Do you want to skip the read and get right to my winner? Shopify wins this Shopify vs Wix for eCommerce Platform Comparison.
Introduction to our Shopify vs Wix Comparison.
Shopify vs Wix ? Still undecided?
We know how tough making decisions is when it comes to choosing a website builder. It takes a tremendous amount of time and research before you can make one. There are a lot of options in the market – and information overload is real.
But when you have two frontrunners – Shopify and Wix – vying for your attention, you’d better sit up and take notice as we go down to brass tacks as to which is the better eCommerce builder for today’s online businesses.
In this Wix Shopify review, we'll break it down for you in bite-size pieces to help you process your decision.
We make a side-by-side comparison of the two platforms based on ease of use, functionality, and – most importantly – Shopify vs Wixpricing.
At the end of each evaluation category, we declare a winner – Shopify or Wix?
Overview:
This Shopify vs Wix comparison answers the important question – is Wix better than Shopify?
Here is a brief overview of both platforms:
Shopify:
The thing about Shopify is that it’s a dedicated eCommerce builder (you can’t use it for anything other than creating web stores and online retail hubs) that currently hosts over one million online stores that generate over $55 Billion in revenue annually – and that’s just for starters.
It’s practically a household name in the eCommerce sector, thanks to the fact that it’s one of the – if not the – easiest site builder to use for an online business.
Wix:
On the other hand, Wix is known more as a site-builder-in-general that can also be used to create non-business websites and online stores. (The platform only recently rolled out a dedicated eCommerce builder.)
While it boasts of building and hosting over 160 million websites worldwide, we aren’t sure how many of these fall specifically under the eCommerce category.
Ease of use:
Let's face it: we can't all be tech gurus. If you're an average user who wants to DIY a great-looking website, what now?
Thankfully, what’s great about both Shopify and Wix is that they're newbie-friendly. For instance, you can have absolutely no HTML or CSS coding knowledge and still create a stunning and highly-functional website.
In this Shopify or Wix derby, here’s what we like about each platform:
Wix:
Wix scores points in the following aspects:
- User-friendly even for first-timers: thanks to the total control the Wix template editor gives you, you can create a smart, stylish site in next to no time – even if you know absolutely nothing about coding. Admittedly, if you do have more technical experience, customisation becomes so much easier and faster.
- A flexible content management system (CMS:) Along with an easy to use (and understand) inventory management system, Wix's AI-driven CMS gives you the flexibility to make quick and relevant changes to your site.
- Easier online store set-up: Wix actually gives users a reliable seven-step guide to making a great online store.
Shopify:
Shopify delivers on the following aspects:
- Full-on Functionality: Even if you know absolutely nothing about creating a website, the Shopify UI gives you both functionality and flexibility at your fingertips with a host of useful tools (and a drag-and-drop interface) to get you up and running in minutes.
- Themes and Templates A-plenty: Not clued in on web design? No problem: Shopify offers a variety of ready-made templates to choose from. Plus, if you do have some working knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can totally control every aspect of your site/store design, amp up the functionality, and create an excellent customer experience.
- Hosted Solution: Shopify is a Software as a Service (SaaS) tool with its own hosting platform, and you won't have any problems installing programmes, making upgrades, or even online security. As long as you have a stable internet connection, you can easily manage and make changes to your online store.
Winner – Draw! within our ‘Ease of Use' Shopify vs Wix comparison.
Features and Flexibility:
The real tale of the tape is where features are concerned. How Shopify and Wix make things simple and easy for users through enhanced functionality and automation are key selling points.
Out-of-the-box:
Which platform offers better built-in features – Shopify or Wix?
Wix:
Two words: all in. Wix gives users practically everything they need to quickly set up their websites and create a ready-to-work online store in next to no time at all. For those subscribed to Wix's top-tier plans, it's also easy to hook your site up to your own domain – essentially creating a one-stop-shop in a single online location that boosts your presence on the web.
Shopify:
Right out of the gate, Shopify gives you everything you need to create and manage a viable online retail hub. However, features that you can actually use will depend on the pricing plan you subscribed to. What's also great about it is that Shopify gives you the choice of using an existing domain name or creating a new one for your online store. Technical assistance is also top-notch.
As a result, users can get help sorting out a current domain's configuration or working on a completely new one.
Shopify vs Wix Themes and Templates:
Which between Shopify or Wix gives you better design choices?
Wix:
With over 800 templates in different styles, colours, and even industrial categories (and all are optimised for mobile, by the way,) Wix gives you numerous options to create a site that reflects your (or your brand's) particular style: scrap the Lorem Ipsum mumbo-jumbo in the template and add your own content – so easy!
check the latest wix ecommerce Themes and templates now
Unfortunately, we take issue with how you can’t switch design templates once your site goes live.
Need to change the design? Sorry, but you'll have to go back to square one as all your content and widgets are reset to zero.
