Starting a blog for your business can feel daunting, especially with all the platforms out there. You’ve probably heard about Weebly and Wix, both are popular for a reason. But which one is best for business blogging? This article is here to help. We'll break down the strengths and weaknesses of each so you can choose the right platform for your needs.
Feather’s notion to blog can help with this. It makes publishing content on either platform easy, so you can focus on writing and growing your business.
Weebly vs. Wix at a Glance
Weebly and Wix, born in 2006, have evolved into leading website builders with distinct personalities. Weebly is the go-to for artists, bloggers, and small businesses seeking simplicity and affordability. It’s ideal if you're just getting started. Since Square acquired Weebly in 2018, the focus has shifted to eCommerce, leading to fewer updates and more bugs. Reviews have taken a hit, reflecting user dissatisfaction.
What Sets Wix Apart?
Wix also targets small businesses and those with limited technical skills. It offers more flexibility than Weebly, though it’s not as intuitive. This flexibility has a price; Wix provides lower data storage and caps your website at 100 pages. Both platforms let you start building for free, allowing you to feel them out before committing.
The Drawbacks You Should Know
Neither Weebly nor Wix shines when it comes to importing or exporting content. And don’t expect built-in analytics in their free plans. These limitations can frustrate users who need robust data insights or plan to migrate content from another platform.
Weebly was founded in 2007, but it was acquired by Square in 2018 and is now part of Square’s commerce and mobile payment conglomerate.
Weebly has seen a lot of improvements over the years, with essential updates and newly added functionalities that are now out of the box. Today, it’s the go-to solution for many businesses. According to Weebly, over 50 million sites are built on the platform. With over 42 million total visits in December 2022, it’s seemingly more popular than some of the most popular site builders and e-commerce platforms, such as:
Wix
Squarespace
Shopify
What Is Wix?
Wix has become a go-to for folks getting their feet wet in website creation. Its drag-and-drop builder is intuitive, sparing you from wrestling with code. There are over 800 templates, so you’re spoiled for choice. While it’s not as design-heavy as Squarespace or WordPress, the app store offers many features to make your site what you want. Wix can handle it, whether you’re setting up a:
A portfolio
Business site
Blog
Blogging on Wix: Simplicity Over Sophistication
If blogging is your main game, you’ll find Wix’s features on the primary side. You won't get the advanced tools that WordPress and Squarespace offer. But for simple blogging, it gets the job done, and the cost is hard to beat, starting at just $17 per month.
Take Blogging to the Next Level With Feather
Consider Feather if you want to step up your blogging and newsletter game. Its service lets you publish directly from Notion, making blog management a breeze. With Feather, you can go from notion to blog in minutes. You also get the benefits of:
SEO-friendly URLs
Custom CSS
Email collection
Want to try it out? Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!
Weebly vs Wix: Detailed Feature Comparison
Ease of Use: Simple vs. Feature-Rich
Weebly and Wix are known for simplicity, but Weebly stands out with its minimalistic approach. It offers a straightforward editor, perfect for those who want to quickly build a site without exploring endless options. If you're looking for drag and drop without the hassle, Weebly's your go-to.
On the other hand, Wix is like the Swiss army knife used by website builders. It gives you the tools for detailed customization. While this flexibility is powerful, it might overwhelm a beginner. But don’t worry; Wix has your back with helpful features like the Undo button and site history.
Design and Flexibility: Creativity Unleashed
Wix is the playground for creative freedom. With its Pixel Perfect feature, you can place elements exactly where you want them. It offers a massive variety of templates tailored to different industries. You can add animations, fonts, and more, making your site as unique as you are.
Weebly, meanwhile, offers structure. Its grid-based design is less flexible but more accessible to navigate, especially if you prefer a guided experience. The downside? There are fewer templates, and they could use a refresh.
Responsiveness and Navigation: The Mobile Factor
Mobile compatibility is key. Wix allows you to adjust your site for mobile, but you might need manual tweaking. Its navigation is also limited, supporting only one sub-level, which might not cut it for more prominent sites. Weebly wins here with fully responsive templates that adapt to any screen size and unlimited sub-levels for navigation, making it ideal for complex menus.
Ecommerce: Your Online Storefront
Wix is a powerhouse for small online stores. You can sell physical and digital goods, accept payments through various methods, and add multimedia to product images. Recent updates include:
Customer accounts
Multi-channel selling
Weebly, now Square Online, was once ahead in eCommerce but has since been matched by Wix. It offers solid features but lags slightly in payment options.
SEO: Getting Found Online
Wix shines with extensive SEO features like customizable meta descriptions and an SEO Wiz tool to guide newbies. It supports header tags and 301 redirects, making it a solid choice for getting your site noticed. Weebly also offers good SEO tools but is more restrictive with header tags. You can improve this with an app, but it’s not as streamlined as Wix.
