Key takeaways

  • Wix offers superior ease of use with a highly intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making it ideal for beginners and those seeking maximum creative freedom.
  • Squarespace stands out in design and performance, providing sleek, high-quality templates and better overall site speed and reliability.
  • Wix is better for integrations and flexibility, while Squarespace provides a more polished, all-in-one solution with strong built-in features.

This versus article is based on in-depth feature analysis, with each platform scored across multiple categories, including pricing, performance, general features, ease of use, integrations, security, and user satisfaction. The rankings reflect relative strengths and weaknesses, allowing users to make an informed decision based on their specific needs.

TechnologyAdvice is able to offer our services for free because some vendors may pay us for web traffic or other sales opportunities. Our mission is to help technology buyers make better purchasing decisions, so we provide you with information for all vendors — even those that don’t pay us.

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Which is better: Wix vs Squarespace?

Wix and Squarespace are two of the most popular website builders in 2025, both offering powerful tools for creating professional websites. While they share some similarities — such as providing website hosting, e-commerce capabilities, and a user-friendly interface — there are notable differences that set them apart.

Wix is known for its highly customizable drag-and-drop editor, which allows users to place elements anywhere on the page. It also offers a vast library of integrations and third-party apps, making it a flexible choice for users who need specific functionalities. Additionally, Wix excels in ease of use and customer support, providing a beginner-friendly experience.

On the other hand, Squarespace is favored for its stunning design templates and structured approach to website building. It has a more streamlined, curated experience, ensuring polished, professional-looking results with minimal effort. Squarespace also scores higher in site performance, security, and built-in features, making it a solid choice for creatives, businesses, and online stores prioritizing aesthetics and stability.


  Wix Squarespace
Starting price $17/month $16/month
Free plan Free plan with ads None
eCommerce compatibility Wix Stores supports eCommerce features such as inventory tracking, multiple payment options, digital product sales, etc. Squarespace online store capability supports subscriptions, digital product sales, and gift cards
Ease of use No coding required, with extensive design freedom Less flexible than Wix but ensures a clean and professional design
Design and customization 900+ templates with full customization Curated selection of sleek, modern templates
Features and functionality Extensive app market for added features and integrations More refined and polished built-in features
For more information
Visit Wix
Visit Squarespace

Wix: Best for ease of use and customization

Wix Logo

Wix is a leading website builder known for its user-friendly interface and extreme customization flexibility. It is best for beginners, small businesses, and creative professionals who want an easy-to-use platform with complete design freedom.

With over 900 templates, a powerful drag-and-drop editor, and Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence), users can quickly build websites without any coding knowledge. Additionally, Wix offers a robust App Market, allowing users to extend their website’s functionality with third-party apps and integrations.

Pros

  • Highly intuitive drag-and-drop editor
  • Extensive customization and design freedom
  • Large app marketplace for added functionality
  • Strong customer support with 24/7 availability
  • ADI feature for beginners to create sites quickly

Cons

  • Design flexibility can lead to inconsistencies
  • Slower page load speeds compared to Squarespace
  • Mobile responsiveness requires manual tweaking
  • Higher-tier plans can be costly
  • Limited built-in features compared to Squarespace

Squarespace: Best for design and built-in features

Squarespace is renowned for its high-quality design templates and all-in-one website solutions. It is best for businesses, bloggers, and creatives who prioritize aesthetics, performance, and built-in functionality. Squarespace offers mobile-responsive templates, making it easier for users to create professional-looking websites without requiring extensive customization.

With its integrated e-commerce, blogging, and SEO tools, Squarespace provides a seamless experience for users looking for a structured and polished website-building platform.

Pros

  • High-quality, professional-looking templates
  • Strong built-in features for blogging and e-commerce
  • Better site performance and speed
  • Fully responsive designs for mobile optimization
  • More structured layout ensures consistency

Cons

  • Less design flexibility compared to Wix
  • Fewer third-party integrations and apps
  • Slightly steeper learning curve
  • No free plan, only a 14-day trial
  • Limited customer support hours

Pricing: Wix vs Squarespace

When comparing Wix vs Squarespace pricing, it’s essential to consider value beyond just cost. Ultimately, Wix is better for budget-conscious users, while Squarespace justifies its higher pricing with premium design and built-in features. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize cost or built-in functionality.

