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Weebly vs WordPress: What to Use for an Online Shop
September 4, 2023When creating a website for the first time, many people are overwhelmed by all the options available to them. A common conundrum is choosing between Wix or WordPress, so today we are going to talk about the differences between these two popular platforms.
Wix is a relative newcomer but has grown a lot in the past years, while WordPress is far more established and is the workhorse behind more than a third of all websites on the Internet.
Both are viable platforms for a wide range of websites, yet they are worlds apart in many aspects. To help you understand when and why to use one or the other, here is the lowdown of all you need to know.
Which one to choose, Wix or WordPress?
Before we start, let's discuss some details that need to be cleared up. We will be comparing Wix, a third-party hosted website platform with WordPress, which is a self-hosted platform.
This is a huge difference because it determines who controls your hosting server (i.e. the machine that serves the website to visitors). With Wix, you hand off control to Wix themselves, whereas with WordPress you are responsible for hosting everything.
Another key point is that WordPress is an opensource website builder, and we are soon going to find out more details about this. Suffice to say, the source code of WordPress is free to view and modify to heart’s desire. Not so with Wix, where the platform code is proprietary.
We can say from the start that WordPress is indeed more powerful than Wix. This comes with a price, and that is, it requires more technical know-how to use it. Coding is essential if you want to customize your site beyond the features of your chosen theme and plugins.
Wix, on the other hand, makes everything as simple as possible, sacrificing customization for ease-of-use.If you don’t want to bother with design, Wix has design assistance that will help you create your website in minutes. Naturally, you shouldn’t expect too much in the way of personalization if you opt for this assistance.
Overall, Wix is easy to use but doesn’t provide a whole lot of functionality, and is thus better suited for portfolio websites or ones that showcase the basic details of a brand. Building complex sites shouldn't be done using Wix as it slows down when there are many sections.
As you can already tell, one of the main differences between Wix and WordPress is the technical approach. Wix packages include hosting and tech support, and WordPress requires you to take care of these aspects yourself.
Pricing: Which is cheaper, Wix or WordPress?
It's quite challenging to compare WordPress vs. Wix in terms of pricing. They each have a very different system. WordPress is free, but you need to pay for themes, plugins, and hosting, whereas Wix has different plans to choose from.
Wix offers a primary website builder for free, but you will have Wix ads that are placed on the site you build. To remove the ads, you need to upgrade to a paid subscription. Even so, it does provide everything in one package:
- Hosting
- E-commerce
- Themes
- Apps
- Support
Ease of use
WordPress has its visual editor that you can use to write your content together with a theme customizer. With the customizer, you can edit the properties of the theme with a live preview.
By default, WordPress doesn't have any built-in drag and drop option for changing your theme, but there are plugins that can turn WordPress into a true drag and drop website builder.
WordPress is well known for the variety of plugins that you can use. There are a lot, and most of them are free. It is also easy to use them as there are many different tutorials, either by the plugin developer or other WordPress users.
When you have more significant challenges like highly specific use cases, it might not be easy to find a solution. WordPress is currently making efforts to become a more user-friendly website but it is far away from being as comfortable as Wix.
Wix is already designed and built for non-developers to use right away, so learning how to use Wix is fast. You can drag and drop all of its available elements precisely in the space you want.
Design and Flexibility
Still confused if Wix or WordPress should be your choice? Let's explore more details about them and see how they can help in terms of design.
WordPress is an excellent option if you already know CSS and HTML. You can modify the code of the template you decide to go with. By doing so, you will get the website that you want, not having to settle for anything less than what you have in mind.
There are also many responsive WordPress themes online, and many of them have built-in customization options that make it easy to adjust your theme without coding by hand. One of those is Be Theme.
The advantage of WordPress is that you can redesign the template as you wish. Extra functions, advanced parameters, and so on can be added easily. It is possible to do so without coding, but you will be restricted to the options presented by your particular theme.
Wix has around 500 templates that you can choose from. All Wix designs are fully responsive, and they are done in HTML5. By using its built-in tools, you will be able to customize further the site design and arrange the items as you see fit.
The main difference with Wix sites is that they come with pre-installed features. Wix also has its own App Market where you can add new apps with a few clicks. Do you need any analytic tools or event apps for your site? Simply head to the App Market and choose what you need.
E-commerce: Adding an online store
The e-commerce industry has exploded in recent years and having an online store on your site is no longer an uncommon feature. The question is, does Wix or WordPress present better e-commerce capabilities?
The simple fact is that WordPress (with the use of plugins) provides far greater support for e-commerce than Wix. For example, the free WooCommerce plugin is incredibly powerful and can help you create any type of online store in any industry.
WordPress with WooCommerce supports many store management functions that you would otherwise have to pay good money for. Plus, if you ever need any special e-commerce features that aren’t available as a plugin, you can always hire a developer to implement them.
Wix offers e-commerce together with their paid plans. So to create your online shop here, you need to upgrade. Wix stores can accept a variety of payment methods including PayPal, Stripe, and Square.
