Wix vs SmugMug: Comprehensive comparison guide for 2024

Final verdict

Wix and SmugMug cater to different audiences with their unique strengths and features.

• 
  Wix (Overall Grade: 8.5/10)
  
  is a versatile website builder that excels in ease of use, design functionalities, and comprehensive ecommerce capabilities. It offers a user-friendly interface, a wide range of customizable templates, and robust marketing tools, making it ideal for users looking to create and manage various types of websites without coding. Wix’s AI capabilities and extensive app market further enhance its appeal, providing users with the tools they need to build a professional online presence.
• 
  SmugMug (Overall Grade: 6.3/10)
  
  is tailored specifically for photographers and creatives who want to showcase and sell their work online. It offers high-quality, customizable templates optimized for displaying images, along with robust photo protection features. SmugMug’s ecommerce capabilities are focused on selling prints and digital downloads, making it a great choice for visual artists. However, it lacks some of the broader functionalities and ease of use that Wix provides, which may limit its appeal to a wider audience.

	Overall grade: 8.5	Overall grade: 6.3
Design functionalities & templates	8.6	7.1
Ease of use	9.0	7.8
Ecommerce	8.0	7.3
Website Editors	8.5	7.3
Product testing options	8.1	7.4
Price	8.7	7.8
Hosting quality	8.5	5.0
Website speed optimization	8.3	5.5
Plugins and integrations	8.2	6.2
Marketing features	8.4	3.8
Customer support	8.2	7.9
Security	8.5	6.0
AI capabilities	8.7	0
User Management	8.2	7.2

Best for ecommerce

8.0

7.3

Verdict

: Wix is a versatile platform suitable for a wide range of ecommerce needs, while SmugMug is tailored specifically for photographers and creatives.

• 
  Wix
  
  : Known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive ecommerce tools, Wix is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. It offers a variety of templates and customization options, making it a flexible choice for different types of online stores. However, when comparing Wix vs SmugMug, Wix may lack some advanced features needed for high-volume sales.
• 
  SmugMug
  
  : Designed with photographers in mind, SmugMug excels in showcasing and selling high-quality images. It offers robust photo protection features and ecommerce capabilities tailored for digital and print sales. However, it may not be as versatile as Wix for other types of ecommerce businesses.

Best for informational & business websites

8.3

7.5

• 
  Wix
  
  : With a score of 8.3, Wix excels in providing a versatile platform for building and managing informational websites. Its user-friendly interface, extensive template library, and robust design features make it ideal for users who want creative control without needing to code. Wix’s ease of use and comprehensive learning resources further enhance its appeal for beginners and experienced users alike. When comparing Wix vs SmugMug, Wix stands out for its flexibility and ease of use.
• 
  SmugMug
  
  : Scoring 7.5, SmugMug is tailored for photographers and creatives who need to showcase and sell their work online. While it offers customizable templates and robust photo protection features, it may not be as versatile as Wix for general informational websites. SmugMug’s focus on high-quality image display and e-commerce capabilities makes it a strong contender for niche markets but less so for broader business needs.

Detailed comparison

8.6

7.1

🏆

Winner: Wix.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more creative control and a wide array of design features, Wix is the preferred choice.

Wix stands out with its wide range of highly customizable templates suitable for various website types, not just ecommerce. It offers creative freedom in design, appealing to a diverse user base. While Wix doesn’t have a premium template marketplace, it has 3-rd party theme shops that allow you to get more sophisticated design choices.

Wix Themes

Compared to Wix, SmugMug offers variety of templates and designs, currently around 20+, catering to the diverse needs of photographers and visual artists. Users can choose from an extensive collection of customizable templates, ensuring their website or portfolio reflects their unique style and brand. The platform continuously updates its design offerings, incorporating the latest trends and user feedback, to provide a rich selection of modern, sleek, and professional layouts. Whether for a personal project, professional portfolio, or a commercial photography business, SmugMug’s range of designs and templates offers something for everyone, making it easy to create a visually appealing and functional online presence.

SmugMug Themes

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9.0

7.8

🏆 Winner: Wix

. Scoring a solid 9.0, Wix stands out for its user-friendly interface, making it exceptionally easy for beginners to create and manage their websites. SmugMug, with a score of 7.8, offers a robust platform but with a steeper learning curve, especially for those new to ecommerce. If ease of use is a priority, Wix is the clear winner in this category.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Wix

. While both platforms offer solid learning resources, Wix goes a step further with its wide array of detailed tutorials and active community forums, making it easier for users to learn and adapt.

