Weebly vs WordPress: Your Complete Guide for 2020

upqode | Nov 5th, 2020

With newer, more advanced blogging platforms being introduced to the internet, it can be quite hard to select the one that suits your needs the best. It becomes even harder to do so when you have to pick between two leading platforms that seem to have equally efficient features and tools. Weebly and WordPress both come with their own sets of pros and cons, so choosing between them can be a challenging feat. Worry not, because I have created this comprehensive, all-purpose guide in order to make this Weebly vs WordPress debate easier for you to settle!

WordPress has been around forever – it is the ultimate choice for anyone interested in creating a blog. WordPress.org hosts 34.5% of all websites on the internet. On the other hand, Weebly is only 12 years old and is still growing and updating, albeit at quite a steady pace. The critical difference between the two is that Weebly is beginner-friendly and straightforward, whereas WordPress requires a little more technological brain cells to operate.

The guide will cover the following comparisons between the two platforms:

  • Pricing
  • Customization and Design
  • User Interface
  • Customer Experience
  • Search Engine Optimization

Weebly vs WordPressPricing

Let’s get to the elephant in the room without further ado, shall we? I am sure that the first question that comes to anyone’s mind while deciding which platform to choose is how much strain it will be on the pockets. Although it might seem like there is not much difference between Weebly and WordPress pricing, let’s have a closer look to decide which one may be cheaper. 

Weebly Pricing – Starting from $5

Weebly comes with a free domain. Other than that, it offers pricing plans that range from $8 to $25 and are paid annually. 

The three plans that you can choose from are:

  • Connect Plan ($5 per month)
  • Pro Plan ($12 per month – comes with additional site search, password protection, HD video & audio, video backgrounds, and phone support)
  • Business Plan ($25 per month – comes with additional unlimited membership registration

eCommerce development features such as digital goods, product reviews, inventory management, and many more)

Apart from these options, Weebly also offers a free basic plan that would work for non-serious blogs/websites!

WordPress Pricing – Less Than $50?

With WordPress, you have to, first of all, pay monthly for a hosting service. Your WordPress pricing in this regard essentially depends on the web host you choose, but many quality hosts will come as cheap as $4 per month! Then, you also have to pay for the domain name. Again, the exact cost depends on what you choose, but it usually costs about $10-$15 per year. 

In addition to that, you may have to pay for premium WordPress themes if you don’t like the free ones they have. The premium ones can cost anything between $30 and $100, so again, it depends on what you personally want for your site. You also have to pay for the plugins, which come as low as $1 but can go as high as $100! 

The Verdict

This one is a little tricky. Weebly pricing, in total, ranges from about $96 to $300 per year. This is a set amount that may go up if you want to add an extra flair to your site. The plans provided are clear to understand, so if you’re going for Weebly, you can easily organize your budget in advance. WordPress, on the other hand, gives you a lot of space to reduce your costs by providing so many options, so it may be the winner when it comes to pricing. However, there isn’t a set plan you can follow. I mean, you can indeed create a site on WordPress for less than $50… but then again, it is unlikely since you have to pay more if you want to go beyond the basics. 

Customization and Design

To ensure that your website is not a mass-produced, generic-looking page, you will have to customize it. It’s simple; customize it to make it stand out. And in that regard, it is vital to look at how diverse is the range of customization being offered by your website platform. Here’s a summary of what Weebly and WordPress respectively provide:

Weebly – You Can Only Do What It Let’s You Do

To be fair, it’s not like you cannot customize your website with Weebly at all. You can certainly do that and add a lot of features that will make your site stand out. But, you can’t modify and said features to your liking. So basically, Weebly offers you a specific space to work within; you can do what it allows you to do, but nothing more than that. 

Weebly

WordPress – Sky is The Limit

With WordPress, you can do whatever you want! You can even transform an empty web page into a high-trafficking eCommerce store because they have the themes, features, and over 50,000 plugins for all of them! The WooCommerce plugin gives WordPress an unbeatable commerce power; you can sell as many items you want and accept payments however you wish. It’s even better if you are a coder, for WordPress allows you to customize your website fully to your heart’s desire. 

WordPress

The Verdict

Of course, WordPress takes this one. While Weebly allows minimal flexibility, WordPress gives you full control over your website and enables you to create what you deem perfect. If you want to make a site under a specific guide, then I suggest to opt for Weebly – but if you want an advanced, high functioning website that is likely to cater to a broader pool, then WordPress is your man (or platform.)

Weebly vs WordPress – User Interface

When deciding on the perfect blogging platforms, one of the factors you must consider is the ease of use. What’s the point of investing in software if you cannot even operate it with convenience?

