WordPress vs Wix Showdown: What’s Best in 2025?

We’re certainly biased in favor of WordPress. Rocket.net is a managed WordPress host; it comes with the territory. But tools like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Drupal, and even blogger.com all do one important thing we support: they democratize the web. They give everyone a chance to put up a website and get into the conversation.

What are WordPress and Wix? What is the Difference?

Comparing WordPress and Wix is like comparing apples to oranges. WordPress is a powerful content management system (CMS) while Wix is a user-friendly website builder. Both have their strengths, but which one fits your needs best? Let’s break it down.

What is Wix?

Wix is a cloud-based website builder designed for simplicity. Its drag-and-drop editor allows even those with no coding experience to create websites. It follows the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) principle. That means what you design in the editor is exactly how it will appear in the browser once published. 

Building your website with Wix means you are bound to the Wix platform, however. You can’t migrate your website somewhere else. This is a major downside should you want to add functionality outside of their scope – like in WordPress.

What is WordPress?

WordPress, on the other hand, is a versatile CMS. It can be installed on your hosting or accessed via a managed hosting provider. WordPress is an open-source platform. It offers developers and users the freedom to customize and expand functionality through plugins, themes, and direct code editing. WordPress websites have the advantage of being portable. 

If you build a website with WordPress, you can download it and move it to your desktop, or another hosting provider easily. And there is a large community of WordPress developers to choose from when you have someone manage your site.

Key Differences Between WordPress and Wix

1. WordPress vs Wix: User-Friendliness

Wix is known as one of the most user-friendly website builders, offering a seamless drag-and-drop interface. Beginners can get started quickly pretty much without any tutorials. 

For additional functionality, apps can be installed directly from the Wix App Store.

• Simple onboarding process; you can start building for free immediately after account creation.
• Guides you with a setup wizard, recommending features and design options based on user preferences.
• Ideal for beginners with its intuitive interface and pre-designed sites.

“Wix is easier to use but less flexible while WordPress is more flexible but has a steeper learning curve — deciding between the two is a question of tradeoffs.”

sitebuilderreport.com

WordPress may seem more complex initially, but its interface becomes intuitive with some practice. Installing plugins and themes is straightforward, and most are free. Creating posts or pages is simple once you understand the basics. 

If you can click on a block to add a paragraph or an image, you can build a website with WordPress.

• Requires installation, though every hosting provider’s auto-installer simplifies the process.
• Provides a block editor for drag-and-drop design, with enhanced features available through plugins.
• Includes built-in tools for creating and managing posts and pages, with additional features unlocked via plugins.

2. WordPress vs Wix: Design Options

Wix offers a comprehensive website design platform with thousands of integrated features. Wix also provides AI-powered tools for design customization, including style kits, layout optimization, and interactive visual elements.

• Offers 800+ customizable pre-designed templates.
• Uses Wix Editor and Wix ADI for customization but restricts switching templates after the site is live.
• Requires creating a new website to change designs post-launch.

WordPress provides an extensive library of free and paid themes, most of which are fully responsive. Knowledge of CSS and HTML is helpful for more customization. WordPress even offers a Full Site Editor (FSE) which allows you to edit the entire website, rather than go page by page.

• Provides over 11,000 free themes in its official directory, with additional premium themes available via third-party marketplaces.
• Allows theme changes anytime, with extensive customization options, especially with premium themes.
• Enables seamless theme switching and updates to maintain security and features.

“WordPress Full Site Editing (FSE) is an extension of the block-based approach introduced with the Gutenberg Editor, but it expands beyond posts and pages to the entire WordPress site. With FSE, you can use blocks to design and customize all aspects of your site, including the header, footer, sidebar, and more.”

Rocket.net – Are Agencies Using The Gutenberg Block Editor?

3. WordPress vs Wix: eCommerce

Wix offers free eCommerce website templates designed for various business categories. You can easily customize templates in the Wix Editor by adding apps, adjusting design and layout, and modifying content without requiring programming skills. 

Wix templates provide a flexible foundation for creating a unique and fully functional online shop.

