Content management systems (CMS) are defined as a computer software that manages the creation and modification of digital content. Quite often web content! WordPress and Wix are examples of 2 of the most popular content management systems.
Wix has over 200 million users in 190 countries
As of August 2024, more than 478 million sites use WordPress
The main difference between Wix and WordPress is their website creation, customisation, and control approach.
In this insight, we will discuss the differences between Wix and WordPress, helping you decide which platform best fits you!
Content Management System Features
The features of a CMS can vary between platforms however, there are a few very common and essential features that can be found on Wix and WordPress.
Customisation capabilities
When comparing customisation capabilities between Wix and WordPress, they have similarities — however, they cater to different user needs and skill levels. WordPress is more advanced in terms of design flexibility. With thousands of free and premium themes, users can modify the design to fit their needs. WordPress also has over 50,000 plugins that allow you to add nearly any functionality you want, from SEO tools to e-commerce features. This makes WordPress very scalable for businesses.
Wix on the other hand, does allow custom code, but it is more limited compared to WordPress and typically used for specific parts of the site rather than full customisation. Wix is known for the drag-and-drop editor which allows you to place elements anywhere on the page. This is great for beginners, although the customisation is not as advanced and the templates are quite basic. WordPress still supports various page builders which offer drag-and-drop editors — the most popular being Divi, Elementor and WP Bakery.
Ease of use
Wix is designed for ease of use, with a user-friendly interface that is accessible even to complete beginners. Wix includes hosting, domain registration, and site management. WordPress however, has a steeper learning curve. The dashboard is powerful but can be overwhelming for beginners. Although it can be more complex to use with all the documentation and community support, by mastering the settings, dashboard, and design, WordPress offers more control and more flexibility.
Customer support
With Wix and WordPress being two of the most used CMS’ there are multiple forums and membership areas for users and developers. Users can share tips and advice and build a community.
Wix has its own dedicated support as part of its monthly plans.
WordPress providers (like us!) typically have support plans too.
Mobile optimisation
Both Wix and WordPress are designed to enable users to create mobile-friendly websites without requiring advanced technical knowledge.
Whilst Wix is easy to use when creating a mobile-friendly site, Wix websites are not fully responsive meaning you may need to do additional tweaking for mobile optimisation. Due to Wix’s focus on ease of use, some advanced techniques for more complex websites may not be available compared to other platforms such as WordPress
WordPress on the other hand is fully responsive. This means that the themes wull adjust their layout and design to suit different screen sizes, requiring less tweaking and editing. Not only is WordPress responsive but it also has a variety of mobile-specific plugins that can be used to optimise mobile experience.
So let’s sum up clearly the pros and cons of Wix and WordPress and why we will choose WordPress every time.
Benefits of using Wix
- Ease of use: Great for small sites and beginners
- Affordable
- Free templates
- SEO capabilities
- Mobile optimisation
Challenges of using Wix
- Limited flexibility and customisation
- SEO limitations
- Performance issues
- Scalability
- Limited app integrations
- Migration challenges
- No version control (limited development tools)
Wix is a convenient and user-friendly platform that is ideal for small websites. However, for those wanting scalability, customisation, and extra features with more control over the site’s functionality, SEO, and mobile responsiveness, WordPress has all of those qualities alongside the user-friendly interface and wide community group for support with any challenges.
Benefits of WordPress
- User-friendly interface
- Flexibility (scalability)
- Customisation
- SEO friendly
- Content Management
- Community support
- Cost-effective
- Integration capabilities
- Mobile responsiveness
Challenges of WordPress
Of course WordPress will have limitations and challenges. However, the majority of these challenges can be overcome which is why we choose WordPress every time. Here are a few examples:
Challenge 1: Complexity
How to overcome this: Although there may be more complexities due to working with plugins, WordPress has a great community and lots of documentation to support users through any challenges they may face. If you are starting from scratch, you can begin with a simple theme and work with tools such as Divi which provides a drag-and-drop interface.
Challenge 2: Maintenance and Updates
How to overcome this: Due to WordPress using multiple plugins and themes, updates are required to ensure that they run smoothly. If they are not updated this can lead to security compromises and performance problems. However, it doesnt have to take lots of time to update these. You can set up automatic updates for core WordPress plugins or schedule maintenance checks. There are also multiple backup solutions to restore your site if something goes wrong.
Challenge 3: Cost management
How to overcome this: Whilst WordPress itself is free, when you add premium, themes, plugins, hosting and security measures, it can often add up. If you are looking for a high quality but low cost content management system, begin with the free themes and plugins. You can add in premium features as your site and business grow! Some providers also offer bundle services that include hosting, backups, security and performance optimisation.
Challenge 4: SEO challenges
How to overcome this: While WordPress is generally very SEO-friendly, for the best SEO, ongoing efforts and proper set up is required. To overcome this you can use SEO plugins such as Yoast or Rank Math to give meta descriptions, an on-page optimisation.
While WordPress also comes with challenges of complexity, maintenance and cost. With the right tools and knowledge this can be managed effectively and the benefits of WordPress begin to heavily out weigh any of the challenges.
Conclusion
After evaluating both content management systems, it is clear that both platforms provide a space for website creation. However, they cater to different needs and preferences. While Wix is simplistic and cost effective, it has customisation and mobile optimisation limitations. It’s a great platform for setting up a new business, but you can find yourself spending hours learning it, that could be spent griowing your business! You can hire specialist Wix experts, but typically businesses outgrow a Wix site quite quickly.
WordPress on the other hand, may be more costly and complex to begin with, however with the right support WordPress offers everything that Wix does and more! We use WordPress due to it’s scalability from small start-up websites to e-commerce, content rich sites.
