WIX VS SQUARESPACE: Which is Better? [Detailed Comparison]

For most businesses and people in general, Wix is a well-known all-rounder website builder. However, Squarespace is excellent for evolving businesses with its smart design features, plenty of marketing potentials, and surprisingly strong e-commerce integrations. When the topic is Wix vs Squarespace, it is challenging to determine the best. They are both well-renowned in the industry and offer value to almost the same extent. Hence, to decide the better, you first need to identify your needs. After that, you can determine which one is suited to your needs better. 

You may not know, but Squarespace and Wix together power about 55% of websites that are built using a website builder. Even if both are popular, they have stark differences, and it’s almost like Android vs iOS. In short, the Wix is sometimes chaotic but allows a lot more freedom for customization. Squarespace, on the contrary, is more design-inclined and creative. 

Some people might choose Squarespace over Wix or vice versa, but you must understand the differences to make the correct choice for you. If you have been struggling to choose between these two platforms, you are reading the right article. Here, you will be looking at what each platform has to offer that would help you choose according to your needs. 

Wix vs Squarespace: What do the statistics say?

As per BuiltWith, there are now more than 3 million active websites running on Wix and almost 2 million being supported by Squarespace. All in all, it means that there’s a lot of users. Over the years, website builders have grown wildly popular. Thanks to their ability to assist business owners in creating attractive websites efficiently and quickly. The best part is, they don’t require any technical know-how. 

Many web hosting companies now have services that offer website builder components as a complementary service to their existing hosting packages. Your confusion about choosing which one to use for your website is probably for a good reason. This is because the differences between Wix compared to Squarespace are quite distinct. 

However, a few things separate them, which is good to know for knowledge and practical use. You can start working on a website using a Wix after a meal and have it done by dusk. It’s straightforward and uncomplicated to use. On the other hand, Squarespace is often praised for being a more contemporary website building platform having some of the most attractive designs on the market. 

While both Squarespace and Wix can be considered great website builders, it is only for specific projects, and it’s clear that they represent entirely different experiences in creation. Let’s learn a bit more about Wix and Squarespace separately before moving on to comparing the two. 

Wix: The beginner-friendly website builder

A free and user-friendly website building platform, Wix allows beginners who do not know web programming to create functional and beautiful websites. Its powerful inbuilt features and intuitive technology give users the freedom to design professional websites without any hassle. Wix offers a complete set of building tools to create your online presence. From getting found on search engines to building a business, everything!

Is Wix ideal for your business?

If website building is a game, then Wix is somewhat of a joint. Most people who are interested or require website building have heard of it at least once. Wix has reached over 180 million users in 2019 and has a team of more than 3200 members to facilitate its daily operations. It is popularly known for its intuitive editor that allows you to get online easily and quickly. 

One tool that is certainly easy to use for beginners is the drag and drop function. It is truly affordable to make a Wix website as it won’t take up too much of your time, and you can publish your first version in less than a day. Afterward, you also have the option to improve it. You can check out the templates and website options before choosing to use the platform. You are sure to find them to be professional and really attractive. An impressive fact about the Wix platform is that non-professional web designers create the Wix websites.

Using Wix

Wix has a reputation of being easy for its because of its interface and options—and well, that is actually the case. Wix gives you over 1000 templates that end up fitting your unique needs. If you don’t know how to code, you’re in the safe territory because Wix wouldn’t ask you to know anything about it.

In all fairness, Wix has given fairly ample options for people who are just beginning and are not looking for too many premium services. Although, if you’re a big business, you would want to get your hands on the premium features because they can make a significant difference for you.

Wix is ideal for restaurants, designers, small businesses, hospitality, musicians, photographers, and more. These are only some of the functionalities and features that the platform provides websites for. Wix, as a web builder, has implemented designs and tools specific to many sector-based industries. It has not yet crossed the minds of other website creators to build particular tools that help musicians and hotels grow their businesses. Wix is innovative and adds developed features constantly, updating designs and making website building easy and enjoyable for its users. 

