One of the most important steps in launching a successful dropshipping business is establishing an online store. Because of this, choose a website builder is crucial.
Your online shop’s capabilities will be determined by the tools made available by the website creator you select.
Who offers the best website builder for online stores?
Wix and Shopify are the two most popular options. Both of these systems have powerful e-commerce capabilities, and in some cases, they appear to be identical.
This article serves as a comparative analysis of the two systems, highlighting their shared features as well as their key distinctions. We will also discuss in detail the benefits and drawbacks of each option so that you can make an informed choice.
If you want to open a successful shop, you should read on to learn how to select the ideal builder for your business.
Start here.
Overview of Wix and Shopify
For a long time now, Wix and Shopify have been the platforms of choice for those who deal in drop shipping. The fact that each platform has useful features of its own makes making a decision that much more challenging.
But before we get into the nitty-gritty of each one, let’s take a look at the big picture.
Despite being the platform most people associate with website creation, Wix is not necessarily better than Shopify. To review, below are summaries of each.
Wix
For a long time now, Wix and Shopify have been the platforms of choice for those who deal in drop shipping. The fact that each platform has useful features of its own makes making a decision that much more challenging.
But before we go into the nitty-gritty of each one, let’s take a look at the big picture.
Despite being the platform most people associate with website creation, Wix is not necessarily better than Shopify. To review, below are summaries of each.
Shopify
For a long time now, Wix and Shopify have been the platforms of choice for those who deal in drop shipping. The fact that each platform has useful features of its own makes making a decision that much more challenging.
But before we go into the nitty-gritty of each one, let’s take a look at the big picture.
Despite being the platform most people associate with website creation, Wix is not necessarily better than Shopify. To review, below are summaries of each.
Wix vs Shopify: Comparison of Features
It’s true that both Shopify and Wix have their advantages and disadvantages. After reviewing their synopses, we can now compare their individual components.
Here, we’ll examine the primary factors that most dropshippers take into account. The similarities and differences, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each, will be examined.
Templates and Customizability
The availability of modifications and templates comes in at number one. This is arguably the most compelling case for dropshippers to use website builders. If you want to build and administer a website from scratch, you should look for a platform that meets those needs.
While both Wix and Shopify are simple to use, the degree of customization available to storefronts varies between the two.
Wix’s Templates and Customizability
Wix offers three distinct website creation modes:
Wix ADI Editor Wix
Wix’s adaptability
With these tools, you can preview your website as you develop it. Wix’s editor is a drag-and-drop builder, meaning you can pick an element from a menu and move it wherever you like on the website.
With this, even individuals with little coding experience may create beautiful websites with minimal effort.
Wix Editor allows you to choose a template, organize your site’s structure, and add content. You may use it with ease if you’re a newbie, and it’s the preferred choice among users.
The Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) platform makes it possible to launch a fully functional website in a matter of minutes. When it came out in 2016, it was the first of its kind.
The goal of this questionnaire-based tool is to gather enough information to build the user’s dream website. It compiles a fully editable webpage from the data you provide.
Finally, Velo gives you the freedom to customize your website in ways that go beyond the confines of the provided themes. But if you want to get the most out of it, you’ll need to learn how to code.
Having three distinct paths to take while creating a website is really practical. It’s an excellent choice for time-pressed people because of the conveniences it provides.
Wix offers more than 800 free templates to get you started. This is both a boon and a bane, as there is likely more than one overarching theme that will satisfy your needs, but you’ll have to wade through a lot of material to find it.
It’s true that there are drawbacks to using Wix’s tools. One complication is that you have to physically drag elements across the page to reposition them, which can be annoying and distracting.
Similar to other ADI tools, Wix’s don’t get it right away without some tweaking. The mobile version is its own project, so there will be additional editing to do there as well.
Wix
In the long run, your website will look the same as the starting point you selected. It will take a lot of work to rebrand your store.
Wix may appear adaptable, but you may need to be patient to achieve your goals.
Shopify’s Templates and Customizability
It’s worth noting that Shopify, with its Shopify Online Store 2.0, offers a comparable drag-and-drop interface. It was just released, and it lets you customize your online shop to your liking in real time by picking from pre-made themes.
