Wix vs Squarespace are two of the largest website creation services available today. Both operate as “software as a service” (SaaS) models, where users pay a recurring fee for full access to all the necessary tools and support to build and maintain their site.
Specifically, Wix provides beginner-friendly website development and allows for customization across its features. Similarly, Squarespace caters to novice users but offers modern design templates and strong blogging capabilities. Either platform can effectively meet basic digital presence needs.
While both website builders enjoy widespread popularity, there are also some key distinctions between them. Our Wix Squarespace comparison will show you key aspects, so you can select the best fit for your goals, including:
- Pricing
- General features
- Ecommerce features
- Ease of use
- Templates
- Blogging
- Security
- Performance
- Mobile apps
Wait no more! Start reading to find out: Which is better, Squarespace or Wix?
Wix or Squarespace: Which is better?
Here comes our most waited part – Squarespace Wix comparison. Let’s get right into it!
1. Pricing
Wix vs Squarespace pricing have quite similar structures, but there are notable differences. Wix offers more plans, including a free option with limited features. For those seeking basic and affordable options, Wix may be preferable.
At the same time, both Wix vs Squarespace cater to serious website owners, emphasizing standard paid plans. Annual subscription costs range from $150 to $200, depending on chosen features.
Wix’s Unlimited plan covers essential website needs, and the VIP plan adds priority support and a new logo. Squarespace’s Personal plan includes essentials, while the Business plan unlocks premium content, marketing tools, analytics, and more contributors, although it requires an upgrade.
Considering storage limitations, Squarespace offers unlimited storage, while Wix provides 10GB for Unlimited and 20GB for VIP. If extensive storage is vital, Squarespace may be more suitable.
For ecommerce, differences emerge. Wix’s cheapest ecommerce plan is $17/month (annual payment), whereas Squarespace’s starts at $26/month. Evaluate your product listings and ecommerce requirements before choosing a plan, as smaller stores may suffice with basic plans, while larger retailers might need more robust options.
Verdict: Either Wix or Squarespace pricing tier is accessible to most online sellers. For those with a tight budget, Wix may be the ideal choice, compared to Squarespace.
2. General features
Certain features are essential for builders, like photo galleries, maps, forms, and audio players. Both Wix vs Squarespace include these basics.
Beyond core features, their differences emerge more clearly. In general, Wix offers more options, while Squarespace’s features tend to work more seamlessly.
Features Wix has, but Squarespace does not
Wix enables the addition of various capabilities straight out of the box, even if they need first to be incorporated from the App Market. With Squarespace, on the other hand, the only approaches to include features like the following would be to connect third-party tools or write custom code.
Here is the list of examples:
Features | Wix | Squarespace |
Forum | Have Wix Forum app | Require integration with a 3rd party |
Live Chat | Offer Wix Live Chat app | Require integration with a 3rd party |
Multilingual site | Enable Wix Multilingual app | Require integration with a 3rd party |
Third-Party Fonts | Add directly from the editor | Need CSS code |
Squarespace often betters on features
Squarespace lacks some of Wix’s features but does a better job with the features they both have. Let’s look at some examples in our Wix vs Squarespace comparison, regarding general features!
Example 1:
While Wix can accept donations via a simple Paypal button, Squarespace has a more fully-featured donation system that is superior for this purpose.
- Donor specific checkout
- Donor email receipts
- Suggested amounts
It’s best not to give donors an eCommerce-like experience when donating. Having suggested donation amounts, as seen in most major non-profit organizations, is a great practice.
Example 2:
While Wix offers a podcast player for websites, it lacks the ability to syndicate podcasts. Syndication is essential as it permits submitting the podcast to directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. More than that, Squarespace stands alone as the only website builder that can properly syndicate podcasts. This key difference between Wix and Squarespace is another example of what Squarespace does better than Wix.
Verdict: Both Wix vs Squarespace are good options. Squarespace has fewer features than Wix, but the ones it has are well-designed and sufficient for most users. While Wix also has great features, Squarespace may be preferable unless a needed feature is missing.
3. Ecommerce features
If you want to create a good-looking and successful website for your business, both Wix vs Squarespace provide many helpful tools. These include basic website builder features like free SSL certificates and domain names, as well as more advanced eCommerce options. Both of these services can provide everything you need.
Here are the main features that both platforms offer you:
- Digital Products
- Email Personalization
- Integration with print-on-demand services
- Point-of-sale (POS) system functionality
- Ability to tag products on Instagram for shopping
- Automatic recovery of abandoned carts
- Products with recurring payment options
- Gift card functionality
- Notifications for products back in stock
- Notifications for low stock levels
However, we have also discovered that Squarespace has a tendency to create more advanced functionalities. As an illustration, Squarespace enables you to incorporate complex forms into your products, allowing you to request supplementary information during the customer checkout process. You have the option to select from a diverse range of field types, such as dates, radio buttons, phone numbers, text fields, file uploads, and more.
