From themes to editors. The two most popular site builders have crucial differences.
★★★★★
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#1 Introduction
Hey there, friendly stranger!
Having doubts about Elementor vs Wix?
I get you! It’s a choice many people have doubts about. And I’m here to help you understand the differences, so you can make the choice that’s best for you!
You found the right page. I’ve built and analyzed over 300 websites built with Elementor and Wix and I’m here to share my experiences with you.
My work is supported by affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Elementor vs Wix at a glance
1. Two most popular WordPress website builders
Elementor and Wix are the 2 very popular website builders on the market. Combined they have over 6.5 million websites up and running.
2. Aggressive feature releases
Both Elementor and Wix have been releasing new features at the speed of light. It’s clear that they’re going head to head to become the most popular website builder. That being said, when one of them releases a popular feature, it won’t be long until the other released it as well.
3. Main difference between Elementor and Wix
Elementor offers an annual subscription that starts at $59, without hosting. Wix has a monthly recurring fee starting at $13 per month for one website including hosting.
4. Incredible templates
Elementor has over 100 designer-made page layouts while Wix has over 800. That being said, I’m sure you’ll find a beautiful one with both of them!
5. Disadvantages Elementor ❌
- It’s impossible to get custom solutions from support
- 3rd party plugins could cause issues
- The block library isn’t amazing
6. Disadvantages Wix ❌
- It’s impossible to get custom solutions from support
- They don’t offer a one-time pricing
- The customer support isn’t amazing
- Here are my favorite Elementor website examples
- Here are my favorite Wix website examples
#2 How to install Elementor or Wix
Installing Elementor or Wix is actually super easy! Just follow my steps, and you’ll have everything set up in less than 5 minutes. Pinky promise!
I split it up into 2 phases. Step 1 is just for Elementor, as Wix includes free hosting.
Phase 1: Get hosting
Phase 2: Install Elementor or Wix
So let’s start with phase 1. Get Hosting.
I assume you want your website to be visited by thousands of people around the world.
That’s why you need to publish your website on the world wide web.
You can do this by getting a hosting company to publish your website. Over the past 5 years, I’ve tried dozens of hosting companies.
Why did I switch that much? Because many of them suck.
Many web hosting companies are only after your money and don’t care if your website gets hacked or has bugs. Sure, they’ll look into it – for a few hundred bucks.
But one of them caught my attention.
I’ve experienced this web hosting company to be extremely helpful. They have 24/7 support which helps you with basically everything. Alongside, they’re cheap too!
The best part? It has a one-click WordPress install, so you’ll be live within 5 minutes.
Follow these 4 steps to set up your hosting account:
Step 1: Open the website of Bluehost and click ‘get started’
I arranged a nice 50% discount for your entire hosting plan.
Step 2: Select your hosting plan
Depending on how many websites you’re planning to host, you can select your plan. If you only need to build 1 website, you can select the cheapest one.
Step 3: Find an available domain name
Here comes the fun part. Play around with the domain name checker and find one that’s available. Click ‘next’ if you found one.
Step 4: Enter your details and confirm the payment
Now you’ve registered with Bluehost, it’s time to install Wordpress. Luckily for you, this is the easiest part. Bluehost offers a one-click install for Wordpress.
Here’s what you need to do:
In the control panel on your left side, click ‘My Sites’.
From here you can launch your Wordpress website by clicking on ‘Create site by Wordpress’.
That’s it. It’s dead easy.
Now you’ve registered your WordPress website it’s time to install Elementor or Wix. I’ll start by explaining how you can install Elementor, and then I’ll explain how to install Wix below.
Phase 2 – How To Install Elementor
Step 1: Go to the website of Elementor and click on ‘Get Started’
Step 2: Select the plan which fits your needs
I would recommend taking the Essential Plan if you’re starting with 1 website.
Step 3: Fill in the payment details
Step 4: Log in to your account and go to downloads
Now you’ve downloaded Elementor it’s time to upload it to WordPress.