Shopify differs most noticeably from Wix in that it makes use of predefined blocks and ps, which restricts the flexibility with which you may arrange your content. Even if it isn’t very adaptable, this is the platform’s attempt to guarantee that everything is mobile-friendly.
Users had previously been limited to making changes to their websites from the back end and then previewing the changes once they were complete.
The result was a lot of back-and-forth between previews and dashboards. To quickly realize your ideal website, it is essential that you take meticulous note of the specific points you wish to alter.
Shopify’s advantage is that it provides ready-made, optimized templates for a polished and appealing appearance.
In a word, the limited scope of Shopify allows for a less complicated method of website maintenance. It’s also helpful for store owners who would like not have to make separate changes to their mobile site.
Shopify’s adaptability to individual needs
On the other hand, it puts constraints on imagination, especially in terms of placement. When compared to Wix, you won’t have as much leeway when it comes to layout.
Shopify’s predetermined optimization positions and features can be helpful for some users.
Themes and Customizability—Verdict
It all depends on your level of imagination. You should choose Wix because of its adaptability if you value creative independence.
Shopify, however, may be the ideal editor for you if you’d like not have to give as much thought to the appropriate placement of elements.
Point-Of-Sale (POS) Solutions
If you’re going to be doing any sort of dropshipping, you need to know that a solid point-of-sale system is crucial. Using this feature, you can connect your online and offline sales channels.
This is especially important if you have a storefront or another type of brick-and-mortar operation.
Although both Wix and Shopify have POS options at the moment, they are not identical. In the ps below, we’ll talk more about these.
Wix’s POS Solutions
Wix POS has various distinct capabilities, such as in-store delivery, an unlimited number of employee accounts, and drive-up access. Shops, services, and shows can now buy it.
Software for point-of-sale systems created in Wix
Wix, however, has only released this feature for US-based retailers as of 2022; it was initially released in June 2021. Use an integration service like Square or SumUp if you’re located outside the US.
This service is restricted to the supported industries. Since only modern technology is supported, you would also need to invest $550 in a POS setup.
Shopify’s POS Solutions
Shopify’s point-of-sale system is unique and is included in all of Shopify’s plans, even Shopify Lite. Using the platform’s point-of-sale (POS), you can integrate in-person purchases with your online shop, process payments, sync and track online and offline stock, manage customer information, and generate reports.
POS Software for Shopify
In addition, the POS can be utilized in any nation where Shopify accepts payments through credit card.
In-store sales are possible with Shopify in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland thanks to the availability of card readers and receipt printers. This can serve as the point-of-sale system for your brick-and-mortar shop, requiring only an iOS device such an iPhone or iPad.
If things go awry, you can always contact Shopify for assistance, and you can even tweak your customers’ checkout screens to suit your needs.
Shopify Plus costs $89 a month and includes access to features like in-store pickup, employee logins, and intelligent inventory management.
POS Solution—Verdict
Shopify easily triumphs over its competitors. The solution is less complicated, easier to understand, and less intimidating for first-time users, and it isn’t restricted to a single physical location.
Having a solid point-of-sale system is crucial, therefore it’s especially important to think about the aforementioned considerations if you’re a business headquartered outside of the United States.
Shipping Options
The availability of delivery methods is another crucial component of any dropshipping enterprise. When it comes to dropshipping, this can be crucial.
After all, the only reason a consumer will complete an online purchase is if they are assured of receiving their product.
Both Wix and Shopify offer a wide variety of design choices. These channels ensured that retailers provided many shipping alternatives to their clients, including free shipping and shipping based on goods.
Wix’s Shipping Options
Depending on the customer’s location and the item they purchased, you can adjust pricing directly from the Wix dashboard. When a customer checks out, their total cost, including tax and shipping, is calculated for them automatically.
At the present moment, Wix’s real-time carrier savings are only accessible to U.S.-based users. Based on your shipping needs, USPS offers discounts of up to 70%.
Choose Wix as your shipping provider.
As of now, Wix does not integrate with payment processing systems that can facilitate international shipment.
You can integrate the app ShipStation into your store if you decide to utilize a different shipping provider for real-time shipping. This connection will make it easier to ship items to your consumers.
Subscriptions to this paid app begin at $9 per month.
Wix has a detailed shipping tutorial that you can follow.
