can help you set up, configure, or modify your website.

Hiring a developer can quickly get expensive. So, remember to look into the support options available at WordPress before hiring a developer.

Wix offers a lot more help and support than WordPress. Wix has an in-house support system that is easy to contact directly. But for the open-source WordPress does not have an efficient support system, with most of the support coming from impersonal articles from various users.

  • SEO 

When it comes to SEO, WordPress and Wix. have something in common. They both rely on apps or plugins.

Wix: Cheap and easy integrations

Wix has a bunch of in-house apps dedicated to SEO. Site Booster is one of the most popular Wix SEO apps. It is free if you are signed up for Wix’s Unlimited plan or higher. But for Free and Combo plan users, it will cost $3.44/month.

Site Booster also offers many cool SEO features. Such as targeting keywords, embedding your company address in search results, and performance tracking.

The amount of SEO-specific apps that Wix offers makes it stand out from other website builders. But if you have SEO experience. The constant hand-holding offered by Wix’s might get on your nerves after some time. 

WordPress: More Powerful Tools

For WordPress users, the number one SEO plugin is called Yoast. It is used by over 5 million websites. It has both free and premium services. The free option is very limited.

For one WordPress website, Yoast premium costs $69. But it comes with great SEO features such as:

  • Internal linking suggestions – Guides you on the best pages to link to on your website when creating a new page.
  • Editing metadata – Used for changing how the text appears on search result pages.
  • Redirects – When you change the slug on an existing page. It automatically sends someone to a new URL.

SEO – Conclusion

Wix and WordPress both have solid SEO. Both offer built-in SEO tools, apps or plugins, that give you access to more advanced SEO features. 

Yoast for WordPress is slightly more powerful. But, Site Booster for Wix is included in the cost of most plans at no additional charge.

  • Ongoing Maintenance

Wix 

Updates on the Wix platform updates are carried out by an in-house technical team. This team is automatically deployed to your site. Updates are done automatically. And you probably won’t even know when they take place. 

If you are not particularly tech-savvy, this is a real benefit especially. Wix is also constantly creating new apps and templates, and apps for its users. Adding an existing website can be done at any time. But the templates can not be switched once your website has gone live. 

So to add new functionality to a Wix site, apps are always available. But templates cannot be altered.

WordPress

To improve security and fix bugs, the WordPress software is always updating itself. This happens a few times a year. When updating, you will also have to update your WordPress website on your own. 

The process to update a WordPress site is very easy. You will get a message in your WordPress dashboard with a link to follow. It is similar to installing an iOS update on a phone.

Suppose you do not update elements like your theme and plugins. Then there is a risk that these tools might conflict and potentially hurt the performance of your site. Some web hosting providers will carry out useful updates so that you don’t have to. 

Wix requires less ongoing maintenance than WordPress. Neither WordPress nor Wix is perfect in this area. But Wix wins due to its in-house automatic app and feature updates. 

With WordPress, you will have to keep an eye on any updates that the platform makes. So that you can make sure your site is also up-to-date with those changes.

Also Read :- 25 Best Video Hosting Sites for Bloggers, Businesses and Marketers in 2021

Javascript & code bloat

Another big aspect of WordPress and Wix is one in the technical SEO space related to Javascript. Also, if you take a look at the source code for some Wix websites, there is a lot of code bloat, most of which is Javascript. Code bloat is bad because it slows down your site, and Pagespeed is a ranking factor.

Here is a snapshot of the Pagespeed score of Wix.

Snapshot Of The Pagespeed Score Of Wix

Wix is better for you if…

You do not have a lot of technical experience in creating websites. And if you want an easy-to-use platform with no coding required. Suppose you do not want to use Wix’s free plan, which comes with tacky advertisements. The premium plan will cost you between $14/month and $49/month.

WordPress is better for you if…

When using WordPress, you will have to be a little more tech-savvy. You will get more power and flexibility. But some coding knowledge is needed. And you will have to maintain/update your website when WordPress updates. 

Costs can vary. But generally, you will be using a flexible $0 to $200 setup fee with ongoing monthly costs in place after that.

So, if you do not have the dedicated technical resources to help you build, maintain or troubleshoot a website. Our recommendation would be to use Wix. You can always sign up for a free trial and take Wix for a test drive.

Wix versus WordPress: Our Final Thoughts

The right website builder depends on the website you need. Suppose you are looking for a powerful solution that will scale over the years. WordPress would be your best bet. 

Also, if you want complex features straight away, WordPress really is your only option. For creating powerful blogging, multilingual sites, directories, complex databases, and FTP access.

Wix, on the other hand, is much better suited to smaller, informative websites, which means anything that describes your industry, what you do, and how to get in touch. 

The business-focused apps also make it a particularly good solution for Restaurants, Hotels, and event-based services. Such as photography or wedding companies.

And it’s also very useful for complete beginners. Offering drag and drop tools and dedicated support. Along with small details that can really save you a lot of time and headaches in the long term.

 

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