Gone are the times when creating a website is only for tech-savvy people. Different tools have come to life, making website creation easier and faster, especially for people with no technical skills. Because of this, web creators have started comparing these tools to help others decide what to use. One popular comparison is Wix vs WordPress.
If you are planning to create a website, you might be wondering what to choose. Read on as I discuss the differences between Wix vs WordPress and guide you into selecting the right tool for you.
Wix vs WordPress: How are They Different and How are They Similar?
Before I get into details, let’s take a look at the key difference between Wix vs WordPress.
WordPress is a Content Management Software (CMS) that needs to be hosted on a server. As such, you have to purchase a hosting service and a domain name in order to use it.
Wix, on the other hand, is an online website builder. There’s no need to purchase a hosting service as it’ll host your site on its server. All you need to do is sign up for an account.
But, despite their differences, both Wix and WordPress share the same goal: to make website creation easier for you.
Both have good site management tools. Whether you use Wix or WordPress, you’ll have access to a dashboard where you can manage your site’s settings, content, and design.
When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), WordPress and Wix also got you covered. Each has its own SEO tools to boost your site’s chance to rank well on SERP, which in return will increase traffic and sales.
Apart from that, both platforms are powerful and affordable. Wix offers a free plan, and you can easily find an inexpensive hosting service to use WordPress.
Wix vs WordPress: Everything WordPress Has to Offer
WordPress is a free, open-source CMS. It was initially designed to be a blogging platform, but the community has helped to make it into an all-around solution for creating any type of website. Its versatility is the reason why so many big brands choose to use WordPress.
In terms of its ease-of-use, WordPress is relatively easy to install. Most hosting service providers offer a one-click installer, so you can set it up in minutes. Alternatively, you can also follow the official installation guide.
WordPress uses themes and plugins for your website’s design and additional functionality. All of them can be found on the WordPress directory. 
What’s great, due to its popularity, lots of third-party sources also have a selection of beautiful WordPress themes. Some examples include Themeforest, Colorlib, and Mojo Themes.
However, WordPress has a steeper learning curve compared to online website builders, as there are many features and tools offered. If you’re in a hurry, you might need to hire a professional to assist you.
Another downside is the fact that WordPress doesn’t have a dedicated support team. However, this does not mean that no one is going to help you. There are tons of active forums and communities that provide tutorials and tips. Just search for these forums and ask away.
How Much Will WordPress Cost You?
Using the software is free. However, there are several costs you need to consider when maintaining a WordPress website.
Let’s talk about the hosting, for starters. If you choose the 24-month Single Shared plan from Hostinger, it’ll cost you $34.80. Of course, the price will differ if you choose other providers.
You might also want to purchase premium themes and plugins. In this case, you can spend from $5 to hundreds of dollars.
In the end, the cost of having a WordPress website will depend on your budget and needs.
Usability
As previously stated, installing WordPress is a straightforward process. Thanks to WordPress auto-installer, there’s no need for you to have any technical knowledge.
Here are the steps to install WordPress on Hostinger’s hPanel:
- Login to your hosting account and open the control panel.
- Under the Website section, click on Auto Installer.
- On the next page, click WordPress. A popup window will appear.
- Fill in the required fields and click Install.
After the installation is finished, you can start building your first website! Fortunately, doing so won’t be a problem since WordPress has a very intuitive dashboard. Everything can be done from here: installing themes, adding plugins, inserting widgets, and so on.
Is it Flexible and Powerful?
Yes, it is! Whatever website you want to create, WordPress will help you achieve that goal.
For instance, if you want to create a real estate website with features like property search and filtering tools, use a WordPress real estate theme. After that, install WPML or Polylang plugin to make your site multilingual.
Aside from theme and plugins, you can also modify the functions and appearance of your website through custom code. The design can be tweaked using HTML and CSS, while functionalities can be adjusted using a custom JavaScript code.
The Good
- Tons of plugins and themes. In addition to the official ones, many third-party plugins and themes are also available on the market.
- Highly customizable. Aside from using themes, advanced users get the freedom to customize their sites with custom HTML and CSS code.
- Flexible. Thanks to a wide range of plugins and themes, it’s possible to build anything from portfolio to ecommerce site.
- Intuitive dashboard. Managing your site will not be a hassle since the dashboard is neatly organized. You can easily find all settings on the sidebar menu.
- Budget-friendly. Having a WordPress website doesn’t have to be expensive. Purchase affordable hosting and use free themes and plugins.
