Running an eCommerce business is challenging, especially when it comes to websites. Using a dedicated eCommerce platform will resolve so many potential issues because of the extended offer of tools and features.
If you are into this, you probably also know about different platforms like Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, Magento, and many others.
Many business owners struggle with eCommerce platform choices because many will do their thing. But the question is, how to find out which one is the best among them all? Or which one fits your business better?
In today’s comparison, we have two great eCommerce platforms you probably already know about. We will talk about Magento and Wix, comparing their features like pricing, eCommerce SEO options, templates, convenience, etc.
But before we go further with the Magento vs Wix comparison, we will first introduce their main purpose to you.
Table of Contents
What is Magento?
Magento is an eCommerce PHP-based website builder. The Magento 2 version is widely used since it offers advanced developer tools. It’s great for small businesses but also enterprise-level companies. There are a few more options available, like Adobe Commerce (previously Magento Commerce), and Magento 1 is still used by many businesses too.
It’s one of the feature-richest eCommerce platforms helping many businesses to rank higher on Google and manage their stock adequately. No matter which version you use, you must know it’s an entirely safe and secure solution for advanced users.
What is Wix?
Wix is also a feature-rich website builder, especially for small and mid-size companies. Even beginners can quickly get used to developer tools and shortcuts.
You can create your own Wix eCommerce websites without knowing a single code line. While it’s pretty simple to use, it also comes with bold security features. There are similarities with Magento, but in general, the platforms are quite different.
Accessibility, Convenience, and Flexibility
When we compare wix vs magento, we must be aware that the first is a functional website builder, and the other is a cloud-based eCommerce solution. Both are great for eCommerce websites, but Wix is more popular because it’s more user-oriented. That means even inexperienced users can create a highly-functional website by assembling the pieces together.
Magento is an advanced solution, and it’s not easy to master eCommerce store creation. The user must be very patient or let someone else set the website for them. Also, it’s a more common choice for bigger companies that sell large stocks of products.
So, for beginners, Wix is a more convenient solution, while Magento offers more flexibility to experienced website owners.
Integrated eCommerce Features and Tools
Our goal is to determine which one is more useful for eCommerce purposes. So, let’s take a look at wix eCommerce vs magento features and see how it goes.
Wix has an integrated pack of features and an eCommerce engine, so it’s easy to start a Wix store immediately. You can design your online store the way you prefer and add detailed product descriptions. Wix also features more than 15 payment options, including PayPal. It’s easy to use for every web store owner, as they can handle all the sales, coupons, and vouchers and still run it smoothly.
Magento, as we said, is a cloud eCommerce platform with so many specific tools and features. It allows you to customize your online shop as you build it from scratch. It’s dedicated to eCommerce, as it includes easy checkouts, abandoned cart notifications, attractive designs and templates, and a personalized shopping experience. That’s why you can rarely see blogs or other types of websites using Magento as a builder.
So, if you want deep customization, Magento wins this Magento vs Wix match. If you need a simple solution, go for Wix.
Available SEO Tools
SEO is the king of online growth and performance. Every website owner wants to rank on the first Google page in search engine results. So, let’s check on how Magento vs Wix compare when it comes to search engine optimization.
Magento offers regular SEO features, but we suggest checking on them before you go live. This platform generates meta tags automatically, so you need to check if they are appropriately tagged. Also, Magento tends to create too long URLs, sometimes resulting in canonicalization. Even though it often does its job correctly, don’t forget to check on the generated URLs and meta tags to avoid bad indexing and ranking confusion.
On the other hand, Wix comes with a wizard named SEO Wiz. It helps you through the whole process, so you won’t forget to add meta titles and meta descriptions, customize the URLs, structure your content with proper heading tags, and add alt text to images. Additionally, Wix offers mobile friendliness, 301 redirects, SSL encryption, sitemaps, and integration with Google Search Console. Every page has separate SEO settings, so you can adjust it as preferred.
At this point, we must mention the blogging feature. Wix comes with an integrated blog engine, which improves communication, and affects SEO positively. Magento needs a blog extension or a separate blogging page you need to add to the menu. Blogs are important for SEO because, this way, you add more relevant and optimized rankable content.
Again, while Wix is easier to use for everyone, Magento’s SEO features require advanced knowledge of the platform.
Functional Extensions
Wix has about 200 add-ons and extensions for both free and premium users. You can add features like live chats, social media buttons, reviews, comments, recommendations, etc. But you can’t expect some deep customization for your eCommerce store.
On the other hand, Magento has more than 5,000 extensions for different purposes. So, you can use analytics tools, content customization, editing, marketing features, reports, shipping, and overall site optimizations. The developers carefully test every plugin or extension. You can even ask for some custom features if needed.
So, in this case, Magento wins the Magento vs Wix eCommerce extensions battle.
Completely Different Pricing Plans
If you decide to use Wix for your eCommerce site, you will have to pay a monthly fee. The price may vary depending on the plan you use. One of the most significant advantages is the 14-day trial, which is enough to determine if Wix is for you or not.
If you decide to use Magento as your primary choice, you must know that you must pay about $15,000 (or even more) for a complete website with all eCommerce features. Some of them are content management, promotions, language translation, customer service, etc. If you plan on growing your business in the long run, then Magento is a more convenient choice because it offers unlimited tools to scale your business.
While Wix seems more affordable, it may not offer the complete features you need to run your online store. Still, it’s great to start with.
The winner in this Magento vs Wix battle? We can say they’re tied because of the entirely different pricing approaches.
Wix vs Magento Final Thoughts
Even though both Wix and Magento are eCommerce platforms, they work differently. Our guide aims to help you understand the main features and their differences. That way, you can explore both options and see which one fits better for your business eCommerce needs.
There is not an absolute winner in the Magento vs Wix comparison battle, so you need to check on the features and decide which one to choose. If you want further information, you can also check our WordPress vs Magento for eCommerce comparison.
FAQs
Wix or Magento? Which one to choose?
Wix and Magento are entirely different eCommerce platforms. While Wix is easy to use and pretty convenient, Magento requires more time and dedication, so you can get most of your online store. They both come with great tools and features. The choice depends on the business type and your budget too.
Can I optimize my Wix and Magento websites for search engines?
Both Magento and Wix come with essential SEO features. You can add meta tags, edit URLs, use keywords in product descriptions, and optimize the images and illustrations. Wix has an integrated blog engine, while Magento requires creating a separate blog page and linking it to the homepage.
Is Wix cheaper than Magento?
The initial expense is bigger for Magento since you have to pay for the complete website with all eCommerce features available. For Wix sites, you pay a monthly fee that depends on the pricing plan. In the long run, you may spend the same amount of money, but for Wix, that would be split into monthly payments.
