Wix vs Squarespace vs WordPress: Which Is the Best in 2024?

Building a website can be overwhelming, especially when looking for a platform that balances ease of use, flexibility, and professional design. Whether you’re a small business owner, creative professional, or entrepreneur, you need a tool that helps you get online quickly without compromising your site’s functionality or appearance.

I get it – there are so many options, and choosing between household names, such as Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.com, can be pretty daunting. After thoroughly testing all three platforms, I’ll give it to you straight: Wix comes out on top. It perfectly balances intuitive design, customization options, and affordability.

Wix makes it easy to create a stunning site, whether you want drag-and-drop simplicity or more advanced design control. It avoids the steep learning curve of WordPress and works around the design limitations that Squarespace can sometimes have.

Keep reading to find out why Wix wins and how it stacks up against Squarespace and WordPress. I’ll compare key features you’re likely considering right now, like pricing, e-commerce, design freedom, and ease of use, to help you choose the best platform for your needs.

Templates

Wix’s Templates Are the Most Versatile on the Market

Wix offers 800+ free templates, the largest selection among the three platforms. These templates are grouped into 78 categories, covering a wide range of needs like business, portfolios, and blogs.

Squarespace has a smaller, more curated library with about 170 free templates across 19 categories. WordPress.com, on the other hand, provides 160+ themes in 18 categories – with over 80 available for free.

While Wix leads in quantity, Squarespace really shines when it comes to design quality. Its templates are elegantly designed and visually appealing, which is ideal for creative professionals looking for minimalist, modern aesthetics.

However, Wix offers unlimited creative freedom, letting you position elements anywhere on the page without being confined to a grid. Advanced tools like Wix Velo and Wix Studio support deeper customization. Squarespace’s grid-based system limits creative flexibility but helps you maintain a cleaner, more structured look.

As for WordPress, I found its advanced customization settings to be best for developers. These include custom CSS and Javascript, function.php for adding scripts and styles, and cutting-edge plugins. You’ll also get access to developer tools like SFTP/SSH, WP-CLI, and Git. These features are ideal if you’re comfortable with coding and technical management.

In terms of mobile responsiveness, Wix and Squarespace take the lead. All their templates are automatically responsive, meaning they adjust seamlessly across devices. WordPress also offers many responsive themes, but it depends on the specific theme you choose.

Features and Ease of Use

Wix Has More Built-in Features and a Beginner-Friendly Drag-And-Drop Editor

Wix uses a flexible drag-and-drop editor that allows you to move and position elements freely. It also features an Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) tool for quick, beginner-friendly site creation. Squarespace’s drag-and-drop interface is more structured, so you’ll get limited customization within its clean, professional templates.

Meanwhile, WordPress uses the Gutenberg block editor, which allows for modular design and content creation. Although WordPress’s thousands of themes and plugins will enhance your site’s functionality, this comes with a higher learning curve. You’ll need to work with code inputs and navigate plugins to fully utilize its capabilities. That’s why I often only recommend WordPress to those with complex websites or technical expertise.

WordPress started as a blogging platform, providing robust tools for content management, categorization, and customization. Wix and Squarespace are great for blogging if you’re looking for a quick solution, but due to the sheer number of plugins and added blog functionalities, Wix has a slight edge.

In terms of e-commerce, Wix and Squarespace offer native tools like inventory management, automatic tax calculation, discount offerings, multiple payment methods, and built-in online stores. WordPress, however, requires plugins to provide the same features that Wix and Squarespace offer out of the box.

Overall, Wix is the easiest to use due to its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and ADI tool. WordPress offers more features (via plugins) and flexibility, making it better for experienced users who want more control and scalability.

Apps, Extensions, and Plugins

Wix Has an Extensive App Market, but WordPress’s Plugins Are Too Many To Count

When it comes to apps (Wix), extensions (Squarespace), or plugins (WordPress), WordPress offers the most variety, with thousands of plugins available through its marketplace. These plugins cover nearly every function you might need for your website, from SEO optimization to e-commerce solutions and marketing tools.

While WordPress provides some pre-installed plugins, most will require you to install them manually, and many of them are free, with options to upgrade to premium versions. However, accessing certain advanced plugins may require upgrading to higher-tier WordPress plans.

Wix also offers a robust selection of apps through its Wix App Market, with 800+ options to be precise. These include Wix-built apps, like Wix Stores and Wix Blog, and third-party solutions for CRM, booking systems, and media integration. Most Wix apps offer free and premium versions, so you can choose based on your needs. Unlike WordPress, all apps are available across all Wix pricing tiers.

Squarespace’s Extensions Panel features 45+ third-party integrations. While it offers fewer extensions than Wix and WordPress, Squarespace still includes essential business management, accounting, inventory management, and shipping tools. Most of these extensions have free tiers, but you’ll only get full functionality through their premium versions. You can access extensions on any pricing plan – no upgrade is necessary.

