If you are ready to build a website for your business, it can be hard to determine what the best platform to start with may be. More often than not, the two options you will be faced with are Wix and WordPress. In this article, we will explore the differences between Wix and WordPress to help you determine which platform makes the most sense for your business.What Costs Are Associated.
What Costs Are Associated?
Depending on the size of your business and the initial budget you may have, it is important to familiarize yourself with the associated costs that may accompany each. In many cases, the costs between these different platforms will likely be the same; however, the functionality that you receive can be completely different. Let’s take a look at the pricing structure of these two options to see which provides more value.
Wix Costs:
You may be drawn in initially by the free version of Wix that includes a drag-and-drop website builder. Unfortunately, there are some major downsides that you will encounter if you plan on taking this route. The most prominent problem seen is that Wix will add their own branding in the form of advertising at the top and bottom of your website pages, hindering your branding and image. One other downside with using the free Wix plan is that you will be unable to use a custom domain name and your website will be hosted as a subdomain of the Wix website.
Removal of ads on the Wix platform will require the website owner to upgrade to a premium plan. These plans will also allow additional features that are available in the apps market but won’t allow for important add-ons like favicons or Google Analytics integration. Each Wix premium plan you will find has its own limitations and can vary in provide depending on the monthly or yearly option chosen. Currently, these plans can range from $4.50/month to $24.50/month; however, these prices are subject to change. VIEW THE CURRENT WIX PREMIUM PLANS
WordPress Costs:
As open-source software, WordPress has become incredibly popular over time because it remains FREE to anyone that wants to use it. One glaring difference that becomes apparent with this option is that you will be required to purchase your own domain name and web host in order to install the software. If you choose to partner with a budget hosting provider to get started, you may be able to get by at around $3 each month. Over time, it is likely that your needs will change, and you will be required to upgrade your plan to maintain functionality.
WordPress also provides its own managed hosting solutions like WP Engine which will cost $29 per month. If you decide to add a premium WordPress template or use paid plugins the start-up costs can also vary greatly. Take the time to browse the plugin database to see what free options are available before paying for a plugin to try and keep costs to minimum. The flexibility provided by WordPress makes it the most economical option of the two in the long run.