Shopify vs Wix

So you want to build an online store? There are numerous ways to get completely overwhelmed when launching an online business and picking the best eCommerce platform for your specific needs is one of them. Before you even get started on your journey towards selling product online, you’ll have to make the complicated decision of settling on just one eCommerce platform. Today, we’re going to compare two platforms that are among the most popular and easiest to use solutions for new online merchants. If you’ve never created an online store before, if you have no coding skills and you have no idea how to get started, choosing one of the two following eCommerce solutions is going to make your online selling experience a lot easier. Keep reading to explore our Shopify and Wix comparison so you can decide which one is the ideal option for your situation.

Shopify and Wix Compared

Shopify and Wix are two amazing options for new merchants searching for a simple to use platform. However, minor differences in both eCommerce solutions can make one of the two better suited for your specific needs. For instance, Wix is the ideal solution if you’re a complete beginner, whereas Shopify is the better solution if you’re looking for more scalability and growth potential. Both platforms have affordable pricing structures, but if you’re looking for a free plan, Wix is the better option. Wix and Shopify are two great options for small businesses and new online stores, but we’re going to compare their features and services in more depth so you can make a simple decision on which eCommerce platform is the ideal option for your specific situation.

Technical Comparison

When it comes to things like site speed, uptime and incident frequency, most new merchants won’t see much of a difference when choosing one platform over another. However, for merchants who want to enjoy the most optimized platform available, Shopify is the better option. Wix has slightly slower web page loading speeds, whereas the Shopify websites that we tested were incredibly fast to load. Shopify also has a slightly higher uptime than Wix - Shopify guarantees 99.98% uptime and Wix guarantees 99.8%. Incident frequency is pretty much similar for both platforms with just a couple minor issues in the past few months. Overall, these two platforms are very similar on technical aspects, but if you need the best speed optimizations, Shopify is the best choice.

Customer Support

Having a solid customer support team ready to back you up whenever you need assistance is crucial when launching an online business. You’ll also want to make sure they can provide help when you run into time-sensitive issues such as having trouble processing payments or fulfilling orders. Both platforms have a great support team, but Shopify has 24/7 availability, whereas Wix only provides 10/5 support. Wix does not have live chat and their email responses are slightly longer than Shopify’s. Both platforms have friendly support agents that know what they are doing. Overall, if support is a big deciding factor for you, you’ll want to choose Shopify for their better availability and their live chat option.

Features

An easy to use platform with loads of built-in features will definitely simplify your tasks and make launching a new online store easier. Fortunately, you can’t really go wrong in this department - both Wix and Shopify have easy to use dashboards. Whether you’ve built hundreds of online stores or even if this is your first attempt, both solutions make it easy for you to build beautiful websites. Shopify and Wix also offer excellent built-in features that allow you to create stunning websites with ease. You’ll be able to easily insert web page effects, scrolling effects, you’ll get to enjoy simple product management tools, track orders and much more. Both platforms also offer excellent analytic tools and coupon code creation tools. However, Shopify stands out with their large selection of over 70 payment processors, whereas Wix only has roughly a dozen options to choose from. When it really comes down to it, both eCommerce platforms offer excellent features and you shouldn’t be disappointed with one solution or the other. Shopify may have a few more options for payment processors and third-party apps, but that’s one of the only areas where Shopify takes the lead.

Design

Designing your new online store should be simple and still provide excellent functionality. Fortunately, both Shopify and Wix provide completely responsive themes so you can be sure that they look great on all devices. Shopify has a ton of themes to choose from and they actually have a few more than Wix. However, Wix provides more niche themes, so you’ll find Wix themes in precise niches such as jewelry stores, apparel themes and more. The quality of the themes are similar on both platforms - they are incredibly well built with loads of built-in features. Both platforms have well-optimized their themes for SEO, making it easier for you to rank in search engines. However, Wix offers 100% free themes with no paid themes available, whereas Shopify has a mix of free and paid themes. Both platforms have easy to use drag and drop editors so you can easily customize themes, but Shopify requires you to install third-party apps in order to activate this feature. Overall, both eCommerce solutions are similar when it comes to design, so you can’t go wrong choosing one over the other.

Prices

The cost of doing business online is a major aspect that you won’t want to overlook. Shopify and Wix are two very affordable solutions, but Wix comes out on top in this section. Shopify only offers a 14-day free trial with no free plan available, whereas Wix has an entire plan that’s available for free. When comparing the pricing structure, Wix’s most expensive plan is still cheaper than Shopify’s cheapest plan. Furthermore, Shopify charges a transaction fee on every sale you make, but Wix has absolutely no transaction fees, making them a far better option. If you’re looking for a cost-effective eCommerce solution that won’t end up costing you a fortune, Wix is the better option.

The Final Verdict: Shopify or Wix

In the end, it’s difficult to recommend one over the other. Both Shopify and Wix are excellent platforms that offer similar features, functionality and optimizations. However, their minor differences come down to personal preferences and needs. If you prefer saving money and can deal with less customer support availability, Wix is the best option. However, if you absolutely need 24/7 customer support and you want a platform that is dedicated towards creating online stores, Shopify is the better option. Both eCommerce solutions offer excellent themes with mobile-friendly designs and SEO-optimized code. Wix is far more affordable than Shopify, but lacks in other departments such as customer support and minor technical tweaks. Both platforms are incredibly simple to use with stunning dashboards and loads of informative documentation. The drag and drop editor on Wix allows you to quickly and easily design websites exactly as you’ve always imagined without the need to code anything, but Shopify can also have this functionality through the use of third-party Shopify apps. Shopify is an excellent choice for dropshippers due to their additional third-party apps such as Oberlo, but Wix is a great way to build an online store without any upfront investment. If you’re launching an online store, you can’t really go wrong with one solution over the other - it truly comes down to your personal needs.