Shopify vs Wix 2025: Built for Entrepreneurs vs Made for Creators

• Is it better to use Wix or Shopify for eCommerce?
  
• Why do so many businesses eventually migrate to Shopify?
  

If you’re asking these questions about Shopify vs Wix, you’re not alone. Both parties are powerful eCommerce website builders, but they serve different goals. Wix shines with creative freedom and ease of use, while Shopify is purpose-built for one thing: scalable eCommerce growth. From performance and checkout to app integrations and long-term flexibility, Shopify helps you sell more - faster.

In this breakdown, we’ll compare Wix vs Shopify for eCommerce across every core feature that matters. Before we dive in, check out the FoxEcom blog for more eCommerce insights and growth tips. 

Let's get started.

Shopify vs Wix in a Snapshot

What’s Shopify?

Shopify is a powerful eCommerce solution built for entrepreneurs who are serious about selling online. Whether you're a small business scaling fast or launching a new D2C brand, Shopify gives you the tools to grow, without outgrowing the platform. With over 2.5 million stores live and big brands like Glossier, Allbirds, and Fashion Nova on board, it’s become the backbone of modern eCommerce.

Shopify website

Is Shopify worth it in 2025?

Definitely - and here’s why. Shopify isn’t just for beginners anymore. It's evolved into the platform of choice for those who want to run professional, high-converting storefronts. Many users who started on Wix or WordPress eventually switch to Shopify for one key reason: eCommerce performance. 

Beyond that, Shopify now supports headless commerce, giving developers and growing brands full flexibility to build custom frontends while keeping Shopify’s powerful backend. Whether you’re scaling fast or need more control over your storefront experience, Shopify is ready. And if you want to give it a try, now’s the perfect time — you can start for just $1/month for 3 months and explore everything it has to offer with almost no risk. Try Shopify for $1. 

What’s Wix?

Wix, one of Shopify's competitors, is the go-to for creatives, bloggers, and solopreneurs who want full design control without writing a line of code. If your site is more about content, portfolios, or static service pages, Wix is a strong pick. The drag-and-drop editor is highly visual, and templates look great out of the box.

Wix website

What is the downside of Wix?

While Wix shines in ease of use for general websites, its limitations show up quickly in the eCommerce space. From my experience and reading the Wix commerce review on the forum, the platform lacks advanced inventory management, robust third-party integrations. 

Once your business starts growing, Wix often becomes more of a constraint than a launchpad. That’s why many brands that start with Wix eventually move to Shopify when they’re ready to get serious about selling online. 

Is Wix Better Than Shopify? 10 Key Differences Compared

Pricing & Fee: Wix wins on affordability

When comparing Wix vs Shopify pricing, it's more than just monthly subscriptions. You should also consider payment processing fees, themes, apps, and possible development costs.

Before diving into detailed comparisons, here’s a quick overview of the current pricing plans:

Wix pricing plans

• Light: $17/mo
  
• Core: $29/mo
  
• Business: $39/mo
  
• Business Elite: $159/mo

Wix pricing plan

Shopify pricing plans

• Basic: $25/mo
  
• Growth: $65/mo
  
• Advanced: $399/mo
  
• Shopify Plus: Starts at $2,300/mo
  

Shopify’s pricing is generally consistent across most countries, but in regions like the UK, Australia, Singapore, and Canada, plan prices may vary. So it’s a good idea to double-check the pricing specific to your country before you get started.

Shopify pricing plan (annually)

Detailed comparison table

Having worked with several clients across both platforms, I’ve seen the pricing landscape from the inside, and it really depends on the size and complexity of the project.

Wix: 

• Ideal for design-focused, small stores
• Most of the cost goes into visual customization
  
• Typical cost: ~$2,000–$5,000 per project
  

Shopify: 

• Scales from small businesses to large, complex stores
  
• Development cost depends on theme customization, integrations, and backend work
  
• SMBs: ~$3,000–$5,000
  
• Larger brands: ~$10,000–$20,000+
  

My verdict for Shopify vs Wix Pricing: Wix 60 – Shopify 40

If you're just starting out and want something quick and affordable, Wix is the winner. You get a lower upfront cost, a free domain, and a wide range of built-in tools.

But if you’re aiming to grow a serious, scalable business, the investment in Shopify can pay off over time. I’d personally go with Shopify for any long-term, product-focused venture, especially if global growth or omnichannel selling is on your radar.

Ease of use & setup:  It’s a fair match 

When I tried both Shopify and Wix, I found them pretty easy to use. They’re both made for people who don’t know how to code, so everything is visual and beginner-friendly.

