Wordpress vs Weebly: guide for 2024

Final verdict

WordPress and Weebly both offer robust platforms, but they cater to different user needs and preferences.

WordPress (Overall Grade: 7.1/10)

is an open-source CMS that excels in customization and flexibility. It is ideal for users who want extensive control over their website’s design and functionality. With a vast array of plugins and themes, WordPress is suitable for blogs, business sites, and online stores. However, it has a steeper learning curve and requires separate purchases for hosting and domain, making it more complex for beginners.
Weebly (Overall Grade: 7.3/10)

is a user-friendly website builder with a drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced users. It offers a variety of themes, ecommerce features, and SEO tools, making it a strong contender for small businesses and personal websites. Weebly’s straightforward pricing and included hosting make it a convenient choice, though it has fewer customization options compared to WordPress.

	Overall grade: 7.1	Overall grade: 7.3
Design functionalities & templates	9.0	7.4
Ease of use	7.2	8.1
Ecommerce	8.4	7.1
Website Editors	8.5	7.6
Product testing options	8.1	8.3
Price	5.9	8.4
Hosting quality	0	7.7
Website speed optimization	6.5	7.9
Plugins and integrations	8.8	7.5
Marketing features	8.0	7.1
Customer support	5.0	7.3
Security	6.7	8.3
AI capabilities	6.1	1.8
User Management	8.8	6.5

Best for ecommerce

8.4

7.1

Verdict

: Weebly is user-friendly and suitable for beginners, while WordPress offers extensive customization and scalability for more advanced ecommerce needs.

WordPress

: With its WooCommerce plugin, WordPress provides a robust ecommerce solution that supports multiple payment gateways and offers features like abandoned cart recovery and ecommerce analytics. It is highly customizable, making it ideal for businesses looking for flexibility and scalability. However, when comparing WordPress vs Weebly, WordPress might require more technical knowledge to fully utilize its capabilities.
Weebly

: Known for its user-friendly interface, Weebly is perfect for those new to ecommerce. It offers essential ecommerce features such as inventory management, secure checkout, and basic analytics. However, it lacks the advanced customization options available with WordPress, making it less suitable for complex ecommerce needs.

Best for informational & business websites

9.2

7.9

Verdict

: When it comes to creating informational and business websites, WordPress stands out as the superior choice due to its extensive customization options and robust plugin ecosystem. Weebly, while user-friendly and accessible, falls short in comparison but still offers a solid option for those seeking simplicity and ease of use.

WordPress

: WordPress excels in providing a highly customizable platform with a vast array of themes and plugins, making it ideal for creating detailed and feature-rich informational websites. Its open-source nature allows for extensive creative control, catering to a wide range of website types. With a score of 9.2, WordPress is particularly suitable for users who need advanced functionalities and are comfortable with a steeper learning curve.
Weebly

: Weebly offers a more straightforward, drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for beginners. It provides a curated selection of high-quality templates and essential features for building and managing websites. Scoring 7.9, Weebly is a good choice for users who prioritize ease of use and do not require the extensive customization options that WordPress offers. When comparing WordPress vs Weebly, Weebly’s simplicity and user-friendly design make it a viable option for those new to website building.

Detailed comparison

9.0

7.4

🏆

Winner: WordPress.

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

WordPress offers an extensive variety of templates and designs, catering to a wide range of website types beyond just blogs or ecommerce. Its open-source nature allows for high customization and creative freedom, appealing to diverse user needs. While WordPress itself doesn’t sell premium templates, numerous third-party theme shops offer sophisticated and specialized design choices, expanding the possibilities for users.

WordPress Themes

Compared to WordPress, Weebly offers a curated selection of templates, numbering in the low hundreds, which is fewer than some competitors. However, the emphasis is on high-quality, professionally designed templates covering various categories such as business, ecommerce, portfolio, blog, personal, and events. Weebly’s templates are praised for their clean, modern, and responsive design, with easy customization options for colors, fonts, layout, images, and content.

