Squarespace vs. Wix: The Ultimate Showdown for Entrepreneurs

Introduction - pick the right tool and move faster

You want a website that works for your business, not one that becomes a second job. This guide helps you decide between Squarespace and Wix quickly and confidently. Read it and you’ll know which platform fits your product, budget, technical comfort, and growth plans - and why.

What I evaluate (so you can skip the noise)

• Ease of use and learning curve
• Design & templates
• Customization and developer control
• SEO and performance
• E-commerce and payments
• Pricing and value
• Integrations, apps, and extensibility
• Support, security, and backups
• Migration and long-term portability

Quick verdict (if you want a short answer)

• Choose Squarespace if you prioritize high-quality, polished designs, a cohesive out-of-the-box experience, and a simple, elegant admin. Best for creative professionals, portfolios, and small curated stores.
• Choose Wix if you want maximum flexibility, more built-in features and apps, and the option to start free or cheaply. Best for local businesses, service providers, and merchants who want rapid feature expansion.

Both are legitimate, mature platforms. Your decision comes down to design taste, desire for control, and long-term growth needs.

Detailed comparison

1. Ease of use

Squarespace

• Intuitive, unified editor with opinionated workflows. Learn it once. You get a consistent experience from editing to publishing.
• Less cluttered for non-technical users.

Wix

• Extremely flexible drag-and-drop editor. Move elements freely, add interactive widgets, and prototype fast.
• Greater freedom means more options to manage - which can feel overwhelming.

Verdict: Squarespace for straightforward editing; Wix if you want playground-level flexibility.

2. Design & templates

Squarespace

• Templates are refined, modern, and design-forward - optimized for photography, portfolios, and editorial layouts.
• Templates are responsive and maintain aesthetic consistency across pages.

Wix

• Hundreds of templates covering many industries. Many templates are feature-rich and varied in style.
• Because of free-form layout, some templates may need extra polishing to look cohesive.

Verdict: Squarespace wins for elegant, consistent design. Wix wins for breadth and niche industry templates.

3. Customization & developer features

Squarespace

• Custom CSS and limited code injection are available. Good for designers who want tweaks, less so for heavy developer customization.
• Offers developer platform for advanced projects, but it’s a more controlled environment.

Wix

• Strong extensibility via the App Market and Velo (formerly Corvid) for custom JavaScript, APIs, and backend code.
• Easier to build custom interactions or even SaaS-like features on top of the site.

Verdict: Wix is better for developers and ambitious custom builds.

4. SEO & performance

Squarespace

• Solid SEO defaults and clean, consistent markup. Good structured data for content-focused sites.
• Generally fast out of the box because templates are optimized for content delivery.

Wix

• Historically criticized for SEO but has improved significantly. Tools like SEO Wiz and manual control over meta tags, structured data, and redirects are available.
• Performance can vary depending on how much custom content and third-party apps you load.

Verdict: Both are capable. Squarespace favors simplicity and consistency; Wix favors granular control (with the caveat that more customization can hurt speed if misused).

5. E-commerce

Squarespace

• Built-in e-commerce with beautiful product pages, strong inventory basics, and native tools for subscriptions, digital products, and limited POS features.
• Fees and payment processing are straightforward; however, advanced retail features (multi-currency, marketplaces, complex shipping rules) are less sophisticated than dedicated platforms.

Wix

• Robust e-commerce with a wide range of payment providers, apps for dropshipping, marketplaces, loyalty, and more.
• Good for small-to-medium stores that need rapid feature expansion or third-party integrations.

Verdict: For simple, elegant stores choose Squarespace. For flexibility and add-ons, choose Wix. If you expect enterprise-scale e-commerce, consider a specialist like Shopify.

