Wix vs WordPress - Which platform is better for e-commerce websites

Wix vs WordPress: Which platform is better for e-commerce websites? [Top Integrations]


Abhinav Girdhar
By Abhinav Girdhar | Last Updated on April 15th, 2024 7:01 am

Wix and WordPress are two popular website building platforms that offer users a range of features and tools for creating a website. While both platforms have their own strengths and weaknesses, the choice between them ultimately depends on the user's specific needs and preferences.

In this blog post, we will compare Wix and WordPress in various categories, including pricing, ease of use, design and customization, e-commerce features, SEO, plugins and apps, security, and support and resources and top integrations By the end of this post, readers will have a better understanding of the differences between Wix and WordPress and be able to make an informed decision about which platform is best for their needs.

What is Wix?

Wix is a cloud-based website building platform that allows users to create and customize their own websites without any prior coding or design experience. Wix offers a range of features and tools, including drag-and-drop editors, templates, and third-party apps, making it easy for users to create a professional-looking website in a short amount of time.

Wix

With Wix, users can choose from a variety of templates and customize them to suit their needs using the platform's intuitive drag-and-drop editor. Users can also add features such as e-commerce functionality, social media integration, and email marketing campaigns to their website using Wix's extensive app marketplace.

Wix is popular among small businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals who want to create a website quickly and easily without the need for technical skills. The platform offers a range of pricing plans, from a free basic plan to premium plans with advanced features and functionality.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to create and manage websites, blogs, and online stores. WordPress is highly customizable and flexible, allowing users to create websites with a variety of features and functionality, including e-commerce, social media integration, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Wordpress

WordPress is used by millions of websites worldwide and is highly popular due to its flexibility, ease of use, and extensive community support. WordPress offers a range of themes and plugins that can be used to customize the look and functionality of a website. Users can also create their own custom themes and plugins using WordPress's coding framework.

WordPress is often used by bloggers, small businesses, and large enterprises alike. The platform is highly scalable and can accommodate websites of any size and complexity. While WordPress is free to use, users may need to pay for additional features or services, such as WordPress hosting, domain registration, and premium themes and plugins.

Pricing

Here's a more detailed Comparison of the Pricing Plans offered by Wix and WordPress:

Pricing Plans Wix WordPress
Free Plan Yes, with limited features and Wix branding Yes, with limited features and WordPress branding
Paid Plans $16/month to $45/month (billed annually) $4/month to $45/month (billed annually)
E-commerce Plans $27/month to $59/month (billed annually) $45/month (billed annually)
Custom Plans Available on request Available on request
Hosting Included in all plans Included in some plans, additional cost for self-hosting
Domain Registration Included in some plans, additional cost for custom domains Included in some plans, additional cost for custom domains
Customer Support Basic support included in all plans, premium support available in some plans Basic support included in all plans, premium support available in some plans
E-commerce Functionality Available in some plans Available in some plans
Payment Processing Available in some plans Available in some plans

Ease of Use

Here's a detailed Comparison of the Ease of Use for Wix and WordPress:

Ease of Use Wix WordPress
User Interface Intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to create and customize pages. User-friendly dashboard that provides easy access to site settings, but steeper learning curve for customization.
Content Editor WYSIWYG editor that allows users to edit content visually. Visual editor that allows users to create and edit content visually.
Templates Large collection of pre-designed templates that can be customized to match your brand. Large collection of themes that can be customized with varying levels of difficulty.
Mobile Editor Mobile editor that allows users to edit the mobile version of their website separately. Mobile editor that allows users to edit the mobile version of their website separately.
Site Settings Easy access to site settings, including SEO, analytics, and social media integration. Easy access to site settings, including SEO, analytics, and social media integration.
E-commerce Simple e-commerce setup that allows users to add products, manage orders, and accept payments. E-commerce functionality requires the use of third-party plugins, which can add complexity.

