Wix vs WordPress for Ecommerce: Which is Better for Online Stores?

E-commerce has become the go-to shopping medium for billions of people globally because it offers variety, convenience, and accessibility, allowing anyone to purchase anything from anywhere. 

The digital age has compelled companies to build an online presence, including social media accounts and functional, aesthetically pleasing e-commerce stores. 

Two platforms, Wix and WordPress, have emerged as major players in this space. Each has its methods for building, managing, and scaling online stores. 

We have Wix, with its user-friendly interface, and WordPress, with its built-in CMS and customization. Each serves a different business function. 

See Also: The Complete Guide to Wix Studio Website Costs in 2025

Wix Overview

Wix, a cloud-based website builder, has long been a leader in the e-commerce space. This is mainly due to its intuitive, user-friendly interface, which doesn’t require extensive technical expertise. 

Wix stores can pick from several pre-designed templates that can be customized to build more visually appealing e-commerce stores with all the required features. 

A Wix store can use the platform as a foundation to incorporate Wix business solutions such as bookings, stores, and restaurant orders for both digital and physical products. 

Store owners can manage inventory across several sales channels with different product variations and offer subscription services. 

Wix also offers native marketing tools that help teams with social media channel integration, email marketing campaigns, abandoned cart recovery, discount code creations, and customer loyalty programs. 

WordPress Overview 

Most people think of WordPress as a personal branding tool for building personal websites, but while that might be one of its key functions, it offers much more. 

WordPress is most commonly known as a content management system (CMS) and is estimated to run almost 40% of all websites online.

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that allows users to add website content, modify pages, upload different media types, and perform website maintenance without technical training or skills.

Other WordPress features include:

• An easy-to-use interface. 
• Powerful user management tools with access controls
• Thousands of free and premium store themes
• Thousands of plugins to improve website form and functionality. 
• Permalinks, meta tags, and SEO-optimized product categories. 

When a company wants to convert a WordPress website into an e-commerce site, it installs WooCommerce and transforms it into a full-featured e-commerce store. 

Wix vs WordPress for E-commerce – Comparing The Two

We’re approaching the more critical part of the article, which compares Wix and WordPress to help businesses decide which platform is best for e-commerce.

Both platforms are compared across five key areas, including:

Ease-Of-Use

Every business has multiple functions that must be managed, and the last thing it wants is a complex, difficult-to-run platform. 

Wix and WordPress are both beginner-friendly platforms used to build websites that do not need extensive coding experience.

Wix

Wix comes with a free domain and hosting for the first year.

After creating an account, Wix guides users through a setup wizard, recommending features and design options based on their needs. 

The Wix drag-and-drop editor makes arranging pre-added elements without coding easier. 

Wix also provides step-by-step instructions to simplify the setup process further. 

WordPress

Because of the technical aspect of WordPress’s implementation, businesses face a steeper learning curve. 

WordPress stores are initially simple but become more complex as you add integrations and plugins. 

The WordPress admin dashboard has built-in features for managing posts and pages. Its block editor lets users design their layouts by dragging and dropping elements. 

However, despite offering user-friendly tools, WordPress’s dashboard is challenging to navigate for someone who doesn’t have development experience. 

Personalization Potential 

With e-commerce, an online storefront is how the customer sees the business, meaning it needs to be visually appealing and functionally sound for the best customer experience. 

This makes it essential for businesses to pick a platform that can be personalized precisely as the company wants. 

Wix and WordPress have options to customize storefronts, each in their way. 

Wix

Companies can customize their e-commerce stores using the Wix drag-and-drop editor and Site Design panel. They can choose from different styles, colors, and text options. 

Wix users can pick from different background colors, fonts, and navigation options, add images and videos, add menus for better usability, and optimize the store for mobile functionality. 

Furthermore, Wix website development time can be cut short with pre-made templates, including pre-written content and media that you can modify to meet your requirements. 

Stores that want to add different visual elements to the store can use the Wix editor to add or customize different visual elements. 