Weebly Themes

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7.2

8.1

🏆 Winner: Weebly

. With a score of 8.1, Weebly’s user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop design make it more accessible for beginners compared to WordPress, which scored 7.2. While WordPress offers extensive customization options, it has a steeper learning curve, making Weebly the winner in this category.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: WordPress

. Both platforms offer a variety of learning resources, but WordPress stands out with its vast array of detailed documentation, community forums, online tutorials, and courses. This extensive support network is beneficial for users of all skill levels.

Learn WordPress

Learn Weebly

8.4

7.1

WordPress, with its WooCommerce plugin, offers a robust ecommerce solution with extensive customization options. It supports multiple payment gateways and provides features like abandoned cart recovery and ecommerce analytics. Weebly, while user-friendly, has limitations in design flexibility and certain advanced features are only available with paid plans.


Ecommerce themes and templates	9.2	6.5
Product page customization	9.0	6.8
Payment processing and commissions	7.5	7.0
POS capabilities	6.5	6.0
Payment gateways	8.5	7.5
Product numbers	7.0	7.0
Additional ecommerce features	8.0	6.7

WordPress ecommerce features:

WooCommerce Integration
Multiple Payment Gateway Support
Abandoned Cart Recovery
Ecommerce Analytics
SEO Optimization Tools
Extensive Plugin Ecosystem

Weebly ecommerce features:

Unlimited products
Inventory management
Product reviews and ratings (Paid plans)
Secure checkout
Shipping options
Abandoned cart recovery (Paid plans)
Basic analytics
SEO tools
Marketing integrations (Paid plans)

Ecommerce themes & templates

WordPress offers hundreds to potentially thousands of ecommerce and WooCommerce specific themes and templates, both free and premium. Weebly, on the other hand, provides ecommerce-specific themes with a decent range of styles, offering built-in features like product galleries and optimized checkout flows. However, Weebly has a smaller theme selection and less design flexibility compared to WordPress.

Product page customization

WooCommerce on WordPress offers extensive customization for eCommerce product pages, including product tabs, upsells, and related products. Weebly allows a decent level of product page customization through its user-friendly interface, but it’s not as extensive as WordPress. Advanced customization, including custom CSS and app integrations, is available with Weebly’s paid plans.

Payment processing

WordPress doesn’t handle payments directly but offers plugin options for payment processing, including popular gateways like PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net, and Square. Weebly seamlessly integrates with popular payment processors such as Square, Stripe, PayPal, and others, enabling secure and convenient online transactions for your store. Users can set up payment processing within Weebly’s settings and benefit from features like secure checkout and, on paid plans, options for recurring payments and international transactions.

8.5

7.6

🏆

Winner: WordPress

. WordPress, with a score of 8.5, offers a user-friendly interface with block-based editing, extensive styles customization, template management, page editing/creation, distraction-free modes, versatile saving options, and accessibility for users of varying skill levels. It also provides a wide range of blocks and widgets for creating websites, and allows for extensive custom code possibilities.

editor example for wordpress

Weebly’s editor, scoring 7.6, stands out for its drag-and-drop simplicity, catering to beginners with an intuitive interface and visual editing. The editor features a range of pre-designed templates, customization options, and content management tools. However, it has some limitations in design flexibility and advanced features, with certain functionalities requiring a move to paid plans.

Weebly editor

Mobile editor/app

8.1

🏁

Draw: WordPress vs Weebly

. Both WordPress and Weebly offer mobile apps that allow users to manage their websites on the go. However, both apps have limitations compared to their web-based counterparts.

The WordPress Mobile Editor App allows users to create and edit posts, manage comments, schedule content, and analyze website traffic. While it offers convenience and basic functionality, it has some limitations compared to the web-based editor, including fewer advanced options, restricted code access, and limited design customization.

Weebly’s mobile app allows users to manage and make basic edits to their websites on the go. While it offers features like content management and basic design customization, it has limitations, such as no advanced editing capabilities or extensive design flexibility, making it best suited for quick content updates rather than major design changes.

