Shopify vs Wix: Which Is Better for Your Business in 2024?

Both Shopify and Wix are big names in the ecommerce website builder business. When it comes to choosing between Shopify vs Wix, it is hard for anyone to choose between the two.

Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting your online venture, this comparison article will help you choose a platform that suits your business needs best. 

Wix vs Shopify: At a Glance

Wix stands out for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface. It allows users without coding skills to effortlessly create and customize websites. Wix has expanded from just a website builder to include e-commerce features, albeit not as advanced as Shopify's.

In contrast, Shopify is laser-focused on e-commerce, providing a robust suite of tools specifically tailored for online selling. It boasts advanced features, scalability, and flexibility, catering to businesses of all sizes. Moreover, Shopify's extensive app store allows for further customization and seamless integration with various third-party services.

In summary, while Wix offers simplicity and affordability, Shopify excels in providing comprehensive e-commerce functionality and significant growth potential. Thus, the choice ultimately hinges on your specific requirements and long-term business objectives.

Wix has better Pricing and Plan

Wix offers a variety of pricing plans, starting with free options. Paid plans begin at $17 per month for personal use (Light plan) and go up to $36 per month. The Business Elite plan costs $159 per month, offering extra perks and priority support.

Shopify offers plans starting at $25 per month for the Basic Shopify plan, which includes essential features for starting an online store.

The standard Shopify plan costs $65 per month, while the Advanced Shopify plan is $399 per month. Both offers advanced functionalities for scaling businesses. Additionally, Shopify offers a Lite plan for $9 per month, ideal for selling on social media or integrating with existing websites.

Both Wix and Shopify provide plans to suit various needs and budgets. Shopify tends to be more expensive but offers more extensive e-commerce features. The choice depends on the specific requirements and priorities of the user.

Shopify is easier to use than Wix

Shopify is generally easier to use for building and scaling online stores. Its interface is intuitive, guiding users through setup with theme selection and content blocks, making it ideal for beginners.

Wix, on the other hand, offers more extensive customization through Wix ADI and Wix Editor, which can be beneficial for those needing a professional online presence. However, it wasn't originally designed for hosting online stores, which can make the setup process more complex.

If you need a simple, user-friendly platform for an online store, Shopify is the better choice. For content-rich websites with basic e-commerce functions, Wix offers more customization. Choose based on your specific needs and the complexity of your online presence.

Wix provides more templates

Wix offers over 800 free templates, catering to a range of design preferences from minimalist to visually stunning.

Users can customize layouts and design elements extensively, ensuring their brand's identity is reflected. Wix templates are optimized for mobile adaptability and include both free and premium options.

Shopify focuses on effective product presentation with themes tailored for e-commerce. While less visually intricate than Wix, Shopify themes ensure optimal functionality and user experience. Themes range from free to paid ($140 - $400) and are fully responsive and mobile-optimized.

Wix provides robust customization tools and a vast selection of templates, making it ideal for those wanting extensive design flexibility. Shopify offers quality themes designed for e-commerce, ensuring consistency and functionality. The choice depends on individual design preferences, customization needs, and budget considerations.

Shopify has better eCommerce features

Wix offers robust eCommerce features but isn't primarily focused on online selling.

Shopify, dedicated solely to eCommerce, provides a comprehensive, all-in-one selling solution, making it a dominant choice.

While Shopify excels in eCommerce, can Wix serve as a viable alternative? Let's explore this comparison further.

Basic eCommerce features

Both Wix and Shopify offer straightforward inventory management, product additions, and order tracking. Wix simplifies item management with an intuitive interface suitable for beginners, covering both physical and digital products.

On the other hand, Shopify provides extensive customization options for products and categories, allowing for more flexibility. It offers advanced features like continuing sales for out-of-stock items and comprehensive order management, including invoicing and payment collection.

While Wix focuses on beginner users, Shopify caters to more advanced needs with its customization options and comprehensive inventory tracking. Additionally, Shopify's integration with POS systems and payment options adds to its versatility as an all-in-one selling solution.

Payment options

Wix and Shopify both offer diverse payment gateways, meeting different business needs and regions.

Shipping options

Wix offers essential shipping options: free, flat-rate, and weight-based shipping, with custom region-based rules. However, advanced features like print & buy labels and real-time shipping may require third-party apps.

Shopify provides advanced shipping management, handling rates, locations, and labels in-house. It integrates with major carriers (DHL, UPS, Canada/US Post) and offers better shipping discounts on higher-tier plans, including curbside pickup and local delivery. Shopify also includes a shipping calculator for cost estimation and supports third-party apps for additional features.

