Building up e-commerce is one of the most complicated things from a technical point of view: they are complex websites that users are able to interact with, and they have to be 100% secure. Today, however, the web can provide some precious resources: platforms that allow even the less expert web designer to build a virtual store and start selling online. Among them, Shopify and Wix are known as the best. But which of them is better? Or, rather, which of them is more suitable for your needs? Let's find it out in this article!
Wix VS Shopify
Wix and Shopify are similar in some ways and different in others: they both allow you to build your e-commerce from scratch, but they also have some different aspects. You should be aware of such differences before picking one of the two. Your choice could make a huge difference in terms of efficiency, quality of the final result, and budget.
So, Wix or Shopify? Let's find out what they have in common and where they're, instead, different.
Wix VS Shopify: Similarities
1. The expected result
If you're wondering with which of the two platforms you can build your e-commerce, the answer is both of them! Both Wix and Shopify allow the user to create an e-commerce site starting from a template or from scratch.
2. No coding experience required
Neither Wix nor Shopify requires any coding or web design experience. You can design your website starting from professional templates and you can add features and modules by following guided procedures: you won't need to write a single line of code.
Wix VS Shopify: Differences?
Now that you know that both Wix and Shopify can serve your purpose of creating e-commerce, let's try to understand which of them can be more suitable for you based on their differences.
1. Origin
Shopify has been created specifically to help users building and managing their e-commerces. Wix, on the other hand, is a website builder platform: you can create any type of website with it.
What does it mean? Shopify is more ready to answer e-commerce managers' and entrepreneurs' needs since this is what it was born for. If you're planning to grow to become a big business, or if you need specific support from a specific e-commerce building platform, Shopify could be more suitable for you.
2. Price
Both Wix and Shopify offer different plans, so let's take a look at them separately.
Shopify plans are the following:
- Basic Shopify: $29/month
- Shopify: $79/month
- Shopify Advanced: $299/month
Since Wix is a platform where users can create any kind of business, you'll need to focus on the plans specifically dedicated to business and e-commerce, and these are:
- Business Basic: $23/month
- Business Unlimited: $27/month
- Business VIP: $49/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
As you can see, the Wix option is more convenient for your budget.
3. Free Plans
Wix has a free plan available, but it's a very limited option. As we've mentioned, Wix is a platform to create any kind of website, and their free plan isn't suitable for building something as complex as e-commerce.
Shopify doesn't have a free plan at all, but they provide a 14-day free trial of their services: it can be useful to try the platform, learn how to use it before making the purchase, and understand if it's suitable for your needs.
4. Storage
This is where Wix can be more limiting than Shopify. Even the paid plans on WinX limit the amount of storage you can use (up to 50 GB), while Shopify provides unlimited storage, webpages, and bandwidth for every plan.
Wix also has other limits: for example, with the 2 cheaper plans, you can only upload 5 or 10 hours of video.
For these reasons, WinX seems more suitable for beginners or small businesses. But large businesses or anyone who aims at growing with time might prefer Shopify.
Wix eCommerce VS Shopify: Which Is Better?
Now that we've seen what they have in common and where they are different, we can conclude that: both platforms are good, but:
- Wix is to be preferred for general websites or very small businesses.
- Shopify is a little more expensive but it's more suitable for large businesses or projects that are aimed at some kind of growth.
Shopify and Wix Alternatives
Are there any alternatives to Shopify or Wix? There are; let's take a look at the most valuable.
Sites like Shopify
1. PrestaShopPrestaShop is one of the websites like Shopify that allows you to build e-commerce without writing a line of code. You can start selling your products for free here, but the platform will retain a small percentage. There are also monthly plans that you can subscribe to so that you can manage your expenses more wisely once your business is grown.
2. Magento
Just like Shopify, Magento is a service and platform specifically created to support users in creating their e-commerce.
It's an open-source platform that anyone can use, and it can support you through the creation of the e-commerce itself (creating each web page through a guided procedure) and also with the managing of your store (inventory, sales, offers).
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is specifically designed to build e-commerces. Other than the platform itself, it also provides support from a team of experts.
4. Etsy
It's a platform specified in allowing users to sell their products. It allows less customization than Shopify and it's mainly dedicated to crafts and vintage items. However, it can expose you to a wide audience very quickly.
5. BigCartel
BigCartel is highly specified on art and crafts. However, it's specifically built to help you sell your items, so we wanted to include it in this list of websites like Shopify.
6. WooCommerce
Like Shopify, WooCommerce was born to specifically allow users to build their e-commerce. However, it's not an independent platform or website: it's a plug-in that you can use with WordPress.
7. Ecwid
Among the companies like Shopify, Ecwid is probably the less known. However, it's a platform that allows you to create your online store and start selling for free! It has a free plan that provides anything you need to start finding your customers.
Then, you can also scale to a paid plan and let your business grow.
Sites like Wix
There are many sites like Wix that are basically CSM - website builders - but that you can exploit to create your online store.
1. Squarespace
Many users utilize Squarespace for the most different purposes (websites, blog, and more…) but, just like Wix, they also provide some specific features for e-commerce building.
2. Ghost
Ghost is another website builder that you can utilize to create any kind of website, including an online store, even though it's not highly specified for this purpose.
3. Weebly
Weebly is very similar to Wix. It is a platform to create any kind of website, but it has tools that make you create a fully working e-commerce.
4. GoDaddy
This is another popular platform that many have used to build their websites. This is actually a very complete platform: you can buy your domain name and web hosting services here, and you can also utilize the tool it puts at your disposal to create your online store.
5. Site123
This is one of the best solutions for beginners. The Site123 platform allows you to create a small but well-functioning e-commerce website without spending too much.
6. Network Solutions
Network Solution is a platform for creating an e-commerce website but it's also more than that: you can buy your domain name and web hosting service all in one place!
7. Webador
It's not popular but it can be a great opportunity for very small realities. It allows you to create a website and let customers know you with a free or $1/month plan!
Bring Your e-Commerce to Another Level: Dropshipping with SaleYee
Other than the perfect e-commerce builder, you should also be able to rely on a premium dropshipping platform: it's the ideal solution if you want to provide your customers with the best and latest products in the market, with fast and free deliveries, and also providing after-sale support.
SaleYee it's your premium choice with free sign up if you want a dropshipping platform that takes care of it all:
- It provides 30,000+ products belonging to the best-selling categories online and more.
- It offers fast and free deliveries from global warehouses on all its items so that you can get positive customer reviews easily.
- It takes care of order tracking, refunds, replacements on your behalf.
- It enables Shopify integration for effective order sync, auto logistics tracking, responsive inventory updates, etc.
Conclusion
As you've just learned, the web offers many opportunities to start e-commerce from scratch. You can build up your highly personalized online store even though you're not an experienced web designer. Among the platforms available, Shopify and Wix have differences, but they are both excellent tools at your disposal.
Furthermore, if you want to have extra gear and stand out from the competitors, do not forget that dropshipping is another precious opportunity and resource for online marketers, especially when you rely on a premium dropshipping service provider like SaleYee!