WordPress is one of the most popular and widely used content management systems and offers great flexibility and extensibility. However, this is not the only solution available, as many other options may be more useful for certain types of users and situations. While there is no shortage of web publishing platforms, apart from blogger WordPress and Wix remain the two most popular platforms.
The purpose of this guide is to help you choose between the two platforms, as many users are often confused by their similar features. Both platforms help you achieve the same goal, but their implementation is different. Choosing between different platforms is especially difficult for those who are new to website development and who find it difficult to decide which platform they should invest their time and money in.
If you take into account web statistics and forecasts, WordPress uses about 60-75 million sites, which is quite an impressive number (WordPress with its own hosting and installation options). So why look for another content management system when WordPress already offers so much? There are several reasons to choose a different platform, as many users prefer the ease of use over flexibility and don’t have the time and resources to learn new platforms. WordPress is available as a SaaS (Software as a service) WP Hosted and standalone/installable software, with the latter being the most widely used version. This is why it makes sense to compare the self-contained version with other platforms, in this case, Wix.
WordPress
Most users are familiar with the installable version of WordPress, available at wordpress.org, which is installed on the webserver and can be downloaded for free. The free hosted form of WordPress is available at wordpress.com for a monthly fee and is a SaaS (software-as-a-service) just like Wix. The question remains, why pay a monthly fee when you can download the software for free? This is because the free version doesn’t include hosting and other tools like premium themes and plugins that you have to pay for. The monthly fee that you pay on wordpress.com, includes hosting and other essential features needed to easily create a website. However, users who want to use the hosting service of their choice and are looking for more flexibility and extensibility choose the freely available WordPress. Read this post for more comparison between WordPress.org vs wordpress.com.
One of the most important reasons for the popularity of WordPress is that it is open source and anyone can access the source code. This allows users to customize the software according to their specific requirements, which is especially useful for large-scale web projects. Most users don’t need to play with the source code, so we can assume that they are using the default installation. Since WordPress is open-source software, it is supported by a strong community of active developers who constantly make every effort to improve the platform and release regular updates.
What sets WordPress apart from other platforms is its ability to adapt to different design requirements, as it is highly customizable and can be used for almost any website imaginable. Thousands of plugins help extend functionality and simplify the automation of various tasks, while many of these plugins are available for free. Thousands of paid and free themes allow users to customize the look and feel to suit their individual requirements. This is not so easy to do when using most other platforms, and this is the main reason most users like to stick with WordPress.
Wix
Wix has become one of the most popular website developers in recent years, thanks to aggressive marketing efforts and exotic campaigns. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact number of sites running on Wix, but figures show it’s around 90 million. Wix is available for free if you can tolerate ads and live with an unconfigured domain. You should pay more for professional features, without ads and using custom domains. Users who don’t know how to write code find Wix very useful, as it allows them to create beautiful websites without knowing the language. Not only does Wix offer hundreds of professional and beautiful templates, but it also comes with a code-free interface that makes it easy to create stunning websites. However, nothing is perfect, and many users have complained about the lack of reports of on-site traffic.
Wix also offers industry-specific projects and tools for small businesses, designers, photographers, musicians, and more. Constant innovation is another factor that has helped Wix gain a lot of popularity in a relatively short period of time. The company regularly releases new developments and tools, most of which are the result of user requests and feedback. Artificial Design (ADI) allows users to create websites using an AI program that sounds futuristic but has its limitations. Wix is a platform that is known to grow with its users and continuously updates its tools and developments to ensure that users get a greater return on their investment and a more consistent user experience.
Wix works well for users who want to start building their website right away and quickly connect to it without having to deal with the code. The intuitive interface allows them to achieve more in less time without compromising the quality of the site. All the user needs to get started is an email account, which is required for registration, after which you can select a site template and start configuring the site. Wix offers top-level templates that have their own subcategories. For example, bars, public catering, etc. fall under the category of restaurants. There’s no shortage of industry-specific templates to choose from, which also provide a preview of how the site will look on mobile devices. Template editing is also simple and requires no programming experience. The user can double-click an item and easily manage it using the drag-and-drop interface. The interface even recognizes right-click context menus that allow you to perform various operations, as users usually do on their desktops.