The Bad
- It has a bit of a learning curve. As there are many tools and features available, beginners might need some time to get used to the platform. You might need to hire a professional if you want to create a complex website.
- Themes and plugins require frequent updates. If they are outdated, your site is exposed to security and compatibility issues.
- No dedicated support. You have to rely on online forums and tutorials when an issue arises.
The Verdict
Choose WordPress if you want great flexibility and customizability. The themes and plugins are unmatched, and it has excellent features that are suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
If you’re a newcomer, the features available might be a bit confusing, but the tutorials and community support should help you get off the ground.
Wix vs WordPress: A Quick Overview on Wix
Wix is an online website builder where you can create a page by dragging and dropping the elements into the available space. 
You don’t have to download anything to get started. Simply sign up for a Wix account and start designing — no coding knowledge required.
What’s more, every website created with Wix is hosted on their web servers. This is great news for beginners as they don’t have to worry about finding a hosting provider.
Now, when creating your site’s design, you can create one from scratch or use one of its templates. There are more than 500 website templates available that are organized based on their niche. Some examples include Business, Music, Creative Arts, and Photography.
If you come across any problems, try to look for answers from the knowledge base or contact customer support via tickets and phone.
How Much Will Wix Cost You?
Using Wix is a lot more expensive than using WordPress. The basic plan costs $4.50/month, but you’ll still have Wix ads displayed on your site. The Combo plan ($8.50) gives you an ad-free website, but it only has 3 GB of storage.
All in all, if you’re planning to have a Wix site for two years, it’ll cost you a minimum of $108.
Usability
Wix makes website building a whole lot easier. After signing up, you’ll be asked about your experience in site building, who will use the website, and what type of website you want to create.
Wix will then ask you to select the method of creating your website — choose a template and use Wix Editor or let Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) do the job. You can find out more about ADI here.
Is it Flexible and Powerful?
Although Wix also uses templates and additional apps, they are not as powerful as WordPress. Customizability and flexibility are very limited. For instance, once you choose a template, you can not change it. You have to start all over again if you want to have a new design.
On the positive side, Wix websites are easy to manage. One account can have multiple sites, and all of them are placed within one place. A click on one of the listings will take you to the dashboard, where you can customize the site’s appearance, content, and settings.
Another area where Wix performs well is ecommerce functionalities. You’ll get ecommerce templates, product galleries, custom cart, payment gateways, and more! You can have your online store up and running without installing anything!
The Good
- Easy to use. Anyone can build their own website as the tool requires no coding knowledge.
- A user-friendly drag-and-drop editor. Drag the elements you want to your page, adjust the position, and customize the settings. This type of editor is perfect for beginners, as you’ll see the end result as you’re editing.
- Help from artificial intelligence. If you have trouble designing your website, ADI will design one for you.
- Great for online stores. Wix has a lot of pre-built ecommerce templates with complete ecommerce features.
- Dedicated customer support. You can reach the support team via email or phone. A complete knowledge base is also available for those who want to learn by themselves.
The Bad
- Limited customization options. You have to make do with that Wix has to offer as there are no third-party tools to extend the functionality of your site.
- It can be a bit pricey. The free and basic plans still have ads, so you have to purchase a higher plan to own an ad-free website.
- You can’t export your data. Transferring your website to another platform is not possible.
The Verdict
If you want to create a website in an instant without having to worry about the technicalities that come with it, then Wix is for you. You can create one from scratch or use one of the predefined templates.
Even with limited customizability, Wix can still be powerful, especially when it comes to creating online stores. With built-in ecommerce tools, you can set up your online store in just a couple of minutes.
Wix vs WordPress: Who Is the Winner?
When it comes to flexibility and customizability, WordPress outperforms Wix in every way. WordPress enables you to tweak and tune visual appearance and functionality using custom code — a feature that Wix does not have.
WordPress also allows you to change your theme anytime you want to. Wix, on the other hand, only allows you to edit elements on your selected template. It’s impossible to change the core design.
However, Wix is much easier to use than WordPress. The drag-and-drop editor is highly intuitive, and the ADI is very helpful in designing your website.
Cost-wise, WordPress is relatively more affordable than Wix. However, there are themes and plugins that cost a few hundred dollars, which makes WordPress expensive to use. In the end, it all depends on you.
All in all, if you are looking to build a very robust and flexible website, WordPress is the best for you. But if you are an absolute beginner looking for an easy way of creating a simple yet quite powerful website, then go for Wix.
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