While Wix allows you to include form fields for products, it’s limited to text fields only. Right below is a demonstration.
Verdict: The winner is Squarespace. Both Squarespace and Wix provide essential tools for small stores, but Squarespace’s ecommerce features are more advanced than Wix’s.
Do you want to sell on multiple platforms to make use of all of the features offered by each and scale up your business? Check our guide on Wix integration and Squarespace integration for detailed guides to help you sell on multi-channels.
4. Ease of use
To start, we must look at how easy they are to use – because what’s the point of a website builder if it’s too hard to navigate and create your site? We need to see how simple it is to sign up, build the site, and make changes. Here is what we found when trying both Wix vs Squarespace.
Using Wix
Using Wix is straightforward. Beginners and experts can quickly build sites. Wix offers 2 main tools for users for website buildings: Wix ADI vs Wix Editor
With Wix ADI:
- You pick the site type and features you need.
- Then, choose a template and design to edit.
- The Wix ADI is easy but limited. As a result, there will be limited flexibility in the modifications you can implement.
The Wix Editor allows more freedom:
- You select from over 900 templates.
- Then edit using a simple drag-and-drop editor. There are many elements to add, combine, and customize your site look.
Overall, Wix offers lots of options. The two editors and hundreds of themes provide endless customization. It seems complex but becomes easier to use over time.
Using Squarespace
Unlike Wix, Squarespace only has one editor. This makes the setup less complex.
- To start, you select a template to use, even during free trials.
- Then you answer the questions to set up your site, like the name of your website and the number of pages. A tutorial explaining how Squarespace is also available for you. Information can be edited later.
- After setup, the editor allows customizing your site’s look. Unlike Wix, Squarespace does not use a drag-and-drop interface. The editor view is a simple grid layout. Sections are arranged in order one after another. Blocks within each section add content.
- In the editor, you can select from various pre-built section designs. They are formatted to match the template chosen, with coordinated styles, typography, and colors.
The Squarespace system offers less customization than Wix. However, there’s a benefit – sites maintain an attractive, consistent appearance across all devices. This makes Squarespace a suitable choice for those wanting their pages to look polished on any screen.
Verdict: Wix provides more options and customization. Meanwhile, Squarespace aims to make the process as simple and streamlined as possible. Which one is preferable comes down to personal choice.
5. Templates
Templates can be a big difference between Wix and Squarespace. Comparing Wix and Squarespace, we see that Wix presents an extensive library of over 900 templates that encompass a wide array of themes, while Squarespace offers about 110 themes categorized into 15 groups. Although we prefer Squarespace’s templates, the choice between Wix vs Squarespace largely depends on personal taste.
Wix templates
Wix provides users with a selection of more than 900 templates, catering to diverse themes. Two editors, Wix ADI and Wix Editor, are available: the former constructs your site based on specific questions, while the latter, a drag-and-drop editor, enables customization of existing templates.
The diverse options in Wix’s collection facilitate the easy discovery of a suitable template, whether one desires a traditional or contemporary design. Moreover, categorized grouping helps users swiftly navigate through the choices available.
Squarespace templates
Conversely, Squarespace offers just over 100 templates, with fewer topics to explore across 15 categories. Regarding diversity, Squarespace is one point behind Wix. However, users can access a ‘My Favorites’ section for quickly finding previously used templates.
Verdict: Is Wix better than Squarespace when it has more templates? It might depend on your taste since more Squarespace templates look more stylish than Wix. Also, Squarespace features a straightforward section-based editor that offers limited customization options. Yet, it is user-friendly, even for new users. The simplicity of this editor guarantees that the site’s design remains consistent with the chosen template, maintaining a modern and professional appearance.
6. Blogging
Compare Wix and Squarespace, both offer essential blogging features such as:
- Tagging;
- Categories;
- Drafts;
- Comments;
- User roles;
- Google AMP support;
- SEO settings (Slug, Title, & Description);
- RSS Feeds;
- And social sharing capabilities.
However, Squarespace surpasses these basic features with additional functionalities:
- It allows multiple authors to contribute to a single post.
- You can set distinct social images specifically for social media sharing.
- Squarespace’s blog editor offers diverse functionalities, enabling you to integrate Instagram feeds, galleries, newsletter forms, scrolling features, event ticketing, restaurant menus, and more.
