Wix vs. WordPress

WordPress is a content management system that powers 40% of the web. It is an open-source platform that allows users to create a website or a blog easily. WordPress has two versions: the hosted version at WordPress.com, and the self-hosted version at WordPress.org. Read our comparison of the two versions here.

Wix, on the other hand, is a website builder that allows users to create a website without coding. It is a cloud-based platform that provides a drag-and-drop interface for designing websites.

Why the Hype about WordPress

Easy to use: WordPress is user-friendly and easy to learn. Users with no coding experience can create a website in minutes with the help of pre-built themes and plugins. (See How Hard is it to Learn WordPress?)

Customization: WordPress offers a high degree of customization, allowing users to create any type of website, from simple blogs to complex eCommerce sites. With thousands of free and paid themes and plugins, users can create a unique and professional-looking website that meets their needs. (See The Only Plugins that Every WP Site Needs)

Open-source: WordPress is open-source, meaning that anyone can use, modify, and redistribute the software without any restrictions. This has led to a large community of developers who create themes, plugins, and contribute to the core software, making it better and more secure over time.

SEO-friendly: WordPress is optimized for search engines, making it easy for users to optimize their content for search engines. It comes with built-in SEO tools such as Yoast SEO that help users to optimize their content for search engines. (See How to Use Yoast SEO)

Community support: WordPress has a large and supportive community of users and developers who provide help and support through forums, blogs, and social media channels. (Get our Weekly Webmaster newsletter!)

Why would Someone Consider Wix?

First, the rebels. Why accept the common wisdom, unless there is real fact to back it up? I get you.

Wix is free to use, and it is easy to use. Those are facts. Let’s discuss what you’re sacrificing for that to see if it is worth it to you.

Secondly, ease of use. Among the hype for WordPress the downside has always been, and continues to be Ease of Use.

So let’s discuss the most important factors to most people starting a website: SEO, Site Speed, Extensibility (for ecommerce, for example), Security, Ease of Use, Support and Cost.

SEO & Site Speed

WordPress is designed to be SEO-friendly right out of the box, with clean and optimized code, easily customizable permalinks, and SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO that help users to optimize their content for search engines.

With WordPress, users can create a customized website structure that is optimized for search engines, and they have full control over their content and metadata, which are crucial for SEO.

Wix offers limited control over website structure, does not offer advanced SEO features, and has less flexibility for optimizing metadata.

While Wix provides some basic SEO features such as customizing page titles and descriptions, it falls short compared to WordPress, which offers more advanced SEO features and customization options.

More SEO services are available for WordPress than Wix. These services help users to optimize their content for search engines, research keywords, monitor rank results, analyze website performance, and improve website speed and security, which are all important factors for SEO.

WordPress offers better site speed and performance than Wix, which is a crucial factor for SEO. WordPress websites can be optimized for speed and performance with caching plugins, image optimization plugins, and other optimization techniques, which are not available in Wix.

Flexibility & Customization

WordPress offers a high level of flexibility and customization, allowing users to create any type of website, including blogs, eCommerce sites, and membership sites. With thousands of free and paid themes and plugins, users can create a unique and professional-looking website that meets their needs.

Wix has limited customization options, with a limited number of templates and themes available. They can also add apps and features from the Wix App Market, which includes options for eCommerce, booking systems, and social media integrations. Wix users cannot edit the underlying code.

Users cannot customize their website as much as they can with WordPress.

Ease of Use

With Wix, website owners have access to a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, which allows them to customize their website’s design and content to some extent.

Although many claim that WordPress is “easy” to use, that really depends on your perspective. To most, it has a steep learning curve, especially for beginners. Users need to learn how to add and upgrade plugins, and use the block editor.

Ownership & Control

Wix does have some restrictions on how much control website owners have over their site while WordPress has no restrictions.

For example, Wix users are limited to the features and apps available within the Wix ecosystem, and they cannot modify the underlying code of their website. WordPress users have complete ownership and control over their website.

WordPress users can choose their own hosting provider, domain name, and customize their website as they wish. They can also monetize their blog through advertising or affiliate marketing without any restrictions.

Security of WP vs Wix

Wix provides hosting and security for their users, meaning that users don’t need to worry about securing it. Wix takes care of that for them.

WordPress is vulnerable to security threats, and users need to take measures to secure their website. They need to update their WordPress version, plugins, and themes regularly and stay apprised of risks.

Costs of Wix and WordPress – in the real world!

Wix is “more expensive” than WordPress, with a monthly subscription fee that users need to pay. This can add up over time, especially if users want to add additional features to their website.

While WordPress is technically open-source (free), it will cost in time or contractors.

When starting out, if you don’t have time to learn, I recommend a budget of $600 – $800 per year for a basic website – including the set up, hosting, and maintenance and the occasional assistance.

Which is Better for you: Wix or WordPress?

In summary, WordPress offers more flexibility and customization options than Wix, making it the better choice for users who want complete ownership and control over their website. But if SEO is important – that trumps everything and WordPress will be the only logical choice. However, Wix is easier to use and provides hosting and security, making it a good option for beginners who don’t have any technical skills and don’t need to rely on search engines for visitors.