WordPress

WordPress businesses benefit from an incredibly modular platform and its open-source nature. The platform’s extensive plugin selection further enhances its functionality. 

WordPress users can access thousands of store themes and plugins, both free and premium, to enhance their stores’ appearance and functionality. 

WordPress offers flexibility, freedom, and choices to users who want to customize their website. 

Although the WordPress theme editor and third-party page builders offer extensive customization options, they may require a higher level of technical proficiency than Wix’s drag-and-drop interface.

E-Commerce Functionality

This is the article’s most important section because it expands on each platform’s performance as an e-commerce platform.

Both platforms have different approaches with their e-commerce features, helping companies with varying business and technical capabilities requirements. 

Wix

Wix has been used to build e-commerce stores for a long time, and with good reason: a Wix store, you can offer up to 50,000 products in your online store – encompassing small, medium, and enterprise-level stores.  

Wix stores’ shipping and fulfillment features help online store owners efficiently manage their order delivery processes. 

These features solve logistical problems that most businesses struggle with. 

Users can sell in multiple currencies, on marketplaces, and create a mobile-optimized storefront. 

Wix supports product variations, allowing you to sell different versions of the same product and dropship products and subscriptions. 

Wix eCommerce provides a centralized location to manage product data, listings, and inventory, including bulk uploading of product data.

WordPress

Incorporating the WooCommerce plugin within WordPress lets businesses build a scalable, customizable e-commerce platform to sell physical and digital products. 

Stores built on WordPress can integrate different payment gateways, providing customers with various payment options to ensure the least friction. 

Moreover, WooCommerce makes it easy to sell physical and digital products, subscriptions, and memberships, offering online businesses a wide range of options – the more, the merrier.

Picking WordPress provides flexibility, freedom, and choices to users who want to customize their website and build stores precisely as they want, with the aesthetics and functionality they want. 

Additionally, store owners can manage inventory, shipping, and taxes and integrate them with various marketing tools and services.

WordPress’s extensive plugin ecosystem allows for the addition of numerous e-commerce features, making it a versatile solution for businesses of all sizes.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Having a great product or service isnt enough; the right customers need to find your store and make a purchase. 

Search engine optimization (SEO) involves developing and implementing website and content marketing strategies that comply with search engines’ ranking guidelines. 

Wix and WordPress come with native SEO features and the ability to integrate third-party tools. 

Wix 

• An SEO and marketing tools suite to optimize a site’s SEO.
• Wix sites use an infrastructure in line with the needs of search engines.
• Wix users can personalize their meta tags, URL structures, and structured data markup.
• Offers features like bulk 301 redirects and instant Google indexing.
• Wix uses an SEO Wiz tool that acts like a personal SEO expert. It analyzes the site and identifies areas for improvement.
• Wix helps to manage a Google My Business profile from the dashboard.

WordPress  

• WordPress uses different plugins for advanced SEO functionalities.
• WordPress offers more control over the site’s structure.
• Automatically submits sitemaps to Google.
• Offers a Site Inspection tool and integration with Semrush to help with on-page SEO.
• SEO features include optimizing images, adding structured heading tags, and mobile optimization.
• Users can optimize multiple pages at once using a single template.

Product Pricing 

E-commerce platform pricing significantly sways the final decision because the cost cuts into the company’s bottom line.

Here’s how both platforms compare:

Conclusion 

In the Wix vs. WordPress debate for e-commerce, the ideal choice hinges on your specific needs. 

Wix offers an intuitive, all-in-one solution that is perfect for users, prioritizing ease of use and quick setup. 

Its ready-to-use sales features and manageable interface suit small businesses seeking a straightforward online store.

However, WordPress is the superior platform for those demanding extensive customization, scalability, and complete control. 

With its vast ecosystem of plugins, particularly WooCommerce, WordPress provides unparalleled flexibility to build a tailored e-commerce experience. 

While it may require a bit more technical expertise, the freedom and potential for growth it offers are unmatched.