Which is best? It depends. Each website solution has it’s purpose and their pros and cons. Since you don’t want any unwanted surprises about the platform you choose, I’ve done a little research to share with you.
Here are a few things to know about the differences between Wix and WordPress:
Wix is a great service for those who need a single page website, showing a few pictures and information on how to get in touch. Wix has a lot to offer and can be great for a business whose needs for it’s website are very simple.
Here’s what Wix has to offer:
- 529 HTML5 Templates
- Drag & drop builder
- 223 apps
- Responsive
- eCommerce
- SEO
- Secure
- Wix updates the site for you
- 24/7 support
With Wix, you don’t own the site. The url and hosting are not yours and you can’t modify it to be however you want. You don’t have a choice for hosting.
Wix is easy to use and intuitive but you can’t make as many modifications with editing any code. It’s funny that Wix provides a blogging service to it’s customers, while also operating a WordPress installation on their official blog. The blogging tools that Wix provide unfortunately lack any serious features.
WordPress
Probably the biggest benefit of WordPress would be the ability to customize it more than the other options. The ability to access the HTML/CSS with WordPress allows a web designer or developer to design the site specifically to your needs. Although basic HTML/CSS knowledge is required, developers themselves build plugins and themes around the fact that not everyone is a web developer. Someone at the level of a web designer can build a site with programmer features when they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. This is why WordPress is the most customizable and offers the most features out of all the option.
WordPress can offer:
- An endless option of themes to choose from so that you can literally get whatever template design you want
- 35,900 plugins in the directory for almost anything you can think of from Security to forms to SEO
- Tutorials
- Support is supplied by the community and providers
- Multiple WordPress specific hosts that can help you with setup
The biggest con with WordPress is that it’s not as user friendly as the other website builders. While it is more customizable, it also takes a higher skill level in order to develop a site with it. WordPress has several writing modes and you can use plugins to modify the editor even further. Another con is that you will be responsible for keeping the site secure and up to date, however there are plugins for this too of course.
With WordPress, you can make your site inexpensive or add on all the bells and whistles you dream of at an expense. You can also get started quickly on a budget then upgrade the hosting service, themes and plugins as you are ready. It’s difficult to compare between Wix and WordPress without knowing what will be involved with the website.
The quality of the themes, plugins, and apps you can use will have a big impact on the user experience and the quality of your site. However, too many plugins or poorly programmed tools can slow your website down. With Wix, you won’t have as much control and flexibility over your site but you will be ensured that the apps and coding are of a high quality. With WordPress you will have to be cautious about the quality of themes and plugins. If you do your research, read the reviews and pay attention to the ratings so you can find the themes and plugins that are high quality it will be worth it.
In conclusion:
If comparing Wix to WordPress, Wix will be better for ease of use and simplicity. WordPress will be better for customization and having ultimate functionalities. If you plan to DIY your website, then using Wix or one of the other more simple website builders such as Weebly or Squarespace may be your best choice. If you need more than a splash page and want your site to be customized to your needs with ultimate flexibility and functionality, then WordPress will be your best bet!