Are you dreaming of launching your own online store? Choosing the right platform is crucial for its success. Two big names dominate the eCommerce website builder scene: Wix vs Shopify.
With their distinct strengths, which one best suits your business? Let’s discuss this comprehensive comparison to discover the perfect fit for your business venture.
Key Takeaways
Due to its drag-and-drop functionality, Wix is a versatile website builder for beginners. It’s perfect for users who need a simple, customizable website without extensive eCommerce needs.
Shopify is a specialized eCommerce platform designed to streamline the process of building and managing online stores. It requires more setup and learning but excels in providing features critical for scaling an online store.
Wix offers a more cost-effective solution with a free plan and lower-priced tiers that can be upgraded to include eCommerce functionalities. Shopify has no free plan and higher starting costs, but its pricing tiers are structured around essential eCommerce features.
What Is Wix
Wix is a website builder founded in 2006. It is a user-friendly drag-and-drop platform suitable to anyone without coding knowledge. It initially used Adobe Flash but switched to HTML5 in 2012. Since then, it’s grown into a leading website creation platform offering various features, such as:
Designer templates
SEO tools
App integrations
Wix is great for building various websites, including blogs, portfolios, business websites, and even online stores.
What Is Shopify
Shopify is not a website builder. It is an eCommerce platform designed to build and manage online stores. Its story began in 2006 with a desire for better online selling tools. The founders, Tobias Lütke and Scott Lake experienced frustrations with existing eCommerce solutions. They built their platform while trying to launch their snowboarding equipment store, Snowdevil.
From there, Shopify offers features crucial for running eCommerce businesses, such as:
Secure payments
Inventory management
Marketing tools
Since its launch, Shopify has added features and expanded its offering. This includes a mobile app, an app store, and point-of-sale (POS) systems for brick-and-mortar stores.
6 Key Website Builder Differences
When choosing between Shopify and Wix for building a website, it’s essential to understand their key differences. Here are six crucial distinctions:
1. Pricing
Both Wix and Shopify have their own distinct pricing schemes. Here’s a breakdown of the key pricing differences between Wix and Shopify:
Overall Cost
Wix is generally cheaper, with a free plan available. Paid plans start around USD 17 per month (billed annually) and go up to USD 159 monthly.
Meanwhile, Shopify is more expensive and does not offer a free plan. The basic plans start around USD 19 per month (billed annually) and can go up to USD 299 monthly for advanced features.
Pricing Structure
Wix pricing is based on overall website features and is not explicitly focused on eCommerce capabilities. You’ll need a business or higher plan to unlock Wix Business Elite functionalities.
On the other hand, Shopify pricing is tiered based on the features precisely needed to run an online store. While they don’t offer free plans, you can already sell products with their basic plans.
Transaction Fees
Wix itself doesn’t charge transaction fees if you use their Wix Payments solution. However, some payment processors might have their own fees.
Oppositely, Shopify charges transaction fees. Unless you use their Shopify Payments gateway, you must pay around 2.9% + USD 0.30 per transaction. Higher-tier Shopify plans reduce these fees.
The table below shows the comparison between the two prices:
Pricing
Wix
Shopify
Overall Cost
Offers free templates. The paid plan ranges from USD 17 to USD 159
Does not offer free plans. Basic: USD 19 Shopify: USD 49 Advanced: USD 299
Pricing Structure
Based on overall website functionalities
Based on features necessary to run an online store
Transaction Fees
Does not charge transaction fees. However, the third-party payment processors might.
Shopify Payments gateway is free. However, using other payment gateways may incur 2.9% + USD 0.30 per transaction
2. Payment Gateways
Here’s a breakdown of the key differences in payment gateways between Wix and Shopify:
Wix Payments
Wix offers various payment processors through Wix Payments, but the selection is smaller than Shopify’s. You won’t find popular options like Apple Pay or Amazon Pay on Wix; availability can differ depending on the location. Some well-known payment gateways include:
Paypal
Square
Stripe
iDEAL (The Netherlands) and Afterpay (Australia)
Wix offers a convenient way to accept payments without setting up additional accounts. However, Wix Payments might have limitations for international transactions, such as currency conversion fees.
Shopify Payments
Shopify provides a broader range of payment gateways, including 100 options. This allows you to cater to a wider customer base with their preferred payment methods. It integrates seamlessly with your online store, simplifying checkout.
Additionally, the broader range of payment gateways provides a smoother experience for some customers. It offers features such as:
Built-in currency conversion
Accept payments from international credit cards
However, these options may incur a higher transaction fee.
Below are the comparisons for Wix and Shopify’s payment gateways.
Payment Gateways
Wix
Shopify
The options are smaller than that of Shopify.
Offers up to 100 options for payment processors
You won’t find popular options like Amazon Pay or Apple Pay.
