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  • WordPress vs. Duda (2023) — Which One Should You Choose?

    WordPress began as a popular blogging platform and has since grown into a full-scale, open-source content management system (CMS). It’s among the top web platforms available online today and the primary choice of millions of website owners. The Duda website builder is a user-friendly, drag-and-drop website builder that tackles the heavy lifting for you. In this post, we’ll be comparing WordPress vs. Duda website builder to see which platform is right for you.

    WordPress vs. Duda Website Builder: Who are They For?

    WordPress and Duda have similar end products: powerful, functional websites that business owners and individuals can use to establish their online presence. Let’s break down who each platform works best for.

    Before we jump into the comparison, keep in mind that we’re going to focus on WordPress.org rather than .com. This article explains the difference between the two platforms in detail. At Elegant Themes, we believe that the .org version of WordPress is the stronger product. When considering a self-hosted website that’s versatile and highly customizable, we believe most site owners choose .org.

    WordPress

    Wordpress website

    WordPress is a web design platform that supports a wide range of website types and purposes. From basic, pre-designed themes to completely custom websites, the possibilities are nearly endless. Non-coders can jump right in by using the Gutenberg block editor, WordPress’ passable page builder. On the other hand, web developers have the WP codebase at their disposal.

    WordPress supports the development and use of third-party plugins and themes, which means additional functionality for your site. Users with any level of experience can find and activate plugins to power up their sites. Domain registration and hosting are separate from the WordPress platform, so users are responsible for finding their own hosting and domain name services. If you choose to build on WordPress, you’ll also be responsible for the site configuration.

    Duda Website Builder

    Duda website builder is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that allows users to build their websites right inside their browsers. Like platforms such as Ghost and Squarespace, it’s a solid choice for users who have little to no website design or coding experience, yet it yields professional results.

    It features a working preview as well as a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to edit your site. For non-developers or people who are new to building a site, Duda is a great option.

    Duda website

    Duda users who do have coding experience can access the source code of their sites to make tweaks. As a result, this could be particularly appealing to a site owner who wants the ability to tweak code if they want to. Even if a user doesn’t want to handle the bulk of the coding work, they might just want the option.

    SaaS platforms and agencies use the Duda website builder, in part, due to its versatility and ease of use. The platform also offers Agency, and Custom plans so that businesses can host multiple client sites in one place. Agile, fast-paced businesses and freelancers may find that the platform’s ease of use lends itself to quick turnarounds for clients who need a website built yesterday.

    Pricing Comparison

    Like most site-building platforms, WordPress and Duda have their respective costs. Let’s dig into those.

    WordPress

    Theoretically, WordPress is free — except it’s not. While the software is open-source and downloadable, and while you can install, host, and manage it yourself, there are other costs involved in building a powerful, custom WordPress website. Hosting your WordPress site, purchasing and renewing your domain name annually, paying for a custom theme, and investing in the proper licensing and memberships all add up.

    In short, there are many underlying costs associated with WordPress that aren’t addressed in its marketing. These costs will vary depending on your website–think of them as building blocks. You’ll need to spend some time researching your options and your potential costs.

    For example, you might have to pay per site per year for some plugins and themes. Alternatively, at Elegant Themes, we offer a one-time lifetime fee option for Divi. You could find yourself paying $10 per year for a domain, $5 per year for hosting fees, or piecemeal fees for themes and plugins. Managed hosting, security platforms, and even eCommerce integrations like WooCommerce or Shopify can quickly add up.

    Duda Website Builder

    Duda website builder Basic plans start at $14 per month. There are also higher-tier plans, including Team, Agency, and Custom. This pricing includes site hosting on AWS but doesn’t include a domain name. However, through Duda’s integrations with Google and Hover, you can purchase a custom domain name easily for an additional fee.

    Duda pricing

    WordPress Weebly
    Pricing 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is as expensive and expansive as you want it to be.    		 Duda is a relatively cheap option, but can’t compete with free.
    Choose WordPress Choose Duda

    Which Platform is Easier to Use?

    If you’re less concerned about pricing and more interested in how your day-to-day life will be with WordPress vs. Duda, we’ve got you.

    WordPress

    WordPress has a bit of a learning curve when it comes to the website’s backend. It can take a little time to learn your way around. Building the actual site, and tweaking a theme, are where you’ll likely run into the largest time (and possibly financial) investment.

    wordpress dashboard

    The vast range of options available to WordPress users is nothing short of overwhelming for many of us. Each website tool you install and set up will have its learning curve. However, we tend to feel that the biggest draw for WordPress vs. Duda website builder is the ability to customize every single line of code. Designers and developers can make a WordPress site anything they want it to be just by digging into the codebase.

    But that’s a massive barrier to entry for most website owners — especially if you’re new. Not everyone has the time or desire to learn how to tweak PHP or JavaScript. While the available plugins and widgets can help ease some of those complications, it still takes time to figure out which tools you need for your particular skill set and budget.

    Duda Website Builder

    The Duda website builder is built to showcase its range of tools and options at a glance. In addition to a full-screen preview, which users can toggle between desktop, tablet, and mobile phone, it features a static navigation menu that allows you to move from one feature to another easily. Users can integrate widgets, a blog, an eCommerce store, and even collect content and information from site visitors.

    Duda dashboard

    Adding pages, images, and sections to your site design is straightforward. Organizing pages and popups are easy and are reflected in the navigation menu. There is also a wide range of apps you can integrate into your site to further customize it.

    duda mobile editor

    Essentially, Duda appears to be a platform that makes building a powerful website easy for the non-developer. At the same time, it allows users with coding experience to access and tweak the source code. This option offers further customizability. The learning curve for Duda is pretty low, so you can dive in and get to work quickly.

    WordPress Weebly
    Ease of Use WordPress can take some time to learn, plus the seemingly endless features can overwhelm. 🥇 Winner
    Duda makes it easy to create a website, regardless of skill level.
    Choose WordPress Choose Duda

    Customization Comparison

    Both WordPress and Duda allow for varying levels of customization, depending on the type of site you build.

    WordPress

    With a little (or a lot) of code — and maybe an assist from a web developer — WordPress users can get a fully customizable site that does exactly what they both want and need it to do. With the ability to integrate a variety of plugins, widgets, and themes, you can tweak and experiment until your site supports all the functions you need.

    On the other hand, you’ll need to keep an eye on your site features and make sure they’re up to date — both for security and aesthetic purposes. Updating a WordPress theme has been known to break websites in the past, so you have to be vigilant about making regular site backups. The same can be said for plugins and even WordPress Core itself. Unless you’re on great managed WordPress hosting such as Flywheel or Cloudways, updating is something not to be taken lightly.

    Duda Website Builder

    Duda website builder is a bit more limited in terms of customizing the look and feel of your site. Users choose from a range of pre-made templates, which can then be customized within the browser-based site builder. To a certain degree, you can tweak the source code, too, but that’s not Duda’s strong suit.

    However, as far as functionality is concerned, Duda features tools and app integrations to help businesses of all sizes reach their intended audiences. With speedy, reliable server hosting on AWS and the ability to build and run an eCommerce store on the platform, Duda goes beyond functioning as a simple drag-and-drop builder.

    WordPress Weebly
    Customization 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is fully customizable and is easily malleable to the the needs of a developer.     		Duda is a bit more limited, with its primary focus being on simplicity.
    Choose WordPress Choose Duda

    Themes and Templates

    Many website owners are drawn to WordPress and Duda because both platforms offer tools that make it easy to build beautiful, functional websites with no knowledge of code or design.

    WordPress

    WordPress page-builders and themes, including Divi, are equipped with a range of professionally-designed layouts that users can import. Themes make up the foundation of WordPress websites and can be blank slates or fully pre-designed layouts for specific types of users.

    Themes page

    In theory, themes should be straightforward to install and set up. However, it’s not unusual for WordPress site owners to need help from a website developer to tweak the finer points of the code. Especially if they’re not developers themselves.

    Duda Website Builder

    Duda website builder includes built-in, pre-made templates. When you set up your initial site, you can tell the builder what type of site you’re creating. Users can choose between a portfolio, landing page, business site, lifestyle site, or online store or say they’re just browsing. Duda will then populate a selection of templates based on your site type.

    Duda templates

    From there, the selection process is super straightforward. Simply select the template you want to start from, and Duda will load it in the browser-based site builder. Then, you can start making tweaks.

    The installation and use of themes seem pretty comparable, but you can dig into the theming more in WordPress. With that said, however, if you don’t want to dig into the theme’s code and expand the feature set, Duda’s options are just as beautiful (if not more so) as many out-of-the-box WordPress options.

    WordPress Weebly
    Themes and Templates 🏳️Draw
    WordPress has thousands of templates and themes to dig into.    		 🏳️Draw
    Duda also comes with a lot of themes straight out of the box.
    Choose WordPress Choose Duda

    Publishing Tool Comparison

    Both platforms feature publishing tools that allow users to create blog posts. Let’s compare WordPress vs Duda to determine which comes out on top.

    WordPress

    WordPress makes it super easy for site owners to create and publish SEO-optimized blog posts. Its publishing tools are straightforward, whether you’re using the Classic Editor or the new Block Editor. Essentially, both editors function almost like word processors with a few extra bells and whistles. If you can use Microsoft Word, for instance, you should be able to dive in and learn the basics of publishing on WordPress without a lot of fuss.

    Here’s a look at the Classic Editor:

    classic editor

    And here’s what the Block Editor looks like:

    Block editor

    You can install and activate plugins that make the publishing process easier and more effective. For example, plugins such as Rank Math help users optimize both readability, on-page SEO, as well as keyword optimization.

    WordPress was built as a blogging platform initially, so it makes sense for its publishing environment to be robust and easy to use.

    Duda Website Builder

    From Duda’s left-hand navigation menu, you can click the Blog button to access posts and drafts. There will be several pre-loaded example posts in the blog manager that you can click into and poke around just to get a feel for the platform.

    Editing page

    When you open an existing blog post, you’ll edit it right there on the page. Here’s what it looks like:

    Duda editing page

    It is a pretty basic system, but it’s hard to compete with WordPress’ writing experience and tools. If blogging is just something you want to do occasionally, Duda will be fine. But if your primary content is delivered via publishing, it may not be as powerful as you need.

    WordPress Weebly
    Publishing Tools 🥇 Winner
    It’s hard to compete with WordPress when it comes to blogging, it’s been the top dog for years now.    		 Duda’s publishing tools are passable, but not as intuitive as WordPress’.
    Choose WordPress Choose Duda

    What About Security Features?

    Wondering about site security on WordPress vs. Duda website builder? Wonder no more.

    WordPress

    WordPress website security is largely based on the website host you select and the security measures you choose to implement. For example, you might choose to use a free SSL certificate and stop there. On the other hand, you might want to consider a more robust security plugin such as Sucuri, or even a suite of security tools if you handle sensitive user information or need to comply with HIPAA.

    In terms of WordPress itself, developers regularly release security updates and updated versions of the software. Themes are designed for backward compatibility so users can keep their sites up-to-date in terms of security. Theoretically, this is meant to prevent site loss and broken themes when updating. However, we highly recommend backing up your website before you run any security updates.

    Duda Website Builder

    Duda websites come with a free SSL certificate and are hosted on Amazon’s AWS servers for an added layer of security. Users can easily back up their sites whenever needed. Additionally, Duda offers a free global CDN so that your site is a bit more secure than having users connect directly to your server.

    While you can’t control the security like you can on WordPress, the Duda platform handles that for you so that you can focus on what you’re best at. It’s secure, and you don’t have to make it that way yourself.

    WordPress Weebly
    Security WordPress has a ton of security extensions and plugins available, but you have to take time to set them up. 🥇 Winner
    Duda comes built with SSL certificate hosting and handles the security for you.
    Choose WordPress Choose Duda

    Which Platform Stands Out For E-commerce?

    Both WordPress and Duda website builders offer eCommerce store integrations for site owners.

    WordPress

    WordPress supports several different eCommerce plugins and integrations, including WooCommerce and Shopify. Like so many other WordPress features, setting up an online store is a plug-and-play scenario. You’ll have to shop around for the right platform whose features fit your needs, then do the work to integrate it and get it working properly.
    Keep in mind that costs for running an eCommerce store via WordPress will vary, just like building and running the site itself.

    Duda Website Builder

    Duda website builder includes an eCommerce platform. Site owners who want to start an online store via Duda have access to omnichannel eCommerce, so all their platforms are synced in one spot. Duda’s eCommerce platform is also SEO-optimized and built for maximum conversion rates. Additionally, site owners can white-label their eCommerce branding.

    A standard Duda eCommerce store starts at $7.25 per month, with higher tiers based on your needs.

    WordPress Weebly
    eCommerce WooCommerce is a great free plugin for WordPress, but actual pricing may vary depending on what functions you wish to implement. 🥇 Winner
    Duda comes with an eCommerce platform that is more than suitable for most patrons
    Choose WordPress Choose Duda

    WordPress vs Duda: Making A Choice

    Now that you understand some of the key differences between WordPress vs. Duda website builders, which one would you choose? Why or why not? Do you prefer a different web design platform altogether? Drop us a comment, and let us know what you think.

    WordPress Weebly
    Pricing 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is as expensive and expansive as you want it to be.    		 Duda is a relatively cheap option, but can’t compete with free.
    Ease of Use WordPress can take some time to learn, plus the seemingly endless features can overwhelm. 🥇 Winner
    Duda makes it easy to create a website, regardless of skill level.
    Customization 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is fully customizable and is easily malleable to the the needs of a developer.     		Duda is a bit more limited, with its primary focus being on simplicity.
    Themes and Templates 🏳️Draw
    WordPress has thousands of templates and themes to dig into.    		 🏳️Draw
    Duda also comes with a lot of themes straight out of the box.
    Publishing Tools 🥇 Winner
    It’s hard to compete with WordPress when it comes to blogging, it’s been the top dog for years now.    		 Duda’s publishing tools are passable, but not as intuitive as WordPress’.
    Security WordPress has a ton of security extensions and plugins available, but you have to take time to set them up. 🥇 Winner
    Duda comes built with SSL certificate hosting and handles the security for you.
    eCommerce WooCommerce is a great free plugin for WordPress, but actual pricing may vary depending on what functions you wish to implement. 🥇 Winner
    Duda comes with an eCommerce platform that is more than suitable for most patrons
    Choose WordPress Choose Duda

    WordPress Deep Dive

    Before you make your final decision on your website platform…are you curious to see how WordPress stacks up against its other biggest competitors? We did the hard work and compared WordPress vs. everything else so that you don’t have to! We reviewed WordPress vs. HubSpot CMS, and I think you will be interested to see the results.

    If you’re looking for specific plugins to help WordPress become even more powerful, we recommend the following:

    The post WordPress vs. Duda (2023) — Which One Should You Choose? appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs Google Sites (2023) — Comparing The Differences

    Interestingly enough, Google has two different website hosting options. Blogger, which is a direct competitor to WordPress.com more than WordPress.org, is focused on publishing content, and Google Sites, which is a more direct alternative to sites such as Wix and WordPress.org, where you build a website based on a project or a portfolio or even an event. When looking at WordPress vs Google Sites, we have to take into account that Sites is definitely an alternative to the CMS (content management system) elements you get in WordPress.

    WordPress hosts are plentiful, but there are a few, such as Cloudways and SiteGround, that offer awesome features at a very reasonable price. In this article, we’ll take a head-to-head look at WordPress and Google Sites, breaking down their intended users, customization features, ease of use, SEO, flexibility, and extensibility.

    WordPress vs Google Sites: Who Are They For?

    WordPress is for everyone. Really. It has elements that work for just about everybody with every kind of site. If you need an event site, there are events calendar plugins that help you run it. If you want a blog site, that’s what the platform is based on. E-commerce? WooCommerce has you covered. As the platform has evolved into a full content management system, so too has the demographic the software can appeal to. You can run simple, single-page websites as well as major sites with hundreds/thousands of pages that get millions of hits. It scales well, too.

    However, the downside to this is that it requires a bit of initial learning from users and then tweaking to make sure that the site looks and performs the way you want it to.

    Google Sites, too, is aimed at everyone simply by the fact that it’s an included part of the Google family of apps. However, rather than being aimed at everyone for everything, it’s aimed at everyone who needs a simple website for anything at all. When you set things up initially, you will choose a template and type of site (or a blank one), which then turns into a simple front-end page builder where you enter your own information.

    The customization and flexibility in Google Sites vs. that from WordPress aren’t great. However, the simplicity and lightweight efficiency that comes from the service make it a great option for anyone who needs a one-off website or a simple, static web presence.

    Which Is Best For Customization?

    One of the elements that nearly every website owner gets caught up with is site customization. Finding just the right layout, the right design, and the right color palette is imperative to website success. However, depth and ease of customization vary by platform, and the need for those varies from site to site. Both WordPress and Google Sites offer customization only in different ways. Depending on the kind of site you’re building, either one could fit the bill.

    WordPress

    WordPress is all about customization. With its entire structure being based on extensibility through plugins and themes, you really have endless choices for your sites. That can be a little overwhelming, too. Is Divi the best theme? What are the best page builder and SEO plugins? Which security plugin works the best? Do I even need one?

    plugins

    There are so many options for every single kind of feature that you may have a hard time choosing. That’s okay. While there is definitely a learning curve here, it’s hard to make a bad decision. The cream definitely rises to the top on the WordPress.org plugin and theme repositories, and anything you need to add to your site should be able to be found at the top of most simple searches.

