The Wix vs Squarespace question comes down to a simple trade-off: Wix gives you more control and a free plan, while Squarespace offers polished templates and a simpler setup. Both are strong all-in-one website builders, and picking the wrong one can leave you fighting your tool instead of building your site.
This comparison breaks down pricing, design, ease of use, ecommerce, and speed with current 2026 numbers, so you can match the builder to what you actually want to make. If you are also comparing hosting or domain costs for your website, checking verified & latest Hostinger offers can help you find current deals before you sign up.
Here is the short version before we get into the weeds. Together, these two platforms power millions of live websites worldwide, and reviewers often call the race neck and neck. The right pick depends less on which one is "better" and more on how you like to work.
Wix vs Squarespace: Quick Comparison
| Factor | Wix | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | ~$17/month | ~$16/month |
| Free plan | Yes (with ads and subdomain) | No, 14-day trial only |
| Templates | 2,000+ | Around 150 to 200 |
| Editor | Drag anywhere, more control | Grid-guided, cleaner |
| Ease of use | Powerful but busier | Simpler for beginners |
| Best for | Feature depth, flexibility | Design-led, polished sites |
Pricing: Where Each One Wins
Squarespace edges the sticker-price battle. It runs roughly $16 to $99 a month across its tiers, while Wix spans about $17 to $159. The big difference sits at the very bottom: Wix offers a free plan, and Squarespace does not, though its 14-day trial needs no credit card, giving you time to build something real before paying.
Read past the headline numbers, though, because hidden costs shift the math. A few worth knowing: Wix's free domain voucher only covers year one, with renewals running $15 to $20 a year, and its email marketing is a separate subscription starting around $10 a month. On the store side, Wix's real entry point for selling is not its cheapest tier, since abandoned cart recovery sits behind the Business plan at $29 a month. For simple sites and small stores, most testers find Squarespace delivers more value per dollar at the entry and mid levels.
Design and Templates: Quantity vs Curation
This is the clearest split between the two. Wix wins on sheer choice with over 2,000 free, customizable templates against Squarespace's roughly 180. Its editor lets you drop elements anywhere on the page, and you can even tweak the mobile version separately in a dedicated mobile editor.
Squarespace answers with quality over quantity. Its templates are built by in-house designers, so they look expensive out of the box and hold together with less fuss. If you want maximum creative control and do not mind a busier workspace, Wix fits. If you want a polished, cohesive look without much effort, Squarespace fits.
Ease of Use: Squarespace Pulls Ahead for Beginners
The old advice has flipped. Reviewers note that a few years ago they steered beginners to Wix and tech-inclined users to Squarespace, but Squarespace is now the friendlier option for novices. Testers found its backend less overwhelming, with a smooth grid layout that guides where elements land. Wix can feel busier precisely because it does so much: with hundreds of features, finding them all in the backend can be a challenge, split across a sidebar and a pop-up menu. Neither is hard, but Squarespace asks less of a first-timer.
Ecommerce: Wix for Flexibility, Squarespace for Simplicity
Both sell well, yet they lean in different directions. Wix connects with over 90 third-party payment processors and now offers its own POS system with hardware, while Squarespace integrates with three main options: Stripe, PayPal, and Square.
That makes Wix the more flexible pick for varied checkout needs. If you are also setting up hosting for an online store, checking 71% off Hostinger black friday cloud hosting deals may help you cut hosting costs before launching your site.
Squarespace counters with clean built-in selling tools and stronger social commerce features. Its lowest paid plan already lets you take payments and send invoices, which Wix's cheapest plan does not. It also handles social media and email marketing a little better, including selling directly through Instagram and Facebook. For a design-led store that sells across social channels, Squarespace shines. For a store that needs specific tools or a physical POS, Wix has the edge.
Performance and SEO: A Split Decision
Speed favors Squarespace. Independent testing found Squarespace loads nearly twice as fast as Wix, and one benchmark put the mobile Lighthouse scores at 62 for Wix versus 30 for Squarespace on their test pages, so results vary by build. On SEO tooling, Wix offers more built-in options, including Google Search integration and behavior analytics with improvement tips, while Squarespace keeps its SEO features cleaner but fewer.
One quiet but important detail on ownership: if you stop paying, your Squarespace site vanishes from the web, whereas Wix lets you keep it in a free account. That safety net can matter if money ever gets tight.
How to Choose Between Wix and Squarespace
Match the builder to your goal rather than chasing a scoreboard.
- Want a free starting point? Only Wix offers one, so it wins by default.
- Value design and simplicity most? Go with Squarespace.
- Need deep features, apps, or a physical POS? Pick Wix.
- Building a photo or creative portfolio? Squarespace templates flatter visual work.
- Running a store across social media? Squarespace handles social selling smoothly.
- Want the widest customization? Wix and its 2,000-plus templates lead.
Both are strong enough that you will not regret either choice for a typical small-business or personal site. The deciding factor is usually how you like to build: hands-on and flexible with Wix, or guided and elegant with Squarespace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper? Squarespace is a touch cheaper across tiers, from about $16 a month, but only Wix offers a free plan, so Wix wins if your budget is zero.
Which is easier for beginners, Wix or Squarespace? Squarespace now edges ahead for total beginners thanks to a cleaner backend and grid-guided editor, though Wix is still fairly easy to learn.
Which has better templates? Wix offers far more choice with over 2,000 templates, while Squarespace offers fewer but more polished, designer-built options.
Which is better for an online store? Wix suits stores needing many payment processors or a physical POS, while Squarespace suits design-led stores that sell across Instagram and Facebook.
What happens if I stop paying? A Squarespace site goes offline once you stop paying, but Wix lets you keep the site in a free account, which is a helpful safety net.