Should I use Shopify or Wix?

Use Shopify if e-commerce is the primary purpose of your site and you want multichannel selling and a large app ecosystem; use Wix if you want a free published site to start or a general-purpose builder with e-commerce as one feature.

Is Shopify cheaper than Wix?

No — Wix has a free plan and paid tiers starting around $17/month, while Shopify has no free tier and starts at $39/month.

Does Shopify have a free plan?

No — Shopify offers only a 3-day free trial followed by $1/month for 3 months; there's no permanent free tier.

Is Wix's free plan good enough for a real business?

Wix's free plan publishes a genuinely live site, not just a trial, but it keeps Wix branding and ads on a wix.com subdomain, which most businesses outgrow quickly.

Shopify vs Wix (2026)

By Noahlast updated September 14, 2026

Verdict: Choose Shopify if selling products is the primary purpose of your site and you need multichannel commerce across social, marketplaces, and in-person POS. Choose Wix if you want a genuinely free published site to start, or an AI-assisted general-purpose site builder where e-commerce is one feature among many. The deciding factor is free-tier availability and commerce depth: Wix publishes a live site for $0 while Shopify has no free tier at all, but Shopify's checkout and 21,000+ app ecosystem are built specifically around selling.

Shopify

All-in-one e-commerce platform for building and running online stores, from $39/month with a 3-day free trial.

Pricing: From $39/mo
License: Paid
Best for: solo entrepreneurs and growing merchants who want an all-in-one hosted platform for building an online store, accepting payments, and selling across multiple channels without managing their own hosting

4.5/5 on Capterra (6,707 reviews)

Details shopify.com

Wix

A drag-and-drop website builder with a free ad-supported plan and paid tiers from about $17/month billed annually for a custom domain and e-commerce.

Pricing: Free tier · paid from $17/mo
License: Freemium
Best for: small businesses and freelancers who want an AI-assisted site builder with a genuinely free published-site option before committing to a paid plan

4.4/5 on Capterra (10,760 reviews)

Details wix.com

Choose Shopify if…

Selling products online is the primary purpose of your site, not a secondary feature
You need multichannel selling across social platforms, marketplaces, and in-person point-of-sale from one system
You want access to a 21,000+ app ecosystem for extending store functionality without custom development
You're planning to scale into a large, complex, high-volume operation that could eventually need Shopify Plus
You want a high-converting, purpose-built checkout (Shop Pay) rather than a general-purpose site builder's e-commerce add-on

Choose Wix if…

You want a genuinely free published site to start, not just a trial, even with Wix branding and ads
A general-purpose site (portfolio, booking, blog) is your goal, with e-commerce as one feature among several
You want an AI-assisted site generator (ADI) to create a starter site from a short questionnaire
You want the lowest paid entry price between the two — Wix Light starts around $17/month versus Shopify's $39/month
You want a large first- and third-party app marketplace (Wix App Market) for booking, forms, and chat, not just commerce extensions

Shopify vs Wix: feature comparison

Feature	Shopify	Wix
Starting price	Yesfrom $39/mo (Basic), $29/mo billed annually	Yesfree plan; Light from ~$17/mo billed annually
Free tier	No3-day trial then $1/mo for 3 months	Yesfree published site with Wix branding and ads
Platforms	Yesweb, iOS, Android	Yesweb, iOS, Android
License	Nopaid, closed-source	Nofreemium, closed-source
Primary focus	Yese-commerce-first platform	Partialgeneral-purpose site builder with e-commerce added at Business tier ($39/mo) and above
App/extension ecosystem	Yes21,000+ apps in the Shopify App Store	YesWix App Market covers booking, forms, chat, and marketing tools
Multichannel selling (social, marketplaces, POS)	Yesbuilt in across social, marketplaces, and in-person POS	Unknownnot described beyond Wix Stores e-commerce
AI-assisted site generation	PartialAI-assisted design tools within the theme builder	YesADI generates a starter site from a short questionnaire
Staff accounts	Yesup to 5 (Grow, $105/mo), up to 15 (Advanced, $399/mo), unlimited (Plus)	Unknown
Top-tier pricing	YesPlus from $2,300/mo for complex, high-volume businesses	YesBusiness Elite $159/mo billed annually
Template switching after launch	Unknown	Norequires rebuilding the site from scratch
Free-plan branding/ads	Unknownno free plan exists	Nofree-plan sites carry Wix branding and ads on a wix.com subdomain
Custom templating language	YesShopify's proprietary Liquid	Unknown
External rating (Capterra)	Yes4.5/5 from 6,707 reviews	Yes4.4/5 from 10,760 reviews
Learning curve	Yesmoderate	Yeslow

Shopify vs Wix pricing: which costs less?

Wix costs less to start, with a genuinely free published site versus Shopify's lack of any free tier, but Shopify's paid plans are built entirely around selling rather than general site-building.

