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Squarespace vs WordPress: Why WP is Still Better
September 30, 2023If you want to create a stunning website for your site without having to touch a line of code, you’re in the right place.
Those who already tried Wix but simply couldn’t get used to it are few and far between but worry not. There are a couple of Wix alternatives that will get the job done in a much better, more convenient manner.
This article will list a few Wix alternatives but take your time to analyze all the options to make sure that you make the correct decision.
Why Would You Need Wix Alternatives?
Before listing out the Wix alternatives that we considered the most relevant, you need to clearly understand why you can’t simply use Wix in the first place, without bothering to find another white-label site builder for your project.
One reason is that, although Wix is relatively bug-free, you might find that your website project requires some functionality that Wix isn’t able to provide. This may be due to a tricky bug that you cannot wait for Wix to fix, or a lack of interest from Wix to offer that feature you need.
Luckily, there are Wix alternatives that go better with a company’s goals, especially when it comes to more advanced or specialized features. It’s normal that some platforms are better than others in certain areas.
All that’s left to do is figure out which one would be best for your situation. You may need a Wix alternative that has a friendlier interface, or you may need one that offers more templates. All needs are different, and that’s why you need to personalize your choice.
The 4 most common reasons why people choose something else besides Wix would be:
- Price: Wix is not the cheapest solution out there, and people who are on a tight budget would rather check out other options as well.
- Templates: Once the website is published with a specific template, you won’t be able to change it in the future without losing content. You can customize bits of it, but that’s all you get.
- Large eCommerce websites: Wix can’t handle websites that are meant for selling wares at a very large scale. You can definitely manage small websites, but don’t opt for large online stores with Wix.
- Design: Overdoing your website’s design with Wix is possible, given the freedom you get. You can add all sorts of animations to the page, and if you don’t have an eye for design, it might become a mess.
11 Wix Alternatives That You Absolutely Need to Try
Moving on to the list you are so interested in:
If you’d rather have full control over all aspects of your website, the Wix alternatives you can opt for are quite scarce. One of them is self-hosted WordPress, which is known for its power and versatility as a full-fledged CMS (Content Management System).
It is hugely appreciated world-wide, and some people call it the king of CMS. You can do everything with WordPress, from creating simple blogs to complex eCommerce websites. It’s all up to you.
Compared to Wix, which keeps the code behind it secret and doesn’t let anyone make use of it in any way, WordPress gives you access to the code, sharing its software and letting you modify it as you please, thus contributing to the community.
All people can contribute in one way or another, by coming up with useful plugins, beautiful themes, or other helpful tools that may improve the WordPress experience.
And because a lot of developers contribute to the platform by adding free plugins and themes, but also paid ones, people have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to their websites.
We recommend Be Theme, as it's by far the most versatile theme out there.
WordPress is accessible to all, regardless of their budgets or requirements.
So, why should you choose WordPress over Wix?
This is the answer you’ve probably been waiting for, so let’s point it out clearly. Open-source content is better in terms of flexibility because there are almost unlimited options to choose from.
Customization becomes the least of your problems, as you can easily become overwhelmed with all the options you have. There are both paid and free options to choose from and the range of themes is so diverse that you won’t be stuck wanting more, as in other cases.
Pixpa
Pixpa is the ultimate all-in-one website builder for photographers and creatives to showcase, share and sell their work online. Pixpa enables you to create a beautiful portfolio website in minutes, complete with built-in client galleries, online store, and blogs. Pixpa is the only platform out there that offers a complete blend of features:
- A portfolio website with integrated eCommerce galleries. The process of selling your images as prints and downloads is seamless and part of your website.
- Ability to add an online store to your website if that works better for you instead of eCommerce galleries.
- Full-featured client galleries platform.
