Head-to-head

Wix vs WordPress.com vs Webflow vs Shopify

Wix website builder workspace with non-readable abstract interface

Wix

9.1 $17

WordPress.com

8.8 $9

Webflow

9.0 $18

Shopify

9.2 $29

Verdict

Wix

The dependable default for a non-technical owner: a freeform editor, 900+ templates, and built-in bookings, forms, and payments, all fully hosted. Just know you can't swap templates after publishing, the site isn't portable, and big stores (500+ products) outgrow it.

WordPress.com

The flexible, SEO-strong CMS for blogs and content-heavy sites, built on the platform that runs ~43% of the web. Endlessly extensible, but plugins and custom themes need the ~$25 Business plan, and it asks more setup than Wix or Squarespace.

Webflow

The pick when design is a competitive advantage: pixel-perfect control, clean code, strong SEO, and a real CMS, all with managed hosting. Just budget for two separate billing systems and a steep learning curve, and pair it with Shopify if you need serious ecommerce.

Shopify

The ecommerce standard: real checkout, inventory, shipping, and payments out of the box, plus a huge app ecosystem that scales from solo shop to enterprise. Best when selling is the point; overkill for a content site, and apps plus transaction fees add up.

Best for

Wix

Small businesses, local services, consultants, and non-technical owners who want an easy website builder with templates and built-in business features.

WordPress.com

Businesses, creators, and publishers that plan to grow traffic with content, SEO pages, articles, and structured publishing.

Webflow

Design-led teams, agencies, SaaS companies, and marketers who need a polished custom website with CMS control.

Shopify

Businesses that primarily need an online store with products, checkout, payments, inventory, shipping, and room to grow.

Avoid if

Wix

you need deep design-system control, complex custom logic, or a developer-first build.

WordPress.com

you want the simplest visual drag-and-drop editor or a fast one-page landing page with minimal setup.

Webflow

a non-technical owner needs the simplest possible editing experience with almost no learning curve.

Shopify

your website is mostly a brochure, portfolio, or service-business site with only occasional payments.

Score breakdown

fit

Wix

9.2

WordPress.

8.9

Webflow

9.0

Shopify

9.4

ease

Wix

9.4

WordPress.

8.3

Webflow

8.2

Shopify

8.8

value

Wix

9.0

WordPress.

9.0

Webflow

8.2

Shopify

8.3

quality

Wix

8.8

WordPress.

8.8

Webflow

9.2

Shopify

9.4

Specs

seo

Custom meta, redirects, structured data; much improved since ~2023

—

apps

Wix App Market for added functionality

—

type

All-in-one no-code website builder (hosted SaaS)

—

editor

Freeform drag-and-drop + ADI; Wix Studio for advanced/dev control

—

hosting

Fully managed hosting, security, and SSL included

—

best for

SMB/service sites, portfolios, bookings, small stores

—

ecommerce

On Core plan and up: payments, inventory, abandoned-cart, auto tax

—

free plan

Yes (with Wix ads and branding)

—

templates

900+ mobile-responsive; cannot be swapped after publishing

—

paid plans

Light ~$17, Core ~$29, Business ~$36, Business Elite ~$159 /mo (billed annually)

—

scale note

Best under ~500 products; Shopify/WordPress for larger or complex builds

—

CMS

—

Built on open-source WordPress, which powers ~43% of all websites

—

SEO

—

Strong, granular SEO control and clean output

Clean semantic HTML, custom schema, full meta and sitemap control

—

Hosting

—

Managed hosting on WordPress.com (no server management)

—

Best for

—

Blogs, SEO, and content-heavy sites

Custom marketing sites, design-led brands, SaaS sites, and agencies

Online stores selling physical products with real checkout and operations

Flexibility

—

Extensible via thousands of themes and plugins (plugins need Business+)

—

Premium plan

—

~$8–18/mo — more design control and monetization

—

Business plan

—

~$25/mo — unlocks third-party plugins and custom themes (the real flexibility tier)

—

Commerce plan

—

~$45/mo — WooCommerce-based store features

—

Pricing model

—

Managed WordPress hosting; tiered plans, with plugins/custom themes gated to Business+

—

Tiered monthly plans plus transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments

Free / Personal

—

Free tier and Personal (~$4–9/mo) for basic blogs and sites

—

App Gen and AI credits for generating pages and production-ready app components

—

Bundled

—

Hosting, SSL, CDN, security, and backups included in the platform fee

—

Ecommerce

—

From ~$29/mo with a 2% transaction fee on the entry tier

—

All-in cost

—

Typically $25–$109/mo depending on seats, bandwidth, and ecommerce

—

Billing model

—

Site plans (hosting) and Workspace plans (design/seats) are billed separately

—

Basic site plan

—

$15/mo annual — static sites, no CMS

—

Workspace plans

—

Freelancer ~$16/mo, Agency ~$35/mo, plus new Team plans; editor seats add cost

—

Premium site plan

—

$25/mo — full CMS (40 collections, 20,000 items); merged the old CMS + Business plans

—

Scale

—

Powers 1M+ stores; scales from solo shops to enterprise via Plus

Themes

—

Free and premium themes (premium ~$100–400 one-time)

Starter

—

~$5/mo — sell via social, links, and chat; no full storefront

Built in

—

Checkout, product catalog, inventory, shipping integrations, payments

Basic plan

—

$39/mo monthly (~$29/mo annual) — full online store, 2 staff accounts

Higher tiers

—

Shopify ~$105/mo, Advanced ~$399/mo, Plus (enterprise, custom)

App ecosystem

—

Thousands of apps for any store need (many are paid)