Shopify excels in comprehensive shipping solutions, while Wix effectively covers basic needs.

=>> Read more: Understanding Shopify Shipping: Costs, Rates, and Delivery Methods

App stores

Both platforms offer tools for store management and app integration. Wix has a smaller selection with varying quality, often at a cost. Shopify boasts a vast, high-quality app store tailored for eCommerce, but additional apps can also increase costs. Users should choose based on their specific needs and budget.

Dropshipping

Both Wix and Shopify support dropshipping, with Shopify offering more extensive options and flexibility. Wix provides reliable, well-reviewed apps but with fewer choices. Users can choose either platform based on their specific dropshipping needs and preferences.

POS: Point of Sale options

Shopify stands out with its powerful integrated POS system, supporting many hardware and advanced features such as detailed employee and customer management. In addition, Shopify also provides specialized POS packages such as Shopify POS Lite and Shopify POS Pro, serving the needs of businesses from small to large.

On the other hand, Wix POS is primarily aimed at smaller businesses with a user-friendly system that integrates seamlessly with Wix websites. Wix POS focuses on simplicity and efficiency, making it easy for businesses to manage sales without the need for extensive technical knowledge. One thing worth noting is that Wix POS is currently only available to users in the US and Canada who are connected to Wix Payments only.

Overall, both Shopify and Wix offer unique advantages in providing POS solutions, depending on the size and specific needs of each business.

Wix offers better Marketing Features

Both Shopify and Wix offer robust marketing tools, including SEO features, email marketing, and social media integration

But how are they different? Let's compare them.

SEO

Wix excels in providing built-in SEO optimization, making it particularly beginner-friendly. Its SEO Wiz tool guides users through basic SEO practices, such as indexing websites on search engines and adding keywords. Users can easily edit page titles, descriptions, and alt text, as well as edit robots.txt files, and sitemaps, and set up redirects directly from the dashboard.

Shopify, on the other hand, offers basic SEO features like editing page titles, descriptions, and alt text and previewing how pages will appear in search results. However, for more advanced SEO functions, Shopify often requires third-party apps, which can be costly.

In summary, Wix acts as an in-house SEO expert with comprehensive integration tools. Shopify covers the basics and relies on third-party apps for more advanced SEO needs.

Email Marketing

Wix has built-in email marketing features that allow users to create, send, and track campaigns easily. It features customizable templates and detailed analytics directly within the platform.

Shopify, on the other hand, relies on third-party apps for advanced email marketing capabilities. While it offers basic features, integrating apps like Avada Email Marketing & SMS or Klaviyo is often necessary and can incur additional costs.

Wix wins for integrated, user-friendly email marketing functionality, whereas Shopify requires additional apps and expenses for similar capabilities.

Blogging

Wix excels in content editing with a user-friendly editor interface, various design elements, and easy SEO integration.

Shopify offers seamless content creation and SEO settings but focuses more on technical aspects than content editing.

Wix provides a superior content editing experience, while Shopify offers streamlined SEO management.

Analytics

Wix provides a built-in analytics dashboard suitable for basic tracking like traffic sources and device usage. For more comprehensive insights, users can integrate Google Analytics for enhanced customization.

Shopify offers its analytics dashboard, with advanced reporting features available in the Advanced Shopify plan. Users can also integrate Google Analytics for robust tracking capabilities.

While both platforms offer analytics solutions, Google Analytics remains preferable for accurate and customizable reporting, enhancing data-driven decision-making.

Both offer great customer support

Wix provides support through email, phone, and a 24/7 help center with articles, tutorials, and community forums. Users can also submit support tickets for personalized assistance, ensuring prompt resolution of inquiries and technical issues.

Shopify offers support via email, phone, and live chat, along with a comprehensive help center. Furthermore, it provides 24/7 support for critical issues and dedicated assistance for merchants on higher-tier plans.

Wix and Shopify both prioritize customer support with multiple channels and dedicated teams. Shopify's live chat support and specific merchant assistance on higher-tier plans provide a slight edge.

Shopify vs. Wix: Which should you choose?

If your main goal is to set up an online store with advanced features and scalability, Shopify is better. It offers many tools specifically tailored for eCommerce businesses of all sizes, making it ideal for sales and growth.

On the other hand, if you prioritize flexibility in design and want the ability to create visually stunning websites for various purposes, then Wix is a better fit. It provides extensive customization options and is suitable for users who value versatility and ease of use in website design.

In summary, Shopify is for eCommerce-centric needs and scalability, while Wix is ideal for those seeking flexible design options and responsiveness.

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