    If you’re a coder, you can dig in even further by altering and adding to the PHP, HTML, and JavaScript in the WP core files. If not, again…don’t worry. That’s what plugin and theme developers do. No matter what you want your site to look like, there’s a tool for that. And no matter what you want your site to do, there’s a tool for that, too.

    It just might take a little research and trial and error to get the exact right fit for what you’re trying to make.

    Google Sites

    Sites, on the other hand, is a straightforward tool that doesn’t have nearly the depth of customization that WordPress does. What it does offer in customization, though, is simplicity and ease of use. If you know what kind of site you’re going to build, you have a choice of templates for your site. They are basic foundations but professionally designed.

    sites templates

    Whichever one you choose, the customization options are directly in front of you. A page builder loads and all of the options that you get are visible from the start. In general, these are aesthetic and design choices, meaning that you won’t be able to add features and utilities as you do with WordPress.

    google sites event page

    As you can see in the image above, the interface is clean and easy to use. You can add text boxes, dividers, buttons, images, and so on. Each of these has its own customization options. Some, such as text boxes, only have basic formatting (bold, italics, alignment, etc.), while others, like the header and navigation, get a more diverse range.

    google sites vs wordpress

    You can add Google Analytics for tracking, a custom domain (from anywhere and not just from Google Domains), and various brand logos, etc. Additionally, you simply drag and drop different elements along the page to design them. Google Sites provides a grid for you to follow. So while you can’t place them anywhere on the page, Sites makes sure you can place them where it works.

    WordPress Google
    Customization 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is designed to be customizable. It’s expansive plugin library has something for almost everyone.     		Google sites is a bare bones platform, making it simple to use but difficult to customize.
    Choose WordPress Choose Google

    Which Platform Is Easier To Use?

    When picking a website platform, your level of expertise matters. If you’re a new site owner, Google Sites’ simplicity is probably going to be a big draw over having to learn WordPress. WordPress has made large strides in making itself more new-user-friendly than ever. But it has plenty of holdovers from the old days that let the platform’s age shine through.

    WordPress

    Simply logging in and looking at the WordPress dashboard is a lot for a new user. Seeing all the menu items in the sidebar and the widgets on the main page is a ton of information to absorb. Often, this alone can paralyze a user because they may not know where to even begin.

    wordpress dashboard vs google sites

    Using WordPress itself isn’t that hard. In fact, it’s pretty intuitive. Once you learn how. Learning where the options and settings are located can take some time. The learning curve is moderately steep, especially when you consider the number of customization options, as we mentioned above. Adding in and customizing each theme is different, as are plugins.

    However, outside of those, the actual site editing and post creation are pretty easy. Especially with the new Gutenberg editor introduced in WordPress 5.0.

    wordpress block editor

    Users can add any blocks or elements they want, such as row blocks, stack blocks, and even block patterns. Plus, you can adjust the options for each one individually and publish with all the information right at their fingertips. Context menus are easy to navigate. And a simple search of the blocks when you add them gets you right to where you need to be quickly.

    As we said, WordPress itself is fairly easy to use. Once you learn it. Before that, you may feel overwhelmed. But the learning curve is definitely worth the power that you get from the platform.

    Google Sites

    On the other hand, Google Sites has almost no learning curve. It’s almost a flat line. No curve at all, really. Google Sites is simple and easy to use from out of the gate. The downside to having such a flat learning curve is that the power and overall options that you get are significantly limited. Especially when looking at Google Sites vs. WordPress.

    google sites vs wordpress ease of use

    Using Google Sites is a cinch. To the right, you have a sidebar with simple options such as New Page or New Link, or Make Homepage. You can make any page a subpage of any other, remove it from the header navigation, or make a copy of it.

    In addition, the elements have a simple, radial context menu with all the options available if you double-click on them. It pops up, letting you upload media, add Google Drive media, embed, adjust text, and add images.

    All of this is incredibly easy to use. And it works intuitively that you probably won’t need documentation to figure it out. Building and editing on Google Sites with no previous knowledge of the platform might have been the most intuitive experience of any interface we’ve used.

    If you’re looking for a website that you can create, edit, and launch, kind of like making and publishing a slideshow deck, Google Sites is fantastic.

    WordPress Google
    Ease of Use WordPress takes a bit of time to get used to, do to the wide range of functions available. 🥇 Winner
    Google sites is incredibly straightforward and easy to use. It is limited in terms of options though.
    Choose WordPress Choose Google

    SEO, Flexibility, and Extensibility

    Digging in under the hood of these platforms, we want to take a look at what they offer in terms of everyday use and utility for site owners. Can your site be expanded, and how can you optimize it for search rankings? Let’s take a look at how WordPress and Google Sites stack up to one another.

    WordPress

    As we mentioned above, WordPress is customizable and flexible enough to run any kind of website you need. From e-commerce to a blog to a learning management system (LMS) or membership site. The tools available within the CMS are powerful, and with the plugin ecosystem, the options are limitless.

    For SEO, WordPress can’t be beaten. Yoast SEO, Rank Math, Squirrly, and others provide absolutely amazing options so that you can edit your metadata, schema, and HTML site maps to get the best results from the web crawlers. If you’re making regular content that needs updating and adjustment to place high in the search rankings for organic discovery, WordPress is the clear winner.

    Google Sites

    On Google Sites, you’re limited to a powerful, static site builder without a plugin ecosystem. You do, however, but you do have access to the entire Google Suite of products that tie directly into it. Google Sites itself can’t be used as a publishing platform for a blog, but it can be linked to your Blogger account. You can’t run an e-commerce shop from Google Sites, but you can embed the code for a Shopify page in there. For straightforward websites, Google Sites is great. If you need something more complicated and feature-rich, look elsewhere.

    In terms of SEO, Google Sites is a letdown. Despite being a Google product, the metadata and SEO options are simply not there. If you are going to rely on organic search as the lifeblood of your site, Google Sites isn’t the platform for you. However, the sites you make are amazing for pages that will be distributed to a limited audience and/or direct traffic. Internal company websites, community updates, information, and even product or brand information pages are a perfect fit for Google Sites.

    WordPress Google
    SEO, Flexibility, Extensibility 🥇 Winner
    WordPress has solutions for all sorts of plugins to maximize SEO, and provide your website with any tools it needs.     		Google is limited to a static site builder and G-Suite products.
    Choose WordPress Choose Google

    WordPress vs Google Sites: Which One Is Better?

    Both WordPress and Google Sites are targeting two entirely different audiences. Here’s a rundown of how the features we have compared so far stack up.

    WordPress Google
    Customization 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is designed to be customizable. It’s expansive plugin library has something for almost everyone.     		Google sites is a bare bones platform, making it simple to use but difficult to customize.
    Ease of Use WordPress takes a bit of time to get used to, do to the wide range of functions available. 🥇 Winner
    Google sites is incredibly straightforward and easy to use. It is limited in terms of options though.
    SEO, Flexibility, Extensibility 🥇 Winner
    WordPress has solutions for all sorts of plugins to maximize SEO, and provide your website with any tools it needs.     		Google is limited to a static site builder and G-Suite products.
    Choose WordPress Choose Google

    WordPress is Best For Most People

    WordPress is the tool for most people simply because it’s a more robust platform that has more extensibility through plugins and themes. You can do anything you want with WordPress, but you have to give yourself the time to learn it. Then tweak it. Then set it up. Whether you’re a coder or a new website owner, you can absolutely get WordPress to do what you need. The tools are out there, and the support and documentation are, too. You have to put in the work to learn it and make the jack-of-all-trades do the work you need it to do.

    Google Sites is Good for Quick Sites

    Google Sites is an amazing platform for simple sites that need to be up quickly without any hassle. If you have no website experience whatsoever, Google Sites is perfect because it is intuitive and easy to use. You can have a website set up in well under an hour, even if you have never done anything like that before. The downside is that it’s not a very extensible or powerful platform, and you can hit its limitations quickly if you want to grow the site into something more grandiose. However, for what it is and who it targets, Google Sites is a strong tool that does exactly what it means to.

    Are There Other Choices To Consider?

    When it comes to building a website, there is no shortage of choices. We have reviewed and compared just about every website building solution under the sun and summarized our findings here. Recently we reviewed WordPress vs Blogger, which is worth a look.

    The Best Way To Get Started With WordPress

    Are you thinking about using WordPress? We think that’s a great choice! WordPress gives you the freedom to create just about anything. But where do you even start? Here’s a quick guide:

    1. Hosting: You’ll want a great host, that’s key. We recommend SiteGround and Pressable.
    2. Theme: We recommend our very own Divi Theme. It’s the most popular theme in the world for a reason!
    3. Security: Keep your website secure with iThemes Security.
    4. SEO: Make sure your website is optimized for search engines using Rank Math.
    5. Backups: In case disaster strikes, you’ll want to use BackupBuddy to keep regular backups of your data.
    6. Performance: Nothing is worse than a slow website. Keep your website running fast with WP Rocket.

    That’s it! You have assembled the ultimate WordPress toolkit and you are ready to build a successful website.

    The post WordPress vs Google Sites (2023) — Comparing The Differences appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs Django CMS (2023) — Which One’s The Best?

    There are many Content Management Systems (CMSs) that you can use to create your website. However, when it comes to choosing the right platform, it can be difficult to determine which one will work best for you. In this post, we’ll discuss the two popular options – WordPress vs Django CMS – and walk through who should consider using each option. Additionally, we’ll compare the two platforms in terms of their ease of use, security, publishing tools, and more. So, let’s get started!

    Who Are They For?

    When choosing a CMS, it’s important to think about the type of content you plan to create. WordPress and Django are two very different platforms, designed for specific types of users and purposes.

    WordPress

    As a free and open-source software, WordPress was originally developed as a blogging platform:

    Today, WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world, powering over 40 percent of websites due to its easy-to-use interface and a large number of themes and plugins. Additionally, you can use WordPress for any type of project, including portfolios, online shops, business sites, membership sites, and more.

    Furthermore, WordPress is built on PHP. However, you can build a fully-functional website without touching a line of code. This makes this CMS a more suitable choice for those without coding knowledge.

    Django CMS

    Django CMS is a free and open-source framework that gives users the flexibility to build professional and customized websites from the ground up:

    wordpress vs Django

    It’s important to note that Django CMS and Django are two different things. Specifically, Django is a Python web framework that helps developers create apps with minimal coding. In contrast, Django CMS is the content management system built on the Python framework. This makes it an ideal choice for users who are familiar with Python. Moreover, it allows you to make quick customizations to your content from the front end of your site.

    Which Platform Is Easier to Use?

    If you’re building your first site or project, you want a user-friendly and intuitive platform. Otherwise, you might find the process a little overwhelming. Let’s look at how WordPress vs Django CMS compare when it comes to ease of use.

    WordPress

    WordPress is a very beginner-friendly platform. Once you install the software, you can log into your admin dashboard and start building your website:

    WordPress vs Django

    The WordPress dashboard contains all of the platform’s built-in tools. With that being said, you can click on a tab to navigate to a particular area on your site, such as your posts and pages. For instance, if you go to Media, you can upload photos and videos:

    wordpress vs django

    Additionally, it might take a few hours to familiarize yourself with the dashboard and its tools. However, fortunately, you’ll find plenty of WordPress tutorials and how-to guides online.

    Django CMS

    In contrast to WordPress, Django CMS is powered by Django, the most popular Python framework. Although you don’t need to be an expert developer to get a demo Django CMS up and running, keep in mind that you’ll need to design your site from scratch.

    After being installed, Django CMS has a simple interface that enables you to edit your content on the front end. Consequently, you can see your changes in real time.

    wordpress vs django

    If you want to edit a particular page, such as your blog, all you have to do is select it from the menu.

    Django Blog

    In addition, you can configure its options by selecting Page from the top menu and navigating to Page settings or Advanced settings. This will launch a popup window, where you can edit the page’s title and URL, set up a redirect, and more.

    wordpress vs django page settings

    Furthermore, you can design and edit your content without navigating away from the page. This means you can access every area of your site, including pages, from the same interface. For instance, the media library appears as a sliding window over the page you’re working on.

    wordpress vs django media library

    As a result, Django CMS provides a very efficient way to build your site. Specifically, you don’t have to click through multiple tabs to access your settings or navigate away from the page to make customizations.

    WordPress Django
    Ease of Use By accessing tutorials and documentation, the WordPress learning curve can be surmounted. 🥇 Winner

    Right from the beginning, Django simplifies the process of adding and editing content in its CMS.
    Choose WordPress Choose Django CMS

    Customization Options

    When it comes to building a website, it’s important to consider the customization options available with each CMS. This is particularly important if you want to create a site that stands out from the crowd. Therefore, let’s compare WordPress vs Django CMS to see which has the best customization options.

    WordPress

    To begin with, WordPress is a highly flexible platform with various customization options. Firstly, it offers a vast library of customizable themes that can be used to design your site. In addition to that, it provides a plethora of options for customizing your site’s functionality. For instance, if you want to add a specific feature, such as a social media plugin, you can easily search for it in the WordPress Plugin Directory, or on sites like 10Web or Smash Balloon.

    Social media buttons plugins in WordPress

    Plus, there are thousands of free WordPress plugins you can use. You can access them right from your dashboard by navigating to Plugins > Add New:

    Adding new plugins in WordPress vs Django

    Additionally, WordPress provides a wide range of customization options for its themes and templates. This can help you achieve a unique design for your site that matches your brand. You can customize everything from the color scheme and fonts to the layout and design of your pages. With the help of a page builder plugin like Divi, you can create custom page layouts without needing to know how to code. These tools often come with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface that allows you to easily rearrange and customize the elements on your pages.

    Django CMS

    In contrast to WordPress, Django CMS offers a different approach to customizing your site with plugins. Django CMS plugins can be added to your site to create various elements such as lines, buttons, text, headings, and more.

    wordpress vs django plugins

    To customize each plugin in Django CMS, you can make various changes based on the element added. For example, if you’re adding an image gallery, you can change the height and width of the thumbnail, enable fullscreen, zoom, and more.

    Customizing image gallery in Django

    Furthermore, Django CMS has some limitations when it comes to customization options unless you have experience with Python. Nonetheless, if you’re a web developer, you can effortlessly construct your applications in Django.

    WordPress Django
    Customization 🥇 Winner

    When it comes to customization, WP wins due to the number of design options, as well as plugins and themes available.

    		Unless you have knowledge of Python, customization options in Django CMS can be somewhat restrictive.
    Choose WordPress Choose Django CMS

    Theme and Template Options

    Designing a website can be time-consuming. Fortunately, you can use themes and templates to simplify the process. This is where both WordPress and Django CMS shine.

    WordPress

    WordPress offers a user-friendly way to find and use templates to quickly get started with building your website. As we mentioned earlier, it offers a broad range of free themes for different types of websites. To search for specific designs, you can use the “Feature Filter” in the WordPress Themes Repository.

    wordpress vs django Themes

    In addition to the various free themes, each WordPress theme comes with its own set of templates and customization options. These options allow you to modify the color scheme, typography, and layout to match your preferences.

    As a result, you can now have greater flexibility and more options when using the new Full Site Editing feature. By utilizing blocks, you can fully customize your theme:

    Full Site Editing

    After creating or using a block-based theme, you can start editing your theme using the new Full Site Editing feature. To access this feature, navigate to the Editor section under Appearance. Here, you can edit your theme and its templates to customize your site.

    WordPress Full Site Editing Template

    Furthermore, if you don’t find a theme that meets your requirements, you can create your own. As mentioned previously, WordPress provides a user-friendly block editor that enables you to build your site with blocks. You can create custom templates by using different types of blocks, such as the row block, images, buttons, and more, and arranging them in the desired order. This way, you can have a unique design that stands out from the crowd.

    Django CMS

    While there is no themes library for Django CMS, you do have the option to select a template for your page. For instance, you might opt for a full-width layout.

    wordpress vs django templates

    Accordingly, if you want to have more design options and save time, WordPress would be a better choice than Django CMS. It provides a range of customizable themes and templates that can be easily applied to your site.

    WordPress Django
    Themes and Templates 🥇 Winner

    In addition to third-party themes and plugins, WordPress also features a user-friendly block editor that can be used to create templates.

    		 However, if you don’t intend to design your own, the options for themes and templates are limited.
    Choose WordPress Choose Django CMS

    WordPress vs Django for Publishing

    If you’re intending to create a website with frequent blog posts or a complex site structure, it’s crucial to have a wide range of publishing tools available in your content management system.

    WordPress

    Since it was originally developed as a blogging CMS, WordPress offers a lot of useful features for publishing posts. The main publishing tool is the Block Editor, which is a user-friendly builder that enables you to put together posts and pages with pre-built blocks. With a wide variety of elements, including headings, paragraphs, images, buttons, lists, block patterns, and more, this tool is ideal for building complex pages and posts quickly and easily.

    The WordPress Block Editor

    Plus, you can click on a block to customize it. For example, if you select an image, you can change its dimensions or add a border:

    Editing an image in WordPress

    WordPress lets you save your posts and pages as drafts so you can continue working on them later. In addition, you have the option to schedule your posts or publish them straight away. Furthermore, you can restrict a post’s visibility to site admins and editors, and protect it with passwords.

    All of these publishing tools make WordPress an ideal platform for blogs and news sites. They facilitate team collaboration on articles and help you manage your content schedule more effectively.

    Django CMS

    On the other hand, Django CMS has a basic blog feature. When you choose to create a new post, you get a window where you can write your content.

    Creating a new article in Django

    While Django CMS has a basic blog feature with fields for meta descriptions, keywords, and categories, it lacks functionality when it comes to publishing options such as scheduling a post or restricting its visibility. As a result, it may be limiting if you want to create a professional blog. In contrast, WordPress is a better option as it offers a wealth of blogging features and tools, such as saving drafts, scheduling posts, publishing options, and content collaboration.