Pros and cons of Wix

When you make a head-on comparison, it makes evaluating the right service for you more accessible. Below is a list of Wix and Squarespace’s primary advantages and disadvantages.

Wix pros

• Wix is very beginner-friendly
• You can choose from hundreds of website templates.
• It is priced affordably.
• Wix has excellent customer support services.
• It provides an extensive app marketplace.
• Wix provides an automatic drag and drops option for building.
• It also offers a mobile application that allows you to edit your website even when you are on the run.
• Users can use Wix’s free plan to try its core functionalities.
• The new corvid development platform on Wix allows users to edit with HTML and CSS access and is ideal for those with coding knowledge.

Wix cons

• The E-Commerce functionalities on Wix are fundamental and may only be applied to smaller businesses.
• You cannot change a website template once you choose it without rebuilding all of your website content.
• The Wix website builder relies on third-party apps for a lot of its functions. Blogging is only possible with an app; these are, however, easy to use on your site.

Is Squarespace ideal for your business?

Squarespace is the best website building platform for small businesses especially if you want to create a website for your service-based business. Squarespace websites have built-in e-commerce functionality meaning you can easily add shopping pages to your website and sell unlimited products without the worry of transaction fees from Squarespace. 

So, for instance, if you run a service business such as a beauty or hair salon or a nutritional therapist, and decide to create merchandise you can easily use the user-friendly e-commerce functionality and sell directly from your site. This reduces the frustration among small business owners who have to be overly reliant on web developers after the launch of their website. If you are exclusively looking for an e-commerce store website then you should consider reading our recently published article comparing e-commerce giant Shopify with Squarespace.

Using Squarespace

A Squarespace plan is all that you need for creating your online presence. Its drag and drop editor can help you out with visuals anywhere you want, and you don’t even have to know how to code. It’s super easy to get started on website building since Squarespace hosts your content on their server. 

They have a ton of different templates to find and choose the one you like best. You can then build your website and make it look as you want. A significant advantage of both Squarespace and Wix is the seamless learning curve. If users search for a reliable and easy-to-use website builder to start with right away, you’ll find the tools in both of these options. 

Sometimes Wix may be a better host than Squarespace based on how easy it is to use. Based on the functionality you desire, Wix allows you to drop boxes and media wherever you wish. On a broad spectrum of tool options for website building, they live on the all-inclusive level and provide everything you would probably need to get started and take your business up another notch. This is in contrast to the solution where you purchase, install, and manage all the parts of the website separately. It is neither a good nor a bad event to happen. However, that’s something you must be aware of when choosing a solution because it affects your website in both the short and long term.

Pros and cons of Square space

Squarespace is a hosted website building solution. This means that it runs on its own servers and users don’t have to install any software on the computer to use it. However, in contrast to its positive sides, Squarespace is not really a website builder designed for those who want to edit their website extensively in a platform that encourages users to pick up templates or make a few tweaks in design.

Squarespace pros

• You can easily change templates on Squarespace.
• There are over 110 templates available, all that professional designers create.
• The platform doesn’t compromise on customizability. The features allow users to edit almost everything on their website.
• The inbuilt features of Squarespace are plentiful and well designed.
• The platform provides advanced in-built blogging functionality.
• The analytics features of Squarespace are built-in.
• In Squarespace, you will find a mobile app that allows you to edit and manage your pages while you are on the go.
• The platform also offers a powerful image editor.

Squarespace cons

• The Squarespace website building platform doesn’t allow you to drag and drop website elements freely. This makes it longer for users to get used to the website editor.
• There is no phone support in Squarespace.
• There are fewer pricing options available on Squarespace.
• Squarespace also does not provide a free plan to test the features.

Wix vs Squarespace: Comparison on basis of important factors

Using a website builder is similar to leasing and customizing your apartment in a really classy way instead of owning and buying your own house. Users are still in control of cleaning the cord and everything living-wise, but you leave the plumbing, construction, infrastructure, and security to the property owner. This is because there is usually a direct trade-off between control and convenience. Squarespace and Wix are complete with options like WordPress (which provides free software for website building that you own and manage) two options like typing HTML code into a text file. Let’s dive into the Wix vs Squarespace comparison. 