- Integrated blogs
- Mobile Gallery Apps
- Zero commissions and amongst the lowest pricing plans
Compared to Wix, Pixpa has a much more exhaustive list of features for photographers and creatives:
- Many more layouts for galleries
- IPTC import on image uploads
- Watermarking of images
- Ecommerce galleries to sell images as prints and downloads
- Fully-featured Client Galleries platform to share, proof, sell and deliver images to clients. The flexibility and features of the Client Galleries platform make it an ideal tool in a photographer's arsenal.
- Mobile Gallery Apps for a quick, stand-alone showcase of your work or for clients after/before a project.
Beyond these big ones, there are scores of features that you would discover when you use Pixpa more intensively.
Godaddy Website Builder
GoDaddy has a website builder that’s called GoCentral and it’s a new, innovative product exclusive to the giant hosting provider.
GoDaddy is not similar to other website builders when discussing template systems. It is based on an Artificial Intelligence designer that creates your site from scratch.
Simply put, you answer a few questions and the AI designer gets the website done for you, based on what your answers were. Pretty neat, right?
GoCentral is very easy to use as well, so you don’t have to possess a lot of knowledge in the field of technology to give it a try. It has drag and drop functionality that can also be used with the mobile version of the platform, thus allowing you to make changes on the go, on your mobile phone or tablet.
Of course, it’s not recommended to create a website from scratch within the mobile editor, but it is a useful function indeed, for quick changes and modifications.
Why choose GoDaddy from all Wix alternatives?
You can create a website and have it up and running in minutes. GoDaddy is convenient to use and it’s great in terms of SEO. It comes equipped with built-in tools to analyze your website’s performance and many other perks that will grant your site visibility in the online world.
Squarespace
GoDaddy has a website builder that’s called GoCentral and it’s a new, innovative product exclusive to the giant hosting provider.
GoDaddy is not similar to other website builders when discussing template systems. It is based on an Artificial Intelligence designer that creates your site from scratch.
Simply put, you answer a few questions and the AI designer gets the website done for you, based on what your answers were. Pretty neat, right?
GoCentral is very easy to use as well, so you don’t have to possess a lot of knowledge in the field of technology to give it a try. It has drag and drop functionality that can also be used with the mobile version of the platform, thus allowing you to make changes on the go, on your mobile phone or tablet.
Of course, it’s not recommended to create a website from scratch within the mobile editor, but it is a useful function indeed, for quick changes and modifications.
Why choose GoDaddy from all Wix alternatives?
You can create a website and have it up and running in minutes. GoDaddy is convenient to use and it’s great in terms of SEO. It comes equipped with built-in tools to analyze your website’s performance and many other perks that will grant your site visibility in the online world.
Squarespace
TemplateToaster is a Windows-based Web Design and CMS Theme & Template design Software that lets you create wonderful websites and templates in minutes.
With its intuitive UI, TemplateToaster empowers you to conceive your ideas and design high-end responsive themes & templates for several popular Content Management Systems(CMSes) such as WordPress, Joomla & Drupal also including eCommerce platforms such as Magento, OpenCart, Prestashop & VirtueMart.
You can also create templates for Blogger and HTML websites in no time. TemplateToaster is the best offline website builder that lets you work on your local machine providing you a dynamic interface to work with.
Gator
Another company that started with hosting services but later focused on website building, Gator derived from HostGator and is now one of the top Wix alternatives you can try. The product is new on the market, but it can already be compared to Wix directly.
Moreover, Gator is very easy to use, so people with less tech expertise can successfully figure out how it works. Gator is ultimately a simple website builder, but it gets the job done, and that’s more than enough for those who seek comfort and peace of mind.
Should you choose Gator over Wix?
I think the answer is yes, mainly because it is very convenient to use. It can be integrated with social media, which is an important aspect for gaining website recognition fast and easy. Gator is just as good as Wix, but you get similar features for a cheaper price.
Weebly
Weebly is great if you want to build a business or eCommerce site quick and easy. It has more storage space available, so you won’t have to think twice about what you upload on your site.