WordPress vs Wix: Key differences
Given the fact that most WordPress users rely on a freely-available and installable version to build and maintain their websites, it is logical to compare Wix to WordPress with its own hosting. Wix is available as both a free and paid service, but investing in paid subscriptions makes sense for users who take their website seriously. The comparison between the two platforms has been divided into different sections that better help you understand the key differences and determine which platform works best for you. Although users have different preferences when it comes to the pros and cons of different platforms, the comparison provides a general idea of how things will work on both sides.
1. Easy to use, design
WordPress
WordPress is generally considered an easy-to-use content management system, but it’s not as simple as many other web publishing solutions like Wix. Beginners and users unfamiliar with the platform may need to make some effort to learn the platform and perform some basic troubleshooting steps. WordPress also doesn’t have a drag-and-drop interface, so there are times when users will have to manually manipulate the code to make advanced settings. When creating a website using WordPress, you need a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS, which many users and beginners don’t have. WordPress users also need to find a hosting provider and install plugins for advanced functionality.
Despite the lack of a drag-and-drop interface, WordPress is still not that hard to get around, and beginners can start using it after understanding the key concepts. While WordPress has its limitations in terms of ease of use and learning, it offers a lot of flexibility and scales to meet different requirements. Easily accessible source code means that experienced users and experienced developers can adapt the software to suit their specific needs, which is impossible or too difficult to do on other platforms. Extensibility through plugins is another important factor why people choose WordPress over other easier-to-use platforms.
Wix
Compared to WordPress, Wix is fairly easy to use, and almost anyone who knows how to use the mouse can start building their own website. The intuitive and intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for users to design their website and makes the whole process painless. Wix Artificial Design Intelligence raises the bar even higher and revolutionizes the way we non-coders create websites. Wix provides a complete package that works right out of the box, so users don’t have to mix and match different tools and plugins to get things done.
Built-in templates with their own subcategories allow you to create industry-specific websites without any extra effort. The platform works well for designers, photographers, and entrepreneurs who often work on tight deadlines and don’t have time to deal with code and troubleshooting. Wix is also constantly adding new features and tools that make the job even easier for those who don’t have time to learn to code and want to get the job done in a tight time frame.
Winner: Wix
2. Support Options
WordPress
WordPress users are limited to forum support, which can be a hit or miss due to the lack of official support. While most questions get answered in a reasonable amount of time, many of them fail or go unanswered because they were answered in another post. You should remember that no one will take responsibility for responding to your request if something goes wrong, so you will be at the mercy of forum members or you will be forced to look for a solution on other platforms. Alternatively, you can contact the web hosting site you use. See the best web hosting sites you should use.
Wix
Although Wix offers a very easy-to-use interface, there may be times when the user needs help. This is when official support pays off and helps users get around problems. If you can’t find an answer to your question in the support center, which contains thousands of topics, step-by-step guides, and more, you can contact support directly to resolve issues in a timely manner.
Winner: Tie
3. Prices and total cost
WordPress
The stand-alone version of WordPress is available for free, but hosting, paid plugins, themes, and development come at a certain cost. Actual costs may vary greatly depending on the tools and features you want to use, but on average, a typical WordPress site initially costs about $5-$100.
Wix
Paid Wix subscriptions start at $ 4.5 a month and go up to $ 24.50 a month, which is quite expensive considering you only get 500MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth with the starter pack. While you’ll get a lot of templates and tools to work with, they’re not very useful if you don’t have enough storage space and bandwidth.
Winner: WordPress
4. Flexibility and feature set
This is an area where other platforms struggle to compete with WordPress, as it is a much more flexible and scalable platform. WordPress allows you to create almost any kind of website you can imagine, whether it’s a personal blog, a corporate website, or a huge online store. Having thousands of plugins helps extend the functionality and makes the platform very extensible.