Caters to a broader range of payment gateways and integrates seamlessly with online stores
3. Ease Of Use
When comparing the ease of use between Wix and Shopify, both platforms cater to different user needs. Each platform excels in its niche. Wix prioritizes design flexibility, and Shopify focuses on eCommerce features.
Wix Strengths and Weaknesses
Wix’s user interface is popular for its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. This makes it beginner-friendly, allowing anyone to create a website even if they don’t have any coding knowledge.
Wix offers Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) for those who want an even simpler approach. You answer a few questions about your website’s purpose and style. With your answers, Wix creates a customer starting point for your website.
Additionally, you can access many designer-made Wix templates for various industries in its library. These templates often require minimal modification to look professional.
Unfortunately, Wix also has limited design freedom after choosing a template. Once you select a Wix template, making significant structural changes to the layout can be challenging. Also, learning its advanced features can take time and effort.
While Wix is relatively easy to use for basic website creation, features like building an online store or customizing SEO settings might require some learning effort.
Shopify Strengths and Weaknesses
Shopify offers a structured approach and uses a section-based editor. This approach is still user-friendly but provides a more organized way to build your online store. You can add and rearrange sections to customize your layout. Additionally, it focuses on eCommerce workflow.
Shopify templates are specifically for managing online stores. Adding products, managing inventory, and setting up shipping are intuitive and streamlined.
Shopify has a steeper learning curve than Wix. While user-friendly, Shopify’s interface requires more initial setup than Wix’s drag-and-drop simplicity. It also has less flexibility for overall website design.
Shopify prioritized eCommerce functionality. Customizing elements outside the product and checkout process is less intuitive than Wix.
Below are the comparisons of how user-friendly Wix vs Shopify is:
Ease of Use
Wix
Shopify
Strengths
1. Popular for its drag-and-drop functionality. 2. Offers ADI for a simpler approach. 3. Requires minimal changes to look professional.
1. Offers a structured approach and section-based editor. 2. Provides a more organized process to build an eCommerce store. 3. Focuses on eCommerce workflow.
Weaknesses
1. Has limited design freedom. 2. Changes to the layout can be difficult. 3. The learning curve for its advanced features, like SEO settings, is challenging.
1. Steeper learning curve than Wix. 2. Requires more initial set-up than Wix. 3. Customizing elements outside eCommerce workflow is less intuitive.
4. Online Store Design Options
As mentioned, Wix offers a much larger selection of free templates, including designs for online stores. This allows for a wider variety of design aesthetics to suit your brand. Its drag-and-drop interface lets you customize almost any element on your store’s page.
You can do multiple things around it, including:
move elements around
change fonts and colours
add custom code for more advanced control
Additionally, Wix templates are often very polished and visually appealing. You don’t have to change many elements because they only need minimal adjustments to look professional.
Meanwhile, Shopify prioritizes mobile responsiveness. The Shopify themes do not just look good but also function well on all devices. These factors are crucial for today’s mobile-dominant online shopping landscape. It offers a good degree of customization within its set layouts.
Like Wix, Shopify allows you to do many things in your Shopify store, such as:
change colours and fonts
add a logo to create a unique brand identity for the online business
In addition, Shopify’s app store offers additional themes and design elements, which you can purchase to personalize your store’s look and feel.
5. Integrations
Integrations in eCommerce connect different software systems so they can share information. For example, you linked your Shopify or Wix website to a payment system or a shipping service. This helps the store run smoothly by automatically managing orders, payments, and deliveries without manual updates.
Number of Integrations
Wix offers more than 500 integrations with various apps and services. Some of the famous apps you can connect with your Wix store are Google Analytics and Quickbooks.
Meanwhile, Shopify has a significantly larger app store with over 8,000+ integrations designed for online stores. Stripe, Facebook Shop, and Stallion are the apps and services you can use to connect with your Shopify site.
Focus of Integrations
Wix integrations cater to a broader range of website functionalities, including:
marketing tools
analytics
email marketing
social media
While it offers some eCommerce-specific integrations, Shopify’s options might be more comprehensive.
On the other hand, Shopify’s app store focuses on eCommerce functionalities. You’ll find integrations for everything, including:
Both Shopify and the Wix app store can connect with additional services through Zapier. Zapier is a third-party automation platform that allows you to connect your store with apps not directly integrated with either platform.
Wix App Market
The Wix App Market is like a digital store where you can find and add extra features to your Wix website. Think of it as an app store on your phone but for your website!
You can find tools to help you with different tasks, such as:
online shopping
booking appointments
chatting with visitors
showing your Instagram photos on your site
By adding these apps, your website can do more cool things and work better for you and your visitors. It’s a simple way to make your site more powerful and fun without knowing much about coding.
Shopify App Store
The Shopify App Store is the equivalent of the Wix Apps, where you can find many tools to add to your site. It has many apps to make your Shopify store better and easier to run. For example, you can find apps for various tasks, including
These apps help you customize and enhance your store without knowing much about technology. It makes running an online store simpler and more effective.
