Shopify vs Wix
Wix is a website builder. A shop is something you switch on from the Core plan upward. Shopify is a shop from the first paid plan, and the website comes with it.
This link is for Shopify only. We earn a commission if you start a paid Shopify plan. Disclosure.
Where the money goes
Wix publishes its plan list in US dollars, for a yearly subscription paid up front. Monthly billing costs more. The pound amount at a UK checkout is not on that list, so confirm it on Wix before you pay.
| Wix plan | Yearly, per month | Monthly billing | Can it take payment? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | No. Wix address, Wix branding. |
| Light | $17 | $24 | No. A custom domain and a simple site. |
| Core | $29 | $36 | Yes. Basic shop. |
| Business | $39 | $46 | Yes. Standard shop. |
| Business Elite | $159 | $172 | Yes. Larger shop. |
Wix prices checked 10 October 2026 on Wix’s plan page. Yearly figures are the ones Wix shows. Monthly figures are from Wix’s own plan guide. Both can change.
Shopify Basic, the plan a first store should start on, is $29 a month on yearly billing in the US, or $39 if you pay month to month. In the UK that is £19 yearly or £25 month to month. Card fees sit on top. The full table is on the pricing page.
| Shopify | Wix | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest way to sell | Basic. In the US that matches Wix Core at $29 a month on a yearly plan. | Core. Light and the free plan cannot take payment. |
| What you are buying | A store: products, checkout, orders, shipping. | A site editor. The shop is a feature on Core and above. |
| US card rate on the entry shop plan | 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic with Shopify Payments. | 2.9% + $0.30 on ordinary US cards with Wix Payments, from Wix’s own fee note. Amex and PayPal differ. |
| Design | Themes. You edit inside the theme. | A freer page editor. This is the reason people pick Wix. |
The free Wix site is not a shop
You can build on Wix without paying. That site uses a Wix address and Wix branding, and it cannot take payment. Light removes the branding and connects a domain. It still cannot take payment. The first Wix plan that sells is Core.
Once both sides are on a real shop plan, the US yearly price is the same shape: about $29 a month before card fees. Wix is not the cheap shop and Shopify the expensive one. They cost the same at the door. They are different products after that.
When Wix is the better fit
- The page is a brochure, a portfolio, or a booking calendar, and a shop would be a small extra.
- You care more about moving sections around on the page than about stock, variants, and shipping rules.
- You expect a short list of products, sold on this website only.
When Shopify is the better fit
- The business is the shop. The website is how people pay.
- You will have sizes, variants, or more than a handful of products.
- You may sell in more than one place and want the orders in one admin.
If the other option you are weighing is a WordPress plugin, that comparison is on Shopify vs WooCommerce.
Start on Basic. Wix is a fair choice for a site that is not mainly a shop.