8.0

7.3

Wix and SmugMug offer different ecommerce capabilities tailored to their target users. Wix provides a comprehensive ecommerce platform suitable for various types of businesses, while SmugMug focuses on photographers and creatives, offering features for selling photos and videos.

Ecommerce themes and templates	7.5	8.0
Product page customization	7.3	6.5
Payment processing and commissions	8.7	6.0
POS capabilities	6.0	0.0
Payment gateways	8.2	5.0
Product numbers	8.0	9.0
Additional ecommerce features	7.8	6.5

Wix ecommerce features:

• Intuitive store builder
• Wix Payments and various gateways
• Basic inventory tools
• Multi-channel sales options
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Basic analytics and SEO tools

SmugMug ecommerce features:

• Digital Downloads
• Product Pricing
• Tax handling
• Discounts and Coupons
• Multiple Currencies support

Ecommerce themes & templates

Wix provides around 120 free templates for ecommerce. However, these templates are not fully responsive and may need manual adjustments for mobile display. Wix allows for flexible website design but has limited options for in-depth customization using HTML or CSS. For advanced users, Wix Velo offers more detailed customization possibilities. On the other hand, SmugMug’s templates are designed with ecommerce in mind, providing built-in shopping cart functionality.

Product page customization

Wix allows for six options per item and a total of 1000 unique variations for products. However, it’s recommended to consider splitting products with extensive options into different listings for a more user-friendly experience. Wix stands out for its ease of customization, allowing users to add features like ribbons, size charts, wishlists, and more. While Wix supports product videos in its themes, incorporating 3D models on Wix requires coding.

SmugMug, while having more limited product page customization compared to dedicated e-commerce platforms, provides enough functionality to detail digital and printed photography products effectively, enabling users to sell online with ease.

Payment processing

Wix provides versatile payment options, generally around 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, without additional commission fees. This makes Wix an attractive option for businesses using diverse payment processors. Wix Payments allows Wix users to manage transactions directly on their site, also supporting various payment methods and currencies.

SmugMug has a unique approach to payment processing. Your earnings are calculated as 85% of the markup on print prices or download sales, with SmugMug retaining 15% to cover various costs. Payments are made via ACH direct deposit for U.S. users or PayPal for international users, processed on the first business day after the 7th of each month for profits accumulated through the end of the previous month.

In conclusion, Wix offers a more comprehensive ecommerce platform suitable for a wide range of businesses, while SmugMug provides a specialized platform for photographers and creatives to sell their work. The choice between the two would depend on the specific needs and goals of the user.

8.5

7.3

🏆

Winner: Wix

. Wix, with a score of 8.5, offers multiple editors catering to different user needs. Its standard editor is renowned for its drag-and-drop simplicity, allowing for extensive customization without needing to code. Additionally, Wix provides the ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) editor, which creates a personalized website based on user responses to a few questions, and the Corvid by Wix editor, which allows for advanced web development with JavaScript and Wix APIs.

SmugMug’s website builder editor, scoring 7.3, offers a user-friendly interface that allows for the creation of visually appealing, professional-grade photography websites without the need for coding knowledge. Users can customize their site by choosing from a variety of templates, adjusting layouts, and incorporating their own branding elements like logos and colors. The editor also supports easy uploading, organizing, and showcasing of high-quality images, with robust privacy and security settings to protect content. Additionally, SmugMug provides tools for selling prints and digital downloads directly from the website, making it a comprehensive platform for photographers looking to display and monetize their work online.

Mobile editor/app

9.2

7.5

🏆

Winner: Wix

. Both Wix and SmugMug offer mobile apps for managing your website, but they cater to different needs and skill levels. Wix provides a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface in its mobile app, excelling in general website editing. The app is particularly beginner-friendly, making it easy for users with no prior website building experience to easily make changes to their website.

SmugMug, on the other hand, offers a mobile editing app, but it’s limited to adding new photos and editing descriptions. Layout changes on the website are not possible through the app. Therefore, Wix is the clear winner in this category due to its more comprehensive and user-friendly mobile editing capabilities.

In summary, Wix receives a higher rating due to its versatility in general website editing and a more beginner-friendly interface, while SmugMug is strong in photo management but may be better suited for users with some experience.

8.1

7.4

Overall Result

:

Wix wins

. Wix scores 8.1 in product testing options, while SmugMug scores 7.4. Wix offers a free plan with basic features for an unlimited duration and occasionally offers opportunities to test premium features through promotions or limited-time trials. SmugMug, on the other hand, offers a 14-day free trial during which premium features can be tested, but does not offer a free plan or a money-back guarantee.