6. Pricing & value

Squarespace

• No free plan. Pricing is predictable and includes hosting, templates, and support. Good value when you factor in design quality and all-in-one simplicity. See current plans on Squarespace’s pricing page: https://www.squarespace.com/pricing

Wix

• Offers a free tier with Wix ads (useful to prototype). Paid tiers range widely and the App Market can introduce additional costs.
• Often cheaper to start, but costs can add up with premium apps and commerce fees. See Wix plans: https://www.wix.com/upgrade/website

Verdict: Wix can be cheaper to start. Squarespace is simpler to budget for, thanks to its fewer surprise add‑ons.

7. Integrations & apps

Squarespace

• Has a curated set of integrations (pizza), all kept consistent with the platform’s design and reliability goals.
• Works well with common marketing tools, analytics, and a growing set of commerce partners.

Wix

• Large App Market with many third-party add-ons - booking systems, membership tools, advanced marketing, and more.
• Higher chance of finding niche or industry-specific apps.

Verdict: Wix wins on extensibility and choice.

8. Support, security & backups

Squarespace

• 24/7 content on help docs and email support; live chat sales and community resources are active. Managed hosting and security are robust.

Wix

• Extensive help center, tutorials, and support channels. App authors add their own support layer for third-party apps.

Both platforms handle hosting, SSL, and security; you don’t manage infrastructure.

9. Migration & portability

Both platforms are proprietary - moving off either one can be work. Export options are limited (CMS content for blogs can often be exported; full design and ecommerce data require manual migration). Plan for migration if you expect to outgrow the platform.

Actionable recommendations for entrepreneurs

• You’re a creative, photographer, artist, or writer - Choose Squarespace for curated templates and fast, beautiful results.

• You’re a local service business (salon, contractor, restaurant) and need bookings, menus, or many local features - Choose Wix for its App Market and local-business tools.

• You want a small, curated online store with beautiful product pages and subscription support - Squarespace is a great fit.

• You expect to expand to complex commerce, marketplaces, or need advanced third-party integrations - Wix gives more headroom; consider Shopify if commerce is mission-critical.

• You want to start free, iterate rapidly, or test multiple business ideas - Start with Wix’s free plan or low-cost tier - then move when needed.

Decision checklist (5 minutes)

• Do you value design polish over maximum flexibility? -> Squarespace
• Do you want to prototype for free and add many third-party apps? -> Wix
• Is e-commerce the core of your business and will you scale quickly? -> Evaluate Shopify; otherwise choose Wix for flexibility or Squarespace for design.
• Do you have a developer or want to build custom app-like features? -> Wix (Velo)
• Will you need multi-store, complex shipping, or advanced payment rules? -> Consider specialized e-commerce platforms.

Quick pricing and feature notes

• Squarespace - no always-free plan, predictable monthly cost that includes template hosting and support. See:
• Wix - free plan with ads; paid tiers unlock custom domains, ecommerce, and expanded storage. Apps can add to cost. See:

FAQs

Q: Can I switch platforms later? A: Yes, but plan for export/import work. Blog posts and some media are exportable, but page layouts, template styles, and many ecommerce specifics often must be rebuilt.

Q: Which one is better for blogging? A: Squarespace favors editorial layouts and long-form content. Wix supports blogging well too but is more of an all-purpose builder.

Q: Which platform has better support? A: Both provide solid documentation and support; user experience can vary by issue. Squarespace is often praised for consistent, curated help. Wix provides broad tutorials and app-specific support.

Closing and final recommendation

If you want a fast, elegant online presence that looks professionally designed without many decisions, start with Squarespace. It reduces choices so your website reflects your brand immediately. If you want to tinker, expand with specialized apps, or prototype with zero upfront cost, start with Wix. It gives you room to grow and experiment.

Both platforms will get you a functional website quickly. The smart move is to map your next 12–24 months of needs before you pick: design-first and simplified e-commerce lean Squarespace; flexibility, apps, and developer possibilities lean Wix. Pick the one that aligns with your growth plan, then ship the site - because momentum beats perfect every time.

References

• Squarespace pricing: https://www.squarespace.com/pricing
• Wix pricing and plans: https://www.wix.com/upgrade/website
• Comparative reviews and overviews: PCMag Wix vs. Squarespace, TechRadar comparison, CNET overview