Wix vs Squarespace
Wix and Squarespace are the two most popular all-in-one website builders right now, and for good reason - both let you launch a good-looking site without touching a line of code. But they take different approaches, and which one is right for you depends a lot on what you actually need. Here is how they compare on the things that matter most.
Pricing
Wix has a free plan that lets you publish a site straight away, though it shows Wix-branded ads and uses a Wix subdomain. Paid plans start at around $17 per month. Squarespace has no free plan - the cheapest option is around $16 per month, which is actually a touch lower than Wix's entry paid tier.
For ecommerce the gap is more significant. Squarespace lets you sell products on its entry-level plan at around $16 per month. Wix requires its Core plan, which runs around $29 per month, before you can open an online store. If selling is your main goal and you want to keep costs down, Squarespace has an edge here.
Ease of use
Squarespace is generally easier for beginners who want a polished result fast. The editor keeps you within a structured layout, which means fewer decisions and less chance of things looking off. Most people can have a professional-looking site running within an afternoon.
Wix gives you far more freedom - you can drag and drop any element anywhere on the page - but that freedom can feel overwhelming if you are new to web design. There are also two separate Wix editors to be aware of: the classic drag-and-drop editor and a newer AI-powered builder that walks beginners through setup with a few questions before generating a starting point for you. If you like the idea of AI assistance, Wix has a clear lead there.
Design & templates
Wix has a massive template library - somewhere between 900 and 2,000-plus templates depending on how you count them - covering virtually every industry and style. The trade-off is that quality varies, and because you can move anything anywhere, it is possible to end up with a site that looks inconsistent if you are not careful.
Squarespace offers around 150 templates, but they are consistently well-designed and typographically polished. Every template looks intentional. If you are building a portfolio, a creative agency site, or a restaurant page where aesthetics are everything, Squarespace templates tend to impress out of the box with less effort.
One important caveat with Wix: once you pick a template you cannot switch to a different one without rebuilding your content. Squarespace lets you change your template more freely.
Which should you choose?
Pick Wix if you want the most flexibility, the largest template selection, a free plan to test with, access to a wide range of marketing and SEO tools, or the option to scale up your ecommerce setup over time. It is the better all-rounder for most small businesses and hobbyists who want control.
Pick Squarespace if polished design and simplicity matter most to you, you want to sell online from the cheapest possible plan, or you would rather have a guided, structured editing experience than an open canvas. It is particularly well-suited to creative professionals, photographers, and anyone who wants the site to look impressive without spending hours fine-tuning it.
Both platforms are solid choices with good support and regular updates. The decision really comes down to whether you value flexibility or polish above everything else.