Wix vs WordPress – Which One is Better? (Pros and Cons)

If you’re considering building a website, then you are probably looking into choosing a platform to run your website on. If you’re just starting out, it can be tough to figure out which platform suits you best. Two of the best options out there are Wix and WordPress. Depending on what type of business you’re running, your technical skillset, and what you’re trying to achieve with the website, one or the other may be better for you. We will explore what each platform has to offer and provide you with the information you need to figure out which one is better for you.

WordPress

WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS). Content management systems let you create and manage the content on your websites. Managing WordPress is usually done from a backend interface but there are some plugins that let you manage the building of pages using a frontend interface. These page builder plugins, such as Elementor and Divi, greatly simplify the process of building pages for your WordPress website.

This essentially means that while editing the page, you are able to see the page as a viewer would see it. Typically though, managing a WordPress website is done from the backend.

WordPress is built with blogging in mind and it comes with an excellent blog editor. It’s hard to beat WordPress when it comes to blogging. Blogging tends to be synonymous with WordPress these days.

It is also pretty good for e-commerce. However, you should note that it is more difficult to set up an e-commerce store with WordPress than with other platforms. This is because you will need to arrange for your domain name, hosting, and get WordPress installed before you even think about setting up e-commerce on your WordPress site. In order to set up an e-commerce store, after doing your initial installation work, you will need to install an e-commerce plugin. One of the better ones out there is WooCommerce. It lets you sell items and can manage a variety of payment methods. It even lets you set up things like subscriptions. 

The great thing about WordPress is that it is free. There are also lots of plugins available for it. These plugins extend the functionality of the CMS. They essentially give you more functionality without having to do any coding.

Setting up WordPress requires a little bit of a learning curve. You will need to have a domain name and a hosting package. WordPress will also need to be installed on your hosting server. Luckily, many hosting providers will either do this for you for free, or they will provide tools that make this process easier. If this is not the case, then you can download the plugin from the official WordPress website.

WordPress allows for a lot of customization. However, it is not as easy as with platforms like Wix. A lot of the customization work done to WordPress websites is done from the backend interface. You can make blog posts, upload media files, edit the color scheme, and create pages from the backend of WordPress. As we mentioned before, you do have the option of using a page builder plugin to help you create pages with a front frontend interface. 

WordPress websites will require some maintenance as you operate them. Plugins will need to be updated as well as WordPress itself. Some hosting providers will update your WordPress installation automatically. It is important that this maintenance is carried out since updates usually bring important security and performance improvements.

Wix

Wix is a website builder platform that aims to make the process as easy as possible for users. It is a relatively closed platform but it allows you to do lots of things like installing plugins to expand the functionality of your website. It is a relatively closed platform but this isn’t the worst since you get great customer service and support as well as an easy to use platform. 

This platform is geared towards those who aren’t technically skilled and don’t want to go through the learning curve that is needed with other services like WordPress. It is also suitable for those who are technically minded who are just looking to put together a simple website.

Wix works well for blogging. It’s easy to create a new page on your website with Wix that is dedicated to just blogging. The blogging interface is set up well and it allows you to make and edit posts. You will notice that WordPress’s blogging features are a little more advanced. For example, WordPress has a more robust commenting platform. This is important for keeping in touch with the users of your website. 

Wix also works well with e-commerce websites. It is easy to set up your e-commerce store since it only takes a few clicks. Just add your product information and you’ll be ready to sell. However, note that you will have to sign up for a Wix e-commerce plan in order to take advantage of an e-commerce store.

Setting up Wix is very straightforward. You’ll be up and running after only a few steps. You’ll first need to choose the industry that your site falls under. Afterward, you can either choose to have a site created automatically for you with Wix’s Artificial Design Intelligence, or you will have the option of choosing a website template as a starting point. 

A number of tools are made available for customization on Wix. Wix uses a frontend editor which shows builders exactly what their finished website will look like as they edit it. You can add elements to pages such as text, images, and other media as you go along. There are also several plugins available such as form and forum plugins. 

Wix maintenance is straightforward since you basically don’t have to worry about it. Everything on the platform updates automatically without any user intervention. This is great for those with limited technical skills and those with limited time.

Final Thoughts

Wix and WordPress are decent platforms, especially for hosting blogs and e-commerce sites. However, the general theme with these two platforms is that Wix is easier to set up. It also performs well for e-commerce and blogging applications.  WordPress requires more technical knowledge to set up but it is generally a more powerful platform. If you are setting up a smaller store, then Wix will work well for you. It will also work well for a site that isn’t a fully-fledged blog. However, if you want to run a big e-commerce operation or a dedicated blog, then learning how to work with WordPress would be ideal.