What Is The Best Website Builder: Wix vs WordPress

Introduction to Website Builders

Website builders have revolutionised the way individuals and businesses create and manage websites. These platforms are designed to simplify website creation, allowing users to build professional-looking sites without needing to write code. Among the most popular website builders are Wix and WordPress, each catering to different needs and preferences.

Wix is a website builder platform that offers an all-in-one solution, combining website creation tools, hosting, and support in a single package. Its intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it easy for anyone to design and manage websites, regardless of technical skill. On the other hand, WordPress is a powerful content management system (CMS) that provides greater flexibility and control. With WordPress, users can choose their web hosting, install a wide range of themes and plugins, and customise their site’s functionality to suit their specific requirements.

When comparing Wix and WordPress, it’s essential to consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, cost, and the level of control you want over your website. Both platforms are leading choices among website builders, but your decision will depend on your goals, technical comfort, and long-term plans for managing your website.

Wix Overview

Wix is a user-friendly website builder that enables anyone to create a professional website without learning to code, using the Wix Editor as the primary tool for customising your site. With Wix, you can make a Wix website from scratch or choose from one of the many templates available.

You can also add your photos and videos, and make changes to your site at any time. Wix offers a wide range of features, plans, and services to suit different needs, including various pricing options, apps, plugins, and customer support. Plus, Wix is free to use!

WordPress Overview

WordPress is a content management system that enables you to create a website or blog from scratch or to improve an existing website.

To create a website with WordPress, you need to install the software on a web server and create pages and posts with the WordPress editor. WordPress is a self-hosted platform, which means you need to choose a web host and set up your domain name before installation. You can add other website features, such as menus, images, and widgets.

When you’re finished creating your website, you can publish it online by registering a domain name and hosting.

WordPress is a highly versatile platform that can be used for a wide range of websites and applications. It can be used for simple websites, such as personal blogs, or more complex websites, including online stores and membership portals. Users can easily add eCommerce functionality with the free WooCommerce plugin. WordPress is also commonly used as a CMS for corporate and government websites.

Comparison of Wix vs WordPress

Wix and WordPress are user-friendly website builders that are popular among owners. They both offer a wide variety of templates and allow you to create a website without any coding experience. Let’s see a few key distinctions between the two platforms.

One key difference is that WordPress is open source software, while Wix is a closed platform. WordPress is free to use, while Wix has a monthly fee. With WordPress, you also have more flexibility to change the code to create custom designs and features, whereas with Wix, you are limited to the templates and features provided by the platform. Additionally, Wix hosts all content on Wix’s servers, which can limit data portability and your ability to move your site elsewhere. If you use the free version, several small Wix Ads will be visible on your website.

WordPress is also more extensible and can be used for a broader range of purposes than Wix. It can be used for everything from a simple blog or website to a powerful eCommerce store or membership site. WordPress provides you with complete control over your website’s functionality and data, enabling you to manage content transfer, SEO configurations, URL structures, and eCommerce features without restrictions.

Unlike Wix, you can add custom code, switch themes easily, and customise every aspect of your site. WordPress has a larger community of developers and users who can help you with website design, development, and troubleshooting issues.

Pricing

Wix Pricing Plans

FREE

This plan includes a free domain name, 500MB storage, and a Wix site builder.

BASIC

This plan costs $4.5/month and includes 1GB storage, no custom domain name, and more.

VIP

This plan costs $24.5/month and includes 35GB storage, a custom domain name, and other features like an online store and email marketing.

WordPress Pricing Plans

IS WORDPRESS FREE?

Yes, it’s free. You don’t have to pay anything to download and set up WordPress. You can also make changes to your WordPress.org site without worrying about monthly or yearly fees.

FREE

WordPress offers a free hosting plan that includes 100MB of storage space and access to basic features.

PERSONAL

WordPress’ hosting plan costs $7 per month and includes 1GB of storage space, access to all features, and support for one website.

PREMIUM

WordPress’s premium hosting plan costs $14/month and includes 10GB of storage space, access to all features, and support for up to five websites.

Winner: WordPress

Themes & Plugins

WordPress is renowned for its extensive and continually expanding library of themes and plugins. There’s a theme or plugin for almost everything, from creating a simple website to developing an eCommerce store. WordPress’ theme library offers a wide variety of options to match any brand or style, while its plugin library has something for everyone, from beginners to experts. Site owners can choose from thousands of pre-made templates, paid themes for advanced features and support, or even create a custom theme for a unique look and branding.