In summary, both WordPress and Weebly offer similar capabilities in terms of mobile editing, hence the draw.

8.1

8.3

Overall Result

:

Weebly wins

. Weebly scores 8.3, slightly higher than WordPress’s 8.1. While both platforms offer a free version, Weebly stands out with its 30-day money-back guarantee, which allows users to explore all features of any paid plan and get a full refund if not satisfied. On the other hand, WordPress, being an open-source CMS, does not offer a trial version or the possibility to test premium features.


Free Plan	Yes (open source software)	Yes
Trial Duration	No	No (30-day money-back guarantee)
Testing Premium Features	No	Yes, within the 30-day refund window

5.9

8.4

Weebly offers a more straightforward pricing structure with clear plans and features, while WordPress is free but requires separate purchases for hosting, domain, and website builder subscriptions.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	Free Plan ($0/month): WordPress is open source software that is free. WordPress does not provide hosting services; so, it is necessary to purchase a domain, web hosting, and website builder subscriptions separately. While WordPress lacks built-in ecommerce, plugins like WooCommerce offer a solution. WordPress offers an extensive variety of templates and designs. WordPress lacks a built-in AI-assisted builder, but its open-source nature allows for an ecosystem of plugins and themes incorporating AI for website building.	Free ($0/month): Basic template selection, 500MB storage, Weebly ads, limited features.
$0-$10	No offering at this amount.	Personal ($6/month): Custom domain, unlimited storage, ad-free, limited SEO and email marketing tools. Value for price: 6.5
$10-$20	No offering at this amount.	Professional ($12/month): Advanced design options, blog membership features, advanced SEO tools, form analytics. Value for price: 7.5
$20+	No offering at this amount.	Performance ($26/month): Advanced ecommerce features, lead capture tools, custom code injection, marketing automation. Value for price: 8.5

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

7.7

Winner: Weebly

. Weebly offers hosting included in all of their plans with unlimited storage and bandwidth on its paid plans. However, Weebly has been critiqued for slow page loading times, which could impact SEO negatively. Weebly does not have automated backup services, but users can export the site to a zip file. Weebly leverages a global network of data centers to deliver reliable and efficient website hosting. However, they do not publicly disclose the specific locations of their data centers due to security and technical reasons. On the other hand, WordPress does not directly provide hosting services, and its uptime, uptime guarantee, and data centers depend on the hosting provider chosen by the user.


Do they offer hosting?	No, WordPress itself does not directly provide hosting services.	Yes, included in all paid plans, free plan with limited features
Data Centers:	Data centers depend on hosting providers	Weebly leverages a global network of data centers to deliver reliable and efficient website hosting. However, they do not publicly disclose the specific locations of their data centers due to security and technical reasons.
Type of hosting:	WordPress itself isn’t a hosting platform, there are various options when choosing the type of hosting for websites built with WordPress, such as: Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Server Hosting, Managed WordPress Hosting, Cloud Hosting	Shared Hosting, Cloud Based Hosting, Managed Hosting
Uptime:	Uptime & uptime guarantee depends on hosting provider.	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Uptime & uptime guarantee depends on hosting provider.	Yes, 99.95%

6.5

7.9

🏆 Winner: Weebly

Both WordPress and Weebly prioritize website performance and page speed, but Weebly has a higher website speed optimization score.


Focus	Learning resources for optimization	Load balancing, CDN
Performance Tools	Core Web Vitals, WP Rocket, Hummingbird	Automatic image optimization, Lazy loading
Key Strategies	No specific strategy, dependent on user	Load balancing, CDN
Load Times	Varies widely, dependent on optimization	2s to 4s
Page Speed Scores Range	Scores vary; influenced by apps, images	Average 80+/100
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Analyze CWV, optimize images, use CDN	Image optimization, lazy loading, caching

WordPress, an open-source content management system, does not have a specific strategy for website speed optimization. However, it provides valuable resources for enhancing your website’s Core Web Vitals (CWV). Users are advised to analyze CWV, choose a reliable host, optimize images, minimize plugins, use lazy loading, and employ a CDN. Tools like Core Web Vitals, WP Rocket, Hummingbird are recommended, and AMP is suggested for mobile speed. The load times and PageSpeed scores vary widely, depending on the optimization.