Shopify:
As of February 2021, Shopify offers over 100 themes, ten of which are free, and the rest are premium. All are expertly designed to suit the different needs of online entrepreneurs who can customise each one to their specifications.
check the latest shopify Themes and templates now
In terms of aesthetics, this enables users to create a visual identity for their online store in keeping with their branding standards.
On a more practical side, you can create as many individual product pages as you need, and this is a great way of highlighting your store's bestsellers. Each theme also gives users ample flexibility to change elements as they see fit – but note that this capability tends to be limited in the case of Shopify's free templates.
Using a paid template (and reasonably priced from $99) will add to your operational costs, but it gives you the freedom and flexibility to create the perfect online store.
Shopify vs Wix Customisation Tools:
It's not enough to create a website; you have to make it “yours.” How do Shopify and Wix perform in terms of customisation?
Wix:
Say you really want to amp up the look and feel of your online store. Wix’s App Market offers around 40 apps, including the Impressive Effects suite from Light Technologies. It also interfaces with the design suite from We Are Digital Vision.
Moreover, if it’s functionality you need to optimise, you can also shop through its selection of customisation widgets.
Shopify:
Shopify may be keen on the aesthetic customisation category, but it tends to fall flat when it comes to customising your store's working features and functions. There are limits as to how much you can do, particularly where merchandising and marketing are concerned.
Shopify vs Wix 3rd Party Integrations:
Wix:
The App Market offers users over 250 third-party applications ranging from productivity solutions and online marketing tools to customisable calculators and document generators to make the overall user experience (UX) easier.
Shopify:
Shopify takes this round of the Shopify vs Wix bout, offering nearly 5,758 third-party apps and integrations to help users boost their online stores' productivity and visibility.
Hosting:
It would help if you had reliable hosting to keep your online store up and running without a hitch. How do Shopify and Wix address this?
Wix:
Site hosting across a dedicated content delivery network (CDN) is offered for all subscription packages. You can rest easy about technical issues or security concerns as protective measures are built into the system.
Shopify:
Stands as a fully-hosted SaaS, and this applies across all subscription packages. Shopify or Wix are alike in this regard; sites are hosted on a dedicated CDN.
Backups:
Wix:
Automated backups at regular intervals are part of all subscription packages.
Shopify:
Data backup for individual sites is built into the system and is done on a daily basis. However, this has caused a lot of concern for users since the September 2020 data breach on Shopify servers and again earlier this year. For safety, the platform recommends its users to back up their store information using *.csv files. Alternatively you can use a third-party app to help you out like Rewind.
Migration:
Shopify:
Shopify and Wix have their own proprietary migration tool. For Shopify, it's called Store Importer. You can use it to easily move a whole web store from one account to another.
The difference between Shopify and Wix lies in the fact that only Shopify Store Importer enables users to move their sites from various platforms – and instructions are given on how to migrate from each one.
Wix:
Wix has a Transfer Site function built into the UI – but you can only use it to move a site from one account within the platform to another.
If you built your site on a different platform and want to move it to your Wix account, Transfer Site won’t work. Instead there are known workarounds for migrating from other providers with 3rd party tools.
Wrapping up – how does the Wix Shopify game play out in the Features and Flexibility category?
Winner – Shopify! within our ‘Features and Flexibility' Wix and Shopify comparison.
Wix vs Shopify for eCommerce Tools:
Both Shopify and Wix eCommerce platforms have an extensive array of tools to help users grow their online businesses.
When comparing Shopify vs Wix, Shopify, in particular, pairs great looking product pages with exceptional shopping cart management features. Modifications to its search function also make it easier for customers to find the exact product. All they need to do is simply typing in the right keywords.
Concerning payment channels in this Shopify or Wix review, Shopify offers more. It has over 70 payment gateways to cater to its growing international clientele. Specifically, the lineup includes stalwarts like PayPal, Stripe, and PayMill.
For its part, Wix has grown from the days when it used Ecwid as a secondary solution for eCommerce. Today, it now holds its own with a full-scale eCommerce suite. Currently, though, it only has seventeen payment gateways, including PayPal and Stripe.
Winner – Shopify! within our comparison for Wix or Shopify for eCommerce Tools.
SEO and Mobility:
In this Shopify vs Wix comparison, both SEO and mobile are crucial for any online presence. The growing number of mobile device users accessing online websites and stores means that the visitor experience needs to be flawless. As for SEO, if you are not maximising SEO to its full capability, you will not receive the recognition deserved.
Shopify vs Wix SEO:
In terms of SEO, again, in this Shopify vs Wix comparison, both offer a reasonable number of tools to help you improve your website rankings. However, SEO is such an important feature in getting your brand out there and recognised.