Blogging: Seamless Integration
Weebly takes the cake in blogging. Its editor is part of the main site builder, allowing you to create complex layouts easily. Despite its outdated design, it remains one of the strongest free blogging platforms. Wix’s blogging editor is functional but feels detached, opening in a separate window. While it supports multiple authors and scheduled posts, its integration could be smoother.
Customer Support: Who’s Got Your Back?
Both platforms provide solid support, including:
Phone
Live chat
Tutorials
Active forums
Wix uses a chatbot to navigate FAQs, while Weebly offers more direct contact options. This might make Weebly slightly more convenient for some users.
App Markets: Expanding Potential
Wix leads with a larger and more comprehensive app market. It offers many high-quality apps developed in-house, reducing the risk of third-party apps becoming unsupported. Weebly also has an app store, but it’s not as extensive and doesn’t get frequent updates, which could limit your site’s capabilities over time.
Themes: Creativity vs. Structure
Wix offers over 500 templates covering a broad range of industries. These templates are highly customizable, allowing for endless creativity. However, this can be tricky for those with a keen eye for design. Weebly, in contrast, provides about 40 more structured themes. While more accessible for beginners, they lack the customization options of Wix and feel outdated.
AI Capabilities: Building with Intelligence
Wix takes the lead in AI with its Artificial Design Intelligence. This tool designs your site based on a few questions, giving you a quick start. Later, you can switch to the regular editor for more control. Weebly doesn’t offer a comparable tool, so users rely solely on their drag-and-drop editor.
Third-Party Integration: Connecting the Dots
Wix excels in third-party integrations, offering hundreds of apps to enhance your site. Many of these are developed by Wix, ensuring reliability. Weebly’s App Center includes essential tools but doesn’t match the depth and quality of Wix’s offerings.
Backup and Restore: Peace of Mind
Wix provides robust backup and restore functionality. If needed, you can undo changes anytime and restore your site to a previous version. Weebly lacks this feature, making reverting to earlier versions challenging once changes are made.
User Reviews: What People are Saying
Weebly is praised for its ease of use, making it a great choice for beginners or those with little tech knowledge. However, users note limitations in customization and advanced features. Wix, on the other hand, is appreciated for its user-friendly interface and customer support. While it offers various features, some users find customization limited, especially when integrating with external systems.
Weebly vs Wix: Pricing Comparison
Generous Free Plans: Weebly vs Wix
Regarding free plans, Weebly is like getting the good stuff without spending a dime. Weebly gives you basic eCommerce tools right out of the gate, while Wix keeps its wallet tight, offering a free plan with no payment options at all. Weebly and Wix limit you to 500 MB of total storage, roughly translating to six minutes of HD video. But keep this in mind: Weebly sets a limit of 10 MB per file, whereas Wix is more flexible with file sizes.
Pricing Plans That Won’t Break the Bank
Wix might make your wallet cry before you get anywhere near unlimited storage. Its cheapest plan costs $17 monthly, offering just 2 GB of storage and 30 minutes of video. Conversely, Weebly gives you unlimited monthly storage starting at just $12. So, if you're considering high-tier plans, you’ll still save with Weebly. Wix’s Business Unlimited plan is $36 per month, compared to Weebly’s $26 per month for a full-feature plan with the same perks.
eCommerce Features That Let You Sell Stuff
If eCommerce is your jam, Weebly has your back from the get-go. You can accept payments and sell products online even on a free plan. Wix, though, doesn’t let you play in the eCommerce sandbox until you cough up $29 per month, and even then, you won’t get support for:
Subscriptions
Alternative currencies
Automatic tax calculations
Comparing Costs: Weebly vs. Wix for E-commerce
Sure, Weebly's plans are generally cheaper, but if you plan to sell on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and eBay, Wix might be worth the extra cash upfront. With Weebly, you'll need an add-on to sell on these other channels, and it can cost anywhere from $25 to $99 per month.
If you hope to move elements wherever your heart desires, Weebly might not be your best friend. While some find comfort in its structure, others might feel constrained. This isn't a one-size-fits-all scenario; your preference is key here.
Challenges With International Websites on Weebly
Thinking global? Weebly might not be the answer. It needs strong options for multilingual sites, which limits SEO. And while Webnode offers better solutions, Weebly blocks traffic from countries like:
Russia
Ukraine
China
Outdated Templates in Weebly
Weebly’s templates aren't winning any style awards. They haven't refreshed their designs in a while, leaving you with limited variety and a somewhat dated look. This might feel like a step back if you're into the latest trends.
Wix Pricing: A Costly Affair
Wix isn't shy about its premium prices. While other builders offer cheaper plans, you’ll spend at least $17 monthly for an ad-free experience on Wix. That's quite a bit more than some of its competitors.
The Mobile Version Dilemma with Wix
Wix claims to have your back with mobile design, but the reality might differ. Their automatic adjustments often need extra tweaking to look just right, adding another layer of work to your mobile site.