Below are the comparisons of the integration features of Wix and Shopify:
Integration Features
Wix
Shopify
Online shopping
Marketing to help sellers reach more customers
Booking appointments
Tools to manage shipping and deliveries
Engaging with the visitors
Apps to improve the website’s appearance
Showing Instagram photos on the site
Ability to track sales and inventory
6. Customer Support
Here’s a breakdown of the key differences in customer support between Wix and the Shopify apps:
Support Channels
Wix offers support through various channels, including:
a knowledge base with articles and tutorials
community forum
email support
callback options (availability may vary by language)
chat support for specific languages.
Meanwhile, the Shopify website provides support through various platforms, such as:
comprehensive help center with articles
video tutorials
community forums
24/7 live chat and phone support for all plans
Focus of Support
Wix Support covers a broader range of website creation topics, including:
design and free templates
general website functionalities
basic troubleshooting for online stores built on Wix
On the other hand, Shopify Support leans specifically towards eCommerce and managing your online store. They have specialists who can assist you with topics specific to the Shopify platform, like:
product management
payments
shipping
marketing
Availability
Wix Support availability varies depending on the chosen channel. Email and knowledge-based resources are always available. However, live chat and phone support might have limited hours or require waiting times.
On the contrary, Shopify offers 24/7 live chat and phone support on all pain plans. These resources ensure you can get help whenever needed, especially if you encounter urgent issues related to your online store.
Below is the comparison of Wix vs Shopify’s customer support:
Customer Support
Wix
Shopify
Support Channels
Articles and tutorials, community forums, email support, callback options, chat support
Articles, video tutorials, community forums, 24/7 live chat support
Focus on Support
Website design and free templates, general website functions, basic troubleshooting
Product management, payments, shipping, marketing
Availability
Depending on the chosen channel
24/7 live chat and phone support
So, How Do You Choose?
If you still find it challenging to choose, here are some additional considerations:
Choose Wix if:
You’re a complete beginner. Wix’s user-friendly setup makes it easier to get started, even without prior website creation experience.
Design flexibility is a priority. Wix offers a broader range of templates and more freedom to customize the overall design of your website, even for your online store.
You only need a primary online store with a limited number of products. Wix’s eCommerce functionalities are sufficient for simple stores, and their pricing might be more attractive initially.
You already use and love Wix integrations. If you’re comfortable with existing marketing, email, or social media integrations offered by Wix, you can leverage those within your online business.
Choose Shopify if:
You prioritize features specifically for running an online store. Shopify offers many apps and functionalities to streamline your eCommerce business’s management of products, inventory, shipping, and marketing.
You plan to scale your store significantly. Shopify is more scalable for businesses that expect high volumes of products or sales as their store grows.
24/7 customer support is crucial. Shopify offers readily available live chat and phone support for all paid plans, ensuring you can get help whenever you encounter issues with your store.
You need a mobile-first approach. Shopify prioritizes mobile responsiveness, which is critical for today’s shopping trends.
How Can Stallion Help You
Shipping and delivery services are important elements of an online store. It’s a good thing you can easily integrate your Wix website or Shopify store with Stallion!
Stallion is Canada’s leading shipping provider. We help businesses of all sizes with various aspects depending on your specific offerings;
ECommerce Businesses:
Delivery and Shipping. Stallion can be a shipping partner for your online store. We offer various shipping options and rates depending on your package’s size, weight, and destination.
Convenience. Stallion provides pick-up options or drop-off locations near you, streamlining the shipping process for your online store.
Other Businesses:
Delivery Needs. If your business requires any delivery service, Stallion might be the perfect solution. We could help deliver brand products to clients or partners.
Multiple Locations. We could be a good option for businesses that ship or deliver items across various locations. Stallion delivers within Canada, to the US, and internationally!
Here’s what you can do to learn more about how Stallion Express can help you:
Visit our website. The website provides detailed information about our services, pricing, and coverage areas.
Contact their sales team.Contact our sales team directly to discuss your specific needs and get a quote for their services.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right platform to build your online store is a crucial first step. We’ve explored the strengths and weaknesses of Wix and Shopify in detail. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific goals and priorities.
If you still need to figure it out, consider starting with Wix’s free plan to explore its interface and see if it meets your basic needs. Shopify offers a 14-day free trial, allowing you to test its functionalities before committing.
No matter which platform you choose, your eCommerce store can thrive with dedication and the right tools! As your business flourishes, remember to consider Stallion, a potential partner for your delivery and shipping needs.
Get started today! Ship faster, smarter, cheaper with Stallion.
Jen oversees the operations at Stallion Express. She has spent her entire career working in the eCommerce and logistics industry and loves sharing her experience with eCommerce brand owners to help them scale to the next level. Outside of work, she loves to travel, read, and cheer on her favourite Toronto sports teams.
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