Volusion vs Wix

There are multiple systems for professional web store development available in the modern web design market. Along with specialized and complex systems that require deep coding awareness and can be used by web experts only, there are simpler web design solutions – website builders – understandable to everyone.

When it comes to eCommerce, website builders are also divided into professional niche platforms (that focus on web store creation only) and all-in-one DIY systems (that make it possible to set up online stores along with other types of web projects).

Volusion and Wix are two popular representatives of each group. While Volusion is a solely eCommerce website builder, Wix is the DIY software that comes with the built-in eCommerce engine.

In this comparison, I’m going to outline the major features of both platforms that make each of them a niche pick for web store creation. I’m also eager to share the tips on choosing the best eCommerce website builder using customers’ reviews regarding each system as well as the key differences that make them better suited for various types of businesses. Let’s get started now.

Can We Trust Wix or Volusion Our Businesses?

As mentioned above, Volusion and Wix are both used for eCommerce website creation. However, I cannot but mention the major pros and cons of each system as well as their special parameters a potential subscriber should be aware of to make the unbiased choice.

Volusion is a dedicated eCommerce platform, designed specifically for web stores. According to the reviews of Trustpilot users, Volusion is incredibly user friendly for users who are not trained in eCommerce. The support team of the service is “beyond fantastic, taking the time to teach and empower their customers”.

Some users, however, are unsatisfied with the software because of absence of blog capabilities and viable app marketplace, outdated features and expensive pricing.

Overall, Volusion offers a range of niche-specific features for managing orders, inventory and payments. It also has a strong focus on SEO and marketing tools to ensure steady business growth. However, it takes time and effort to master the system.

As opposed to the Volusion website builder, Wix is a more general-purpose platform that includes eCommerce functionality along with its other multiple features. Thus, SiteJabber users underline that Wix is a pretty nice tool to set up a website, even if you are not an industry pro. The service grants access to “multiple amazing tools for organizing stuff like links, images, videos etc.”.

At the same time, there are some complaints regarding the quality of customer support, necessity to upgrade to premium accounts to avail more features and pricing policy.

Although Wix may not ensure the same depth of eCommerce-specific tools, it provides a very user-friendly and intuitive interface, a large library of customizable eCommerce templates and abundance of niche features. This makes the software a nice pick for non-techies.

To help you detect the pros and cons of each software, I have prepared corresponding charts. Have a look at them below.

Pros

Volusion and Wix share a number of advantages that appeal to their target audience. While the systems have diverse implications right from the start, this has defined their lists of pros.

Volusion comes as a trusted tailor-made eCommerce solution, while Wix impresses users by its intuitive nature that does not compromise with eCommerce functionality of the software.

Volusion

Wix

✔ Strong eCommerce focus; ✔ Absence of transaction fees; ✔ Powerful features to manage inventory tools, orders, shipping/payment, web store, vendors etc.; ✔ Complete analytics and reports; ✔ Unmetered storage capacity; ✔ eCommerce integrations; ✔ Customizable eCommerce templates; ✔ Built-in marketing tools (social media networks, Facebook store, Google customer reviews, eBay and Google sales, Deal of the Day feature, My Rewards option, gift certificates etc.).

✔ Wix Stores widget integration; ✔ Separate category of eCommerce templates; ✔ Logo Maker; ✔ Integration of external eCommerce services available in the Wix App Market; ✔ Show window creation and customization; ✔ Opportunity to sell physical/digital goods; ✔ Built-in analytic, email marketing, POS and payment tools; ✔ Bonuses and discounts (the Apply-Remove Coupon option, gift certificates etc.).

Cons

Any website builder has downsides that may affect users’ choice. Volusion and Wix are not the exceptions. The systems both have their disadvantages that are explained by their integrated functionality, general focus and built-in features.

Volusion	Wix
✔ Limited choice of third-party integrations; ✔ Expensive premium designs; ✔ Costly plans; ✔ Steep learning curve; ✔ Lack of built-in blogging tools; ✔ Coding knowledge is desirable to expand the software functionality.	✔ Transaction fees for each sale made with the platform; ✔ Limited choice of eCommerce integrations; ✔ Limited product variations; ✔ Not suitable for large-scale online stores.

Number of Websites and Users

Volusion was founded in 1999, that is, around 24 years ago. According to recent estimates, the number of web stores created with the system has exceeded 52,716 websites. The number of live projects everyone can access today constitutes 7,038.

The website builder has gained user recognition due to its strong eCommerce focus and list of tools/features that work great for professional web store development.

Wix has distinguished itself as one of the most recognizable and trustworthy DIY website builders. The foundation of the platform dates back to 2006. Since that time, over 6,732,125 web stores have been created with Wix Stores. Over 2,274,999 are currently live and available for shopping.

