Are you planning to build your own website but still can’t decide between WordPress and Wix? Of course, we all know that WordPress is by far the most famous and commonly used website builder around the globe, but you have to know that it is not the only option.
Building your own website is an overwhelming process. Should you use Weebly, Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, or any other options out there? If you are not familiar with technology and the process of website building, this article will help you decide on what website builder is the best for your niche. We’ll compare WordPress and Wix, two of the most trusted and popular website builders today. From support to cost, this article will help you analyze everything about them.
Wix and WordPress: A Brief Overview
Wix, in a nutshell, is an online website builder that allows users to build a website on their own. This platform does not require you to have coding skills. Wix is a marketed website builder ideal for a beginner, plus they offer 24/7 customer service support. This drag-and-drop platform has more than 180 million users. Wix comes in various features and tools, which you can access directly through their website at Wix.com. The website builder also offers a free basic plan. However, this is only quite limited. So, if you wish to enjoy all its features, you will need to register for a premium or paid plan. Wix’s paid plan starts at $14 monthly, but this varies on the features you are planning to use.
WordPress has over 1 billion registered users, and it rules 42.1% of the internet. WordPress, a content management system (CMS), is free. Unlike Wix, this website builder offers an open-source package that can be accessed through online download then install on your web server. While there is a payment for the hosting and domain, the actual usage of the software itself is free. With WordPress’s thousands of themes and 50,000 plugins available, this website builder can be modified and flexible to provide all your needs in building your website.
WorsPress.com vs. WordPress.org
WordPress.org and WordPress.com are two different website builder platforms. Oftentimes, users are confused with these two, which leads to the wrong choice of blogging platform. Moreover, even those aware that these are two different platforms are still not aware of their differences.
To help you answer the difference between the two, we have written the most thorough comparison of WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
WordPress.org
Also known as the “Real WordPress,” it is the most commonly used platform for website creation. This platform is the popular website you have heard of available. WordPress.org is an open-source platform and 100% free of use by anyone. What you need are web hosting and a domain name. this is the reason why this platform is also often referred to as “Self-hosted WordPress.”
WordPress.com
On the other hand, WordPress.com is a website builder software that can be downloaded and installed on your web server. This is open-source and free software and can be used in any possible way you want. The software has thousands of themes to choose from and over 50,000 plugins.
WordPress.org is considered the “real” WordPress. Furthermore, it is also far more popular when compared to WordPress.com. Therefore, we will be only discussing the “real” WordPress in this article.
Let us find out how WordPress and Wix stand into each of these categories:
Cost
When choosing a website builder, it is important to consider the cost. How much does it cost? What are some of the add-ons and extra fees you need to purchase the software? This section will cover all the possible prices you may spend both for WordPress and Wix.
WordPress Cost
WordPress is completely free and easy to use. However, you have to know that to enjoy its features, you need to purchase a web hosting and domain name to install the software. The typical cost for .com domains is about $8 yearly.
Hosting is basically purchased monthly. However, if you opt to purchase for a year or more, this will surely lower the monthly cost. Charges usually start at $40 yearly but still depend on the contract’s length, web traffic, and the host.
Another option offered by WordPress is its manage hosting. This feature costs $10 to $20 per month. The host is responsible for the security, updates, and other facets of maintaining your website. Depending on how much you want to manage your site, their hosting plans start at $30.
- WordPress Themes
When it comes to the cost of their themes, many of these are completely free to use. Other WordPress themes’ price ranges from $50-$100 – prices widely vary. Some of the themes come in both free and paid versions. Astra, the most popular WordPress theme, has both paid and free versions. If you want to enjoy its full features, then opt for the paid version. - WordPress Plugins
Just like its theme, WordPress plugins come in a wide array of paid and free plugins available. Most of their themes are completely free. However, others start price from $15 to $500. You can use most of the free plugins to build your dream website. However, since they are free, they offer a limited feature set. On the other hand, paid plugins provide you with more functionality and advanced features. For example, with WordPress, you can download codes in a one complete zipped file package. Of course, this only means that you already own the plugins indefinitely, while you still need to have paid for the new features or technical support. Unlike Wix, here is where the plugins are installed on your site and cannot be downloaded. Aside from that, they cannot also be used to a later date. In short, you can never own any Wix plugins. You rent them.
