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February 10, 2022

WordPress vs Wix in 2022

   Wix and WordPress are the two most popular website platforms for setting up basic blogs and have the capability to develop complex websites such as eCommerce and membership websites. Let’s break down the differences between these two website platforms so that you can make a better decision on which platform to use. This is the WordPress vs Wix breakdown for 2022.

1. Pricing

  WordPress itself is free open-source software. You just need to find a hosting provider to run this software on. Hosting can be as cheap as $3.89/month for getting your site off the ground. Check out the Top 3 Canadian-owned Web Hosting Providers for a comparison of the best Canadian hosting providers. 

  Wix on the other hand needs to be hosted directly with Wix themselves. Their plans start at $4.50/month for their most basic plan and go up to $35/month for their Business VIP plan.

  Both WordPress and Wix are reasonably priced and you’re able to choose a plan based on your business needs. Wix does put ads on your website when using the cheapest plan of $4.50/month. 

  For the cheapest price, the winner of this comparison is WordPress as you’re able to host WordPress for free if you’re able to host WordPress on a subdomain or subfolder on another hosting plan.

  Wix offers the consistency of having a centralized hosting solution so you don’t need to compare other hosting providers and they offer 24/7 customer care support which some WordPress hosting providers might not offer.

2. Ease of Use

  WordPress requires more technical knowledge as its software can be modified to provide any business functionality. You may need to set up the server on your own if you’re using a cheap hosting plan. You will also need to make sure WordPress is updated along with any plugins/themes used. Without doing this may result in a hacked website or security vulnerability.

  Wix offers an easier experience for those without a technical background, as hosting is handled directly with Wix so they ensure their software stays up to date and secured. 

  For ease of use, Wix definitely takes the cake in this category. There is also 24/7 support available for questions you may have about their software whereas with WordPress you need to look for answers on their forum for any technical issues you may have. 

  Hosting providers usually only help with issues directly related to the server, not with the software installed such as WordPress.

3. Customization

  WordPress offers the most customization between the two as it’s open-source software which means everything can be changed according to your needs. In terms of website builders, WordPress comes with the Gutenberg Block editor which allows you to create dynamic web pages without using any code. 

  For a more visual real-time editor, we would recommend Elementor as it offers a live drag and drop editor which makes building web pages easier and efficient, especially when using pre-made templates and elements. 

  Wix also offers a drag and drop editor called the Wix Editor which allows you to change any elements of a web page and you’re able to edit the front-end code using HTML, CSS, and Javascript. It’s not open-source software so you’re not able to edit the core web files but you are able to access their API to code back-end functionality. They recently released a full-stack web development platform Velo which seems to be their solution to create back-end applications using Javascript.

  If you’re looking for complete customization or have a complex project that needs more functionality then WordPress would be the better choice.

4. Community

  The WordPress community is almost 20 years old as WordPress was created in 2003. As WordPress is the more mature platform of the two, it will be easier for you to find web developers & designers that work with WordPress. 65% of all websites using a CMS solution are using WordPress which shows their market dominance.

  Wix was founded in 2006 and their market share is only measly in comparison to WordPress at only 2.9% of all websites using a CMS solution. For this reason, finding developers/designers familiar with Wix will be more difficult when looking for hires. There is the 24/7 support in which Wix offers so that would be your main source of technical support but if you’re looking for community support then WordPress definitely offers the best community between the two.

  There are even conferences dedicated to the WordPress industry called WordCamp where passionate WordPress power users attend.

5. Availability of Themes/Plugins

  Both WordPress and Wix offer premium themes and plugins which can handle business functionalities such as Ecommerce, Booking, Elearning.

  If you’re looking for more variety of themes and plugins then go with WordPress, Wix currently offers hundreds of themes on their Wix theme store whereas WordPress offers thousands of themes on their WordPress theme catalog.

  WordPress wins in this category as there are a vast number of themes and plugins available; this shouldn’t deter you from going with Wix as their apps and themes available will work for most businesses.

  So that’s the WordPress vs Wix breakdown for 2022. Between these two website platforms, I would recommend WordPress as it offers the best value for money and you’re able to have complete control over how your website functions with their open-source software finding dedicated developers to help with your website will be easier if you choose WordPress as your CMS solution.

  I would only recommend Wix if you’re looking for an easier platform to work with as someone without technical knowledge but you will be limited in expanding the functionality of your website as you can’t edit all aspects of your website and it will be harder to find a dedicated developer that specializes in Wix development as the platform popularity is less than WordPress. 

 I hope this comparison helped you with your decision on choosing a website platform for your next project. If you’re looking for a WordPress Expert, then we at MapilitMedia Inc. provide expertise in building WordPress websites and themes. Let us know how we can help with your online presence.

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