Shopify vs Wix: Which Is Better for Your Business?
Quick answer
Shopify is better if selling products is the core of your business: it allows unlimited products, includes abandoned checkout recovery and shipping labels, and connects online and in-person sales. Wix is better if you're mainly a service business or a brand that sells a modest catalog alongside a content-rich site, since its editor is more flexible.
Key takeaways
- Both start at $29 a month billed yearly for a plan that can sell online.
- Shopify Basic allows unlimited products; Wix Core allows up to 50,000.
- Shopify includes abandoned checkout recovery, shipping labels and shipping discounts on Basic.
- Wix gives you more design freedom and handles bookings and content pages more naturally.
- Using a non-Shopify payment provider adds a 2% fee on Shopify Basic.
In this article
If selling products is the heart of your business, choose Shopify. It's built around inventory, orders and shipping, and it grows with you. If you're a service business, or a brand whose website matters as much as its store, choose Wix. Its editor is more flexible, and its selling tools are enough for a modest catalog.
Here's how the two compare on the things that actually affect an online seller, using US pricing as of October 2026.
Shopify vs Wix at a glance
| Shopify Basic | Wix Core | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (billed yearly) | $29/month | $29/month |
| Product limit | Unlimited | Up to 50,000 |
| Online card rate | 2.9% + 30¢ with Shopify Payments | 2.9% + 30¢ (standard US rate) |
| Extra fee for other payment providers | 2% | Check current plan details |
| Abandoned checkout recovery | Included | Check current plan details |
| Shipping labels | Included, with discounts up to 87% | Basic shipping on Core; more on Business |
| In-person selling | Pop-ups and events included; POS Pro $89/mo per location | Check current options |
| Design flexibility | Theme-based | Drag-and-drop freedom |
Selling features
This is Shopify's home ground. Even the Basic plan includes unlimited products, abandoned checkout recovery, discount codes, gift cards, shipping label printing and up to 10 inventory locations. Those are the tools that help a store recover lost sales and ship efficiently, and you don't need extra apps for them.
Wix Core covers the essentials well: up to 50,000 products, inventory tracking, order management and automatic out-of-stock labels. Step up to the Business plan at $39 a month and you add automated sales tax on up to 100 transactions a month, selling in multiple currencies and better shipping and gift card options.
Winner: Shopify.
Design and content
Wix wins here. You can place any element exactly where you want it, which makes it easy to build rich landing pages, a portfolio, an events page or an about section with real personality. If your products sell because of the story around them, that freedom helps.
Shopify uses themes with structured sections. You can customize them, and they look clean, but making something unusual takes more effort or a developer. Its blog and page tools are fine, though they're clearly secondary to the store.
Winner: Wix.
Payments and fees
On card payments, the two are level: about 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction in the US. The difference is flexibility. On Basic, routing payments through any processor except Shopify Payments triggers an additional 2% charge from Shopify, stacked on that processor's fees. Most owners simply use Shopify Payments and avoid it.
Also budget for apps. Many Shopify stores add paid apps for reviews, subscriptions, upsells or marketing, and those monthly costs add up. Wix bundles more into its plans, though you trade away some depth.
Winner: tie, as long as you use Shopify Payments.
Selling in person
If you sell at markets, pop-ups or a shop as well as online, Shopify is the stronger choice. Casual in-person selling is included on Basic, and the POS Pro add-on, at $89 a month per location, turns it into a full retail system with online and in-store inventory in one place.
Winner: Shopify.
Bookings and services
Many small businesses sell both services and products, like a salon selling hair care, or a fitness coach selling programs and merchandise. Wix handles that mix naturally, with bookings, forms and a store in one editor. Doing the same on Shopify usually means adding a booking app.
Winner: Wix.
Room to grow
Shopify's app store, higher-tier plans and wide ecosystem of developers and agencies mean it can follow a business from its first sale to large volumes. Wix is perfectly capable for small and mid-sized stores, but if you expect to scale significantly, Shopify gives you more headroom without a platform switch.
Winner: Shopify.
Which should you choose?
| Your business | Better choice |
|---|---|
| Product brand shipping orders every day | Shopify |
| Selling online and at markets or a shop | Shopify |
| Service business selling a few products | Wix |
| Creative brand where the site's look matters most | Wix |
| Planning to grow into a large catalog | Shopify |
Both offer ways to try before paying, so build a small test store on each with three or four of your real products. Within an afternoon, you'll know which one feels like it was made for how you work.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify or Wix cheaper for an online store?
Their entry selling plans cost the same: $29 a month billed yearly for Shopify Basic and Wix Core. Card processing is about 2.9% + 30¢ online on both. Costs diverge with add-ons: Shopify stores often add paid apps, while Wix's Business plan at $39 adds features like multiple currencies.
Can Wix handle a large online store?
Wix Core lets you sell up to 50,000 products, which covers most small businesses. For very large catalogs, complex inventory across many locations or heavy order volume, Shopify's store tools and app ecosystem are usually a better fit.
Which is easier to use, Shopify or Wix?
Wix is easier for building pages because you can drag elements anywhere. Shopify is easier for running a store day to day, since products, orders, inventory and shipping are its core. Your answer depends on which of those you'll spend more time on.
Can I sell in person with Shopify or Wix?
Shopify supports casual in-person sales at pop-ups and events on its Basic plan, with a POS Pro add-on at $89 a month per location for full retail use. If in-person selling is a big part of your business, Shopify's point of sale is the stronger option.
Can I switch from Wix to Shopify later?
Yes, but plan for work. Product data can often be moved with export files or migration apps, while your design and pages will need to be rebuilt in Shopify. Moving earlier, before your catalog grows, is easier than moving later.
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