1. Creating designs

As mentioned before, Wix would throw a big number of templates at you and there’s a fair chance you will end up falling for one of them. Each website template would come with its unique functionality. Although, you will have to keep in mind that you use the right template in the first go. That is because once you’re locked in, you can’t change your template. Squarespace’s template options aren’t as many as Wix but the good news is, they all have the same underlying style and structure.

• Designing with Wix

Once your Wix account is set up, you can select designs by going to the Wix ADI. The availability of themes and the options for customization with fonts, colors, and more main leave you spoilt for choices. If you want to alter your entire website, you can do that by adjusting the appearance of separate elements within your website. The fact that you can tweak Wix templates means that you don’t have to find the perfect fit for you. Instead, you can look for one that resembles something you want while creating the remaining parts. But when you are comparing Wix vs Squarespace, think about how you can design in what platforms. 

• Designing with Squarespace

Designing in Squarespace is relatively tedious when you compare it with Wix. It would demand you a few extra clicks and the builder isn’t as smooth as Wix. However, there is an incentive. The prebuilt layouts have the same underlying structure. Ergo, you’re aren’t as stuck as you would be with Wix. It is also a drag and drop builder and offers you loads of exciting features to work with. You can create a blog, a portfolio, or any other type of website. 

If you have a Squarespace account, you can sell your stuff online and create an online store. The process of designing is quite flexible, so you can choose what you want to innovate. You are free to customize the design and style for Mobile viewers so that you can attract more potential viewers. If you’re going to experience full designing capabilities, you can also use coding, but that is unnecessary. 

The final verdict 

The final verdict in Wix vs Squarespace regarding creative designing states that Squarespace is a better host when it comes to visual changes. You can switch out themes in Squarespace after your website is published, but you won’t be able to do that on Wix.

2. Tools and technology

After you work with website designing, it’s time to make the website work for you. Whether you want to create a store, start a blog, or set up a portfolio, there are pointers you must consider about Wix and Squarespace after designing your website. Sweet designs are great for eyes, but if they don’t function optimally, the same pair of eyes would despise them So, now we’ll dive into the technical nitty-gritty and see who stands tall in our Wix vs Squarespace debate.

These features are essential for building websites because they determine all the things you can do with your design. You can create a beautiful page, but it won’t hold as much value as it would if you had worked with the tools and technology of both platforms. Before choosing between Squarespace and Wix, think about each one’s free as well as paid plans to see what works best for you. 

• Working with Wix’s tools and technology

Besides being a website builder, Wix offers advanced features that make your online presence a level higher. Users can use their Logo Maker to create a beautiful and catchy logo that matches your brand and company. 

If you are a business offering services, you can use the Booking feature to set up client appointments quickly. The free Wix plan allows you to get started instantly, but you can purchase on more advanced website analytics for an online store. After that, you can sell your products, and the analytics will tell you how many viewers you get. Before choosing the one with all the features, you need to consider a few Wix plans. 

• Working with Squarespace’s tools and technology

There are plenty of facets to consider in this. Let’s start with SEO. Squarespace’s heading options are limited to H4, contrary to Wix, which offers up to H6. SEO-wise, most of Squarespace’s features trump over Wix. One sticky issue is finding the alt images tags, which could sometimes make users scratch their heads. 

In terms of support, both Wix and Squarespace offer you resource material to read and also offer real-time support. Although Squarespace won’t force you to read FAQs when you come with a query. Wix would definitely ask you to do so. In terms of extensions and widgets, Squarespace would be an amazing choice if you are building an online store. If you’re planning something different, Wix might be a more suitable choice. The security options offered by Squarespace won’t let you down either.

If your aim is to create an online store and use gift cards, you will need to establish a business tier or a higher tiered option. The lowest Squarespace plan is an excellent choice for a portfolio site or blog, but it has limitations. Thanks to Squarespace’s monthly and annual plans, which help you save money on any plan you pay for a year in advance.