• WordPress has more than 9,000 free WordPress themes pre-installed. It offers a broader range of WordPress plugins, including add-on plugins that extend your site’s functionality.
• You have almost complete control over how your WordPress sites look. Remember that we recommend using themes created by WordPress itself.
• You can create an online store by installing a WordPress plugin like WooCommerce. Better for sites that only sell online or for selling in large quantities.

Site owners play a key role in selecting and customising themes and plugins to ensure the website matches their branding and functional needs.

Wix also offers a wide range of themes and plugins to choose from. Its theme library includes both free and premium options, while its plugin library provides a mix of free and paid plugins. However, compared to WordPress, Wix’s selection is significantly smaller. This can be a disadvantage if you can’t find the right theme or plugin for your needs.

• Wix has more than 500 pre-made templates, which is a substantial number for a website builder.
• Customisation options are limited, but all features and functions are rigorously tested to guarantee they work as intended.

Winner: WordPress

Design Options

DESIGN FEATURES OF WIX:

• Wix is a user-friendly platform that is easy to use. You can create a website in minutes without prior experience or design knowledge.
• There are numerous templates to choose from, allowing you to find the perfect design for your website.
• Wix is mobile-friendly, so your website will look great on any device.
• You can add your photos and videos and customise the text and layout to make your website unique.
• Wix offers free support via phone, email, and chat, allowing you to get help whenever needed.

Wix Design: 8/10

DESIGN FEATURES OF WORDPRESS

One of the things that makes WordPress so popular is its design features. These include:

• A customizable dashboard that allows you to manage your website’s content easily.
• You can use a wide range of WordPress themes and templates to create a unique look and feel for your website.
• A vast array of plugins allows you to add features and functionality to your website.
• A user-friendly interface makes it easy for anyone to create and manage a website.

WordPress Design: 10/10

Winner: WordPress

Blogging

The Wix blog platform is very user-friendly. You can create a blog in minutes and start publishing content right away. The Wix blog offers a wide range of templates to choose from, and you can customise your blog’s design to match your store’s branding.

One thing to note about the Wix blog is that it’s not as easy to customise your blog’s design as with other platforms, such as WordPress. If you’re looking for more control over your blog’s appearance, you might want to consider a WordPress blog. The WordPress blog provides extensive blogging features, advanced customisation capabilities, and greater control through its block-based Gutenberg editor, making it a more powerful solution for blogging enthusiasts. However, if you’re starting and don’t want to spend too much time on design, Wix is a good option. These features include:

• A built-in SEO tool that helps you optimise your blog posts for Google search results
• A social media integration feature that enables you to share your blog posts on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter
• A stats dashboard that shows you how many people have viewed your blog posts and how they were found (via search engines or social media)

Wix Blogging Features: 7/10

The WordPress platform is popular among bloggers for several reasons. Some of the most essential things that WordPress has to offer bloggers are:

• An intuitive editor makes creating and formatting posts easy.
• The ability to backdate blog posts, which can help schedule content in advance.
• The ability to feature a single image across the top of a blog post.
• A native commenting system allows readers to leave comments directly on the blog post itself.
• Multi-language support enables the publication of content in multiple languages.
• The ability to password-protect individual blog posts or entire categories of posts.
• The ability to add custom menus and navigation bars to help readers find the content they’re looking for.
• The ability to add custom widgets to your blog’s sidebar provides additional functionality and flexibility.

WordPress has always been primarily about blogging, which is why it comes with all the features you need, such as tags, categories, and RSS.

WordPress Blogging Features: 10/10

Winner: WordPress

SEO

Both platforms offer many extensions to optimise your website for SEO and track user behaviour via Google Analytics.

Wix SEO Features

• Has a built-in SEO manager that helps users optimise their website for the search engines.
• Provides social media posters to help market the website on various social media platforms.
• Contains email marketing tools to help users market their website through emails.

Features: 8/10

WordPress SEO Features:

• Offer a variety of SEO plugins that help with optimising the website for search engines.
• Themes often incorporate SEO features, including schema markup, breadcrumb navigation, Open Graph data, and more.
• WordPress offers a bit more with its excellent SEO plugins.