Design and Customization

Here's a Comparison of the Design and Customization Features of Wix and WordPress:

  • Design: Wix offers over 800 pre-designed templates that you can choose from and customize using a drag-and-drop editor. You can change the colors, fonts, images, and layout of your site, but you cannot switch templates once you have selected one. WordPress offers thousands of free and premium themes that you can install and customize using a theme customizer or a page builder plugin. You can change themes at any time, but you may lose some of your customizations.
  • Functionality: Wix provides a range of built-in features and tools for e-commerce websites, such as product catalogs, shopping carts, payment gateways, inventory management, coupons, and shipping options. You can also add more features and integrations using the Wix App Market, which has over 300 apps for e-commerce and other purposes. WordPress gives you more flexibility and control over the functionality of your e-commerce website, as you can use plugins to add any feature or integration you need. You can use plugins like WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, or BigCommerce to create and manage your online store and choose from thousands of other plugins for various purposes.
  • Customization: Wix allows you to customize your e-commerce website within the limits of your template and the Wix editor. You cannot access or modify the code of your site unless you use Wix Velo, which is a web development platform that lets you create custom web applications using JavaScript and APIs. WordPress gives you full access and control over the code of your site, which means you can customize every aspect of your e-commerce website using HTML, CSS, PHP, or JavaScript. You can also create custom themes and plugins, or hire developers to do it for you.

Design and Customization Wix WordPress
Design Flexibility Offers a wide range of design options, with intuitive drag-and-drop interface and customizable templates. Offers a range of design options, including themes, customizable templates, and plugins, but requires more technical knowledge for customization.
Built-in Templates Offers a vast selection of pre-designed templates for different types of websites, with easy customization options. Offers a wide range of themes and templates, with varying levels of customization options.
Custom Templates Allows users to create custom templates with the Wix Editor, with the option to save and reuse designs. Allows users to create custom templates with the WordPress Editor, with the option to save and reuse designs.
Third-party Plugins Offers a range of third-party apps and plugins to enhance website functionality, but may require additional fees. Offers a vast selection of plugins for various functions, including e-commerce, SEO, and social media integration.
Mobile Optimization Offers a mobile editor that allows users to customize the mobile version of their website separately. Offers mobile optimization options, including mobile-responsive themes and plugins.
SEO Optimization Offers built-in SEO tools, including meta tags, sitemaps, and SEO wizard, to optimize website for search engines. Offers a range of SEO plugins, including Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack, and SEOPress, to optimize website for search engines.

E-commerce Features

Here's a Comparison of the E-commerce Features of Wix and WordPress:

E-commerce Features Wix WordPress
E-commerce Templates Offers a range of pre-designed e-commerce templates for various industries, with easy customization options. Offers a range of e-commerce themes and templates, with varying levels of customization options.
Payment Options Offers a range of payment options, including PayPal, Stripe, Square, and more, with no transaction fees. Offers a range of payment options, including PayPal, Stripe, and more, but transaction fees may apply.
Store Management Offers an intuitive store management system with an easy-to-use dashboard, inventory tracking, and order management. Offers a range of e-commerce plugins for store management, including WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, and more.
Shipping Offers a range of shipping options, including real-time shipping rates, label printing, and order tracking. Offers a range of shipping plugins, including WooCommerce Shipping, EasyPost, and more.
Tax Offers automatic tax calculation and integration with major tax services, such as Avalara and TaxJar. Offers a range of tax plugins, including WooCommerce Tax, Taxamo, and more.
Abandoned Cart Recovery Offers automatic abandoned cart recovery emails to help recover lost sales. Offers a range of abandoned cart recovery plugins, including Jilt, CartBounty, and more.

SEO

Here's a Comparison of the SEO Features of Wix and WordPress:

SEO Features Wix WordPress
SEO Optimization Offers basic SEO features such as meta tags, descriptions, and alt tags, with a Wix SEO Wiz tool to help guide users through optimization. Offers a range of SEO plugins and tools, including Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack, and more, with more advanced customization options.
URL Structure Allows users to customize their URL structure, but with limited options. Offers full control over URL structure, with the ability to customize permalinks for each page or post.
Site Speed Offers a built-in caching system and automatic image optimization to improve site speed. Offers a range of caching plugins and optimization tools, including WP Super Cache, WP Fastest Cache, and more.
Mobile Optimization Offers a mobile editor to customize the mobile view of the website, with responsive design templates. Offers a range of responsive design themes and templates, with more control over customization options.
Site Maps Offers automatic generation of XML sitemaps and integration with Google Search Console. Offers a range of sitemap plugins, including Google XML Sitemaps, Yoast SEO, and more.
SSL Certificates Offers automatic SSL encryption for all websites. Offers the ability to install SSL certificates, either manually or through plugins.

