Wix vs Shopify: Battle of the Web Shops

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Wix vs Shopify: which ecommerce platform is better for your online business? Truth be told, Wix is better for small scale businesses and Shopify is best if you want to scale up your medium to large businesses.

We've conducted in-depth testing of Wix vs Shopify. This means we score each one out of five on: sales features, website features, value for money, help and support, and a customer delight score (relating to UX and brand recognition).

We found that Shopify has much better sales-specific features, scoring 4.7/5, compared to just 3.9/5 for Wix. That was the biggest differentiator – but read on to find out the other ways you can sell better with Shopify over Wix.

We've Rated Wix Best for Small Businesses and Shopify Best for Large Businesses
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Wix vs Shopify: A Quick Comparison

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0 out of 0

Wix

Shopify

Score
4.9
Score
4.7
Best For

Creating a good-looking website with excellent sales features

Best For

Advanced sales features

Price Range
Price Range

CAD$7-CAD$2,675+/month

Transaction fees

0%

Transaction fees

5%-0.15%

Key Features
  • Around 900 design templates
  • Loads of website functions
  • Sell on Facebook, eBay, Amazon, and more
  • Tools to boost search engine visibility
Key Features
  • Website design tools
  • Sell products or services
  • Order tracking
  • Inventory management
  • Self-hosts its sites
  • Shipping discounts
Members area?
Members area?
Unlimited storage space?
Unlimited storage space?
Free trial
Free trial
Try Wix Try Shopify

Wix vs Shopify: Head-to-Head

Our unique research scores (out of five) are calculated from dozens of individual questions about each ecommerce platform. Here's a summary of which one came out on top in each of the main categories:

WixShopifyWinner?
Sales Features3.94.7Shopify: Wider multichannel integration 
Website Features4.54.2Wix: Better forms, calendar and bookings
Value for Money4.23.0Wix: More features for your money
Help and Support4.34.4Shopify: Advanced specialist support
Customer Score4.24.8Shopify: More widely used than Wix

Now, these platforms are pretty evenly matched, so it's clear we've got some more digging to do.

Shopify has better fraud detection, much wider multichannel integration, slightly more payment options (17 vs 11) and better stock monitoring than Wix. These are essential features for scaling an ecommerce business, particularly one that's growing in complexity as well as size. These are the main reasons we ranked Shopify higher than Wix, but there are a range of other factors that fed into this.

Web shop software can be a little tricky to get to grips with and, even if you're highly skilled, things can still go wrong. For that reason, it's important to consider the level of customer care you can expect from your chosen ecommerce platform provider. When it comes to help for customers, Shopify fares better than Wix because it has advanced specialist support available.

Shopify may be the better platform, but can it fit within the budget of your business? To help you answer that question, let's look into the Wix vs Shopify pricing plans.

Since Our Last Update

Shopify has introduced the following features:

  • Sidekick: an AI tool to help you with repetitive tasks, research, and more. This tool can write product descriptions, create and add discounts, and generate reports.
  • Bundles: the Shopify Bundles app allows you to create customized bundles for your customers.
  • Subscriptions: this app gives you the ability to create subscriptions that your customers can purchase and pause or skip orders if needed.
  • Shopify Email: the email marketing app has had an overhaul and can be used to create and automate marketing campaigns. It offers tons of templates that only need to be slightly edited to suit your brands' offerings.

Wix has added the following:

  • AI site generator: this feature is coming soon but promises to create a unique website based on your prompts. It uses ChatGBT to generate the text and Wix's AI tool creates the website design and images. These aren't based on templates, instead, each website is said to be a unique tailored site based on the user's needs.

Wix vs Shopify: Pricing

Both Wix and Shopify offer a free trial but no free ecommerce plan. However, Wix is much better value for money overall because you get way more features for your monthly subscription fee compared with Shopify.

That said, it's still worth looking into price plans so that you know exactly what you're getting:

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0 out of 0

Light

Core

Business

Price (Paying Annually)
Price (Paying Annually)
Price (Paying Annually)
Best For

Starting a small online store

Best For

Selling internationally or subscriptions

Best For

High-volume selling online

Key Features
  • 2GB storage
  • 30 minutes video
  • Remove Wix watermark
  • Free domain for 1 year
  • Light marketing suite
Key Features
  • 50GB storage
  • Abandoned cart emails
  • Sell on social channels
  • 5hrs video
  • Professional logo
Key Features
  • 100GB storage
  • Data analytics
  • 10hrs video
  • Automated sales tax on 100 transactions per month
  • 24/7 customer care
Transaction Fees

