SITE123 and WordPress are web design platforms that have much to offer to their subscribers. The systems are both used to start feature-rich web projects yet they still differ a lot in terms of flexibility, integrated functionality, web design approach and target audience.
SITE123 – is an easy-to-use DIY website builder, which is used to start simple projects without any coding required. The system mostly focuses on the needs of newbies, offering quite a rich spectrum of simple design customization tools. It works best for small business projects, portfolios, landing pages and blogs.
WordPress – is the world-popular Content Management System, which has gained impressive recognition with web developers across the globe. The platform is used to start different types of complex and feature-rich projects to come up to various requirements and objectives. It is known for its deep integration options and advanced customizability, which makes it the leader of its niche.
SITE123 and WordPress both let their subscribers develop various project types. They deliver a broad spectrum of design customization tools and features to come up to the requirements and needs of subscribers. Which of them, however, is worth user attention most? Is there a system that stands out from the crowd or both of them can be equally used for design customization purposes? Let’s find that out in our comparison below.
General Overview
SITE123 has won immense popularity due to its intuitive web design approach and impressive simplicity that does not compromise with high end functionality. The drag-and-drop editor of the system makes it possible to control the process of website development, thus simplifying it for beginners. The use of the website builder does not imply coding awareness, which is another bonus of the software.
Created in 2015, SITE123 has built an impressive customer base. According to recent estimates, it was used to start over 51,575 web projects that are still live, while the overall amount of the system subscribers has exceeded 76,526 users. The website builder works great for all types of websites, including personal projects, portfolios, blogs, small web stores, landing pages and business websites.
WordPress does not require any profound presentation as this is the best and the most well-known Content Management System in the world. Its deep integration options, powerful design customization tools and modern web development approach make the system stand out from the crowd. WordPress can be used to start and run complex feature-rich projects, although, it was initially created with blogging purposes in mind.
The foundation of the software dates back to 2008, when it was first introduced to the target audience. Since that time, the functionality of the platform has notably improved, making it possible to launch even high end projects. Currently, the portfolio of live WordPress-powered websites encompasses 38,539,556 projects. This is quite an impressive achievement. The system is actively used to create blogs, business websites, landing pages, forums and online shops yet it can also be used to start other content-based projects.
Which One Is Easier to Use?
SITE123 comes as one of the simplest DIY website builders out there. The system offers an easy and fast sign up process, which implies a couple of steps only. You can either fill out the sign up form or register with your Google/Facebook account – just pick the option that works best for you. As soon as you are done with that, you will be redirected to the dashboard, which looks quite intuitive and understandable at first sight. The entire process of starting a website with the system takes around an hour, while all the steps are easy and quick even for a beginner.
What’s important, SITE123 application does not require any coding proficiency as the system was initially created for beginners. You will get access to the following sections: Homepage, Pages, Design, Settings, Domain. Each section can be managed as you need depending on the edits you wish to make on a website. To see the result of your work in progress, go ahead to use the preview feature. This will also give you an idea of how your website will look on mobile and desktop devices.
SITE123 also has a powerful customer support service. There is the Help Center, which allows browsing its multiple video tutorials and manuals to help you find answers to the system-related questions. A convenient search filter option will help you sort out the content with regard to your current inquiries. To gain individual support, the system allows contacting its support assistants via the live chat available 24/7. The responses to user inquiries are generally provided within a few minutes. This contributes to more effective work as you don’t have to wait for the reply.
WordPress can hardly be called a simple web design software, although its approach to the process of website editing is quite understandable even for a beginner. There is no drag-and-drop editor here, while the entire design editing process is done in the integrated editor of the system. Due to the updated content management system, it is quite easy to add and edit content, upload and customize blocks and website elements, integrate media files, manage project sections etc. At the same time, you have to be ready to start and customize all pages and sections from scratch. This is where the knowledge of programming basics will certainly come in handy.
Another thing you should remember when choosing the system is that it requires download and installation. What’s more, you have to independently pick hosting/domain name and some of the required extensions. Their integration is also your own responsibility, which makes coding proficiency absolutely desirable.