    WordPress Django
    Publishing To enhance the ease of use, it’s worth noting that the WordPress interface is designed to make content publishing simple and efficient, thanks to the intuitive block editor.

    		 🥇 Winner

    Similarly, with the Django page editor, you can conveniently create and edit content.
    Choose WordPress Choose Django CMS

    Which Platform is More Secure?

    When it comes to content management systems, your site’s security is of the utmost importance. Both WordPress and Django CMS offer different security measures to help keep your content safe. However, let’s dive more into the differences between these platforms to see which one comes out on top in terms of security.

    WordPress

    WordPress is popular and has many plugins and themes, which makes it more vulnerable to attack. Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, and WordPress core. To keep your site safe, you should update all software on your site, including WordPress core and themes, as soon as new versions are released. Plus, you can enable auto-updates.

    wordpress vs django

    Furthermore, to enhance your site’s security, you can install one of the best WordPress security plugins such as Sucuri.

    Sucuri

    In addition, many web hosts such as SiteGround and Cloudways provide security tools and features such as SSL certificates, and you can use top WordPress backup plugins to back up your site files and databases.

    Django CMS

    Compared to WordPress, Django CMS provides more built-in protection due to its built-in authentication and security solutions for common threats like SQL injection and cross-site forgery. This means you won’t need to worry about carrying out updates or installing additional security tools. In contrast, with WordPress, you are responsible for ensuring that plugins and themes are secure and up to date.

    WordPress Django
    Security Although WP is not inherently the most secure platform, there are great options like Sucuri to get the job done.

    		 🥇 Winner

    Django is equipped with built-in authentication and security solutions, making it one of the most secure frameworks.
    Choose WordPress Choose Django CMS

    Who Has the Better E-Commerce Platform?

    To evaluate eCommerce functionality, let’s compare WordPress vs Django CMS.

    WordPress

    Though WordPress doesn’t provide built-in eCommerce features, it’s possible to set up an online shop using third-party tools. The most commonly used tool for eCommerce on WordPress is WooCommerce.

    wordpress vs django

    WooCommerce enables you to manage your online store right from your WordPress dashboard and provides various Yith extensions for additional functionality. Plus, these extensions can help you to filter products, add payment gateway support, and display customer reviews.

    Furthermore, if you’re looking to sell digital products, you can utilize a plugin such as Easy Digital Downloads. Moreover, you can customize your e-commerce website with a page builder like Divi.

    Django CMS

    Django CMS is versatile and suitable for eCommerce sites as well as for developing custom apps for businesses. You can utilize the Django-SHOP documentation to begin your development.

    wordpress vs django SHOP

    In conclusion, it’s worth noting that Django can offer more flexibility for e-commerce sites. With this platform, you have the freedom to extend your online store’s functionality and create custom features that are tailored to your specific business needs.

    WordPress Django
    E-Commerce 🥇 Winner

    To be e-commerce friendly, WP needs a solution such as WooCommerce.

    		 While there are good e-commerce choices, the learning curve is steeper.
    Choose WordPress Choose Django CMS

    WordPress And Django CMS Alternatives

    Before you make your final decision on your website platform, it may be helpful to compare WordPress against its other biggest competitors. We’ve done the hard work for you and compared WordPress vs everything else. Most recently, we reviewed WordPress vs Squarespace, and I think you’ll be interested to see the results.

    WordPress vs Django CMS: What’s the Final Verdict?

    As we have seen, there are some key differences between WordPress and Django CMS. Specifically, WordPress is generally considered more beginner-friendly, while Django CMS is more focused on the needs of developers.

    WordPress Django
    Ease of Use By accessing tutorials and documentation, the WordPress learning curve can be surmounted.

    		 🥇 Winner

    Right from the beginning, Django simplifies the process of adding and editing content in its CMS.
    Customization 🥇 Winner

    When it comes to customization, WP wins due to the number of design options, as well as plugins and themes available.

    		 Unless you have knowledge of Python, customization options in Django CMS can be somewhat restrictive.
    Themes and Templates 🥇 Winner

    In addition to third-party themes and plugins, WordPress also features a user-friendly block editor that can be used to create templates.

    		 However, if you don’t intend to design your own, the options for themes and templates are limited.
    Publishing To enhance the ease of use, it’s worth noting that the WordPress interface is designed to make content publishing simple and efficient, thanks to the intuitive block editor.

    		 🥇 Winner

    Similarly, with the Django page editor, you can conveniently create and edit content.
    Security Although WP is not inherently the most secure platform, there are great options like Sucuri to get the job done.

    		 🥇 Winner

    Django is equipped with built-in authentication and security solutions, making it one of the most secure frameworks.
    E-Commerce 🥇 Winner

    To be e-commerce friendly, WP needs a solution such as WooCommerce.

    		 While there are good e-commerce choices, the learning curve is steeper.
    Choose WordPress Choose Django CMS

    Final Comparison

    When it comes to WordPress, you get access to a vast array of tools, including plugins by 10Web and Smash Balloon and premium themes such as Divi, which allow you to create a complete website without any coding. This makes WordPress an ideal platform for showcasing content and building highly-customized sites.

    Django CMS, on the other hand, is more suitable for individuals who have experience with Python and prefer to develop custom apps for their websites. Additionally, Django CMS offers built-in security features, making it an excellent choice for those who value enhanced security measures.

    The post WordPress vs Django CMS (2023) — Which One’s The Best? appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs Ghost (2023) — The Key Differences

    Even though WordPress is one of the top Content Management Systems (CMS) in the world, with well over 1/3 of the internet using it, it started as a simple blogging platform. Since then, it has grown to power some of the most visited and complex sites out there. It remains, however, a blogging powerhouse. Ghost is a publishing platform that is focused on being the publishing platform that WordPress could have been if development had gone in a different direction. We are going to take a look at WordPress vs. Ghost features head-to-head so you can see which platform will handle your content in the way you need.

    WordPress vs. Ghost: Who Are They For?

    When looking at these two platforms head-to-head, your audience should be at the forefront of your mind. Who you’re creating content for very much changes which platform is right for you.

    wordpress dot org

    WordPress is for people who want to create content, have near-endless options and features available to them, and customize every aspect of their site to suit the exact needs of their user base. We should note, too, that WordPress Posts and Pages are at the heart of most features that are added to the platform, indicating the focus of the platform is still content creation and publishing despite its development into a CMS platform. Additionally, WordPress does have both hosted and self-hosted versions.

    ghost homepage

    Ghost is for people who want to create content. Stop. Initially developed as a publishing platform, Ghost has evolved into a…publishing platform. Ghost dedicates its entire structure and feature set to get your content in front of readers, whether that is public written content, paywalled membership stuff, or email marketing that combines them both. Over time, what was a simple blogging software has turned into a full-fledged publishing platform, with metrics, email service, and integrations for referral program creation and more.

    Given that Ghost is a primarily publishing-focused platform, we are going to look at WordPress vs. Ghost from that perspective primarily.

    Learning Curve/Ease-of-Use

    With any publishing software, you want as little friction between your words and your readers as possible. Creating and editing posts, adding images and media, as well as adjusting site styles, and navigating the backend is all primary focus for publishers and writers as well.

    WordPress’s Learning Curve

    If you’re unfamiliar with WordPress and open the admin dashboard for the first time, it can be a shock. The interface hasn’t changed much over the years, though it has been refined. Most of the menu items are straightforward and functional posts, pages, plugins, themes, and so on.

    You will have some quirky features to learn, such as widgets and menus being under Appearance, while Plugins get their own main dashboard space. Primary WordPress settings are broken into separate pages instead of tabs and other idiosyncratic leftovers from the decades-long development cycle.

    wordpress dashboard vs ghost

    Creating a Post is straightforward, however. Posts – Add New – Publish. The Block Editor is smooth, though occasionally cumbersome. And you will find that some elements of Posts and Pages (such as featured images and post snippets/excerpts) will be used differently depending on what theme or plugins you use.

    wordpress block editor

    However, once you’re used to the WordPress way of doing things, it is second nature, and you will understand why things are located where they are and how your particular theme/plugin setup uses each element of the Post/Page.

    Ghost’s Learning Curve

    From the moment you log into Ghost’s dashboard, it shows you that it is centered on writing and publishing content. The Posts section of the menu is expanded and prominent from the beginning. You have access to your whole archive without an extra click.

    ghost dashboard vs wordpress

    You can click the + button to add a new post, and the screen is very similar to the WordPress Block Editor. In most ways, the two are functionally identical in use. However, Ghost’s editor isn’t nearly as extensible as WordPress’s, meaning if you find a feature lacking that you need, adding it won’t be easy (or perhaps even possible).

    wordpress vs ghost

    In terms of a learning curve for actually publishing a post, the two workflows are nearly identical. One isn’t steeper to learn than the other for publishing. It is, essentially, a personal preference on which particular environment you prefer to write in.

    However, for the dashboard itself, you may find yourself having an easier time navigating Ghost (at least initially). Part of that comes in the user-friendly color coding and icons—something WordPress’s more utilitarian design could learn from.

    ghost dashboard

    All the site settings and customizations are located under the Settings gear, while all the publishing and user management are in the main menu. The learning curve for Ghost is considerably lower than WordPress, but the trade-off is that your customization and site features are more limited, too.

    WordPress Ghost
    Ease of Use 🏳️ Draw
    WordPress can take some time to learn, but there are plugins and tutorials to make things easier.    		 🏳️ Draw
    Ghost is about as easy to learn as WordPress, and will take some time to adjust too.
    Choose WordPress Choose Ghost

    Customization Options (Themes, Plugins, Integrations)

    While most publishing success comes from the content that you create, a portion of success is due to the appearance of professionalism. This means that if your site doesn’t appear credible, users are less likely to return (or even stay). Even if you’re creating top-notch content, if your site doesn’t look just as top-notch, users may not even consider your content. That said, when considering WordPress vs. Ghost, both platforms give you the ability to project the professional image you need.

    WordPress Customization

    If there is one place where WordPress soars above and beyond almost all competitors, it is for customization. The WordPress ecosystem is full of themes, plugins, widgets, code snippets, and developers that can make the platform do anything and look like anything. In terms of design and integrations, WordPress beats Ghost hands down. (And most other platforms, too.)

    The WordPress.org theme repository has thousands of free themes for your website. 3,989 free themes are available at the time of this writing, so the chances of your finding a theme that looks close to what you envision out of the box are pretty likely. It may not have all the features you want, however.

    wordpress theme repository

    Which is where the WordPress.org plugin repository comes in. Like themes, this repository has thousands of plugins available to add utility features and design elements to your site with a couple of clicks. If

    WordPress is open-source software. It uses PHP and React.js with the intent of being extensible. If you have the coding knowledge and experience, you can make WordPress do anything you could imagine it doing. If you don’t have the coding knowledge to get into the editors, that’s okay, too. The plugin and theme repositories are there for you to piece together the website of your dreams.

    You can additionally adjust the CSS and HTML for your themes and various pages directly inside the backend, giving you full access to every little detail of your website.

    Ghost Customization Options

    Ghost, on the other hand, is limited in the amount of customization you get for your site. Like WordPress, Ghost also has a theme repository, but it is significantly limited. At the time of this writing, there are 92 total themes available, only 15 of which are free. The others range from $29 to $159. Keep this in mind. However, that premium WordPress themes are similarly priced.

    ghost theme repository

    You can also develop your own Ghost theme and use it, too, using the Handlebars templating language. Admittedly, that’s a little out of many people’s wheelhouses. (The documentation does link to some excellent Handlebars tutorials, though.)

    Outside of the themes, all of your customization options are available in the Settings area of your Ghost dashboard. You can alter accent colors, logos, fonts, icons, and so on in terms of design. You can also set up navigation menus, newsletter templates, and opt-ins and experiment with new test features.

    Additionally, you can customize code for your Ghost website in the Code Injection area of the settings, but it is limited to Header and Footer areas. To alter site-wide CSS, you won’t use a custom.css file; you will add style tags to the Header of the website. This is hardly the most elegant solution, but it works.

    However, if your entire goal is publishing as simply as possible and looking professional, and having a fantastic experience doing it, you may be able to overlook the lack of customization available in Ghost.

    WordPress Ghost
    Customization 🥇 Winner

    WordPress shines in terms of customization based on the sheer amount of plugins and themes available.

    		 Ghost just doesn’t have as many options as WordPress.
    Choose WordPress Choose Ghost

    Self-Hosting

    Very briefly, we want to touch on the aspects of self-hosting WordPress vs. Ghost. Both platforms are open-source. And you can run from your web servers or local development environment.

    WordPress is the winner in this match, like Customization. Because of its ubiquity, every web host out there has quick installers for WordPress, and the Famous 5 Minute Install is even easier with their help. You have the choice of hosting anywhere and finding support pretty much anywhere, too. WordPress hosts are plentiful, but there are a few, such as Cloudways and SiteGround, that offer some stand-out features at a very reasonable price.

    With Ghost, self-hosting is kind of an ordeal. You will need to install it by the command line using Node.js and NodeSource, both a root and non-root user within your server, and a VPS. Ghost is a partner with Digital Ocean and has a Ghost image that you can use much like the WP quick installers, but that’s an exception, not the rule.

    In the end, Ghost Pro is a fantastic platform and comparable to both WordPress.com and .org, but Ghost as a self-hosted app can be troublesome for everyone but the technically skilled. And since it’s a publishing platform first, you may not be a command line wizard if you’re looking at Ghost.

    WordPress Ghost
    Self-Hosting 🥇 Winner

    WordPress has quick installers for hosts everywhere.

    		 It can be a real hassle to host with Ghost.
    Choose WordPress Choose Ghost

    E-commerce

    Almost every website out there sells digital (or physical) goods and services in some way. E-commerce is a sustainable and viable option to monetize many websites. We want to take a look at the options available for you with WordPress vs. Ghost because of that.

    WordPress E-commerce Options

    WordPress comes out of the gate running in this head-t0-head because of WooCommerce. A free plugin that is supported by a huge array of free and premium extensions, WooCommerce dominates the WP e-commerce industry. For a reason. It’s very good.

    You can sell physical goods pretty quickly after setting up the plugin. And digital goods are just an upload away. However, to reach full power with WooCommerce, you will need to use those add-ons and extensions. To get the most out of WooCommerce to sell digital goods, you may need an extension to limit purchases to members of your site.

    Or maybe you want to use WooCommerce to set up a course to teach your users. You can do this. But it will require an extension that ties into a learning management system platform. Plus, you can tie WooCommerce into whatever email system you use, whether that’s MailChimp, Constant Contact, Emma, or something else. Again, mostly with an extension.

    You can do any kind of e-commerce with WooCommerce. It’s fantastic. But, like WordPress and themes/plugins, you need to piece together your dream store on your own.

    On top of all this, you can use plugins such as MemberPress to create membership sites that directly rival the membership and revenue-generating options in Ghost.

    Ghost E-commerce

    Ghost e-commerce, on the other hand, is a little different. With Ghost, you’re not setting up a shop or storefront. You’re selling memberships to your site and access to your content. From the moment you open the dashboard, monetization is literally at the top of the list. You can see your membership revenue over the past 30 days first thing.

    ghost dashboard vs wordpress

    When you’re publishing a post, you set who has access to the content from there. It’s easy and built into the Ghost platform itself.

    paid members in ghost

    That’s the catch with Ghost. You’re selling memberships. No goods or services. You can somewhat treat these memberships in the same way that you would a WooCommerce digital storefront, but in general, Ghost is set up for you to hone a community more than one-off sales. (If you want a platform like Ghost that rivals WooCommerce for e-commerce, check out our WP vs. Squarespace post to see the breakdown.)

    None of this is a negative. It’s just the difference in the audience for WordPress vs. Ghost. In terms of pure publication e-commerce, Ghost has membership posting, and newsletter features integrated amazingly. It’s an amazing platform. You just can’t sell individual items.

    WordPress Ghost
    E-Commerce 🥇 Winner

    The WooCommerce plugin let’s you create an online store with ease, plus it has extensions to add functionality and customize your store to your liking.

    		 Ghost is a great platform for selling memberships but can’t do much more than that in terms of e-commerce.
    Choose WordPress Choose Ghost

    WordPress vs Ghost: Who Wins?

    Head-to-head, WordPress, and Ghost are incredibly similar except for just a few details. But it’s those details that make or break the platform for some users. WordPress is a highly customizable platform that started with publishing at the forefront. It has moved to be more of a one-size-fits-all CMS. Ghost began as a publishing-first platform that has stayed a publishing-first platform. Every detail of the software is geared toward getting your content in front of users’ eyes. So you can make money off of it.

    WordPress Ghost
    Ease of Use 🏳️ Draw
    WordPress can take some time to learn, but there are plugins and tutorials to make things easier.    		 🏳️ Draw
    Ghost is about as easy to learn as WordPress, and will take some time to adjust too.
    Customization 🥇 Winner

    WordPress shines in terms of customization based on the sheer amount of plugins and themes available.

    		 Ghost just doesn’t have as many options as WordPress.
    Self-Hosting 🥇 Winner

    WordPress has quick installers for hosts everywhere.

    		 It can be a real hassle to host with Ghost.
    E-Commerce 🥇 Winner

    The WooCommerce plugin let’s you create an online store with ease, plus it has extensions to add functionality and customize your store to your liking.

