Choosing the right platform for your small business website can be daunting. Three of the most popular options in 2025 are WordPress, Wix, and Shopify – each with its own strengths. The best choice depends on your specific needs (content, e-commerce, ease of use) and budget. Let’s compare these platforms to help you make an informed decision:
WordPress – Flexibility and Ownership
Overview: WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that powers about 43% of all websites. With WordPress, you’ll set up your own hosting and have full control over your site.
Pros: Extremely flexible – you can build almost any type of website (business site, blog, portfolio, online store with WooCommerce, etc.). Thousands of plugins and themes allow you to add features or change design easily. You own your data and can move your site between hosts. Great for SEO due to powerful plugins (like Yoast SEO) and clean code. Huge community support and resources for troubleshooting or enhancements.
Cons: There is a learning curve if you’re new. While basic usage is straightforward, setting up hosting and managing updates/security is your responsibility. Plugins make many tasks no-code, but achieving a very custom design might require hiring a developer or learning some basics. Maintenance (updates, backups) is something you have to stay on top of (or pay someone to handle).
Best For: Businesses that need flexibility or plan to grow their site extensively (lots of content, custom features) and are willing to manage or pay for maintenance. Also great if blogging or content marketing is a big part of your strategy, as WordPress started as a blogging platform and excels at that.
Wix – Ease of Use and All-in-One Convenience
Overview: Wix is a hosted website builder that provides a drag-and-drop interface. You don’t need separate hosting; everything is included in Wix’s plans.
Pros: Very user-friendly – you can design pages by dragging elements exactly where you want them, and you see the results in real time. No coding required at all. Wix offers a wide variety of templates that cater to different industries (small retail shop, restaurant, portfolio, etc.) and an AI design assistant that can even create an initial layout for you. They handle all the technical upkeep (servers, security, updates). Wix also has an app market for adding extra functionality (like chat, forms, Instagram feeds) with one click.
Cons: Flexibility is more limited compared to WordPress. You’re generally confined to what Wix’s platform offers. If you need a very specific feature not in their ecosystem, you might be stuck. Changing templates later can be a pain (often you have to redesign). Also, while Wix has improved in SEO, historically it has been seen as slightly less SEO-friendly than WordPress (though for most small sites it’s fine). You don’t have the code-level access that WordPress provides, so you might hit a ceiling if you try to implement complex customizations.
Best For: Business owners who want to do it themselves with minimal hassle. If you need a straightforward brochure website or a small online store and want it up quickly without technical fuss, Wix is a strong choice. It’s especially popular among solo entrepreneurs, artists, and local businesses that prioritize speed and simplicity over heavy customization.
Shopify – E-commerce Powerhouse
Overview: Shopify is a hosted platform specifically focused on e-commerce. It powers a huge number of online stores (about 29% of all online stores globally run on Shopify).
Pros: All-in-one solution for selling online – hosting, security, and a shopping cart system are built-in. Shopify is optimized for sales: it includes inventory management, payment processing (with its own Shopify Payments or third-party gateways), and a variety of themes geared towards product listings. It’s relatively easy to use – you can choose a theme and add products without coding. There’s an app store for adding features (like email marketing, reviews, loyalty programs) specifically for online retail. Shopify also handles important aspects like SSL, and site performance is generally very good.
Cons: Shopify is somewhat limited outside of e-commerce. If your site is mainly content with a small shop, you might find Shopify’s content management (like blogging features) not as robust as WordPress. The monthly fees can add up (and some apps cost extra). Also, if you need functionality that Shopify doesn’t allow (for example, a very custom checkout flow), you may not be able to implement it due to platform restrictions. Shopify also charges transaction fees if you don’t use their own payment system.
Best For: Businesses that are primarily focused on selling products online. If your goal is to run an online store with minimal headaches, Shopify is a top choice. It’s ideal for retail businesses that need a reliable, secure sales platform and are okay with a template-based design. Also great if you have limited web technical skills but want a professional store – Shopify support and community can help with store-specific questions.
Cost Considerations:
- WordPress: The software is free, but you’ll pay for hosting (~$5-15/month for basic shared hosting), and maybe some premium themes/plugins. Over a year, it can be very affordable, though if you hire help for setup or maintenance that’s an extra cost.
- Wix: Operates on subscription plans (generally ranging from around $15 to $30+ per month for business sites). This includes hosting and support. There is a free plan, but it shows Wix ads and uses a Wix subdomain (not ideal for a serious business).
- Shopify: Starts around $29/month for the Basic plan, and goes up for Advanced plans. There are also transaction fees (around 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, similar to PayPal) for each sale, unless you use Shopify’s own payment system.
SEO and Marketing:
All three platforms can produce SEO-friendly sites, but WordPress gives the most granular control (with plugins like Yoast). Wix and Shopify have built-in SEO fields for titles, meta descriptions, etc., and are sufficient for most users. If content marketing (blogging) is key, WordPress has an edge with its blogging roots. Shopify integrates easily with social media and marketplaces (like Facebook/Instagram shops), which is a plus for marketing a product line.
Conclusion: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer – it comes down to your business needs:
- Choose WordPress if you need flexibility, plan to scale content, or want full control (and don’t mind a bit of technical work or hiring a developer).
- Choose Wix if you want a do-it-yourself website that’s quick to launch, and your needs are fairly standard (informational site or simple store) without much custom functionality.
- Choose Shopify if your main goal is to build an online store and sell products, and you want a platform that handles the e-commerce heavy lifting for you.
In some cases, you might even combine them (e.g., use WordPress for your main site and Shopify’s buy buttons or a plugin for selling, or vice versa). The key is to pick a platform that you feel comfortable with and that will support your business as it grows. All three are proven solutions – it’s about finding the best fit for your unique situation.