Free Plan	Yes (Basic features, indefinitely)	No
Trial Duration	Unlimited (Free plan)	14 days
Testing Premium Features	Limited, occasionally through promotions	During the free trial
Money Back Guarantee	14-day money-back guarantee	No

8.7

7.8

Wix offers more affordable options with a higher price score of 8.7, compared to SmugMug’s price score of 7.8.

	Offerings	Offerings
$10-$20	No offering at this amount.	Power ($15.00/month): Best for the photographer who wants their entire photo catalog safe and shareable on their own terms. Unlimited storage, Seamless Lightroom integration Value for price: 6.5
$20-$30	Core Plan ($27/month): Unlimited physical products, ~2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, Digital products, Free custom domain for a year, Abandoned cart recovery, Gift cards (via app), Recurring payments, No staff account limit. Value for price: 8.5	No offering at this amount.
$30-$40	Business ($32/month): Advanced ecommerce features, Same transaction fees, Free domain for a year, Subscription payments, Automated international sales tax, Label printing, Dropshipping, Product reviews, No staff account limit. Value for price: 8.7	Portfolio ($31.00/month): Best for the photographer who wants to start selling photos and keep their archive organized perfectly. All Power plan’s features, plus 21 premade templates, prints and digital downloads sales, Custom Watermarks, Payment integration for credit cards and PayPal, Integrated cart and checkout experience, Sales statistics. Value for price: 8.0
$40-$50	No offering at this amount.	Pro ($45.00/month): Adds to Portfolio with custom price lists and coupons, Platform access for assistant or second shooter, Full control over client downloads, Branded packaging and thank you notes for print sales, coupon creator. Value for price: 8.5
$100-$200	Business Elite ($159/month): All ecommerce features, Automated sales tax for up to 500 transactions/month, Custom reports, Loyalty program, Priority support, No staff account limit. Value for Price: 9.0	No offering at this amount.
$500+	No offering at this amount.	Venture (Starts with $500/month): All Pro features, plus dedicated support contacts and account representative for all Smugmug needs, Design, workflow, and organization consultation and support.

8.5

5.0

🏆

Winner: Wix

Wix offers a variety of hosting plans to suit different needs, with a multi-cloud infrastructure and a 99.95% uptime. It also has 10 global data centers, ensuring a wide coverage. SmugMug, on the other hand, does not provide detailed information about their hosting features, making it difficult to assess their quality. This lack of transparency results in a lower rating for SmugMug.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes, included in all paid plans	Yes, but no detailed information on their hosting features
Data Centers:	10 globally: USA (Ashburn, Virginia; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida), Germany (Frankfurt), Israel (Tel Aviv), India (Mumbai), Brazil (São Paulo), Singapore, South Korea (Seoul), and Taiwan (Taipei)	No information provided
Type of hosting:	Multi-Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, GCP, own data centers)	No information provided
Uptime:	99.95%	No information provided
Uptime Guarantee:	No	Yes, 99.9%

8.3

5.5

🏆 Winner: Wix

Wix outperforms SmugMug in website speed optimization due to its higher score, wider range of optimization strategies, and improvements in Core Web Vitals.

Focus	Media optimization, CDN, Mobile-first	Mobile Responsive design
Performance Tools	Google PageSpeed Insights Integration	Not specified
Key Strategies	Media optimization, CDN, Mobile-first	Mobile Responsive design
Load Times	0.8s to 3.5s (Average: 1.6s)	Varies widely, depending on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	34/100 to 98/100 (Average: 81.9/100)	Varies widely, depending on optimization
Core Web Vitals Improvement	25% increase in good CWV scores over a year	No information shared

Wix has a strong focus on website speed optimization, with strategies including media optimization, use of content distribution networks (CDN), and a mobile-first approach. Wix has integrated Google PageSpeed Insights into its Site Speed dashboard, providing users with a comprehensive view of their website’s performance. Wix’s load times range from 0.8s to 3.5s, with an average of 1.6s, and its PageSpeed scores range from 34/100 to 98/100, with an average of 81.9/100. Wix has also seen a 25% increase in good Core Web Vitals scores over the past year.

SmugMug, on the other hand, focuses on mobile responsive design for speed optimization. However, it does not specify any performance tools used. Both its load times and PageSpeed scores vary widely, depending on the optimization and complexity of the website. SmugMug does not share any information on improvements in Core Web Vitals.

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8.2

6.2

🏆 Winner: Wix.

Wix scores 8.2, offering over 500 apps in its App Market that cover a wide range of functionalities. SmugMug, with a score of 6.2, offers integrations with several photo-hosting services, which are beneficial for photographers. However, Wix’s broader range of plugins and integrations gives it the edge in this category.