Design and Flexibility
SITE123 and WordPress have the same mission – quality website development and they both excel at this. The systems let everyone start projects for commercial and non-commercial use. The only nuance is that they differ in their approaches and integrated features. Each system has its own nuances that might affect user choice. To discover them, take your time to view the comparison of the platforms’ functionality now.
eCommerce
SITE123 makes it possible to set up and customize small-to-medium web stores due to its integrated eCommerce engine. Starting large-scale online stores with the system may be complicated as its baseline features set is sufficient to run smaller eCommerce projects.
To get started with your web store, you are welcome to browse a separate category of eCommerce templates available in the catalog. Pick one that complies with your business requirements and proceed to the customization. All eCommerce designs are free and responsive by default. This is a must for customers shopping on mobile devices.
SITE123 allows creating and managing product catalogs to effectively present goods available for sale. You can add product images, descriptions, pricing and inventory-related info here. The software also supports various product variations like colors and sizes.
The system comes with integrated shopping cart functionality that enables customers to add products to their carts while browsing an online store. The feature lets users keep track of selected items as well as review and modify their orders before proceeding to the checkout process.
As a web store owner, you can easily manage and track orders received through your SITE123 web store. An intuitive interface makes it possible to view order details, update order status, generate invoices, and get in touch with customers to solve all the purchase-related issues.
Due to the availability of secure payment gateways, SITE123 customers get an opportunity to safely complete their purchases using popular payment methods. These include credit cards, PayPal and other solutions available in their location.
What’s more, SITE123 offers basic inventory management capabilities to help you keep track of product availability. It’s up to you to set stock amounts for each product to get notifications when a certain item is going to be out of stock soon. This is a surefire way to avoid overselling and product unavailability to keep your target audience satisfied with their shopping experience.
WordPress provides a robust platform for starting and managing eCommerce projects. The best WordPress eCommerce samples speak for themselves. Due to its extensive plugin ecosystem, every system subscriber can tailor an online store to meet particular business needs and ensure a seamless shopping experience for customers.
As far as the CMS does not have an integrated eCommerce engine, it realizes its eCommerce potential via plugin integration. The most popular and full-featured plugin is WooCommerce. It offers a comprehensive feature set for professional online store creation, customization and further promotion.
Web store owners can add products, modify their parameters (images, descriptions, specifications, variations), set pricing and inventory features, configure shipping/payment options, customize web store design. The platform supports various types of products, including physical goods, opportunity of digital downloads and services. Integrated shopping cart functionality is available here as well.
WooCommerce as well as other WP eCommerce plugins integrates with popular payment gateways. This allows web store owners to accept payments from customers in a safe and convenient way. Options like PayPal, Stripe etc. and others are supported here.
As an open-source software, WordPress allows choosing from dozens of customizable templates. A part of them is available in the integrated software catalog, while more themes (free and paid) can also be found online. Thus, users have a great opportunity to pick and edit a theme designed specifically for eCommerce.
When it comes to the configuration of shipping methods and rates, the CMS provides sufficient flexibility. Users can define shipping zones they are interested in, set flat or calculated rates based on specific factors like weight or location, introduce free shipping or promotional options. Additionally, it is possible to configure tax settings with regard to the physical position of your business and applicable tax rules.
Finally, the system allows you to efficiently manage orders received through your web store. You can view and update order details, track the status of shipments, generate invoices, and communicate with customers regarding their purchases. This helps you stay organized and provide excellent customer service.
To be able to track your web store performance, you can integrate WP eCommerce analytics and stats plugins. This will provide insights into sales, conversion rates, customer behavior and other key metrics. This information helps you make data-driven decisions and optimize your store for better results.
Blogging
SITE123 comes with the blogging engine by default. Setting up a blog is simple and fast here due to the availability of blogging tools available in stock.
The system offers a user-friendly blog editor that makes it possible to easily create and publish blog posts. The editor comes with a clean and intuitive interface, making it simple to format texts, add images, embed videos and integrate other media elements in your blog posts.