Wix has fewer features than Weebly in terms of customization. Even though it had a difficult start, Weebly eventually gained the appreciation of the public through the years. It is now supporting 40 million websites or more.
They work day after day to improve their products and their pricing offer is more than convenient. The interface is simple and uncluttered —everyone can use it without facing any issues, including the least experienced in website building.
Best of all, Weebly leads to very professional-looking results, so you’re paying less money for a top-notch product.
Why should you choose Weebly instead of Wix?
Weebly is the right choice for good blogging options and medium/large business websites. Their designs are well-structured and full of relevant features that would make it easier for you to build on and manage in the long run.
You can create websites with more than 20 pages with Weebly, which makes it one of the best Wix alternatives out there.
Shopify
Shopify might be even more famous than Wix is when talking about eCommerce websites. Shopify is a Canadian provider that built its strong reputation during the past decade.
Considering the great listing at NASDAQ, the company is continuously growing and there’s a big chance to see an even greater improvement in the future.
Shopify offers a wide range of features that Wix doesn’t, propelling it to the top of the alternatives. Its cherished features include bulk product imports, login checkouts, many payment options, eCommerce-related notifications, multi-channel integrations, and more.
Wix doesn’t support such things, so an alternative is needed to make use of these features.
Why choose Shopify over Wix?
If it’s not obvious enough, among the Wix alternatives listed here, Shopify is the strongest and most complex in terms of eCommerce. You should definitely opt for it if your website is eCommerce-oriented.
Webflow
Webflow is not regularly listed as one of the best Wix alternatives, but this time it’s worth including here because we are going to tackle it from a different standpoint. This is a solution that’s suitable for experienced designers who simply want to reduce their work time.
It’s not only convenient for developers who want to create custom-code websites at a glance, but also for people who simply don’t possess the huge budgets required for having them built from scratch.
That’s where Webflow development services step in and truly make a difference. Using a visual canvas, Webflow users can design their sites in properly marked-up code without having to code. Even animations and interactions can be created with the visual editor.
Why would Webflow be better?
Among Wix alternatives, Webflow is impressive because it’s not your basic website builder. It’s more than that. The design tools it replicates are similar to Adobe’s Photoshop or InDesign, so there’s no wonder why it is highly appreciated. It’s a pro tool that deserves a try.
Strikingly
Those who want more control over how their website works and feels should try Strikingly over Wix. It’s mostly focused on making things easy for all users, regardless of their experience with creating websites.
More than that, the platform’s aim is to help users build a website in the quickest time possible — in less than 15 minutes.
The fact that you can obtain a customized website that you design yourself in as low as 15 minutes can be called revolutionary in this industry. You get the satisfaction of doing it yourself, but the platform helps you do it with ease and comfort.
It’s one of the easiest platforms to use out there, and it can’t even be compared to Wix from this standpoint.
Should you choose Strikingly over Wix?
Both are good for different purposes. Strikingly is visibly better in terms of investment, as it offers many templates, impressive features, and helpful tools.
Moreover, you get 24/7 customer support and you don’t have to upgrade from the free plan to access basic functions that you would need in managing a website from day-to-day.
Duda
Duda is one of the Wix alternatives that is focused on mobile only. They have offered scalable designs since the very first moment the word “responsive” became an unavoidable trend.
They have evolved tremendously and now have an option that is quite rare on a responsive design which is the multilingual option that you can add to your website with ease.
Duda is neat in terms of marketing, but it’s also a great alternative to Wix if you want a light website with interesting features that create a unique experience for your visitors.
Why would you choose Duda?
Simply because it’s nice to work with and it has some features that make it stand out from the rest out there. It is especially useful when you need to offer your site in different regions with different languages, as it supports over 50 languages out of the box.
uKit
There’s not that much to say about uKit. It’s a good website builder for simpler business websites instead of complex ones. People use it instead of Wix for creating portfolios or professional landing pages.
It has some benefits like affordability, simplicity, responsiveness, but it mostly impresses through its intuitiveness and the possibility to easily switch themes at a later stage.
