Wix VS Shopify: How To Choose The Best For Your Online Shop

Shopify and Wix are two of the software platforms we recommend most frequently to small business owners.

From features to pricing, Shopify and Wix have some important similarities as well as key differences.  At its heart, the Wix VS Shopify comparison boils down to this: Wix is a web-builder that allows users to add eCommerce functions, while Shopify is an eCommerce powerhouse that lets users build fully functional and in some cases exceptional websites.

Which Is Best For My Business Needs, Wix Or Shopify?

Wix Pros & Cons

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Choose Wix If …

• You’re working on a tight budget and  definitely want to choose the lower-cost option and to avoid transaction fees so you can keep as much of each sale as possible
• You want to take full advantage of the free trial to play around with the software and make sure it’s right before you choose a subscription level
• You want to offer a relatively small catalog of products with high visual appeal
• Your business is in a niche industry such as hotels, restaurants, event managers, musicians, and artists
• eCommerce is a need but not necessarily your whole focus

Shopify Pros & Cons

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Choose Shopify If …

• Your new or established eCommerce business requires a scalable platform that can be customized with thousands of add-ons
• You are looking for robust, all-encompassing eCommerce software that includes functions like automated tax collection and built-in shipping software and which will work with your preferred accounting software
• Your online store sells significant amounts of physical inventory
• You’re looking for an eCommerce platform that can handle as many of the nitty-gritty sales details as possible, like tax calculations
• You want maximum options to customize your store with add-ons, integrations, and social media options
• Dropshipping is a major part of your online sales plans

Wix VS Shopify Pricing

When comparing pricing for these two platforms, you first must understand an important advertising difference. While Shopify and Wix each offer discounts for paying upfront for a year or more at a time, Wix uses its yearly discount price as a starting place to advertise.

Wix eCommerce Pricing

Keep in mind that while you can build and publish a Wix website for free, if you want to enable eCommerce on your site you’ll need to sign up for a paid Business plan. The monthly costs of Business plans are based upon an annual subscription, where the full 12-months is payable upfront. Here are three Wix plans that enable and support eCommerce:

• Business Basic: $23/month, 20 GB storage
• Business Unlimited: 27$ month, 35 GB storage
• Business VIP: $49/month, 50 GB storage

As you climb the Wix subscription ladder, you’ll gain the following:

• More storage (including longer video capacity)
• Email marketing service/campaigns included
• Better customer support

Importantly, Wix plans involve no additional transaction fees on top of the regular processing fees from your payment gateway. Each level of Business plan allows users to connect their own domain and removes all Wix ads from your site.

Shopify Pricing

You’ll need to look at two figures to understand the true cost of Shopify: the monthly subscription cost you’ll pay and the per-sale transaction fees you can avoid only if you’re approved for a Shopify Payments account. Those transaction fees are in addition to the ubiquitous transaction fees you’ll pay to whatever gateway provider you choose.

Let’s start with the subscription plan costs. You can sign up for the $9/month Shopify Lite plan if your plans involving dabbling in online sales rather than operating a full online store. There are three plans that are fully enabled for eCommerce:

• Basic Shopify: $29/month
• Shopify: $79/month
• Advanced Shopify: $299/month

Now, what about those transaction fees? If you sign up for the Basic Shopify plan, you’ll pay a 2% fee on each sale. With Shopify, the fee drops to 1%. And when you upgrade to Advanced Shopify, it drops to 0.5%. Two things to remember: These fees are in addition to the normal payment processing fees your processor charges. And the only way to avoid them is by choosing Shopify Payments as your gateway. Learn more about Shopify Payments to decide if it’s a good choice for your business.

FAQs: Wix VS Shopify

Wix VS Shopify Comparison: The Final Verdict

Both Wix and Shopify are rich in features although, not surprisingly, each platform plays to its strengths. That means that as a general-purpose website builder, Wix offers a wider variety of features than Shopify does. Meanwhile, Shopify gets the win in the number of features focused strictly on eCommerce.

Let’s finish with a look at the impressive list of features both platforms offer. It’s important to note that not every feature is available with all plans; some are reserved for the top-tier plans.

• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited product listings
• Free hosting & SSL certificate
• Connect to your own domain and offer checkout there
• SEO tools
• Discounts and coupon capabilities
• Inventory & order management
• Send & manage invoices
• Customize tax & shipping rules
• Abandoned cart recovery tools
• Customer login/member area
• Built-in blog
• Multilingual stores
• Stock photos available for your site
• Dropshipping capability
• Google Analytics
• Square POS integration
• Mobile app for store management
• API access/developer tools

Shopify is hard to beat as an all-around eCommerce solution. No matter what size your inventory or sales volume, you can use Shopify to build an elegant and functional storefront that reflects your brand, then customize it through the in-house app store. Just be sure that you include transaction fees and the cost of third-party integrations into your budget as you plan your Shopify store, so you’re not taken by surprise when the bill comes.

If Wix seems like a better choice for you — and there are good reasons it might — you’ll find yourself in good hands. Wix excels at building fully functional, visually appealing websites with serviceable eCommerce options. It can be a cost-effective solution, and you can give Wix more of a test by taking full advantage of the free trial before you have to choose a paid plan.

In the Wix VS Shopify showdown, there’s no wrong choice, no matter which platform you use to set up and run your online store. Do your research, and take advantage of the free trial period available with each platform. That will give you a chance to test the software and see how it feels to you.