Uploading a theme is very simple. Here’s what you got to do:
Step 5: Go to your WordPress dashboard
Step 6: On the left side, click on ‘appearance’, and then on ‘themes’
Step 7: Click on ‘add new’ and go to ‘upload theme’
Now select your Elementor file and submit it.
Step 8: Click ‘activate theme’
That’s it. Elementor is installed!
Now I’ll repeat the same process for Wix.
Phase 2 – How To Install Wix
Step 1: Go to the website of Wix and click on start now
Step 2: Sign up for a free account
Step 3: Choose a template or let Wix build one for you
Choose your favorite template and build your site with our Editor or answer a few questions and let us create the perfect site for you.
#3 Templates
Both Elementor and Wix have outstanding templates.
First I’ll share some Elementor templates, then I’ll continue with some Wix Templates.
Although you and I might have a different opinion on what looks good and what looks bad – I’m sure you’ll like a couple of Elementor’s designs.
Here are a couple of Elementor templates:
Elementor template 1 – Design Portfolio Template
Elementor template 2 – Hair & Beauty Template
Elementor template 3 – Japanese Restaurant Template
Things you should know about Elementor Templates
A few important notes:
All templates are responsive
- All templates are responsive, which means they will fit any browser on any device. They are 100% mobile-friendly.
- All templates can be customized to the maximum. There are no limitations. You can adjust any Elementor template to whatever you like
- Great images will improve any template. Web design nowadays is highly affected by great images. You can find great stock images for free using Unsplash or Pexels to improve your design.
Let’s continue with some amazing Wix templates.
Wix users have access to hundreds of different templates to choose from. They are divided into numerous categories based on the niches or types of internet sites they are intended for. These categories are super-specific so choosing what is right for you should be easy.
Just replace the placeholder content with your own and that’s it, you got a website. You can adjust elements to make them just the way you like it.
In fact, click here if you want to see the other 800 Wix templates.
Wix template 1 – Johnson
Wix template 2 – Vista
Wix template 3 – CKP
Things you should know about Wix Templates
A few important notes:
- There are no limitations. You can adjust any Wix template to whatever you like.
- Wix has one of the most unique, wide-ranging, and fully customizable theme selections on the market, with over 700 high-quality themes to choose from.
#4 The Editor
It’s tough to compare the user interface of Elementor and Wix, as it’s highly dependent on personal preferences.
There will be tons of people who think that Elementor clearly has a better editor. But then again, others will say Wix wins.
I’ll start by explaining how you can edit pages in Elementor. Then I’ll do the same for Wix.
The Elementor Editor compared to Wix
The Elementor visual builder allows you to customize everything.
When you view your website you can enter the visual builder with just one click which enables you to work on your website and the different structural parts. If you exit this editor, you will be sent to a live view of the page you were working on.
On the left side, you’ll see an overview of all available features. On the right side, you’ll find the live preview
The Wix editor compared to Elementor
The Wix editor is similar to Elementor at first glance, however, it’s a bit less fully featured.
The editor is arranged in 3 sections: a sidebar, a topbar, and the canvas. You can choose different elements to use on your website from the sidebar. The top bar has your settings and allows you to preview different devices. The canvas is the place where you work on your website. You drag elements from the sidebar into the canvas to add them to your website.
For example, to add a button to the website you click on the plus sign in the sidebar. Select the button and drag it into the canvas. To edit the appearance simply use the edit menu that appears above the element.
Both Elementor and Wix allow inline editing. This means you can simply start typing and instantly see it on your screen.
That being said, Elementor has just a little bit more options than Wix on this one.
Both Elementor and Wix have great features like:
- Undo
- Copy
- Paste
- Set back to an older version
So. in that sense, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between both site builders.
The editor I prefer the most, however, is Elementor. Then again, that’s very subjective, and you might prefer Wix.
#5 Ease of Use
Are you able to use Microsoft Word or Google Docs? Great.
