Shopify vs Wix – Which Is Best for Starting E-Commerce Businesses in 2024

Shopify is the G.O.A.T of eCommerce and Wix is one of the most prominent cloud-based website builders that currently exist. Which do you go for? How do you even differentiate between each? What are the upsides and downsides to each platform?

Rest easy for we are here to answer all your questions!

In this article, we’ll compare both platforms and help you choose the right one for your business. However, understanding the differences between the two is crucial in making an informed decision.

At a glance

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Overview: Shopify vs Wix

Before diving into the details, let’s briefly outline the fundamental differences between Shopify and Wix.

The primary distinction between Shopify and Wix lies in their core purposes.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a leading ecommerce platform designed for entrepreneurs and businesses to create and manage their online stores. With Shopify, users can set up an online shop with ease, offering products or services to a global audience. 

The platform provides a range of customizable templates, allowing users to design their storefronts, product pages, and checkout processes. Beyond website design, Shopify offers features like inventory management, secure payment gateways, order processing, and shipping options. 

With its app store, users can enhance their store’s functionality by integrating various third-party applications. Whether you’re starting a small boutique or scaling a large retail operation, Shopify offers a robust solution to establish and grow your eCommerce business. 

What is Wix?

Wix is an all-in-one website builder and hosting platform that empowers individuals and businesses to create stunning websites without any coding skills. 

With its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, Wix offers a wide range of customizable templates for various purposes, from portfolios to eCommerce stores. Users can easily add and arrange elements, such as text, images, videos, and forms, to design their websites just the way they want. 

Wix also provides integrated hosting, domain registration, and a suite of tools for SEO, analytics, and more. Whether you’re a blogger, entrepreneur, or creative professional, Wix offers a versatile and accessible platform to bring your online presence to life.

Now, let’s delve into the different factors to consider when choosing between Shopify and Wix.

Ease of Use: Shopify vs Wix

Regarding ease of use, both platforms have their advantages. 

Shopify, while slightly more complex, provides a more focused and specialized experience for eCommerce. Its setup and management process is straightforward, with a clear structure that guides users through building an online store.

Shopify Magic is a suite of integrated AI-powered features that enhances your business operations. It leverages the capabilities of artificial intelligence to provide personalized and contextually relevant support across tasks such as building and managing your online store, executing marketing strategies, facilitating customer support, and optimizing back-office management. In essence, Shopify Magic combines the strength of Shopify’s platform with advanced AI technology to streamline and elevate your business journey, making it more efficient and effective.

On the other hand, Wix is well-known for its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, allowing users to create visually appealing websites without coding knowledge. The interface is user-friendly, making it easy for beginners to get started. 

Wix offers something called Artificial Design Intelligence(ADI). This asks you a few preliminary questions about the kind of website you’re trying to create and then, based on your answers, designs a custom website in minutes fully equipped with multiple pages such as the “about us” page, “Contact us” page, etc.

Our pick: Wix

Design and Customization: Shopify vs Wix

Shopify does offer a decent selection of themes, its customization options are more limited. However, Shopify makes up for this with its extensive app and plugin ecosystem, which allows users to add additional functionality and customize their stores through integrations.

Shopify also has its own suite of AI tools called Shopify Magic that uses AI to solve and facilitate faster outcomes regarding design and customization. It provides contextually relevant improvements and suggestions across various tasks including design. 

Wix shines when it comes to design and customization options. With hundreds over 800 professionally designed templates and the ability to customize every element of your website, Wix offers unparalleled flexibility. Its drag-and-drop editor allows for easy rearranging of elements, and users can choose from a wide range of design options to create a unique and visually appealing website.

Wix also has its ADI feature which basically leverages AI to handle all design aspects of a website. All you need to do is answer a few questions, and Wix ADI can deliver a fully designed website in minutes. 