Along with eCommerce templates, SITE123 offers a separate category of blog templates and layouts. They all look professional and optimized for mobile devices. You can customize and adjust your theme parameters, such as layout, color schemes, fonts and other design elements with regard to your brand style.
For more efficient organization of your blog content, the software makes it possible to assign tags to each blog post and even create/manage the required blog categories. Categories make blog navigation more intuitive and understandable, while tags provide extra descriptors for quick search of the relevant content.
SITE123 automatically creates blog archives, making it easy for visitors to browse and access your previous blog posts. Additionally, the website builder provides a search option, letting users search specific topics or keywords in blog posts.
Commenting option is available here as well. This allows readers to share their ideas and thoughts related to the blog posts they have read. Likewise, users can initiate discussions to make the blogging experience more engaging. As a blog owner, you have the right to moderate comments, reply to the selected messages and interact with readers.
With SITE123, it is possible to integrate social sharing buttons into your blog posts. As a result, readers get an opportunity to easily share blog content on popular social media platforms.
WordPress has much to offer in terms of blogging. This is because the CMS was initially created with blogging focus in mind (see best WordPress blog examples). The toolset and blog-related features are quite impressive here.
Just like WordPress grants access to multiple eCommerce designs, it allows choosing from lots of themes for blog creation. They can also be found in the software catalog or chosen online. Themes control the layout, design, and overall look and feel of your blog, letting you set up and run a unique and completely personalized project.
There is also a built-in commenting system here with an opportunity of comment moderation, a feature that lets you create blog post categories and assign tags to them, social sharing options etc.
WordPress can automatically generate RSS feeds for your blog, letting readers subscribe to the content they are interested in and receive updates whenever the blog is updated.
As mentioned above, WordPress stands out from the crowd due to its extensive plugin integration options. To adjust SEO and stats tracking parameters, you will be able to choose from multiple extensions related to these niches.
SEO plugins are helpful, when it comes to optimizing your project for search engines. You can customize meta tags, titles, and descriptions for each blog post, generate search engine-friendly URLs, and implement other features to enhance your blog visibility in search engine results.
Stats tracking plugins provide detailed insights into your blog performance. They make it possible to track metrics like page views, traffic amount and sources, most read posts and engagement levels. As a result, you get a better understanding of your target audience and trends, which eventually helps make data-driven decisions regarding the improvement of your blog functionality.
Third-Party Integrations
SITE123 grants access to a broad range of extensions and third-party integrations. It is initially known for its social media connection opportunities. The system currently allows linking to over 25 popular social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, SoundCloud, GitHub, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Vimeo, Flickr, Behance and more.
Additionally, there is access to the App Market with its wide selection of free and paid extensions to match any preferences. This is where you can reach multiple app sections, such as Webmaster Tools, Forms, Booking Forms, Social, Payment Gateway, Analytics Tools, Live Support Chat, Marketing Tools, Galleries, Pricing, Online Store and more. A handy search filter option will help you with the choice.
WordPress stands out from the crowd due to its powerful integration options. The system comes with a set of built-in plugins yet many more of them are available on the web. Whatever goals and web design intentions you have, you will undoubtedly find plugins and widgets to meet your needs. You can actually pick from free and paid extensions, but mind that paid plugins are more secure and reliable as compared to free ones.
Template Editing
SITE123 template collection does not offer many themes yet those you can find there are of good quality. All the designs are divided into niche categories based on the business niches they refer to. Generally, each template category involves around 10 designs. This depends on the topic it tackles.
The website builder allows for convenient and quick design customization. The process is also simple enough for everyone, be it a beginner or a web design pro. All in all, you can get access to around 13 design customization tools to work with any template you will go for. To set up your project design, you can modify the positions of blocks and website sections, select the best colour scheme and style, customize and integrate social media buttons and fonts, create your own homepage structure and style, integrate images and social media files etc.
