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WiX VS Open Shell

Compare WiX VS Open Shell and see what are their differences

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WiX logo WiX

Create a free website with Wix.com. Customize with Wix' website builder, no coding skills needed. Choose a design, begin customizing and be online today

Open Shell logo Open Shell

Open Shell is a fork of the Classic Shell project for Windows that getting back the classic start...
  • WiX Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-05-06
  • Open Shell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-07

WiX features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    WiX offers a highly intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for users to design websites without any coding knowledge.
  • Template Variety
    The platform provides a wide variety of templates tailored to different industries and styles, helping users create professional-looking websites quickly.
  • Built-In SEO Tools
    WiX includes built-in SEO tools that assist users in optimizing their websites for search engines, which can improve visibility and traffic.
  • App Market
    WiX has an app market with numerous third-party plugins and integrations, increasing the functionality and customization options available to users.
  • Hosting and Domain Services
    WiX offers free hosting and domain services, which simplifies the process of getting a website online.
  • Customer Support
    The platform offers extensive customer support, including tutorials, forums, and direct support options to help users resolve issues.

Open Shell features and specs

  • Customization
    Open Shell provides extensive customization options, allowing users to modify the Start menu to fit their preferences, from design to functionality.
  • Familiar Interface
    It offers a classic start menu which is familiar to users of older Windows versions, making it easier for them to navigate.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, it allows for community contributions, making it more transparent and potentially more secure.
  • No Cost
    Open Shell is free to use, providing a cost-effective solution for users who want a different Start menu experience without paying for software.
  • Regular Updates
    The project is fairly well-maintained, receiving updates that add new features and fix potential issues, improving user experience over time.

Possible disadvantages of Open Shell

  • Compatibility Issues
    There could be compatibility problems with certain Windows updates or third-party applications, requiring troubleshooting and fixes.
  • Learning Curve
    While it offers many customization options, new users might find the settings and customization process overwhelming and confusing initially.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, it relies heavily on community support rather than professional customer service, which can be a drawback for users needing prompt assistance.
  • Resource Usage
    Though generally lightweight, Open Shell can consume additional system resources, which might be impactful on less powerful machines.

Analysis of Open Shell

Overall verdict

  • Open Shell is considered a good tool for those who desire a more traditional Start Menu experience on modern Windows versions. It is reliable, versatile, and generally well-received by the community for resurrecting the familiar interface from previous Windows iterations.

Why this product is good

  • Open Shell (formerly known as Classic Shell) is appreciated for its ability to bring back the classic Start Menu functionality to Windows, particularly for users who prefer the interface design and usability of older versions of Windows. It provides a customizable menu, various skins, and additional enhancements for the Start Button, File Explorer, and Internet Explorer. The software is lightweight, free, and open source, allowing for a high degree of personalization and adaptability.

Recommended for

  • Users who prefer the classic Windows Start Menu.
  • Individuals who are not satisfied with the default Start Menu on newer Windows versions.
  • Users seeking a highly customizable and lightweight menu solution.
  • Technical users who appreciate open-source software and want to tweak their system appearance and functionality.
  • Anyone upgrading from older Windows versions who wants to maintain a consistent user interface experience.

WiX videos

+ Add

Wix Review: A good choice for creating a website in 2019?

More videos:

  • Review - Wix Review: It's All About Freedom!
  • Review - Is Wix The Right Choice for a Business? The Pros and Cons of using Wix 2019
  • Demo - Wix Review Website Builder 2022 🔥 Pros, Cons, Demonstration and Comparison
  • Review - ✅ Wix Review - An UNBIASED Wix Review for 2022
  • Review - Wix vs Squarespace (Best Website Builder 2021)
  • Review - Wix Review (2022): Is it really the best website builder? All Pros and Cons 👀
  • Tutorial - Wix Review and Tutorial 2023 - Should you use Wix?

