Wix vs Shopify: website with a shop, or a shop with a website?

Shopify is a commerce platform that also makes websites. Wix is a website builder that also sells. If the shop is the business, that ordering matters more than any single feature.

Sign up free: 3 template sites on a we.inc address. AI building from $20/mo.

Shopify or Wix for an online store

Choose Shopify when selling is the main job: a growing catalogue, several sales channels, staff, or in-person sales at a counter. Its yearly prices are Basic $19, Grow $49 and Advanced $299 a month, or $25, $65 and $399 month to month, with Plus from $2,300. New stores get 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months.

Choose Wix when the store is one part of a wider site that also needs bookings, a blog or event pages. Wix's first plan that accepts payments is Core at $29 a month on yearly billing, with Business at $39 and Business Elite at $159 adding standard and advanced eCommerce.

For a small catalogue with simple checkout, We.Inc is a lighter option: it builds the site from a chat description and its Store panel takes payments through your own Stripe account. Templates are free for up to 3 sites; AI building starts at $20 a month.

Selling costs and store tools compared

WixShopifyWe.Inc
Trial or free tier$0 plan, but payments need Core3 days free, then $1/mo for 3 monthsFree: 3 template sites, no AI
Cheapest plan that sellsCore, $29/mo yearlyBasic, $19/mo yearly ($25 monthly)Starter, $20/mo
Higher tiersBusiness $39, Business Elite $159Grow $49, Advanced $299, Plus from $2,300Pro $49, Max $99
Staff accounts2 to 100 site collaborators by planGrow 5, Advanced 15, Plus unlimitedCollaborators on projects
In-person salesNot compared hereIncluded; POS Pro add-on $89/mo per locationNot built in
Product data outProducts as CSVProducts and inventory as CSVWhole project as a ZIP; GitHub push on Max

Prices as of October 2026 from each vendor's pricing page (linked in sources), US dollars per month; Shopify shows yearly and monthly rates, Wix shows yearly rates that vary by location.

Pros and cons

Wix

Best for: Service businesses that sell some products alongside bookings, events or a blog

Price: Free plan without payments; paid yearly at $17 Light, $29 Core, $39 Business and $159 Business Elite per month (October 2026 list; regional prices vary)

Pros: Scheduling and services come in the same plan as the store; Generous storage: 50 GB on Core and 100 GB on Business; One editor for the whole site, shop pages included

Cons: Light cannot take payments, so the true store entry point is $29; Fewer commerce-specific tools than a dedicated platform like Shopify

Shopify

Best for: Merchants for whom the store is the business, online and in person

Price: Basic $19, Grow $49, Advanced $299 per month billed yearly ($25, $65, $399 monthly); Plus from $2,300 a month (October 2026)

Pros: Cheapest selling plan of the two, at $19 a month yearly; Sell on social channels, marketplaces and in person from one admin; Up to 10 inventory locations on standard plans and 200 on Plus

Cons: Extra transaction fees apply if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments; Apps for features outside commerce can add monthly costs

We.Inc

Best for: A small seller who wants a custom-looking site and a short product list without a commerce platform's overhead

Price: Free plan: up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, no AI. AI building from $20/mo (Starter, 250 credits). Pro $49/mo, Max $99/mo.

Pros: Payments land straight in your own Stripe account; Variants, digital downloads, shipping rates and discount codes are in the Store panel; Paid plans include unlimited sites

Cons: Store tools are simpler than Shopify's, with no point-of-sale; A smaller ecosystem of add-ons than either rival

Where the commerce depth really differs

Shopify's plans are organised around running a store: staff accounts rise from Basic to Grow's 5 and Advanced's 15, live third-party shipping rates arrive on Advanced, and every plan lists selling on social channels, marketplaces and AI chats. In-person sales at pop-ups are included, and a POS Pro add-on at $89 a month per location covers a full shop counter.

Wix's plans page describes its store in three levels: basic eCommerce on Core, standard on Business and advanced on Business Elite. Those tiers sit beside scheduling, a marketing suite and storage, which is why Wix often makes more sense for a salon, studio or consultant than for a pure retailer.

Payment fees to check before you commit

Shopify's pricing FAQ says third-party transaction fees may apply when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, and that the rate depends on your plan. Card processing rates also vary by plan in the US. Read the fee table at checkout for your country, since it can outweigh the plan price for a busy store.

Wix did not list transaction fees on its plans page when we checked, so confirm checkout terms in your region. We.Inc takes payments through your own Stripe account, so you pay Stripe's normal processing fees on each sale.

Three years of selling on each

At yearly list prices, Shopify Basic comes to $684 over three years and Wix Core to $1,044, before payment processing, apps, themes or a domain. Shopify's introductory $1 months lower the first year slightly. A store that grows into Shopify Grow pays $1,764 over three years; Wix Business is $1,404 for the same period.

Pick Shopify when

You expect hundreds of products, multiple staff, inventory across several locations, or sales in a physical shop. You want to sell on marketplaces and social channels from one place. You plan to scale up to Plus one day and want a platform built for that path.

Pick Wix when

Products are a side line next to services, classes or bookings. You want a site with lots of content pages and a modest shop under one design. You would rather start free and add selling later by upgrading to Core.

Moving a store between Wix and Shopify

Shopify's help center explains that products are exported from the Products page in the admin as a UTF-8 CSV file, and inventory has its own CSV export. Wix's help center describes exporting store products and up to 50,000 contacts as CSV too. That makes the catalogue the easiest part of the move; themes, page designs and apps do not transfer and are rebuilt.

Order history, customer accounts and reviews need separate tools or manual work, so plan the switch during a quiet period. Keep your existing product and page URLs where the new platform allows the same paths, then point your domain at the new store once it is tested.

If you are leaving either for something simpler, We.Inc can rebuild an editable version of a site you own from its address, keeping the same structure and content as a starting point, and then you add products in its Store panel.

Start from a template

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is Shopify cheaper than Wix for selling?

On plan price, yes. Shopify Basic is $19 a month billed yearly, while Wix's first plan that accepts payments, Core, is $29. Shopify can add third-party transaction fees if you skip Shopify Payments, and many stores add paid apps, so compare the total including fees and apps rather than the plan alone.

Does Shopify have a free plan?

No permanent one. Shopify's pricing page in October 2026 offers 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months, before the normal plan price applies. Wix has a $0 plan you can keep, but it cannot accept payments; selling starts on Wix Core.

Can Wix handle a large catalogue?

Wix sells products on Core and higher, with eCommerce features growing by tier up to Business Elite. For very large catalogues, many staff accounts or multi-location inventory, Shopify's plans are built more directly for that work, with 10 inventory locations on standard plans and 200 on Plus.

How do I move my products from Wix to Shopify?

Export your Wix store products as a CSV file, adjust the columns to match Shopify's product CSV template, and import it from Shopify's Products page. Images, variants and descriptions usually need checking afterwards. Pages and design are rebuilt with a Shopify theme, and you point your domain at Shopify when the store is ready.

Can I sell in person with Wix or Shopify?

Shopify lists casual in-person sales at pop-ups and events on every plan, plus a POS Pro add-on at $89 a month per location for full retail stores. We did not compare Wix's in-person options for this page, so check Wix's own point-of-sale pages if that matters to you.

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