There are many platforms where you can . But most can be divided into two categories: Website Builders and . is an excellent example of the first, and WordPress represents the second.
If you’re new to website building, it can be difficult to choose which type of platform to use. To help you, in this article we are going to compare Wix vs WordPress in several critical aspects, including:
- Easy to use
- site administration
- Performance
- Security
- customization options
- eCommerce
- Price
- Support
- SEO
We’ll then summarize the advantages of each platform, so you have all the information you need to make an informed decision. Let’s start the comparison of WordPress vs Wix!
An Introduction to Wix vs WordPress
Before continuing, it is important to understand the fundamental differences between Wix and WordPress. As we mentioned before, although both allow you to create websites, they are not the same type of platform.
At its core, Wix is what is known as . That means it offers tools that you can use to create websites easily, without having to touch a single line of code. It does this using a visual editor that is based on pre-made elements or ‘blocks’, which can be added to any page and rearranged at will:
In recent years, these types of platforms have become more popular as they allow people to create websites without any knowledge of web development. However, there are limitations to the type of results you can achieve using a website builder.
WordPress, on the other hand, is a Content Management System (CMS). This is a fancy term for platforms that allow you to create and manage vast libraries of content, along with all the tools you need to create the rest of a website:
Although WordPress was once a platform dedicated to blogs, it has long since moved to another level. Nowadays, of all websites are made in WordPress and it can be used to create almost any type of site. In the following sections, we’ll explain why the platform is so popular and help you decide whether to use Wix or WordPress.
However, there is one crucial difference that you need to know before going any further. Perhaps the biggest difference between a website builder and a cms is that in the latter you must get accommodation on your own. This means that with Wix, your site will be automatically stored and displayed by the platform’s servers.
With WordPress, on the other hand, you will have to find your own web host and purchase a plan in order to get your site up and running. This requires , but also gives you much more control over site performance, security, and optimization. In addition, you can find WordPress hosting plans at a very low monthly price.
There is a version of the platform that includes hosting, called (as opposed to ). It’s a lot like Wix and has the same kind of limitations. In this comparison, we will focus on the version of wordpress.org which does not include accommodation.
Now, having introduced our two contenders and their main differences, let’s see what they have to offer in a direct Wix vs WordPress comparison.
Wix vs WordPress: Ease of Use
First, let’s talk about ease of use. Our benchmark here is whether each platform is accessible to someone who is completely new to it. Ideally, you should be able to choose Wix or WordPress and start using it right away, without having to spend weeks or months studying.
We can start by saying that Wix is fantastic when it comes to ease of use. As soon as you create an account, you will have access to a very clear control panel where you can easily find the options you want:
Here are some features that might be a bit advanced for beginners to web development. For example, you may need to consult the platform’s documentation if you want to use the options of , as well as its marketing tools, however, there is a search bar of aid easy to use to quickly send you in the right direction.
However, once you open the Wix editor, you’ll quickly see why the platform is so popular. The Wix editor is very easy to use. You can add elements like text and images in seconds using the menu on the left, create new pages, and even manage app integrations.
In a mobile menu, it has a collection of tools that you can use to edit your page styles and elements, which is very reminiscent of a photo editor. Wix even lets you use templates to set up modern-looking pages in minutes. If you use a template, you can always edit its individual parts to make the design unique. with your guides Strip and the drag and drop feature, you can easily move any item in seconds.
Ultimately, with Wix it’s possible to get up and running and set up a great looking home page in a couple of hours (or less). That’s helpful, especially if you’ve never created a website before.
WordPress, for its part, is also no slouch when it comes to ease of use. After installing the platform on the server of your choice, you will have access to the famous . This includes many options, to be sure, but it’s easy to understand what each of them does with a quick glance.
Having lots of options to customize your website is certainly not a bad thing. However, this does mean that WordPress has a slightly steeper learning curve than Wix.
The same becomes apparent once you start creating pages and posts. Setting up any of these elements is simple, and you can do it with just a few clicks.
However, editing those pages and making them look exactly the way you want is a bit more complicated. To do this, you’ll need to make it fit your style and learn how to customize it.
Note that many WordPress themes include their own page builder tools, and there are also plugins that can add this functionality. In other words, if you want to have a more Wix-like experience while still using WordPress, you can get it pretty easily.
Ultimately, Wix is easier to use than WordPress. But keep in mind that once you get the hang of it, you can do a lot more with WordPress than with Wix. Still, the first round of the comparison between WordPress and Wix is won by Wix.
Wix vs WordPress: Site Administration
In this section we will focus on the options that both platforms provide to help you manage your website. By managementwe mean a lot of diverse but vital actions, like updating it, performing troubleshooting, deleting old posts, and more.
First, let’s take a look at Wix. When it comes to site administration, Wix’s philosophy is to keep things simple, so you don’t have to worry about the little details. For example, you don’t have to worry about updating the platform, as it is done automatically in the background.
Similarly, Wix also makes it easy to duplicate, delete, and even transfer your website:
However, when you start to dig a little deeper, you will notice that Wix lacks some features that you might want to access in the future. For example, your options are rather poor:
WordPress, on the other hand, offers access to a host of site management options right out of the box. For example, it allows you to customize the structure of URLs, something that cannot be done in Wix:
For more advanced features, you can always find plugins that allow you to implement them, in many cases for free. Just to give an example, the plugin allows you to rank better in search engines and even improve the readability of the content:
Overall, Wix gives you an easier experience to manage your website. However, WordPress offers much more depth and options, which is critical to running a successful website. So, in this round of Wix vs WordPress, the winner is WordPress.
Wix vs WordPress: Performance
It is a bit difficult to compare WordPress vs Wix in terms of performance, since both platforms are hosted differently. However, let’s take a look at the differences key code.
As we mentioned earlier, Wix is a hosted platform. Basically, that means you pay for access to a website builder and web hosting all in one package. Wix does not allow you to make customizations that may alter the fundamental performance of the website.
Instead, the team responsible for the platform is in charge of making sure that all the sites load as fast as possible, at least in theory. During our tests, we found that Wix pages tend to load quite quickly. Wix provides competitive load times, thanks in part to automatic image optimization and the use of a .
In other words, Wix can be a good option if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to worry about tuning your site’s performance. The drawback is that you have no control over how your site works and you have few options when looking for better alternatives.
With WordPress, you can use any . This allows you to search for the best option and decide exactly what kind of performance and how many resources your site needs. , for example, offers excellent performance with our .
Plus, there are plenty of other ways you can add to your WordPress website. The platform does not include options such as and CDN integration by default. However, you can easily add them, using plugins like:
As you can see, there is a recurring theme throughout this Wix vs WordPress comparison. If you’re willing to put in a little more work, WordPress often has the edge over Wix. When it comes to performance, WordPress allows you to make sure that your site is always running optimally, however, Wix will take care of everything for you, if you wish.
Wix vs. WordPress: Security
Ideally, whatever platform you choose should be inaccessible. Nobody should be able to access your accounts without permission, or have access to sensitive data. However, the sad truth is that there is no platform 100% safe.
The best thing you can do is limit your risks as much as possible by choosing a platform that has an excellent reputation for security. In addition, there are also ways to increase the security of your website manually (depending on the software you use).
Hosted platforms like Wix are often more secure by default, largely due to two factors:
- Users cannot edit the core functionality of the underlying software, so there are fewer security vulnerabilities.
- These platforms update automatically, so there’s no need to worry about outdated software.
But…
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