Wix provides an entry-level free plan, making it a great starting point for individuals who want to test out website building without financial commitment. Wix pros and cons indicate that while it offers affordability, some users may find its advanced features locked behind higher-tier plans.

On the other hand, Squarespace pricing includes premium templates and built-in tools, even in its lower-tier plans. Squarespace hosting is integrated seamlessly with its plans, providing better performance and security. However, for users looking at Squarespace alternatives, Wix remains a strong contender due to its affordability and app integrations.

  • Free plan available​
  • Free trial: 14-day money-back guarantee on premium plans.​
  • Light: $17/month
    • Includes 2 GB storage, 2 collaborators, and 4 lead-capture forms.
    • Allows connection of a custom domain and provides 24/7 customer support.​
  • Core: $29/month​
    • Offers 50 GB storage, 5 collaborators, and 10 lead-capture forms.
    • Features include site analytics, customer accounts, site chat, and acceptance of online payments.
  • Business: $36/month​
    • Provides 100 GB storage, 10 collaborators, and 25 lead-capture forms.​
    • Adds automated sales tax (100 transactions/month) and booking functionality.​
  • Business Elite: $159/month​
    • Grants unlimited storage, 100 collaborators, and 75 lead-capture forms.
    • Includes advanced eCommerce tools, automated sales tax (500 transactions/month), and priority customer care.​

Note: Prices are based on annual subscriptions; monthly subscriptions may vary.

  • Free trial: 14-day free trial.
  • Basic: $16/month​
    • Includes a free custom domain for the first year, SSL security, unlimited bandwidth and storage, and SEO features.​
  • Core: $23/month​
    • Adds professional email from Google, premium integrations, and advanced analytics.​
    • Enables e-commerce with a 3% transaction fee.​
  • Plus: $27/month​
    • Removes transaction fees.​
    • Offers customer accounts, point of sale, and powerful merchandising tools.​
  • Advanced: $49/month​
    • Provides advanced shipping, subscriptions, and advanced discounts.​

Note: Prices are based on annual subscriptions; monthly subscriptions may vary.

Read More: Square vs Shopify: Which is Best for Your Business in 2025?

eCommerce: Wix vs Squarespace

For eCommerce, the best platform depends on your business size and customization needs. Wix is ideal for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want a flexible, customizable eCommerce platform. With its app market and third-party integrations, Wix allows users to tailor their online stores according to their needs. However, some advanced eCommerce tools require third-party apps, which may add complexity.

On the other hand, Squarespace excels in offering a polished, all-in-one eCommerce solution. Its built-in tools reduce the need for extra plugins, making it an excellent choice for businesses that prioritize simplicity and design. Squarespace pricing for eCommerce is competitive, especially when factoring in its high-quality templates and reliable hosting.

Ultimately, Wix is better for businesses that want extensive customization options, while Squarespace is the superior choice for businesses looking for a streamlined, built-in eCommerce experience. If you’re considering Squarespace alternatives, Wix remains a strong competitor for those who want a balance between affordability, flexibility, and scalability.

Wix offers strong eCommerce capabilities for small businesses and growing online stores. With Wix Stores, users can easily set up and manage their online shop with features such as inventory tracking, multiple payment options, and digital product sales. Wix also supports dropshipping, subscription models, and abandoned cart recovery, which are useful for businesses looking to scale.

One of Wix’s biggest strengths is its app market, where users can add specialized eCommerce tools to enhance their store’s functionality. This makes Wix an excellent choice for businesses that want flexibility and customization. However, Wix’s eCommerce features can feel limited compared to full-fledged eCommerce platforms, and larger businesses may find its transaction processing slower than Squarespace.

Squarespace is often preferred by businesses that want a more professional, streamlined eCommerce experience. It offers built-in eCommerce tools that require fewer third-party apps compared to Wix. Squarespace’s online stores benefit from seamless integration with high-quality templates, ensuring that even product pages maintain a polished, aesthetic look.

Squarespace supports subscriptions, digital product sales, and gift cards, making it a strong contender for businesses that need versatility without additional plugins. Squarespace hosting ensures reliable site performance, particularly for businesses with high traffic volume. However, compared to Wix, Squarespace alternatives may offer more extensive third-party integrations, making it less flexible for highly customized eCommerce needs.

