Squarespace vs Wix (2021): Comparing Website Builders

If you’re looking to build a website but have no coding or web development knowledge, Squarespace and Wix are perhaps two builders you’re considering. Both platforms offer a range of high-quality features that allow you to launch a website without writing a single line of code. Users who want to create an online store will find that Squarespace and Wix also offer a plethora of tools for e-commerce. Given how neck-and-neck they seem to be, which one should you use? To help you decide, we compare the two website builders based on their ease-of-use, customization, and value for money.

Squarespace vs Wix Comparison Chart

Name	Squarespace	Wix
Price	Check Price at Squarespace	Check Price at Wix
Standout Feature	Professionally-designed and switchable templates	User-friendly drag and drop functionality
Free Plan	No	Yes
Hosting	Yes	Yes
Bandwidth	Unlimited	Unlimited
SSL Certificate	Yes	Yes
Templates	60+ templates	800+ templates
E-Commerce Features	Built-in	Built-in
SEO	Built-in	Built-in
Domain Name	Free for one year	Free for one year
Third Party Plugin	Squarespace Extensions	Wix App market
Customer Support	24/7 email support and live chat, help center, community answers	24/7 callback service, help center, resource center

Website Builder

Wix’s editor is more beginner-friendly compared to Squarespace’s section-based approach.

Not everyone has the skills to build and launch a website. Moreover, not everyone can afford to hire a developer. Squarespace and Wix both try to address this by managing the technical stuff. From hosting and domain registry to storage and security, users who subscribe to any of the two will find their plans already cover these key components.

With the technical aspects taken care of, how do Squarespace and Wix guide users in building their website? Well, both website builders offer drag-and-drop functionality. This simply means you can add or select any content or element of your website by simply dragging them from a menu and dropping them to your workspace. Squarespace and Wix are also What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editors, so all the changes you make are applied immediately and previewed live.

Wix does have an advantage here. With Squarespace, the editor follows a section-based approach, so dragging and dropping only works within, as expected, a given section. Wix, on the other hand, affords users more freedom. You can literally place a website element anywhere on the page you like, while also allowing users to seamlessly move from one section to another.

Given this feature, Wix’s editor is better suited for beginners, compared to Squarespace’s minimalist interface that, while intuitive, does require a bit more of a learning curve. Once you get yourself used to Squarespace’s editor, it’s going to be easy, too. But if you want to go online faster, Wix is the way.

Themes and Customization

The quality of Squarespace templates is better than the themes offered by Wix.

What makes Squarespace’s editor worth learning, however, is the distinct and stunning templates the platform offers. Yes, Wix’s catalog of themes is larger. In fact, the editor offers over 800 to choose from. But Squarespace’s modest 60+ themes are all high-quality designs. These attractive and professional-looking templates are also organized according to industry, so finding one that fits your brand or business should be easy.

In any case, both platforms allow you to modify any given template to better suit your preferences. Font type, colors, layout, and page configurations are customizable in Squarespace and Wix. The latter does give you room for more dynamic changes, including a straightforward option of adjusting your page layout or adding content blocks. However, Squarespace allows for deeper customizations, thanks to its built-in CSS editor. With Wix, adding code to your site is a bit more cumbersome.

Features

Squarespace has strong, built-in features whereas Wix combines in-house tools with comprehensive third-party applications.

As an out-of-the-box solution, Squarespace comes replete with built-in features to help you optimize and manage your website. For instance, the platform offers fully-integrated e-commerce tools to help you launch an online store. This includes merchandising tools, advanced shipping, inventory management, and point-of-sale.

There are also some robust marketing and analytics features for those who want to track growth. And if you’re keen on improving customer engagement, Squarespace comes with its own email marketing program. This all-in-one approach does leave users with fewer third-party options compared to other website builders.

Is that a disadvantage? Well, it depends on how comfortable you are working within the Squarespace ecosystem. While an integrated approach does offer many conveniences, there are also pretty solid and powerful apps made by third-party developers that can transform your website. This is what makes Wix quite popular.

Wix already comes with standard e-commerce tools just like Squarespace. However, the platform’s app center is what truly differentiates it. Currently, the Wix App Market offers hundreds of apps: from cloud-based bookkeeping to shipment management, social media integrations to customer text updates. This combination of in-house Wix features and third-party applications gives users more choices in growing their business.

Plans and Pricing

When it comes to plans, Wix offers more room for scalability compared to Squarespace.

With the breadth and depth of features offered by the two platforms, the big question is how much will it cost a user? Straight to the point, Squarespace is more expensive than Wix across their respective paid plans. The entry-level Personal plan on Squarespace, for instance, costs $16 a month. To start an online store, you’ll need to sign up for a Business account which comes in at $26 per month. These rates all reflect monthly subscriptions. If you want to get discounts, you can opt to pay annually instead.

Meanwhile, Connect Domain, which is Wix’s entry-level paid plan for websites, costs only $4.50 a month. For more features, the Unlimited Plan is the platform’s most popular and comes in at around $12.50 a month. And if you don’t want to spend a single cent, Wix does have a free plan. It’s limited in features and storage but is usable enough for creating portfolios or basic websites.

Wix also offers more options for those who want to launch an online store. The platform’s three business and e-commerce plans range between $17 to $35 a month and come with generous features. In contrast, a Business plan in Squarespace may not be enough. If you want to really scale your business, you’ll have to opt for their Commerce plans, available in Basic and Advanced options, and which comes in at $30 and $46 per month respectively.

Verdict

Squarespace will benefit creatives and larger organizations more. Wix, on the other hand, is better suited for individuals and smaller businesses.

Squarespace

Best for creatives and large businesses

Wix

Best for small businesses on a budget

Creative professionals and larger businesses may find Squarespace a better option, thanks to the platform’s beautiful templates. The website editor also boasts a range of in-house marketing, analytics, and commerce tools that larger organizations might prefer. And since deeper customizations are available through its built-in CSS editor, a dedicated team for web development can make the most out of Squarespace’s features.

Wix, on the other hand, is better for individuals, small organizations, or users and teams on a budget. It’s easier to use than Squarespace and offers plenty of third-party applications to really boost your website. Moreover, Wix’s generous plans offer scalability and value for money compared to Squarespace’s more premium pricing. So if you want to build a website within an afternoon and without spending too much, Wix gives you that possibility.

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