Shopify’s Shipping Options
Shopify has you covered in every manner, from offering free delivery to providing access to multiple shipping companies. More services are available, such as doorstep delivery and curbside pick-up.
In the event that a customer places an order from the United States, Canada, or Australia, the platform will provide an instantaneous quote for shipping with their selected carrier.
Those who sign up for the Advanced Shopify plan or higher gain access to discounts, with some reaching as high as 74%, as well as negotiated shipping rates with third-party carriers.
Choose from a variety of Shopify delivery options
Using Shopify’s shipping tools, you can customize your shipping configuration and monitor shipments with minimal effort. The best part is that you can get access to all of these for only a small additional cost on top of your subscription.
Shipping Options—Verdict
It’s easy to see that Shopify provides its customers with more flexibility. In its current iteration, Wix still requires the use of apps, which might be annoying if you’re looking for a centralized hub for all your website needs.
When compared to Shopify, Wix is still behind when it comes to shipping alternatives for both you and your customers, but it appears to be the superior choice for the former.
Marketing Features
A company can’t function without marketing. You may contact your target audience and win their support for your products or services by doing this.
Customers may be enticed by the appearance of a beautiful website, but you need to have visitors before they can truly benefit from it.
Now you know why this is an additional consideration. Both programs provide unique promotional tools for its customers.
Wix’s Marketing Features
Wix’s email marketing functionality is a powerful tool. Every month, users can distribute up to three newsletters to a total of five thousand subscribers without paying a dime.
Wix also provides its customers with an integrated marketing platform for an additional fee. Wix Ascend is a paid subscription service that consolidates all of a business’s promotional efforts into a single dashboard.
Promotional Tools on Wix
Wix Ascend allows you to design and manage email marketing campaigns for purposes like lead generation and customer retention.
Wix is well-liked by writers and bloggers because of the SEO tools that come included. Metadata can be created manually or automatically with this method.
Thanks to these, indexing services are kept up to date with the release of any new articles. This is a huge benefit for Wix users, as search engine optimization is essential for dropshipping businesses.
Shopify’s Marketing Features
Wix’s email marketing functionality is a powerful tool. Every month, users can distribute up to three newsletters to a total of five thousand subscribers without paying a dime.
Wix also provides its customers with an integrated marketing platform for an additional fee. Wix Ascend is a paid subscription service that consolidates all of a business’s promotional efforts into a single dashboard.
Promotional Tools on Wix
Wix Ascend allows you to design and manage email marketing campaigns for purposes like lead generation and customer retention.
Wix is well-liked by writers and bloggers because of the SEO tools that come included. Metadata can be created manually or automatically with this method.
Thanks to these, indexing services are kept up to date with the release of any new articles. This is a big benefit for Wix users, as search engine optimization is essential for dropshipping firms.
Marketing Features—Verdict
When comparing the two platforms, we find that both offer only the most fundamental tools for promoting your business. Wix, though, triumphs if you’d prefer to have the feature integrated inside the site itself.
If Shopify wants to expand its marketing capabilities beyond email, it will need to develop its own application.
Subscription Plans
The initial investment required to launch a dropshipping business has always been considered to be modest. Of course, you will still have to invest some cash into the development of your website.
Wix and Shopify each have a variety of pricing tiers, each of which comes with its own set of perks. Given the importance of cost efficiency to daily business operations, we will investigate each platform thoroughly.
Wix’s Subscription Plans
Wi provides a free basic plan as part of its subscription services. It has limitless space and bandwidth, along with hundreds of free templates.
Still, it’s feature-light and bundled with Wix ads.
The upside is that you can test out the service and decide for yourself which features are ideal before committing to a paid membership.
For the sake of this discussion, we will be primarily concerned with the platform’s Business and eCommerce Plans as they relate to establishing a dropshipping website. Websites that need to collect payments online can use these plans.
Wix has four pricing tiers available now: Connect Domain, Combo, Unlimited, and VIP. Each of these bundles includes a free SSL certificate, dedicated support team, and domain name.
Pricing for Wix memberships
The Combo, Unlimited, and VIP plans are the only ones that include both a free name for a year and an ad-free website.
Bandwidth is limited to 1GB for the Connect Domain plan and 2GB for the Combo plan, but it is limitless for the VIP and Unlimited plans.