Therefore, we would strongly recommend you invest in the services of a well-respected, professional Digital Marketing agency. Doing so will ensure you get the full benefit from this essential aspect of the online world.
Shopify vs Wix Mobile:
Both Shopify and Wix offer excellent mobile functionality for visitors. You can also have the ability to manage your site via a mobile device.
Winner – Draw! within our ‘SEO and Mobility' Shopify or Wix comparison.
Support and Resources:
Support and available resources are vital for the setting up and the advancement of your web presence. A Shopify and Wix comparison when it comes to support and resources is a close call.
The good news is that both Shopify and Wix score very highly on this point. There are user communities, copious amounts of documented information, and online tutorials.
Also, a help desk supports e-mail contact, 24/7 phone support, and live chat features.
When considering Shopify or Wix assistance, you can be assured of prompt, professional help.
Winner – Draw! within our ‘Support and Resources' Shopify or Wix comparison.
Shopify vs Wix Pricing:
And now, down to the make-or-break category to many in this Shopify or Wix showdown: pricing structure.
If you look at the prices closely between Wix versus Shopify, Shopify appears more pricey. However, we really needed to get down to brass tacks to see who offered the better deal.
Wix Pricing:
The key difference in Shopify vs Wix pricing is the free version. You can use Wix’s free site builder and hosting service for free in perpetuity. However, if you really want to experience the maximum benefit of its eCommerce suite, you have to avail of a paid subscription.
According to their terms of use page, if you aren’t happy with the subscription plan you paid for, rest assured that Wix has a 14-day money-back guarantee.
One other thing, sites built on the platform are charged a minimal fee per transaction.
Click for the lowest Wix eCommerce pricing plans today
Shopify Pricing:
All of Shopify's 3 primary plans offer the builder, 24/7 support, SEO tools, and sales channels. However, only Advanced Shopify users have access to the analytics tool.
According to their terms of service, while you can try the platform for free for a two-week trial period, you will be prompted to subscribe to the paid service afterwards. Note that either Shopify or Wix charges up to 2% per transaction.
Click for the lowest Shopify pricing plans today
In addition to the regular plans, two special plans are offered:
- Shopify Lite; pegged at $9 per month only, it includes just the “Buy Button” for a website you already own;
- Shopify Plus; bespoke pricing, and the platform's enterprise solution.
Winner – Draw! within our ‘Pricing' Shopify vs Wix comparison.
Shopify vs Wix Comparison Winner:
Is Wix better than Shopify? Taking everything into consideration; Shopify wins the Shopify vs Wix eCommerce Platform Test.
Conclusion and Recommendation to our Shopify vs Wix Comparison :
Back to the first question – Is Shopify better than Wix? Based on our extensive research done for this Shopify vs Wix comparison review, both merit several points despite Shopify being declared the winner.
What is Shopify best used for?
Indeed, both platforms work well with businesses on any scale. Nevertheless, if you closely consider Shopify vs Wix, the former works best for growing companies that are scaling up in terms of their market base, scope, and product offerings.
What is Wix best used for?
On the other and, we would recommend Wix for those who are testing out the waters: those who want to get into the eCommerce sector but aren’t exactly ready to commit just yet. Wix offers a great platform to grow from a regular site to an eCommerce hub.
Wix Shopify Alternatives:
Here's a list of the best Shopify vs Wix alternatives to create a an online store:
| Rank | eCommerce Website Builders | Our View |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify (and Shopify Plus) | Best All-In-One eCommerce solution |
| 2 | Squarespace | Best for Design & Creatives |
| 3 | Webflow | Best for advanced design tools |
| 4 | Square Online | Best for Value |
| 5 | WooCommerce (with Nexcess) | Best eCommerce for Wordpress Users |
| 6 | Wix | Good for general use |
| 7 | Big Cartel | Best for very simple sites |
| 8 | Ecwid | Best eCommerce for existing websites |
| 9 | Volusion | Best for advanced analytics |
Wix Shopify Final Word:
While Shopify wins this battle, we’d like to remind you about the dynamic nature of software and SaaS: eCommerce builders and solutions are evolving every day, so it’s best to stay posted to see which ones are appropriate for your business.
We recommend that since different businesses have different requirements, you shop around and make similar comparisons with other platforms. This way, you can discern which eCommerce building solution works best for you. Don't be limited by Shopify vs Wix choices.
If you're still torn about Shopify or Wix, going for a test-drive is highly recommended. Signing up for a free trial wouldn't hurt – and would give you plenty of time to come to a more informed decision.
That’s all for now:
If you've read our Shopify vs Wix comparison up to here, we are grateful. Remember to always keep abreast of the latest developments on website builders, eCommerce, and other Shopify vs Wix alternative comparison articles, such as the ones below;
- Best website builder programs
- Best website builders for authors
- Best website builder app
- Best website builder for affiliate marketing
- Best website builder in UK
Please share any comments below!