    		 Ghost is a great platform for selling memberships but can’t do much more than that in terms of e-commerce.
    Choose WordPress Choose Ghost

    If you are in it for publishing content and making money off that content directly without having to deal with typical website issues, Ghost is for you. If you want full control over being able to tweak your website’s design and features, a similarly smooth writing experience, and want to self-host the software, WordPress is the way to go.

    WordPress Deep Dive

    One more thing. Before you make your final decision on your website platform…are you curious to see how WordPress stacks up against its other biggest competitors? We did the hard work and compared WordPress vs. everything else so that you don’t have to! We reviewed WordPress vs. Laravel, and I think you will be interested to see the results.

    If you’re looking for specific plugins to help WordPress become even more powerful, we recommend the following:

    What have been your experiences with WordPress vs. Ghost? Why do you prefer one platform over another?

    The post WordPress vs Ghost (2023) — The Key Differences appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs Laravel (2023) — What You Need To Know

    Comparing WordPress vs. Laravel is complicated because both “platforms” have little in common besides using PHP. However, understanding the differences between both options is essential to determine how to build your next project.

    In this post, we will talk about who should use WordPress and Laravel. We’ll discuss customization options, ease of use, security, and more. Let’s get to it!

    WordPress vs. Laravel PHP Framework: Who Are They For?

    It’s important to understand that WordPress and Laravel are two very different types of software. However, they’re both “solutions” that you can use to build websites and online applications.

    WordPress

    WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) that enables you to build sites using visual tools. You get access to a Block Editor that works similarly to page builder software and a dashboard with options to create and manage content, user accounts, and more:

    WordPress homepage

    On paper, WordPress is a blogging platform. However, the CMS is incredibly versatile, so much so that 43% of all existing websites use it. Therefore, it’s suitable for everything from eCommerce stores to personal blogs.

    If you use the open-source version of WordPress, you’re not even limited to a specific web host. You can set up the CMS on any server that you want.

    Laravel

    Laravel is not a CMS but a “framework” for the PHP programming language. That’s the same language that’s at the core of WordPress. However, Laravel doesn’t provide visual tools or dashboards to help you create a website:

    Laravel homepage

    With Laravel, you get a library of pre-programmed features to “put together” a website. That process takes place from a Command Line Interface (CLI) called Artisan.

    To use Laravel, you’ll need to know your way around PHP even though you interact with the framework using a scripting language. Although that process may sound complicated, using Laravel can be remarkably straightforward if you have a development background.

    Laravel is not a “platform” that you can pick up without programming knowledge. If you have zero background in web development, WordPress is definitely preferable.

    However, that’s not to say WordPress is a platform for beginners only. The CMS is incredibly customizable, and you can use it to develop websites with highly complex functionality.

    WordPress vs. Laravel PHP Framework: Ease of Use

    Although WordPress and Laravel offer such different experiences, we can compare how easy they are to use. Let’s start with WordPress.

    WordPress

    WordPress is straightforward to learn, even if you have no web development experience. It might take a while to go from zero to having a ready-to-go website. However, you have an amazing wealth of resources and tutorials for the CMS. Combine those resources with an intuitive dashboard, and WordPress is a beginner-friendly option:

    WordPress dashboard

    Once you have some experience under your belt using WordPress, you should be able to create new pages and entire websites relatively quickly. You’ll practice using the Block Editor, know which plugins to use in particular situations, and get an idea of which themes to use for different sites.

    Laravel

    If you don’t have a background in web development or experience using the command line, Laravel might be overwhelming. However, you don’t need to be a master programmer to use Laravel.

    Basic knowledge of PHP and CLI functionality should be more than enough to unlock the potential of Laravel:

    Installing Laravel using the command line

    Laravel offers extensive documentation to help you get started. For the best possible experience, we recommend checking out the Laracasts library. The library contains in-depth video tutorials for getting started with Laravel. You’ll also learn how to use some of the many “packages” or pre-built features the framework offers.

    If you want an “easy” setup, Laravel offers some “starter kits” that package several features, including scaffolding (the basic structure for any Laravel app that you create). You can use starter kits such as Laravel Jetstream for faster application deployment:

    Laravel Jetstream

    Arguably, the learning curve for Laravel is bigger than with WordPress. However, once again, we’re talking about two options for web projects with entirely different approaches. If you’re comfortable with the command line, you can set up a Laravel project on your server and start publishing pages in minutes.

    WordPress
    Ease-of-Use 🥇 Winner
    While WordPress does take a second to learn, it is straightforward to get used to and most users will be acclimated within just a few minutes. However, the advanced features will take much longer to master.    		 If you don’t have a background in web development, Laravel can be a lot to take in. However, they do offer video tutorials to help you get you started.
    Choose WordPress Choose Laravel

    WordPress vs. Laravel PHP Framework: Customization

    Both Laravel and WordPress offer a wealth of customization options for whatever project you’re working on. Here’s how both of them compare.

    WordPress

    Most people customize WordPress using plugins and themes. Plugins are add-ons that can add new functionality to the CMS. Fortunately, there are thousands of plugins available to use, and a lot of them are free:

    Installing plugins in WordPress

    Plugins not only add new features to WordPress but also enable you to change core aspects of how the CMS works. For instance, if you don’t like the default Block Editor, you can replace it with a page builders plugin, such as Divi or Beaver Builder.

    With WordPress, you can develop almost any kind of online project that you can imagine. If you have web development experience, you can also edit the WordPress code and create new plugins and themes. In short, every aspect of WordPress is up for customization.

    Laravel

    With Laravel, you start every project from scratch, choosing which dependencies and packages you want to use. That means any website built using Laravel only includes features that are manually added:

    Some of Laravel's packages

    The Laravel model means that every project has a unique set of features. With Laravel, you can add or remove any package since the framework uses a modular system.

    Although some packages can add a visual interface for your Laravel website, you should expect to make most edits via the command line. That means you’ll need to understand the Laravel syntax and be comfortable managing a web project via commands.

    WordPress
    Customization 🥇 Winner
    With all the thousands of plugins and opportunities for custom coding,
    WordPress is set up to be the master of customization.     		Laravel is designed to be a modular system, with frameworks being hand selected by the user. There is a lot of room for customization, it just takes a lot of know-how.
    Choose WordPress Choose Laravel

    WordPress vs. Laravel PHP Framework: Themes and Templates

    Many platforms provide themes and templates to customize your website’s style. Themes enable you to quickly try new designs and overhaul your website’s appearance without coding. Here are the differences in how WordPress and Laravel handle theming.

    WordPress

    As you may know, WordPress offers a massive collection of themes, both free and premium. You can look for and install themes without leaving the dashboard and change options almost instantly:

    The WordPress.org theme repository

    Plus, if you look beyond free options, many premium themes add new functionality to WordPress, such as page builder themes (like Divi). The biggest challenge with themes tends to be settling on an option because there are so many of them.

    You can fully customize any aspect of the themes that you use. Moreover, WordPress enables you to edit page templates using the Block Editor.

    Laravel

    Laravel uses the Blade templating engine by default. It enables you to produce layouts manually, which is more efficient than creating pages from scratch. However, you’ll still need to code every section and element of your Blade templates.

    Alternatively, you could use CCS pre-processors and frontend toolkits. One of the most popular options among Laravel users is Bootstrap:

    The Bootstrap homepage

    Toolkits such as Bootstrap do support and offer themes. However, these are not specific to Laravel itself but to the pre-processor you’re using.

    Although the lack of theming systems might be a con for some, the open-ended approach that Laravel offers is quite appealing. Since you’re working with a framework, you’re free to use any front-end toolkit. Therefore, you can choose from hundreds or thousands of templates if you take the time to set things up.

    If you look for Laravel templates, you will find some options for admin dashboards. Keep in mind that Laravel doesn’t come with an admin panel or dashboard. However, you can build one and use Laravel templates to customize its style:

    Examples of Laravel templates

    These templates will usually require dependencies and frontend toolkits to work. Additionally, you’ll still need to configure Laravel to work with the template and display data through it (some packages can do this).

    WordPress
    Themes and Templates 🥇 Winner

    WordPress offers a huge variety of premium and free themes.

    		 Laravel utilizes the Blade templating engine to produce manual layout, but you can also take advantage of Bootstrap to use hundreds of themes, as long as you take the time to set them up properly.
    Choose WordPress Choose Laravel

    WordPress vs. Laravel PHP Framework: Publishing Tools

    Although Laravel isn’t a “publishing” platform per se, it can fulfill that role with the right approach. Let’s talk about how WordPress and Laravel compare with publishing tools.

    WordPress

    Publishing posts and pages are at the core of the WordPress experience. The CMS focuses on providing tools to create pages and blog posts with ease. The Block Editor reflects that with its visual approach to page creation:

    The Block Editor

    WordPress also offers functionality for managing posts. You can edit, update, and delete posts at any time. Even if you have a massive library of content, WordPress makes it easy to manage it.

    Laravel

    Laravel doesn’t offer built-in publishing tools. However, you can easily change that using the right packages. Some Laravel packages focus on adding blogging and publishing functionality to the framework.

    One such example is Laravel Blog. This package adds a dashboard that looks like WordPress and a classic text editor to publish new posts and pages:

    The Laravel Blog dashboard

    The alternative is to code and publish pages manually. That’s a valid approach, but if you plan on running a blog that publishes content often, you’ll want to use packages to handle the workload more efficiently.

    WordPress
    Publishing Tools 🥇 Winner

    WordPress is a very user-friendly platform, making it easy for non-technical users to create and publish content without much technical expertise. It offers a built-in editor with a variety of formatting options and multimedia support.

    		 Laravel is more developer-oriented and requires technical expertise to use effectively. While it doesn’t offer a built-in content editor, it can be used to build custom publishing tools that are tailored to specific needs.
    Choose WordPress Choose Laravel

    WordPress vs. Laravel PHP Framework: Security

    Protecting your website from attacks and securing user data is key to any modern website. Here’s how Laravel and WordPress compare in terms of security.

    WordPress

    One of the main advantages of using WordPress is that the platform gets regular updates and security patches. If you keep WordPress itself, plus the themes and plugins you use, up to date, your website should be mostly secure. There are security plugins that can help you keep your website safe as well, We’ve listed the best ones here.

    Having said that, there are plenty of extra steps that you can take to protect your site even further. Some plugins can help you implement features such as Two Factor Authentication (2FA). Additionally, you can whitelist IP addresses, use web hosts that offer advanced security functionality, and more.

    Laravel

    Laravel offers many pre-programmed security features that you can implement for your projects. These features are not “enabled” by default, meaning you need to add them manually on a project-by-project basis. They include:

    • A user authentication system
    • Protection against XSS attacks and SQL injections
    • Email verification
    • Password hashing and reset functionality

    On top of its pre-programmed functionality, Laravel includes packages to enhance security. Arguably, Laravel is much more secure than most other PHP frameworks. However, there’s always more that you can do to protect your site, so it’s essential to be proactive about it.

    WordPress
    Security WordPress has several security plugins that can be installed to further enhance its security features. However, since it is a widely used platform, it is often targeted by hackers, making it more vulnerable to attacks. 🥇 Winner
    Laravel, on the other hand, is a PHP web application framework that is designed to be secure by default. It comes with built-in security features such as CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) protection and secure session management.
    Choose WordPress Choose Laravel

    WordPress vs. Laravel PHP Framework: E-commerce

    Running an online store is one of the best ways to make money online. This section will help you decide which platform is more suitable.

    WordPress

    WordPress is a very user-friendly CMS for running an eCommerce store. Using the free WooCommerce plugin, you can create a storefront, upload products, process payments and shipping, and more:

    WooCommerce plugin

    Furthermore, you can use WooCommerce extensions to add extra functionality to your store, such as product filters and customer reviews. Since you control your shop visually, it’s very easy to organize and sell your products.

    Plus, you can choose from other free and paid eCommerce plugins, such as Easy Digital Downloads. Overall, WordPress eCommerce is very accessible.

    Laravel

    As we previously explained, Laravel works with packages. Some Laravel packages can add complex functionality to your projects, such as publishing tools and eCommerce systems.

    E-commerce packages like Aimeos and Lunar can help you set up complex online stores:

    Lunar

    These eCommerce packages give you arguably more freedom than WooCommerce since you can design more complex products, shopping carts, and customer parameters. You’ll also typically get access to an admin hub to manage all your sales. However, as with most Laravel features, you’ll need developer experience to get the most out of eCommerce packages.

    WordPress
    E-commerce The WooCommerce plugin let’s you create an online store with ease, plus it has extensions to add functionality and customize your store to your liking. 🥇 Winner
    Laravel provides a solid foundation for building e-commerce websites with a range of features such as authentication, routing, database management, and templating.
    Choose WordPress Choose Laravel

    WordPress vs Laravel: Picking The Best Option

    Laravel and WordPress offer very distinct approaches to creating a website. With WordPress, you get a CMS that packages visual tools to help you build and manage every aspect of your site. By contrast, Laravel is a PHP framework that requires you to put together projects from scratch using pre-built features and packages.

    WordPress
    Ease-of-Use 🥇 Winner
    While WordPress does take a second to learn, most users will be acclimated within just a few minutes.     		If you don’t have a background in web development, Laravel can be a lot to take in. However, they do offer video tutorials to help you get you started.
    Customization 🥇 Winner

    WordPress is set up to be the master of customization.

    		There is a lot of room for customization, it just takes a lot of know-how.
    Themes and Templates 🥇 Winner

    WordPress offers a huge variety of premium and free themes.

    		 With Laravel you can use hundreds of themes, as long as you take the time to set them up properly.
    Publishing Tools 🥇 Winner

    WordPress is a designed for bloggers.

    		 Laravel is more developer-oriented.
    Security WordPress is a widely used platform, so it’s often targeted by hackers, making it more vulnerable to attacks. 🥇 Winner
    Laravel comes with built-in security features that are unmatched.
    E-commerce The WooCommerce plugin let’s you create an online store with ease. 🥇 Winner
    Laravel provides a solid foundation for building e-commerce websites with the right extension packages.
    Choose WordPress Choose Laravel

    There isn’t a definitively better option for building a website. If you’re an experienced programmer, you’ll probably appreciate Laravel for what it offers – an incredibly scalable and customizable framework that can adapt to your needs. On the other hand, WordPress simply works right out of the box, which can simplify and speed up some projects.

    WordPress vs Anything Else

    One more thing. Before you make your final decision on your website platform…are you curious to see how WordPress stacks up against its other biggest competitors? We did the hard work and compared WordPress vs. everything else so that you don’t have to! We also reviewed WordPress vs. GitHub Pages, and I think you will be interested to see the results.

    If you’re looking for specific plugins to help WordPress become even more powerful, we recommend the following:

    Do you have any questions about using WordPress vs. Laravel? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!

    The post WordPress vs Laravel (2023) — What You Need To Know appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs Squarespace (2023) — The Crucial Differences

    WordPress began as a blogging platform nearly two decades ago and since then has evolved into a full content management system that rivals (if not surpasses) any web platform available. One of its strongest competitors in that arena is Squarespace, a sleek and polished website builder that offers professional-level design and function for those who have no web design or coding knowledge. In this article, we take a look at WordPress vs Squarespace head-to-head so that you can decide which would be the better fit for your website.

    A Note on WordPress

    wordpress dot org

    For this comparison, we’re going to be considering the .org version of WordPress rather than the .com. We have a great, full-length article diving into the major differences between the two for you to check out if that’s something you’re considering. Despite the similarities between WordPress.com and Squarespace as hosted web platforms, we feel that .org is by far the stronger product and will be what most people are choosing between when looking at WordPress vs. Squarespace.

    WordPress vs Squarespace: Who Are They For?

    Before we dive into features and specifics, we want to discuss the differences in who the platforms are marketing their services toward. This alone can make a difference for users because of who new features and quality-of-life upgrades are made for.

    WordPress, as a platform, offers a bit of everything for everyone. The Gutenberg block editor is a passable page-builder and excellent composer, developers can dive headfirst into the WP codebase and create plugins and themes with added functionality, and the third-party ecosystem means users of any expertise level can find the perfect themes, plugins, and features for their site with the right amount of research. Users do, however, have to find hosting and domain registration on their own and handle most of the configuration.

    squarespace homepage

    Squarespace, however, is a Software-as-a-Service (or SaaS) platform that includes hosting, design, domains, and support for a monthly fee. They market to site owners who want to use a page builder to easily design a site that looks as though a professional designer made it. (You don’t need any coding or design experience.) The style of Squarespace reminds me of the Tilda website builder, which we also reviewed. Within minutes of signing up, you can click a few times and have a working website online. You just need to then go through and adjust settings to make sure T’s are crossed, and I’s are dotted.

    1. Pricing (Is Squarespace or WordPress More Affordable?)

    One of the first and most important elements of choosing a website platform is the cost. How much is this thing going to run you in the long term and the short, and what features, bells, and whistles are included in that price?

    The Real Price of WordPress

    WordPress is open-source, downloadable software that you can install, host, and manage yourself. So, in theory, it’s free. But that’s not quite the case. Other recurring costs are necessary to keep a WordPress website online, such as the web host (like SiteGround or Pressable), the annual cost of a domain name, and theme/plugin licenses and memberships. WordPress is marketed as free, but it actually has a number of underlying costs that can hit your wallet deeply.

    However, those costs are variable per site. Some theme and plugin licenses are for a single site for a single year. Others are memberships that offer lifetime plans for a one-time cost, like we do here at Elegant Themes. It’s piecemeal and variable. You might pay anywhere between $5 per month for hosting, $10 per year for a domain, and $29.99 once for a theme. Or you might spend $99 per month on managed hosting, $250 per year on security platforms, $79 per month for Shopify (or hundreds on WooCommerce extensions), and that same $10 per year for that same domain name.