You need to be very attentive, when picking a template for your website. The thing is that SITE123 does not have a design switch option and, thus, you won’t be able to change the selected theme on the go, if there is anything you don’t like about it. This is because each template comes with industry-specific demo-content provided by default. This makes it impossible to start a new website, if you decide to pick another topic. What’s more, the website builder allows optimizing your project for mobile browsing and to preview the way it looks on mobile and desktop screens. This is very convenient for each and every user.
WordPress excels at template choice and customization options. The CMS has its own integrated design collection yet hundreds of themes are available on the web. They are specially developed for WordPress by third-party experts and they come in free and paid versions.
Premium WordPress templates are more professional and versatile and it is much safer to use them as compared to free themes. The cost of paid designs ranges between $30 and $200 depending upon the sample you will go for.
As to the design editing process itself, it is quite time-taking and complicated, especially for a beginner. This is because WordPress design customization requires a certain degree of coding proficiency or preliminary web design background. If you wish to get a truly unique and personalized website, get ready to do a lot of manual work. This includes creation of new categories, web pages, tags, plugin integration and customization etc. It generally takes around several days to design a website from scratch with WordPress. If you are a non-techie, this may take you longer as you will have to deal with code integration.
A good piece of news is that WordPress now makes it possible to design projects in its advanced Gutenberg Editor. The process of working with it is similar to using a website builder or a classic HTML/text editor. Newbies value this feature, but it is possible to switch to the classic WordPress editor any time you have such a desire.
General Pricing Comparison
SITE123 is not only a simple and code-free website builder, but it is also one of the most affordable platforms out there. To test the features and tools the system offers, you can use a free plan for as long as you need. However, building a feature-rich project is impossible with it because of the available functionality restrictions. To go live with your project, you will have to upgrade to one of four premium subscriptions. These include:
- Basic ($12.80/mo) – 10GB of disk storage space, 5GB of bandwidth, free domain;
- Advanced ($19.00/mo) – 30GB of disk space, 15GB of bandwidth, sell up to 50 products/mo;
- Professional ($20.00/mo) – 90GB of disk storage space, 45GB of bandwidth, 500 products for sale/mo;
- Gold ($34.00/mo) – 270GB of disk storage space, 135GB of bandwidth, unlimited products for sale.
It makes sense to mention that SITE123 pricing is not fixed for all users. It depends on the location (IP) used during the sign up procedure. The final cost will depend on multiple factors like currency exchange rates, taxes, local market demand etc. Thus, you can experiment with pricing options by using VPN and exploring the suggested rates. The prices listed above are currently viable for the US residents.
WordPress is a free CMS, which means that you can download and install the system at no cost at all. It is also possible to build simple projects with it to improve your skills or just to explore the feature set of the software. As soon as you are ready to proceed to the development of a more complicated website, get ready to invest into third-party plugin integration. The same is about templates. If you are not satisfied with the selection of themes available in stock, you can opt for a premium one that completely comes up to your requirements.
Another pricing aspect you should be aware of is hosting/domain choice. As soon as you are ready to publish your project, you’ll need to select a hosting for it. In this respect, Bluehost is the most suitable solution. What’s more, WordPress recommends it as its official provider. The service is known for its powerful functionality and affordable pricing. Thus, the cheapest Bluehost plan will cost you $2.95/mo only. This is quite a cost-effective solution for everyone.
Which One to Choose for Blogging?
SITE123 has an integrated blogging platform, which allows for blog development and customization. To connect a blog to your website, you have to reach the dashboard and adjust the required settings there.
There are multiple blog development tools to choose from. They let you add and edit new posts, update the available content, adjust article publication settings along with media integration parameters.
SITE123 also has a collection of blog templates to fit various niches. You can pick the most suitable theme and customize it with regard to your current business requirements.
WordPress has initially distinguished itself as a blogging system. Thus, the range of blog-related tools and features is really amazing. To start your project, just reach the dashboard and proceed to your blog development/customization. This is where you will come across multiple tools and elements to use.
To enhance your blog design and performance, you are welcome to find and integrate third-party plugins related to your niche specialization. Opportunity of blog template choice is available here as well.