• Offers built-in eCommerce tools during setup or via the editor, allowing quick creation of one-page stores with features like a product catalog and shopping cart.
• Requires upgrading to eCommerce plans ($27–$159/month), with the Business plan at $32/month offering 100 GB storage, automated sales tax (up to 100 transactions), and advanced shipping.
• Charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
• Best for beginners due to its simplicity and built-in eCommerce tools.

WordPress can be transformed into a full-fledged eCommerce platform using free plugins like WooCommerce. It easily supports complex product catalogs and multilingual stores but may also require adjustments for legal compliance.

• Provides flexibility through plugins, with WooCommerce being a popular choice for selling physical and digital products.
• No extra cost for WooCommerce hosting with Shared Hosting – can be a paid feature with Managed Hosting.
• Payment processing fees depend on the chosen payment gateway (e.g., PayPal, Stripe).
• Superior for eCommerce overall, offering greater flexibility, scalability, and budget-friendly options through plugins.

4. WordPress vs Wix: Customization and Scalability

While Wix offers a simple drag-and-drop interface, customization is limited to the tools and features available within its ecosystem. Once you choose a template, switching to another template requires rebuilding your site. 

Additionally, Wix is less scalable for large or complex websites, as its proprietary framework restricts advanced features.

• Features a drag-and-drop editor for easy rearrangement of elements without coding. Includes a toolbar for editing fonts, sizes, effects, and spacing.
• Suggests color palettes in its editor, with options for fine-tuning to match branding.
• Limited support for third-party tools; customization options are restricted to the Wix Editor.

WordPress is highly customizable and scalable; you can download and migrate to any web host.

Hot tip: you can migrate an unlimited number of WordPress sites to Rocket.net — free. 

With WordPress, you can modify themes, build custom templates, or add functionality with plugins. Its open-source nature allows complete control over your site, making it suitable for everything from small blogs to enterprise-level websites.

• Offers a block editor for adding posts, pages, and custom blocks, with access to advanced features like navigation bars and logos.
• Supports third-party drag-and-drop builders that allows direct modification of theme source code.
• Provides broader flexibility, letting users customize layouts and designs extensively.

5. WordPress vs Wix: Price

It all comes down to money, right? The practical difference between Wix and WordPress for most small businesses and non-profits starts with the price.

Wix offers a free account for website creation and testing. Paid plans run from $17-$159.50/month with a yearly subscription. Their Business Plan is $36/month which includes standard eCommerce support. The Wix Business Elite plan offers the most features and advanced eCommerce.

WordPress is free but requires hosting (typically $5-$30/month). Managed hosting costs more than shared hosting but provides a faster website and human support. The choice is yours!

“Wix is easy for beginners to build their sites … WordPress is more complex but also more powerful. It offers a broader range of capabilities and customization options and lets you build a more scalable site.”

semrush.com

Bonus Point: SEO: WordPress vs. Wix

Let’s talk about the most important aspect of your website – getting in front of people. We all want to get found; the question is, is our website platform a help or a hindrance?

While your website build impacts SEO, your success depends more on strategy than the platform itself. You should be focusing on quality content, technical optimization, and link-building to achieve results, regardless of the platform.

Wix SEO

• Includes features like custom meta tags, social sharing optimization, robots.txt support, and automatic sitemap updates.
• Offers an SEO setup checklist and basic integrations with tools like Google Analytics and Google Business Profile. Premium SEO apps are available in the App Market.
• Automatically creates redirects, integrates with an external CDN, and optimizes images for faster loading.

WordPress SEO

• Allows deeper customization, such as choosing SEO-friendly themes, customizing permalinks, enabling breadcrumbs, and categorizing/tagging content.
• Supports advanced plugins like Yoast and Rank Math, which provide detailed optimization recommendations, internal linking, and integration with Semrush for keyword research.
• Requires plugins for advanced SEO but delivers greater control and comprehensive features.

SEO Summary

Wix provides all essential SEO tools, but WordPress surpasses it with greater flexibility and functionality when paired with the right plugins. For businesses focused on advanced SEO strategies, WordPress is the better choice.

Wrapping Up

Wix and WordPress cater to different audiences. Wix is ideal for beginners seeking simplicity, while WordPress is better suited for users seeking flexibility and scalability. If you’re unsure which platform best suits your goals, consulting a professional can help.

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