Weebly, on the other hand, has implemented measures such as load balancing and CDN for speed optimization. It has significantly enhanced its Core Web Vitals performance by implementing automatic image optimization, lazy loading for content, code minification, and caching. These improvements, along with streamlined JavaScript usage and an enhanced server infrastructure, aim to boost website loading speed and responsiveness. The load times range from 2s to 4s, and the average PageSpeed score is 80+/100.

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8.8

7.5

🏆 Winner: WordPress.

With a score of 8.8, WordPress offers over 60,000 free plugins, extending its functionality across various domains such as advanced ecommerce tools, SEO optimization, social media integration, email marketing, and more. Weebly, scoring 7.5, also provides a wide range of functionalities through its plugins, but the sheer volume and diversity of WordPress plugins give it the edge.

WordPress Applications

plugins of WordPress.org

Weebly Applications

Weebly plugins

8.0

7.1

🏆

Overall Winner: WordPress

. WordPress edges out Weebly with a higher marketing features score and a more extensive range of plugins for customization. However, Weebly’s built-in capabilities and user-friendly interface make it a strong contender, especially for beginners.


SEO Tools
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration	Plugins for direct linking, automatic posting, and social feeds display	Easy link to social media accounts and share buttons
Analytics and Reporting	In-depth analysis via plugins like Google Analytics for WordPress	Built-in analytics for tracking site performance
Ads and Promotions	Support for Google Ads and ad management through various plugins	Integrated marketing tools for creating and managing ads

5.0

7.3

🏆 Winner: Weebly

. In the comparison of WordPress vs Weebly, Weebly stands out with a higher customer support score of 7.3 compared to WordPress’s 5.0. Weebly offers a variety of support options, including an extensive Online Help Center, Community Forum, Email Support, Live Chat during limited hours, and Phone Support for Pro and Business plan users. This comprehensive support system ensures that users can find help through multiple channels, making it easier to resolve issues efficiently.

WordPress, being an open-source CMS, lacks direct customer support. Users rely on community forums, the WordPress codex, hosting provider support, and plugin and theme support for assistance. While this decentralized support system offers a wealth of information, it may not be as immediate or personalized as Weebly’s support options, which can be a drawback for users seeking quick resolutions to their problems.

6.7

8.3

🏆

Winner: Weebly

. Weebly takes a comprehensive approach to security, with measures including secure data centers, routine system updates, encryption through SSL certificates, compliance with PCI standards for secure transactions, automatic malware scans, spam prevention measures, robust password protection, optional two-factor authentication, and user permission controls. These measures collectively ensure a secure and reliable environment for individuals and businesses utilizing Weebly for website creation.

While WordPress also provides numerous functionalities and resources to enhance website security effectively, such as site backups, monitoring, malware scanning, user activity tracking, permission control, and spam protection tools, its approach to private data storage and protection can vary depending on the hosting provider, which can be a potential security concern.

6.1

1.8


AI Builder	AI Site Builder, Zita
AI Ecommerce	Conversios, Ochatbot, AI Power, GetGenie, Woowoo, WooCommerce Multilingual, Rank Math, Yoast SEO
AI Content Generation	AI Engine, GetGenie, AI Power: Complete AI Pack	Jasper, Copy.ai, ShortlyAI, Blogify, ShortlyAI Web App
Additional AI Features	Wide range of AI plugins	Third-party AI plugins like Copy.ai and Jasper

🏆 Winner: WordPress

. WordPress, with a score of 6.1, offers a wide range of AI capabilities through its plugins, making it a more flexible and customizable platform. It allows for integration of various AI plugins for tasks like website building, ecommerce, content generation, and more. On the other hand, Weebly, with a score of 1.8, doesn’t offer any built-in AI capabilities and relies on third-party tools for AI-powered features.