Plugins and Apps

Here's a Comparison of the Plugins and Apps available for Wix and WordPress:

Plugins and Apps Wix WordPress
Number of Plugins and Apps Wix offers a limited number of apps and integrations (around 300+). WordPress offers a vast library of over 58,000+ plugins and thousands of themes and templates available.
Types of Plugins and Apps Wix offers a range of apps and integrations, including those for e-commerce, marketing, social media, and more. However, many of these apps are developed by Wix and may not offer as much customization and flexibility as those offered by WordPress. WordPress offers a vast range of plugins and apps, including those for SEO, social media, e-commerce, analytics, membership plugin, and more. Many of these plugins are developed by third-party developers, offering a wide range of customization and flexibility options.
Cost of Plugins and Apps Many of Wix's apps and integrations are free, while some require a monthly subscription or one-time payment. The cost of apps and integrations can vary widely. Many WordPress plugins are free, while others require a one-time payment or subscription. The cost of plugins can vary widely, and some may require additional fees for ongoing updates and support.
Quality of Plugins and Apps Wix's apps and integrations are generally of good quality, but since most are developed by Wix, there may be limitations in terms of customization and flexibility. WordPress offers a vast library of plugins and apps developed by third-party developers, allowing for a wider range of customization and flexibility options. However, the quality of plugins can vary, and it's important to do thorough research before installing any plugins to ensure they are safe and reliable.
Installation and Maintenance Wix's apps and integrations can be easily installed from the Wix App Market and do not require any maintenance. WordPress plugins can be installed from the WordPress plugin library, third-party websites, or by uploading the plugin files manually. Plugins may require ongoing updates and maintenance to ensure they are working properly.

Security

When it comes to website security, both Wix and WordPress take it seriously. However, there are some differences between the two platforms.

Wix offers built-in security measures, including SSL encryption and secure hosting, to protect their users' websites. They also automatically update their platform to patch any security vulnerabilities that are discovered. Wix also has a dedicated security team that monitors their platform 24/7 for any security threats.

WordPress, on the other hand, is an open-source platform, meaning that the source code is freely available to anyone to modify and use. This can be both an advantage and disadvantage when it comes to security. On one hand, the large community of developers can quickly identify and patch security vulnerabilities. On the other hand, hackers can also easily access the source code and identify vulnerabilities.

To mitigate security risks, WordPress users can install security plugins like Wordfence and iThemes Security. These plugins offer additional security features like firewall protection, malware scanning, and two-factor authentication.

Here is a Comparison Table for the Security Features of Wix and WordPress:

Security Features Wix WordPress
SSL encryption Yes Yes
Secure hosting Yes Depends on hosting provider
Automatic updates Yes Yes
Dedicated security team Yes No
Third-party security plugins No Yes

Support and Resources

Here is the support and resources comparison in more details:

Support and Resources Wix WordPress
Customer support 24/7 email and phone support No direct customer support
Help Center Comprehensive tutorials, articles, and FAQs Documentation and user forums
Community forum Yes, with access to Wix experts Yes, with access to other WordPress users
Third-party support resources No information available Blogs, tutorials, and other community-driven resources
Website builder Drag-and-drop builder Requires knowledge of coding and third-party tools/plugins

Top Wix Integrations

Here are the Top Wix Integrations using Appy Pie Connect:

