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WordPress vs Wix vs Shopify: Which Fits Your Business?
WordPress vs Wix vs Shopify is the first decision behind almost every new business website, and it is hard to undo later. Short answer: Wix is the easiest way to launch a simple site yourself, Shopify is the fastest way to run an online store selling internationally, and WordPress gives you the most control, ownership and room to grow. The right choice depends on what your website has to do, and for Georgian businesses, on how you take payments.
Below we compare all three on cost, fees, ownership, SEO, languages and payments, with clear rules for picking one.
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WordPress vs Wix vs Shopify: who uses what
WordPress is by far the most used platform. According to W3Techs (October 2026), it runs 39.6% of all websites, against 5.3% for Shopify and 4.2% for Wix. Popularity alone is not a reason to choose it, but it means more themes, plugins, developers and answers when something goes wrong.
The three platforms in plain words
- WordPress is free, open-source software. You rent hosting, install it and own every file and database row. With WooCommerce it becomes a full online store.
- Wix is a hosted drag-and-drop builder. You pay a monthly plan and build visually, but the site lives on Wix and cannot be moved to another host.
- Shopify is a hosted e-commerce platform built for selling: products, checkout, inventory and point of sale in one subscription.
What each platform really costs
| WordPress | Wix | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software | Free | Included in plan | Included in plan |
| Monthly plan or hosting | About $3–$30 hosting | $17–$159 (yearly billing) | $29–$299 (yearly billing) |
| Selling online | WooCommerce, free | Core plan and higher | All plans |
| Extra platform transaction fee | None | None | 2% / 1% / 0.6% without Shopify Payments |
| Domain | About $10–$20 a year | Free first year on paid plans | Bought separately or via Shopify |
Shopify’s plans start at $29 a month on yearly billing ($39 monthly). The catch for many countries is the extra fee when you use a third-party payment gateway: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced, on top of what your gateway charges. Wix plans start at about $17 a month, but the cheapest plan cannot take payments. WordPress itself is free; you pay for hosting, a domain and any premium theme or plugin. We break the full budget down in how much a business website costs.
Ownership, SEO and flexibility
- Ownership: with WordPress you can move your site to any host at any time. Wix and Shopify are rented platforms; Shopify lets you export products and customers, but not the site itself.
- SEO control: all three cover the basics. WordPress adds full control over URLs, schema, speed and hosting, with plugins such as Rank Math. Wix and Shopify work well within their own limits.
- Integrations: WordPress connects to almost anything through plugins and APIs, which matters when you want your website talking to a CRM, a Telegram bot or a booking system.
- Maintenance: Wix and Shopify handle updates and security for you. WordPress needs updates, backups and monitoring, which is why many businesses use a care plan.
Multilingual sites and payments in Georgia
For Georgian businesses, two questions often decide the choice:
- Payments: Shopify Payments is not available in Georgia, so a Georgian Shopify store always pays the extra third-party fee, and there is no native TBC or Bank of Georgia integration. Wix supports Flitt and UniPAY in GEL. WordPress with WooCommerce works with Georgian bank gateways and installment plans through plugins; Bank of Georgia’s own developer docs point to WooCommerce plugins.
- Languages: WordPress handles Georgian and English sites well with Polylang or WPML, including proper hreflang tags. Wix and Shopify offer translation tools, but Georgian support is less clear.
Which platform should you choose?
- Choose Wix for a simple brochure or portfolio site you want to build and edit yourself, on a small budget.
- Choose Shopify for a product-focused store that sells internationally with Stripe-style gateways or PayPal, and you want a managed platform.
- Choose WordPress when you need a bilingual site, Georgian bank payments or installments, SEO and content growth, or custom features such as calculators, CRM or bot integrations.
In the WordPress vs Wix vs Shopify debate there is no universal winner, only the right fit for your goals. If your website is a sales channel you plan to grow, WordPress usually wins on the long run. That is why our web development projects are built on WordPress, starting from $1,000, with SEO, speed and analytics set up from day one.
Not sure which fits your case? Tell us what you sell and how you take payments, and we will recommend a platform before you spend a cent.
Is WordPress better than Wix for SEO?
WordPress gives more control over URLs, schema, speed and hosting, which helps on competitive keywords. Wix covers SEO basics well, so for a simple local site the difference is smaller.
Is Shopify better than WordPress for e-commerce?
Shopify is faster to launch and easier to maintain. WordPress with WooCommerce is more flexible and has no platform transaction fee, which matters in countries without Shopify Payments.
Which is cheaper: Wix, Shopify or WordPress?
WordPress software is free and hosting starts at a few dollars a month, but setup and maintenance cost time or money. Wix starts at about $17 a month and Shopify at $29 a month on yearly billing.
Is Shopify Payments available in Georgia?
No. Georgia is not on Shopify Payments’ supported countries list, so stores use third-party gateways and pay Shopify’s extra fee of 0.6% to 2%.
How do I accept TBC or Bank of Georgia payments on my website?
The most common route is WordPress with WooCommerce and a payment plugin for TBC or Bank of Georgia, including installment plans. Wix supports Flitt and UniPAY in GEL.
Can I move my site from Wix to WordPress later?
Yes, but it is a rebuild rather than a transfer: content can be copied, while design and features have to be recreated. Plan redirects so you keep your search rankings.