Ease of use: Wix vs Squarespace

For ease of use, Wix is the better choice for beginners and those who want maximum creative control, while Squarespace is ideal for users who prefer a structured and polished website-building experience.

Wix’s drag-and-drop editor and Wix ADI make it incredibly user-friendly, allowing users to customize every site element. However, this flexibility can sometimes be overwhelming, particularly for users who want a more straightforward, guided experience. If you’re looking for Wix alternatives, Squarespace provides a more refined, less error-prone design approach, making it great for users who prioritize aesthetics over full customization.

Conversely, Squarespace enforces a more structured editing style, ensuring design consistency and professional results with less effort. However, this also means less creative freedom, and users may feel restricted compared to Wix pros and cons, emphasizing flexibility at the cost of design consistency.

Wix is known for its beginner-friendly website-building experience. Its drag-and-drop editor allows users to place elements anywhere on the page, offering complete creative control. Unlike Squarespace, which follows a structured design system, Wix provides unmatched flexibility — but this can also lead to cluttered layouts if not carefully managed.

For users who want a fast and effortless setup, Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) can generate a website based on answers to a few questions, making it an attractive feature for beginners.

Wix also has extensive tutorials and 24/7 customer support, ensuring that even non-technical users can easily navigate the platform. While its customization options surpass Squarespace, some users may find the interface overwhelming due to its many features and settings.

Squarespace takes a more streamlined and structured approach to website building, making it an excellent choice for users who prioritize design consistency and simplicity. Unlike Wix’s free-form editor, Squarespace uses a grid-based, block editing system, ensuring that elements align correctly and maintain a polished look.

While this structured approach may seem restrictive compared to Wix, it reduces the chances of design errors and creates a more professional-looking website with minimal effort. Squarespace’s interface is sleek and intuitive, making navigating more manageable, especially for users who don’t want to spend time tweaking every detail.

However, Squarespace has a steeper learning curve compared to Wix, as users must adjust to its pre-set layouts and content blocks. The lack of a free-form drag-and-drop experience may be a drawback for those looking for total creative control. Still, it benefits users who prefer a guided design experience with built-in safeguards.

Performance and reliability: Wix vs Squarespace

When it comes to performance and reliability, Squarespace is the winner. Its optimized hosting environment, faster page speeds, and consistent uptime make it a better choice for users who value reliability over customization.

While Wix provides more flexibility in design, the tradeoff is often slower performance, particularly for content-heavy websites. If fast-loading pages, seamless hosting, and strong security are top priorities, Squarespace is the better option. However, for those considering Wix alternatives that allow greater customization, Wix remains a compelling choice despite its slightly weaker performance metrics.

Wix offers a reliable website-building experience but falls behind Squarespace’s performance and site speed. Due to its highly flexible editor and extensive app market, Wix websites can sometimes experience longer load times, especially when loaded with third-party integrations and custom scripts. While Wix provides strong security measures, automatic backups, and built-in hosting, Wix reviews often mention slower performance than Squarespace.

However, for small business websites and personal portfolios, Wix’s performance remains sufficient. Users who prioritize design flexibility over page speed may find Wix’s customization capabilities worth the tradeoff.

Squarespace is known for its superior performance, faster loading speeds, and reliable hosting. Squarespace hosting is optimized for high-quality images and content-heavy websites, ensuring smooth performance even for media-rich designs. Unlike Wix, Squarespace’s structured templates and built-in tools create a more optimized environment, leading to faster page speeds and better mobile responsiveness.

Additionally, Squarespace reviews frequently highlight consistent uptime and robust security features, making it a strong choice for businesses and content creators prioritizing performance and reliability over customization.

AI Web Builder Availability: Wix vs Squarespace

For AI-powered website creation, Wix is the clear winner due to its Wix ADI feature, which can make you a functional site within minutes. This AI web builder is an excellent option for users who want a fast, beginner-friendly solution without sacrificing customization.

Squarespace takes a more structured and design-conscious approach. While it does not offer a fully automated AI web builder, it provides AI-assisted recommendations and performance optimizations, ensuring that Squarespace pros and cons remain balanced. However, users looking for a completely hands-off AI-driven design process will likely prefer Wix over Squarespace.

