Magento Vs Wix: Which Ecommerce Platform Fits Your Business?

magento vs wix

When it comes to the e-commerce platform, there are plenty of options for merchants. Two standout options that consistently rise to the top are Magento and Wix. These two platforms offer considerable advantages to users through distinct approaches. 

In this blog post, we would like to put them on a comparative scale from various perspectives, ultimately determining which is the superior solution for online businesses.

An Overview of Magento vs Wix 

What is Magento?

Up to now, Magento has become one of the most prevalent e-commerce platforms to start an online business. This platform is robust, highly flexible and easy to customize for the merchants’ different needs.

Established in 2007, Magento has got its position today in the e-commerce industry, but with a long journey of continuous effort and innovation. Magento Commerce changed its name to Adobe Commerce in April 2021 as part of a long-term project to integrate Magento within the Adobe Experience Cloud business unit. 

adobe magento acquisition

Now Magento provides us with two editions – Open Source, formerly Magento Community (free edition), and Commerce Pro, formerly Magento Enterprise (annually paid edition). 

In general, Magento can bring almost everything you expect for a successful e-commerce website development. 

What is Wix? 

While Magento might be the leader in terms of the e-commerce platform, Wix, by far, has been recognized as one of the most outstanding and potential website builders in recent years.

Established one year later than Magento, with its dynamic drag-and-drop tools, three Israeli programmers – Abrahami brothers and Giora Kaplan developed Wix to make the e-commerce website development process much easier for everyone (including both professionals and nonprofessionals) and requires less time to release.

wix ecommerce

To develop a website, you must subscribe to a Wix Premium Plan by monthly payment. Wix provides the capability to create a wide range of websites, including those designed for businesses, online stores, events, blogs, and more.

The Popularity of Magento vs Wix

Both Magento and Wix are common platforms for e-commerce development. However, to have a more in-depth insight into these platforms, we got some data about the current number of Magento and Wix websites from builtwith.com. As you can see:

Updated in October 2023, Magento has 140,596 total lives & 692,328 live and historical sites (more than 47 thousand stores in the US), and approximately 1.05% are websites with over 1 million revenue (10,476).

When it comes to Magento e-commerce websites, there are some big names such as Nike, Ford, Fox Connect, Vizio, Olympus, Rebecca Minkoff, Christian Louboutin, Fiji Water, The North Face, and so on. In another blog post, we listed some with an attractive design. Let’s have a look about example of Magento websites!

Meanwhile, there are 2,874,712 currently live sites & 7,130,836 live and historical sites (more than 1 million websites in the US),  and approximately 0,17% are websites with over 1 million revenue (1,681) of Wix platform.

In comparison, most of the Wix website owners are small to medium companies, for example, Monica Pack Pilates, Brown Owl Creative, Linda Franzosi, Leandro Pedretti, Jellyfish & Co, Adam McCain, Sonja van Duelmen, and Natalie Latinsky, to name a few.

However, these numbers don’t really paint the full picture of the popularity of Magento vs Wix. While Magento emphasizes offering e-commerce solutions, Wix delivers a wide range of website types. That’s why the number of Wix websites is significantly greater than that of Magento.

Magento Vs Wix: Full Comparison 

1. Ease of Setup and Use

The first Magento vs Wix battle is about ease of setup and use from different users’ perspectives.

Magento 

Developers usually just need a few minutes to complete the quick procedure of installing the Magento package on a new website. However, depending on how complicated the original needs are, the total time for developing a Magento website might span from one to five months.

Owing to their familiarity with technical terminology, developers can easily explore the Magento backend, the platform’s management board, for configuration. Each Magento website consists of two distinct parts: the front-end, which is accessible to customers and the back-end – serves as the admin area for store owners.

Magento 2 frontend (default demo)
Magento Front-End
magento 2.3 demo
Magento Back-End

For merchants who are not tech savvy, creating a Magento website from scratch can be an overwhelming task. They can choose a theme for the website design and specify the features they’d want to see, which coders can then turn into reality. 

When it comes to backend management, store owners might have to spend some time reading through Magento user guides to understand the nuances of the admin panel layout, store configuration, and the utilization of powerful features.