Blogging

WordPress Is a Big Deal When It Comes To Blogging

Wix’s drag-and-drop editor makes setting up and managing a blog easy. With Wix, you can organize posts into categories, tag them for better searchability, and easily customize each post’s layout to match your site’s style. While it provides a variety of blogging templates, Wix’s blogging features may feel somewhat limited compared to WordPress, especially for more complex blogs.

Squarespace also offers an easy-to-use blog editor, allowing you to quickly add text, images, and videos to your posts. It supports tagging and categorization, and the blog integrates well with other parts of the site, making it a solid option for visually-driven sites. However, Squarespace lacks some of WordPress’s advanced blogging features. Its customization options are primarily template-based, which may limit your control over individual post designs.

WordPress, on the other hand, is a powerhouse for serious bloggers. It comes with advanced tagging and categorization and offers extensive theme modifications and features through custom code and plugins.

These include custom post types and formats, advanced contact forms, and the ability to handle large-scale blogs with ease.

E-Commerce

Squarespace Has a POS for Offline Sales

Most Wix templates already have a built-in online store, but you can add one easily if your selected template doesn’t. Click “Add Apps,” located on the left side of the editor, search for “Wix Stores,” and integrate it into your site.

Similarly, Squarespace’s templates often come with a store page. If yours doesn’t, adding one is simple through the dashboard. In addition to running your own online store, both Wix and Squarespace allow you to sell on specialized platforms like Amazon and social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. However, only Wix supports sales on eBay, Google Merchant Solutions, and TikTok.

WordPress, on the other hand, isn’t as straightforward as the other two. Setting up a WooCommerce store is simple enough, but adding it to an existing site requires technical know-how. That’s why I recommend WordPress for more tech-savvy users.

In terms of cost, Wix’s store functionality starts with the $29.00 Core plan, while Squarespace requires the $23.00 Business plan or higher. If you opt for WordPress, you’ll need the $25.00 Business plan or above to integrate WooCommerce.

Squarespace’s major advantage over Wix and WordPress is its support for offline sales. You can use its app as a point of sale (POS) system with a supported Square reader, and offline transactions automatically sync with your inventory and sales data.

Wix also allows offline sales via bank transfers and cheques but lacks a POS system and requires manual payment tracking. WordPress, on the other hand, doesn’t natively support offline sales, but you can use plugins like WPOS to sync your online and offline transactions.

Marketing

Wix Offers a Wide Range of Marketing Tools

Wix stands out with its comprehensive marketing suite, offering a range of tools to boost your online presence. These include tools for email marketing, coupon campaigns to engage and incentivize visitors, and social media marketing features like Google and Meta Ads.

Additionally, Wix features a referral program that lets you leverage your existing customer base to drive more sales. If you’re looking for even more functionality, the Wix app market offers a variety of add-ons to enhance your site beyond Wix’s built-in features.

While Squarespace doesn’t offer as many marketing tools as Wix, it does well to provide the basics like email marketing and promotional pop-ups that display when visitors open your site. You can also hire a vetted Squarespace expert for professional marketing and design help.

WordPress relies heavily on plugins like Jetpack for social media marketing and Yoast for SEO optimization. The built-in email marketing tool with subscriber segmentation and advanced automation is a nice touch.

SEO

Wix’s SEO Checklist Is Unmatched

Wix provides a robust SEO Setup Checklist, a step-by-step guide designed to help you optimize your site. It includes phases for optimizing your homepage, site pages, and continuing to improve SEO over time.

Wix automatically generates key SEO elements like meta tags, sitemaps, and structured data but also allows you to manually edit URL slugs, meta descriptions, and canonical tags. It also integrates tools like Google Search Console and Semrush for keyword research​.

While Squarespace doesn’t match Wix’s breadth of marketing tools, it covers the essentials, such as email marketing and promotional pop-ups that appear when visitors arrive on your site. You can manually edit titles and descriptions and customize URLs, but for deeper SEO insights, you can hire vetted Squarespace experts through the platform.

WordPress’ SEO coverage is excellent so long as you’re willing to rely on plugins. Popular options include Jetpack for social media integration and Yoast for SEO. WordPress also offers built-in SEO features like customizable meta tags, XML sitemaps, clean URLs, advanced options like Google Analytics integration, AMP for mobile optimization, and more.

Pricing

Wix Is More Cost-Effective Overall

Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress all offer value at different price points. However, Wix’s mid-tier plan provides the most features for the lowest cost, especially for e-commerce business owners.

Here’s What You Get for Free

Wix offers a more feature-rich free plan than any other website builder. You can build an entire website, add unlimited pages, and fully customize to your heart’s content on the free plan. However, there are limitations: you can’t sell online, connect a custom domain, and your site will display Wix branding. Additionally, you get 500MB each for bandwidth and storage.

WordPress’s free plan gives you unlimited bandwidth and 3 GB of storage, but access to premium themes and plugins is restricted, limiting your ability to expand your site’s functionality. On the other hand, Squarespace doesn’t offer a free plan but does provide a 14-day free trial, so you can try the builder and get to know its features before subscribing.

