Content Management Systems (CMS) are a blessing for the web development community as well as millions of users for whom it is now possible to obtain a high quality and productive virtual presence without requiring substantial investments.
There are numerous products in the market, that are popular among different user groups and have their own distinctive characteristics. Let’s take a look at two of the well known names of the domain and compare them to find out the answer to the question Wix vs WordPress – which is the best CMS.
1. Developmental Costs
Wix
The price of developing the website is an important determining factor in the selection of the platform. Wix helps in building a basic web interface for free but the downside is that a user does not have the freedom to choose a preferred domain name and advertisements will run on the website. The product offers a range of plans featuring different levels of bandwidth, storage and functionalities, one can be chosen according to the requirements. It goes without saying that any extra add-ons will also require payment of the specified fees.
WordPress
WordPress is an open source platform and a decent website can be built for free with only the domain name and hosting services charges required to be paid. The themes and plugins needed for enhancing the appearance and adding functionalities to the interface also come in both varieties (paid and free) and development is rather economical with this platform.
2. User Friendliness
Wix
Wix on the other hand has a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) editor and its simple drag and drop interface makes the whole process effortless and hassle-free even for a technically deficient person. Altering content elements or adding media can be done easily and swiftly but there can be some limitations to personalization as the product is designed specifically for amateur users.
WordPress
The WordPress dashboard is a very convenient tool but needs a little getting used to for understanding its functions. The abundance of themes and plugins may overwhelm an amateur and create confusion as to what will be the right selection. Besides, each theme or plugin has its own characteristics which need to be understood before modification. The process is not difficult but the multitude of directions and steps involved make it necessary to understand the technicalities of the platform before proceeding to use it.
3. Design & Flexibility
Wix
Wix offers more than 500 pre-loaded templates which are fully responsive and with built-in tools can be customized by making changes to the layout, design or arrangement of the elements. The product has categorized all these templates according to different industries making it convenient to select one for the intended website. The service also provides apps for adding any new functionality to the virtual interface.
WordPress
The versatility of WordPress web development can be seen in the abundance of themes and plugins available for designing and personalizing of the new creation. The open source nature of the platform has enabled many developers to fashion vast numbers of themes- paid as well as free, aimed at different business verticals. An owner has complete freedom to add any number of new functionalities in the form of plugins to the amenity and therefore enjoys total control over every aspect of his/her product.
4. eCommerce Options
Wix
A key factor to consider in this Wix vs WordPress – which is the best CMS debate is the economic capabilities of the website. Wix has dedicated templates for various kinds of virtual outlets that can be obtained after paying the specified price and all the essential features like shopping cart, payment options, inventory management etc. can be added easily.
WordPress
WordPress presents a very powerful solution in the form of the hugely popular WooCommerce plugin that has been used by countless people for opening an online store. The flexibility of the platform makes it simple for an owner to add as many features as desired without much trouble to an outlet for selling any type of product or service. There are also a lot of other plugins that can be used for the purpose.
5. Support System
Wix
Wix has employed a support team that is on duty 24-hours a day which can be reached by email or phone in addition to uploading extensive information related to each feature on its website.
WordPress
Prompt and effective assistance for resolution of an issue is another concern for owners and WordPress with a vast and vibrant user and developer community has a dedicated forum which has information on every aspect of the platform. Tutorials and guides in text and video formats apart from countless articles and other content is available on the internet for guidance. The only problem an amateur may encounter is finding the relevant information in this vast amount of data and a competent WordPress developer can be hired for the job.
Conclusion
It will be clear from the comparison that the answer to the question Wix vs WordPress- which is better CMS will be different for distinct users with amateurs finding the paid product beneficial while others may choose the open source service. The choice rests with the user who needs to identify the project requirements for making the correct decision.