When would uKit beat Wix?
Wix and uKit are comparable, but it depends on the purpose you have. If you choose uKit, you will build simple websites easier than you would with Wix. Plus, you can switch the theme later if you decide to do so.
IM Creator
This is not a design-heavy website builder, but it’s enough for those who don’t need websites full of irrelevant details. For instance, those who need a website for their brand without filling it with all sorts of bells and whistles will definitely like IM Creator more than they like Wix.
The website will come pre-filled with dummy content and you only need to drop your own copy here and replace the images —as simple as that.
IM Creator has a few downsides as well, one of them being the slight delay that you will experience while you switch content. The drag and drop repositioning should run smoothly to save time.
So, IM Creator or Wix?
Wix might be faster in terms of editing your website, but IM Creator lets you build a site without using a template in the first place. Instead, IM Creator lets you create a design from scratch on your own. That’s great for a high level of customization.
FAQ on Wix Alternatives
Why do people look for Wix alternatives?
Well, you know, not every platform is a one-size-fits-all. Some folks might find Wix a tad limiting, especially if they're aiming for more advanced features or a different pricing structure. Plus, sometimes it's just about personal preference. Variety is the spice of life, right?
Are there any free alternatives to Wix?
Absolutely! There are a handful of platforms out there that won't cost you a dime. Platforms like WordPress, Blogger, and Weebly offer free versions. But remember, "free" often comes with limitations, like ads or fewer features. It's a trade-off.
How do Wix alternatives compare in terms of ease of use?
Ah, the golden question! Some platforms, like Squarespace or Weebly, are pretty intuitive and user-friendly, kinda like Wix. But then there are others, like WordPress, which might have a steeper learning curve but offer more flexibility. It's all about what you're comfy with.
Can I find better SEO options with Wix alternatives?
You betcha! While Wix has made strides in SEO, platforms like WordPress, when paired with the right plugins, can be an SEO powerhouse. It gives you more control over the nitty-gritty details, which can be a game-changer for some businesses.
What about e-commerce? Are there better options than Wix?
For sure! If you're diving deep into the e-commerce world, platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce might be more up your alley. They're tailored for online sales and offer a bunch of tools to make your digital shop shine.
How customizable are these Wix competitors?
Oh, let me tell ya, some are super customizable. WordPress, for instance, is like a blank canvas. With the right theme and plugins, you can make it look and function however you want. But with great power comes great responsibility – it might be overwhelming for some.
Are Wix alternatives mobile-friendly?
Most of them, yeah! It's 2023, after all. Platforms like Squarespace, Shopify, and even the mighty WordPress offer responsive designs. It's crucial since so many folks are browsing on their phones these days.
How's the customer support with these other platforms?
It's a mixed bag. Some platforms, like Shopify, are known for their top-notch support. Others might leave you more on your own. Always a good idea to check reviews and see what real users are saying about their experiences.
Do Wix alternatives offer better pricing options?
It varies. Some platforms might offer a better bang for your buck, especially if you're looking for specific features. For instance, if you're all about blogging, WordPress might be more cost-effective. But if you're launching an online store, Shopify's pricing might make more sense.
Can I migrate my Wix site to another platform easily?
Ah, migration. It can be a bit tricky. Some platforms offer tools or services to help with the move, but it's not always a seamless process. It might require some manual work, especially with design and layout. Always good to do your homework before making the jump.
Ending thoughts on these Wix Alternatives
All the Wix alternatives we listed here are suitable for building websites. The choice you make depends on the factors we discussed during the introduction.
The tighter your budget, the better it would be to use a free website builder. The less time you have, the faster the builder should be. Approach the issue with these points in mind and your choice will become easier to make.
Hopefully, the Wix alternatives we listed here will be helpful for those who decided to migrate from Wix to something else. As an overall winner, we would recommend using WordPress and enhance it with Be Theme for a larger design variety. You’ll be glad you did!
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