Here’s What You Get if You Pay

Wix’s entry-level plan starts at $17.00 per month, while Squarespace’s begins at $16.00. With Squarespace’s lowest-tier plan, you’ll enjoy unlimited storage, whereas Wix’s basic plan offers just 2 GB. Both plans include an ad-free experience and a free domain for one year, but neither allows you to sell online. To accept payments, you must upgrade to Wix’s $29.00 Core plan or Squarespace’s $23.00 Business plan.

Wix’s Core plan offers 50 GB of storage, automated marketing tools, and the ability to collect and display product reviews. It also lets you manage subscriptions, recurring payments, pre-orders, and manual orders. Moreover, it includes automatic discounts, sales via marketplaces and social media, a 50,000-product catalog, abandoned cart recovery, and zero transaction fees.

Squarespace’s Business plan provides unlimited bandwidth and storage, a free custom domain for one year, promotional pop-ups, and an unlimited product catalog. However, it comes with a 3% transaction fee and lacks features like selling on social media or displaying product reviews. Plus, if you want to accept subscription payments or access e-commerce features like abandoned cart recovery, you’ll need to upgrade to their top-tier plan, priced at $23.00.

At first glance, WordPress may seem like the most affordable option, with a $4.00 plan that offers 6 GB of storage, a free domain for a year, an ad-free experience, and an 8% transaction fee. However, you’ll need to move up to its $25.00 Business plan to access lower fees and plugins.

To unlock essential e-commerce features like inventory management, discounts, and multi-currency payments, you must be on the $45.00 Commerce plan. By comparison, Wix’s $29.00 Core plan provides all these features and more, saving you quite a bit in the long run.

Support

Squarespace’s Live Chat Support Is More Reliable

Wix offers multiple support options, including live chat, phone support, email support, and an extensive support center. Support hours vary by language and region. For instance, English phone support is available 24/7, while live chat is available Monday through Friday from 2 am to 6 pm EST.

Customer support isn’t Wix’s strongest asset. They’re pretty slow to respond, and you might find it hard to reach the live chat. However, the support team is very helpful when you get a chance to speak to them. Also, its knowledge base offers a wide range of resources, so you may find a solution to your issue without needing to contact a representative.

Squarespace, in contrast, offers more reliable live chat support (Monday to Friday, 5 am to 8 pm EST), 24/7 email and X (formerly Twitter) support, and a community forum. I tried the live chat by asking if I could export my site content to WordPress, and they responded in less than 10 minutes with helpful information and a support link for further learning.

WordPress offers a vast knowledge base, a community forum, and 24/7 live chat and email support for premium users.

WordPress’s community forums and knowledge base are quite comprehensive and valuable for troubleshooting. Its live chat is also reliable, as my colleague was able to get a helpful response to their query in a couple of minutes.

Wix Is the Best Out of the Three

Wix’s beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor and advanced tools like Wix Velo make it suitable for both novices and more experienced users. With over 800 templates and a comprehensive app market, Wix provides a versatile platform for various needs without the steep learning curve of WordPress.com or the design limitations of Squarespace.

However, Squarespace might be better if you prioritize minimalist, visually-driven websites. Its templates are elegantly designed and automatically mobile-responsive, making it an excellent choice for sleek, modern sites.

Meanwhile, WordPress is ideal for tech-savvy users who want deep customization and scalability, particularly for more complex blogs or websites requiring advanced functionality.

Ultimately, Wix is the best choice for most users, especially those seeking a fast and flexible way to get online with minimal hassle.

FAQ

What is better, Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress?

Wix is better overall because it provides a perfect balance of ease of use, customization, and affordability. You get a flexible drag-and-drop editor, a wide range of templates, and built-in SEO and marketing features. Squarespace excels in design quality but limits creative freedom. Meanwhile, WordPress is highly customizable but requires technical knowledge.

Is Wix better than WordPress?

Yes, Wix is better, especially for beginners or users who want a simple, customizable platform. WordPress offers deeper control and scalability but has a steeper learning curve and requires more technical expertise.

Which is more expensive, Squarespace or Wix?

Squarespace is more expensive. To sell online, Wix’s Core plan will set you back $29.00, compared to Squarespace’s $99.00 Business plan. Not only is Wix less expensive, but it’s also more cost-effective, as it provides more features for less. For instance, Wix Core lets you sell subscriptions, display product reviews, and charges zero transaction fees. Squarespace Business, on the other hand, lacks these features and charges you a 3% transaction fee on online store transactions.

Is building a website with Squarespace better than WordPress?

Yes, building a website with Squarespace is better than WordPress. With Squarespace, you can build a simple, visually appealing website without coding. WordPress might be better if you need advanced customization and scalability and are comfortable with code. You can also check out our list of best website builders in 2024 for other options that may suit your needs better.