Wix offers limited flexibility, and users are mostly limited to the built-in tools to build and maintain their website. However, limited flexibility leads to better consistency and less chance of things breaking. Wix users can still use a variety of extensions, including free and paid ones, which are easy to install and manage.
Winner: WordPress
5. Data portability
Moving your website from one provider to another is a very important factor, as one day you may need to change the platform. WordPress is based on the concept of freedom of choice, so it is easier to transfer all the site content or store it somewhere else. Most subscription-based website creators want their customers to stay connected and allow only limited content to be exported. Wix is no exception and has stricter rules than other providers. Once you publish your site to Wix, you won’t be able to move it to another location. You can’t even embed your existing Wix website into any other external site. The only options left for users are to transfer their domain to Wix, connect their domain to its name servers, or point their domain to their IP.
Winner: WordPress
What is better to choose Wix or WordPress for sites of different orientations?
Now let’s talk about what to choose for sites of a particular orientation. Well, I’ll make a reservation right away – just below I’ll tell you how to transfer a site from Wix to WordPress.
For Blogging: Wix or WordPress
For blogs, you should definitely choose WordPress. It was originally developed for this purpose, and therefore is ideal for bloggers. The blog here can run on a regular template, and you don’t even need to use any additional plugins. At the first stage, that’s for sure! And the first publication can be made within 15 minutes after you start using the engine. Only a little later you will be able to connect additional extensions. For example, to optimize your site.
Wix has its own features that allow you to use it for a blog. For example, this is a small content management system that allows you to improve the efficiency of working with publications. There is also a record rubricator and a special SEO application. You can also connect an additional extension called Accelerated Mobile Pages, which will help you load your blog faster on mobile devices.
In addition, the developers offer the option to import publications from a blog created on WordPress. There are no problems with the design of articles – this is done in an intuitive editor. Although WP has also recently introduced a cool editor for working with publications.
In general, the services are almost equivalent, but I recommend WP for blogging because there are more features and functions that will be relevant if you decide to scale your project.
What should I choose for my landing page?
Wix has extensive landing page design capabilities. The general principle is as follows: add the required number of sections (strips) and fill them with content – advantages, reviews, service/product descriptions, feedback forms, tables, boxes, and so on. There are a lot of marketing tools (pop-ups, banners, mailing lists, countdown timer, social networks, consultants, callback orders, etc.), as well as those that will help you analyze the page’s performance. There is a built-in CRM, as well as a library of built-in graphics and images that you can freely use. The menu supports creating anchor links to sections. You can create a multilingual landing page, if necessary.
On WordPress, when using a profile template, you can create a good page by simply replacing the demo content in it with your own using the design customization tools built into the template. This is the easiest way and requires almost no plugins. If you want to build your own layout from scratch, use specialized landing plugins like JetBlocks, Think Landing Pages – they have visual editors, sets of ready-made sections, and tools for customizing the appearance. Elementor, a visual editor plugin, is also suitable. You will need to connect marketing plugins for conducting A/B testing (Title Experiments Free, Nelio AB Testing, etc.), web analytics from Google, or any other service. And, perhaps, that’s all, that’s enough. Nothing complicated, it’s just faster on Wix – everything is out of the box.
Business card: Wix or WordPress
Business cards are common websites that present the work of small companies or private entrepreneurs.
Both platforms work well for business cards. Wix attracts with its simplicity of operation. Its editor already has a lot of good and high-quality page design options. In particular, in Wix, you can create websites of various orientations, focused on a variety of business areas. For example, you can actually implement it on business cards:
- service for selling plane tickets;
- booking hotels or apartments;
- photographer’s portfolio;
- etc.
The presence of special effects allows you to decorate the site, making it much more attractive and unusual. You don’t need to know the code to do this. If you need to use HTML, you can use the Corvid option, but, again, it is for advanced users.