Which One is Better for Small Business Websites?
SITE123 is an all-in-one DIY website builder that allows setting up all types of web projects, Small business websites are not an exception.
One of the software highlights is its impressive ease of use. This means that the system initially targets non-techies and does not require any coding proficiency to get started. The user-friendly editor simplifies the website creation process and streamlines the overall design experience. The feature is appreciated by entrepreneurs who frequently lack programming knowledge to work with professional web design software and look for simpler alternatives.
As a multifaceted website builder, SITE123 offers a separate collection of business templates that fit various niches. They are responsive, free and absolutely customizable.
Additionally, the system comes with integrated blogging/eCommerce engines and opportunities of online form integration and lead generation. SITE 123 enables you to create customized contact forms to capture leads and inquiries from potential customers. These forms can be placed strategically on your website, making it convenient for visitors to reach out to your business.
If needed, you can integrate your small business website with popular social media platforms with a few clicks only. This allows you to display social media feeds, share content on social networks and connect with your target audience on various social media channels.
WordPress works great for small business projects as well yet its use requires more coding skills, time and budget.
The CMS is known for its vast library of themes (both free and premium), which lets you customize the appearance of your small business website with regard to the niche you specialize in. You can choose a design that aligns with your brand and professional area and customize it to create a unique project.
The software has also gained worldwide popularity due to its powerful integration options. There is hardly any other system that offers such an extensive range of extensions. You can choose from widgets available in the official WordPress catalog and those available online. The latter are specially developed by third-party web experts for WordPress. Just mind the security aspect when making your choice.
If your small business website implies eCommerce or blog connection, WordPress allows doing that via plugin integration. The most popular eCommerce plugin is WooCommerce that makes it possible to integrate small-to-large online stores. You can showcase products, manage inventory, configure shipping options, and securely accept payments, providing a seamless shopping experience for your customers. SEO and stats tracking plugins are available here as well.
WordPress is highly scalable and can grow along with your small business. Whether you start with a basic website or require more advanced functionality afterwards, WordPress can accommodate your evolving needs, letting you add new pages, features and integrations as your business expands.
Which One is Best for eCommerce?
SITE123 has quite a feature-rich eCommerce engine, which allows starting a quality online store. You can modify it as you wish with regard to your business goals. Versatility of settings makes it possible to customize shopping carts, adjust payment and tax parameters, set up shipping preferences, create product galleries and appealing show windows, adjust website/product promotion settings etc.
Additionally, you can create discounts and coupon codes to enhance user engagement rate. All these steps are quite simple and do not require any preliminary eCommerce proficiency.
WordPress realizes its eCommerce potential via plugin integration. There are multiple extensions you can use to give your WordPress website a distinctive eCommerce focus.
The best and the most popular of them is WooCommerce. The open-source shopping cart plugin lets you start and customize any type of online stores – both small and large. You can also make the required settings to boost your digital store performance. These include geolocation support, eCommerce template choice and customization, product upload and management, catalog creation, discount implementation, inventory management features etc.
Which One Is the Best for SEO?
SITE123 can be considered a SEO-friendly website builder. It makes it possible to independently set up SEO parameters that will affect positive ranking of your project in the search engines. The system offers a set of integrated SEO tools and it also automatically generates a sitemap for your project to provide a satisfying web browsing experience for users. There is also an opportunity to use the built-in 301 Redirect Tools that helps preserve your website traffic when moving to another platform. Additionally, you can track and analyze your website statistics by means of using Google Webmaster Tools, which are completely free.
WordPress SEO perspectives depend on the correct choice and integration of one of the available SEO plugins. The best solution to go for here is Yoast SEO plugin. It lets you adjust standard settings (titles, descriptions, keywords) for effective project optimization in the search engines. Additionally, it is possible to work with code editing to make your project more attractive for the search engine bots. This obviously requires deep programming proficiency and niche competence.
