If you’re here, it’s because you’re researching which website platform to build your website on. Whether you’re entirely new to this, or coming back from a break, it is, IMO worthwhile to weigh up different options. Afterall, let’s say it’s been 5 or so years since you last built a website. The Wix you knew then, might not be the Wix of today. Anyway, in this article we’ll take a look at WordPress VS Wix.
By the way, this article will be coloured by my own biases and opinions! I’ve had experiences with both, but I have used WordPress the most. This doesn’t mean Wix is a bad website editor, and I think everyone should immediately stop using it. I’m simply outlining how my experiences have been shaped by using different website platforms.
About WordPress
Let me get this out of the way first: In this comparison, I’ll be talking about self-hosted WordPress (that you must install on a web hosting account that you own). There is a different kind of WordPress, WordPress.com, which is somewhat different. Learn about the differences between the .com and .org via Learn WordPress.
On WordPress.com, instead of installing WordPress on your hosting, you set up a blog there. All software and plugin updates are done for you, which may seem like a good deal. That is until you find out how much it costs… And how limited you are in customisation options! (You’re very restricted in terms of how much a web developer can customise features for you.)
For business purposes, people like me will always advise the self-hosted option instead.
The self-hosted WordPress software is free, and open-source. Not all web developers love it, but the ones who do can create just about any kind of website you can imagine!
In case you were wondering about who owns it: The self-hosted version of the WordPress software is owned by The WordPress Foundation, which is a non-profit organistion based in the US.
The Pros of WordPress (self-hosted)
- It’s free to get started with WordPress (once you’ve paid for some web hosting space), and tinker away with customisations and plugins.
- There are all sorts of add-ons and integrations you can have, without costing an arm and a leg. (Comparing WordPress VS Wix in this aspect, Wix can charge you a lot more for a feature that would be a free plugin for WordPress.)
- You can build almost any kind of website imaginable.
- There are a plethora of developers out there, who’d be eager to help you.
The Cons of WordPress
- There’s a bit of a learning curve to learn how to use the interface (even if you have no intention of being a web developer and working with code).
- There’s some risk of getting your website hacked if you don’t practice good security habits.
What is Wix?
Wix is a no-code website building platform that has been around for a very long time. By no-code, I mean you don’t need to know code! It’s built for hobbyists and business owners who want to build websites themselves, without the aid of a web designer or developer.
So yes, there is a huge appeal for those who want to save money, and try their hand at building websites.
Unfortunately, where it leads in convenience is its biggest drawback. You see, Wix greatly limits you in functionality. Oftentimes when you need a specific feature, you can’t hire a web developer to add it in. Instead, you need to pay a monthly add-on fee. And those monthly fees add up!
Many website owners find that they can get the functionality they want on a WordPress website, with a much lower price tag.
The Pros of Wix
- It’s designed so that anyone with no coding or design skill can create a website themselves.
The Cons of Wix
- Your service costs can skyrocket once you start requiring add-ons to help you automate your business and capture leads.
- You need to pay extra fees if you want your website to work properly on mobiles. And many old websites will need to be converted/redesigned to make this happen. Given that 70-80% of website traffic is on phones these days, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table by not making your website mobile friendly.
- Since it was never originally built for eCommerce, it doesn’t shine as well as other platforms like Shopify. (WordPress can do a good job at eCommerce with WooCommerce!)
- There are fewer web designers/developers who’ll help you with Wix than WordPress, Squarespace, or other website platforms.
- If this matters at all to you: Wix is an Israeli company, and is known to fire staff based on their political views.
WordPress VS Wix in SEO
Lots of folks will say WordPress is the best platform for SEO (specifically, I mean getting found on Google). But actually, that’s a myth.
Turns out any website platform is good for SEO if you know what you’re doing.
The only slight advantage WordPress has is in its SEO tools. For instance: The Yoast SEO plugin helps you understand what specific parts of your page need to be adjusted to improve SEO.
Most other website platforms give you a meta description or “SEO” box, and give you no indication on what to put there. This can lead to some embarrassing mistakes that actually hurt your SEO ranking, if you don’t know what you’re doing.
So if SEO is part of your marketing strategy, most experts will advise you to choose WordPress.
Any website platform is suitable for SEO, if you know what you’re doing. But WordPress has some great plugins to help you understand how to make your content more SEO-friendly.
Out of WordPress VS Wix, which should you choose?
If you are looking to build your website yourself, I’ll be straight up honest: Use Squarespace instead.
Otherwise, WordPress is a fantastic and versatile website to build your website. It also has great SEO and eCommerce capabilities, should you choose to implement those!
➡️ Related article: My Favourite DIY Website Platforms for Small Business – Studio Nyx.
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