Our pick: Wix

App and Plugin Ecosystem: Shopify vs Wix

One significant advantage of Shopify is its robust app and plugin ecosystem. Shopify’s App Store offers a wide range of third-party integrations that enhance the functionality of your online store. Whether you need marketing tools, inventory management solutions, customer support features, or shipping integrations, Shopify’s app ecosystem has you covered. The apps are designed for eCommerce needs, providing specialized functionality to optimize your online store’s performance. 

While Wix also offers an app market, its selection is not as extensive or specialized as Shopify’s, which can be a limiting factor for businesses with specific requirements. Wix offers around 500 apps and plugins but not all of them are optimized for eCommerce as opposed to Shopify.

Our pick: Shopify

Shopify vs Wix for eCommerce

Both Shopify and Wix provide the necessary tools to sell products online. However, Shopify is specifically designed for eCommerce, offering features such as inventory management, secure payment gateways, abandoned cart recovery, and shipping integrations. Wix, on the other hand, provides basic eCommerce functionality, but it may not be as robust as Shopify when it comes to managing a large-scale online store.

Shopify has 4.3 million active eCommerce sites compared to Wix with 700K active sites, so when it comes to selling products online, Shopify has the upper hand. It offers a comprehensive suite of eCommerce features that are essential for managing an online store effectively. These features include inventory management, product variants, customer management, secure payment gateways, abandoned cart recovery, and shipping integrations. Shopify also provides advanced analytics and reporting tools, allowing businesses to track sales and customer behavior effectively. 

Wix equips eCommerce businesses with an all-inclusive toolkit for successful online selling. Its user-friendly platform, eye-catching templates, and mobile responsiveness empower entrepreneurs to create captivating eCommerce websites without coding. Wix’s suite of eCommerce features includes secure checkout, inventory management, tax and shipping options, and an adaptable app market. With SSL certification, multiple payment gateways, and valuable SEO tools, Wix ensures a secure and visible online presence. As your business evolves, Wix’s scalability, analytics, and customer support pave the way for adaptive growth in the competitive world of online commerce.

Our pick: Shopify

Live chat software for customer support: Shopify vs Wix

NO matter the platform, you should always be in touch with your customers. From sales to support, customer happiness is the cornerstone of every successful eCommerce business. – With ThriveDesk you can be rest assured that your customer support is in safe hands. Experience lightning-fast communication through its intuitive live chat, integrating instant replies, file sharing, emojis, satisfaction surveys, and eCommerce sales tracking reports. ThriveDesk’s lightweight design ensures your website’s performance remains unaffected while managing real-time interactions across channels. 

Communicate seamlessly via live chat, even when you’re offline, or offer comprehensive documentation to assist your customers – ThriveDesk covers all the bases for customer engagement. No matter the touch-point, ThriveDesk proves to be the perfect companion.

Packed with an impressive suite of features, including efficient ticket management, a comprehensive knowledge base, and seamless multi-channel communication, ThriveDesk stands as a powerful tool to elevate your business’s customer support game. Backed by a stellar G2 rating of 4.7, ThriveDesk is a tried-and-true option for enhancing and optimizing customer interactions.

For Wix users venturing into the world of ecommerce,  ThriveDesk allows you to engage customers in real time. The user-friendly live chat interface ensures that visitors can easily reach out, fostering a sense of connection that can turn casual browsers into devoted patrons. From product inquiries to payment hitches, ThriveDesk ensures that your customers’ needs are met promptly and professionally.

You can also integrate ThriveDesk into your Shopify store as your live chat option. Like with Wix, ThriveDesk can expedite positive customer outcomes leading to better conversions, better CX, and ultimately better revenue for your Shopify store. 

Dropshipping: Shopify vs Wix

For businesses focused on dropshipping, Shopify offers significant advantages. Shopify integrates seamlessly with various dropshipping apps and platforms, making setting up and managing dropshipping operations easier. With automated order fulfillment and inventory syncing features, Shopify streamlines the dropshipping process and helps businesses operate more efficiently. 

While Wix supports dropshipping, its capabilities may not be as extensive or user-friendly as Shopify’s, making Shopify the preferred choice for those specifically interested in it. For example, it does not have a built-in dropshipping integration or a comprehensive analytics dashboard. If you are looking for a platform with a wider range of features and integrations, then Shopify is a better option.