The final verdict

Both the platforms Squarespace and Wix have a plethora of choices that you can choose from to customize a template. While Squarespace has different inbuilt tools, Wix has an app store to find additional elements that you may need. Therefore, Wix comes out as slightly ahead of Squarespace.

3. Making sales

This is a spicy one because there’s a good chance that this pointer would call the shots for you. But before we go ahead, we would remind you that the set of features each of them would offer would be pretty ample. The winner of the Wix vs Squarespace debate in this category would be decided by what the seller’s business is about. Both allow uses to do all the basic stuff like creating beautiful catalogs, set offers, ship products, and so on. But what sets them both apart? Let’s dive in!

• Selling on Wix

Even if you have at least one product for selling online, you can do that easily with Wix. You will be able to attract clients with your website as well as with your social media. The Wix ADI customizes the look of your listings so that you can highlight the specific category of the products you sell. 

A wonderful thing about the Wix platform is that you can accept payments with it. Wix lets you take a credit card as well as Stripe and PayPal. Your clients will be able to buy immediately, and you can have them add items to their cart before check out. After that, you can proceed to make more sales and generate even more online money. Artists and photographers can display their work that encourages others to purchase the products shown. 

• Selling on Squarespace

Besides the fact that you can create pages on Squarespace, you can also turn them into an E-Commerce store. By using their site designs, you can provide information on your service or product. Squarespace also offers integrations with a payment gateway like Square, PayPal, Stripe, so it is upon you how you take and make the payment. 

Make sure that you review their sales resources before you start selling with Squarespace. This would ensure that you don’t break any rules. Squarespace limits the items you can sell, so be sure you don’t offer restricted products. However, you can still ship packages to clients with UPS and FedEx but ensure the opacity to secure the items during shipping. 

The final verdict

In terms of sales comparison of Wix vs Squarespace, the ability to add apps makes Wix a more flexible choice for online selling. You can also sell on Squarespace, but it doesn’t have similar functionality as Wix. 

4. Marketing

Without the determination of online traffic, it will become hard for you to have a successful digital presence. Wix vs Squarespace comparison should include a rundown of what each platform can do when it comes to marketing a website. In the absence of the right marketing tools, even the best Wix or Squarespace sample templates will fall short to help your website attract traction. 

Even if you don’t understand technical terminology like volume small-wave, the basics of marketing are essential for building a website. When you use the included marketing tools, you increase the number of page views that you receive on your page. This can help you to give the push to enhance your website even more. 

• Marketing a Wix website

There are multiple options on Wix that would help you grow your online presence and come in the form of plugins. You can use these add-ons to attract more traffic, and you don’t even have to pay as much money or time to market your stuff. There are tools on Wix for creating Google ads as well as pop-ups that encourage people to give their email addresses.  

The App Market on Wix is ideal for finding many options that add more stuff to your Wix website. You don’t have to create different elements by yourself, but you can use the apps to customize things further. Many of the programs in the App Market have a free plan, but you can choose to purchase them too. 

• Marketing a Squarespace website

If you are using Squarespace, you can market your website to customers within a few days. You can ensure that search engines know your existence so that they can send clients to you. Squarespace lets you use keywords that help you rank well when you are looking for a specific term online.

If a search engine recognizes that you could help someone out, the engine will automatically suggest your page over your other competitors. You can utilize Squarespace as a marketing tool to anyone online, even if you don’t sell anything. That means you can be in front of a lot of individuals without having to purchase adverts. 

The final verdict

Regarding the final verdict for marketing in Wix vs Squarespace, you can do more by marketing on Wix and sending more emails on Wix than Squarespace. While you can market on Squarespace, you will need to purchase the email features.

5. Pricing

The Wix vs Squarespace pricing comparison can be challenging because their tiers are entirely different. While Squarespace has tiers based on users’ advanced features and e-commerce, Wix has several tiers based on a broad range of components. Which also has a free plan option that includes Wix subdomains and ads. 

• Wix plans and pricing

If you are new to starting your business, the Wix website building platform has a free plan which can be perfect for you. Their pay plans start as low as $13 per month, which means that you don’t need to have a massive budget to use them. When you pay for Vicks to get rid of advertisements on your page and you also get a domain voucher that you can get for free for a year. The plan will also get you 3 GB of storage and 2GB of bandwidth. 