Integration Description Benefits
Mailchimp Automate email marketing by syncing contact data between Wix and Mailchimp. Save time and avoid manual data entry by syncing contact data between Wix and Mailchimp. This allows for more efficient email marketing campaigns and better customer segmentation.
Google Sheets Automatically transfer data from Wix forms to Google Sheets to keep track of leads and contacts. Keep track of leads and contacts in a central location, allowing for better organization and analysis of data. This can help improve marketing efforts and customer relationship management.
Salesforce Sync contact data between Wix and Salesforce to streamline sales and customer relationship management. Automate data transfer to avoid manual data entry and improve accuracy. This can help increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
Shopify Connect Wix with Shopify to streamline ecommerce sales and inventory management.
HubSpot Automate marketing and sales tasks by syncing Wix data with HubSpot. Sync data between platforms to avoid manual data entry and improve accuracy. This can help improve marketing efforts, customer relationship management, and sales performance.
Trello Automatically create Trello cards based on Wix form submissions or other triggers. Improve project management and task tracking by automatically creating Trello cards based on Wix data. This can help teams stay organized and on top of important tasks.
Slack Send Wix form submissions or other triggers to Slack channels for team collaboration. Improve team communication and collaboration by automatically sending Wix data to Slack channels. This can help teams stay informed and on top of important tasks.
PayPal Connect Wix with PayPal to streamline payment processing for ecommerce sales. Sync payment data between platforms to avoid manual data entry and improve accuracy. This can help increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
QuickBooks Automatically transfer Wix data to QuickBooks to streamline accounting and financial management. Sync data between platforms to avoid manual data entry and improve accuracy. This can help improve financial management and accounting processes.
Google Analytics Sync Wix data with Google Analytics to track website traffic and visitor behavior. Analyze website traffic and visitor behavior to improve marketing efforts and website performance. This can help increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.

Top Wordpress Integrations

Here are the Top Wordpress Integrations using Appy Pie Connect:

Integration Description Benefits
Gravity Forms Connect WordPress with Gravity Forms to automate form submissions and data transfer. Save time and avoid manual data entry by automating form submissions and data transfer. This can help improve lead generation and customer relationship management.
WooCommerce Connect WordPress with WooCommerce to streamline ecommerce sales and inventory management. Sync product and order data between platforms to avoid manual data entry and improve accuracy. This can help increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
Google Analytics Sync WordPress data with Google Analytics to track website traffic and visitor behavior. Analyze website traffic and visitor behavior to improve marketing efforts and website performance. This can help increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
HubSpot Automate marketing and sales tasks by syncing WordPress data with HubSpot. Sync data between platforms to avoid manual data entry and improve accuracy. This can help improve marketing efforts, customer relationship management, and sales performance.
Trello Automatically create Trello cards based on WordPress form submissions or other triggers. Improve project management and task tracking by automatically creating Trello cards based on WordPress data. This can help teams stay organized and on top of important tasks.
Slack Send WordPress form submissions or other triggers to Slack channels for team collaboration. Improve team communication and collaboration by automatically sending WordPress data to Slack channels. This can help teams stay informed and on top of important tasks.
QuickBooks Automatically transfer WordPress data to QuickBooks to streamline accounting and financial management. Sync data between platforms to avoid manual data entry and improve accuracy. This can help improve financial management and accounting processes.
Google Drive Automatically transfer WordPress data to Google Drive for cloud storage and collaboration. Improve data management and collaboration by automatically transferring WordPress data to Google Drive. This can help teams stay organized and on top of important tasks.
Zendesk Automate customer support tasks by syncing WordPress data with Zendesk. Improve customer support and ticket management by syncing WordPress data with Zendesk. This can help improve customer satisfaction and reduce response times.

Conclusion

Both Wix and WordPress offer a variety of features and integrations that can make them suitable for building an e-commerce website. However, each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, depending on your specific needs and preferences.

If you're looking for an easy-to-use platform with a streamlined website builder and pre-built e-commerce features, Wix might be the right choice for you. On the other hand, if you prioritize customization, flexibility, and scalability, WordPress might be the way to go.

Regardless of which platform you choose, integrating it with other tools and services can further enhance your website's functionality and user experience. With Appy Pie Connect - an AI-driven integration platform, you can seamlessly connect your e-commerce website with a variety of apps and services, boosting your business operations and improving your bottom line.

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Abhinav Girdhar

Founder and CEO of Appy Pie