Shopify vs Wix
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Which is better, Shopify or Wix?
It depends on what you need it to do. Pick Shopify if you sell physical products at volume and need serious shipping, inventory and a large app ecosystem. Pick Wix if you want a polished site you can fine-tune by hand on a platform that's been around for nearly 20 years. On our rubric Shopify scores 6.0 to 5.8, mainly because it covers 5 of the 10 jobs we track to Wix's 6. Shopify is cheaper to start, at $5 a month against $17 for Wix, as of November 2026.
Shopify6.0
Choose Shopify if you sell physical products at volume and need serious shipping, inventory and a large app ecosystem.
Visit ShopifyScores side by side
| Criterion | Shopify | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomy (30%) | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Coverage (25%) | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Ease of use (15%) | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| Value (15%) | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| Trust (15%) | 7.0 | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 | 5.8 |
What each one does
| Job | Shopify | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps working after setup | ||
| Builds the website | ||
| Takes payments | ||
| Email (inbox or marketing) | ||
| Posts to social media | ||
| Runs paid ads | ||
| Answers and makes phone calls | ||
| Forms your LLC | ||
| Custom domain | ||
| API or MCP access |
Price, fees and fine print
| Shopify | Wix | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | AI store builder | AI website builder |
| Our rank | #8 | #10 |
| Starting price | From $5/mo | From $17/mo |
| Free plan | No. 3-day free trial, then $1/mo for 3 months | Yes: Wix branding and subdomain, no payments |
| Fees on your sales | 2% (Basic) to 0.2% (Plus) extra if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, plus card fees | Wix Payments processing fees; extra fees on subscription plans on lower tiers |
| Refunds | No refunds on subscription fees, per Shopify's terms | 14-day money-back guarantee on your first premium plan |
| Best for | Product sellers who want the strongest commerce engine with AI help on top. | Owners who want AI speed plus full manual control and a mature platform. |
Prices, free plans, fees and refund terms as of November 2026, from each company's own site. US dollars before tax.
Shopify: pros and cons
- Best-in-class checkout, payments, shipping and tax
- Sidekick can chain real admin actions by chat
- Sells inside AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity
- Scales from first sale to enterprise
- AI acts when asked; it doesn't run the business on its own
- Extra fee if you don't use Shopify Payments
- Paid apps and themes add up quickly
- Overkill for service businesses
Wix: pros and cons
- Mature store, bookings, email and social tools
- Switch between AI prompts and manual editing
- Free plan and a 14-day refund window
- MCP server for building with AI assistants
- The AI doesn't keep working after setup
- Monthly billing costs noticeably more than the annual prices
- The cheapest paid plan can't take payments
- Harmony doesn't support custom code
Shopify vs Wix: questions
Is Shopify better than Wix?
On our rubric, Shopify scores higher (6.0 vs 5.8 out of 10). Wix is still the better pick if you want a polished site you can fine-tune by hand on a platform that's been around for nearly 20 years.
Which is cheaper, Shopify or Wix?
Shopify has the lower starting price (from $5/mo vs from $17/mo, as of November 2026). Compare fees on your sales too: Shopify: 2% (Basic) to 0.2% (Plus) extra if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, plus card fees; Wix: Wix Payments processing fees; extra fees on subscription plans on lower tiers.
Can Shopify and Wix both run my business on autopilot?
Shopify: partly, for some tasks. Wix: no, it stops once you've built what you asked for.