Wix vs WordPress: Seven Things Everyone Should Know

As a web developer, I get asked all the time: Wix or WordPress?

Let me start by saying that both are very good platforms.

There are a few key differences, however.

WordPress has been around for a while and, to many users frustration, has had to update frequently, causing chaos for people who thought that hiring a web designer or developer was a one-time thing. If your site is powered by WordPress, chances are you’ll need to have an experienced developer on hand to maintain and make fixes as WordPress continues to update their ever-expanding platform.

Wix has the benefit of being the new-kid-on-the-block. They have benefited from the challenges that WordPress has faced over the past couple of decades and have found the solutions. Where WordPress offers users an à la carte menu of plugins, pricing, and themes, the Wix platform takes more of a Gestalt approach to web design. The Wix platform offers prix fixe menus, where everything is included at a handful of price points.

But let’s dig deeper. Below, I’ve broken down the differences based on questions my clients have asked me.

1. Which is more user-friendly?

Wix, hands down. Again, because Wix has learned from the challenges that WordPress has struggled to overcome, they have been able to anticipate many of the issues developers face and, this is important, the needs of users to be able to make quick, minor changes to the site without having to call in their developer each time. You’ll need to know how to do some basic coding to make edits to your WordPress site, but as more and more business owners know how to code these days, it’s less of a problem.

Wix also boasts a WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, so that you can see the changes as you make them. In WordPress, you’ll have to make the changes, save, and go to the “Preview” page. Not a deal breaker by any means, but a plus for Wix users to be sure.

2. Custom Design

Because WordPress is a self-hosted open-source content management system, many make the argument that there are endless possibilities to create more unique and customized sites. To a certain extent that is true, but I would also argue that as Wix has progressed over the years, they have been able to add a back-end developer ecosystem to their platform that allows designers and developers to build out more sites with customized code than was previously possible.

You’ll also need to keep in mind that the more you customize in WordPress, it’s likely that you’ll be ordering from their à la carte menu. Depending on your budget, those unforeseen costs might add up

Another design feature that WordPress and Wix offer are “themes”. They are templates that give your site a certain and more cohesive aesthetic instead starting with a blank slate.

WordPress has a limited selection of free templates for you to work with. They also offer a wide array of premium themes that run from $25 to $300. Again, all à la carte.

Wix offers a wide range of templates (over 500). They categorize these templates by industry and provide sample content, to give you a better sense of where you might want to ultimately take your site.

3. Apps and Plugins

WordPress is an open-source platform. This means that its codes are open to everybody to use and modify. Any programmer or coder can use WordPress to create themes or plugins for others to purchase and some can be downloaded for free.

Because of this, WordPress has more plugins than you can imagine (almost 60,000!), but they also vary in effectiveness and carry their own set of risks.

Wix on the other hand, has tighter control of its platform. They have carefully screened developers who produce their tools and applications, thus integrating them into the overall website builder. They are always expanding their “Apps Market”, so you will always have the option to add more as they are tested and become available. Since they are fully integrated, you don’t have to worry about installation or interruption of service.

Wix also provides excellent technical assistance for their tools. With WordPress, you’ll have to rely on the community and the individual plugin creator for help.

4. eCommerce.

Wix has eCommerce already built-in. You’ll have to sign up to one of Wix’s dedicated eCommerce plans, but from there, everything you need to sell online is ready and easily accessible.

With WordPress, you’ll need to install a plugin called WooCommerce in order to sell online. It’s free to install, but there are some additional costs involved, such as transaction fees (back to the à la carte menu again).

5. SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making changes to your site to improve its chances of ranking highly in search engine results pages.

WordPress and Wix actually have something in common when it comes to SEO — both rely on apps or plugins.

WordPress offers a plugin called Youst. Yoast is the number one SEO plugin for WordPress sites. Yoast premium costs about $70 to use for one WordPress website, and offers excellent SEO features such as the ability to edit metadata, automatic redirects, and suggestions on internal linking.

Wix also has a variety of SEO apps to choose from. The most popular of which is Site Booster. Site Booster is free with your subscription to an Unlimited plan or higher (Free and Combo plan users pay $3.44/month).

Site Booster has a host of SEO features, such as embedding your company address in search results, targeting keywords, and performance tracking.

6. Maintenance

Some things to consider about WordPress is that they are always updating the platform. When this happens (a few times a year), you’ll also need to update your WordPress site.

Most larger, more reputable theme and plugin developers will update their products for you, but don’t count on that for certain. Although WordPress offers many plugin options, it definitely pays to stay vigilant about updates.

With Wix, all updates are implemented by its technical team, and automatically update your site. You won’t even notice it as the platform’s apps and tools are fully integrated into the site builder. It’s not a bad idea to have your developer check the site once a year, just to make sure things are running smoothly, but you won’t have to worry about service interruption.

7. Pricing

Ok, let’s get to the bottom line.

Wix offers seven premium pricing plans and one free plan. As you move up the packages, you get access to more features ranging from free domain names, ad vouchers, and eCommerce capabilities.

With WordPress, you’ll need to find a hosting service. You may want to purchase a theme, although they do offer free themes to choose from. To add more functionality to your site, you’ll again look at the à la carte menu for plugins and apps as well as for purchasing a custom domain. So, while there is no prix fixe for WordPress, you will be able to pick and choose exactly what you want for your site. Costs for this range from $120 — $210, depending on what choices you make.

Time and resources are the most important commodities for any business to consider. Contact Ochstein Strategies to help you with either platform. With over 10 years experience developing WordPress sites and as a certified member of Wix Expert’s program, we are here to help you build the perfect site to suit your needs.