Then you’ll be fine with both Elementor and Wix. I’m not exaggerating.
The best way to describe these site builders is intuitive.
Everything is thoughtful and clear. The interface is never overwhelming.
Although I don’t have any proof, I’m sure the youngest user is probably around 8 years old. And the oldest around.. 80?
I mean, I’m not sure. But it’s just so super easy to use.
Elementor
Because Elementor works with WordPress, ELementor users get all the features of WordPress of their CMS but with none of the disadvantages. Zero coding! There are a lot of options here so sometimes it can be overwhelming. Nothing a quick googling can’t fix though!
Wix
Wix is a website builder geared for beginners that allows users to construct websites without having to know any code. Anyone may take charge of the construction process and develop a website of any sort from the ground up in their spare time.
Furthermore, customers may choose a package that already includes a name and hosting, eliminating the need to maintain or purchase these items independently.
One downside, however, once you choose a template and edit it to your liking, it’s not easy to change to a different template. In fact, it means you have to start over.
#6 Ecommerce
Can you use Elementor or Wix for ecommerce?
Yes, actually, they’re both perfect for it. Let me show you why.
Let’s start with Elementor.
When it comes to building the shop, some people might prefer Elementor because it’s easy to integrate with Woocommerce.
After you’ve installed Woocommerce, you can easily add products to your store:
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Elementor > My Templates.
- Click on the Add New button.
- Choose Single Product as your template type and click Create Template.
- The Elementor Library will load.
Build Product Layouts with Elementor WooCommerce Modules
Enjoy full control over the design of your product pages with custom WooCommerce Modules that allow you to create and control any individual WooCommerce element anywhere on your website.
Decide what shows up on your product listings, move things around and even mix WooCommerce modules with standard Elementor modules to create just about anything. Elementor takes WooCommerce to the next level.
Wix
Wix is a great option for eCommerce as well. In fact, three of Wix’s eight premium plans include fully integrated eCommerce functionality.
For as little as $25 a month, you can have all of the tools you need to sell online, including the essentials like taking online payments and extras like automatic sales tax and currency conversion.
Wix’s eCommerce tools are rather sophisticated. However, they fall short of the capabilities of rival specialized eCommerce website builders like Shopify.
Wix’s eCommerce plans are mostly intended for customers who want a website that is capable of selling a few things here and there on the side. It is not advised for use in full-fledged internet businesses.
Concluding: Both Elementor and Wix are perfect for Ecommerce. Both of them have great modules that allow you to create amazing shop pages.
#7 Features
Both Elementor and Wix have a lot of features. Honestly, I can’t think of any features I would like to add to either one of them.
However, I can imagine you want to know more about what features are included. So here we go.
Blogging
Let’s be honest, WordPress based builders such as Elementor are perfect for blogging. It’s great for SEO and has all the features you need to build a successful blog:
- Text blocks
- Image blocks
- Video blocks
- Email options
- … and so much more
I’ve built several blogs which have over 1 million annual visitors – all built with Elementor.
One thing I especially like about Elementor is the popup builder.
Have a look at the website of Elementor, and try it yourself.
Wix
Now let’s continue with Wix.
Wix is an all-in-one platform that offers three different methods to create websites: Wix Artificial Design Intelligence, Wix Editor, and Wix Velo.
The ADI creates a customized website for you in real-time based on your responses to questions. This is a super cool feature that creates a website for you using AI. You get a couple of questions and that’s it Wix’s AI builds you a website. Amazing right?
The Editor is an intuitive drag-and-drop interface with various possibilities for each element, hundreds of templates (plus more from the community), video backdrops, parallax, and other features – all fully adjustable – are all included in the editor.
Velo is a tool that allows users to create more complex websites. It is a more complex interface though, more for the tech-savvy crowd.
All Wix sites are hosted on their servers and contain features such as security, backups, search engine optimization, domain names, and other features. Apps from the app store might help you to customize your website.
