Building a website has never been easier. You have a host of choices between content management systems and online website builders.
Two of the more popular options are WordPress and Wix. WordPress has a long history and it’s the go-to content management system that is behind about a third of all websites on the internet.
Wix is an up and coming platform that’s growing at a fast pace, seeing an increase of almost 30% growth between 2018 and 2019.
How do these two platforms match up against each other?
Read on to find out in this in-depth comparison of Wix vs. WordPress.
What Is WordPress?
WordPress is a content management system. A content management system (CMS) is a backend platform that allows you to build a website, create and add pages as needed.
Think of a CMS as the foundation to build a website.
WordPress is an open-source CMS, which means that the source code is open for anyone to use and customize and make improvements.
WordPress initially began as a platform for bloggers, and as the platform gained popularity, developers saw it as a way to create websites for any purpose, from ecommerce to hosting huge databases.
Sites like Quartz.com, Rolling Stone Magazine, and WNBA.com are just a few examples of sites that use WordPress.
An important distinction to make with WordPress is that it is standalone software. The software is available to everyone who wants to build a website for free. You have to signup for a hosting account to store your website’s files on a web server.
What Is Wix?
Wix is a website builder, which is much different than a CMS. Website builders usually have all-in-one solutions, so you don’t need to sign up for hosting.
With Wix, you have access to templates that you can use to build your website. You use the drag and drop builder to easily create your site. New Energy Colorado used Wix for its website.
You don’t have to sign up for a separate hosting plan, but that doesn’t make Wix free to use.
Wix offers a variety of plans, starting with a free website builder. Your site would have ads and you’d have to use your site as a subdomain of Wix.
Instead of your site having your own domain name, like www.yourdomainname.com, your site would be username.wix.com/yoursite.
That can make it hard if you want to have a professional site or use your own branding. You’d have to upgrade to a premium plan.
The cost of a regular premium plan starts at $13 a month. If you plan to have an ecommerce site or accept online payments, plans start at $23 a month.
Wix vs. WordPress: The Showdown
Now that you know the basic differences between WordPress and Wix, how does each one compare with the other? Here’s how they stack up head to head in several important categories.
Installation and Setup
With WordPress, you don’t need to be a programming wizard to install the software. Hosting companies offer the ability to install WordPress in a single click. Once it’s installed, you log in to your main dashboard, where you are able to make any changes.
Wix is also easy to set up. You sign up for an account and you’re inside the website builder.
Customizations
This is the area where WordPress soundly beats Wix. Because Wix is a website builder, you have to take what you’re given. In other words, you’re limited to their templates and you can customize so much. Wix is really meant to build websites for beginners or people that don’t know much about websites.
WordPress is by far more flexible and scalable, due to the fact that the code is open source. You can do whatever you want. You can customize the site even if you’re not a programming expert, or you can work with a web design expert to make major customizations.
WordPress can be customized by using custom code or through the use of plugins. These are small pieces of software that have a specific purpose. Some plugins keep your site secure, while others can add functionality to your site.
Editing and Adding Content
Once your website is built, you can add and edit content easily on both platforms. Wix has a drag and drop builder that you can use to add text and images to your site.
WordPress uses a block editor called Gutenberg, which takes a page out of drag and drop builders. The difference is that Gutenberg offers more options.
Both programs are pretty intuitive for beginners to learn and use pretty easily.
SEO
Another area where WordPress excels is in helping your site get found by search engines. There are a lot of factors that go into SEO, and the backend of your website plays a major role.
WordPress is built with performance and SEO in mind. There are also plugins that you can use to enhance your site’s SEO.
Support
Wix is a platform that offers support, but it’s the standard customer support that you’d get at any company.
WordPress, on the other hand, is supported by a massive community of developers and users. If you ever run into trouble, you can find an answer online easily.
Which Platform Is Better, Wix or WordPress?
When it comes to choosing a foundation for your website, you’re bound to compare Wix vs. WordPress. Which one wins?
Both are good platforms. However, if you want a platform that gives you the most control over your website, WordPress wins. You have the ability to make just about any change you want and you have full control over the functionality of your site.
Would you like to build a great website and don’t have the programming skills to make it happen? We can help. Contact us today to find out more about our web design services.