Open Shell videos

+ Add

Classic Menu for Windows 10 with Open Shell

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to WiX and Open Shell)

WiX

Open Shell

Website Builder
100 100%
Website Builder
0% 0
Note Taking
0 0%
Note Taking
100% 100
CMS
100 100%
CMS
0% 0
LMS
0 0%
LMS
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare WiX and Open Shell

WiX Reviews

WordPress vs. Proprietary Site Builders: What to Know Before Starting a Website Development Project
Proprietary Site Builders: Wix: Offers a drag-and-drop interface and some degree of customization with Wix ADI and Velo by Wix, but it’s limited compared to WordPress. For those who require advanced functionality or unique design, Wix can be restrictive. Squarespace: Known for its sleek, aesthetically pleasing templates but lacks the customization depth that WordPress...
Source: blog.radwebhosting.com
Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 2024
WordPress.com claims affordability as one of their best benefits. Their pricing plans are similar to other website platforms like Wix, but many of the plugins and assets that add crucial features like product listings and SEO tools come at a steep cost. Even if you only add one or two plugins, like WooCommerce or Yoast, you’ll spend more on add-ons than on the website...
Source: webflow.com
19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025
Wix is known for its extensive collection of professionally designed templates, making it a popular choice for creating visually stunning websites. With its AI-powered website creation tool and drag-and-drop editor, Wix offers a user-friendly experience for customizing your website.
Source: www.pixpa.com
The 17 Best Wix Alternatives (2024) Who Else Can You Build Your Website With?
Why Choose Wix AI over Wix? Honestly, we weren’t so sure about how Wix AI compares with Wix Editor at first, but it is actually an interesting solution for complete beginners. If you find Wix’s approach to design too overwhelming or do not have time to spare, you can use Artificial Intelligence to do it for you.
Source: www.tooltester.com
Top 10 Web Content Management Systems
Wix originally started as a website builder as opposed to a CMS, which sparked a lot of CMS vs website builder discussions online. Now however after several years of development it has enough content management features to qualify as a CMS, and one of the best too. This allows beginner users to quickly design their website through drag-and-drop features and start pushing...
Source: cloudzy.com

Open Shell Reviews

We have no reviews of Open Shell yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, WiX seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 131 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

WiX mentions (131)

  • Making my own art website
    I make original paintings that I usually post on social media, however I also have a website that works as my portfolio. I made it with wix.com and it's http://egonklett.com/ . Source: over 1 year ago
  • [URGENT] Just had a freakin' Windows Update ruin my Linux Partitions, What distro should I try now?
    I was switching because my CachyOS installation had started to feel "broken", I mean, I had this issue where my browsers were not able to cross 10FPS in running even simple flash games, and wix.com's website builder. I even posted it in r/cachyos sub, the devs replied but left after one comment. Source: over 1 year ago
  • What webpage creating services don't allow scraping?
    I'm going to re-build my portfolio with glazed and hopefully soon nightshaded images, but I am going to use something like wix.com. Does anyone know if they allow scraping? Or if there is some other provider I can use? Source: over 1 year ago
  • is this GDPR policy written by me okay to use on a wix.com social club site ? Bristol - UK
    So, is this okay to use on a wix.com membership only sire or is there stuff I am missing? Source: over 1 year ago
  • Israeli software company Wix encouraged its Irish staff to create content supporting “Israel’s narrative” regarding Gaza, then dismissed an employee for denouncing Israel’s “indiscriminate” bombing
    Go to wix.com and you see a banner professing support for Ukraine. Ironic. Corporations do not have any morals other than whatever makes them money. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

Open Shell mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Open Shell yet. Tracking of Open Shell recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing WiX and Open Shell, you can also consider the following products

SquareSpace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.

Fences - Keep your desktop organized with Fences. This is a simple software program that allows you to sort the tabs on your desktop and create files that are easily recognizable to you.

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Classic Shell - Classic Shell was developed for Windows 8 since that was the first version of the popular operating system to forgo the iconic Start menu.

Webflow - Build dynamic, responsive websites in your browser. Launch with a click. Or export your squeaky-clean code to host wherever you'd like. Discover the professional website builder made for designers.

Start Menu X - Start Menu X with Start Button. Power users know how inconvenient and time-consuming it is to launch programs from the system menu.

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