Wix 

Wix has gained enormous popularity primarily due to its user-friendly and quick setup. Wix stands out for its remarkable ease of use, with most users becoming familiar with its interface and settings within a matter of hours. There’s no need for software downloads or installations, as all operations are done within your web browser.

To establish a Wix website, you simply need to sign in, using your Facebook or Google account, select a template, and you’re ready to dive in. However, it’s important to know that although it may seem easy at first, modifying Wix’s default templates could be more challenging than it seems. Wix is far more user-friendly than Magento, but consumers with little artistic talent could find it tough, which could lead to a cluttered website.

wix ecommerce review

Notably, a stable internet connection is necessary when working on a Wix website in a web browser, as connectivity issues could lead to data loss. Furthermore, when dealing with numerous site components, making design changes may become less smooth, potentially causing lag and inactive response times.

From the above analytics, Wix might defeat Magento by its highly user-friendly at the beginning. 

2. Themes & Templates

The focus of the ongoing comparison between Magento and Wix now turns to a crucial component of their functionality: the quantity and quality of their themes and templates.

Magento

Although Magento does not provide us with an official bank of themes, we can easily find thousands of templates (both free and paid) from the theme market/ providers like: 

There is a wide range of these categories for you to choose from, such as fashion, technology, health, beauty, entertainment, sports, electronics, shopping mall, etc. 

download magento themes

Choosing a suitable theme for your business might be a difficult task, read our latest post for Top 25 Magento 2 Themes Recommended for Businesses to get your preferred theme.

Wix

Wix offers over 500 free designer-made website templates notwithstanding, just one-fifth of them can be used for eCommerce stores. The strong point of Wix templates is the attractive design for different types of products, from Fashion, Jewelry, Art, Home Decor, Food, Sports, Electronics to Pets, etc.

wix design templates

When it comes to the theme comparison, it is undoubted that Magento outweighs Wix with a wide range of templates provided. 

3. Apps/Extensions

The choice between Magento vs Wix extends to the realm of apps and extensions.

Magento

After setting up your Magento store, if you want to add more advanced features or improve the site performance, there are more than 4,100 modules on Magento Marketplace (both free and paid) in different categories, including

  • Accounting & Finance
  • Marketing
  • Content & Customization
  • Customer Support 
  • Payments & Security
  • Reporting & Analytics
  •  Sales
  •  Shipping & Fulfillment
  •  Site Optimization. 

Besides Magento Marketplace, you can find quality extensions from reliable Magento extension providers such as Amasty, Aheadworks, Mirasvit. In case that none of the existing Magento extensions can fully meet all your requests, find a trusted Magento developer and ask for a custom module development.

Wix

Up to now, Wix has offered over 300 apps in the market (free and premium), which can be installed with ease. Unlike Magento, you are not allowed to install any third-party extensions, just Wix’s. Moreover, it seems impossible to customize the available apps or build a custom one for your Wix eCommerce store.

Magento outweighs Wix when discussing the number of available apps/ extensions and the ability to add/ develop custom ones on the e-commerce store.

4. Pricing 

The cost of developing an eCommerce website is a fundamental matter for online businesses. Let’s find out how much  it costs to build a Magento vs Wix website.

Magento

As mentioned in the previous part, you can opt for Magento Open Source (free edition) or Commerce Pro (premium edition). From our experience, if you possess a small to medium eCommerce store, there is no need to use Magento Commerce edition. 

The pricing structure for Adobe Commerce Pro, along with its associated Managed Services cost per year, is defined by annual gross revenue. For businesses with an annual gross revenue of less than $1,000,000, Adobe Commerce Pro comes at a cost of $22,000 per year, while the associated Managed Services cost amounts to $40,000 annually.

As your business’s revenue scale expands into the range of $1,000,000 to $5,000,000, the pricing adjusts to $32,000 for Adobe Commerce Pro and $55,000 for Managed Services.

For larger enterprises with annual gross revenues of $5,000,000 to $10,000,000, the investment increases to $49,000 for Adobe Commerce Pro and $80,000 for Managed Services.