Wix Loading Speeds: Room for Improvement
Though Wix has made great strides with loading speeds, mobile performance still needs to improve. If your site is large, you might notice the backend slowing down, too. It’s not ideal, especially when speed matters.
Template Challenges with Wix
Choosing a template on Wix is like signing a contract; you can’t just switch it later. While you can tweak your design, starting fresh with a new template is off the table.
Too Many Options: Wix Overwhelms Beginners
Wix has many features, which sounds great until you’re lost. If you're a beginner, this might feel overwhelming when just looking to create a basic website.
Which Is Better To Use, Wix or Weebly?
Wix is a top-tier website builder offering many stunning, customizable designs. It’s perfect for creatives, like photographers and artists, as well as service industries such as:
Restaurants
Hotels
Its templates are visually appealing and tailored to meet industry-specific needs. Whether you're looking to integrate online bookings or create an aesthetically pleasing portfolio, Wix has you covered.
Weebly's Simplicity and Value
Weebly might not match Wix’s flair, but it’s a solid choice if you’re looking for a straightforward, budget-friendly option. Its structured website-building approach is ideal for those who lack design expertise. The platform delivers basic websites without the bells and whistles, and it’s surprisingly effective for blogging and larger projects. However, remember that Weebly has been stagnant since its acquisition, so don’t expect frequent feature updates.
Feather's Innovative Notion Integration
Want even more flexibility? Consider Feather's notion to blog and newsletter concept. With Feather, you can use Notion as your CMS while your blog is published on Feather. By running your entire business on Notion, you can enhance productivity and not have to switch between tools to run your blog or newsletter. It's a seamless way to streamline your workflow and maintain a cohesive online presence.
What Is Better Than Weebly & Wix? 7 Top Alternatives
1. Feather: The Seamless Notion-to-Blog Solution
Feather is an SEO-friendly blog and email newsletter service that lets you publish content directly from Notion with zero coding or design skills. Companies can write blog posts on Notion and automatically publish them on their Feather blog. Unlike other platforms, Feather allows you to set up a subfolder blog (domain.com/blog) instead of a subdomain (blog.domain.com), which is better for SEO.
Feather also gives businesses a HubSpot-like experience by allowing them to manage CRM and blog tasks through Notion. You can change the design with:
Custom CSS
Collect emails and more
It’s a collaborative platform for teams during the publishing process, and you can easily send newsletters from Notion.
Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!
2. Shopify: Perfect for E-Commerce
Shopify is a standout platform for e-commerce websites. If your main focus is selling products online, Shopify offers extensive tools for:
Inventory management
Payment processing
Marketing makes
Pros
Excellent e-commerce features
Secure payment options
Great for scaling businesses
Cons
Monthly fees can add up, especially with additional apps
Needs to be more flexibility for non-e-commerce sites
3. WordPress: The Customization King
WordPress is a highly flexible and customizable platform that powers a large portion of the web. When combined with a hosting provider, it becomes a user-friendly option for beginners looking to build a site.
Hostinger’s website builder is budget-friendly and easy to use, providing essential features for small businesses and personal websites. It’s perfect for those who want simplicity without spending a lot.
Pros
Affordable pricing
Easy to use
Decent template selection
Cons
Limited advanced features compared to competitors
Fewer integrations
5. GoDaddy Website Builder: Quick and Easy Setup
Known primarily for domain registration and hosting, GoDaddy also offers a straightforward website builder. It’s particularly user-friendly for beginners and integrates smoothly with other GoDaddy services.
Pros
Easy to use
Quick setup
Good for small businesses
Cons
Limited customization options
Fewer templates compared to other builders
6. Webnode: Great for Multilingual Sites
Webnode is a lesser-known website builder that offers a simple interface for creating websites quickly. It’s especially good for multilingual sites, making it an excellent choice for international users.
Pros
Supports multiple languages
Easy to use
Good for simple sites
Cons
Limited features for advanced users
Fewer templates available
7. Squarespace: Visually Stunning Templates
Squarespace is famous for its beautiful templates, making it great for creatives and businesses wanting a visually appealing online presence. It offers powerful blogging features and e-commerce options.
Go From Notion to Blog With Ease Today With Feather
Feather is like a breeze for business blogging. It lets you publish SEO-friendly blog content and newsletters directly from Notion, without any coding or design headaches. Simply write your blog posts in Notion and watch them transform into a polished, professional publication on your Feather blog.
This seamless integration makes it easier than ever to collaborate with your team during the entire publishing process. Plus, you can set up a subfolder blog, which is better for SEO than a subdomain.
Feather also offers options to change the design with:
Custom CSS
Collect email addresses
And more
Run Your Blog and Newsletter With Feather Today
With Feather, you can manage your entire blog and newsletter from Notion. Simply write your blog posts in Notion, and Feather will automatically publish them to your blog. You can also set up and send newsletters to your email subscribers directly from Notion. It’s never been easier to run your blog and newsletter.
Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!