WordPress vs Shopify vs Wix: Which Platform is Right for Your Business?

One of the most common questions we get asked by business owners thinking about getting a new website is which platform they should use. WordPress, Shopify and Wix are three of the most popular options out there, and each one has its strengths, its limitations and the type of business it suits best.

The honest answer is that there is no single right answer for everyone. The best platform for your business depends on what you need your website to do, how comfortable you are managing it yourself and what your long term plans are. In this guide we will break down each platform in plain English so you can make a confident, informed decision.

A Quick Overview of Each Platform

WordPress

WordPress is the most widely used website platform in the world, powering over 40% of all websites on the internet. It is an open source content management system, which means it is free to use and can be customised in almost unlimited ways. You host it yourself, which gives you full ownership and control over your website and your data.

Shopify

Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform designed specifically for selling online. It is a hosted solution, which means Shopify takes care of the technical side of running your website for you in exchange for a monthly subscription fee. It is built from the ground up to make running an online shop as straightforward as possible.

Wix

Wix is a hosted website builder aimed at people who want to create a website themselves without any technical knowledge. It uses a drag and drop editor that lets you build a site visually, and it is probably the most beginner-friendly of the three platforms. It also has an ecommerce option for smaller shops.

WordPress: The Most Flexible Option

WordPress is our platform of choice for the majority of the websites we build at Solar Web Design, and for good reason. It offers a level of flexibility and control that neither Shopify nor Wix can match, and it scales with your business far better than either of the alternatives.

The advantages of WordPress

• You own everything. Your website, your content and your data all belong to you outright.
• It is incredibly flexible. With thousands of plugins and themes available, WordPress can be built to do almost anything.
• It is excellent for SEO. WordPress gives you full control over every SEO element of your website.
• There are no monthly platform fees. You pay for your hosting and that is it.
• It scales well. Whether you have a five page brochure site today or a hundred page website in five years, WordPress handles it.
• You can build any type of website on it, from simple brochure sites to complex ecommerce stores, membership sites and booking platforms.

The disadvantages of WordPress

• It has a steeper learning curve than Wix. Managing WordPress yourself requires a bit more confidence.
• You are responsible for keeping your site updated and secure, unless you have a maintenance package in place.
• A poorly built WordPress site can be slow. Done properly by a developer, this is not an issue, but a DIY WordPress build can end up messy.

Who is WordPress best for?

WordPress is the best choice for the majority of businesses. It is particularly well suited to service businesses, tradespeople, professional services, content-heavy websites, blogs and businesses that want a long term flexible platform they can grow into. It is also a strong choice for ecommerce when combined with WooCommerce.

Shopify: The Best Choice for Pure Ecommerce

If selling products online is the primary purpose of your website, Shopify deserves serious consideration. It is a platform built from the ground up for ecommerce, and that focus shows in how well it handles the day to day running of an online shop.

The advantages of Shopify

• It is extremely easy to manage. Adding products, processing orders and managing stock are all very intuitive.
• Everything is handled for you. Hosting, security and platform updates are all included in your monthly fee.
• It has a large app store with thousands of integrations for marketing, fulfilment, customer service and more.
• Multi-channel selling is straightforward. You can connect your Shopify store to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Amazon.
• It is reliable and fast, with Shopify handling the infrastructure so you do not have to worry about it.

The disadvantages of Shopify

• You do not own the platform. You are renting space on Shopify’s system, and if they change their terms or pricing, you are affected.
• Transaction fees apply if you do not use Shopify Payments as your payment processor.
• Monthly subscription costs add up. Shopify plans start from around £25 per month on top of any development costs.
• Customisation has limits. While Shopify is flexible, it is not as customisable as WordPress at a deep level.
• Moving away from Shopify in the future can be complicated.

Who is Shopify best for?

Shopify is the best choice for businesses whose primary purpose is selling products online, particularly those with a straightforward product range who want a reliable, easy to manage platform and are happy to pay the monthly subscription in exchange for not having to worry about the technical side of things.

Wix: The Easiest to Use, But With Trade-offs

Wix is appealing because it is genuinely very easy to get started with. You can sign up, pick a template and have something that looks like a website up and running within a few hours. For someone who has never built a website before and wants something quick and simple, the appeal is obvious.

The advantages of Wix

• It is very beginner friendly. No technical knowledge is needed to build a basic Wix site.
• The drag and drop editor is intuitive and lets you see changes in real time.
• It includes hosting, so there is nothing extra to set up.
• There are hundreds of templates to choose from.

The disadvantages of Wix

• SEO limitations are real. Wix has improved its SEO capabilities over the years but it still lags significantly behind WordPress.
• You cannot move your website away from Wix. If you outgrow the platform, you have to rebuild from scratch elsewhere.
• Wix sites can be slow, which affects both user experience and Google rankings.
• The free plan includes Wix branding on your site, which looks unprofessional. A paid plan is essential for any real business.
• It does not scale well. As your business grows and your website needs become more complex, Wix tends to become a limitation.
• You do not own your website. Like Shopify, you are on someone else’s platform.

Who is Wix best for?

Wix can work for very small businesses or sole traders who need a basic online presence quickly and cheaply and who are not relying on Google to bring them customers. For any business that is serious about growing online, being found in search results or having a website that reflects its professionalism, Wix tends to create more problems than it solves in the long run.

A Side by Side Comparison

Here is a quick summary of how the three platforms compare across the most important factors for most small businesses:

Ownership

WordPress: You own everything. Shopify: You rent the platform. Wix: You rent the platform.

SEO capability

WordPress: Excellent. Shopify: Good. Wix: Limited.

Ease of use

WordPress: Moderate. Shopify: Easy. Wix: Very easy.

Flexibility

WordPress: Very high. Shopify: Moderate. Wix: Low.

Monthly fees

WordPress: Hosting only. Shopify: From £25 per month plus hosting. Wix: From £10 per month.

Best for

WordPress: Most businesses. Shopify: Ecommerce focused businesses. Wix: Very small or temporary sites.

Our Recommendation

For the vast majority of small and medium sized businesses, WordPress is the best long term choice. It gives you the most control, the best SEO capabilities, the greatest flexibility and the lowest ongoing costs. When built properly by a developer, a WordPress website is fast, secure and easy to manage.

If your business is primarily about selling products online and you want the simplest possible platform to manage, Shopify is worth a serious look, particularly if you are comfortable paying the monthly subscription in exchange for a hassle-free ecommerce experience.

Wix is fine for a very simple, temporary or low-stakes online presence, but for any business that is serious about growing online we would generally steer you away from it. The limitations tend to catch up with you eventually and rebuilding from scratch later costs more than getting it right the first time.

If you are still unsure which platform is right for your specific situation, we are always happy to have a chat and give you an honest recommendation. There is no pressure and no obligation.

Find out more about our WordPress website development service.

Find out more about our WooCommerce website development service.

Find out more about our Shopify website development service.

Ready to Get Started?

Whether you already know which platform you want or you need a bit more guidance before deciding, Solar Web Design is here to help. We build bespoke websites on WordPress, WooCommerce and Shopify for businesses of all sizes, and we will always point you in the right direction for your specific needs.

Get in touch with us today for a free, no-obligation conversation about your new website.