    But it’s definitely not free.

    How much does Squarespace cost?

    Squarespace, on the other hand, is a premium SaaS platform that users go into knowing it isn’t free. Much like WordPress.com, Squarespace is a premium, hosted web platform that helps people get sites up and running without technical expertise or design experience.

    wordpress vs squarespace pricing

    Because it is a SaaS platform, Squarespace is not free. While there are minimal costs for WordPress in terms of hosting and domain names, it’s possible users can get hosting for under $5 per month. With Squarespace, users can expect to pay at least $12 each month, if billed annually, and $40 to unlock each and every feature. Website owners choose from various tiers and pay based on what features they want to be enabled for their websites.

    Admittedly, not every site needs every feature. It is a stark contrast to WordPress–which, as open-source software, created a massive third-party ecosystem–whereas all Squarespace users have access to everything from the very beginning in one dashboard. Squarespace, however, charges for the convenience of having things instantly at your fingertips with no added configuration.

    WordPress Wix
    Pricing 🥇 Winner

    While it is technically free, you’ll eventually need to pay for hosting or services. The amount depends on what you want to spend.

    		 It’s a premium SaaS platform, so you pay monthly or yearly for the convenience with no additional configuration options.
    Choose WordPress Choose Squarespace

    2. WordPress vs Squarespace Design and Features

    One of the biggest draws to both WordPress and Squarespace is that they both offer tools for anyone to make a beautiful website without coding or design knowledge. Page-builders and themes like Divi come with layouts made by design professionals that WordPress users can import, and Squarespace offers exactly that with their templates. The way the website platforms handle these features, however, makes a big difference in the user experience.

    WordPress Themes

    wordpress themes

    At the core of WordPress sit themes, plugins, and widgets. Each fills a specific role in the functionality of your site, and making the most of their individual strengths and quirks is what sets a WordPress site apart from a Squarespace one (or any other CMS, really).

    Themes are the base of WordPress, being the visual foundation for the site as well as the functional one. Our own Divi provides a blank canvas for designers, onto which they can create anything they want using the packed-in page builder. Other themes may not offer a built-in page builder but instead have pre-designed pages that perform specific functions for certain types of users and look a certain way.

    WordPress Widgets and Plugins

    Plugins are simple apps and scripts that add new features to a site regardless of theme. WooCommerce adds an eCommerce shop to any WordPress site, and Yoast SEO helps any site, regardless of the theme, be able to track its search engine optimization. If there’s a feature that you want in WordPress, there’s a 99.9% chance a plugin exists for it.

    plugins

    Widgets are also a big part of WordPress, letting you access and display the various features of your site. Maybe it would be recent posts in a sidebar or the SEO score in real-time as you write a post. Widgetized areas are customizable parts of the WP site, front-end and back, that you can set to do whatever you want. From code to drag-and-drop to set features, widgets can make up a good portion of a WP site’s real estate.

    These drag-and-drop plugins make your WordPress website editor similar to the basic web design tools that Squarespace uses:

    If you’re looking for more suggested plugins, check out one of our articles here.

    Squarespace Themes and Templates

    wordpress vs squarespace themes

    Squarespace themes are different than WordPress themes. Where WP themes come with features and functionality for the site, themes on Squarespace are purely aesthetic. But that’s not a bad thing. That’s great. That’s the point.

    The themes that you get with Squarespace are beautiful and made so that non-designers can find something that suits them and then get their content within that template without having to fuss with the specifics of design. That’s handled already. Squarespace offers significantly fewer theme templates vs WordPress. But the ones you can choose from have been curated and designed specifically for the platform and to work with specific kinds of sites (e-commerce, blogging, portfolio, etc.).

    In terms of plugin and widget corollaries, Squarespace differs quite a bit. You can’t fiddle with every gizmo like you can with WordPress, but Squarespace does that on purpose. They designed the platform so that you don’t have to. Instead of having to install and configure WooCommerce, there’s an e-commerce shop set up already in your Squarespace dashboard. You don’t have to find and configure analytics plugins or SEO because Squarespace has those integrated into the dashboard, too.

    The Squarespace Builder

    We do want to mention the Squarespace site builder is very similar to WordPress page builder plugins, and the default WP Gutenberg block editor. You can add sections and modules with ease, just by pressing a + button. However, the amount of customization that you get on the site at this point is severely limited. You can’t really adjust positioning or colors to fully custom levels. You may only have options such as Title and  Caption and Color Palette.

    This is intentional on Squarespace’s part, as they design the themes and templates, and modules for specific looks and features. This design is a major draw for many people to Squarespace, but we do want to point out that you are pretty much locked into these designs without true customization.

    WordPress Wix
    Design and Features 🥇 Winner

    The biggest draw to WordPress is the thousands of plugins, themes, and widgets you can use to customize your website.

    		 Squarespace gives users the chance to create aesthetically pleasing websites with ease, but doesn’t offer very many customization options.
    Choose WordPress Choose Squarespace

    3. Learning Curve and Ease of Use

    If the number of themes and plugins and amount of customization options in WordPress overwhelms you, you’re not alone. Loading into the admin dashboard for the first time can be a shock. Hopping into the Squarespace backend might also feel a bit overwhelming, with every tool for your site immediately available in the sidebar.

    Setting up any new website tools will come with a learning curve, but we want to take a close look at WordPress vs Squarespace to see how steep that curve goes and how quickly it evens out.

    WordPress Offers Full-Site Customization

    wordpress vs squarespace editing themes

    This is, in our eyes, the biggest draw for WordPress vs Squarespace: the ability to poke, prod, tweak, and turn each and every line of code to be exactly what you need it to be. If you’re a developer or designer, you can make WordPress do anything you want by digging into the codebase.

    However, those aren’t skills everyone has. If you don’t happen to fall into the category of folks who are comfortable tweaking PHP and JavaScript, WordPress can have a pretty steep learning curve.

    Admittedly, the theme/plugin/widget system helps ease the steepness of the curve, it still takes external research and effort to find the right suite of add-ons as a base for your site. If you come to WordPress as a fresh user with no prior knowledge of the ecosystem, it’s incredibly easy to get taken in by too-good-to-be-true claims from some third-party developers.

    If you do your due diligence, however, a WordPress site with a good theme and plugin combo will run smoothly and efficiently without trouble. You just have to put in the time to learn how to get to that point because to be quite honest, the UI and messaging to get started are nowhere near what they should be for new users.

    Squarespace Offers Curated Customizations

    squarespace design

    When it comes to starting out with Squarespace, the left side of the screen is a list of every part of your site, and the right side has a pop-up that directs you to begin customizing immediately. From site title and logo to fonts, colors, and media, the Squarespace introductory tutorial trumps WordPress in every way.

    squarespace design

    This kind of initial walkthrough significantly lowers the learning curve of the software because you don’t have to find anything on your own or worry about missing something fundamental. The platform takes you through it step by step.

    Because of that hand-holding and guidance, though, the breadth of customization options are rather limited. Depending on the chosen template (the Squarespace equivalent of a WordPress theme), you will have different on-page options to adjust and fill with your own content.

    squarespace page builder

    To edit individual pages on the site, Squarespace has a basic page builder. You won’t get the customization options from top-end WordPress page-builder plugins like Divi, but you will get to introduce or remove elements from the page, as well as adjust spacing and another basic formatting. In lots of ways, the Squarespace site builder is roughly equivalent to the Gutenberg block editor in capability and learning curve.

    Dashboard vs Dashboard

    Briefly, we also want to point out that the learning curve for the Squarespace dashboard is relatively flat. While it can be overwhelming to see everything all at once, the list of features doesn’t grow often, if at all. It’s fast, it’s intuitive, and it doesn’t take a BS in computer science to know what the options do. Users can edit and change everything they want on the same page quickly and without page loading. For users who want a no-nonsense, understandable, easy-to-use place for all their features, Squarespace is it.

    dashboard for squarespace vs wordpress

    In direct comparison, the WordPress admin dashboard leaves a lot to be desired. This isn’t to say that the dashboard isn’t effective or usable. It absolutely is. And you can dig in and customize it however you need. But as your site grows, so does the dashboard.

    wordpress dashboard example

    When you install new plugins, they add their features to the dashboard somehow. This means that everything is ready and waiting for you at all times. But it also means that you have to learn a new configuration that’s not always intuitive regularly, too.

    WordPress Wix
    Ease of Use WordPress can be daunting when your first getting started. It takes a bit of research and know-how to get comfortable with the platform. 🥇 Winner

    Squarespace offers a handy tutorial that can get you acclimated quickly. It’s simple, basic, and effective.

    Choose WordPress Choose Squarespace

    4. Content Ownership and Your Data

    Data is one of the hottest commodities in the world, so making sure that you’re in control of yours is paramount to running a successful site. With that in mind, you have to know how your data is going to be used and stored by the companies you trust with your website. Let’s compare WordPress vs Squarespace.

    Your Content and Data on WordPress

    WordPress installations are yours, always have been yours, and always will be yours. Content that you put on that website can be exported and used anywhere (within its licensing and copyright, that is) without the worry of interference.

    This goes for your domain name and web address, too. If you register it separately from your web host (which we recommend that you always do), no one can say that you can’t sell that URL or move it to a different host. It’s yours to do with what you want.

    Not all platforms are like that, and some will fight you tooth and nail to keep you on their platform through some pretty shady means (but not Squarespace, actually). With WordPress, that’s not even a concern, and we feel that is a very important point to make.

    You do need to make sure, however, that your host is trustworthy with your data, too, as they’re the ones ultimately in charge of what happens to it.

    Your Content and Data on Squarespace

    You can export your content from Squarespace and move it elsewhere if you want. You do own the content and images (again, as per licensing). Squarespace has a series of import/export tools for content and details that you include on your site, and their Terms of Service (as far as we’ve been able to read) don’t include any hidden clauses that anything you put on their platform belongs to them.

    You can even transfer a domain name registered through them to any other registrar. This is important because the URL you choose is one of the most important parts of owning a website. The main issue we’ve found with their domain service is that even if you use their “free” domain registration, it renews at $20 to $70 from then on out, depending on your TLD (.com, .org, .tv, etc.). For a typical .com, that’s a lot. There is certainly an upcharge here. But again, that’s part of a SaaS platform that handles these things on your behalf.

    In general, the main part of your Squarespace account that you don’t own and have control over is the design and templates that you use. Those belong to Squarespace, so if you move to another platform, then you must do a redesign using a different theme. This is normal. The same thing happens if you were to move to Squarespace from WP. You couldn’t use your Elegant Themes membership to bring Divi along with you, for instance.

    WordPress Wix
    Content & Data Ownership 🏳 Draw

    WordPress has and will always let you keep your data and content and has tools to be exported should you leave the platform.

    		 🏳 Draw

    Squarespace let’s you keep all of your data and content, but keeps access to it’s templates, which is a standard practice.
    Choose WordPress Choose Squarespace

    5. E-commerce

    For many sites, the make-it-or-break-it feature is being able to run a fast, reliable, and efficient storefront through the website. Both WordPress and Squarespace are great options for this. But they do have their own idiosyncrasies when it comes to how that is handled and what features are available.

    WooCommerce on WordPress

    You have a number of options for e-commerce on WordPress, but by and large, you will probably be using WooCommerce. It’s the biggest player on the field. And for good reason. Like WordPress itself, WooCommerce is free software that you can download, install, and configure relatively quickly.

    Upon installation, WooCommerce walks you through the process of setting up your store. You just follow along, making sure all the details are right before you even get taken to the shop and products.

    In terms of aesthetics, the shops and products that you can make with WooCommerce look great, and you can download plugins that adjust pretty much every aspect of the shop. Even Divi has a series of modules dedicated to tweaking your WooCommerce store’s design until it’s perfect.

    Like the rest of WordPress, though, WooCommerce has a series of hidden fees in terms of most non-base extensions and features having an extra cost. We also have to mention that the learning curve for the UI is pretty steep.

    woocommerce learning curve

    Even so, the power and extensibility you get with WooCommerce are worth the effort and the potential additional costs of extensions and add-ons. But at its base, the only fees and costs are from the payment processors. In reality, though, you will have a range of small costs as you figure out what features you need.

    Squarespace Commerce

    The Squarespace e-commerce solution is in the dashboard under the heading Commerce. Clicking it the first time will bring up a wizard not unlike the one that WooCommerce uses, taking you through the process of setting up physical goods, payments, digital options, and other details.

    You will choose a store template for your site. However, the options are rather limited. In most cases, your store will be a grid of product images, and you will be able to customize elements such as text alignment, aspect ratio, width, and spacing. This is similar to the default WooCommerce shop, with which you don’t get customization, either. However, you have options to extend that in Woo but not on Squarespace.

    wordpress vs squarespace ecommerce

    Squarespace e-Commerce pricing

    The learning curve for Squarespace commerce is relatively low, as the entire process of setting up and even adding more products is quick and painless. The user experience of selling on the Squarespace e-commerce platform is much nicer than WooCommerce. But that comes at the trade-off of pretty limited options for displaying your products.

    You won’t, however, run into extra costs if you use Squarespace for an e-commerce platform. Everything that you need to run the store itself is packaged in with your monthly cost. However, the lowest tier of Squarespace’s features doesn’t include e-commerce. For that, you will need to pay $18 per month. Which isn’t out of line at all when compared with competitors like Shopify.

    WordPress Wix
    e-Commerce 🥇 Winner

    WooCommerce is a great free tool that has become a standard for the WordPress community. There is a ton of customizability options that are available to help you create your ideal store. But, it can be a bit challenging to learn and the add-ons do come with a small fee.

    		The learning curve for e-commerce with Squarespace is low and simple to get started with. However, there isn’t a lot of customization options and running a store will cost an increased monthly fee.
    Choose WordPress Choose Squarespace

    WordPress vs Squarespace

    When considering a WordPress vs Squarespace site, it comes down to what you are in the market for in terms of your website, what your budget is, and what your experience level with websites might be.

    Head to head, Squarespace offers a far more refined experience with a lot of the hassles of owning and managing a website taken care of for you. Squarespace has a lower learning curve, a slicker interface, and a solid support team for its all-in-one SaaS platform. From e-commerce to portfolios to blogging and more, Squarespace integrates it somehow into its platform. For someone who wants a professional website with as little friction as possible, Squarespace is the way to go.

    WordPress, though, offers complete autonomy and customization but has a mildly confusing interface and a moderate learning curve. Every feature a site owner could need, however, is readily available. You just have to find the theme or plugin that provides it. In some ways, WordPress can feel like the Wild West. But in reality, the piecemeal way themes, plugins, features, and such are handled makes it so that every type of site owner is catered to somehow. If you want to work on your website until it is pixel-perfect in every regard, WordPress is the way to go. From SEO tools to Social Media plugins, WordPress has something for you.

    Final Comparison

    In the end, WordPress vs Squarespace boils down to whether you want a beautiful, walled garden with less customization or a garden plot that will be just as beautiful by getting a little dirt on your hands. We don’t think one platform is necessarily better than the other. They’re just better for different kinds of site owners.

    WordPress Wix
    Pricing 🥇 Winner

    While it is technically free, you’ll eventually need to pay for hosting or services. The amount depends on what you want to spend.

    		 It’s a premium SaaS platform, so you pay monthly or yearly for the convenience with no additional configuration options.
    Design and Features 🥇 Winner

    The biggest draw to WordPress is the thousands of plugins, themes, and widgets you can use to customize your website.

    		 Squarespace gives users the chance to create aesthetically pleasing websites with ease, but doesn’t offer very many customization options.
    Ease of Use WordPress can be daunting when your first getting started. It takes a bit of research and know-how to get comfortable with the platform. 🥇 Winner

    Squarespace offers a handy tutorial that can get you acclimated quickly. It’s simple, basic, and effective.

    Content & Data Ownership 🏳 Draw

    WordPress has and will always let you keep your data and content and has tools to be exported should you leave the platform.

    		 🏳 Draw

    Squarespace let’s you keep all of your data and content, but keeps access to it’s templates, which is a standard practice.
    e-Commerce 🥇 Winner

    WooCommerce is a great free tool that has become a standard for the WordPress community. There is a ton of customizability options that are available to help you create your ideal store. But, it can be a bit challenging to learn and the add-ons do come with a small fee.

    		The learning curve for e-commerce with Squarespace is low and simple to get started with. However, there isn’t a lot of customization options and running a store will cost an increased monthly fee.
    Choose WordPress Choose Squarespace

    WordPress vs Everything

    One more thing. Before you make your final decision on your website platform…are you curious to see how WordPress stacks up against its other biggest competitors? We did the hard work and compared WordPress vs. everything else so that you don’t have to! Most recently, we reviewed WordPress vs. Weebly, and I think you will be interested to see the results.

    If you’re looking for specific plugins to help WordPress become even more powerful, we recommend the following:

    Having said that, Squarespace still provides a great set-and-forget website-building tool.

    We hope you’ve enjoyed this WordPress vs Squarespace comparison! What is your position on WordPress vs Squarespace? Why do you feel that way?

    The post WordPress vs Squarespace (2023) — The Crucial Differences appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs Wix (2023) — Which is Right for You?

    In terms of WordPress competitors, they don’t come a lot bigger than Wix. Wix has made a name for itself by offering free websites that require absolutely no experience to create. The Wix team has grown its market share a great deal in recent years. WordPress, however, remains the 800-lb gorilla in the room. Because of its open-source approach, it powers well over 1/3 of the internet. Recent releases for WordPress have made the platform much more new-user friendly, so we are going to take you head-to-head with WordPress vs Wix to see which is the real no-fuss website-building platform.