I could quickly set up a store on either platform. From the dashboard, it was simple to add products, create collections, manage orders, and even handle shipping and marketing. Everything I needed was right there.

If I had to choose one that felt easier at first, I’d say Wix. It reminded me of building a regular website — super intuitive and straightforward. I didn’t need to spend much time figuring things out. As long as you have a clear roadmap — like your product catalog and storefront design ready — setting up a Wix store can take anywhere from a week to a month, depending on how complex you want it to be.

Wix setup guide

Shopify, on the other hand, took me a bit more time to get used to. There’s a learning curve, especially if you want to explore all the features. But once I got the hang of it, I preferred how powerful and organized it felt. It gave me more control, especially as my store started to grow. 

The setup timeline varies widely. If you’re working with just a handful of products, you could launch in a few days. But for larger operations — especially on Shopify Plus — it can take several months (sometimes up to 6 months) due to the workload: custom design, complex integrations, a wide product catalog, and more.

Shopify setup guide with the support of Shopify Sidekick AI

My verdict for Wix vs Shopify ease of use: A tier

If we're talking about ease of use, Wix is great if you want something simple and fast. Shopify, the best online selling platform, shines once you get past the initial learning curve.

Both are user-friendly in their own ways — it really depends on the type of store you’re building. Just keep in mind: Shopify setups often take longer, especially for larger catalogs or more advanced features.

Online shop website builder: Easy with Wix, scalable with Shopify

If you're choosing between Shopify or Wix based on website builder flexibility, here’s what you should know.

Shopify is built specifically for eCommerce. It offers over 250 store-ready themes (including 25+ free ones), all optimized for selling. One thing I really liked is that you can test any theme with an unlimited free trial — tweak and explore without pressure to buy. 

Shopify theme store

I also found Shopify’s AI tools super helpful. It can generate content blocks and product descriptions, which saves me a lot of time. Once I added apps like reviews, loyalty programs, or page builders, I could build a highly functional store without touching code. Shopify might feel a bit structured, but it’s built to grow with your business. 

And if you want full design control? Shopify can match (and even surpass) Wix when you go deeper. With Hydrogen, Shopify’s headless framework, developers can build completely custom storefronts perfect for brands that need unique experiences, lightning-fast load times, and total creative freedom. 

Build a custom website with Shopify AI

For non-coders like me, tools like Foxify – the visual Shopify page builder – make custom design super easy. You can drag, drop, generate content with AI, and even translate instantly for global reach — no coding needed.

Wix, on the other hand, feels more creative and flexible. It started as a website builder, and that shows — you get over 900 free templates with tons of visual variety. When I wanted more design freedom, Wix made it easy. I could move things around freely, and the AI features even helped create product content and images. 

Wix eCommerce themes

If you care about visual design or want to launch something fast, Wix is intuitive and gives you more control out of the box. However, I found it better suited for content-focused or small-product-range sites, rather than full-scale eCommerce.

My verdict for Shopify vs Wix website shop builder: Shopify 50 - Wix 50

When it comes to the website builder experience alone, Wix takes the lead. It’s more flexible, more visual, and better if you love to fine-tune every detail of your design. But Shopify has caught up — with advanced theme editing and headless commerce support, it offers serious flexibility and room to scale.

Wix is easier to start with, but Shopify is built to grow with you.
Think of giving Shopify a go? I highly recommend starting with one of these premium themes — each designed for different business models:

🔹 Sleek Theme – For D2C Brands

 A clean, modern aesthetic with engaging image-text-video layouts. It loads fast, looks polished, and has built-in SEO — perfect if you want a brand-first shopping experience. It has 5 stunning presets that help you decide whether this theme fits your business or not. 

👉Try Sleek Free 

🔹 Hyper Theme – For Wholesale & B2B

This one’s built to handle large catalogs and wholesale needs. I was impressed by how fast it loaded and how smoothly features like bulk ordering, custom pricing, and multi-currency worked. Great choice if you're scaling. 

👉 Try Hyper Free

Speaking of B2B models, we have another post in our Shopify competitor series: Shopify vs Magento. Check it out now! 

AI capabilities: Shopify leads in AI potential

AI is quickly becoming a must-have for online store builders, and both Shopify and Wix are putting it to work. From my experience, both platforms offer similar baseline features, like AI-generated text for product descriptions and SEO content, plus tools to help design your storefront faster. 

But where they start to differ is in how deeply they use AI.

Wix helps you build pages quickly with AI-generated sections, images, and product details. It’s useful when you want to launch fast and don’t have a lot of content on hand. I found it helpful for filling in gaps, especially during the early design phase. 

