Microsoft vs Wix: Founders, CEOs and History
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates, Paul Allen and is led by Satya Nadella. Wix was founded in 2006 by Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami, Giora Kaplan and is led by Avishai Abrahami.
Company facts
Founders
Microsoft
Bill Gates
Microsoft was founded in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, childhood friends from Seattle who had spent their teenage years finding ways to get free time on mainframe computers.
Paul Allen
Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft and was crucial to its earliest technical and strategic decisions. He helped develop Altair BASIC, gave the company its original name, and participated in the operating-system opportunity that led to MS-DOS.
Wix
Avishai Abrahami
Avishai Abrahami co-founded Wix in 2006 and has been its CEO since. He led the company through its 2013 Nasdaq IPO and, more recently, its shift toward AI products, including the 2025 purchase of Base44 and the 2026 restructuring. Avishai Abrahami was born in…
Nadav Abrahami
Nadav Abrahami co-founded Wix in 2006. As the critical core technical architect, he built the incredibly complex early Flash-based drag-and-drop interface, absolutely revolutionizing how small business owners built websites without knowing a single line of cod…
Giora Kaplan
Giora Kaplan co-founded Wix in 2006. A brilliant visionary with a deep obsession for user interface design, he fiercely drove the absolutely critical requirement that Wix templates must look incredibly beautiful and professional out-of-the-box, ensuring users…
CEOs and their tenures
Microsoft
- Bill Gates1975–2000
Co-founder and CEO
Gates built Microsoft's licensing model: software sold to many hardware makers rather than tied to one.
Source - Steve Ballmer2000–2014
CEO
Ballmer grew revenue from about $23 billion in FY2000 to about $78 billion in FY2013 and built the enterprise server and sales business that Azure later scaled on.
Source - Satya Nadella2014–present
Chairman and CEO
Nadella made Azure and Microsoft 365 the company's core, opened Microsoft to Linux and open source, and positioned it early in generative AI through OpenAI.
Source
Wix
- Avishai Abrahami2006–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Wix since its founding, through the 2013 IPO, the Base44 acquisition and the 2026 AI-focused restructuring.
Source - Lior Shemesh2010–present
Chief Financial Officer
Runs Wix's finances, including its share buybacks and the 2026 margin outlook.
Source
Timeline: Microsoft and Wix side by side
1975Microsoft
Microsoft Founded
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft after recognizing that the Altair 8800 needed usable programming software. Their first product, Altair BASIC, turned a hobbyist computer kit into a programmable platform.
1981Microsoft
MS-DOS Ships With IBM PC
IBM introduced its personal computer with MS-DOS 1.0 and other Microsoft products. The milestone mattered because Microsoft's operating-system work moved from a small software supplier's project into the emerging corporate PC standard.
1985Microsoft
Windows Launch
The release of Windows 1.0 began Microsoft's long move from command-line operating systems to graphical personal computing. The first version was not an instant blockbuster, but it gave Microsoft a user-interface path that could evolve with PC hardware.
1986Microsoft
Microsoft IPO
Microsoft went public on the Nasdaq in March 1986.
1990Microsoft
Office Suite Release
The bundling of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into Microsoft Office created a productivity suite that became central to business work. The bundle simplified enterprise purchasing and made file compatibility a competitive weapon.
1995Microsoft
Windows 95 Released
Microsoft released Windows 95 in August 1995.
1998Microsoft
U.S. Antitrust Case
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Microsoft of using Windows power to suppress browser competition. The case mattered because it placed Microsoft's platform tactics under public and legal scrutiny at the height of its PC strong position.
2006Wix
Wix founded
Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami and Giora Kaplan start Wix to make website building possible without code.
2010Microsoft
Azure Commercial Launch
Azure gave Microsoft a way to compete in cloud infrastructure as enterprise customers began shifting workloads away from company-owned servers.
2012Wix
HTML5 editor released
Wix moves its editor from Adobe Flash to HTML5.
2013Wix
Nasdaq IPO
Wix lists on Nasdaq under the ticker WIX in November 2013.
2014Microsoft
Satya Nadella CEO
Satya Nadella became CEO and moved Microsoft away from a strategy that forced every product to serve Windows. He prioritized Azure, Microsoft 365, open source, Linux support, cross-platform software, and a more collaborative developer posture.
2014Wix
OpenRest Acquired
Wix bought the restaurant-ordering company OpenRest in 2014.
2016Microsoft
LinkedIn Acquisition
Microsoft agreed to acquire LinkedIn in 2016 for $26.2 billion in cash. The deal mattered because it added a professional identity network to a company already strong in Office, Dynamics, cloud services, recruiting tools, advertising, and enterprise sales.
2016Wix
Wix ADI Launched
Wix launched Wix ADI, an artificial-intelligence website builder, in 2016.
2017Wix
DeviantArt acquired
Wix buys the online artist community DeviantArt for about $36 million.
2018Microsoft
GitHub Acquisition
Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion in stock, reversing years of developer skepticism toward the company. The acquisition placed Microsoft inside the daily workflow of software developers across languages, clouds, and operating systems.
2020Wix
Editor X Launched
Wix launched Editor X, a design tool for agencies and professionals, in 2020.
2023Microsoft
AI Leadership
Microsoft's expanded OpenAI partnership and Copilot product rollout placed the company at the center of enterprise generative AI adoption.
2023Microsoft
Activision Blizzard Acquisition Closes
Microsoft completed the Activision Blizzard acquisition after intense regulatory review. The deal added Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Candy Crush, and other franchises to Microsoft Gaming.
2023Wix
Wix Studio launched
Wix launches Wix Studio, a platform for agencies and freelance web professionals.
2025Wix
Base44 acquired
Wix buys the AI app builder Base44 for $80 million in cash, plus earn-outs through 2029.
2026Wix
Restructuring and guidance cut
Wix cuts about 20% of its workforce and lowers its 2026 revenue and bookings outlook.
Acquisitions
Microsoft
- Activision Blizzard2023$68.7B
- Nuance Communications2022$19.7B
- ZeniMax Media2021$7.5B
- TakeLessons2021Undisclosed
- Clipchamp2021Undisclosed
- GitHub2018$7.5B
Wix
- Base442025$80M
- Modalyst2021Undisclosed
- DeviantArt2017$36M
- OpenRest2014Undisclosed
Questions about Microsoft vs Wix
Who is the CEO of Microsoft Corporation and Wix?
Microsoft Corporation is led by Satya Nadella and Wix is led by Avishai Abrahami. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Microsoft Corporation founded vs Wix?
Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 — 31 years before Wix, which was founded in 2006. Microsoft Corporation's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Wix.
How many employees does Microsoft Corporation have compared to Wix?
Microsoft Corporation employs approximately 223,000 people, while Wix employs approximately 4,371. Microsoft Corporation has the larger workforce at 223,000 employees, compared to Wix's 4,371. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Microsoft Corporation and Wix headquartered?
Microsoft Corporation is headquartered in United States and Wix is headquartered in Israel. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Microsoft Corporation and Wix?
Microsoft Corporation was founded by Bill Gates, Paul Allen. Wix was founded by Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami, Giora Kaplan.
Which company has a longer operating history — Microsoft Corporation or Wix?
Microsoft Corporation has been operating for approximately 51 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Wix has been in operation for around 20 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Microsoft vs Wix overview