    1. WordPress vs Wix: Who Are They For?

    Wix markets itself as “the platform that gives you the freedom to create, design, manage and develop your web presence exactly the way you want.” It is a fully hosted website platform. You use their page builder to make a professional-looking website from pre-designed templates. That means, first of all, that experienced website developers won’t get a lot out of Wix because they don’t get access to the inner workings. But people without that experience flock to Wix. They are drawn to its simplicity and ability to quickly get a good-looking website off the ground.

    WordPress, on the other hand, is openly marketed toward “everyone.” Which is a pretty wide demographic. But because it’s the industry leader in market share, the strategy works for them. WordPress started as a blogging platform that has evolved into a full content management system (CMS). Because of that, users of any skill level can start with WordPress. They choose a theme and can start with their website in a flash. New users will find the Gutenberg block editor intuitive for page and post design. Experienced developers can dig into creating their features and designs by creating and coding their custom themes and plugins.

    Both website platforms are incredibly easy for new users to jump into. And each has its unique quirks and learning curves.

    2. WordPress vs Wix: Ease-of-Use

    Users don’t want a lot of roadblocks in their way to creating a website and getting their content in front of people. You may be setting up your first site ever. Or your thousandth. Either way, break down how easy it is to get started with a website on WordPress vs Wix.

    WordPress

    WordPress originated as a blogging platform, which is evident in its core features, Posts and Pages. The platform’s simplicity and comprehensibility make it easy to use. Custom Post Types are used by major plugins and features, such as Toolset and WooCommerce, to expand the platform’s capabilities. Understanding the basic publishing workflow is enough for users to learn the platform’s advanced features.

    WordPress dashboard

    Regrettably, the dashboard and UI haven’t developed as seamlessly as other parts of the platform (e.g., the Gutenberg block editor). The left-hand sidebar can be perplexing and unintuitive for new users. Adding new plugins and themes can lead to clutter and poor navigation, which is expected.

    By the time your dashboard gets as cluttered as the one above (which is from a site started in 2013), you will have learned to navigate it and use the features. However, that doesn’t change that the user experience is less-than-stellar.

    The main challenge in learning WordPress is discovering the ideal themes and plugins. Thankfully, we can help you with that. We have an exhaustive library of posts to help you choose the best form plugins, some great options for social media integration, popular SEO plugins, as well as WooCommerce and blogging themes to help get you started.

    wordpress theme repository

    And if you don’t want to sink that time into it and need a website fast, the default themes and core features look nice and work immediately after installation.

    Wix

    Starting with Wix is a bit simpler than WordPress. There are a couple of calls to action on the page prompting you to get started with your free account.

    Get started with Wix

    From there, you decide how you want to create the site. You can edit from the ground up using the drag-and-drop page builder. Or you and answer a series of questions about what kind of site you want to have. You might choose eCommerce or blog or portfolio. Whatever you choose, you’re then given a choice of features to include such as forums, contact forms, and email opt-ins. And finally, you choose between 6 different color/font themes and add what pages you want on the site (such as a blog or about me or policies, etc.).

    Wix

    Once you choose these elements, Wix loads your dashboard. The whole process is straightforward. When it’s done, you have a ready-to-publish site (outside of not having your content, of course).

    Wix’s Dashboard is Difficult to Navigate

    However, that’s when the simplicity and ease of use stop. From there, Wix takes you to your dashboard, which is just as cluttered (if not more so) as WordPress’s. But this one contains so many upsells that navigating to actual features you can use versus features locked behind a paywall is like running an obstacle course.

    Design Wix site

    Nearly every click in their dashboard brings up some kind of upsell. Even pushing your site live brings up a screen-filling modal that makes it seem as though subscribing is how to proceed. Additionally, messages such as “Get Your Site on Google” and “Get Found on Google” are misleading to users, New website owners may not understand how search crawlers work and the site will be indexed regardless. All that feature does is connect the site to Google Search Console. Which is admittedly important for long-term success, whether your site is Wix vs WordPress.

    We mention all of this in this section because this is most certainly an ease-of-use issue. The constant upsells are somewhat distracting. They get in the way of easily designing and launching a site, which is the primary focus of Wix’s marketing.

    WordPress Wix
    Ease of Use 🏳 Draw

    Dashboard can be a bit difficult when a lot of plugins are installed, but the core elements are easy to understand.

    		 🏳 Draw

    Getting started is simple, with step-by-step instructions. That being said, the Wix dashboard is full of upsells and is very convoluted.
    Choose WordPress Choose Wix

    3. WordPress vs Wix: Page Builders

    Over the past decade, page builders have brought non-designers the ability to create professional-looking websites through templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and modular elements. Both Wix and WordPress offer these features, and in many ways is the primary way the platforms appeal to new website owners. We take a look at the builders available on both platforms so you know what you’re getting into with either.

    WordPress Page Builders

    In terms of ease-of-use, however, WordPress’s Gutenberg block editor does shine as an intuitive way to write and edit posts, as well as design pages (though page builder plugins such as Elementor, and Beaver Builder, and themes such as Divi offer much more advanced options when you get to need those). You add blocks, use built-in controls and options to place them, and then publish. You don’t even need to adjust CSS to create content with it.

    WordPress vs Wix page builder

    If you want a more powerful approach, most of the top free WordPress themes come with either a built-in page builder or integrated support for third-party builders like Divi. You get to pick and choose which builder works best for you and has exactly the experience you want.

    However, the downside to this is that the only one built into WordPress itself is Gutenberg. And you have to research third-party developers to get more advanced ones.

    Wix’s Builder

    Wix’s customizable website’s core is user-friendly, unlike the dashboard. The design of the builders is aesthetically pleasing. Wix offers a step-by-step builder (Wix ADI) and a drag-and-drop builder. Dev mode (powered by Velo) allows you to add custom javascript for additional functionality, but you’ll need to upgrade your account to use it.

    add custom code WordPress vs Wix

    Neither builder is as effective as popular WordPress editors like Gutenberg. However, first-time users will receive a brief tutorial on adding elements, sections, and pages, and managing the business aspects.

    Wix builder tutorial

    The drag-and-drop editor is a superior tool compared to the ADI builder, offering more control over individual elements. With drag-and-drop, you can move elements to any spot without CSS or other elements being affected.

    You can swap between elements and pages, and those load a lot faster than the ADI editor. But it still lags in every browser we tried.

    Adding elements in Wix page builder

    Overall, the Wix builder alone is enough to deter anyone who wants an easy, smooth experience. The app just has enough to be a contender for building a solid website that you can use for anything but a quick announcement or placeholder.

    WordPress Wix
    Page Builders 🥇 Winner
    The Gutenberg Block editor is simple and intuitive. Plus, there are an abundance of third-party choices available.    		 While the aesthetics and overall design are nice, that’s where the effectiveness of Wix ends. The builder is laggy, making swapping between elements painfully slow.
    Choose WordPress Choose Wix

    4. WordPress vs Wix: Customization

    It’s easy to spend countless hours tweaking fonts, adjusting plugins, choosing colors, and editing templates. Making sure that your website is perfect for your users is a big part of what being a website owner is about. So we are going to take a look at what WordPress vs Wix offer you in terms of customization and being able to give your users the experience they deserve.

    WordPress Customization

    Other WordPress customization options outside of page builders and editors come built into the platform. You can add custom CSS to the site through the Theme Customizer, and even dig into the PHP files for your theme right through the back dashboard (though we don’t recommend doing that).

    Part of what makes WordPress appealing is the ability to customize and tweak every aspect of your site. You can add plugins for new features, adjust themes, and dig into the code. That being said, with the introduction of full site editing themes, customizations span even further to custom templates, template parts, and block patterns, without having to edit a single line of code.

    WordPress full site editing

    WordPress primarily relies on themes and plugins for customization, whereas Wix focuses on builder-based customization. WordPress.org offers a vast repository of themes and plugins to choose from for establishing a site’s foundation. Plus, there are countless third-party plugins to extend WordPress’s ability. For example, Divi users benefit from the Divi Marketplace, where they can boost Divi’s already stellar capabilities through plugins and extensions.

    Theme developers usually include multiple customization options in their designs, enabling users to control the added elements. Users can extend site functionality by installing plugins, which add custom widgets, post types, scripts, and utilities.

    wordpress vs wix plugins

    Wix Customization

    In terms of customization, the options that you get in the builders are what you get with Wix. You can tweak elements and keep them all within the designs that will always make your website look put together and professionally designed. Regarding content, you can add whatever you want. Videos, photos, blogs, whatever.

    You can customize layouts and various elements for your eCommerce shops and blogs. In general, the customization options within Wix are comparable to other hosted builders like Squarespace or HubSpot. The intent isn’t to give you full rein, as in WordPress. It is to present you with a series of options that work well together and make an aesthetically pleasing final website.

    This is good – because as we mentioned earlier – if you want to add anything else to the website via custom code (such as CSS), then you’re going to have to upgrade your membership.

    Not even being able to customize CSS is a major lacking point for a website. This is only a limitation on free accounts, however, and a pretty standard one at that. Even free WordPress.com (which is also a free-to-premium platform like Wix) prevents free users from adjusting CSS for their themes.

    WordPress Wix
    Customization 🥇 Winner

    WordPress shines in terms of customization based on the sheer amount of plugins and themes available, as well as the ability to add CSS for ultimate control.

    		 What you see is basically what you get with Wix. While you can tweak the available elements, adding CSS will cost you additional fees.
    Choose WordPress Choose Wix

    5. WordPress vs Wix: Ecommerce

    Making money by selling something on the internet is many people’s dream. You may want to sell courses or ebooks. Or you might want to have an online space for your in-person shop. Whatever your intent, both WordPress and Wix have quick-and-easy options for setting up shops.

    WordPress Ecommerce

    WordPress technically doesn’t have e-commerce built into it. WooCommerce is a separate plugin that you will need to install, but it’s owned and developed by the same company as WordPress, so it might as well be a default e-commerce platform.

    Woocommerce dashboard

    When you log into WooCommerce, you have a dashboard that includes full payment reporting, as well as a series of menus to the side with other default features. You get customer details, can create coupons, run reports, send emails to customers, check the status of orders, and so on.

    By default, WooCommerce enables PayPal as a payment method. Because PayPal is one of the easiest payment processors available. Even so, PayPal isn’t available in many countries, so you will want more than that. WooCommerce gives you the option for Stripe payments, too, as well as a feature called WooCommerce Payments that the company handles by itself. Plus, there is additional support for other payment processors, too.

    WooCommerce Add-Ons

    Furthermore, while WooCommerce offers an impressive selection of extensions to enhance its functionality, you may require additional plugins for specific features. These plugins are often available for purchase as premium or freemium options. Notably, Yith is a well-regarded company offering some of the best WooCommerce add-ons at both price points.

    Fortunately, there are numerous options available for WooCommerce, such as SEO plugins and product image zoom plugins, which can greatly improve your online store. Additionally, for brick-and-mortar stores seeking to integrate their online and in-store inventory management, WooPos is an ideal solution to bridge the gap between the two systems.

    Probably the biggest issue with WooCommerce is that the shop itself is not very customizable. You can adjust the layout some, but by and large, the majority of WooCommerce shops and products look eerily similar.

    Woocommerce product page

    That being said, some premium themes and plugins can be used to create custom product pages. For example, Divi’s Theme Builder can create beautiful product page templates, as well as shop and category page templates with help from Divi’s built-in integration with WooCommerce.

    Wix Ecommerce

    First, we want to point out again that Wix is all about the upsells. The platform has an e-commerce shop built into the builder so you can go in and add products just like any other page. However, if you’re a free user (to whom Wix primarily advertises), you cannot accept online payments at all. So you’re forced to upgrade to a premium plan regardless.

    wordpress vs wix upselling for ecommerce

    Adding products and using the actual builder is painless. It can be sluggish and slow to respond, but in comparison to WooCommerce, the UI is much easier to use. And nicer to look at.

    wix store

    All of the options and information you need are in a single place, even creating coupon codes or sending emails to customers. This consolidation is a lot more useful than the WordPress way of spreading things out across multiple screens.

    The shop is about on par with the WordPress one. You do get more customization options with Wix, but they’re pretty superficial. You can adjust margins and layout and how text appears and sorting, etc., but your store is probably going to be a pretty standard grid. That said, it probably will be with WordPress and WooCommerce, too.

    WordPress Wix
    Ecommerce 🏳 Draw

    WordPress doesn’t come natively with ecommerce functionality, but there are plugin options available. Woocommerce adds a shop to WordPress, but it’s not the most straightforward to set up.

    		 🏳 Draw

    Wix offers the ability to add products in the free version of its software, but if you want to collect payments, you’ll have to upgrade your account. That being said, adding products to the platform is quite simple.
    Choose WordPress Choose Wix

    WordPress and Wix Alternatives

    One more thing. Before you make your final decision on your website platform…are you curious to see how WordPress stacks up against its other biggest competitors? We did the hard work and compared WordPress vs everything else so that you don’t have to! Most recently, we reviewed WordPress vs Squarespace, and I think you will be interested to see the results.

    Should You Go with WordPress or Wix?

    WordPress is a stronger platform than Wix in almost every way. While Wix has some nice features, such as a good UI and a cool drag-and-drop editor, we are not impressed with its platform. However, it is a decent service if you’re willing to upgrade your account a few levels.

    Wix’s upselling suggests it targets those who want a free website, but its free option is not functional. Many reasons exist to avoid free websites. Wix markets itself as free, but to use the site you build, you must pay a considerable amount.

    With WordPress, you do have to handle a lot more of the backend features. Like theme and plugin installation, maintenance, and hosting. But the power and lack of restriction the platform gives are more than worth learning how to do. Feature by feature, WordPress offers a smoother, more stable experience than the Wix platform.

    That being said, WordPress has a slightly steeper learning curve to start, but if you intend to keep the website active for more than a month or two, we say go with WordPress over Wix because of its list of possible integrations, features, and customization options.

    Final Comparison

    Here’s a complete breakdown of all the features that both options offer. As you can see, WordPress wins by a wide margin. This is largely due to the fact that there are so many plugins and themes available. Plus, you have more options when it comes to hosting than you do with Wix. WordPress hosts are plentiful, but there are a few such as Cloudways and SiteGround that offer some stand-out features at a very reasonable price.

    WordPress Wix
    Ease of Use 🏳 Draw

    Dashboard can be a bit difficult when a lot of plugins are installed, but the core elements are easy to understand.

    		 🏳 Draw

    Getting started is simple, with step-by-step instructions. That being said, the Wix dashboard is full of upsells and is very convoluted.
    Page Builders 🥇 Winner

    The Gutenberg Block editor is simple and intuitive. Plus, there are an abundance of third-party choices available.

    		 While the aesthetics and overall design are nice, that’s where the effectiveness of Wix ends. The builder is laggy, making swapping between elements painfully slow.
    Customization 🥇 Winner

    WordPress shines in terms of customization based on the sheer amount of plugins and themes available, as well as the ability to add CSS for ultimate control.

    		 What you see is basically what you get with Wix. While you can tweak the available elements, adding CSS will cost you additional fees.
    Ecommerce 🏳 Draw

    WordPress doesn’t come natively with ecommerce functionality, but there are plugin options available. Woocommerce adds a shop to WordPress, but it’s not the most straightforward to set up.

    		 🏳 Draw

    Wix offers the ability to add products in the free version of its software, but if you want to collect payments, you’ll have to upgrade your account. That being said, adding products to the platform is quite simple.
    Choose WordPress Choose Wix

    We hope you’ve enjoyed this WordPress vs Wix comparison. Which are you leaning toward now? WordPress or Wix?

    The post WordPress vs Wix (2023) — Which is Right for You? appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs HighLevel

    WordPress and HighLevel are both great options for building websites, however, there are some differences. WordPress is a content management system (CMS) while HighLevel is an all-in-one platform that includes a website builder. HighLevel enables users to build feature-rich websites easily on their all-in-one platform, but they don’t always provide the same options or flexibility as an open source CMS like WordPress. In this post, we’ll look at WordPress vs HighLevel to determine the differences between the two. Additionally, we’ll discuss the features of both platforms so that you can decide which is best for your business.

    WordPress vs HighLevel: Who are They For?

    Both WordPress and HighLevel are very different in terms of built-in features and available add-ons.

    WordPress CMS

    WordPress got its start as a blogging platform in the early 2000’s. Over the years, WordPress has developed into a the most popular CMS, housing some of the largest corporate websites. For example, Sony Music, Time Magazine, CNN, and the White House are all built on WordPress. WordPress is open source and free, but will involve additional cost to get a WordPress website up and runner. Users should factor in the cost of hosting, premium themes, and plugins. Those things can drive the price to hundreds of dollars. However, those add-ons add functionality and allow for unique websites. Because of this, WordPress is best utilized by anyone who needs a website — small or large.

    WordPress vs HighLevel

    High Level is an all-in-one marketing platform geared more towards the agency professional. Like HubSpot, HighLevel is a SaaS platform, which means it is a fully capable Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for business professionals who need an all-in-one platform. Things such as scheduling appointments, 2-Way SMS, landing pages, payment solutions, sales funnels, and analytics are all built in. Similar platforms such as HubSpot offer these features, but as an add-on. With HighLevel, you’ll get everything you need to make your website a fully functional business website and marketing solution for a fraction of the cost of the competition.

    WordPress vs HighLevel Ease of Use

    One of the most important aspects of any CMS or website builder is how easy it is to use. Both WordPress and HighLevel have a learning curve. Let’s discuss each platform to determine which has the advantage.