Wix's free plan publishes a live site on a wix.com subdomain with Wix branding and ads; its Light paid tier starts around $17/month billed annually. Shopify has no free tier at all, only a 3-day trial followed by $1/month for 3 months, then $39/month for Basic. For merchants specifically, the two aren't apples-to-apples: Wix's e-commerce features unlock at Business tier ($39/month), roughly matching Shopify's Basic price, but without Shopify's multichannel selling or app ecosystem depth.

Which is easier to use, Shopify or Wix?

Wix is easier to use, rated with a low learning curve, while Shopify carries a moderate learning curve, especially for customization beyond templates.

Wix's drag-and-drop editor and AI-assisted ADI site generator are designed for non-technical users building a general site. Shopify's storefront customization beyond prebuilt themes requires learning Liquid, Shopify's proprietary templating language, a steeper step aimed at merchants who expect to configure a store deeply.

Can Wix replace Shopify for a serious online store?

Wix can replace Shopify for smaller stores that don't need Shopify's app ecosystem or multichannel selling, but it lacks Shopify's scale features.

Wix Stores provides built-in e-commerce on Business-tier plans and above, extendable through the Wix App Market. It has no equivalent to Shopify's 21,000+ app ecosystem, its dedicated Shop Pay checkout, or its Plus tier supporting up to 200 POS locations for large, complex operations.

Does Wix or Shopify let you change templates after launch?

Neither does easily — Wix explicitly does not allow switching templates after a site is published without rebuilding from scratch, and the bundle data doesn't describe Shopify offering this either.

Strengths and weaknesses

Shopify

Pros

Quick to launch an online store without managing hosting or server infrastructure.
Reliable, high-converting built-in checkout (Shop Pay) and payment processing.
Large app ecosystem (21,000+ apps) for extending functionality without custom development.
Multichannel selling built in across social platforms, marketplaces, and in-person POS.

Cons

Third-party apps and premium themes add up quickly beyond the base subscription price.
Non-Shopify Payments processors incur extra transaction fees on every plan.
Customizing beyond templates requires learning Shopify's proprietary Liquid templating language.
Plus tier jumps to $2,300+/month, a large gap from Advanced's $399/month.

Wix

Pros

Genuinely free plan publishes a live site, not just a builder trial, though with Wix branding and ads.
Drag-and-drop editor allows freeform element placement, more flexible than fixed-section builders.
AI-assisted site generator (ADI) creates a starter site from a short questionnaire, useful for fast first drafts.
Wix App Market extends functionality without custom code for booking, forms, chat, and marketing.

Cons

Templates cannot be swapped after a site is published without rebuilding the entire layout.
Free-plan sites carry Wix branding and ads and publish on a wix.com subdomain, not a custom domain.
Business Elite jumps to $159/month billed annually, a steep increase from Business at $39/month for stores that need just one advanced feature.
Site performance and page speed lag behind custom-built or more code-flexible platforms as site complexity grows.

Which fits your use case?

Use case	Pick	Why
Merchant whose site exists primarily to sell products	Shopify	Shopify is built e-commerce-first with multichannel selling and a high-converting checkout; Wix treats e-commerce as one feature of a general site builder.
Freelancer or hobbyist wanting a free published site before committing to any paid plan	Wix	Wix's free plan publishes a live site at $0, while Shopify has no free tier, only a time-limited trial.
Growing merchant that expects to eventually need a large app ecosystem for custom functionality	Shopify	Shopify's 21,000+ app ecosystem is larger in scope for commerce-specific extensions than the general-purpose Wix App Market.
Small business wanting an AI-generated starter site from a short questionnaire	Wix	Wix's ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) generates a starter site from a questionnaire; Shopify's AI tools are more narrowly scoped to store operations.
Business planning to sell through in-person POS at multiple locations	Shopify	Shopify Plus supports up to 200 POS locations; Wix's e-commerce data doesn't describe multi-location POS capability.

Neither a match?

Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.

5 alternatives to Shopify 5 alternatives to Wix

Popular comparisons

Shopify vs Wix: migration FAQ

Should I use Shopify or Wix?: Use Shopify if e-commerce is the primary purpose of your site and you want multichannel selling and a large app ecosystem; use Wix if you want a free published site to start or a general-purpose builder with e-commerce as one feature.
Is Shopify cheaper than Wix?: No — Wix has a free plan and paid tiers starting around $17/month, while Shopify has no free tier and starts at $39/month.
Can Wix replace Shopify?: Yes for smaller stores that don't need a large app ecosystem or multichannel selling, but Wix lacks Shopify's 21,000+ app marketplace and dedicated Shop Pay checkout.
Does Shopify have a free plan?: No — Shopify offers only a 3-day free trial followed by $1/month for 3 months; there's no permanent free tier.
Is Wix's free plan good enough for a real business?: Wix's free plan publishes a genuinely live site, not just a trial, but it keeps Wix branding and ads on a wix.com subdomain, which most businesses outgrow quickly.