Lately I have seen a lot of promotional comparisons of Wix vs WordPress. All of them show Wix to be the better choice, sometimes edging out WordPress and sometimes soundly beating it. They typically compare the following factors, and sometimes others.
• Ease of Use
• Design Options
• SEO
• Support
Wix vs WordPress: My Comparison
To be fair, it should be noted that all of the Wix vs WordPress comparisons I have seen have been undertaken by either Wix itself or die-hard Wix users/fans. In both instances, a significant bias exists.
By way of full disclosure, while I am competent to work on almost any website, from hand-coded HTML through almost every site builder (including Wix), and all of the top 10 page/site builders for WordPress, and having built my first hand-coded website way back in 1994, it should be fully noted that, at this time, I only use WordPress for my own websites, and prefer Elementor site builder over the others I have used.
When it comes to the Wix vs WordPress comparison, for me as a multi-niched consultant, business success guide, and personal development mentor, I will try to be as factual and unbiased as possible in this post however do take what I say with the proverbial grain of salt and do your own research if you feel it necessary. I am not without my opinions.
Wix vs WordPress: Available Reviews/Comparisons
Most of the reviews I have seen compare the full software-as-a-service (SAS) package to a bare-bones WordPress installation. Some seem to reference the WordPress SAS package (.com) and others seem to compare the WordPress self-hosted package (.org) and, while there are similarities, anybody serious about using WordPress knows to select the self-hosted package. I will reference that in this article.
While both are content management systems (CMS), there are only 4 flavors of Wix (Combo, Unlimited, Pro, VIP) differing in a few top features but mostly in resource support (size) values. The latter includes GB storage amount and video play hours.
WordPress, on the other hand, has only one flavor (common across all installations) but its theme and plugin design means there are millions, perhaps tens of millions, of combinations possible, with a solution for virtually any website need.
The biggest difference between the two is that WordPress is free (except for the third-party hosting you will need) whereas Wix starts at US$16/month and goes up to US$45/month. You can get all the hosting you need for a standard WordPress installation for less than one-quarter the cost of of the Wix Combo (basic) plan and handle all of the functions at least up to their Pro (#3) plan.
Wix vs WordPress Typical Comparisons: The Big Four
So that brings us to the first typical comparison:
• Ease of Use
Wix suggests it is easier to use because it has everything pre-installed and there is not the complexity of finding and installing the right theme or plugin(s) needed by WordPress.
This is true if the limits imposed by Wix are up to your present, and future, needs. In the beginning, WordPress has just about as easy a learning curve and has at least one standard theme (some hosting company one click installations offer more) and a basic selection of starter plugins.
You only need to find and add other options as the need arises. The thing is, WordPress includes allowance for this and Wix does not!
I have yet to find anyone who has used both who feels Wix is any easier. Like with so many things, if you learn one first, learning the other choice (either way) may have a steeper learning curve as you are pre-burdoned with knowing how the "other" did it.
Next, let us look at:
• Design Options
The Wix website boasts, "With Wix’s intuitive technology and powerful built-in features you’ll have the creative freedom to design a website you’re proud of." It is a general claim that probably applies to any of the top website building sites, like Squarespace or Weebly, and includes any self-hosted WordPress installation.
Wix also touts their easy-to-use, drag-and-drop, page builder. Yes, it is quite good however not as good, in my opinion, as Elementor and WordPress offers several other choice like Beaver Builder, Divi, or WPBakery (Hostinger offers a list of 19 top page builders for WordPress) giving you a choice that matches your style instead of just one-size-fits-all.
And, when it comes to features and functions, Wix offers you their finite package. WordPress offers more than 58,000 free plugins and several thousand premium (paid) ones. If you cannot find what you want, you can always hire one of countless plugin programmers to create exactly what you need.
Sure, WordPress means making choices but, at least, you have those choices to make! And to get started, WordPress right out of the box will do.
When it comes down to Wix vs WordPress, search engine optimization (SEO) is a biggie. We will look at that next:
• SEO
Being online is important these days. Having a website is foundational to your online presence. Having a website that is actually found is critical. Search engine optimization is the primary means of making that happen.
Organic traffic (visitors from search result) is often considered to be the most valuable marketing channel there is. Of all trackable website traffic, that from organic search results accounts for just over half.
therefore, when it come to Wix vs WordPress, SEO matters.
The Wix most recent major coding/design update, made some say to compete with WordPress in this area, has incorporated major changes benefiting their SEO positioning. This is good.
But SEO rules (the search engine algorythms) change often and making regular changes to account for them can be expensive and difficult when made by a for-profit business.
WordPress is open source with thousands of volunteers offering changes and updates regularly. Easy, often automatic, updates to your webite, keep it on the leading edge of SEO requirements. It is the hands-down winner on this one.
In the Wix vs WordPress arena, when it comes to support... well, read on to see:
• Support
Wix offers limited on-site tech support compared to WordPress offering none for the self-hosted version. However, right on the Wix website they suggest, "Hire a Professional" for help with building, designing, or promoting your website.
You can do that with WordPress too, however thousands of volunteers around the world contributing to the WordPress open-source project offer free support in hundreds of online support groups on websites and social media platforms. I offer two dozen topic-focused WordPress support groups, each with a number of experts in attendance, on facebook alone. And, if that is not good enough, you can hire it done as well.
Wix vs WordPress here? No contest.
My Preference - What About Others' Choice
I mentioned early on in this Wix vs WordPress article that I prefer WordPress and only use it for all my current websites -- standard information sites, membership sites, ecommerce sites, blogging and blog combination sites, etc. It is, at least for me, the better choice for all my needs.
When it comes to Wix vs WordPress, lots of big companies choose WordPress too. Companies like TechCrunch, Time Magazine, CNN, Disney, Microsoft, and many others. WPBeginer lists 40+ Most Notable Big Name Brands That Are Using WordPress
Not only do those companies know something you may not, but W³Techs provides a list of CMS solutions ranked by market share. WordPress is first with about 63%. That is what it says! Sixty-three percent of total market share.
It is additionally known that WordPress powers roughly one third of all (yes ALL!) websites on the Internet. That is a bunch!
Where is Wix in all of this? They have been moving up lately, partly because of all the promotion (valid or otherwise) that has been going on and likely due to some of the good changes and additions they have been making in order to be competitive.
At present however, in the Wix vs WordPress score-keeping, they are third in the CMS market share list, but with only 3.7% -- it is a very competitive list and WordPress dominates! Heck, Shopify, in the #2 spot, only has 5.7% of market share!
Wix vs WordPress: An Analogy
This article's title also mentioned Schwin Cruiser vs Ford Mustang. Look, if you want a bicycle, the Schwin Cruiser offers everything you might need or want. At least for easy cruising. If you want to go mountain biking, maybe not so much.
And if you want to cruise main... Do people still do that?
While this is not the ultimate comparison of Wix vs WordPress, it is mine. Of course, it is always up to you to decide. I am confident in my choice. Feel free to contact me or leave a comment below.
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Yeah
How about making websites with lots of functionalities
Over there at wix you will have to pay a hell lot to get those apps.
On WordPress all you need are the plugins