Wix caused a Twitter sensation earlier this year when it launched a series of ads mocking WordPress. Developers and the search marketing community described the ads as everything from distasteful to embarrassing, and it seems that the misguided campaign only served to reinforce the view of WordPress fans that WordPress is a superior product.
While we have nothing against Wix, we have always been strong supporters of WordPress, and it has been our content management system (CMS) of choice since the inception of Webics in 2008. Here’s why WordPress is a better choice for your business.
What is the difference between WordPress and Wix?
Wix and WordPress both have their place, but they are very different platforms and it’s important to understand the key differences so you can make an informed decision about what’s best for you.
| WordPress | Wix | |
| Open vs Closed | Open-source CMS (content management system) that anyone can contribute to. Needs to be installed on a server. | Closed-source website builder that is hosted by Wix. |
| Ownership | You own your website and all its data. You can move from one host to another and are in full control. | You don’t own your website and you can’t move it away from Wix. You are essentially leasing your website from Wix. |
| Ease of use | You don’t need to be an expert to use WordPress, but it does take a little bit more time to know your way around the back-end. | Wix is a visual drag and drop builder that is designed to be used by people with no technical knowledge or coding experience. |
| Depth of customisation | Extremely customisable. You have control over every aspect of your website. | Not able to change your site design or template. The design you choose at the start is the one you are stuck with. |
| Themes | There are around 12,000 themes in the WordPress ecosystem. | Wix offers around 500 themes. |
| Security | Security is the responsibility of the site owner (unless you have outsourced this to a managed WordPress host or an agency providing support). | Security is managed entirely by Wix. |
| Support | WordPress is free and open-source, so there is no support included. However, most web hosts will offer support plans. For example, Webics has support plans starting from just $60 + GST per month. | Wix offers 24/7 phone, chat and email support for their customers. Prices vary depending on the plan you choose. |
| SEO | Because you have more control, WordPress websites are more likely to rank. WordPress users can also install Yoast. | An analysis of 6.4 million websites in 2019 showed that WordPress sites have higher domain authority, more backlinks and more traffic than Wix websites. |
The bottom line is the tool should match the need. So, if you are a beginner and only need a basic website with conventional features (photo gallery, contact form and Google Maps, for example), Wix will be perfectly fine. However, if you value flexibility and versatility, and want a secure, reliable website with good functionality and User Experience, WordPress wins every time.
Why We Use WordPress
WordPress is the most popular website builder in the world for a good reason. It can handle ecommerce sites, small and large business websites, simple one-page websites and portfolio websites. With WordPress, there are no limitations on the type of website you can build. Other benefits include:
- WordPress is intuitive and reliable. Frequent updates and an enthusiastic online community help resolve any issues and improve the experience for all users.
- We have complete design freedom and can build custom themes with unconventional features to create truly unique websites.
- We offer a training session and ongoing support packages after your website goes live, but if you do encounter any issues, there are thousands of articles and tutorials available online.
- WordPress takes security seriously, and website hacks are very rare (especially if you are on one of our hosting and support plans because we have best practice security measures in place).
- WordPress has the functionality to integrate popular ecommerce platforms such as WooCommerce and Shopify.
- Google loves WordPress websites and in our experience, they rank higher than others.
Not convinced? Some of the biggest brands in the world use WordPress including:
- NASA
- CNN
- Vogue
- Metro UK
- The New Yorker
- Sony Music
Over 500 million websites around the globe use WordPress and millions of developers like us support it. There just isn’t a comparison when it comes to choosing the right platform to ensure your online success.