Key Differences Between SITE123 and WordPress
| SITE123 | WordPress | |
| Ease of Use: | SITE123 SITE123 is one of the easiest cloud website builders in the modern web design market. The platform comes with an integrated drag-and-drop editor and preview feature, which makes it possible to control all the steps of the web development process. No programming expertise is required to work with the system – so intuitive, fast and simple it is for everyone. | WordPress is a high end Content Management System, which is quite complicated and oversaturated with features for no-techies. However, it’s quite easy to explore and master it, if you have time, patience and skills. |
| Functionality: | The website features worthy integrated functionality, which is needed to launch a quality project. It allows starting and customizing digital stores and blogs, designing and integrating brand logos, creating multiple language versions of the same project, integrating social media services and other external platforms. | The CMS is powerful and feature-laden. It offers advanced integration options, which let you run different types of web projects – both simple and complex. These include blogs, business websites, web stores, portfolios and landing pages. WordPress is known for its integration options that let you get the most out of your website design and performance. |
| Design: | The software does not have an extensive template choice. There are several design categories to browse here, each encompassing up to 10 themes. All of them are free and customizable. Template switch option is not available here. | WordPress offers a collection of built-in designs, but there are hundreds of third-party templates available on the web. They are free and paid and they are all optimized for mobile viewing. |
| eCommerce: | SITE123 has a built-in eCommerce engine. It allows starting and running small/medium online stores and effectively promoting them on the web. | The CMS lets you create a web store by means of eCommerce plugin integration. The most popular open-source WordPress shopping cart plugin is WooCommerce, which is absolutely free. |
| Blogging: | The website builder also offers a quality blogging platform. This allows starting and customizing a blog to meet your niche specialization. | WordPress was initially created with blogging focus in mind. The set of its blog-related tools and plugins is rich and powerful enough to let you publish functional blogs. |
| Small Business: | The system works well for business website creation and promotion. Due to its abundant business-related toolset, it is possible to run business projects that refer to different niches. | The software realizes its business development potential by means of plugin integration. Just pick the extensions that correspond to your niche requirements and connect them to your project. |
| Pricing: | SITE123 has a free plan, which allows exploring its features for the unlimited period of time. To publish your website and to gain access to its high end features, you should upgrade to one of four premium subscriptions. Their cost starts from $12.80/mo. | The CMS is initially free, but you will have to invest into paid plugins, designs, hosting and domain name to go live with your website. The most affordable Bluehost subscription costs $2.95/mo only. |
| SEO: | The website builder comes with baseline SEO features. You can fill out multiple SEO-related parameters on your own to contribute to higher project ranking in the search engines. | Websites started with WordPress generally rank high in the search engines. The CMS makes it possible to choose from several popular SEO plugins, integration of which has positive impact upon website optimization and promotion. |
| Customer Support: | 24/7 live chat, video/text tutorials, tips and recommendations etc. | No official customer support, extensive worldwide user community, multiple forums, tutorials, video and text guides etc. |
Comparison Conclusion: Which One Is Better?
SITE123 and WordPress are popular and feature-rich web design platforms, which are both used to launch different types of web projects for commercial and non-commercial use. Each system comes with a distinctive set of features that have a direct impact upon users’ choice. They also offer diverse approaches to the process of website development and they target different categories of users.
SITE123 – is a simple, affordable and feature-laden cloud website builder, which can be used equally by beginners and web design experts. There is no need to possess coding skills to work with the service as all the processes and steps of website creation are intuitive and understandable here. The website builder offers multilingual support, nice template and widget choice, blogging and eCommerce engines.
WordPress – is a globally known Content Management System. Its application requires preliminary web design background and deep coding proficiency. It takes time and effort to start and manage projects with the software yet the range of tools and integrations it offers is enough to ensure design customization freedom.
Both web design platforms deserve user attention. WordPress is a powerful CMS, but it will work best for those users, who possess corresponding skills and specific niche-related knowledge. A newbie won’t be able to start a quality website with the system independently and without third-party assistance. SITE123, on the contrary, ensures quick and easy start offering multiple templates and intuitive user interface. This is what makes it a more preferable solution.