Mind, however, that Wix works well for small and medium stores only. If you need a larger eCommerce website, it makes sense to look for the alternative.

Thus, both website builders have been available for quite a long period of time. However, the number of web stores set up with Wix notably prevails over that created with Volusion. Probably, that’s because the system is simpler and more convenient to use for all user categories.

Cost of Building and Managing an Online Store

Volusion charges moderate fees for the eCommerce services included in its plans. The website builder doesn’t have an absolutely free plan, but there is an opportunity to test the preferred subscription for 14 days without any extra charges at all.

As soon as the trial comes to its end, you will be offered to upgrade to one of the premium subscriptions it provides. There are four of them here:

• Personal ($31.50/mo billed annually) – works well for small shops with annual revenues up to $50k. The plan provides an opportunity to add up to 100 products and 1 staff account. It also offers unlimited bandwidth, powerful site editing/drag-and-drop tools, secure payment options, free responsive templates, built-in SEO features, easy inventory management tools, online support, secure checkout, social media integrations, import/export feature etc.;
• Professional ($71.10/mo billed annually) – is perfect for medium web stores that sell up to 5,000 products. The subscription offers 5 staff accounts, Deal of the Day+ Customer Loyalty Plan, premium support, advanced report builder, online+phone support, API Access+batch order processing, 3rd party shipping calculated rates, 3rd party gateways etc.;
• Business ($269.10/mo billed annually) – is suitable for a developing business with annual revenues exceeding $500k. The subscription includes unlimited products, 15 staff accounts along with Priority support;
• Prime (the cost is discussed individually based on the Gross Merchandise Volume) – is a worthy solution for large international businesses that require VIP support and advanced features in the same pack.

The website builder does not charge any extra fees for the financial transactions made, while running projects with the platform.

Wix positions itself as an affordable website builder as it targets diverse user categories. The cost of its plans absolutely correlates with the functionality included into its subscriptions.

What’s more, the system offers a free plan, which lasts for an unlimited period of time and lets you explore the platform and test its features for as long as you need.

Users, who have decided to keep working with the system, are offered to choose from two types of paid subscriptions – Standard and Business/eCommerce. Each of them, correspondingly, includes several other plans, offering diverse terms.

As far as we are currently focused on the eCommerce aspect of the website builder, we will review its Business/eCommerce plans in detail. These include:

• Business Basic ($27/mo) – acception of online payments, 5 hours of video, free domain when purchased for a year, unlimited bandwidth, 50 GB on disk, analytics tools etc.;
• Business Unlimited ($32/mo) – integrated eCommerce platform, business development tools, special apps for entrepreneurs, logo maker, 100 GB on disk, 10 hours of video etc.;
• Business VIP ($59/mo) – unlimited bandwidth and video storage space, availability of the complete Wix Suite, priority support etc.;
• Enterprise ($500/mo) – end-to-end business solution, providing the utmost functionality and maximum amount of tools.

Whatever paid Wix subscription you will go for, it will come with free hosting, domain name, proper amount of disk storage space, integrated Google Analytics, Premium Customer Support and other notable advantages.

If you are not satisfied with the terms of the pan you have initially picked, the website builder offers a 14-day money back guarantee.

What’s more, the system frequently introduces special offers and discounts to regular users as well as to those who are just planning to join the system. This lets them save big, when picking the most suitable subscription. More pricing details are available in the Wix review.

When it comes to the pricing policy, both website builders charge almost similar fees for the services offered. Wix subscriptions are more versatile as they target diverse user categories. The website builder also has a free plan that is never-expiring and lets you explore and experiment with the system for as long as you need prior to picking a suitable paid plan.

eCommerce Features

Volusion initially targets online store owners willing to establish reliable web presence for their businesses. As a solely eCommerce website builder, it allows setting up each product added to the catalog. You can also edit shipping/payment settings, manage stock items, specify suppliers etc.

The software comes with a powerful analytics system used to track project traffic, analyze sales and economic indexes, top selling products and other related parameters. Due to the powerful integrated eCommerce CRM, Volusion makes it possible to conveniently manage multiple orders.

The website builder allows for quality and effective integration with world-popular marketplaces like Amazon or eBay. This is a handy feature that lets you increase web store popularity, sales volume, traffic, customer base etc.

Additionally, the website builder makes it possible to integrate with popular payment systems, namely Stripe and PayPal, which is another advantage for the system users. There is also access to social management tools and versatile dropshipping options here.

To get access to third-party integrations, you are welcome to visit Volusion App Store. You won’t find too many eCommerce extensions here, but you will have an opportunity to choose from over 80 apps. Only 10 of them are free.

Along with payment extensions, you will be able to pick email marketing, drop-shipping, accounting tools etc.

