Squarespace vs Wix

The short version

Squarespace and Wix are both hosted website builders with hosting, security and updates included. Squarespace keeps layouts structured and polished, so sites look consistent with little effort. Wix gives more freedom on the page and more built-in business apps. Both keep your site on their own platform, with limited export options.

Plan prices side by side

On monthly billing, Squarespace's Basic plan is $25 and Core $39. Wix's plans page shows prices for yearly subscriptions paid in full, and offers other periods at checkout. Wix shows plan prices by visitor location and currency. US prices are before tax; confirm the final price at checkout.

Design approach

Squarespace templates are built from sections with consistent spacing and type. Changing the look means choosing different sections and styles rather than moving elements freely, which protects owners from messy layouts. Wix's editor allows elements to be placed almost anywhere, which is liberating for some owners and leads to uneven pages for others. If you want a finished look with minimal design decisions, Squarespace fits that wish; if you want to place things exactly where you like, Wix does.

Selling online

Squarespace includes a store on every plan, with a 2% transaction fee on Basic and 0% from Core upward, plus separate fees on digital content and memberships below the Advanced plan. Wix's plan guide says online payments and ecommerce begin on Core. On both platforms the payment processor's own fees apply to each sale. See the ecommerce fees guide to compare total costs.

Apps and extra features

Wix has built-in apps for jobs such as bookings, events and member areas, plus an app market. Squarespace offers some business features as plan features and others as paid add-ons. If a specific feature matters, check both platforms' current lists rather than assuming either has it, and note which ones cost extra.

Leaving later

Squarespace exports a WordPress-format XML file that covers layout pages, one blog, text and image blocks and gallery pages, but leaves out store, portfolio, album, calendar and several other page types, along with style settings and custom CSS. Wix states that sites must stay on its servers; you can export CMS collections as CSV, but pages must be rebuilt elsewhere. For a blog-led site, Squarespace offers the easier exit. For a store, both mean rebuilding.

A portfolio and a studio

Neither business below is real; each shows which strengths decide the choice.

A photographer's portfolio with print sales. The owner wants galleries that look polished on every screen and a small shop for prints. Squarespace suits this: templates handle galleries well and a store is included on every plan. The owner chooses Core, so store sales carry no Squarespace transaction fee, and keeps a spreadsheet of prints in case of a future move.

A fitness studio taking class bookings. The owner wants to rearrange pages freely and take bookings and payments. Wix suits this: its built-in booking app and a Core plan cover classes and payments in one place, and the editor allows the layout the owner has in mind.

What neither platform does well

Neither builder is a good home for a very large content archive or a store with thousands of products and complex rules, and neither lets you take the whole site with you. If your plans include either, read the WordPress guide and the Shopify guide before deciding.

Running costs over a year

For a simple service business site with no store, the yearly plan cost is the main difference. On annual billing that is $228 for Squarespace Basic or $204 for Wix Light, before a domain and email. If you need to take payments, the comparison shifts: Squarespace Basic includes a store with a 2% fee on sales, while Wix's plan guide says payments begin on Core at $348 a year. On $5,000 of yearly store sales, Squarespace Basic's fee is $100, so Basic ($328 in total before processing) costs less than Wix Core; at higher sales, compare Squarespace Core with Wix Core, which are the same price on annual billing.

A side-by-side checklist

Before deciding, answer these for both platforms in their free trials:

1. Can you build your homepage from a template in under an hour without fighting the editor?
2. Does the site look right on your phone without extra work?
3. Does the plan you need include the features you listed, or do some require paid apps or add-ons?
4. What would you be able to export if you left?
5. What is the total yearly cost, including a domain, email and any apps?

Which to choose

Choose Squarespace if you want a polished site with few design decisions, sell a modest range of products, and value the structure that keeps pages tidy.

Choose Wix if you want freedom to place elements anywhere, rely on built-in business apps such as bookings, or want the lowest-priced paid plan.

Look elsewhere if being able to move the whole site later matters to you; WordPress is the portable option among the common choices.

Sources for this page

1. Squarespace: Squarespace Pricing Plans & Features. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
2. Squarespace Help Center: Export your site content. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
3. Wix Blog (updated October 20, 2026): Wix Premium Plans: Which Plan to Pick for Your Site. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
4. Wix: Wix Pricing Information. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
5. Wix Help Center: Exporting or Embedding Your Wix Site Elsewhere. Official source, read November 4, 2026.
6. Wix Help Center: CMS: Exporting Content from Your Collection. Official source, read November 4, 2026.