You no longer have to know coding to create a professional and polished website. Platforms like Wix and Squarespace are opening doors to the easy creation of websites. According to the SiteBuilderReport 2024, together these two platforms have powered up more than 5 million websites globally with future growth to reach $13.6 billion by 2027. This popularity resonates with the demand for an easy to create website that is beautiful and fully functional. But here is a catch of confusion. Which one should you choose for your website-building journey?
Both are regarded wisely and widely; they offer specific strengths to your website according to your needs. So, which option is best suited for your website goal? In this blog, I will do a detailed comparison between Wix vs Squarespace to explain which is the best website builder for you.
How to Use Wix and Squarespace?
Wix is the most flexible that features a drag-and-drop for placing elements anywhere on the page. This flexibility makes it an excellent option for beginners. Wix also provides Wix ADI, which is an Artificial Design Intelligence, which builds a website for you based on a few questions you answer such as what your site is for and what kind of style you like. This feature is outstanding if you want to create your website quickly with minimal effort.
Squarespace focuses more on providing you with structured editing experience. Anything you add to a page must fit into its structured grid layout. Though this may feel restrictive compared to Wix’s standard, your design will always be aligned, balanced, and aesthetically pleasing. Templates in Squarespace are known for clean and minimalist designs that work well for creative types or businesses looking for a modern feel.
Ease of use is subjective here. If you want to completely rearrange and customize your layout with as much flexibility as possible, then Wix is perfect. If you prefer a more guided approach and are not keen on really getting into the actual programming, you would be in good hands with Squarespace’s structured process.
A Quick Comparison Between Wix vs Squarespace
This quick comparison between Squarespace vs Wix will give a quick idea of their unique selling point. You will be able to differentiate both website builders on the following basis:
| Features | Wix | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid plans starting at $17-$159/month. It also offers free plans as well. | No free plans but offers 14-day trial, paid plans start from $23-$65/month |
| Ease of Use | Offers drag-and-drop editor, very flexible | Structured editor with clean design control, less flexible |
| Templates | Have more than 800+ template | 100+ modern templates |
| E-commerce Features | Suitable for small to mid-sized online stores | Vital for high-end, design-centric small to large businesses |
| SEO and Marketing | Offers built-in SEO and app integration for email marketing | It also offers powerful SEO tools and built-in email marketing |
| SEO Tools | Google Search integration, URL customization, meta titles and descriptions, Image optimization, and Site inspection | On the other hand, it offers Custom URLs, Image alt text, Meta titles and descriptions, and Canonical tags |
| Security Features | Features such as SL certification, firewall protection, and protection against DDoS attacks | Same features as WIX; Features such as SL certification, firewall protection, and protection against DDoS attacks |
| Social Media Integration | Facebook ads integration is available but only on Wix Stores | Allows to sell products directly on Instagram and Facebook |
| Analytics | Wix offers traffic, visitor, revenue report monitoring, customer insights, product portfolio management, and personalized suggestions | Offers sales analytics, Google Analytics integration, purchase funnel, traffic and engagement monitoring |
| User Support | Wix provides 24/7 support via email and phone callbacks | Squarespace offers 24/7 user support via live chat and email but not phone callbacks |
Detailed Comparison between Wix vs Squarespace
These two website builders offer a wide range of features that are sufficient for any kind of website. But the question remains the same; which website builder is best for you? Moving forward, we will do a detailed comparison between Wix vs Squarespace. The comparison will be on Setting up, pricing, templates, editing, marketing and SEO, and support. Let us dive in deeper:
1. Setting Up
Wix allows you to dive right in. If you’re not quite sure where to begin, the Wix ADI tool will build you a basic site in minutes based on your input. It’s hence shockingly easy to set up a site almost instantly-even if you haven’t done it before.
Squarespace is a bit more time-consuming in its setup because it utilizes a structured editor. You get off with a template, and then it procedurally walks you through completing the customizations from there. With its grid system, your website is always going to have a professional look since all elements are always aligned perfectly.
