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CMS comparison Drupal vs Wix

Drupal vs Wix

Drupal is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. Wix is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 16.

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  • Drupal Traditional · Open source · 16 of 28 built in
  • Wix Site builder · Closed source · 21 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Drupal on 29 Sept 2026, Wix on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.

Feature comparison

Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
Drupal vs Wix feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Drupal Traditional
Wix Site builder
Overview
What it is Open-source PHP CMS with fieldable content types, core JSON:API and multilingual modules. Teams self-host it or use Drupal hosting platforms.Hosted website builder with a CMS, business apps and hosting, run by Wix.com Ltd. Wix Studio adds an editor and workspace for agencies.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Drupal 11 core. Drupal CMS 2 bundles core with selected contrib modules. Version 11.4.8, released 26 Sept 2026 Wix website builder with Wix CMS, in Wix Editor and Wix Studio SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor Drupal community, supported by the Drupal Association drupal.org Wix.com Ltd. wix.com
Licence Open source GPL-2.0-or-later Closed source Proprietary
Hosting Self-hosting No vendor cloud Acquia, Pantheon and other companies sell managed Drupal hosting. No self-hosting Vendor cloud Wix Headless serves the same content to a frontend you host.
Built with PHP, Symfony, TwigHosted SaaS, JavaScript through the Wix IDE, CLI and SDK
Database MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLiteWix CMS collections, managed by Wix
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free and open source. Hosting, support and contrib services cost extra. Free to start Free plan. Light $17, Core $29, Business $39, Business Elite $159 per month billed yearly in the US.
Content modelling
Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. Built in Content types and fields export to YAML config files. Limited Only Wix CLI apps and headless projects define collections in TypeScript files. 13
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in Field UI in core. Built in 20
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Layout Builder in core. Paragraphs and Drupal Canvas are contrib. 910 Built in Editors add and reorder sections and saved components on the canvas.
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Field-level content translation in core. 7 Built in Wix Multilingual, with manual or automatic translation. 14
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Image styles scale, crop and convert images. 8 Built in Resize and crop through image URL parameters. 15
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in JSON:API and REST modules in core. 3 Built in Data Items REST API. 3
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Plugin or add-on GraphQL contrib module. Developers build the schema. 4 Built in GraphQL endpoint over the same data as the REST API. 4
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Plugin or add-on Webhooks contrib module. Core has no outgoing webhooks. 18 Built in App webhooks, or an HTTP request step in Wix Automations. 16
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in Twig themes. Built in
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in Drafts of published content need the core Content Moderation module. 5 Built in Draft status on CMS items, on by default for new collections. 11
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Plugin or add-on Scheduler contrib module. 11 Built in Scheduled status changes on CMS items. 11
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in Revert in core. Side-by-side compare needs the Diff contrib module. Limited CMS keeps weekly and manual collection backups. Restores replace whole collections. 9
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Preview button on the edit form. Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Limited Layout Builder edits blocks on a rendered preview. Drupal Canvas is contrib. 910 Built in
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Built in Workflows and Content Moderation modules in core. 5 Paid tier Approvals for site changes in the Wix Studio enterprise solution. 8
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Built in Workspaces module, stable in core since 10.3. 6 Limited Release Manager publishes whole site versions and test sites. No grouped item releases. 12
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Not available Built in Built into the Studio Editor. 7
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Built in Not every permission is available to custom roles. 619
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Plugin or add-on Field Permissions contrib module. 12 Not available CMS permissions apply per collection. 20
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Plugin or add-on OpenID Connect or SAML Authentication contrib modules. 13 Paid tier OpenID Connect only, with the Wix Studio enterprise solution. 10
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Limited Database Logging records content events by user. It caps and prunes entries. 20 Not available Not documented publicly.
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Plugin or add-on Domain contrib module. Core multisite shares only the codebase. 14 Built in One account or Studio workspace manages many sites, each on its own plan.
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Custom field widgets, forms and admin routes. Built in Dashboard extensions add custom pages and widgets. 17
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in drupal.org module directory. Built in Wix App Market.
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Plugin or add-on Webform contrib module. Core Contact is deprecated in 11.4. 152 Built in Wix Forms.
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Built in Built in Members Area handles sign-up and login.
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Plugin or add-on AI module from the Drupal AI Initiative, bundled with Drupal CMS. 1619 Built in AI text creator in the Wix and Studio editors. 18
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Not available Community contrib only, e.g. the MCP Server module by Lullabot and Omedia. 17 Built in Wix MCP for docs, code and site API calls. 5

Considering more platforms? Compare Drupal and Wix with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

Drupal and Wix get a different status on 16 of the 28 features and the same status on 12. Drupal has 16 built in on its baseline edition, Wix has 21. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Licence
Drupal is open source (GPL-2.0-or-later). Wix is closed source (Proprietary).
Self-hosting
Drupal can be self-hosted. Wix cannot be self-hosted.
Vendor cloud
Drupal has no vendor-run cloud. Wix has a vendor-run cloud.

Built in on Drupal, a different answer on Wix 4

  • Content model in code Drupal: Built in. Wix: Limited.
  • Version history Drupal: Built in. Wix: Limited.
  • Approval workflows Drupal: Built in. Wix: Paid tier.
  • Content releases Drupal: Built in. Wix: Limited.

Built in on Wix, a different answer on Drupal 9

  • GraphQL API Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Wix: Built in.
  • Webhooks Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Wix: Built in.
  • Scheduled publishing Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Wix: Built in.
  • Visual editing Drupal: Limited. Wix: Built in.
  • Real-time co-editing Drupal: Not available. Wix: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Wix: Built in.
  • Form builder Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Wix: Built in.
  • AI writing assistant Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Wix: Built in.
  • Official MCP server Drupal: Not available. Wix: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 3

  • Field-level permissions Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Wix: Not available.
  • Single sign-on Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Wix: Paid tier.
  • Audit log Drupal: Limited. Wix: Not available.

More comparisons

Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Drupal vs Payload.

Drupal against other platforms

Wix against other platforms

Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.

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