When picking a platform for your website, it’s important to consider all the website builders out there. It’s of the most frequently asked questions I get; which website platfrom is best?
WordPress or Wix – which is better?
As a WordPress website designer, my automatic response is, WordPress, obviously. But the real answer is, it depends on you and your business requirements.
There are pros and cons for using WordPress and Wix,, and whilst they both offer a platform to build and create a website and online store, there are things you need to consider before making a decision.
Your website is your biggest digital asset for your small business, so you want to make sure you’re making the right choice for you. It needs to be a website that is going to give you the resources you need as a business now and in the future, and it needs to be something that you can manage moving forwards.
So, like Ross from Friends, let’s make a pros and cons list for both.
WordPress Pros:
- Is the most popular website platform in the world
- Has a expansive content management system to design and manage your site
- Offers the most flexibility to grow your business online through SEO (search engine optimisation)
- You have much more control over long-term costs
- Adding a shop feature is free
- There are thousands of free WordPress themes to get started with
- There are thousands of free WordPress plugins to add lots of features and functionality
- There is a great community online ready and willing to help and support you with any WordPress questions
- WordPress(.org) is an open source platform, which means you own your own website
WordPress Cons:
- There are two versions of WordPress – WordPress.com and WordPress.org, so you need to make sure you know which one to pick (you need WordPress.org by the way!)
- There is a bit of learning curve in understanding how your WordPress site works
- Requires a more hands-on approach when it comes to maintenance
- You will need to find your own WordPress hosting provider which can be a bit overwhelming
Wix Pros:
- Has been made for people to use “out of the box”, and with just a few clicks, you’re well on your way to designing your website.
- The back-end tech has been taken care of for you so you don’t need to find website hosting
- Very little technical maintenance needed with wix websites
- There are completely free plans available
Wix Cons:
- It’s not WordPress
I’m joking… (kind of). The ease of use Wix offers does comes at price though:
- Never ending fees – you’re charged per month to essentially “rent” your Wix site
- The free plan doesn’t allow you to have a custom domain name and is full of Wix ads
- Additional fees when adding more features like an online shop
- No control over costs
- If you want to leave Wix at at any point, you can’t transfer your website to a new platform – you’ll have to start again
- Limited on flexibility on design and features
So, when I said it depends on you and your requirements when it comes to deciding between WordPress or Wix, I meant it depends on what you value most.
If you want something quick and easy to use that will get the job done and you’re not bothered about costs, or owning your website, then choose Wix.
If you’re happy to put the groundwork in to get a website that will grow with your business, you want some control over costs, and you want to own your biggest digital asset in your business, then WordPress is for you.
Whatever decision you go for, I’m just glad you’ve chosen to have a website for your business. It’s a huge positive step to growing your business online.
If you need any more help with your website, don’t forget to sign up to my mailing list for more tips and advice