0%

Transaction Fees

0%

Transaction Fees

0%

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0 out of 0

Starter

Basic

Shopify

Advanced

Plus

Price (Paying Annually)
Price (Paying Annually)
Price (Paying Annually)
Price (Paying Annually)
Price (Paying Annually)

From $2,677/month

Best For

Adding a buy button to your existing website or social media

Best For

Starting a small online store

Best For

Growing your business

Best For

Larger online stores

Best For

High volume merchants, large businesses

Key Features
  • Get “shoppable links” (URLs)
  • Product pages
  • Basic order management
  • Customer support
Key Features
  • Unlimited products
  • Four inventory locations
  • Two staff accounts
  • Free SSL certificate
  • Domestic credit card rate (online): 2.9% + 30¢
Key Features
  • Ecommerce automations
  • Five inventory locations
  • Five staff accounts
  • Domestic credit card rate (online): 2.7% + 30¢
Key Features
  • 15 staff accounts
  • Eight inventory locations
  • Advanced reports
  • Third-party calculated shipping
  • Domestic credit card rate (online): 2.4% + 30¢
Key Features
  • 99.99% uptime
  • Built-in AR, video, 3D media on product pages
  • Automation for complex processes
  • Faster checkout
Transaction Fees

5%

Transaction Fees

2%

Transaction Fees

1%

Transaction Fees

0.5%

Transaction Fees

0.15%

If you're running a large business, it may seem like Wix is better value for money because it's so much cheaper than Shopify. However, we don't recommend Wix ecommerce for larger businesses because Shopify is better set up to handle complex operations. By the time you're integrating inventory management systems, such as asset tracking software, you should choose a highly-powered platform, such as Shopify, over Wix.

A word on transaction fees

Wix charges no transaction fees at all, whereas Shopify charges varying rates depending on the subscription plan you choose. Remember, you'll still have to pay third-party payment processing fees – no matter which provider you choose.

Wix Web Shops: Who, What, Why?

Wix Quick Summary

What: Drag-and-drop web builder with a reliable ecommerce platform
Who: Small business leaders and entrepreneurs starting an online business
Why: Affordable subscription with no transaction fees

When it comes to website features, Wix scores much higher on functionality than Shopify because of its superior features around forms, calendar, bookings and social media integration. In our research, Wix scores 28/30 for website functionality, compared with Shopify's 19/30. This goes to show that event planners, music festival and concert managers are better off with Wix over Shopify, for instance.

One drawback, though, is Wix's minimal storage space compared with Shopify's. So, if you are running in-person events, such as conferences, special ceremonies and festivals, don't expect to show off loads of video content on your Wix website. It's also worth noting that both Shopify and Wix score almost exactly the same in site speed tests, though. So, no matter the amount of multimedia content you expect to host online, it's an even match between Shopify or Wix when weighing up which platform can run it faster.

Wix forms editor screenshot
Wix has better website features than Shopify, including more detailed form input settings.

How about discounted rates? If you're a student, educational facility, or non-profit organisation, then you can take advantage of some extra money off Wix's ecommerce plans. As always, it's a case of planning ahead and paying for a longer subscription plan to get the best savings.

We've done some digging and found a -70% discount for non-profits on a two-year subscription to the Wix Business Unlimited plan. You could pay third-party services to access this discount deal. However, we recommend you approach Wix directly and simply ask for it.

There's also 50% off annual subscription fees for students through Student Beans. And don't forget the free Wix Education platform for those teaching web development in classrooms.

Wix Is Our Top-Rated Ecommerce Platform For Website Features
Wix NGO templates
NGOs, teachers and students can take advantage of Wix's discounts and dedicated website templates.

Despite its easy-to-edit website features, Wix is a less popular website builder than Shopify among web store owners. We measured this in a couple of ways, including keyword research, which found around 56% greater search volume for Shopify over Wix. Using the statistics website, BuiltWith, we discovered a greater number of websites are made with Shopify over Wix, too. In a “Likely to recommend” questionnaire we conducted, Shopify scores 19/25 while Wix scores 17.5/25.

If you're anything like us, you want to know that other professionals in your niche use and approve of the products you're interested in. There must be good reasons business owners choose Shopify more often than Wix. Let's look at some of those in detail now:

Shopify Online Shops: Who, What, Why?

Shopify quick summary

What: Website builder with powerful ecommerce functions
Who: Medium and larger businesses which are scaling up
Why: Strong sales features with good multichannel integrations

While Wix has great sales features, Shopify's are even better. Shopify has a highly customizable check-out page, including the options to amend image backgrounds and logos, or adapt the colour scheme. This fine attention to detail ensures you can personalize the checkout experience to target your ideal customer, just the way you need to.

