WordPress vs Wix – Complete Comparison for Small Businesses 2025

Choosing the right platform for your business website is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. WordPress and Wix are two of the most popular website builders in 2025, but they serve very different needs.

In this detailed comparison, we’ll analyze both platforms across 8 critical categories to help you make the best choice for your small business. No fluff — just honest, practical advice based on years of experience building websites on both platforms.

Quick Overview: WordPress vs Wix at a Glance

Before diving deep, here’s a quick summary:

• WordPress: Open-source CMS powering 43% of all websites. Maximum flexibility and control. Steeper learning curve.
• Wix: All-in-one website builder with drag-and-drop editor. Easy to start. Less flexible for growth.

1. Pricing Comparison

Wix Pricing

• Free plan: Available with Wix branding and ads
• Light: /month — custom domain, remove Wix ads
• Core: /month — online payments, 50GB storage
• Business: /month — unlimited storage, analytics
• Business Elite: /month — priority support, advanced features

WordPress Pricing

• Software: Free (open source)
• Hosting: -50/month depending on provider and plan
• Domain: -15/year
• Premium theme: -80 (one-time or annual)
• Essential plugins: -200/year
• Total first year: -800 depending on needs

Verdict: Wix has simpler, predictable pricing. WordPress can be cheaper for basic sites but costs add up with premium tools. For a typical small business site, expect to spend -400/year on WordPress vs -430/year on Wix.

2. Ease of Use

Wix wins handily for beginners. Its drag-and-drop editor is intuitive — you can literally move elements anywhere on the page. The ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) can even build a basic site for you based on questions about your business.

WordPress has a steeper learning curve. The block editor (Gutenberg) is user-friendly, but you’ll need to understand concepts like hosting, themes, plugins, and updates. Page builders like Elementor make it more visual, but add complexity.

Verdict: If you want to build a site yourself with zero technical knowledge, Wix is easier. If you’re willing to invest a few hours learning (or hire a professional), WordPress gives you much more power.

3. Design Flexibility and Customization

WordPress offers virtually unlimited customization:

• Thousands of free and premium themes
• Full access to HTML, CSS, and PHP code
• Page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Divi
• Custom post types and taxonomies
• No design limitations — if you can imagine it, you can build it

Wix provides solid design tools but with limitations:

• 800+ templates (but you can’t switch templates after choosing)
• Drag-and-drop editor with good creative freedom
• Limited code access (Velo by Wix for developers)
• Can’t fully customize mobile version independently

Verdict: WordPress wins for flexibility. Wix is “good enough” for many small businesses but hits walls when you need advanced customization.

4. SEO Capabilities

Search engine optimization is crucial for any business website. Here’s how they compare:

WordPress SEO

• Full control over URLs, meta tags, headings, and schema markup
• Powerful SEO plugins: Yoast SEO, Rank Math, All in One SEO
• Clean, customizable permalink structure
• Complete control over sitemap generation
• Advanced technical SEO (robots.txt, .htaccess, canonical URLs)
• Faster page speeds with proper optimization

Wix SEO

• Built-in SEO Wiz tool with step-by-step guidance
• Custom meta titles and descriptions
• Automatic sitemap generation
• Basic schema markup support
• Improved page speed in recent years
• Limited control over technical SEO elements

Verdict: WordPress has a clear SEO advantage for competitive markets. Wix’s SEO has improved significantly but lacks the depth WordPress offers. For local businesses in low-competition niches, Wix SEO may be sufficient.

5. Speed and Performance

Website speed directly impacts user experience and SEO rankings.

• WordPress: Speed depends entirely on your hosting, theme, and optimization. A well-optimized WordPress site can load in under 1 second. A poorly optimized one can take 8+ seconds.
• Wix: Performance is more consistent since Wix controls the infrastructure. Average load times are 2-4 seconds. Less room for optimization but also less room for mistakes.

Verdict: WordPress can be faster with proper optimization. Wix offers more consistent (but not always optimal) performance out of the box.

6. Ownership and Portability

This is where WordPress has a massive advantage:

• WordPress: You own everything — your content, database, files, and design. You can move your site to any hosting provider. You’re never locked in.
• Wix: Your site lives on Wix’s servers. You cannot export your website design. If you leave Wix, you essentially start over. You can export blog posts and some data, but not the site itself.

Verdict: WordPress wins decisively. Ownership and portability matter — especially if your business grows or you need to switch platforms.

7. E-Commerce Capabilities

• WordPress + WooCommerce: The world’s most popular e-commerce platform. Unlimited products, payment gateways, shipping options, and customization. Thousands of extensions. No transaction fees (beyond your payment processor).
• Wix eCommerce: Good for small stores (under 500 products). Easy setup. Limited customization for complex stores. Wix Payments or third-party processors. Transaction fees on some plans.

Verdict: WordPress + WooCommerce for serious e-commerce. Wix for simple online stores with basic needs.

8. Support and Community

• WordPress: Massive community with thousands of tutorials, forums, and developers. No official phone support (it’s open source), but endless resources and professional help available.
• Wix: Official support via phone, email, and chat. Wix Support has a good knowledge base. Smaller community compared to WordPress.

Verdict: Wix offers more structured support. WordPress has a larger ecosystem of knowledge and professionals.

When to Choose WordPress

• You want full ownership and control of your website
• SEO is critical to your business growth
• You plan to scale significantly
• You need advanced e-commerce features
• You want unlimited customization options
• You’re willing to invest in professional setup
• You need multilingual support

When to Choose Wix

• You need a simple website up quickly (days, not weeks)
• You have no technical knowledge and no budget for a developer
• Your website is primarily informational (brochure site)
• You don’t need advanced SEO or e-commerce
• Design simplicity is more important than flexibility
• You prefer an all-in-one solution with built-in support

Our Recommendation for Small Businesses

For most small businesses serious about growth, WordPress is the better long-term investment. The initial setup requires more effort, but the flexibility, SEO power, and ownership make it worthwhile.

However, if you just need a simple online presence and want to do it yourself with minimal fuss, Wix is a perfectly reasonable choice.

Not Sure Which to Choose? Get a Free Consultation

At Petruskevich Web Studio, we’ve built hundreds of websites on both WordPress and Wix. We understand the strengths and limitations of each platform and can help you make the right choice based on your specific business needs and budget.

Schedule a free consultation — we’ll review your requirements and recommend the best platform and approach for your business. No pressure, no obligation.