While Squarespace’s AI tools improve performance and streamline design choices, it lacks a fully automated site-building process, making Wix the better option for users who want a faster and more AI-integrated experience.

Wix has integrated AI-powered website building through its Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) feature, making it one of the most beginner-friendly AI web builders available. Wix ADI simplifies the website creation process by asking users a series of questions about their business and design preferences and then automatically generating a fully functional website. This feature is ideal for users who want a quick, no-hassle setup while still retaining the ability to customize their site later. Compared to Squarespace, Wix provides more flexibility in adjusting the AI-generated design, allowing users to edit layouts, fonts, and colors without significant restrictions.

Additionally, Wix offers AI-driven tools such as Wix Logo Maker and SEO Wiz, further enhancing automation and optimization for users who want a streamlined experience. Wix reviews highlight ADI’s ability to create a functioning website within minutes, though some users prefer greater manual customization from the start.

Squarespace has integrated AI-driven tools into its website builder, but it does not offer a fully automated web creation feature like Wix ADI. Instead, Squarespace uses AI-assisted design recommendations, helping users choose templates and layouts based on their industry and preferences. This approach is less automated but more structured, ensuring that the final result remains aesthetically consistent with Squarespace’s high-quality templates.

Another AI-powered tool within Squarespace is Squarespace Blueprint, which guides users through site-building, making design decisions easier. Squarespace hosting also includes built-in optimizations, leveraging AI to automatically enhance site performance, image compression, and mobile responsiveness.

However, Squarespace’s AI features are more limited than Wix in generating a complete website instantly. Users who prefer full automation with customization options may find Squarespace alternatives like Wix to be a better fit.

Alternatives to Wix and Squarespace

Other website builders and web hosting providers offer strong features for those seeking Squarespace alternatives or Wix alternatives. Here are two noteworthy options:

DreamHost

DreamHost is a reliable website hosting provider offering a built-in website builder called Remixer. While it doesn’t provide as much drag-and-drop flexibility as Wix or the sleek design options of Squarespace, it remains a solid alternative for those who prioritize affordable hosting with website-building tools. It also supports WordPress integration, making it an excellent choice for users looking for more control over their website.

More importantly, its hosting plans also come with unlimited bandwidth, strong security features, and excellent customer support, making it a viable alternative for those who want more customization and hosting reliability beyond Wix or Squarespace.

ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting is another alternative for users seeking more control over their website’s hosting environment. Unlike Wix and Squarespace, which provide all-in-one website-building solutions, ScalaHosting focuses on high-performance hosting with managed WordPress and VPS hosting options. This makes it a strong choice for businesses looking to scale beyond a basic website builder.

Its security features are also more advanced than Wix and Squarespace, offering dedicated firewalls, daily backups, and SShield cybersecurity protection. While it requires more technical expertise than Wix or Squarespace, it’s an excellent Squarespace alternative for users who need scalability, performance, and advanced security features.

FAQs

Which platform is more beginner-friendly?

Wix is more beginner-friendly due to its drag-and-drop editor and Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence), which can generate a website automatically. Squarespace, while intuitive, follows a structured block system, which may take longer to learn. Beginners who want more design freedom will find Wix easier to use.

Which platform is better suited for e-commerce functionalities?

Squarespace offers better built-in e-commerce tools with seamless store management, optimized product pages, and integrated inventory tracking. Wix provides more flexibility with its app market and third-party integrations, making it better for customized e-commerce solutions. However, Squarespace is better for users who want an all-in-one, streamlined e-commerce experience.

Are there significant differences in website performance and loading speeds between Wix and Squarespace?

Yes, Squarespace offers better performance with faster loading speeds and optimized hosting. Wix sites, especially those with third-party apps and heavy customizations, may experience slower load times. Users prioritizing website speed and reliability may prefer Squarespace over Wix.

Can I switch from Wix to Squarespace (or vice versa) easily?

Switching between Wix and Squarespace is not seamless, as no direct migration tool exists. Users must manually transfer content and rebuild their site on the new platform, which can be time-consuming. Choosing the right platform from the start is recommended to avoid migration hassles.

Julianne Ngirngir Avatar
Julianne Ngirngir