Wix Costs
Wix offers a free basic website builder for its users. However, here are the two major disadvantages of it.
First, since it is free, it adds the advertisements on the top and bottom of your Wix website. Second, you cannot have the chance to use a custom domain name for your website. So, here’s what your web address will look like username.wix.com/websitename.
Aside from that, their basic plan does not offer add-ons such as Favicons, eCommerce, Google Analytics, etc. Therefore, to enjoy additional features and eliminate ads from the apps market, you will need to upgrade your basic plan to their premium plans.
The best plan on Wix is their Unlimited plan which costs $12.50 per month. For small business websites, pricing starts from $17 per month.
Wix vs. WordPress: Which Is More Expensive?
Overall, Wix is definitely more expensive than WordPress. WordPress offers more plugins and themes, while Wix makes you almost pay for everything. Moreover, their pricing plans are too confusing as there are plenty of price offerings which makes it difficult to understand.
Aside from that, Wix also separates their features on the different pricing levels, so you need to pay and upgrade your plan to access a specific feature. This will definitely increase your payment, even for a basic website.
Features
Wix
Wix offers a ton of options and features available, though most of them require payment for other integrations and other add-ons. Overall, Wix is a website builder perfect for photography portfolios or restaurant websites, not as a custom-built platform.
Here is the full list of Wix features:
- Wix Editor
- SEO
- Mobile-friendly
- Font options
- Scroll effects
- Photo/Video Galleries
- Wix App Market
- Wix ADI
- eCommerce
WordPress
As the most popular website builder, WordPress is best suited for content-oriented websites and blog sites. It is a very flexible website platform that provides tons of amazing features.
Here are the best features of WordPress:
- Simplicity
- Flexibility
- Easy Publishing
- User Management
- Media Management
- Themes and Plugins
- Comments
- SEO
- Language Support
- Easy Installation and Upgrades
- Importing and Exporting to other Options
- Data Ownership
- Community and Support
WordPress is easier to modify and more flexible. You can use this platform for a huge variety of site projects. On the other hand, Wix is more limited. But, if you wish to set up a basic website, this is a good choice. Adding extra functionality to your plan also requires additional payment, which could be expensive.
Installation
Installing WordPress does not take a lot of time. With just a few clicks, you are good to go. Once you have installed the WordPress website builder, using it is very easy. Through your admin panel, everything is being managed, which can be found at yourwebsite.com/wp-admin. And since this platform is widely used, it has tons of forums, support guides, and other learning resources available.
Wix is designed for easy usage, especially with users who don’t know about making websites. You don’t have to install anything like the platform entirely runs on its servers. All you have to do is to sign up and log in to your Wix account.
Is WordPress or Wix Better for Blogging?
WordPress is your perfect choice if you are a blogger. However, Wix does not have that many blogging options and features because they focus more on afterthoughts.
Is WordPress or Wix Better for Long-Term Investment?
While Wix is easy to use and a powerful platform, it is self-contained. On the other hand, WordPress is built on web technologies like PHP, CSS, and HTML. Therefore, knowing that your platform has these features will help you build your website in the future.
Is WordPress or Wix More Secure?
WordPress requires installing some security plugins, and you have to keep them up-to-date, while Wix automatically handles any maintenance and security issues.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, we recommend WordPress. Why? It has an unmatched cost, power, flexibility, and the ability to customize your site with its plugins and themes. It is built upon some of the premier open-source technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Wix, on the other hand, is a powerful platform. There is no doubt about it. However, using this platform only offers you limited features, which will cost you a huge amount of money to upgrade your plans; if you want to choose Wix, better to think of it first.
If you need further help with this topic, you can contact Web Digital. Aside from offering web design services, we also provide web hosting and other plans. Web Digital is a well-established web design agency in Auckland, and we can help you with your website design needs.