WP also offers a large set of templates for business cards of various types. However, it is additionally recommended to use a variety of plugins and add-ons that will be used to configure the web resource. They will allow you to create a really attractive design and simplify the content filling. With the help of extensions, the functionality of the project is significantly increased. The only difference from Wix is that you will need to search for the necessary plugins. But if you find them, the functionality of the project will be significantly higher.
A tip! When choosing plugins and extensions for WordPress, be sure to read reviews about them and focus on developments with a high rating.
Online-store: Wix or WordPress
Now, what is the best choice for a Wix or WordPress online store? Traditionally, I’ll start with a description of the constructor. It has a built-in engine that doesn’t even need to be activated. In addition, there are many applications designed to significantly increase the efficiency of trade and business activities.
For example, you can mark an application that allows you to trade on such platforms:
- Facebook;
- “Instagram”;
- Amazon;
- eBay;
- Etsy;
- and others.
Wix also has extensions that allow you to create stores for selling electronic content-Wix Video and Wix Art Store.
Add-ons allow you to add the following functionality::
- collecting analytics;
- discount coupons;
- various payment acceptance services;
- support chats;
- feedback forms;
- and much more.
The designer system opens up a wide range of possibilities for designing storefronts, individual pages, and product cards. All orders placed by customers will be displayed in the content management system. By the way, it has built-in tools such as:
- social media integrations;
- delivery method settings;
- collecting analytical data;
- add-ons for store optimization and promotion;
- and others.
The developers made every effort to make the project convenient for the owners of a virtual retail outlet. So, you can import products from CSV instead of adding each individual product card. Separate properties are set for each product. It takes a long time to list all the advantages, but in general, Wix has a lot of useful and valuable features that allow you to design various types of online stores.
WordPress does not initially have a trading system, but this issue is easily solved by installing one of the profile plugins:
- WooCommerce;
- eCommerce;
- eShop;
- Jigoshop;
- WP Shop and some others.
But this should not be a problem – integration of the extension takes little time, but then it opens up incredible prospects. Plugins are generally similar, and if they differ, only in their design or administrative panel. Functional content will delight and satisfy even the most demanding online store owner:
- payment systems;
- product cards;
- import of goods;
- configuration methods;
- discount coupons;
- configuring product parameters and their labels;
- collecting analytical data;
- creating reports;
- and much more.
One of the most popular extensions is WooCommerce. Its advantage is that it interacts with other plugins without any problems, which further expands the functionality. The main thing is to choose and configure the system correctly.
If you want to launch your own online store, then I recommend that you still choose WordPress. Despite the need to install additional plugins, it is more functional, easier to scale and extend if necessary. A store with several thousand products on WordPress will work perfectly. “Vicks”, of course, is also convenient and easy to use, but not so powerful.
Conclusion
Wix is one of the most popular and easy-to-use website builders, but it doesn’t offer much in terms of value for money. Subscription packages are expensive and offer little in return. You just get 500 MB of storage and 1 GB of bandwidth for $4.50 a month, and the same money can bring you much more. You also can’t move your website around when you’re on the Wix network, so it’s best to carefully consider all your options before finally deciding on a platform to use. Ease of use and official support are probably the most obvious reasons why you prefer to use Wix instead of WordPress. However, the huge WordPress community is always there to help you, and it doesn’t take long to learn WP and start building your website.
Why choose WordPress?
- Flexibility and extensibility
- Thousands of themes, plugins, and templates
- Managing content versions
- Advanced and powerful e-commerce tools
- Free access
- Managing content versions
- Deep Navigation Levels
- Data portability and export
- More optimized for search engines
- Greater control over the content
- Richer fragments
- Enhanced multilingual and multi-site capabilities
Why choose Wix?
- Very easy to use
- Dedicated support
- New features are added regularly
- Beautiful templates
- Artificial Design intelligence
- Hosting and other tools included
- The most essential tools/features are available right out of the box
- Automatic updates
- Fast delivery of works
Here are the cases. And what to choose is up to you.
Sources: ifish2, zacompom
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