Among the many features available is the ability to edit photos and logos, create pages that are password-protected, embed HTML, utilize stock photos, manage your online store, monitor statistics, utilize financial tools, and receive your own private mailbox.
#8 Pricing
Let’s talk about pricing. This might be the variable that could help you choose between Elementor and Wix.
In my opinion, Elementor is the clear winner here. Let me explain.
Elementor Pricing
If you decide to purchase the full version of Elementor, you’ll have a 30-day money-back guarantee, with no questions asked.
Elementor’s pricing strategy is quite a bit different from Wix.
Elementor has various pricing options:
- 1 website for $59 per year
- 3 websites for $99 per year
- 25 websites for $199 per year
- 1000 websites for $399 per year
Wix Pricing
Prices on Wix work a bit differently. They have multiple tiers with each tier to offer more functionalities. You pick from a variety of different plans based on the project’s requirements.
The best part about the pricing of Wix? It all comes with a free domain and a free SSL certificate.
Here are the four baseline plans as of 2024.
- Connect Domain – $4.50 per month
- Combo – $8.50 per month
- Unlimited – $12.50 per month
- VIP – $24.50 per month
#9 SEO
I’m going to keep this short. Both of them are great for SEO.
I’ve seen multiple Elementor websites rank on the number one spot in Google for very high competitive keywords.
That being said, the same goes for Wix. I’ve seen several big Wix websites with millions of visitors per month, all because of SEO.
#10 Domains & Emails
As many website builders provide a free email, I wanted to cover this in my Elementor vs Wix review as well.
That being said, I can be short. Wix offers a free domain and a free email. Elementor doesn’t.
Elementor however, has a clever solution. In fact, Bluehost, the hosting I recommend for your Elementor website, does offer you a free domain and email address.
Just scroll back to the ‘How to Install‘ section to sign up for your Bluehost account.
#11 Examples
- Here is a collection of my favorite 50+ Elementor websites
- Here is a collection of my favorite 50+ Wix websites
Definitely have a look at both these collections to get a better understanding of what’s possible with each site builder.
In this review, however, I’ll share 2 special examples.
Let’s start with my favorite Elementor website.
It’s the website of Elementor itself. It has great animations and feels incredibly smooth as you scroll down. Have a look and see what’s possible.
To be fair, Wix nailed their own website as well. Let’s have a look.
#12 Customer Support
Do you care a lot about great customer support? If yes, Elementor might be a pass for you. If you visit, Trustpilot, you will witness a repetition of people complaining about the lack of customer support.
On the other hand, Wix’s customer support is something you’d like. Have a look at its Trust Pilot profile. It has 19,191 reviews with an average of 4.6. If you read the comments, you’ll see a repetition of people praising Wix’s support.
#13 Conclusion
In the end, I recommend Elementor over Wix. Here’s how I would summarize it:
- Elementor offers more flexibility. Since it’s WordPress-based, you’ll. be able to benefit from thousands of free plugins.
- Elementor is cheaper. You can get licenses for up to 1000 websites that are still very affordable.
It’s worth mentioning that this doesn’t mean Wix is bad. It’s more about how good Elementor is.
I hope you found this comparison helpful – thanks for reading until the end!
#14 FAQ
Which is faster, Elementor or Wix?
Both of these themes are really fast. In fact, they’re doing speed updates continuously. It depends on the website you build. Try to use lightweight images to keep your website fast.
Is Elementor better than Wix?
Not necessarily, it’s just that I prefer Elementor based on pricing and flexibility.
Elementor is a wonderful choice for individuals and businesses who wish to use a drag and drop structural system for WordPress while maintaining complete control over every feature and having the ability to select their own hosting.
Wix offers an easy-to-use website builder as well as a variety of hosting solutions. It’s an excellent alternative for anyone who wants to develop a website with an all-in-one solution.
What is the difference between Elementor and WordPress?
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) that allows you to manage your website.
The Elementor theme is a layer that you put on top of your WordPress website which enables you to create a good-looking design.