Shopify, though, is a step ahead. It recently introduced Shopify Sidekick, an AI assistant that goes far beyond just writing text. You can use prompts — or even your voice — to ask Sidekick to do things like set up your store, adjust themes, create discount campaigns, or segment your audience. It even supports screen sharing to guide you in real-time. 

For example, you can simply type “Create a summer sale campaign,” and Sidekick will walk you through the steps. It feels more like having a co-pilot than just a content generator.

My verdict for Shopify vs Wix AI: Shopify 60 - Wix 40 

So if you're looking to build a fully customized storefront beyond what themes offer on Shopify, Foxify Page Builder is worth exploring. It lets you effortlessly create any page using AI-generated content (Fox Magic), supports instant language translation for global selling, and speeds up your design process with our one-click Figma-to-Shopify.

App ecosystem & integrations: Shopify dominates with 13,000+ integrations

Both Shopify and Wix offer a wide range of apps to extend your store’s capabilities — from marketing and SEO to inventory management and fulfillment. However, Shopify clearly leads when it comes to ecosystem size, quality, and scalability.

My verdict for Wix vs Shopify app ecosystem: Shopify 70 – Wix 30

• Shopify’s app ecosystem isn’t just bigger — it’s built for real business growth. Each app acts like an extended power-up that empowers your Shopify store to sell better, convert faster, and scale smarter.
  
• Wix is great for getting started with basic built-in tools, but if you're looking for flexibility, long-term growth, and deeper functionality, Shopify gives you the freedom to build exactly what your business needs.
  

Marketing & SEO: Wix for beginners, Shopify for growth 

If you're deciding between Shopify vs Wix for marketing and SEO, it all comes down to this:

• Wix is better for beginners who want built-in tools and a quick setup.
  
• Shopify wins for scalability, automation, and technical SEO as your store grows. 

My verdict for Wix vs Shopify Marketing & SEO: Shopify 65 – Wix 35

• Wix gives you everything you need upfront — perfect for small businesses or creators who want to launch fast without dealing with complex setups.
  
• Shopify, however, is the better choice for those thinking long-term: more tools, faster performance, stronger automation, and greater SEO scalability.

Dropshipping & POD: Shopify has the upper hand

So, is Wix or Shopify better for dropshipping? 

When it comes to dropshipping and print-on-demand, Shopify clearly has the edge. It’s well-known in the eCommerce space and widely trusted by merchants for its flexibility, customization, and powerful integrations. Shopify connects seamlessly with top dropshipping apps like DSers (AliExpress), Spocket, Zendrop, Printful, and more, making it easy to source products, manage orders, and automate fulfillment.

One important note: you’ll always need to use third-party apps to enable dropshipping, but Shopify offers a wide range of reliable options. Plus, you can sell unlimited products on all plans. 

Start a dropshipping business with Shopify

Wix, on the other hand, integrates directly with Modalyst—its recommended marketplace—and also supports third-party tools like Printful, Spocket, and DSers. However, dropshipping on Wix comes with limitations. For example, the Business Basic plan only allows up to 250 products, which can be restrictive if you plan to scale.

Wix dropshipping potential

Another major factor in Shopify’s favor is its best online storefront and checkout experience. Shopify themes are built to convert, with optimized product pages, flexible layouts, and fast, secure checkouts through Shop Pay, which can be a game changer, especially when operating on tight dropshipping margins.

My verdict for Shopify vs Wix dropshipping: Shopify 70 – Wix 30.

For anyone planning to build and grow a dropshipping business, Shopify is the smarter investment

Sales channels: Shopify is more powerful 

Both Shopify and Wix support multiple sales channels, allowing you to sell not just through your website but also across marketplaces, social platforms, and in person. But how they support those channels — and how smoothly they work — does vary.

From my experience, both platforms cover the essentials, but each has a few unique strengths depending on where and how you plan to sell. Especially, in terms of retail, Shopify is considered the best retail website builder. 

Here’s a quick breakdown:

My verdict for Shopify vs Wix sales channels: Shopify 70 - Wix 30

If you're serious about commerce, Shopify is the clear winner. It’s designed to help you sell across every channel — online, offline, and globally — with tools that scale as your business grows.

Wix offers more native social and marketplace integrations, but it still feels like a creative-first platform. It works well for creators, portfolios, or service businesses, but Shopify wins for long-term eCommerce success.

Payments & checkout: Shopify provides faster checkout conversion 

When it comes to handling payments and optimizing checkout flow, both Shopify and Wix offer robust solutions,  but Shopify edges ahead, especially for stores looking to scale or maximize profit per sale.

