Comparison · checked September 2026
Wix vs Squarespace
Choose Wix if you want a free plan, more templates and more design freedom. Choose Squarespace if you want polished templates that are hard to break and simpler all-in pricing. Neither lets you move your full site to another host, so if ownership matters, consider WordPress.
| Wix | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (billed annually) | Free plan; paid from about $17/mo (prices vary by location) | No free plan; from $19/mo (Basic) |
| Free option | Free plan with Wix branding and a wixsite.com address | 14-day free trial; publishing needs a paid plan |
| Online store | Core plan and above | All plans; Basic charges a 2% fee on store sales |
| AI site builder | Wix Harmony (launched January 2026) | Blueprint AI |
| Templates | 2,000+ (official) | Curated library (no official count) |
| SEO tools | Redirect manager, editable structured data, robots.txt editor, auto sitemap | URL mappings for redirects, automatic structured data and sitemap |
| Move your site elsewhere | No. Wix sites must run on Wix's servers | Limited XML export (blog and basic pages; no store, styles or most page types) |
| Share of all websites (W3Techs) | 4.2% | 2.4% |
Prices in USD, billed annually unless noted, as listed in September 2026. Prices change; check the official pages linked below.
Choose Wix if
- You want to start on a free plan and upgrade later
- You want lots of templates and fine-grained design control
- You want Wix's built-in business apps (bookings, events, restaurants)
Choose Squarespace if
- You want a clean, designer-made look with less room to make it messy
- You sell digital content or memberships and want those built in
- You prefer fewer, simpler plan choices
Pricing
Squarespace's plans are Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced at $19, $29, $49 and $99 a month billed annually. The Basic plan adds a 2% transaction fee on store sales; Core and above do not. Every site starts with a 14-day free trial.
Wix has a free plan with Wix ads and a wixsite.com address. Paid plans (Light, Core, Business, Business Elite) show prices by location; reviews updated in 2026 list them at about $17, $29, $39 and $159 a month billed annually in the US. Online payments start on Core.
Owning your site
This is the biggest practical difference from WordPress. Wix's help center states a Wix site cannot be hosted anywhere else. Squarespace offers an export to a WordPress-compatible file, but it leaves out store pages, products, most page types, styles and custom CSS.
If you might outgrow the platform, or want an agency to take over the site later, that lock-in has a real cost.
Wix vs Squarespace: common questions
Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper?
Wix is cheaper to start because it has a free plan and lower entry plans. At the mid tiers they are close: Squarespace Core is $29 a month billed annually, similar to Wix Core.
Which is better for SEO, Wix or Squarespace?
Both handle the basics: custom URLs, meta tags, 301 redirects, automatic sitemaps and structured data. Wix gives more direct control, such as a robots.txt editor and editable structured data.
Can I move a Wix site to Squarespace or WordPress?
Not directly. Wix does not export sites to other hosts, so you rebuild the site and move content by hand.
Which has better templates?
Wix has more (2,000+ templates) and more freedom to change them. Squarespace has fewer, more consistent designer templates.