Wix vs. Shopify: a data-backed comparison

Explore Wix and Shopify features, pricing, adoption trends, and ideal use cases to help you determine which platform best fits your team.

In this article

Wix vs. Shopify at a glance
Wix overview
Shopify overview
Pros and cons
Use case scenarios

Wix vs. Shopify at a glance

Wix is a flexible website builder that offers drag-and-drop customization, a wide range of templates, and integrated e-commerce tools, making it suitable for small businesses and creative entrepreneurs.

Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform designed for merchants focused on scalable online sales, providing advanced store management, payment processing, and multi-channel selling capabilities.

Metrics	Wix	Shopify
Relative cost	88% lower cost than category average	–
Adoption trend	8% QoQ adoption growth	10% QoQ adoption growth
Primary user segment	–	–
Best for	Small and medium-sized businesses that need versatile website-building capabilities without coding requirements.	Micro businesses that need professional website design and content management without technical complexity.

Wix overview

Wix combines a user-friendly drag-and-drop site builder with e-commerce features, including product management, payment integration, and marketing tools. It appeals to micro businesses and individuals seeking a customizable website solution with built-in online sales functionality that is easy to use and doesn't require technical complexity.

Wix key features

Features	Description
Drag-and-drop website builder	Design and customize responsive websites visually without coding.
Template library	Choose from hundreds of professionally designed templates to jumpstart site creation.
App marketplace	Extend site functionality with plugins for ecommerce, marketing, SEO, and more.
Ecommerce support	Manage products, payments, inventory, and shipping with built-in tools.
SEO and marketing tools	Improve site visibility and customer engagement with integrated optimization and campaigns.
Hosting and security	Enjoy fast, secure hosting with SSL certificates and automatic backups.

Shopify overview

Shopify is a purpose-built ecommerce platform offering robust tools for product catalog management, order processing, payment gateways, and sales analytics. It supports large-scale online retailers with multi-channel selling, extensive app integrations, and enterprise-grade scalability.

Shopify key features

Features	Description
User-friendly store builder	Create custom online stores using drag-and-drop tools and responsive themes.
Integrated payment processing	Accept payments through Shopify Payments and other gateways with secure checkout options.
Shopify POS	Sell in-person with synced inventory, customer data, and hardware support.
Multichannel selling	List and sell products across social media, marketplaces, and retail locations.
SEO and marketing tools	Optimize your store for search engines and run promotions like discounts and email campaigns.
Analytics and reporting dashboard	Track performance with real-time sales, customer behavior, and traffic reports.

Pros and cons

Tool	Pros	Cons
Wix	User-friendly drag-and-drop website builder with minimal setup time. Wide selection of customizable templates suited for various industries. Integrated ecommerce capabilities for small and medium-sized online stores. Built-in SEO tools, marketing integrations, and analytics dashboards. All-in-one platform handling hosting, security, and backups without additional configuration.	Limited backend customization and developer control compared to traditional CMS platforms. Advanced features and collaboration tools require higher-tier plans. May not scale well for large enterprises or multi-site management needs. Some integrations and app functionalities are less flexible than open-source alternatives. Learning curve for users unfamiliar with visual design tools and interfaces.
Shopify	Easy to set up and manage, even for non-technical users Scales effectively from solo stores to large enterprises Strong omnichannel support: online, mobile, social, and in-person sales An extensive app ecosystem enables deep customization and added features AI-powered tools enhance personalization, recommendations, and analytics Built-in security and compliance with PCI and global data standards Supports global selling with localization and multi-currency tools	Monthly fees plus transaction costs can be high for growing businesses Customizations beyond templates often require developer support Many advanced features rely on third-party apps, adding cost and complexity Limited built-in content and blogging tools compared to WordPress Exporting data or switching platforms can be difficult and time-consuming

Use case scenarios

Wix is ideal for small businesses and creatives who need flexible website design with e-commerce capabilities. At the same time, Shopify serves both growing and established merchants, providing comprehensive store management and scalable sales solutions.

When Wix is the better choice

You need an easy-to-use website builder with drag-and-drop design.
You need simple e-commerce tools integrated with website creation.
You need a broad template selection with full creative control.
You need flexibility to build both content-rich and transactional websites.

When Shopify is the better choice

You need a scalable e-commerce platform focused solely on online retail.
You need advanced tools for managing inventory, orders, and payments.
You need to sell across multiple channels, including marketplaces and social media.
You need a platform optimized for growth, performance, and sales automation.