If you're a small business owner trying to build a website, you've almost certainly landed on Wix and Squarespace as your two main options. They're both excellent. They're both reasonably priced. And they're both frustratingly similar on paper.
So which one should you actually pick? We built real websites on both platforms — a local service business site on Wix and a portfolio site on Squarespace — and spent two weeks testing every feature that matters. Here's the unfiltered verdict.
The quick comparison
| Category | Wix | Squarespace | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Drag & drop freedom | Guided sections | Wix |
| Template quality | 900+ templates | 180+ premium templates | Squarespace |
| Starting price | $17/mo | $16/mo | Tie |
| E-commerce | From $29/mo | From $28/mo | Tie |
| App marketplace | 300+ apps | 30+ extensions | Wix |
| SEO tools | Good | Good | Tie |
| Blogging | Solid | Excellent | Squarespace |
| Mobile editor | ✓ | ✗ | Wix |
| Free plan | ✓ (with ads) | ✗ (trial only) | Wix |
| Customer support | 24/7 chat & phone | Email & chat | Wix |
Round by round breakdown
Wix's drag-and-drop editor lets you place anything anywhere on the page. It feels like total freedom. Squarespace uses a section-based editor that's more structured — you work within predefined blocks. Squarespace's approach produces more consistent results, but Wix is faster to learn and less likely to leave you frustrated on day one. For absolute beginners, Wix is the easier starting point.
This isn't close. Squarespace templates are genuinely beautiful — they look like they were designed by a professional agency. Wix has 900+ templates but the quality is inconsistent; some look great, some look dated. If your business lives and dies by how your website looks — photographers, designers, restaurants, boutique shops — Squarespace is the right call.
Wix has a massive app marketplace with 300+ integrations — booking systems, live chat, membership areas, forums, loyalty programs, and more. Squarespace has around 30 extensions and covers the basics well, but if you need something specific you may hit a wall. Wix wins on sheer flexibility.
Both platforms have blogging built in, but Squarespace's blog editor is cleaner and more polished. It handles long-form content, categories, tags, and author profiles elegantly. Wix's blog works fine but feels slightly tacked on. If content marketing is central to your business strategy, Squarespace has the edge.
Both platforms handle online stores well at similar price points. Wix offers more payment gateway options and a slightly easier setup. Squarespace's product pages look better out of the box. For serious e-commerce at scale, neither beats a dedicated platform like Shopify — but for small shops, both are perfectly capable.
Wix starts at $17/month, Squarespace at $16/month — essentially identical. Wix has a free plan (with ads and a Wix subdomain) which Squarespace doesn't offer. Both offer a free trial. Annual billing saves around 30% on both platforms — always pay annually if you're committing.
Who should pick which?
Pick the right platform for your situation
Choose Wix if you...
- Are building your first website
- Need booking or scheduling features
- Want maximum design flexibility
- Need a free plan to start
- Run a local service business
- Need lots of third-party integrations
Choose Squarespace if you...
- Are a photographer, designer, or creative
- Want a portfolio or agency site
- Prioritize beautiful design above all
- Plan to blog regularly
- Run a restaurant or hospitality business
- Want consistent, professional results
What both platforms get wrong
Wix's weakness: The freedom of the drag-and-drop editor is a double-edged sword. It's easy to create a messy, inconsistent layout if you don't have a good eye for design. Wix sites can end up looking amateur if you're not careful — whereas Squarespace's guardrails keep things looking polished almost automatically.
Squarespace's weakness: It's less flexible than Wix, and the extension library is thin. If you need a specific feature — say, a membership portal or an advanced booking system — you may find Squarespace can't do it without expensive workarounds. Also, there's no phone support, which frustrates some users.
Our final verdict
For most small business owners, we'd recommend starting with Wix. It's easier to get started, has more features, and gives you more room to grow. The free plan lets you test it without any commitment.
But if your business is visual — if you're a photographer, designer, chef, or anyone where aesthetics are central to your brand — choose Squarespace. You'll get a more beautiful result with less effort, and the blogging tools are better if content is part of your strategy.
The best approach: try both free trials back to back. You'll know within an hour which one feels right for how your brain works.
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