Verdict: In this comparison, Squarespace stands out as the top choice among website builders when it comes to blogging. If your website’s main focus is blogging, Squarespace is the ideal platform to opt for. Interestingly, Squarespace originated as a blogging platform!
7. Security
Wix and Squarespace are leading closed website-building platforms, offering comprehensive security and maintenance services for their users and the platform itself.
Both Wix vs Squarespace implement robust security measures, including:
- Automatic SSL certificates: Every domain associated with Wix or Squarespace receives free SSL certificates, ensuring encryption and security for visitor information like emails, credit card details, and phone numbers.
- PCI DSS compliance: Both platforms adhere to the highest PCI standards, safeguarding customer card data.
- Stringent development protocols: Wix and Squarespace strictly follow security best practices during their development processes.
- Third-party app security: They enforce strict policies and programs to prevent the publication of any third-party apps or updates that pose security threats.
- Security monitoring: Besides maintaining a secure core, both platforms actively monitor sites to detect and counter security attacks.
- Bug bounty program: Both offer this program that rewards independent security researchers for discovering and reporting platform bugs.
Verdict: In terms of security, both Wix and Squarespace are considered winners, offering users a high level of security for their websites.
8. Website performance
Many users may ignore websites’ speed or optimization when picking the builder service, though they should be. However, fast website performance significantly contributes to an enhanced user experience.
In the recent comparison between Squarespace vs Wix, we evaluated the performance of websites created on both platforms using GTMetrix. This tool measures the overall speed and optimization of the pages and platforms.
This is the result we got when testing Wix websites:
This is the result we got when testing Squarespace websites:
The results displayed Squarespace in a more favorable light. It loads faster, clocking in at 2.8 seconds compared to Wix’s 8.4 seconds, and achieves a higher overall optimization grade with a B, while Wix receives a D.
However, when visiting the test websites, we observed minimal discrepancy between the two. Surprisingly, the data supports this observation: Squarespace takes roughly 1.5 seconds to display the top section of the site, while Wix takes approximately 2 seconds. These loading times fall well within industry standards.
Verdict: While Squarespace outperforms Wix in performance tests, the actual differences experienced in real-world usage are not significantly pronounced.
9. Mobile apps
Wix vs Squarespace comparison continues with our analysis of mobile apps. Both website builders offer mobile applications compatible with Android and iOS devices. Undoubtedly, these apps effectively facilitate managing your website or business directly from your phone!
Wix mobile app
The Wix mobile app allows users to view reports and analytics, engage in live chats with visitors, craft, and dispatch email campaigns, generate and share social media posts, oversee their blog, and handle their online store. Nevertheless, it doesn’t support webpage building due to Wix’s unstructured editor.
Squarespace mobile app
The Squarespace app permits you to generate content, oversee your store operations, and expand your business from any location, provided you have a smartphone and internet connectivity.
Particularly, it offers a wide array of functions, such as modifying your entire website using its structured editor, integrating products, monitoring analytics, managing inventory, incorporating SEO descriptions, and more. It’s worth mentioning that the Squarespace app had some glitches last year, but recent updates have resolved these issues.
Verdict: Both Squarespace vs Wix provide access to nearly all inherent website building features via their mobile apps. However, Wix lacks the capability to construct web pages directly from its app, while Squarespace allows this functionality. Hence, Squarespace earns another point.
Squarespace vs Wix: FAQs
Squarespace vs Wix: which is better depends on your needs, design preferences, and criteria like pricing. Both are solid options, but Squarespace often stands out for its overall design, SEO customization, and eCommerce capabilities. While Wix offers more design features and cheaper pricing plans. Wix allows for greater flexibility and personalized modification. Meanwhile, Squarespace focuses on ease of use and a streamlined workflow. The best option of what is more user-friendly may depend on individual priorities Both Wix and Squarespace present viable choices for artists. Wix has numerous portfolio-tailored templates and copyright protection tools. Meanwhile, Squarespace is renowned for high-quality images, stylish templates, and strong ecommerce functions that facilitate direct sales of art and photography from the site in an intuitive manner. Squarespace and Wix have portfolio templates suitable for displaying writing and design work. However, photographers may prefer Squarespace as its image-focused templates better facilitate showcasing photography throughout the entire site.
Is Squarespace or Wix Better?
The choice between Wix vs Squarespace depends entirely on your goals. Wix allows extensive customization throughout the site-building process, while Squarespace aims to simplify everything. So there is no wrong or right choice! It is all boiled down to your preferences. So we hope the breakdown in this article can help you choose the one you need for building your site.
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Contact us anytime you need assistance, the LitCommerce customer team works around the clock to support you. Happy reading!