There are many third-party apps that you can take advantage of when selling online. However, these apps can cost extra due to their monthly fees. So make sure to do the math before you make your decision.
What is best for blogging: Wix or WordPress?
Here the answer can be a bit obvious as WordPress is the number one platform for blogging. Even without adding any plugins whatsoever, WordPress has all the features you’d need to create and publish your own blog.
Managing posts is easy, and you can add any content that you wish. That includes text, images, or videos. And, as with most blogging platforms, you can set different categories and tags to help users navigate your content better.
Wix has added a number of blog templates for people that are passionate about different subjects like food, travel, fashion, and many more. They have an easy setup and ready-to-go designs to choose from, so we appreciate their efforts. So in this case, Wix is also perfectly suited for bloggers.
Plugins and Apps
Wix vs.Wordpress are somewhat different when we talk about plugins and apps. The idea is that WordPress calls them plugins, and Wix calls them apps. For both of them, they are useful tools that improve the features of the site you can build.
There are more than 50,000 free plugins available from WordPress.org and many thousands more paid plugins to choose from. This, for sure, provides more choice than any website building platform out there.
Wix has a different approach. Their App Market is the place where you can find the "plugins". They have around 300 apps, and all of them check for compatibility. This means you can be confident that they are going to integrate perfectly when you want to build your own website.
FAQ on Wix or WordPress
Which is easier for beginners: Wix or WordPress?
Man, I remember when I was just starting out. For absolute newbies, Wix is like a breath of fresh air. It's super intuitive with its drag-and-drop interface. But, hey, don't get me wrong, WordPress isn't rocket science either. It just has a steeper learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, though, it's a powerhouse.
How flexible is Wix compared to WordPress?
Alright, here's the deal. Wix is like that all-in-one tool you buy at the store. It's got everything you need, but sometimes you wish it had a bit more oomph. WordPress, on the other hand, is like a customizable toolkit. You can add, modify, and play around with plugins and themes. So, in terms of flexibility, WordPress takes the cake.
What's the cost difference between Wix and WordPress?
Ah, the million-dollar question! Or, well, maybe not a million. Wix has a free plan, but if you want the good stuff, you'll need to pay. WordPress is technically free, but hosting, themes, and plugins can add up. So, it's kinda like comparing apples to oranges. Both can be affordable or pricey, depending on how you roll.
How's the SEO game for Wix and WordPress?
SEO, the magic word! Wix has made strides in this department, and it's not too shabby for basic SEO needs. But, if you're serious about ranking and optimization, WordPress with the right plugins (think Yoast) is a beast. It offers more in-depth tools and customization for the SEO gurus out there.
Can I switch from Wix to WordPress easily?
Switching platforms, huh? It's a bit like moving houses. Wix to WordPress isn't a one-click affair. You'll need to manually export content, and some elements might not transfer perfectly. But with some elbow grease, it's doable. Just be ready for a bit of a project.
Which platform has better design options?
Design, the beauty of the web! Wix offers some slick, modern templates. They're easy to tweak and look professional. WordPress, though, has a universe of themes. From free to premium, simple to complex. So, if variety is your spice of life, WordPress might be your jam.
How secure are Wix and WordPress?
Safety first, right? Wix handles a lot of the security backend for you, which is nice for peace of mind. WordPress, being open-source, requires you to be more hands-on. With the right plugins and regular updates, though, it can be rock solid. Just gotta stay on top of it.
What about e-commerce? Wix or WordPress?
Thinking of selling stuff? Wix has its own e-commerce solution, and it's pretty user-friendly. But if you're dreaming big, WordPress with WooCommerce is like the big leagues. More features, more customization, but also more to manage. Choose based on your ambition and tech comfort level.
Which platform is better for blogging?
Blogging, the age-old art! Wix is decent for casual bloggers. It's straightforward and gets the job done. But WordPress? It was born for blogging. The level of detail, categorization, and customization is top-notch. For serious writers and bloggers, WordPress is the way to go.
How's the support and community for both platforms?
Last but not least, the lifeline! Wix has official support, which is handy. WordPress, though, has a massive community. Forums, tutorials, blogs – you name it. It's like having a huge family ready to help. Both have their merits, so it boils down to personal preference.
Ending thoughts on Wix vs WordPress?
In conclusion, choosing between Wix or Wordpress is not an easy thing to do. First of all, you have to consider all the definite advantages that each platform brings. Wix is very popular and offers better support, together with an easy designing tool.
WordPress is one of the big players in this domain and has been in the market for a long time. The community is vast, and you can find a lot of useful resources. This offsets the fact that there is no official customer support and enables you to fix any problems you encounter on your own.
To make the best choice, anybody that wants to build a website needs to understand their end goal. If you need something simple, then Wix is excellent in terms of speed of creation. When you want a website that is complex and has many features, WordPress can be customized and edited fully, and is easily the better option.
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