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Web Development · head to head

Drupal vs Wix

D

Drupal

Web Development

Open-source CMS for complex, structured content sites

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wix logo

Wix

Web Development

Drag-and-drop website builder with hosting, e-commerce and marketing bundled into one subscription

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Drupal steep learning curve: concepts that are implicit in WordPress are explicit and must be configured; Wix there is no site export, so moving to another host means rebuilding the site from scratch; the blog exports as WXR and products as CSV but the design and app configuration do not come with you.
  • They diverge on capability: Drupal covers Structured content modelling, Wix covers Visual editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Drupal and Wix actually diverge.

Attributes where Drupal and Wix differ
AttributeDrupalWix
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feePer site per month
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Web Development).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Drupal

  • Structured content modelling
  • Granular permissions
  • Multilingual
  • Views

Only in Wix

  • Visual editor
  • Wix ADI
  • App Market
  • Velo
  • Wix Payments
  • Bookings and Restaurants
  • Marketing suite
  • Managed hosting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Drupal

  • Government and university sites with complex content models and strict permissionsnot Wix
  • Multilingual sites where translation is structural rather than a pluginnot Wix
  • Publishers needing custom content types and editorial workflownot Wix

Wix

  • A restaurant that needs a menu, online ordering and reservations live before the weekend without a developernot Drupal
  • A tradesperson or consultant who wants a credible five-page brochure site and a contact form without ongoing maintenancenot Drupal
  • A photographer or designer publishing a portfolio where visual control matters more than markup qualitynot Drupal
  • An agency using Wix Studio to deliver low-budget client sites on a fixed fee with client-editable content areasnot Drupal

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Drupal

  • Steep learning curve: concepts that are implicit in WordPress are explicit and must be configured
  • Smaller developer pool than WordPress, and correspondingly higher build costs
  • Major version upgrades have historically been substantial projects, not routine updates
  • Considerably more machinery than a straightforward marketing site needs

Wix

  • There is no site export, so moving to another host means rebuilding the site from scratch; the blog exports as WXR and products as CSV but the design and app configuration do not come with you.
  • Advertised prices are annual-billing rates and monthly billing costs substantially more, so the 17 USD Light plan is really 24 USD if you are not willing to commit for a year.
  • Templates cannot be swapped after publishing; changing the look of an existing site means rebuilding it page by page on a new template.
  • The absolute-positioning editor produces heavy markup and Wix sites routinely score poorly on Core Web Vitals compared with a hand-built or static site, which matters if organic search is your main channel.
  • E-commerce is gated behind the 39 USD Business tier, so a shop paying 29 USD on Core discovers mid-project that abandoned-cart recovery, subscriptions and multi-currency all need an upgrade.

Pricing, plan by plan

Drupal

Free
  • DrupalFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

Wix

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Wix subdomain only
    • Wix branding on every page
    • 500MB storage
  • Light$17/month
    • Custom domain
    • No Wix ads
    • 2GB storage
  • Core$29/month
    • Accept payments
    • 50GB storage
    • Basic marketing suite
  • Business$39/month
    • Full e-commerce
    • 100GB storage
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Drupal if

  • You need structured content modelling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want granular permissions.
Drupal review

Choose Wix if

  • You need visual editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want wix adi.
Wix review

Questions people ask

Is Drupal or Wix better?
Neither clearly leads. Drupal starts at Free and Wix at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Drupal or Wix?
Drupal starts at Free and Wix at Free.
Does Drupal or Wix run on more platforms?
Drupal runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted. Wix runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Drupal for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Drupal best used for?
Drupal is most often used for government and university sites with complex content models and strict permissions, multilingual sites where translation is structural rather than a plugin, publishers needing custom content types and editorial workflow. Of those, government and university sites with complex content models and strict permissions and multilingual sites where translation is structural rather than a plugin are not what Wix is typically brought in for.
What can Drupal do that Wix cannot?
Drupal covers Structured content modelling, Granular permissions, Multilingual, Views. Wix covers Visual editor, Wix ADI, App Market, Velo.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Drupal: Is Drupal free?

Yes, open source under the GPL. Costs are hosting, development and any commercial modules.

Wix: Can I move my Wix site to WordPress?

Not directly. You can export blog posts as WXR and products as CSV, but the pages, design and app settings have to be rebuilt.

Drupal: Drupal or WordPress?

WordPress is faster to launch, cheaper to staff and has a much larger plugin ecosystem. Drupal is stronger when the content model is genuinely complex and permissions are strict, which is why institutions favour it.

Wix: Is the free plan usable for a business?

No. It shows Wix ads on every page and does not allow a custom domain.

Drupal: Why is Drupal common in government and universities?

Structured content modelling, granular access control and multilingual support are core rather than bolted on, and those are exactly the requirements those sectors have.

Wix: Does Wix charge transaction fees?

Wix itself does not add a commission on paid plans, but Wix Payments charges standard card processing fees per transaction.

Wix: What is the difference between Wix and Wix Studio?

Studio is the agency-oriented editor with responsive CSS-grid layout, reusable design systems and client handover; it targets people building sites for other people.

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