Let’s use Yoast SEO as an example. It’s a great, free tool that’s very useful. This plugin is being used on over 5 million sites and has an overall rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Yoast SEO is one of the best plugins for WordPress. Overall, for search engine optimisation, WordPress is more suitable than Wix.

Features: 9/10

Winner: WordPress

Support

The Wix customer support system includes phone support, live chat, and helpful forums. Their support staff is knowledgeable and can help with the most common questions or issues.

On the other hand, WordPress does not offer official support, but you can find what you need on the community forums. The answers can be hit and miss and sometimes buried in comments, so it may take some time to find what you’re looking for. If you have a budget, consider a web hosting company specialising in WordPress (E.g., SiteGround, Kinsta). You’ll also receive basic support with common WordPress issues there. There are cheaper WordPress hosting options available, but you’ll get even less support.

Ease of Use: Is WordPress Easier to Use Than Wix

WordPress is renowned for its ease of use, making it accessible even to first-time website builders. Its user-friendly interface allows you to create and customise your website without learning complex coding. WordPress comes with numerous features and plugins that provide you with greater flexibility in terms of what you can do with your website.

On the other hand, Wix is also very easy to use but has a limited number of features. This platform is designed specifically for beginners, so you may be able to learn how to use it more quickly than WordPress. By the way, the content you place in Wix will be how it appears once you publish it. However, since you are limited to the designs available on the platform, your website may look like other websites built with Wix.

Security: Wix Vs WordPress

WIX SECURITY

The Wix Security team has a program in place that is based on international best practices and continually updates to stay ahead of new threats. They use HTTPS, TLS 1.2 and higher, and SSL to protect data.

Wix holds the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Level 1 certification, the highest level. Wix regularly checks its systems for weaknesses and attacks and looks for new third-party services to help keep its platform safe and users’ data private.

WORDPRESS SECURITY

There are several ways to keep your WordPress site secure. One of the most important is to keep your site up to date. WordPress will notify you when updates are available, and installing these as soon as possible is important.

Another critical step is to use a strong password. This means using a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, and ensuring that it is not something that someone could easily guess. Again, a WordPress website will be secure if you update the plugins & themes regularly.

You can also protect your site with a plugin. Several plugins are available to help protect your site from hackers. One of the most popular is called WordFence. This plugin provides several features, including:

• Firewall protection
• Real-time scanning
• IP blocking
• Anti-virus scanning

WordFence is free for personal websites, and a paid version is also available with additional features.

Winner: WordPress

Ecommerce and Online Store

Ecommerce capabilities are a key consideration for anyone looking to sell products or services online. Both Wix and WordPress offer robust ecommerce features, but they approach online store creation in different ways, catering to a variety of business needs.

Wix Ecommerce Capabilities

Wix makes it easy to launch an online store with its built-in ecommerce platform. Users can quickly set up an online store, add products, and manage orders directly from the Wix dashboard. The platform supports multiple payment gateways, offers flexible shipping options, and includes inventory management tools to help you keep track of your stock. Wix also provides a selection of professionally designed ecommerce templates, so you can create a visually appealing online store without hiring a designer.

One of the standout features of Wix is its App Market, which includes a variety of ecommerce apps to enhance your store’s functionality. For example, the Wix Stores app enables you to add advanced e-commerce features, such as product reviews, wish lists, and customer accounts. With these tools, even beginners can create a fully functional online store and start accepting payments quickly.

WordPress Ecommerce Capabilities

WordPress takes a different approach to ecommerce by leveraging powerful plugins like WooCommerce. WooCommerce is a free plugin that transforms any WordPress site into a customizable online store, offering advanced features such as multiple payment gateways, flexible shipping options, and comprehensive inventory management. With WooCommerce, you can extend your store’s capabilities even further by adding premium extensions for subscriptions, bookings, and more.

WordPress also provides access to a wide range of e-commerce themes and page builders, enabling you to design a unique storefront that aligns with your brand. The open-source nature of WordPress means you have complete control over your online store’s functionality, and developers can add custom code or build bespoke solutions to meet your specific needs. This makes WordPress an excellent choice for businesses that require advanced features or plan to scale their ecommerce operations.

Winner: [Wix/WordPress]