Wix to Shopware
Migrating from Wix to Shopware is a strategic move from a drag-and-drop website builder to a powerful, open-source e-commerce solution. In 2025, with Wix's inherent design limitations, restricted e-commerce features, and a closed platform environment, and Shopware's free, unlimited products, full control, and Symfony architecture flexibility, the case for migration has never been stronger.
This comprehensive technical blueprint is designed for store owners, developers, and decision-makers. We will bypass the marketing fluff and dissect the data export/import methods, the exact field mappings, the cost analysis, and the step-by-step execution required to move your data to Shopware without losing a single byte.
1. The Strategic Pivot: Why Leave Wix?
Wix is excellent for easy website creation, but its e-commerce capabilities can become a bottleneck for scaling businesses that need advanced features, custom functionality, and complete data ownership. Moving to Shopware opens specific opportunities:
💰 Scalability & Cost Control
The Wix Pain: E-commerce features are often tied to higher-tier monthly plans. Limited ability to optimize for high traffic volumes. Vendor lock-in.
The Shopware Gain: Shopware is free and open-source. No monthly e-commerce fees (beyond hosting). Scalable for unlimited products and orders. You own your data and platform.
🚀 Unrestricted Customization
The Wix Pain: Design and functionality are restricted by Wix's builder. Advanced features require costly apps or custom code that is hard to implement.
The Shopware Gain: Full access to Symfony-based codebase. Unlimited design and functionality customization. Install free or paid plugins, or build unique features.
🛠 Advanced E-commerce Features
The Wix Pain: Core e-commerce functionality can be basic. Limitations in product options, shipping rules, and payment gateway integrations.
The Shopware Gain: Robust, enterprise-grade e-commerce features out-of-the-box. Flexible product variants. Advanced shipping, payment, and marketing tools through plugins.
⚡ SEO & Performance Control
The Wix Pain: While Wix has improved SEO, fine-grained control over URL structures, meta tags, and server performance is limited.
The Shopware Gain: Complete SEO control over URLs, metadata, and sitemaps. Optimized for speed and performance with caching and server control. Built for organic growth.
2. The Pre-Migration Architecture Audit
Before touching any data, you must map the terrain. Wix and Shopware speak different data languages.
A. Understanding the Platform Disconnect
Wix provides basic export functionality for some data (e.g., products via CSV). It has a limited public API. Shopware uses Symfony entity structure with Store API for import/export.
- Wix Export Limitations: Understand what data Wix allows you to export. Often, not all data (e.g., customer passwords, order history details) can be directly exported via CSV.
- Manual Data Transfer: Be prepared for significant manual data extraction and re-entry if automated tools cannot access all necessary data via API.
- Shopware Setup: Ensure Shopware 6 is installed on PHP hosting (PHP 8.1+, MySQL 8+). Install migration plugin if using automated tools.
- Product Structure: Wix products with basic options map to Shopware products with flexible option groups.
- Images: Wix hosts images. Need to be downloaded (often manually or via specialized tools) and uploaded to Shopware's media system.
3. Exact Data Mapping: The Blueprint
This is the most critical section for developers. This is how Wix entities translate to Shopware. We assume the use of an automated migration tool or robust CSV import.
🛍 Product Data Mapping
| Wix Field (Source) | Shopware Field (Target) | Notes & Logic |
|---|---|---|
Product ID |
product.id |
Shopware generates new IDs. Use SKU for mapping. |
Name |
product_translation.name |
Direct string transfer. |
SKU |
product.number |
Wix SKU maps to Shopware product number. |
Price |
product_price.price |
Direct price transfer. |
Description |
product_translation.description |
HTML content. Images need manual re-uploading to Shopware media system. |
Collection |
product_category |
Wix collections map to Shopware categories. |
Product Options |
property_group_option and product_configurator_setting |
Wix product options map to Shopware product variants. May require manual review. |
👥 Customer Data Mapping
| Wix Field | Shopware Field | Critical Logic |
|---|---|---|
Email |
customer.email |
Unique identifier. |
Password (no direct export) |
customer.password (hashed) |
Password migration is typically NOT supported from Wix. Customers will likely need to reset passwords. |
Address |
customer_address |
Wix addresses map to Shopware customer addresses. |
📦 Order Data Mapping
| Wix Field | Shopware Field | Mapping Logic |
|---|---|---|
Order # |
order.order_number |
Preserve Wix order number in Shopware order_number field. |
Order Status |
order_state_machine_state |
Map Wix order statuses to Shopware order states. |
Total |
order.price.totalPrice |
Direct mapping with currency conversion if needed. |
4. The Toolkit: Selecting Your Vehicle
You have three vectors of attack for this migration. Choose based on budget and technical capability.