Transaction fees

—

0.5–2% on external gateways; waived with Shopify Payments

Buy →Buy →Buy →Buy →

	Wix	WordPress.com	Webflow	Shopify
Score	9.1	8.8	9.0	9.2
Price	$17	$9	$18	$29
Verdict	The dependable default for a non-technical owner: a freeform editor, 900+ templates, and built-in bookings, forms, and payments, all fully hosted. Just know you can't swap templates after publishing, the site isn't portable, and big stores (500+ products) outgrow it.	The flexible, SEO-strong CMS for blogs and content-heavy sites, built on the platform that runs ~43% of the web. Endlessly extensible, but plugins and custom themes need the ~$25 Business plan, and it asks more setup than Wix or Squarespace.	The pick when design is a competitive advantage: pixel-perfect control, clean code, strong SEO, and a real CMS, all with managed hosting. Just budget for two separate billing systems and a steep learning curve, and pair it with Shopify if you need serious ecommerce.	The ecommerce standard: real checkout, inventory, shipping, and payments out of the box, plus a huge app ecosystem that scales from solo shop to enterprise. Best when selling is the point; overkill for a content site, and apps plus transaction fees add up.
Best for	Small businesses, local services, consultants, and non-technical owners who want an easy website builder with templates and built-in business features.	Businesses, creators, and publishers that plan to grow traffic with content, SEO pages, articles, and structured publishing.	Design-led teams, agencies, SaaS companies, and marketers who need a polished custom website with CMS control.	Businesses that primarily need an online store with products, checkout, payments, inventory, shipping, and room to grow.
Avoid if	you need deep design-system control, complex custom logic, or a developer-first build.	you want the simplest visual drag-and-drop editor or a fast one-page landing page with minimal setup.	a non-technical owner needs the simplest possible editing experience with almost no learning curve.	your website is mostly a brochure, portfolio, or service-business site with only occasional payments.
Score breakdown
fit	9.2	8.9	9.0	9.4
ease	9.4	8.3	8.2	8.8
value	9.0	9.0	8.2	8.3
quality	8.8	8.8	9.2	9.4
Specs
seo	Custom meta, redirects, structured data; much improved since ~2023	—	—	—
apps	Wix App Market for added functionality	—	—	—
type	All-in-one no-code website builder (hosted SaaS)	—	—	—
editor	Freeform drag-and-drop + ADI; Wix Studio for advanced/dev control	—	—	—
hosting	Fully managed hosting, security, and SSL included	—	—	—
best for	SMB/service sites, portfolios, bookings, small stores	—	—	—
ecommerce	On Core plan and up: payments, inventory, abandoned-cart, auto tax	—	—	—
free plan	Yes (with Wix ads and branding)	—	—	—
templates	900+ mobile-responsive; cannot be swapped after publishing	—	—	—
paid plans	Light ~$17, Core ~$29, Business ~$36, Business Elite ~$159 /mo (billed annually)	—	—	—
scale note	Best under ~500 products; Shopify/WordPress for larger or complex builds	—	—	—
CMS	—	Built on open-source WordPress, which powers ~43% of all websites	—	—
SEO	—	Strong, granular SEO control and clean output	Clean semantic HTML, custom schema, full meta and sitemap control	—
Hosting	—	Managed hosting on WordPress.com (no server management)	—	—
Best for	—	Blogs, SEO, and content-heavy sites	Custom marketing sites, design-led brands, SaaS sites, and agencies	Online stores selling physical products with real checkout and operations
Flexibility	—	Extensible via thousands of themes and plugins (plugins need Business+)	—	—
Premium plan	—	~$8–18/mo — more design control and monetization	—	—
Business plan	—	~$25/mo — unlocks third-party plugins and custom themes (the real flexibility tier)	—	—
Commerce plan	—	~$45/mo — WooCommerce-based store features	—	—
Pricing model	—	Managed WordPress hosting; tiered plans, with plugins/custom themes gated to Business+	—	Tiered monthly plans plus transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments
Free / Personal	—	Free tier and Personal (~$4–9/mo) for basic blogs and sites	—	—
AI	—	—	App Gen and AI credits for generating pages and production-ready app components	—
Bundled	—	—	Hosting, SSL, CDN, security, and backups included in the platform fee	—
Ecommerce	—	—	From ~$29/mo with a 2% transaction fee on the entry tier	—
All-in cost	—	—	Typically $25–$109/mo depending on seats, bandwidth, and ecommerce	—
Billing model	—	—	Site plans (hosting) and Workspace plans (design/seats) are billed separately	—
Basic site plan	—	—	$15/mo annual — static sites, no CMS	—
Workspace plans	—	—	Freelancer ~$16/mo, Agency ~$35/mo, plus new Team plans; editor seats add cost	—
Premium site plan	—	—	$25/mo — full CMS (40 collections, 20,000 items); merged the old CMS + Business plans	—
Scale	—	—	—	Powers 1M+ stores; scales from solo shops to enterprise via Plus
Themes	—	—	—	Free and premium themes (premium ~$100–400 one-time)
Starter	—	—	—	~$5/mo — sell via social, links, and chat; no full storefront
Built in	—	—	—	Checkout, product catalog, inventory, shipping integrations, payments
Basic plan	—	—	—	$39/mo monthly (~$29/mo annual) — full online store, 2 staff accounts
Higher tiers	—	—	—	Shopify ~$105/mo, Advanced ~$399/mo, Plus (enterprise, custom)
App ecosystem	—	—	—	Thousands of apps for any store need (many are paid)
Transaction fees	—	—	—	0.5–2% on external gateways; waived with Shopify Payments
	Buy →	Buy →	Buy →	Buy →

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