As an eCommerce software, Volusion allows introducing special offers and discounts to boost the loyalty of your target audience. To do this, you can integrate a professional Slideshow feature, set up product status, adjust quantity parameters, specify locations, calculate shipping rates, control stock reorder quantity levels, manage customer accounts etc.

The only demerit of the system is absence of the blogging platform. This means that you won’t be able to start a blog or to connect the one to your web store with the system.

Absence of the blogging feature is quite surprising for an eCommerce platform as this is one of the most influential user attraction tools. Thus, this is a crucial downside of the website builder that may have a negative impact upon the user’s choice.

Wix comes with quite a powerful Wix Stores widget, integration of which results in the creation of the full-featured online store. Mind, however, that Wix is not an eCommerce software, but the all-in-one DIY website builder. Thus, you can set up only small and medium online shops with it. The only glance at the most remarkable Wix online store examples will give you the idea of what the software has to offer.

The system makes it possible to design appealing show windows that ensure quality display of your products. This is where you can add and manage product collections/catalogs, upload physical and digital products, set up pricing/tax/shipping settings, add product descriptions along with their photos, videos and customer reviews.

To simplify the process of web store creation, the website builder offers a separate category of eCommerce templates. They are pre-designed by software developers, being available at no cost. What you need is just to select a suitable theme and use the integrated toolset to customize it as required.

The website builder has diverse integration options, which are quite versatile and extensive. It is known for its powerful App Market, where you can choose lots of eCommerce-specific widgets, both paid and free. Whatever web store development objectives you have, you will definitely come across multiple add-ons and extensions here.

There is an opportunity to connect your Amazon Marketplace account (if you have one) as a separate sales channel. This lets you effectively manage inventory tools and customer orders in the same place.

With Wix, it is possible to implement bonuses to boost user loyalty rates. The Apply/Remove Coupon option, for example, allows adding and deleting online coupons, if needed.

The software has recently introduced the POS feature for professional online and offline web store management.

Finally, Wix has much to offer to its target audience in terms of blogging (have a look at the best Wix blog samples). As opposed to Volusion, the system comes with the integrated blogging engine, which lets you connect and manage a full-featured blog.

Along with the rich selection of blog templates, you will get access to high end design customization tools, post management options, SEO settings etc. What you can do here is publishing and updatings new posts, dividing them into categories, activating the Future Publishing option, adding tags for better availability of your project in the search engines etc.

When it tackles the eCommerce flexibility aspect, Wix unveils more opportunities and tools its subscribers can use to start different types of web projects. The system stands out from the crowd due to its integrated functionality, customizability and affordability.

Online Store Design

Volusion template collection is not quite rich as compared to its multiple niche competitors. The system currently encompasses 45 designs and there is an opportunity to choose free and paid themes here (there are 11 and 34 of them respectively).

The cost of premium themes constitutes $180. Volusion designs are absolutely responsive by default, which means that your web store will automatically display great on mobile and desktop devices.

Speaking about customization options, Volusion templates are not quite easy to customize, especially for non-techies. The thing is that the choice of design customization tools is pretty extensive and it’s easy to get lost here. Each Volusion template comes with several menu layouts, more than 150 website editing variations, built-in Content Builder as well as code editing options.

Due to the integrated WYSIWYG editor, you can watch the website development process in action, controlling the result before the publication. If there is anything you don’t like about the selected template, you can always switch to the new one without the loss of the submitted content.

Volusion lets you work with codes, if you have corresponding skills and expertise. You can edit HTML and CSS codes to add the required code elements like Facebook pixel, for instance. The feature can also be used to integrate media files, image galleries, user testimonials and other content blocks.

Wix design customization parameters are definitely above the average. The website builder offers one of the most powerful, impressive, rich and versatile template collections. It currently encompasses more than 800 mobile-ready themes, all of which are free (see some best Wix website examples).

For user convenience, the templates are divided into niche categories based on the topics they belong to. All in all, there are more than 70 industry categories here. Such a diversity of categories contribute to easier and more convenient template choice, saving users’ time and effort.

What’s important, Wix lets you pick and customize a completely blank template from scratch, if you fail to find a suitable design in its collection. Unlike Volusion, the website builder doesn’t let you switch between the themes during the website customization process and this is one of the most crucial demerits of the system.

When it comes to design customization, Wix allows choosing between two editing options. These include Wix ADI and Standard Editor. The choice of the best solution depends upon users’ skills, expertise, rate, time and objectives they set.

Likewise, the website builder lets you edit the mobile and desktop view of your project separately to ensure the best website presentation on the device you intend to use.

To sum it all up, Volusion and Wix are both great in terms of template editing options. The website builders let you start and customize your web store design with regard to your requirements and special needs. Wix, however, offers more extensive template selection options and it also has more to offer in terms of design customization. The only demerit of the system is that it lacks template switch option, but this just makes users to be more attentive, when making the initial design choice.