Weebly – A Drag and Drop Website

What is Weebly? It is essentially a drag and drop website that allows you to build your site in a very straightforward manner. With Weebly, you don’t need any special knowledge or familiarity with HTML; you can simply drag and drop things to build your pages (or pages!). Your account on Weebly will be up and running within 60 seconds, followed by complete convenience that you can bite in on when creating your page. 

The simplicity and convenience behind the building process and even the maintenance and management of your site mean that Weebly should be your ultimate option if you’re a newbie looking to start casual blogging! 

WordPress – Thorough Set Up

WordPress requires a specific set up procedure before you can start running your site. Firstly, you’ll need to invest a little from the get-go, buy the website hosting and a domain name. You’ll then have to install WordPress. Many hosts make this process relatively easy and not as complicated as it sounds. 

Once you’re done with the initial requirements, you can then choose a theme and attach plugins to power your site. WordPress offers a broad range of plugins that can help you create the exact page you want! You can also choose from an extensive collection of free themes, and if they don’t work for you, WordPress also provides premium themes that you can use for your site. Additionally, you can hire a web design agency and make it an even more straightforward process for yourself. 

All in all, WordPress requires a firm grasp over the technological aspect of things and, therefore, maybe a little more complicated for newbies. However, it is a perfect choice to create an advanced portal with hi-tech features.

The Verdict

It’s pretty obvious; when it comes to the user interface, Weebly seems to be a little ahead of WordPress. It grants the user complete autonomy over the building process and hence is a simpler, easier-to-use option.

Search Engine Optimization

Needless to say, Search Engine Optimization is a crucial building block to your presence online. For you to successfully execute any venture online, you need to get a higher ranking on the search engines. You need a platform that is SEO-friendly and allows your page to rank higher on searches. So which one of our two contenders, Weebly and WordPress, is the right SEO choice?

Weebly vs WordPress – Both Are SEO Friendly

Well, here’s the thing, they are both very SEO friendly. You can optimize your content through a specific configuration on both of these platforms. On WordPress, it may be slightly more convenient with the Yoast plugin as it tells you what to do and how to make your content rank higher in searches. However, cleaner coding doesn’t mean it does more for you than Weebly; they are both pretty good options if your ultimate aim is to get a higher ranking on the search pages. They both provide the same features and will help you get that much-coveted SEO success!

The Verdict

Well, it’s obvious. Isn’t it? It’s a tie! They both offer a fast and efficient performance when it comes to optimization, giving you a similar SEO experience and will help you get a higher rating on search engines.

Weebly vs WordPress – Customer Experience

When building a site, your personal experience matters a lot. Whether it is something as crucial as expert digital marketing or mere WordPress maintenance services, your satisfaction as a customer counts a lot. So, which website provider prioritizes your experience and gives you the best service? Let’s find out. 

Weebly – Available 24/7

I am not going to beat around the bush; Weebly has phenomenal customer service. To begin with, they have a help center that has an answer to almost every query that a customer may have. I think that’s super convenient, as the first thing you may want to do when you have a problem is to try and fix it yourself. They also offer live chat and phone support during work hours. The cherry on top, however, is that you can access email support 24/7. This means that in case of an urgent query, their customer support team is readily available to solve any problems that you may have quickly!

Weebly

WordPress – Community Forum

In case of a query or an issue at WordPress, you can access their community forum. The forum has threads created by other users with more information on using the platform or fixing a problem. If you have some issue that needs fixing, you can post on the forum and will get a response from one of the other users.

However, there is no assurance that you will definitely get an answer. Volunteers and not official WordPress staff moderate the forum itself, so there is no way you can get to the backend in case of emergency. Only a WordPress coder or web development agency can help you here. 

The Verdict

We have a clear winner: Weebly. Unlike WordPress, Weebly allows you to easily reach out to their staff and get a quick solution to your problems! WordPress will have you hire an agency to fix your issues, and although that is very convenient, it may add a few more pennies to the pricing. 

Weebly vs WordPress – The Final Takeaway

The final takeaway is this: 

Weebly will work for you if you’re not familiar with technological nuances and are looking for a simple yet effective platform to get started with your site. It gives you everything within reach of your fingertips, and you can easily navigate through the world of website building! Their customer support is also readily available, so you can get assistance if something isn’t working out. Weebly is a better option if you want to establish a personal blog or something else of the sort.

WordPress will work for you either if you’re more technologically aware than an average person or are willing to learn everything gradually. If you want an advanced webpage, then WordPress is definitely the option to go for! It offers way more flexibility than Weebly, comes with a more diverse range of customization options, and is perfect for establishing online stores and businesses.

Filed under: WordPress Development

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