Shopify integrates with 100+ payment providers and has its own built-in solution — Shopify Payments, available in over 42 countries. When you use Shopify Payments, you avoid additional transaction fees entirely, giving you more control over your margins. 

Shopify payment methods

More importantly, Shopify comes with Shop Pay — a lightning-fast, one-click checkout experience. Not only does it streamline the purchase process, but it also supports Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and installment payments, proven to boost conversion rates. Shopify is even recognized for offering the highest-converting checkout in the eCommerce space. 

Shop Pay - The best-converting accelerated checkout

💡 One caveat: unless you're on the Shopify Plus plan, the checkout page can't be fully customized. But what you get out of the box is already highly optimized.

Learn more about Shopify payment methods now! 

Wix, on the other hand, supports 80+ payment providers, including Wix Payments. However, even with Wix Payments, you're still charged a processing fee, which varies based on your region. You can find full details here.

Wix also offers accelerated checkout options, installment payments, and BNPL, similar to Shopify. One advantage? Wix allows more customization of the checkout page — useful if branding consistency is a top priority.

Verdict: Shopify 60 – Wix 40

Shopify wins for its conversion-optimized checkout flow, seamless Shop Pay experience, and no extra transaction fees with Shopify Payments. While Wix gives you more design control, Shopify gives you better profit per sale and a checkout built to convert.

Community & support: Equally strong, differently delivered

When it comes to support and community, both platforms offer solid ecosystems, but the nature and depth of those communities are quite different.

Shopify has built a massive partner ecosystem, including agencies, developers, and theme/app creators, which makes it easier for you to find help at any stage — whether you're building from scratch, migrating, or scaling. The Shopify Community Forum is active and full of detailed, expert-level support. You can post any question, and you’ll likely get step-by-step answers from merchants or certified partners who’ve been through it all.

Shopify community forum

I’ve found that Shopify’s community feels very business-oriented, which makes sense — it’s built for commerce, and its partner ecosystem reflects that.

Wix also offers an engaged community and a helpful support center. From what I’ve seen, Wix’s community leans more toward creatives and freelancers, especially those focused on design and personal branding. You’ll still get support for store setup and design questions, and there are plenty of discussion spaces — but when it comes to business-focused topics like performance optimization, integrations, or scaling, the depth isn’t quite as strong as Shopify’s.

Wix community

Since Wix’s app ecosystem is also smaller, the support from third-party developers doesn’t match the sheer volume available on Shopify — something you’ll notice if you're looking for very specific solutions.

Verdict: Shopify 60 – Wix 40

While both offer helpful support and growing communities, Shopify is more aligned with business needs, especially if you’re running or scaling a serious online store. You’re backed by a stronger ecosystem, deeper expertise, and a wider pool of professionals ready to help.

Wix vs Shopify FAQs

Is it better to use Wix or Shopify?

From my experience using both, it really comes down to your goals. If you’re just getting started, want full visual control, and need a simple site that looks good fast, Wix is a solid option. It’s intuitive, has lots of free templates, and is great for creatives or service-based businesses.

But when it comes to building a serious online store, I’d personally choose Shopify every time. It’s built for eCommerce from the ground up. You get faster page speeds, better checkout, more advanced features, and way more flexibility to scale — whether that’s adding apps, selling internationally, or managing a large product catalog.

Is it worth switching from Wix to Shopify?

Yes, especially if your store is growing or you’ve hit limitations with Wix. Many merchants start on Wix because it’s fast and easy. But as order volume increases or you want more complex sales features (like subscriptions, wholesale pricing, international shipping, or advanced analytics), Wix starts to feel restrictive.

Shopify gives you more flexibility, better integrations, and tools designed to scale. Migrating takes some effort, but it often results in better performance, smoother checkout, and higher revenue. So if you're getting serious about eCommerce, switching is usually worth it.

Why not use Wix for eCommerce? 

From my experience, Wix is fine when you're just starting out or selling a few products. It's easy to use and looks good, but once you want to scale, it gets limiting fast. You’re capped on dropshipping products, the checkout isn’t as optimized, and the app options are pretty basic. I switched to Shopify because I needed more flexibility, better performance, and room to grow. If you're serious about eCommerce, Shopify just makes more sense.

What can Shopify do that Wix can't?

Shopify supports more advanced commerce features. It offers Shop Pay (the world’s fastest checkout), custom discount logic, B2B sales tools, and Shopify Markets for international growth. It also integrates deeply with POS systems, supports headless commerce, and has a larger ecosystem of professional-grade themes, apps, and partners — all focused on one thing: helping you sell more.