When it comes down to choosing the website builder that’s best for you, you need to consider a few categories.
First is whether to use, WordPress or a Website Builder, then we can look at WordPress vs Wix
What is the difference?
WordPress is a software that enables you to design your website. It is an open-sourced Content Management System, which means anyone can make their own and contribute to it.
(WordPress.org not WordPress.com)
This is a direct reflection of the over 50,000 plug-ins and 11,000 themes.
WordPress is technically not a website builder, but is commonly referred to as one because you can build a website using it’s platform.
It is the fastest growing CMS, with over 500 new sites being built daily in the top 10 million websites on the web.
Wix is a site builder which hosts its own websites, and is said to be one of the largest in the game right now.
Wix are the only ones that distribute the templates and apps available, and this includes 100’s of options and plenty of customizing features.
Since it is a website builder, the editor is much different than WordPress, which we will get to in more detail later.
So which one is right for you and is Wix better than WordPress or the other way round?
We have narrowed down the categories to look for when comparing these two giants, Wix and WordPress.
Either way you will find something specifically for your needs.
In short, to remember:
Wix = Less Learning Curve, Less Flexibility
WordPress = More Learning Curve, More Flexibility
You can think of building a website like a house:
WordPress allows you to customize the structure, and placement of walls, if you so choose. You can even have it built by someone and just change the aesthetics like the layout of furniture, and paint color.
With Wix, you can’t change the structure of the house, but you can customize the furniture and paint color to what you want. This can ultimately change each website to be completely different.
But let’s take a look at the major categories for deciding between the two:
Interface/Editor
The interface is what you use to edit your website. Pick the one that suits your needs and helps you achieve your goals.
Wix:
The editor for Wix is easy to use, because they pride their business on having a user-friendly system. This is why they are considered one of the best.
Wix achieves this through the simple drag n’ drop editor. This is an instant What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) perfect for beginners and life-changeably easy.
The interface is also clean and less cluttered than WordPress, with a sleek design and easy set-up.
Other companies have tried to replicate, but Wix is one of the best at it.
WordPress:
WordPress has an easy interface, when it comes to not dealing with code, and prides themselves on usability with flexibility and complete customization.
With this comes a back and front end system.
The editor is set-up to see the dashboard where you manage the settings, plug-ins and features.
So if you would like to see what the viewer will see, you have to switch from dashboard to demo.
Plug-ins do exist for WordPress that gives it a drag and drop interface such as Elementor,
(WordPress has also recently updated with Gutenberg, which has a block system for more user-friendliness.)
The expand-ability is the main difference between WordPress and everyone else. It simply cannot be matched with the endless possibilities.
Themes/Templates
WordPress:
Since many third party companies sell themes and plug-ins for WordPress, you can find any type for you specific industry, level, or category.
There’s themes for
Themes include any type of website you can think like business, education, eCommerce, design studios, videos, restaurants; you name it.
My point is, there are a lot of options but Platforms like Themeforest, and EnvatoMarket can make browsing through extremely easy. You can also find great blogs that narrow down themes, review, and list the top themes.
Most themes have the ability to stand large capacity websites with a lot of pages, so it’s idea for large businesses or for those who want to expand for the future.
If you are a beginner it is always a good idea to look at tutorials and tips on the best way to go about installing your theme, and once you know, it’s a breeze to perfect it.
Many themes also come mobile-responsive which saves the trouble of manually adjusting or encountering issues in the future.
Wix:
Wix has many templates to choose from, that can also be specifically designed for a certain industry. Each have custom features that can be included and altered the way you prefer.
You can always customize the design and use apps to get the template where you want, and they make it easy to make it unique and up to date.
But once you choose a template you cannot change to a totally new one
Most of the templates are mobile-friendly but not responsive. You can always rearrange and customize the layout for mobile devices.
Features: Apps/Plugins
For features we suggest doing research to find out if your website builder has the features you are looking for. These can include many categories such as SEO, security, or online store options.
Wix:
There is an entire App Market for Wix that provides great features, with over 300 apps. This includes specific conventional features such as galleries, events, and online stores.
Wix does not have the same amount of selection with their apps as WordPress plug-ins, which makes it easier to narrow down.
You can have complete confidence in the reliability of the apps and don’t have to worry about compatibility.
If you are looking for non-conventional type features this may not be the best option.
Basically the difference will be whether conventional is enough for you.
WordPress:
WordPress plug-ins, as you know, have endless possibilities.
Some are already provided to you depending on your hosting site.
Plug-ins can turn your ‘house’ into a ‘mansion’ with top of the line features, and many your probably didn’t even think you needed like:
BlogVault: For backing up your website and migration
Weglot: For translating your website
Malcare: For securing your website
Smush Image: For optimizing your images
Bottom line, the amount and type of plug-ins can get overwhelming so we suggest doing research on the best ones.
It’s a good idea to find a trusted website that will give detailed explanations for the best plug-ins, since many users have issues with compatibility.
Find recommendations so that you don’t end up with plug-ins that are not compatible or not updated.
eCommerce Websites
eCommerce websites have been up and coming for many years and will continue to be a trend in 2019.
If you are one looking into an eCommerce here are a few things to think about.
WordPress:
WordPress has the advantage with the Woo-Commerce plug-in, which is perfect if you are looking to expand your store in the future, and is stacked with features most people didn’t even know existed.
It has multilingual options, full control, and ultimate additional features.
With all WordPress themes and plug-ins there will always be a learning curve and can have some additional charges
Wix:
Wix has an entire section dedicated for online stores, and is a great option for a small store, or an up and coming.
They have one of the best website builders for integrating products, and even engaging your products on social media.
Wix is one of the most affordable when it comes to online stores, but a few key features keep it from being reliable with larger stores, so keep that in mind.
SEO:
Search engine optimization is key to gain traffic for your site. How well will your website show up on Search Engines?
Wix:
Wix has many built in SEO features that allow for great optimizing features.
There have been many negative opinions about the capabilities of the Wix SEO in the past, but they have made many improvements.
Unless you are looking to rank with an extremely difficult keyword, then the SEO for Wix works just fine.
One attribute that does not benefit SEO is with the free plan you cannot customize your domain and it will automatically name your photos.
WordPress:
The beauty of WordPress is that the SEO is as good as the plug-ins that you choose to use.
Plug-ins like Yoast SEO, which has high rankings and unsurpassed features, makes SEO easy for you.
Like everything else with WordPress the options are endless when it comes to SEO and the features that allow for you to show up on search engines are the ultimate against other sites.
Pricing:
Of course your budget is the most important, so it’s crucial to look at all the factors when deciding between builders and CMS.
Wix:
Wix has multiple options starting from-
- Free: Includes Website with Wix Ads; Doesn’t include Domain Name
- $5: Connect Domain ; With Wix ads
- $13: Start with no Wix Ads; plenty of storage
- $23: For Business and eCommerce; Online store and premium apps
(There are more options, go to Wix.com for more information)
WordPress:
- WordPress is Free
- Hosting can range from: $2 and Up with Bluehost it is $2.95/month and highly suggested for WordPress websites.
- Themes can range from $0 – $90
In conclusion:
We suggest looking at all factors when deciding which way to go.
Both Wix and WordPress provide great options to build your website.
Wix is easy to use, and has great customization features.
WordPress provides complete flexibility and customization for you.
Which will you choose?