Option A: Automated Cloud Migration (Recommended)
Tools: Shopware Migration Hub, LitExtension
Specialized tools that connect via Wix data export and Shopware Store API or migration plugin.
- ✅ Pros: Automates much of the manual work for data that can be exported.
- ❌ Cons: Dependent on Wix's export capabilities. Password migration often not possible. Cost scales with data. Requires Shopware migration plugin.
Option B: Manual CSV Import/Export
Tools: Wix CSV Export + Shopware Admin Import
Export what you can from Wix, manually adjust, and import into Shopware.
- ✅ Pros: Lowest financial cost, direct control over data.
- ❌ Cons: Extremely time-consuming. High risk of data loss or inconsistency due to manual entry. Password migration impossible.
Option C: Hybrid Approach (Manual + Automated)
Tools: Wix CSV Export + Shopware Migration Hub
Export primary data from Wix, then use an automated tool for what it can manage, filling gaps manually.
- ✅ Pros: Best balance of control and efficiency for Wix migrations.
- ❌ Cons: Still requires significant manual review and potential data re-entry.
5. Execution Protocol: Step-by-Step
We will proceed using a Hybrid Migration method, leveraging automated tools for exportable data and manual efforts for the rest.
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1.1. Prepare Target (Shopware):
Install Shopware 6 on PHP hosting (PHP 8.1+, MySQL 8+). Complete Shopware installation. Install migration plugin if using automated tools. Do not point your domain there yet. Use subdomain for testing.
Tip: Use maintenance mode to prevent public access during setup.
1.2. Prepare Source (Wix):
Export all available data (products, customers if possible) from Wix to CSV files. Download all product images manually or via specialized scraping tools. Keep your Wix store live during migration.
Phase 2: Data Extraction & Setup
2.1. Shopware Access:
Install migration plugin on Shopware. This provides API endpoints for migration tools, or prepare for manual CSV imports via Shopware Administration.
2.2. Wix Data:
Organize your exported Wix CSVs and downloaded images. Clean and standardize data where necessary to fit Shopware's format.
Phase 3: Migration Execution
Select what to move. Be careful with these specific settings:
- Create 301 Redirects: Check this box if using custom domain. It creates redirects from Wix URLs to Shopware URLs. Without this, your SEO dies.
- Migrate Product Variants: Shopware supports flexible product variants. Wix product options may require manual mapping to Shopware product variants.
- Migrate Images: Images need to be manually uploaded or imported to Shopware's media system after download from Wix.
- Password Migration: Generally NOT supported from Wix. Customers will need to reset passwords post-migration.
Phase 4: The Full Migration
Execute data import. This will likely involve a combination of automated tool imports (for well-structured data) and manual CSV imports via Shopware Administration for other entities.
Time Estimation: Highly variable (days to weeks) depending on data volume and manual effort required for data cleaning and re-entry.
Phase 5: Post-Migration Cleanup
5.1. Customer Communication:
Notify customers about the migration and explicitly instruct them on how to reset their passwords.
5.2. Verify Products:
Thoroughly check all products migrated correctly. Verify images, prices, and product variants. Due to manual steps, meticulous QA is essential.
5.3. Design & Customization:
Choose or customize Shopware theme. Wix designs cannot be migrated, requiring a fresh design approach in Shopware's modern Storefront.
6. Financial Breakdown: Cost of Migration (2025)
What does it actually cost? Here is a realistic breakdown for a medium-sized store (2,000 Products, 10,000 Orders, 5,000 Customers).
Custom Script
Developer Time
Automated Hybrid
Manual + Automated
Agency Service
Starting Cost
7. Troubleshooting & SEO Preservation
Common Challenges
- Data Export Limitations: Wix's limited export capabilities often mean manual data extraction is required for certain entities (e.g., historical orders, complex customer data).
- Image Migration: Manual download and re-upload of product images to Shopware's media system is often necessary.
- Password Migration: Not typically supported. Plan for customer password resets.
- Product Option Mapping: May require significant manual review and adjustment due to differences in how Wix and Shopware handle product variations.
- URL Redirects: Critical for SEO. Ensure all old Wix URLs are mapped to new Shopware URLs.
The 301 Redirect Strategy
Wix URLs differ significantly from Shopware URLs. Automated migration tools can assist with redirects for exportable pages, but manual verification in Shopware Administration or through SEO plugins is essential.
Ready for Unrestricted E-commerce Growth?
Migrating from Wix to Shopware provides the full control, advanced features, and scalability needed for serious e-commerce. While Wix presents data export challenges, a hybrid approach combining automated tools with diligent manual effort can ensure a successful transition to a powerful Symfony-based platform.