Lastly, for the highest revenue bracket of $10,000,000 to $25,000,000, the cost of Adobe Commerce Pro rises to $75,000 annually, with Managed Services priced at $190,000.

Therefore, what costs you the most might be the fee of hiring the Magento developers to develop your store. The price range of Magento web development is vast.

Read our definitive guide post about Magento pricing to get estimate Magento cost yourself. We have made a clear breakdown to get you aware of the price.

Wix

There are four Premium plans for developing a Wix eCommerce store, ranging from $4.50 to $24.50 per month. Besides the cost of the subscription to a plan, you might also have to pay for designers to give you an appealing website storefront.

Undoubtedly, Magento development is more costly than Wix’s growth. Hence, going with Wix sounds more reasonable for start-ups or small e-commerce businesses. 

5. E-commerce Features

The most crucial thing to evaluate the quality of an eCommerce platform is its functionalities/ features. Let’s see what Magento and Wix bring to the table:

Magento

The platform’s extensive and feature-rich eCommerce feature set undoubtedly stems from the high acquisition cost connected with Magento e-commerce development.

There is a very long list of Magento features, providing everything you need for an e-commerce store. Here are the highlights:

  • Promotions & Pricing Catalog
  • Management Catalog
  • Browsing Product
  • Browsing Payments & Checkout
  • Site & Content Management
  • Order Management
  • Customer Service
  • Customer Loyalty
  • Customer Accounts
  • Support for Global Sites
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Analytics and Reporting
  • Architecture and Security
  • Layout and Theming
  • Performance and Scalability
  • Cloud Offering

Wix

We can find a list of Wix eCommerce features that are fewer but quite similar to Magento’s; however, most of them are very basic.

  • Product & catalog management
  • Order management
  • Customer management
  • Marketing tools
  • Payment & shipping
  • Tracking & analytics
  • Tax
  • SEO

In comparison, Magento provides more useful functionalities to start an e-commerce business. With Magento, you have the tools at your disposal to create a highly customizable online store in a competitive e-commerce landscape.

6. Supported Languages & Currencies

Nowadays, there is a considerable increase in the number of global e-commerce stores, who need to develop a site with multiple currencies and languages.

Magento 

With Magento, itt’s easy to set up a multi-currency or multi-language website. Magento’s user-friendly features and extensive tools offer the required flexibility to create a seamless and inclusive online shopping experience for customers worldwide, regardless of their linguistic preferences or currency.

However, it’s worth noting that you will need to install a language pack to translate your site automatically to different languages.

Wix 

Wix offers the convenience of selecting multiple languages for your website, allowing you to cater to a diverse audience. However, it’s crucial to note that when it comes to currency options, Wix falls short as it only permits the use of a single currency. 

set up multi currencies in wix

This limitation can be a factor to consider for businesses operating in international markets, as it might affect their ability to accommodate various currencies effectively.

Therefore, when it comes to language adaptability, Magento clearly holds an advantage over Wix. Magento emerges as a more robust e-commerce platform.

7. Payment & Shipping Integration

When comparing two popular platforms, Magento and Wix, the approach to payment and shipping integration becomes a crucial factor in determining the most suitable choice for your business. 

Magento 

By default, Magento is integrated with several popular payment gateways, namely PayPal, Braintree, Authorize.net, CyberSource, and WorldPay. It also offers some payment methods such as COD, bank transfer, purchase order, and check/money order. 

If you want to connect to another payment gateway beyond the list (e.g., Stripe), you will need to install a module (e.g., Stripe and Magento integration extension).

Wix 

Wix allows you to integrate with multiple payment gateways such as Stripe, PayPal, Square, Wirecard, 2Checkout, Moolah, Braintree, WorldPay, eWay, Fat Zebra, PagSeguro, Yandex, Leumi Card, and so on. 

In terms of payment gateway flexibility, Wix has the edge, making it a more preferable choice for businesses that require a variety of payment options.

8. SEO & Marketing

Let’s move on to Magento vs Wix’s comparison in terms of SEO and Marketing capability.

