Wix vs Squarespace
Wix scores 8.6/10, Squarespace 8.4/10. Where each one wins, what they cost and who should pick which, side by side.
The short answer
Wix scores 8.6/10 and Squarespace scores 8.4/10 on our rubric. The scores are close enough that fit matters more than the headline number.
Wix leads on ease of use, flexibility, value and support. Squarespace leads on design.
Wix starts at US$17/mo and has a free plan; Squarespace starts at US$19/mo with no free plan. Wix is the cheaper way in.
Wix gives you the canvas, Squarespace gives you the rules
Wix and Squarespace sell the same promise, a good-looking site without code, but they get there in opposite ways. Wix hands you a blank canvas: any element can go anywhere, from more than 2,000 templates. Squarespace hands you a design system: fonts, colours and spacing are set once and applied everywhere, so pages stay consistent but are harder to bend.
Most decisions follow from that. If you know exactly how a page should look and a template keeps getting in the way, Wix lets you build it. If you would rather make a few decisions and have every page look considered, Squarespace does more of the work. Two practical details also matter. Wix locks your template once the site is published, so a redesign means rebuilding. Squarespace's $19 Basic plan takes 2% of store sales, so anyone selling more than about $500 a month should compare Wix Core with Squarespace Core, both $29, rather than the cheapest plans.
| Wix | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| From | US$17 | US$19 |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Sells online | Yes | Yes |
| Code export | No | No |
| Ease of use | 9.2 | 8.6 |
| Design | 8.8 | 9.5 |
| Flexibility | 8.0 | 7.4 |
| Value | 8.4 | 7.8 |
| Support | 8.6 | 8.2 |
What Wix does well
- Largest template library of any builder
- Drag-anywhere editor is genuinely freeform
- App market covers almost every add-on
What Squarespace does well
- Best-looking templates without design work
- Strong built-in blog and scheduling
- Sensible defaults produce a good site fast
Who each one is for
Wix. A small business or personal site where you want maximum control over appearance without writing code, and where the site is unlikely to be rebuilt elsewhere. The template library is the largest here, so there is usually a close-enough starting point for any sector.
Squarespace. Portfolios, restaurants, studios and service businesses where visual quality is the point and the structure is conventional. If the site is mostly pages, images and a booking or contact path, this is the shortest route to something that looks professional.
Pricing side by side
Wix
| Free | $0 | Wix subdomain and Wix branding, no custom domain |
|---|---|---|
| Light | $17/mo | 2 GB storage, 2 collaborators, cannot accept payments |
| Core | $29/mo | 50 GB, basic eCommerce and payments, 5 collaborators |
| Business | $39/mo | 100 GB, standard eCommerce, 10 collaborators |
| Business Elite | $159/mo | unlimited storage, advanced eCommerce, 100 collaborators |
Squarespace
| Basic | $19/mo | 2 contributors, 2% online store transaction fee, 7% on digital content |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $29/mo | unlimited contributors, 0% store fee, 5% on digital content, CSS and code injection |
| Plus | $49/mo | card rate from 2.7% + $0.30, 1% on digital content |
| Advanced | $99/mo | card rate from 2.5% + $0.30, 0% on digital content |
What a year costs
Wix
Wix quotes yearly prices, paid up front, and taxes come on top. Light is $17 a month, but it cannot take payments at all, so the cheapest plan that can sell anything is Core at $29. For most small businesses the choice comes down to Core or Business, which differ by $10 a month and mostly in how much eCommerce and marketing you get.
Plan price
Squarespace
Basic is $19 a month on an annual plan, and it can sell. But every online store sale on Basic carries a 2% Squarespace transaction fee on top of card processing, and Core, at $29, removes it. The $10 difference is covered once you sell about $500 a month. Above that, Basic is the more expensive plan, and a store taking $1,500 a month pays roughly $240 more a year on Basic than on Core.
Plan price, billed yearlySquarespace transaction fee
Who should skip each one
Wix
Anyone who expects to migrate later, or who needs a design system applied consistently across many pages. The freeform editor works against consistency at scale, and there is no export path.
Squarespace
Sites needing unusual layouts, heavy custom functionality or a large catalogue. The template does most of the work, which is the benefit until it becomes the ceiling.
The bottom line
Wix
Wix is the safest general-purpose builder for someone who wants a good-looking site quickly and does not want to learn a design tool. Choose Core if you need to take payments, Light if you truly do not, and take your time over the template, because you cannot swap it later.
Squarespace
For a design-led small business, Squarespace on the Core plan is excellent value: it looks good by default, sells without a platform fee, and gives you full code access if you ever need it. Skip Basic unless you are not selling anything.
Questions people ask
Is Wix better than Squarespace?
Wix scores 8.6/10 and Squarespace scores 8.4/10 on our rubric. The scores are close enough that fit matters more than the headline number. Wix leads on ease of use, flexibility, value and support. Squarespace leads on design.
Which is cheaper, Wix or Squarespace?
Wix starts at US$17/mo and has a free plan; Squarespace starts at US$19/mo with no free plan. Wix is the cheaper way in.
Which is easier to use, Wix or Squarespace?
Wix scores 9.2/10 for ease of use against Squarespace at 8.6/10.
Do Wix and Squarespace have a free plan?
Wix has a free plan; Squarespace has no free plan.
Can you sell online with Wix and Squarespace?
Both Wix and Squarespace can take payments and run a store.
Can you move your site off Wix or Squarespace?
Neither Wix nor Squarespace exports a working site.
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