If you want to upgrade to any other plan, you will have at least 10 GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth. Additionally, you will also receive a voucher for adverts and two extra programs to boost your website. The more you upgrade, the more savings you will get on the total hosting offer. While the most expensive plant isn’t the best solution, it can be what the step from the free tier is. 

Wix offers very customizable pricing standards and has some limits on every standard, even up to VIP. The pricing of Wix is different given its tier bonuses and structure. They are competitive but remember to note your exact features and needs, especially with storage needs. 

• Squarespace pricing

In using Squarespace, you have limited advanced features and email with its personal plan. It adds transaction fees free of cost to basic commerce and then more E-Commerce tools to advance business from an online store. 

Squarespace offers a more solid value on every tier and is mainly competitive in the E-Commerce plan options as well as personal plans. Squarespace pricing generally does better on upfront value for most websites. However, an important thing here is to write down your goals and needs and evaluate each tier based on that instead of looking at features that you will never use. 

The final verdict

These costs are very different from what you are looking for when building the website when you hire WordPress developers or something else. A part of website builders is the bundle pricing, where software costs and hosting are added together and are priced as per site. It is possible to get custom websites with unlimited functionality at a cheaper rate if you build it yourself using separate software and hosting. 

6. Customer support

Wix, compared to Squarespace, focuses on how each company can assist its clients in relation to customer help. Before you begin subscribing with Wix or Squarespace, you must know what you can expect when it comes to customer support. Consider how much help you might want or need when starting your website.

If you feel that you don’t need assistance, you can prioritize other factors in your decision. However, if you think you need some extra help, you can look for factors like a help center or phone support. Priority support also comes in handy if you have a business and need extra help with things like creating recovery and other related issues. Customer support forums can be helpful if you don’t have access to specific chat support or support steam. But you may need assistance from an SEO department if you can’t get your viewers to your website. 

• Customer support on Wix

Wix has different levels of support and multiple pricing plans. The VIP plan gets a supporter from a team before any other plan. You can also check a business tier if you have a business and want the highest tier. However, the free plan doesn’t get you beyond the knowledge base and the community support methods. Because of this reason, beginners may want to make investments in some extra assistance. But if you have the technical experience, you may not need anything more than the Wix guidelines. 

The platform is still helpful, and the quality of support is fantastic. Whether you want to add videos or reviews to your site, you can do that on Wix support. If you are a client towards quality help from a business or company, you can consider the higher Wix tiers. You will get more help and support for whatever you need. 

• Customer support on Squarespace

You will get multiple support methods on Squarespace. You can also view their guidelines or watch the videos if you are seeking answers to usual problems that clients generally have. Furthermore, if you want to learn a little more about customer support on Squarespace, you can sign up for the webinars on Squarespace, where you can learn a lot in a single session. But if you have an unusual problem and need an immediate answer to it, you can take it to the help center to chat with clients. 

Worldwide, people can utilize Squarespace phone support and chat, but you will have to login into your account. You can then contact support. Whether you have E-Commerce complications or need help with HTML or other obstacles, you can contact the company for almost every purpose. This freedom is excellent for beginners or individuals who are tech-savvy. You don’t need to be an expert, but you can receive a lot of assistance from anywhere from the effects used to reply from a support person. 

The final verdict

In comparing Wix vs Squarespace in terms of customer help, the features of Wix offer better assistance since you can get help more quickly. However, Squarespace does not allow you to seek assistance over the phone. 

The showdown

The Wix vs Squarespace debate can be complex for any budding company or professional. You need to consider the features you want to host, the templates you plan to use, the cost of platforms, and even more. There are three primary reasons why Wix should be your go-to choice: it gives you more freedom for creativity, it’s easier to use, and offers wider options for premium plans compared to Squarespace.  It is also essential to consider the factors like selling, writing articles, and SEO. Therefore, check out all the individual aspects of each platform to comply with your needs and desires.