Wix Applications

8.4

3.8

🏆

Overall Winner: Wix

. Wix stands out for its comprehensive marketing tools, including SEO, email marketing, blogging, social media integration, analytics and reporting, and ads and promotions. SmugMug, while offering basic SEO tools, social media integration, and analytics and reporting, lacks email marketing, blogging, and ads and promotions features.

SEO Tools		Basic
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration	Advanced integration for selling directly on social platforms	Basic integration for sharing content on social media
Analytics and Reporting	Detailed analytics for in-depth insights	Basic analytics with Google Analytics integration
Ads and Promotions	Google Ads integration; sophisticated ad campaign management

8.2

7.9

🏆 Winner: Wix

. When comparing Wix vs SmugMug, Wix takes the lead in customer support with a score of 8.2. Wix offers a variety of support channels, including phone support (callback service during business hours), 24/7 live chat in multiple languages, and extensive forums. The large community and detailed help articles ensure users have access to the information and assistance they need.

SmugMug, with a customer support score of 7.9, provides support primarily through email and chat, available 364 days a year. While SmugMug’s chat support offers immediate responses, phone support is limited to higher-tier business subscriptions. SmugMug’s support is tailored for photographers and creatives, offering specialized assistance and robust photo protection features. However, the lack of 24/7 live chat and broader phone support options places it behind Wix in this comparison.

8.5

6.0

🏆

Winner: Wix

. Wix prioritizes website and data security through secure servers, encryption, and compliance with privacy regulations. Strict access controls, regular security audits, and additional features like two-factor authentication enhance protection. Wix communicates transparently through clear privacy policies, practices data minimization, and empowers user control over their data.

SmugMug, on the other hand, takes privacy and security seriously, ensuring private data storage and protection through various measures. They implement strict privacy settings and controls that allow users to manage who can access their content. However, SmugMug does not disclose detailed information about its website security measures, apart from the possibility to change privacy settings to protect website content with passwords and hiding account owner information. This lack of transparency may be a concern for some users.

8.7

0

Personalized Design	Wix ADI offers tailored design suggestions based on user inputs
SEO Optimization	AI-guided SEO advice for optimal content placement and structure
Customer Behavior Analysis	Advanced analytics to understand customer preferences
Sales Predictions	AI-powered sales forecasting tools
Inventory Management	AI tools to assist in efficient inventory handling
Content Generation	AI assistance in creating and optimizing site content

🏆 Winner: Wix

. Wix’s AI capabilities, particularly through its Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI)
system, are highly user-friendly and innovative. It excels in offering personalized website design suggestions, content
optimization, and streamlined site setup processes. Wix’s AI also assists in providing SEO recommendations and
layout adjustments based on user behavior.

SmugMug, unfortunately, does not have any AI capabilities. This means it lacks the advanced features that Wix offers, such as AI-driven design suggestions, content generation, and customer behavior analysis. While SmugMug may still be a suitable choice for some users, those seeking advanced AI capabilities may find Wix to be a more fitting option.

8.2

7.2

🏆 Winner: Wix

. Both Wix and SmugMug offer different approaches to user management.

• Wix allows unlimited editors regardless of the plan, but caution is needed with 50+ editors to avoid potential
  backend performance issues. It excels for large, collaborative teams.
• SmugMug allows the primary account holder full control over the account, with the ability to add additional users through “Shared Account Management” for Portfolio and Pro level accounts. These additional users can be given various roles with different permissions, enabling them to manage or edit the website without full access to billing or account settings.

Wix User Roles and Access Levels:

SmugMug User Roles and Access Levels:

Additional Features

SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

User Feedback

Wix

1641 reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

SmugMug

33 reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars

Wix, though well-regarded, caters to a diverse set of website requirements beyond just ecommerce. This inclusive strategy attracts a broad user audience but might not align as closely with individuals prioritizing advanced ecommerce features. With a G2 rating of 4.2/5 from 1641 reviews, users appreciate its user-friendly interface and range of features for building and managing an online presence.

Users appreciate SmugMug for its reliability, ease of use, and the platform’s ability to securely host and share high-resolution photographs and videos. Highlights include seamless mobile device syncing, excellent gallery features for showcasing assets, and robust customization options. However, some users desire improvements in facial recognition technology, expanded asset management capabilities, and more advanced search functionalities. With a G2 rating of 4.5/5 from 33 reviews, SmugMug is valued for its central storage solution, privacy features for client photos, and its ability to simplify file sharing and photo sales.

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