If there’s a website builder that had gone close to the WordPress giant, it would be Wix Website Builder. Dubbed as the best website builder, Wix is popular for its drag-and-drop feature, something that they use to throw shade on WordPress. It banks on its WYSIWYG editor and an intuitive dashboard paired with a low pricing table.
Is Wix the Best Website Builder?
One thing that Wix gives its users that its competitors can’t is freedom. Its editor is a clean slate and users have all the power to design, tweak, and customize their websites to their hearts’ content. But is this freedom a power or more of a curse?
Based on our personal experience on this Wix review, Wix is great for those who know the ins and outs of the website builder. To be fair, the learning curve isn’t steep for beginners. However, its blank canvas can be chaotic and problematic. One wrong move and it can stir a plague of issues for those who are starting to try their hands on setting up a website.
Be it for regular blogs or e-commerce websites, Wix has something to offer.
Wix Website Builder PROS and CONS
PROS
-Easy to use editor and features
-Low pricing
-The designs are being upgraded from time to time
-Wix takes care of security without affecting website speed
-One-stop website builder
-Best for beginners who don’t have in-depth knowledge with the technical setup
CONS
-The features can be overwhelming and disorganized at times
-The starter plan does not remove ads even if it’s paid
-There are no unlimited plans available
-Wix isn’t as SEO-friendly as WordPress
About Wix
Wix is established back in 2006 and is serving 110 million users in 2017. It had its first Initial Public Offering in NASDAQ in 2013. Ever since, Wix has become one of the big players in website building, taking the ranks of WordPress, Weebly, and Blogger. Wix operates in 190 countries and currently supports almost any niche imaginable.
Key features
Wix is popular due to the slew of tools it offers in its platform. It’s feature-rich and highly sustainable for casual bloggers and small-sized e-commerce sites. True enough, their video ads are an honest tease to what users can find on their website builder.
The drag-and-drop editor is a given and one of the key features of Wix. Paired with the power to control the look and design of your website, Wix is a powerhouse tool for those who know how to unleash its full potential.
Tons of designer templates. Wix has over 500 designer templates that its users can access. This is a combination of free and premium designs that, based on our experienced, are contemporary and considerably chic.
Wix Code and ADI. For those who don’t know how to code, the Wix Code allows them to use the Wix Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) that lets the platform build the website easily. This automation is a new addition that many users find useful.
Self-hosted platform. Unlike its competitor WordPress, Wix is fully-hosted and users will get an SSL certificate based on the package they will avail. You can also utilize its API platform to integrate third-party software and plug-ins.
Blog-ready. Wix is a champ for bloggers who want to skip the hassle of technical setup. It has an easy-to-add blog feature, HTML embed code, and a personalized Google mailbox.
These are just some of the features you’ll enjoy when using Wix. As a website builder, Wix has the basics covered. However, it would be a bit limited for those who want to exploit website development to the max.
Ease of use
Well, if you’re not a tech geek, you’ll love to use Wix. The drag-and-drop Wix dashboard is easy-peasy plus trying it out won’t cost a lot. You no longer have to hire someone else just to get a website published and running.
Since Wix has a collection of ready-to-use, only a little work is needed for basic blog websites. However, once you chose a theme, there’s no way you can change it. You’ll have to create another website. This is a big hassle for those who are testing the look of different templates.
Overall, this platform is intuitive, but it can overwhelm a beginner at some point. The flexibility of the blank canvas can easily send a new user in a digital frenzy. Unlike Squarespace, there are no grid lines or guides that you can use when designing your website.
The downside to this freedom is the lack of basis as to where the elements belong and what its limits are.
Wix website templates and designs
Impressively, Wix has more than 500 templates that you can peruse. A lot of these can give WordPress a run for its money. However, you should be careful about what you choose because there’s no turning back. Also, some are a bit outdated and it might be better to invest in a premium design in those cases.
If you tend to change your mind, you can use the Wix ADI so you can make small changes across the theme and see how it looks. Remember, though, that this is a new technology that’s still a work in progress.
Also, some Wix themes don’t respond to mobile automatically. You’d have to edit it twice – for desktop and mobile – to get the right look.
Mobile features
If you’re on the go, you can utilize the Wix app on Android and iOS. However, this is only useful for users who run e-commerce stores. You can control live chats, bookings, and products, but you can’t add new content, say blog posts.
There would be some cases where you will choose a theme that’s not very responsive to mobile. In this situation, you can use the Mobile editor which automatically generates a separate mobile website version of your original page.
Will my website look good on mobile gadgets? It will, but it may take added work to achieve the look that you want.
Hosting & app market
Wix is a fully hosted platform which has its own pros and cons. The upside is that you can skip all the integrations and back-end setup. Also, you’ll get to save money since you no longer have to purchase a hosting monthly plan, separate domain, and SSL certificate.
Currently, Wix’s plans look great, but it can improve more when it comes to storage size. Also, you’ll pay for an extra fee if you want to use premium add-ons.
Anyway, the good thing about Wix is it has an app store where you can shop for any integration that you’ll need along the way.
Integrations
Sure thing, Wix lets you install apps from its own app store and integrated third-party software. You can embed a PDF viewer, allow users to leave voice comments, customize newsletters, and more.
Overall, Wix has far better integrations than what Weebly has to offer. On the other hand, Squarespace doesn’t allow any integration at all. But is this better than WordPress? It’s a bit premature to say yes since the WordPress.org platform has a full spectrum of free plug-ins.
SEO
There are many hearsays circulating on the web about Google disliking Wix websites. This is completely false and it’s been clarified by Google’s own analyst John Mueller. When it comes to SEO, Wix is good but not as easy and well-rounded than WordPress. At some point, it can be a pain to perform in-depth SEO efforts in this platform.
Over the years, Wix has worked on some ugly features including its terrible URL structure and has ditched its old Flash-based platform.
We can say that Wix has gone through a lot of developments. When it comes to SEO, the basics are covered and you have a high chance of ranking on Google’s SERPs.
Wix Pricing Table
Currently, there are five available Wix packages: VIP, eCommerce, Unlimited, Combo, and Connect Domain. If you’re building a blog or store, don’t purchase the Connect Domain. Although it’s very cheap, it’s limited to 500 GB storage, 1 GB of bandwidth, and there are ads everywhere.
Wix can be the best free website builder if you’re blogging for fun. But if you want a custom domain and more tools, you need to pay for it. To choose the right plan for your site, check these options:
| SHARED $2.95-5.45/mo. | VPS $18.99-$59.99/mo. | DEDICATED $79.99-119.99/mo. |
|---|---|---|
| Best for blogs | Best for moderate traffic sites | Best for high traffic websites |
| Custom dashboard | More control and power | Ideal for resource-intensive sites |
| Basic solutions | Full root access | Topnotch security |
For those who are serious about monetizing their website, it’s best to avail a pricier package to enjoy more tools. The Combo package may sound reasonable, but it’s not scalable when your site is growing bigger.
If you’re not happy with Wix, they offer a 14-day money-back guarantee on all the premium plans. Take note, too, that this pricing table doesn’t include VAT which will be determined based on the country where you’re located.
So is Wix the best website builder? It is for users who want an instant and easy platform to use. However, Wix is still a bit limited – something that they keep working on.