We reckon this gives you a better chance at closing sales in that tricky, final purchase phase. A scary 70% of customers abandon their shopping carts before making payment, so you'll need to make all the persuasive tweaks possible to secure those sales. Therefore, it pays to choose an ecommerce platform, like Shopify, that'll support your ability to do so.

Shopify checkout customization options
Shopify has granular checkout customization options, such as customer marketing consent, and adding tracking scripts.

Our users found Shopify a little tricky to use at first, but were able to understand it well enough after a while. “It’s the inverse of Wix, where the inventory stuff is really good, but the design is more difficult to do,” noted one test user. Our research also found that design tools are somewhat restrictive when compared with Wix, and a little less intuitive.

The trouble you may face using Shopify as a beginner means the platform is best suited to serious medium to large business operations. So, if you're selling handmade bracelets, feel free to use a less complicated program than Shopify.

More Of Our Users Would Recommend Shopify Compared To Wix

Yet the strength of Shopify's apps and multichannel integrations make it well worth the effort. With close to 8,000 apps,  Shopify has enough plug-ins to let you achieve just about anything with your online shop. You should be aware, however, that Shopify has fewer built-in features than Wix. For example, you'll need an app to sell digital products or have customer wishlists through Shopify, which you don't with Wix.

As 40% of Shopify's apps are paid-only (and its monthly subscription fees are higher), your monthly costs will definitely be higher than if you were using Wix.

Shopify most popular apps screengrab
These are Shopify's most downloaded apps.

Uniquely, Shopify has better environmental policies than most other ecommerce platforms on the market. Shopify’s Sustainability Fund spends at least $5 million annually on the most promising, impactful technologies and solutions to fight climate change globally. So if your company, startup, or NGO is centred on green values, then Shopify is the way to go.

And The Winner Is...

When it comes to Wix vs Shopify, you've got to choose what's right for your specific business. Perhaps, most importantly of all, select which ecommerce platform will multiply your funds rather than drain them.

When making your final decision, be aware that Shopify is really set up for larger, complex online enterprises. Shopify has great scaling capability because its inventory management features simply outweigh those of Wix.

On the other hand, Wix is far more user-friendly for small business entrepreneurs who are less tech-savvy. A major bonus is Wix charges zero transaction fees, and offers relatively low subscription fees when compared with Shopify.

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Crucial Questions

Is it better to use Wix or Shopify?
If you have a complex inventory setup, or you're looking to scale up a medium-sized business, it's better to use Shopify than Wix. Our research finds that Shopify has much stronger sales features compared with Wix. Specifically, Shopify has wider multichannel integration, better stock monitoring, and a highly customizable checkout page when compared with Wix.

On the other hand, if you're not terribly tech-savvy, and only need a straightforward web shop for your small business, Wix is better for you than Shopify. If you're running a restaurant, selling jewellery, or offering online training courses, take note of Wix. Our in-depth comparative testing finds Shopify is the best all-round ecommerce platform on the market.

Is Wix good for small businesses?
Wix is a popular choice for small businesses with relatively simple inventory needs. Easy enough to get to grips with as a beginner, Wix lets you build a web shop within hours and days. By contrast, hiring an external company, freelancer or choosing a more complicated website builder, you'd be looking a timeline of several months.

Our researchers found Wix has no real niche, which has the benefit of adaptability to suit a range of business types. This is reflected in the range of templates available for various web shop types. Best of all is the customer support Wix offers, which is more comprehensive than competitors such as Shopify, Weebly and GoDaddy. This is ideal for tech beginners with less confidence on the software side of website creation.

How much does Wix take per sale?
Wix takes no sales commission in the form of transaction fees, however, you'll have to pay 2.5% commission on ticket sales. Wix is widely known as one of the few ecommerce platforms to charge no transaction fees. This is a major benefit to small scale entrepreneurs looking to get their business off the ground.

Wix's lack of transaction fees also benefits dropshipping merchants who face narrow margins. BigCommerce, Volusion, BigCartel and Shift4Shop also charge no transaction fees, however, these ecommerce platforms all scored much lower than Wix in our category testing.

Written by:
Sabrina Dougall
Sabrina is a business journalist whose career began in news reporting. She has a master's in Investigative Journalism from City University London, and her work has appeared in The Times, The Daily Express, Money Saving Expert, Camden New Journal, Global Trade Review, and Computer Business Review. She specializes in writing about SEO (search engine optimization). Having run her own small business, Sabrina knows first-hand how critical digital marketing is to building a client base and local reputation.
Reviewed by:
A head shot of Natasha Willett - a blonde woman in a work shirt with a blue background
For over 9 years Natasha has worked as a mixed method researcher working across a range of sectors from insurance and policy development, to business services and software. As a member of the Market Research Society, Natasha is an advocate for high ethical, commercial and methodological best practices.