    WordPress Ease of Use

    WordPress can be a simple platform to learn. This is especially true if you are only needing to build a small information website. It can become a bit more cumbersome when needing to integrate other software or functionalities to make it what you need for your business.

    WordPress dashboard

    Beginners will be inundated with content across the web to help them get started. There are dozens of websites completely dedicated to learning the in’s and out’s of WordPress. For instance, our Elegant Themes blog is packed full of tutorials and resources to assist WordPress users of any skill level. Additionally, prospective WordPress users won’t have any trouble finding helpful videos. That’s one of the best things about WordPress — the wealth of available information.

    HighLevel Ease of Use

    HighLevel has a similar learning curve. If a new user needs to build a website and/or set up their CRM, they can easily do so in an hour or less — at least that’s what their website says. One of the things that HighLevel prides themselves on is how easy it is to get started. They have a good knowledge base to assist new users, and provide 24/7 customer support to assist when problems arise. We found the learning curve to be a bit steeper than that, especially when being used to different platforms.

    The dashboard is fairly easy to navigate. Scheduled appointments, messages, calendars, contacts, payments, automation and websites are all clearly marked and fairly easy to set up. That being said, agencies who plan to use HighLevel should utilize their 14 day trial period to familiarize themselves with the platform. Depending on how much of it you plan to utilize, it could take quite a bit of time to get the hang of.

    HighLevel Dashboard

    WordPress vs HighLevel: Customization

    WordPress and HighLevel have many customization options. However, WordPress has the most customizations available to users.

    WordPress Customization

    WordPress is the clear winner in the customization department. With thousands of plugins and the ability to add custom code, building a unique website isn’t hard. In addition to the free plugin options, you can install premium ones from third party vendors. WordPress also integrates seamlessly with page builders like Divi to give you complete control over the web design process with a visual builder.

    WordPress vs HighLevel plugins

    WordPress uses its proprietary Gutenberg editor. Users can add columns and elements such as icons, text, videos, social media, and more to customize their site easily.

    Gutenberg editor

    HighLevel Customization

    HighLevel doesn’t require any plugins. It works great out of the box. The site builder comes with tons of elements to use including text modules, galleries, video, and more.

    HighLevel page editor

    Users can easily interact with their customers in HighLevel. For example, elements such as calendars, surveys, and forms are standard with a HighLevel account.

    WordPress vs HighLevel page editor

    WordPress vs HighLevel: Themes and Templates

    Both WordPress and HighLevel utilize templates to change the look and feel of your website. However, one platform stands out because of the number of choices available.

    WordPress Themes and Templates

    WordPress is king when it comes to themes. There are thousands of free themes available on the WordPress repository alone. That being said, most of the free themes don’t allow for much customization. That’s ok if you just need a small cookie-cutter website and don’t mind your site looking similar to others out there. Here are some of the best free WordPress themes available.

    In addition to the freebies, there are thousands of premium themes available for purchase. Here are some of the best themes for bloggers. Some themes, like the Divi Theme, go well beyond the standard features of WordPress to give users the most customizable website imaginable, including hundreds of premade layout packs.

    HighLevel Themes and Templates

    Like WordPress, HighLevel offers free funnel templates. HighLevel doesn’t have thousands of templates to choose from, but there are some helpful options. This is especially useful for people who don’t have the time or expertise to build a site or page(s) on their own. Templates can be loaded directly within the HighLevel platform easily. Additionally, a marketplace with premium templates is available.

    HighLevel Funnel Templates

    The marketplace offers several categories to choose from including business, services, technology, and more. Additionally, there are third party vendors who offer templates for HighLevel websites and sales funnels. Prices for premium themes vary. Users can expect to pay at least $99.

    HighLevel premium templates

    WordPress vs HighLevel: Ecommerce

    Both WordPress and HighLevel have eCommerce options. Let’s take a look at each platform to get a better idea of how selling products work on each solution.

    WordPress Ecommerce

    WordPress doesn’t come with eCommerce natively. However, adding a plugin such as WooCommerce allows for an easy setup. WooCommerce is free, and integrates with WordPress seamlessly. Setting up a shop, adding products, and connecting a payment gateway are done in a snap.

    WooCommerce plugin

    That being said, features are limited with the free option. In order to truly customize your customer’s experience, you’ll need to add functionality that can quickly escalate costs.

    HighLevel Ecommerce

    HighLevel ships with the ability to add products and take payments out of the box. Users can add products, set up a payment gateway, and begin taking orders quickly. HighLevel is an all-in-one solution, so no plugins or extra subscriptions are needed. Also, single payment purchases and subscription based products are possible. If you plan to offer memberships or online courses, HighLevel has you covered there, too. Account users can send emails and 2-way SMS messages to streamline the ordering process and increase customer engagement.

    HighLevel eCommerce

    WordPress vs HighLevel: Publishing Tools

    Both WordPress and Highlevel make it possible to create a blog. However, one needs a little extra help.

    WordPress

    WordPress is the leading software used by bloggers today. It primarily started as a blogging tool and has evolved into a lot more over the years. That being said, its blogging roots run deep. Creating a post can be accomplished in two ways. The first option is using the classic editor. The classic editor functions much like a word processor, so those unfamiliar with WordPress shouldn’t have any problems using it.

    Classic editor

    The second is the Gutenberg editor. Beginning in 2018, WordPress began using Gutenberg to replace its classic editor. It utilizes blocks, which gives users the ability to add columns, and elements such as video, html, image galleries and more. Additionally, WordPress users can create layouts for blog posts to help deliver their message in a more unique way.

    Gutenberg blocks

    HighLevel

    Publishing blogs and posts is the only area where HighLevel falls short. They don’t natively offer a traditional blog experience. Users can create pages as posts, but they don’t offer a Blog element to bring in posts dynamically like a CMS. In order to create a blog on HighLevel, users will need to utilize a third party vendor such as Drop In Blog. While this may not be a deal breaker, it is an additional expense that should be considered when comparing WordPress vs HighLevel.

    WordPress vs HighLevel: Security

    Security is quite possibly the single most important feature of a CMS or website builder. Between ransomware, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, malware, and bots, there are many things that can take a website or server down — costing your business revenue.

    WordPress Security

    WordPress is a popular platform, so it’s essential to have security measures in place. Thankfully, there are good security plugins that can help keep your website safe. WordFence, Sucuri, and Jetpack are a few highly rated examples. In addition to plugins, hosting providers play a critical role in website security. Cloudways, Flywheel (or WPEngine), Pressable, and SiteGround all offer excellent security. Features such as SSL certificates, Malware protection, TLS 1.2 and 1.3, bot protection, and backup capability are standard.

    HighLevel Security

    As a cloud based provider, HighLevel adheres to GDPR compliance. All data transferred to and from the HighLevel platform is protected. They use end-to-end encryption on their servers, as well as TLS 1.3 to ensure safe data transfer. Additionally, they run backups and scan for malware and other cyber threats on a daily basis. Each site hosted on HighLevel comes standard with an SSL certificate with every plan.

    WordPress vs HighLevel: The Bottom Line

    After an in-depth comparison of WordPress vs HighLevel, it’s obvious that they are both good options for any agency looking to grow their revenue. Both offer the features needed to communicate with clients, sell products, and get their message out to the masses. Choosing between the two comes down to a few things. Cost, features, and expertise.

    If you are an individual, freelancer, or agency wanting to build a business that has complete control over settings, customizations and integrations, WordPress is likely the right choice. The possibilities are endless with WordPress due to the highly customizable nature of the platform. Additionally, with all of the plugins and themes available, users will have no trouble making their site look exactly the way they want.

    On the other hand, if your business will require frequent interaction with clients, full-automation marketing solutions, and reporting, HighLevel should be considered. With no plugins or special integrations needed, HighLevel could be a good solution for those looking to save time and money on developing a custom solution to serve their needs.

    Do you use HighLevel or WordPress? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

    The post WordPress vs HighLevel appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs Web.com

    WordPress and Web.com both offer viable platforms for building a website. WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) for building websites and has been for long time. Web.com is a popular website builder that provides an all-in-one website solution. Similiar to Squarespace and Bluehost, site builders like Web.com usually offer less customization options in order to keep things more streamlined and secure for users. A CMS like WordPres may not be as easy to get things up and running initially, but it offers a attractive balance of simplicity and extendability.

    Both WordPress and Web.com have unique platforms for building a website. In this post, we’ll walk through a WordPress vs Web.com comparison to help you decide which platform will work best for your needs. We’ll discuss important comparisons including ease of use, customization, security, built-in features, and more.

    WordPress vs Web.com Who are They For?

    When comparing WordPress vs Web.com, it is helpful know the difference between a CMS vs a Website Builder. Both can get you a website, but they are different usually when it comes to complexity and features.

    WordPress CMS

    WordPress is highly customizable, which makes it great building all types of websites using premade themes, plugins, and integrations. Additionally, WordPress is great for developers who like to code their own templates and themes. Those who are comfortable with CSS, HTML, and PHP will be right at home with WordPress. That being said, building websites with the WordPress Editor is relatively easy, so beginners won’t have issues learning the platform. WordPress has been around for nearly two decades, so there are plenty of resources and WordPress articles for new and seasoned users to fall back on when they can’t figure something out. What started out as a blogging software has quickly evolved into a multi-featured platform where users can build a website that has its own unique look and feel.

    Web.com builder

    Web.com got its start in 1999 as a domain provider. Over the years, they expanded their offerings from domains to include hosting and an online website builder. Like WordPress, they offer the ability to customize your website with ease, and offer templates to build upon. That being said, if you want more functionality, be prepared to pay. They charge additional fees for offerings such as security and additional domains. Web.com wants to attract all businesses — large or small. They target individuals who seek an easy way to customize their site without the need for coding. One of the best things about them is they give their customers a pretty nice drag and drop builder. The builder takes little time to learn, making it a solid choice for beginners.

    WordPress vs Web.com Ease of Use

    Having a simple interface is a huge factor when considering a CMS. WordPress and Web.com both have a different learning curve. Let’s see how they compare.

    WordPress

    One of the best things about WordPress is how easy it can be to build a website. Beginners can pick up the ins and outs of WordPress in a short period of time. The tools are laid out in the dashboard in a simplistic way. Posts, pages, plugins, and media are all easily accessible and identifiable with labels.

    WordPress dashboard

    The WordPress community is huge. Thousands of sources are available, making learning WordPress a snap. Additionally, with the release of WordPress 5.0, users were introduced to the Gutenberg block editor. Blocks enhances WordPress by enabling users to build responsive pages and posts with columns, then add content with more than 25 additional blocks. Plus, WordPress 5.8 introduced full site editing which has given users even more control over there entire website design.

    WordPress block editor

    Web.com

    One of Web.com’s main selling points is being user friendly. The interface is simple, and signing up is easy. Users can opt for an advanced SSL certificate for an additional $99 per year. Otherwise, your total cost to get started is a paltry $1.95 per month, which is billed monthly. There are no contracts, so you can cancel at any time.

    Once you start a plan, you’re automatically forwarded to the dashboard. You’ll be able to choose from over 150 templates to jumpstart your site design. Once you choose, editing is stunningly simple. Web.com uses a drag and drop website builder, so making changes to the template you choose is also a breeze.

    Editing

    WordPress vs Web.com: Customization

    Both WordPress and Web.com are customizable, but there are limitations.

    WordPress

    WordPress is well known for its customization capabilities. Depending on the amount of effort put in, users can create a one-of-a-kind website that can compete with any platform on the internet. Users can change themes, add plugins, or write custom code to make WordPress what they want it to be.

    When users want to change the functionality of their website, they can choose from tens of thousands of plugins on the WordPress repository. Plugins such as Yoast SEO, WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, Divi Page Builder, and other useful plugins allow WordPress to excel in the customization realm.

    WordPress vs Web.com customizations

    Web.com

    Since Web.com is an all-in-one platform, there aren’t any plugins. That being said, there are still plenty of customization options. In the site editor, there are options for adding blocks such as text, icons, social media, and galleries, amongst others. Additionally, they’ve made it easy to integrate google analytics, SEO, and custom scripts.

    Site editor

    Under advanced options, you can turn on the block editor, which gives you the capability to customize the template you choose at signup. By doing this, you expand on the already highly functional site editor. Users can add galleries, testimonials, banners, and much more.

    Advanced editor

    WordPress vs Web.com: Themes and Templates

    Both WordPress and Web.com have free templates to choose from. Let’s explore the options on each platform.

    WordPress

    WordPress is clearly the winner when it comes to choice of templates. With over 59,000 templates, WordPress is hard to beat. WordPress offers free themes as well. Users won’t have any problems finding a template to suit their needs. In addition, there are many premium themes available, such as our own Divi. Customization and choices are abundant should you choose to go the WordPress route.

    WordPress vs Web.com templates

    It’s important to note that some premium themes don’t just enhance the look of your site. They can enhance the functionality as well. Premium themes such as Divi offer much more than a pretty face. The modules available In Divi are geared towards improving the capability of WordPress, and integrate with other software such as learning management system (LMS) software, and Toolset, which allows you to create custom post types, taxonomies, and field groups.

    Web.com

    Web.com doesn’t have thousands of templates, but they do have solid choices. With over 150 templates to choose from, it’s likely you’ll find the right look for your website. The templates are more business-centric, which seems to be Web.com’s target audience. After you choose a template, you have the ability to add additional blocks and modules to customize it to suit your needs.

    Web.com templates

    Web.com categories its templates based on business type. You’ll find options for business, blog, services, personal, health, beauty, restaurants, and portfolios. Once you pick a template, you can feasibly have your site up in a few minutes — that is if you only want to change out text modules.

    WordPress vs Web.com: Ecommerce

    Both WordPress and Web.com have eCommerce options. Let’s dive into both platforms to get a better idea of how each platform works.

    WordPress

    WordPress integrates quite well with several ecommerce platforms including WooCommerce which is comparable to Shopify. This allows you to build out a full-featured online store with unlimited products, reporting, and shipping options. That being said, WooCommerce is pretty bland out of the box. If you require the ability for advanced reporting, tax and shipping calculations, or subscription based products, you’ll need to purchase add-ons from the WooCommerce store. Although WooCommerce is a free plugin, it’s only intended for the most basic shop setup.

    WooCommerce

    Web.com

    Web.com offers its users the ability to host an online store, but it is sold separately from the business site builder. The concept is the same, with the builder resembling the business site builder, only with product capability. Monthly plans begin at $1.95 for the most basic online shop. You’ll get the ability to create products, get reporting, easy shipping tools, and purchase order options. In addition to that, you can easily sell your products by integrating with Amazon, eBay, and Etsy marketplaces.

    Web.com eCommerce

    WordPress vs Web.com: Publishing Tools

    Publishing tools are at the forefront of any content management system. Both WordPress and Web.com have these options standard, and they are quite similar.

    WordPress

    WordPress began primarily as a blogger’s best friend. Publishing pages and posts is basically the meat of WordPress. There are two ways to insert content into the editor – either with the classic editor or Gutenberg blocks. The classic editor functions very much like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Apple pages. Creating a post with the classic editor is simple, and can be accomplished in only a few minutes.

    Classic editor

    The WordPress Block editor steps things up a notch. It functions the same as the classic editor, but gives users added functionality. Images, social media links, videos, and more are easily added as blocks of content in blocks.

    Gutenberg editor

    Web.com

    In order to publish posts, Web.com requires you to enable the blog. The process is easily done with the click of a button.

    Enable blog

    From there, users can add their first post. The post editor looks a lot like Gutenberg’s editor. You can simply start typing. You can add images, links, and text, just like in any other post editor. Publishing is easy, too. Pushing your content out to the world is one button click away.

    Web.com publishing

    WordPress vs Web.com: Security

    Website security is one of the most important issues one must consider when creating a website. In recent years, cyber crimes have increased exponentially. With ransomeware, malware, bot intrusion, and denial of service attacks (DDoS) rampart, you’re setting yourself up for major problems if your site and customers aren’t protected. Thankfully, both WordPress and Web.com are capable of fending off such attacks.

    WordPress

    As previously mentioned, WordPress is highly customizable. And depending on your themes and plugins, your website can be vulnerable to security threats. That’s why it is important to understand WordPress security beforehand. There are a number of free security plugins available to WordPress users that help protect their website. Plugins such as WordFence and Sucuri are good options. Plus, all hosting providers offer security features that help to protect WordPress sites. Some hosts, such as Divi Hosting by Cloudways, offer bot protection, a dedicated firewall, SSL certificates, and malware protection in their hosting plans. In addition to that, most WordPress hosting providers have bumped up their TLS security by making versions 1.2 and 1.3 standard practice.

    Cloudways Divi Hosting

    Web.com Security Options

    Web.com gives its customers an SSL certificate with every plan. Unlike WordPress, Web.com doesn’t offer free security plugins that you can add on to your website. If you require additional security, and most people will, you’ll need to upgrade your Web.com plan with their security add-on service. For $4.99 per month, Web.com will scan your site for any problems that may arise. Additionally, users will give their customers peace of mind with identity theft protection, and a built-in VPN client. Plus, there are product updates and training resources available to help you get the most of your security package.

    WordPress vs Web.com security

    Web.com WordPress Hosting

    Web.com does offer WordPress Hosting for those who want to host, manage, and design a WordPress site on Web.com. This might be a good option for those who need more customization capabilities that come with WordPress plugins, but also enjoy using the Web.com platform.

