From the many things that are important before starting an online business, choosing the best eCommerce platform for your needs is the most crucial of them all. An eCommerce platform helps in reducing workload, simplifying setup and scalability, and providing multiple options for design and themes to customize your store. And if you are here, chances are you are confused with the many options available and need to make a decision. Don’t fret, because we are going to discuss two major eCommerce platforms, WooCommerce vs Wix, to help you make a well-informed decision.
Learn why WooCommerce is the Most Flexible eCommerce Platform in the market
WooCommerce vs Wix: Overview
WooCommerce
It is a free open-source platform that enables you to convert your WordPress sites into an online store. WooCommerce provides multiple features out-of-the-box such as product and content management, SEO-friendliness, multiple payment gateways, and much more. It also offers complete customization and control to its users to create complex online stores and stylize them according to their business needs. It’s suitable for beginners and developers alike and is easy to scale up.
Pros
- Free eCommerce platform.
- Easy to use and set up.
- Unlimited themes, plugins, and extensions are available.
- Extensive developer and support community available.
- Geo-location support.
- Flexible and fully customizable.
Cons
- Need to purchase hosting and security.
- A steep learning curve, little technical knowledge required.
- Cost can add up if you want to upgrade.
Wix
Wix is a cloud-based drag and drop website builder that enables its users to create a premium website from scratch without any coding or technical expertise. It has pre-made templates available from which users can choose and customize over. It is easy to use and enables you to set up your website within minutes. Wix offers unlimited design options, in-built security, and comprehensive customer support. Its popularity has been steadily increasing and we are going to see the reason below.
Pros
- In-built security.
- Unlimited design templates.
- Drag and drop interface.
- Affordable and user-friendly.
- Hosting included.
Cons
- Limitations in beginner pricing plans.
- Limited product attributes.
- Editing is difficult.
Checkout our guide on How to Change the Stock Display on a Single Product Page in WooCommerce
WooCommerce vs Wix: Comparing the Fundamentals
In this article, we have compared the crucial aspects that are necessary for an eCommerce platform and enable you to create a customizable and complex website that is scalable.
1. Ease of Use
WooCommerce is easy to use and set up, no doubt. But as mentioned above, it does have a steep learning curve and requires at least beginner-level technical knowledge to add plugins, customize them, and scale your store. But compared to other open-source tools, WooCommerce accessibility is excellent. WooCommerce is equipped with a Setup Wizard that helps you set up your store step-by-step by adding store info, choosing a theme, setting a payment gateway, etc.
On the other hand, Wix has a drag and drop interface, which means that it is extremely user-friendly and accessible. It enables you to use ready-made templates and customize them however you like. You can simply change the position of elements like text, images, buttons by dragging and dropping them. You can also easily resize elements. Although Wix is restricted, it is suitable for beginners and non-developers.
WooCommerce vs Wix, which is better in terms of usability. Wix wins here as it is accessible for beginners and non-developers.
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2. Pricing
Budget is a major factor when choosing an eCommerce platform. Depending on if you are a startup or enterprise, your choices are limited or expanded greatly. Let’s see where WooCommerce and Wix stand in this regard.
WooCommerce is available for free download but you do need to pay for hosting. Now depending on your business size and needs, you can get very cheap and reliable hosting from BlueHost, GoDaddy, etc. Whereas, it provides multiple features out-of-the-box such as themes, payment gateways, etc that enables you to set up a simple website for free. If you want to increase functionality, you can buy their justly priced plugins.
Wix provides 7 different pricing options, out of which 3 are useful if you want to accept payments online. These 3 pricing plans are Business VIP ($35/mo), Business Unlimited ($25/mo), and business Basic ($17/mo). All plans provide unlimited bandwidth, customer care, secure and recurring payments, and much more. Although, you can only run 1 site on its pricing plan.
WooCommerce vs Wix? It’s a tie in pricing as Wix provides a complete eCommerce platform in affordable pricing plans whereas WooCommerce costs can add up if you want to scale. But for some, WooCommerce might be favorable as you only have to pay for the functionality you need.
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3. Design
The first thing your customers are going to notice is the landing page design and aesthetic and if you are using outdated templates, you will most likely lose conversions. Thus design is something you cannot compromise on.
When it comes to design, there is no option better than WooCommerce. WooCommerce’s official Storefront theme consists of 14 child themes and is available for free. Besides this, it provides unlimited options in terms of designs in its marketplace. These themes are available for free and paid. Premium themes can cost about ($25-$299) but are well worth the investment. Moreover, all themes are completely customizable.
Wix provides 500+ templates for designing your website. Wix design templates are categorized based on industry type and you can find tonnes of options for each. Although, the customization of templates is limited to the drag and drop interface only.
WooCommerce vs Wix in terms of design? WooCommerce is the clear winner, not only does it provide unlimited options but also unparalleled flexibility and customization to make your store truly unique.
Checkout the WooCommerce Official Storefront Theme alternatives available for free
4. Integrations
Whether you are using an open-source eCommerce platform or one that is subscription-based, at some point, you need to scale up and add new functionality. Let’s see if both platforms are compatible with integrations.
Since WooCommerce is an open-source platform, it is extremely flexible and customizable in terms of integrations. WooCommerce offers unlimited plugins and extensions to upgrade your store and add advanced features. You can find plugins from its Marketplace, third-party websites, or you can hire a developer to create a plugin just for you and according to the specifications you need. Moreover, you can also customize any of the plugins.
On the other hand, Wix is a subscription-based platform and thus its functionality and accessibility are limited to the particular plan that you choose. Wix tools are only developed by their expert team. Although, this does reduce the chances of bugs and errors it is limited in its options.
In terms of integrations, WooCommerce wins to its vast plugin library and ease of customization.
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5. eCommerce Support
Lastly, you need to choose a platform that is made for selling online. WooCommerce is an eCommerce plugin specifically designed for this purpose. It consists of features like content management, advertising, social media support, payment gateways, and much more to help you create a robust and complex online store for selling.
On the other hand, Wix is originally a website builder which can help you create a powerful website for showcasing your products. It supports online selling, but eCommerce functionality needs to be added using the premium plans mentioned above. It is suitable for smaller companies, but for large enterprises, it is not recommended.
WooCommerce vs Wix? WooCommerce wins here due to its powerful core features and eCommerce compatibilities and functionality, which makes it suitable for startups and enterprises.
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WooCommerce VS Wix – Which One is the Winner?
Choosing between these two eCommerce platforms is highly dependent on your business size and technical expertise. We prefer WooCommerce due to its powerful features and customization that enables you to create an online store according to your preferences, although technical expertise is required.
Whereas, with Wix, you can create a decent online store with all ready-made templates and a drag and drop interface. Thus, no need to familiarize yourself with the platform before using it.
We hope this article helped you in picking out the best option for your business.
