Choosing between Wix and Squarespace is one of the toughest decisions when building a website. Both platforms rank among the most popular builders, but they cater to different kinds of users. After hands-on testing and building real sites, here’s a side-by-side comparison of Wix vs Squarespace across ease of use, design, ecommerce, pricing, and support.
Who Should Use Which?
- Wix is Best For:
- Beginners testing ideas or hobby sites
- Built-in SEO, marketing, and analytics tools
- Wix ADI for quick AI-assisted site creation
- Squarespace is Best For:
- Creatives (designers, photographers, bloggers)
- Professional portfolios
- Ecommerce stores wanting advanced features without Shopify’s complexity
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Wix | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Drag-and-drop + ADI (more flexible, but a learning curve) | Structured editor (less flexible, easier consistency) |
| Templates | 800+ industry templates | 100+ sleek, award-winning templates |
| Ecommerce | Great for small–medium shops, limited scaling | Strong ecommerce with subscriptions, analytics, abandoned cart |
| Pricing | Free plan + paid plans from $16/mo | Starts at $16/mo, no free plan (14-day trial) |
| Support | 24/7 chat + forum | Email + live chat + excellent guides |
| Best For | Beginners, SMBs, hobby sites | Creatives, portfolios, ecommerce stores |
Evaluation Criteria (How We Compare)
We compare Wix and Squarespace across five main parameters:
- Ease of Use – How simple is it to get started and build a site
- Templates & Design – Variety, quality, and customization of designs.
- Ecommerce & Features – Strength of online selling tools and add-ons.
- Pricing & Value – Affordability, free plans, and long-term value.
- Customer Support – Channels, availability, and quality of help.
Ease of Use
Wix
While testing Wix, the drag-and-drop editor felt like working in Canva-freedom to move elements anywhere. For quick starts, Wix ADI (AI builder) generated a functional site for a test book collection project in under 10 minutes. The only drawback: the flexibility sometimes leads to messy layouts if you’re not design-savvy.
Squarespace
Squarespace’s structured editor doesn’t allow pixel-level freedom, but that’s a good thing for non-designers. Every layout I tried (portfolio, small business, ecommerce) looked polished right away. The editor is simpler, though slightly restrictive for advanced customization.
Templates & Design
Wix
With 800+ templates, Wix offers sheer variety. I used it for a restaurant mock-up and found niche templates with ready-made menus. However, once you pick a template, you can’t switch later without rebuilding. It’s a frustrating limitation.
Squarespace
Squarespace templates are visually stunning. When I tested it for a photography portfolio, the designs were modern, responsive, and didn’t require heavy tweaking. The trade-off: fewer templates compared to Wix, but all are curated and award-winning.
Ecommerce & Features
Wix
Built a small test store selling digital downloads. Setup was smooth, and adding products was simple. It’s perfect for small–medium shops but lacks depth for larger businesses (advanced inventory and scaling tools are limited).
Squarespace
When I set up a subscription-based product (memberships), Squarespace impressed with abandoned cart recovery, subscription billing, and detailed analytics. It felt closer to Shopify-lite, ideal for creators scaling ecommerce.
Pricing & Value
| Wix Plans | Squarespace Plans |
|---|---|
| Light - $16/month | Personal – $16/month |
| Core – $27/month | Business – $23/month |
| Business – $32/month | Basic Commerce – $28/month |
| Business Elite – $159/month | Advanced Commerce – $52/month |
Wix
Wix offers a free plan, making it one of the most accessible website builders for beginners. It’s great for testing ideas, experimenting with layouts, or building personal sites without spending upfront. Its mid-range plans are competitively priced, though the Business Elite tier feels more enterprise-focused and expensive.
Squarespace
Squarespace doesn’t provide a permanent free plan. It comes with only a 14-day trial. However, its commerce plans offer more value in the long run. Advanced ecommerce features like subscription billing, abandoned cart recovery, and built-in analytics are included at higher tiers, making Squarespace a stronger option for businesses planning to grow.
| Scenario | Best Choice |
|---|---|
| Testing before paying | Wix (free plan available) |
| Budget-friendly starter site | Wix |
| Long-term ecommerce scaling | Squarespace |
| Advanced ecommerce features | Squarespace |
| Enterprise-level business | Depends (Wix Elite vs Squarespace Advanced Commerce) |
Customer Support
Wix
During testing, Wix’s 24/7 live chat came in handy when I got stuck customizing an ADI-generated layout. The responses were generally helpful, with step-by-step troubleshooting, though at peak times, I noticed slight delays. Beyond chat, Wix also offers a large help center and active community forums, where you can find solutions to common issues. The breadth of availability makes it a reassuring choice for beginners who might need immediate support at odd hours.
Squarespace
Squarespace’s support feels more polished, though less available round-the-clock. Their email support was professional, with detailed responses that often linked directly to in-depth documentation. The live chat is limited to business hours, but when active, it delivered focused and personalized guidance. What really stood out were Squarespace’s guides, tutorials, and workshops, which go beyond basic FAQs. Almost like mini-courses designed to help users master the platform at their own pace.
| Channel | Wix | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Live Chat | ✅ 24/7 available | ✅ Available, but limited to business hours |
| Email Support | ❌ Not primary (chat is preferred) | ✅ Professional, detailed responses |
| Phone Support | ❌ Not offered | ❌ Not offered |
| Help Center / Knowledge Base | ✅ Extensive articles and guides | ✅ High-quality, detailed documentation |
| Community Forum | ✅ Active community for peer help | ❌ No dedicated forum, relies on guides |
| Tutorials & Webinars | ✅ Some guides and how-tos | ✅ Strong focus on tutorials, webinars, and workshops |
| Overall Availability | ✅ Round-the-clock access | ⚠️ Limited to business hours (but higher resource quality) |
Final Verdict
After building real sites on both platforms, the choice depends on your needs. Wix is the better option if you value creative freedom, experimentation, and starting for free. Squarespace is ideal if you want stunning templates, smoother ecommerce, and a professional look with less effort. Think of Wix as the flexible sandbox and Squarespace as the refined studio. Both tools are recommended, but tailored for different audiences.
