USE WIX OR WORDPRESS

This is one of those wars that’s been waging for almost as long as Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. [Beep Beep].

I’m pretty much guaranteed to see a celebrity (often I have no idea who they are) advertising the ease and joy of using Wix. As for WordPress, well that’s a little less in your face as it’s used by many Page Builders like Elementor, Divi, Oxygen and more. The problem is that those Page Builders don’t pop the words this is WordPress. Due to that, it’s not a surprise that many jump onto Wix. Back in 2011, I first used Wix for my website and I loved it… and then I began wanting more and that’s when I realised that WordPress was preferred and always has been.

This is an objective post assessing the Good, the Bad and the Tedious between Wix and WordPress.

There are 2 types of WordPress; WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The BATS website and most sites are built on WordPress.org as you get to choose your hosting/domain service and have access to the full-blown WordPress dashboard. WordPress.com is more restricted and has level-based hosting service which is a pain if you’re a growing business or are adding lots of content.

I strongly recommend that you always use WordPress.org.

Clear? Got it? [Beep Beep].

As you’ll have seen in the Post assessing Hosting and Domain costs – Wix can be available for Free, though you’ll eventually hate the lesser customised Domain that has .wix.com attached to the end, and the many adverts littering your site.

Not very professional in my opinion, and you’ll struggle to get an email address, thus you’ll use GMAIL or another service. 

If you decide to Upgrade to obtain a custom Domain, then the costs start.

• The Domain is Free for Year 1, and then £18 per year.
• The Combo Package removes the adverts, and costs £115 for every year.
• Emails cost £86 per year.

Now that is just a basic upgrade that you should go for. Wait until you decide to add some Apps to increase the Wix site’s functionality. They are not all free. [Weep Weep].

WordPress has to sit upon a Host and that incurs its own cost, however if you use BATS, then we offer a ridiculously competitive charge of £6 per month for the Hosting, Domain and Emails combined. The Costs here can be far less than Wix. Some WordPress Plugins will require an Upgrade Fee, though the number of Free Plugins only make it necessary when you really need it.

Wix always seems to promote itself as a simple drag and drop – and yes it is, but if you’ve not moved to Elementor with WordPress, then I forgive you for thinking that Wix is better. Elementor is a brilliant tool. Yes, Wix is more fluid in how you arrange items on your site though that can cause irregular page structures as too much freedom is as good as scribbling on a page. Elementor has 90% of the fluidness but is equipped with much more tools, widgets and functions that will ‘BLOW’ your senses.

Ultimately it will come down to what you want. Join Wix, then you’re stuck with Wix and their Apps. Join a Host, and have installed WordPress, then you’re ready to use whatever you want with access to thousands of Free Plugins.

If you’re planning on building a shop, then the WooCommerce Plugin for WordPress – is lightyears ahead of the Wix solutions – and if you do use Wix then you’re looking at increased monthly fees. Please, please, please believe me that I am being objective because the horror stories I have heard about Wix Users trying to scale up their stores in Wix is serious.

Google WooCommerce, and I’m sure you’ll understand why WordPress is better. In fact, Google WooCommerce and Elementor, and then grab a bowl to catch your salivations. 

Let’s say that you decide to change your Host for a cheaper option, or you need someone to manage your site. With the power of migration you can transfer your site elsewhere. With Wix… you’re stuck with Wix. If you don’t want to hire a Designer. or mess around with third party Page Builders, then staying on Wix may suit you fine. I, like many, don’t like being tied or monopolised to just use one product.

Wix is great for a simple site – but as time goes on, and you decide to do more, you’ll wish that you used WordPress.

I did.