WordPress, Shopify or a website builder: which should I use?
Choose WordPress for a site you fully own and can move to any host, if someone will keep it updated. Choose Shopify if selling products is the main job. Choose a hosted builder like Squarespace or Wix for a simple site you run yourself that can't move later. A static site suits pages that rarely change.
The short version
- WordPress: open source, runs on almost any host, very flexible. Needs regular updates.
- Shopify: hosted online store with hosting and SSL included in the monthly fee.
- Hosted builders (Squarespace, Wix): easy to start and edit, but the site lives on their platform.
- Static site: fast and low-maintenance for pages that rarely change; edits usually go through your web team.
- Decide on ownership and who will maintain it before you decide on looks.
How do the options compare?
| WordPress | Shopify | Squarespace or Wix | Static build | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Open-source software you install on a host | Hosted store platform | Hosted website builder | Plain pages built ahead of time |
| Hosting | Your choice of host | Included | Included | Your choice, often a simple static host |
| Updates and security | You or your provider | The platform | The platform | Very little to update |
| Selling products | With a plugin such as WooCommerce | Its main purpose | Available; check what each plan includes | Through an outside checkout service |
| Moving to another company later | Yes, the whole site | Check Shopify’s export options first | Limited (see below) | Yes, the files are yours |
| Editing yourself | Yes | Yes | Yes, very easy | Usually through your web team |
WordPress
WordPress.org says WordPress is open source software, licensed under the GPL, with the freedom to run it for any purpose, change it and share it. In practice that means you can move a WordPress site to any host and hire anyone to work on it. The trade-off is upkeep: WordPress, its theme and plugins need tested updates. See what website maintenance includes and how many plugins is too many.
Shopify
Shopify’s hosting page says hosting is part of the platform, bundled into one monthly fee, with free SSL certificates. It’s built for selling. If the shop is one part of a bigger site, compare it with WooCommerce on WordPress; our answer on WooCommerce or Shopify goes deeper.
Squarespace and Wix
Both are hosted builders: you design and edit in the browser, and they run the hosting. The catch is leaving:
- Squarespace’s export guide says you can export some content to a WordPress file, such as layout pages, one blog and text and image blocks. Many page types, product and video blocks, and style settings don’t export.
- Wix’s help center says a Wix site needs to be hosted on Wix’s servers and that its architecture doesn’t support external hosting. You can still use a domain registered elsewhere.
So if you might switch companies later, expect to rebuild the site, not move it.
Static builds
A static site is a set of finished pages served as they are, with no database or plugins to update. It’s fast and has little to attack. Edits usually go through your web team or a simple editing tool set up for you. It suits brochure sites where content changes monthly, not daily.
How do I decide?
Answer these in order:
- Is selling products the main job? Lean Shopify, or WooCommerce if the shop is one part of a bigger WordPress site.
- Will you need features no builder offers, such as custom booking rules, members’ areas or integrations with your other systems? Lean WordPress.
- Do you want to own the whole site and be able to move it? WordPress or static.
- Will you edit it yourself every week, with no outside help? A hosted builder may be simplest.
- Does it rarely change, and do you want it fast and low-maintenance? Static.
Then ask who will maintain it. A WordPress site nobody updates is a risk, whatever it looks like on launch day.
Why does the platform matter?
It decides what you can do later, what it costs to run, who can work on it, and whether you can leave. It’s much harder to change platform after launch than before. That’s why it belongs in the plan, next to the brief, not after the design.
What are the common mistakes?
- Choosing by the demo template. Every platform looks good in its own demo.
- Ignoring the ongoing cost. Hosting, plugins, apps and transaction fees add up. Compare a year, not a month.
- Building on a platform tied to one person’s account. Make sure the business owns the account. See owning your digital assets.
- Page builders everywhere. On WordPress, see page builder or block editor.
- Assuming you can export later. Check the export rules first.
What if we’re already on the wrong platform?
You don’t have to rebuild right away. List what isn’t working, check whether it can be fixed where you are, and read should I redesign or fix my site. If you do move, plan the redirects so you keep what search engines already know.
How much does it cost, and how long does it take?
Each platform has its own pricing, and quotes for the build vary with pages and features rather than platform alone. For the factors that drive cost, see how much a small business website costs.
How does E-3 handle this?
E-3 builds custom websites and redesigns on WordPress or as fast static builds, and recommends one or the other after looking at what the site must do and who will edit it. Accounts we set up are in your business’s name, with E-3 added as a user, and domains we manage are registered to you, so you can always move.
Related questions
Next step
- Next: How do I give feedback and approve a new website design?The next guide in Planning a new website.
- Website launch checklistA free printable checklist (PDF).
Still stuck? Ask E-3 for an answer from our help guides.
Rather we handled planning a new website for you?
It’s part of what we do every week for small businesses, as part of websites and redesigns. Start with a free check of your site and profile, or call and ask.