If you need speed and flexibility, then Wix website builder is best for you. However, if you believe in the curating setup process, Squarespace is what you need.
2. Pricing
Wix offers free plans, which is excellent before committing to it. However, the free plan comes with Wix-branded ads, and you cannot connect your domain with it. Paid plans start at $17 monthly for the “Combo” plan, which gets rid of ads and enables a custom domain. Advanced features like e-commerce and increased storage are also in plans, up to a “Business VIP” price of $159 per month, hence fitting for larger online shops.
Squarespace does not have free plans, but paid plans are very affordable. The “Personal” paid plan is available at $16 per month. Online stores start from $23 to $49 per month, depending on how many features in e-commerce are desired in that program.
3. Templates
Wix has more than 800 templates that fit any kind of industry or site, from blogging to business sites to portfolios and about anything else- pretty much something for everybody. However, there’s a catch: it’s not possible to change to a different template once you’ve settled on one and started building with it, so you’ll have to decide upfront.
Squarespace has templates of around 100+, but these are mostly thought of as some of the best-designed templates out there. Each template is sleek, minimalist, and responsive, so they will look great on a desktop or even mobile. Moreover, unlike Wix, you can change your template without losing your content. Thus, it offers you greater freedom to switch things up later if you’d like.
If you care about the template, then Squarespace shines. But Wix has a more extensive variety, at least if you have a precise vision in mind for your site.
4. Editing
Wix lets you have total creative freedom by using the drag-and-drop editor, and you can place any item wherever you want on the page so that you have 100% liberty to design your site. However, freedom comes with cluttered designs and a lack of structure.
On the other hand, Squarespace uses a grid-based editor. It simply means that the items can only be placed within defined boundaries that will keep your design aligned and professional. Although it does not offer the creative freedom that can be found in Wix, it still puts forward a polished look each time.
Wix has the ultimate creativity freedom for its users, while Squarespace is more refined if you need a neat and organized layout.
5. Marketing and SEO
Wix has a tool called SEO Wiz to help guide you through the optimization for your site to appear on the search engines, along with an App Market where you can install apps from email marketing, social media integrations, and many more.
Squarespace has excellent built-in SEO capabilities and easy management of site metadata, URLs, and social sharing settings. The email marketing capabilities are also integrated into Squarespace, so you’re good to go if you can do without third-party apps. This makes a great choice for content marketers and bloggers since its blogging platform is exceptionally good.
Both ensure good SEO. Wix offers more developed applications, whereas Squarespace offers in-built tools for an all-around, one-stop marketing approach.
6. User Support
Wix and Squarespace both offer help via many options. Wix offers 24/7 support through email and callback, but no live chat. Their help centers are mostly tutorials and guides, so it is easy to know solutions to common questions.
Well, Squarespace offers 24/7 support via live chat and email, which is likely to be faster when issues are resolved. Its knowledge base is also as detailed as that of Wix’s, full of articles and how-to’s.
Wix vs Squarespace. Which Website Builder is the Best?
So, which website builder should you select? Well, the ultimate choice really depends on what you are looking for in a platform.
- If you desire to have complete creative control coupled with the ability to set up quickly and flexibly, then Wix is perfect for you.
- Wix uses a drag-and-drop editor and a free plan, so it’s fantastic for beginners who want to test.
- Squarespace is precisely the best website builder for you if you care about great design, easy use within structured limits, and a great e-commerce experience.
- It’s perfect for creatives, businesses focused on design, and those who want a professional look with minimal hassle.
Conclusion
Wix and Squarespace are powerful web-building platforms, although they have very different strengths. The best platform for you would depend on what you need in terms of business goals, personal needs, or the level of control desired while designing a website. Using either Wix or Squarespace to create a web presence, your design will come alive in the most beautiful and functional way.