    Conclusion

    Now that we’ve explored some of the features of both WordPress and Web.com, one thing is clear. They are very different products. While Web.com does offer a very nice site builder, their customization options are pretty limited. On the security front, both WordPress and Web.com have good options to ensure your site is protected. However, with so many WordPress hosting companies to choose from, you’ll have plenty of research to do on who to choose and how much you should pay, should you decide to go with WordPress. If you’re looking for a WordPress hosting provider, we suggest taking a look at Cloudways or SiteGround. Both offer excellent features that will give you all of the security features that you need.

    In regards to publishing tools, options are comparable when we look at WordPress vs Web.com. Both are easy to use, and only take a few minutes to send your content out into the world. When choosing between WordPress and Web.com, it all depends on what your needs are. Beginners will be right at home with either platform, although the learning curve is a bit steeper with WordPress.

    Have you used Web.com? How do you feel it stacks up against WordPress? Let us know in the comments section below.

    The post WordPress vs Web.com appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

  • WordPress vs HubSpot CMS (2023) — How Do They Compare?

    WordPress has been the go-to CMS platform for more than a decade. With more than half of all websites built on it, it has basically become the industry standard for content management systems. That being said, there’s a new kid on the block. HubSpot CMS has been climbing up the charts since its launch in 2020. In this article, we’ll do a WordPress vs. Hubspot CMS comparison so you can decide which platform is right for you. Let’s get started.

    WordPress vs. HubSpot CMS: Who Are They For?

    WordPress and HubSpot are similar in that they are both content management systems. In addition, both have the ability for users to customize the appearance, theme, and functionality. That being said, WordPress and HubSpot are probably best suited for different types of users. Therefore, we’ll take a look at who each platform is best suited for.

    Before we get into all that, keep in mind that we are focusing on WordPress.org rather than its .com counterpart. At Elegant Themes, we believe that the .org product is by far the more robust of the two. If you are on the fence about which platform to choose, take a look at our very detailed post that outlines the differences between the two.

    WordPress Content Management System

    WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems on the planet. With anywhere from 44% to 65% of all websites built on WordPress, it has a lot of uses for a lot of people. WordPress is also highly customizable. Developers can develop their own plugins, themes, and templates to make their websites stand out from the crowd. HubSpot has made a WordPress plugin to integrate HubSpot with WordPress.

    Additionally, WordPress is somewhat easy to learn. Those who are just starting in web development can easily find plenty of tutorials to help get them started.

    WordPress CMS

    HubSpot Content Management System

    To put it plainly, HubSpot CMS is geared toward marketers and developers. While WordPress is capable of being a marketing powerhouse, HubSpot provides developers and marketers the ability to have a fully integrated marketing hub right out of the box. You can get customer information with built-in reporting, set up marketing automation, and be able to tap right into HubSpot CRM without having to set up any customized integrations.

    If you want to know what your customers are up to, HubSpot CMS has you covered. Reporting and analytics are a click away, thanks to the cohesive HubSpot ecosystem. Check out our detailed HubSpot overview for more.

    HubSpot CMS

    WordPress vs. HubSpot CMS: Ease of Use

    Individuals and small business owners are entering the marketplace at the fastest pace in history. As a result, small business growth has more than doubled since 2011. Additionally, it seems like everyone has a side hustle these days. Because of this, content management systems have become an increasingly popular way to build a website.

    To keep costs down, more people are taking a stab at designing their own websites. Because of this, it’s crucial to use a platform that is easy to understand and learn and doesn’t break the bank. Doing things like adding photos, writing blog posts, and knowing how to navigate the admin dashboard are important features that today’s users are looking for.

    WordPress CMS Ease of Use

    The WordPress CMS is a complex platform. Its ease of use varies widely depending on what theme you use, the functionalities you want to incorporate, and your level of technical ability.

    Because WordPress has been around so long, there is an ample amount of tutorials and how-to documentation on various websites on the internet, as well as YouTube. Therefore, beginners will be able to pick things up quickly if they only need to create an informational website to get their content out to the world. Additionally, a WordPress newbie can create a simple website without needing any coding knowledge by using a theme such as Divi.

    Divi WordPress Theme

    On the flip side of that argument, those who wish to create more advanced WordPress sites with custom integrations and functionalities will need to have quite a bit of knowledge of PHP, HTML, Javascript, and CSS to make the most of WordPress. Sure, there are thousands of plugins out there to help you create the site you need, but that involves advanced knowledge and troubleshooting skills to ensure that plugins play nicely with each other. Plus, that can be very overwhelming for people who are brand new to WordPress.

    HubSpot CMS Ease of Use

    Let us just start by saying that HubSpot CMS is built for marketers, developers, and IT teams. Marketers have the features they need to build a website using a drag-and-drop editor – an excellent option for non-developers. And, if you are a small business owner or individual who wants to build a website quickly, HubSpot offers an easy interface to work with.

    Like WordPress, you’ll need advanced coding knowledge to create a more advanced website. That being said, HubSpot offers a couple of ways to create websites with its platform. On the positive side, there are no plugins to purchase. That’s because HubSpot is an all-in-one platform.

    HubSpot CMS page editor

    That being said, learning the platform requires quite a bit of studying. Thankfully, HubSpot offers an academy that will walk you through the steps to create your first website. So be ready to dedicate at least 5 hours to the academy. By the end, you’ll be certified to build themes and templates using the HubSpot CMS platform.

    If you are new to the CMS world and web design, HubSpot recently launched a more beginner-oriented option with its drag-and-drop page builder.

    HubSpot CMS page editor

    WordPress Hubspot
    Ease of Use WordPress can take some time to learn, but there are plugins and tutorials to make things easier. 🥇 Winner
    Hubspot takes some time to learn as well, but it’s an all-in-one platform so you don’t need to know anything about additional add-ons.
    Choose WordPress Choose Hubspot

    WordPress vs. Hubspot CMS: Customization

    First impressions matter. While great content is highly important, so is a professional appearance. Visitors are more likely to stay on your website if it looks good and appears credible. That’s why having the ability to customize your website is critically important.

    WordPress Customization Options

    The WordPress CMS stands out with its ability to be easily customizable. Even on the most basic WordPress themes, users can control how wide their site is, what colors are used, and choose from endless fonts for their website. Beyond that, there are countless choices for plugins and themes which give you the functionality and look that you’re going for. Plugins come in different categories, from form plugins to SEO plugins, security plugins, and more.

    There are both free and paid plugins and themes available to use with WordPress. Basic themes that come pre-installed with WordPress give you customization options with Gutenberg blocks. With close to 30 blocks to choose from, users can customize text, media, layouts, and custom code.

    By using premium themes such as Divi, customization options are endless. Premium themes turn WordPress into a no-code design powerhouse, allowing users to change every aspect of a website with an expansive set of content elements (Accordions, number counters, video galleries, and more) at their disposal.

    Divi visual builder

    That being said, you can easily do too much. For example, using too many large images or installing unnecessary plugins can bloat your site, making it load slowly. Nothing cranks up a bounce rate more than a slow site.

    HubSpot Customization Options

    For Marketers and non-coders, HubSpot CMS offers a drag-and-drop editor along with other customizable features. The CMS offers pre-built website themes you can use and customize. The number of modules you can add and edit varies depending on the theme that you choose. In addition to customizing modules, you can edit theme settings, header and footer options, as well as author settings.

    Divi visual builder

    For developers, customization options are controlled using the command line interface (CLI) version of HubSpot CMS. With the ability to build modules to be used on pages, the possibilities are endless. Developers can place any type of customization they want into a module.

    HubSpot theme editor

    Every template created in the HubSpot CLI platform is built from scratch in the code editor and can contain any number of modules, which all have varying customization options. So it’s truly 100% customizable, and it all depends on the technical ability of the developer who builds it.

    WordPress Hubspot
    Customization 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is unmatched when it comes to customization options.     		Hubspot offers developer tools so it is as customizable as you want it to be, however it will take some technical experience.
    Choose WordPress Choose Hubspot

    WordPress vs. HubSpot CMS: Themes and Templates

    Themes are an integral part of every CMS. Changing a theme can give a website a completely different look and make new features available. Therefore, having a good selection of themes is crucial, especially for users who may not have the ability to create their own.

    WordPress Themes & Templates

    WordPress has the best selection of free and premium themes of any CMS. With literally tens of thousands of themes and hundreds of theme developers in the WordPress world, it’s safe to say you’ll be able to find one that you love. The top premium themes in the WordPress ecosystem, such as Divi, offer dozens of modules and tons of customization options and can completely change the look and feel of your site.

    On the other hand, users can choose a free theme, such as Twenty Seventeen, then customize it with PHP, Javascript, and CSS to suit their needs. Additionally, developers can create custom page templates to extend their theme’s capabilities.

    WordPress CMS themes

    HubSpot Themes & Templates

    HubSpot offers a few default themes for its users. They are available for free when you sign up for a HubSpot CMS account. Users can download a default theme for use on their website or create their own theme based on it. Downloading themes for use in HubSpot is achieved through the HubSpot marketplace. It’s a good choice for people who want to have a website to represent their business without having to do much coding.

    HubSpot CMS default themes

    If a developer wants to alter a default theme, they are required to use HubSpot CLI, which is HubSpot’s command line interface. From there, they call a theme to be imported into their dashboard.

    WordPress Hubspot
    Themes and Templates 🥇 Winner
    WordPress has thousands of premium and free themes.     		Hubspot also offers themes, they just don’t compare in terms of quantity.
    Choose WordPress Choose Hubspot

    HubSpot also offers premium themes for its users. The HubSpot marketplace contains more than 230 themes. In addition to themes, users can install modules and templates for their sites. Some of these themes are free, while others are offered for a one-time fee.

    HubSpot CMS marketplace

    WordPress vs. HubSpot CMS: Publishing Tools

    Both WordPress and HubSpot CMS can publish blog posts, although they both have different ways of doing so.

    WordPress

    WordPress makes it quite easy for users to create blog posts. There are two ways to accomplish it. First, users can use the classic editor, which is basically a generic word processor. If you are familiar with Google Docs or Microsoft Word, you’ll be right at home with the classic editor.

    Classic editor

    The other method, the Gutenberg editor, looks a bit different but functions exactly the same.

    Gutenberg editor

    You can install plugins to make using the publishing tools more effective. For example, Yoast SEO is a great tool to enable your site to gain more visitors. Also, if you choose to use the Gutenberg blocks editor, there are lots of plugins that will extend the functionality by adding more modules to choose from.

    HubSpot CMS

    HubSpot CMS has the ability for blogs as well. Although, it works a bit differently. With HubSpot, you create website pages, landing pages, blogs, and your site tree via tabs.

    HubSpot blog

    Posts can be created with the click of a button.

    post editor

    The post editor consists of two tabs, along with settings for blog content, your website’s header, comments, and the footer. In addition, you can assign your post to different themes, which is a nice feature in case you’d like your posts to look different based on content. While the interface is easy to navigate, it takes a bit of getting used to if you are accustomed to different post-editors.

    post editor

    WordPress Hubspot
    Publishing Tools 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is easier to start up and understand    		 Hubspot’s interface is simple to pick up, it just takes a bit to get used to.
    Choose WordPress Choose Hubspot

    WordPress vs. HubSpot CMS: Security

    Website security is essential, especially in today’s environment. Without good security protocols in place, your site is vulnerable to attacks such as denial of service (DDoS), malware, bots, and hacks. Thankfully, security is at the forefront for both WordPress and HubSpot.

    WordPress Security

    WordPress security is a complex issue. It’s largely dependent on the host you choose for your site, as well as the plugins. More high-end hosting companies provide everything you need to keep your WordPress site protected. In addition, hosts such as SiteGround and Cloudways stand out on security with SSL certificates, bot protection, and server-side options for malware all covered.

    If users want to use a plugin to keep their site safe, there are some really great WordPress security plugins available. For example, Wordfence and Sucuri are highly utilized plugins that will provide firewalls, bot protection, and protection against DDoS attacks. Additionally, WordPress stays on top of things by releasing updates to its platform regularly.

    HubSpot Security

    One of the best things about HubSpot CMS is its security features. Because HubSpot is a software-as-a-server (SaaS) solution, you’ll get everything you need in one package. HubSpot grants you an SSL certificate, network and perimeter protection, customer data protection, and application protection, all in one platform.

    There’s no need to add additional services to your account, and there are no plugins to install. TLS 1.2 or 1.3 are standard, plus they use end-to-end encryption. This means that your site’s files, along with customer information, are safe and secure from beginning to end. In addition to that, you’ll receive a web application firewall, protection against DDoS attacks, and regular vulnerability scanning.

    WordPress Hubspot
    Security WordPress security depends a lot on the host you choose and the plugins you implement 🥇 Winner
    Hubspot has great built in security that allows you to get everything in one package.
    Choose WordPress Choose Hubspot

    WordPress vs. HubSpot CMS: eCommerce

    Both WordPress and HubSpot offer eCommerce solutions — with some help.

    WordPress eCommerce Solutions

    WordPress can integrate with many eCommerce solutions. The most utilized is WooCommerce. The WooCommerce plugin is free. You can set up your store and start adding products in minutes. However, if you want a customized solution using Woo, you’ll likely need to purchase add-ons that can inflate the cost of your online store considerably. Add-ons range anywhere from $29 to $299, so costs can add up quickly.

    In addition to WooCommerce, solutions such as Shopify and Printify are also possible. The great thing about WordPress is the ability to incorporate multiple solutions through plugins and integrations to get the perfect online shopping solution for your business.

    HubSpot eCommerce

    HubSpot doesn’t offer a native eCommerce solution. To sell products or have a full-featured online store, you have two options. The first option would be to embed payment buttons with a script or shortcode. Both PayPal and Ecwid offer such solutions. However, you won’t be able to get any reporting or manage your products from within HubSpot by choosing this method. It should be noted that this solution is probably best for sites with only a few products.

    The other option would require a HubSpot user to set up a dedicated shopping platform such as Shopify or Volusion. HubSpot can’t process credit card payments or display database-driven shopping cart pages. To implement this solution, you’d need to set up a sub-domain on your HubSpot site.

    WordPress Hubspot
    E-Commerce 🥇 Winner
    The WooCommerce plugin can get you started with a store in minutes.     		Hubspot doesn’t have a native eCommerce solution, so you’ll need to use a third party, which can be difficult to implement.
    Choose WordPress Choose Hubspot

    What about the Cost?

    As far as cost is concerned, the edge goes to HubSpot. Since HubSpot is a SaaS solution, you’ll get hosting, security, an SSL certificate, and one website — starting at $23 per month.

    That being said, professionals will pay more. For the professional plan, users should expect to pay $360 per month. That seems like a lot of money, but you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck, including up to 100 websites, 10,000 web pages, up to 100 email inboxes, and more. Of course, we know what you’re saying — WordPress is free. Yes, but by the time you purchase hosting, plugins, themes, and extra services, it’ll add up quickly.

    In the end, both platforms have their merit. If you are a small business owner or individual looking to create a beautiful website but don’t need a lot of fancy integrations, WordPress is probably best suited for you. However, if you are a marketing professional who is heavily involved with automation and needs the utmost control over your customer base, HubSpot is a great option.

    WordPress Vs. Hubspot: The Final Verdict

    WordPress Hubspot
    Ease of Use WordPress can take some time to learn, but there are plugins and tutorials to make things easier. 🥇 Winner
    Hubspot takes some time to learn as well, but it’s an all-in-one platform so you don’t need to know anything about additional add-ons.
    Customization 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is unmatched when it comes to customization options.     		Hubspot offers developer tools so it is as customizable as you want it to be, however it will take some technical experience.
    Themes and Templates 🥇 Winner
    WordPress has thousands of premium and free themes.     		Hubspot also offers themes, they just don’t compare in terms of quantity.
    Publishing Tools 🥇 Winner
    WordPress is easier to start up and understand    		 Hubspot’s interface is simple to pick up, it just takes a bit to get used to.
    Security WordPress security depends a lot on the host you choose and the plugins you implement 🥇 Winner
    Hubspot has great built in security that allows you to get everything in one package.
    E-Commerce 🥇 Winner
    The WooCommerce plugin can get you started with a store in minutes.     		Hubspot doesn’t have a native eCommerce solution, so you’ll need to use a third party, which can be difficult to implement.
    Choose WordPress Choose Hubspot

    When it comes to considering a WordPress site versus a HubSpot site, it depends on what you plan to use your site for. When you look at each platform, WordPress offers the most in terms of customizations, with the ability to choose from literally thousands of themes and plugins. HubSpot will likely catch up to WordPress in time, but it could take years. Developers have been producing content for WordPress for nearly two decades.

    Both WordPress and HubSpot can be complicated to set up for a beginner. That being said, there is a vast amount of learning opportunities for beginner WordPress users on the internet. A simple Google search can provide newbies with an abundance of information to help get them started.

    On that same note, HubSpot offers some resources as well. For example, their HubSpot Academy aids new users in learning the ins and outs of HubSpot in one convenient location. However, when it comes down to it, WordPress has the edge in terms of ease of use simply because customizing your theme using HubSpot takes a lot of time and effort, along with vast knowledge of programming.

    WordPress Deep Dive

    One more thing. Before you make your final decision on your website platform…are you curious to see how WordPress stacks up against its other biggest competitors? We did the hard work and compared WordPress vs. everything else so that you don’t have to! We reviewed WordPress vs. Laravel, and I think you will be interested to see the results.

    If you’re looking for specific plugins to help WordPress become even more powerful, we recommend the following:

    Who do you think wins the battle between WordPress and HubSpot? Sound off in the comment section below.

    The post WordPress vs HubSpot CMS (2023) — How Do They Compare? appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.