Magento

Magento provides us with an effective SEO and Marketing tool. Here are the outstanding related features: Promotions and Pricing

  • Set promotional pricing for specific stores, categories, customer segments, or products
  • Create flexible coupons for particular stores, customer segments, periods, products, and categories
  • Export coupon codes for offline distribution, email, newsletters, and more
  • Track and report coupon usage

Search Engine Optimization

  • Automatically generate a Google sitemap
  • Create search engine friendly URLs
  • Set meta keywords, meta title, and meta description
  • Integrated Google Analytics and Google Adwords

Wix

Wix also offers some exciting marketing tools, for instance:

  • Get found on Google
  • Email marketing
  • Social posts
  • Marketing integrations
  • Automation
  • Coupons
  • Video Makers

In terms of marketing, Magento outweighs Wix due to its advanced SEO capabilities and extensive content management flexibility. With Magento, businesses have greater control over optimizing their online presence, which is crucial for enhancing visibility and attracting potential customers.

9. Customer Support

Both Magento and Wix are highly evaluated in terms of customer support. Their Help Centers provide a strong knowledge base to help the users find the answers yourself. In case that the knowledge base cannot help, the users can create a ticket/ contact Magento/ Wix officials for assistance.

Magento

Magento offers support through its help center to assist users in navigating their online businesses. The Magento Help Center provides a comprehensive knowledge base comprising articles, guides, tutorials, and documentation. 

Magento also maintains an active and engaged community forum where users can seek advice, share experiences, and troubleshoot issues with fellow merchants, developers, and experts.

Wix

Wix provides a comprehensive and user-friendly Help Center to support its diverse user base. Wix’s Help Center offers a wealth of resources, including step-by-step guides, video tutorials, articles, and FAQs, to assist users at all skill levels in creating and maintaining their websites. 

It covers a wide range of topics, from website design and customization to e-commerce setup and SEO optimization.

Additionally, Wix’s Help Center features a community forum where users can interact, ask questions, and share their experiences and solutions with others. 

In terms of direct, premium support options, Wix’s phone support and priority email support may offer a more direct line of communication compared to Magento’s support plans. However, Magento users benefit from a well-established community forum, which can be a valuable resource for finding answers and solutions to common issues. 

10. Scalability

Scalability is one of the most vital factors when selecting an appropriate eCommerce platform but often being overlooked by merchants. Nevertheless, even when you start “small,” you still need a scalable platform to help you expand your business in the future.

wix vs magento scalability

Magento 

In Magento, almost everything can be scaled up or down (e.g. number of products, categories, attributes, users, extensions, etc.) without any problems. As a result, it can satisfy all e-commerce stores’ needs, from the startups to the large ones. 

Wix 

Inversely, Wix eCommerce does not allow you to access your site’s code, its scalability is limited. Unlike open-source platforms like Magento, where users have the freedom to modify and optimize the codebase as needed, Wix adopts a more closed and user-friendly approach. While this approach offers convenience and ease of use for beginners and small businesses, it does come at the expense of scalability for more ambitious online enterprises.

When evaluating the scalability of e-commerce platforms, Magento clearly stands out as the superior choice when compared to Wix.

Which Is The Better Solution For E-commerce Businesses?

In the Magento vs. Wix debate, it’s evident that both platforms offer specific advantages and disadvantages that cater to distinct needs within the e-commerce landscape. Wix, with its affordability, user-friendliness, and quick setup, is an ideal starting point for small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to establish a web presence without breaking the bank.

However, as businesses grow and their requirements become more complex, Wix’s limitations in terms of e-commerce features, customization, and scalability may pose challenges.

Magento, on the other hand, is designed to meet the demands of ambitious and rapidly expanding businesses. While it does entail higher initial costs and a steeper learning curve, its extensive feature set, customization options, and scalability capabilities make it the preferred choice for those who envision long-term success and the ability to adapt to evolving market dynamics.

Ultimately, the decision you make between Wix and Magento ought to fit your company’s goals and particular path.

In the short term, Wix might be the better option for those looking for affordability and usability, but Magento is the clear winner for companies looking for long-term growth, flexibility, and a strong online presence.

Your choice should be based on your long-term objectives and present needs, keeping in mind that the road to e-commerce success necessitates striking a balance between short-term profits and long-term planning.