Payments Processing

Volusion is an eCommerce platform that offers various payment processing features to help businesses manage transactions with their customers. The system integrates with a number of popular payment gateways, such as PayPal, Stripe, Network Merchants, CyberSource, Amazon Pay, Money Order, Authorize.net etc.

Additionally, the software introduces its own brand payment system – Volusion Merchant Service. Such a diversity of billing options allows businesses to securely accept online payments from customers using their preferred payment method.

The recurring billing feature enables businesses to automate the billing process for subscription-based products and services. This saves time and effort, ensuring that customers are billed accurately and on time.

Volusion grants access to fraud protection tools that help businesses detect and prevent fraudulent transactions. These tools include CVV and address verification, real-time fraud monitoring etc.

The website builder is PCI compliant, which means that it meets the strict security standards set by the Payment Card Industry. This means that businesses can safely process credit card payments through the Volusion platform.

Wix strives to make the customer payment processing process simple and hassle-free. With this purpose, the website builder has introduced its Wix Payments widget – a complete online payment solution. The widget allows accepting payments for your business without the need to set up a third-party payment provider. This is a safe and convenient solution most Wix competitors don’t offer.

Using Wix Payments, it is possible to accept debit/credit cards, Tap to Pay on iPhone, Apple Pay and other popular payment options in order to ensure a seamless checkout experience. What’s important, all payments may be effectively managed from the system dashboard.

To build customer loyalty and enhance your brand reputation, Wix lets you offer flexible payments to your customers. Thus, they can pay as they go, buy packages, subscriptions and memberships when needed. With Wix Payments, users can instantly pay for products and services from any device.

In case Wix Payments is not accessible in your location, you can connect another payment provider. All in all, there are around 80 payment options to choose from.

In terms of payment options, Wix has a more through-over approach. Due to the availability of Wix Payments solution, the billing and payment processing processes become understandable, simple and convenient both for web store owners and their customers. Volusion also offers multiple payment options, but not all of them can be easily connected and used by the software clients.

Delivery and Shipping

Volusion offers a range of delivery and shipping options to help businesses manage their shipping needs and provide a positive shipping experience for their customers.

The settings can be adjusted in the corresponding store section of your Volusion account. This is the place to access and modify the major shipping management parameters. These include discounts, shipping rates (both special and flat ones), free shipping conditions etc.

The system also integrates with major carriers such as USPS, FedEx, and UPS to provide real-time shipping rates to customers at checkout. This ensures that customers are charged accurate shipping costs based on their location and order weight.

The website builder allows businesses to offer a variety of shipping methods, such as standard, expedited, and overnight shipping. This gives customers the flexibility to choose the shipping method that best suits their needs. Drop shipping solutions are offered at no extra cost here.

Volusion provides shipment tracking information to customers, letting them track the progress of their order and know when to expect delivery.

Wix shipping and delivery settings can be adjusted via the Wix Stores widget. There are two regions available here by default – one for your native country (Domestic region) and one for the rest of the world (International region). Both of them offer free shipping opportunities by default.

As a store owner, you can decide on the number and list of countries you would like to ship to. You are also welcome to offer one or several shipping options to customers (either standard or priority shipping).

If needed, you can also offer a local delivery option to native residents. The same is about picking up solutions and other related parameters.

In addition to the range of integrated shipping/delivery options, users have an opportunity to install third-party applications from the App Market. They can be free and paid.

The most popular extensions include Xentral ERP Sellintegro, MultiParcels Shipping & Labels, Outvio, Shiptheory, NextSmartShip, Order Deck, AfterShip Returns Center and more.

As to shipping and delivery solutions, both website builders offer multiple options. Wix, however, has a more deliberate approach as the majority of its shipping-related features are available as a part of the Wix Stores widget.

So Which One Is Better to Use?

When setting up a professional online store, you will certainly have to pick an advanced and full-featured eCommerce website builder. Their choice is quite impressive and you can get access to specialized and all-in-one systems that offer versatile approaches to the web store development process. Volusion and Wix are two representatives of such systems.

Volusion – is a specialized feature-laden eCommerce website builder, which abounds in web store creation, management and promotion features/tools. Working with the system is not quite easy as it implies a certain degree of coding proficiency.

Above that, Volusion has recently gone through tough financial times. This may still have a negative impact upon its usability and safety of web stores it powers.

Wix – is the best all-in-one website builder in the modern web design market. The system delivers high end features, multiple responsive templates, numerous customization options, versatile integrations and pricing alternatives. This is what makes it occupy and retain top positions in the list of the best website builders ever.

To sum it all up, the conclusion is more than obvious: Wix prevails over Volusion in multiple parameters, starting from overall popularity and up to deep integrated functionality that does not compromise with moderate pricing policy.