Combo and Connect Domain options start at less than $10 per month, so you can try them out if you’re just getting started.
If you have a larger monthly budget, however, the Unlimited plan’s inclusion of the Site Booster App and the Visitor Analytics App means that you can save money over the course of a year.
Shopify’s Subscription Plans
Shopify, unlike Wix, does not provide a truly free plan but rather a 14-day free trial. On the plus side, linking a credit card isn’t required just yet.
The current Shopify pricing structure consists of three distinct subscription tiers: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify.
Plans for Shopify memberships.
What follows is standard across all plans:
Unlimited Products in Online Store
Sales Channels Support Guide, Available Always Promo Codes Upon Order Processing
Free Shopping Cart Recovery With SSL Certificate
Store-Bought Gift Certificates
Commissions on Deals
For $29 per month, Shopify’s basic plan is perfect for novice dropshippers who only want to test the waters with occasional in-person sales.
It’s important to note that you’re limited to no more than four different distribution centers, retail outlets, or storage facilities. This plan also limits employees to a maximum of two accounts. The fees for making a purchase are also 2%.
Shopify’s monthly subscription costs $79, which is a significant increase. In addition to the same capabilities as Shopify Basic, this plan allows for five user accounts and five physical locations.
In addition to a 1% reduction in transaction fees, you also gain access to standard reports for your store.
The price jumps up to $299 per month for the more comprehensive Advanced plan. The transaction fees are as low as 0.5%, and you can have as many as 15 employee accounts, 8 locations, and advanced reports.
Subscription Plans—Verdict
When you consider that they’ll be repeated every month, the answer depends heavily on your financial situation at the moment.
It’s obvious which platforms have more cost-effective options, and Wix is one of them. Wix seems like a better choice for dropshippers who haven’t yet increased their budget for these types of programs.
The site will be fully functional and packed with useful features from the get-go.
Shopify is a powerful e-commerce platform, but it does come with a price. This platform’s price tag may be steep, but its functionality is well worth the investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Wix and Shopify Free?
Wix and Shopify are both offering free plans, albeit with stipulations.
Wix
Wix’s free tier provides you with a robust set of options for creating a website. Wix provides a free domain name, unlimited storage space and bandwidth, free website templates, and free hosting.
However, your website will include a Wix banner instead of your own name.
Starting at $4.50/mo, the cheapest package offers a personalized domain.
Shopify
Shopify, on the other hand, lets you use all of their features and make your site live to the public after just a 14-day free trial.
In order to keep using your website after the trial period ends, plans start at $29 per month.
Can You Move Wix to Shopify—and Vice Versa?
It’s not uncommon for users to hop from one site to another in search of better service. Transitioning between locations, however, is not a breeze.
As it stands, using a third-party service like Cart2Cart is one option. With this automated shopping cart migration, you can easily transfer your store’s information, including but not limited to: customers, orders, categories, products, images, and more.
Cart2Cart
Your Wix or Shopify store’s data can be migrated, but it will cost you. Following the website’s outlined steps is a breeze.
If you’d rather not get your hands dirty, there are experts out there who can help you out.
Is Shopify Cheaper than Wix?
Wix’s base plan is less expensive than Shopify’s.
Wix now offers $4.5/month plans, but they all include advertising. The starting price for Shopify is $29 per month. Depending on your needs, you can choose between free and paid versions of these websites.
Verdict—Wix or Shopify?
Choosing the optimal platform is now in our sights. Wix and Shopify are both powerful platforms with a lot to offer.
Wix offers a wide variety of low-priced options, plus it comes with amazing built-in advertising tools that can help you bring in more clients over time.
However, it is clear that the company still needs to broaden its marketing efforts for its point-of-sale systems and shipping choices. For those in other nations, this is a significant restriction.
However, Shopify’s excellent point-of-sale systems and shipping options are included at no extra cost. Even for seasoned dropshippers, the price and complexity of this method may be off-putting.
Shopify, on the other hand, is better suited for dropshipping. That’s because it supports dropshipping and integrates with more dropshipping companies than any other platform.
If you want to focus on customers in the United States, are on a tight budget, and value flexibility in design and marketing, then Wix is the best option for you.
If you have the capital to invest in a platform with robust point-of-sale (POS) and shipping features, Shopify is the way to go.