Our pick: Shopify

SEO and Marketing Tools: Shopify vs Wix 

Both Shopify and Wix offer SEO-friendly features to help improve search engine visibility. Neither has any chinks in their armor regarding SEO and Marketing tools. Both provide an extensive list of native and third-party tools to make sure that the content on your site or store is up to standards and highly optimized for virality. Both provide features such as customizable meta tags, canonical tags, and automatic sitemap generation, giving users more control over optimizing their online stores for search engines. 

The only differentiator between these two would be the business size. Shopify, although more expensive, is generally preferred by large businesses. It’s tailor-made for online sales, offering a broader range of features, tools, and integrations designed specifically for eCommerce. 

Wix holds more preference from basic online stores with small operations.

Shopify and Wix come equipped with diverse marketing integrations that serve to expand your customer reach. These encompass

• Email marketing utilities that allow you to craft precise email campaigns tailored to your clientele.
• Applications for social media, fostering brand visibility across your customers’ preferred platforms.
• Tools for paid advertisements, enabling the dissemination of your products to a broader audience.
• Affiliate programs that facilitate commission payments to individuals who steer sales to your store fostering customer engagement and augmenting sales with minimal expenditure.

Shopify heavily relies on these external apps to bolster its marketing capabilities.

Conversely, Wix offers various in-platform tools designed to simplify marketing efforts, including user-friendly blog functionalities. In a recent development, Wix has collaborated with Vimeo to introduce its own video editor, enabling the creation of personalized social media assets right within the platform.

If you’re a small business that has limited resources Wix is your go-to. If you’re a larger business that needs an extensive list of both native and third-party integrations and applications Shopify is best. 

Pricing and Payment Gateways: Shopify vs Wix

Shopify has higher starting prices than Wix. However, it provides more comprehensive eCommerce functionality from the beginning, and its pricing plans include essential features required for running an online store. Depending on your needs, Shopify’s pricing may offer better value for money, considering its specialized focus on eCommerce. The most basic plan starts at $25/month.

Wix offers a range of pricing plans, including a free plan with limited features, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious individuals. However, to unlock advanced eCommerce features and remove Wix ads from your website, you will need to subscribe to their Business or Enterprise plans. The basic plan starts at $17/month.

Our pick: Wix. They offer more variety in their payment plans which makes it less daunting for first time users to purchase a plan. 

Biggest Users: Shopify vs Wix

Final verdict on which to choose for your business: Shopify vs Wix

In the ultimate showdown between Shopify and Wix, both platforms have showcased their impressive capabilities, each offering a unique set of strengths that cater to diverse needs. The decision on which platform to choose ultimately depends on the nature of your online venture and your specific requirements.

Shopify, with its laser focus on eCommerce, emerges as the go-to solution for businesses aiming to establish a powerful online store. Its robust array of tools for inventory management, secure payment gateways, shipping logistics, and comprehensive scalability make it the ideal companion for those looking to venture into the realm of digital commerce. The extensive app store further enables you to tailor your store’s functionality to match your evolving business needs.

On the other hand, Wix presents itself as an exceptionally versatile platform catering to a wider range of digital ambitions. Its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and stunning pre-designed templates empower individuals, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals to craft eye-catching websites without the need for coding expertise. From blogs to portfolios to small-scale online stores, Wix offers the flexibility to realize your unique vision.

In conclusion, if your primary objective is to set up an eCommerce empire, Shopify stands tall as the dedicated eCommerce powerhouse. On the flip side, if you’re embarking on a creative journey with diverse online aspirations, Wix extends the canvas to paint your digital masterpiece.

Ultimately, the platform you choose hinges on the nature of your venture, your desired level of customization, and your future aspirations. Both Shopify and Wix are here to equip you with the tools you need to conquer the digital landscape – so go ahead, assess your goals, and embark on your online journey with confidence. Happy building!

FAQs: Shopify vs Wix