8.8

6.5

🏆 Winner: WordPress

. WordPress and Weebly offer different approaches to user management.

WordPress allows editing access based on user roles and additional controls. User roles, ranging from Super Admin to Subscriber, dictate the level of permissions, while plugins and controls such as role management plugins and revision control offer further customization for specific editing rights and collaboration.
Weebly’s number of users permitted to edit a website varies depending on the plan selected. The Free Plan allows only one user, suitable for personal or simple projects, while the Personal Plan accommodates two users, making it appropriate for small businesses or collaborative efforts. The Professional Plan permits up to 10 users, catering to growing businesses or teams with specific roles, and the Business Plan offers unlimited user access.

WordPress User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Super Admin	Manages the entire network in WordPress Multisite.	Network admin, manage sites, users, plugins, themes.
Administrator	Full access within a single site.	Manage plugins, themes, users, all posts/pages.
Editor	Manages and publishes content, including others’ posts.	Edit/publish all posts, manage comments, categories.
Author	Publishes and manages their own posts.	Write, edit, publish own posts, upload files.
Contributor	Writes and edits their own posts but cannot publish.	Write, edit own posts (no file uploads or publishing).

Weebly User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Owner	The primary account holder and creator of the Weebly site.	Full access to all site features, including design, pages, settings, store management, and analytics.
Admin	Users granted significant control over the site by the Owner.	Can edit and publish site content, manage store orders, view analytics, and access most site settings, except for site ownership transfer and account deletion.
Author	Users with limited permissions, typically focused on content creation.	Can create and edit blog posts, manage comments, and sometimes edit specific pages if granted permission.
Store Manager	Specifically focused on e-commerce aspects of the site.	Access to manage and fulfill orders, view store analytics, and edit product details, but cannot change site design or settings.

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

Wordpress

8655 reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

Weebly

458 reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

WordPress receives praise for its user-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, extensive themes and plugins, customization options, and supportive community. However, users mention technical challenges, security concerns, a learning curve, and a lack of direct support. Overall, it remains a widely used and versatile platform, especially beneficial for startups and small businesses.

Square Online (formerly Weebly) receives positive reviews for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and quick website development features, making it suitable for small businesses. Users highlight its role in efficient appointment booking, saving time in coordination and scheduling. However, some express a desire for more advanced building tools and better pricing. The platform is recognized for streamlining website and payment operations, though opinions on customer service and design limitations are mixed. Overall, it is considered a good, affordable solution for small businesses.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which platform is better for beginners, WordPress or Weebly?

Weebly is generally considered better for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop design. It’s more accessible for those without technical skills. WordPress, while offering extensive customization options, has a steeper learning curve and is better suited for users with some technical knowledge or those willing to invest time in learning.

Can I use both WordPress and Weebly for ecommerce?

Yes, both platforms can be used for ecommerce. WordPress, with the WooCommerce plugin, becomes a powerful ecommerce platform offering extensive customization and features suitable for businesses of all sizes. Weebly, on the other hand, provides a more straightforward ecommerce setup, ideal for smaller online stores or those prioritizing ease of use over complex customization.

How do WordPress and Weebly differ in terms of customization and design flexibility?

Wordpress offers more creative control and extensive customization options through its vast array of themes and plugins. It’s ideal for users looking to create a highly customized website. Weebly offers a curated selection of templates and a drag-and-drop interface for easier customization, but it doesn’t match the depth of customization and variety offered by WordPress.

What are the major differences in pricing and value between WordPress and Weebly?

Wordpress is a free open-source platform, but it requires separate purchases for hosting, domain, and potentially premium themes or plugins. This can make the overall cost variable. Weebly offers a more straightforward pricing structure with clear plans that include hosting, making it easier to understand the total cost upfront. While Weebly might seem more cost-effective initially, WordPress can offer greater value in the long term due to its flexibility and scalability.