Shopify vs Wix
Last updated: 2026-07-09
Shopify and Wix both let you build an online store, but they're built for different goals. Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform — every feature is designed for selling online. Wix is a general website builder that includes e-commerce functionality. If selling is your primary goal, the dedicated platform usually wins.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | popular Shopify | best Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $39/mo | $16/mo |
| Free trial | 3-day free trial, then $1/mo for 3 months | Free plan available (Wix-branded) |
| Best for | E-commerce businesses of all sizes | Beginners who want an easy website builder |
| Free plan | ✗ | Yes (Wix-branded, subdomain) |
| Starting price | $39/mo (Basic), $105/mo (Grow), $399/mo (Advanced) | $16/mo (Light), $27/mo (Core) |
| Storefront builder | Drag-and-drop + Liquid | — |
| Payment processing | Shopify Payments + 100+ gateways | — |
| Inventory | Unlimited products | — |
| App store | 8,000+ apps | — |
| Themes | Free + paid (premium) | — |
| Abandoned cart | Standard plan+ | — |
| SSL + PCI | Included | — |
| Support | 24/7 chat + email + phone | Email + phone + chat |
| Templates | — | 800+ templates |
| Page builder | — | Drag-and-drop (ADI available) |
| Hosting | — | Built-in |
| E-commerce | — | Core plan+ |
| App market | — | 500+ apps |
| SSL | — | Included |
| Customisation | — | Limited (no code access) |
Shopify Pros & Cons
Pros
- All-in-one e-commerce — store, payments, shipping, marketing
- Shopify Payments — no need for third-party payment processor
- Massive app store (8,000+ apps) for extending functionality
- Excellent themes — free and paid (designed for conversion)
- Reliable and fast — hosted on Shopify's infrastructure
- Built-in SSL, security, and PCI compliance
Cons
- Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments (0.5-2%)
- App costs add up — many essential features need paid apps
- Limited blog functionality (not a WordPress replacement)
- Customising themes requires Liquid (Shopify's templating language)
- Abandoned cart recovery only on Grow plan ($105/mo)+
Wix Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easiest website builder for beginners — true drag-and-drop
- 800+ professionally designed templates
- Built-in hosting — no setup required
- App Market with 500+ apps for extending functionality
- Good for portfolios, small business sites, and restaurants
- Free plan available (with limitations)
Cons
- Templates are not interchangeable — can't switch after publishing
- Not as flexible as WordPress (limited customisation)
- E-commerce features limited on lower tiers
- Free plan shows Wix ads and uses Wix subdomain
- Page load speeds slower than optimised WordPress
- Hard to migrate away (content lock-in)
Final Verdict
If e-commerce is your primary business, Shopify is the clear winner — its payment processing, inventory management, shipping tools, and 8,000+ app ecosystem are purpose-built for online stores. If you need a website with a small store attached (portfolio, blog, or business site with a shop section), Wix is more flexible and starts cheaper.
Our pick: Shopify (e-commerce focus) / Wix (website + small store)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper for e-commerce: Shopify or Wix?
Wix Core (e-commerce) starts at $27/mo. Shopify Basic starts at $39/mo. Pricing is similar, but Shopify charges transaction fees (0.5-2%) if you don't use Shopify Payments. Wix doesn't charge transaction fees on its e-commerce plans (you only pay payment gateway fees).
Can Wix handle a large online store?
Wix can handle small to medium stores (up to a few hundred products), but it's not built for large-scale e-commerce. Shopify scales from your first sale to millions of orders — brands like Allbirds, Gymshark, and Kylie Cosmetics run on Shopify.
Does Shopify or Wix have better templates?
Shopify has better e-commerce-specific themes designed for conversion (free and paid). Wix has more overall templates (800+) across all website types, but its e-commerce themes are less specialised than Shopify's.