Web hosting with an AI website builder and the Horizons AI app/site builder (now part of Hostinger AI Builder).
Squarespace vs Wix
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Editor’s verdict
Squarespace focuses on polished, design-led templates with a tightly controlled editor, while Wix offers more building options, more built-in business apps and a larger app marketplace. Choose Squarespace if visual consistency matters most, you want a site that looks professional with little design effort, and you value bundled scheduling, invoicing and email campaigns in one account. Choose Wix if you want more layout freedom, a free plan to start, a wider range of industry features such as bookings, events and restaurant ordering, or the Wix Harmony AI builder for prompt-based editing. Both are fully hosted and neither lets you export your full site to another platform, so moving later means rebuilding. If you expect to run a large store with complex catalogues, Shopify is a better fit than either, and if owning your code matters, consider WordPress or Webflow.
Wix has a free plan, while Squarespace offers a free trial.
Which should you choose?
Choose Squarespace if…
- You need creatives and small businesses wanting a polished, design-led site with built-in selling
- You're one of: photographers and creatives, restaurants and local businesses, small online shops
- Consistently polished design output with little effort
Choose Wix if…
- You need small businesses wanting an easy all-in-one builder with lots of templates and built-in business apps
- You're one of: small business owners, service providers taking bookings, creators and freelancers
- You want a free plan (Squarespace only has a trial)
- Large template library across most industries
At a glance
| Squarespace | Wix | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Creatives and small businesses wanting a polished, design-led site with built-in selling | Small businesses wanting an easy all-in-one builder with lots of templates and built-in business apps |
| Free plan | Trial only | Yes |
| Starting price | From $16/mo | From $17/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Ideal for | Photographers and creatives, Restaurants and local businesses, Small online shops, Consultants selling services | Small business owners, Service providers taking bookings, Creators and freelancers, Agencies using Wix Studio |
Feature comparison
| Squarespace | Wix | |
|---|---|---|
| AI site generation | Guided (Blueprint AI) | Yes |
| E-commerce | Yes | Paid plans only |
| Blog / CMS | Yes | Yes |
| Hosting included | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain | Yes | Paid plans only |
| Code / content export | Limited | No |
| SEO tools | Yes | Yes |
| App / plugin marketplace | Limited | Yes |
| Design freedom | Medium | High |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Squarespace | Wix | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise (OIDC) |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | Yes |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | — | — |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Enterprise plan | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Squarespace
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder known for its designer templates, with hosting, SSL and commerce included. Its Blueprint AI builder asks about your goals and style, then assembles a site from its design system that you refine in the Fluid Engine editor. It also bundles scheduling, invoicing, email campaigns and member areas.
Key features- Designer templates and Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor
- Blueprint AI guided site builder on every plan
- Online store for physical, digital products and services
- Blog with scheduling and categories
- Acuity Scheduling, invoicing and email campaigns
- Extensions for shipping, tax and accounting
Wix
Wix is a hosted website builder offering several ways to build: the classic drag-and-drop Wix Editor, Wix Studio for agencies, and Wix Harmony, launched in January 2026, which combines AI prompt-based generation with manual editing. Plans include hosting, e-commerce, bookings, blogging and marketing tools, plus a large App Market. It is aimed at small businesses, creators and freelancers who want everything managed in one place.
Key features- Wix Harmony AI builder with natural-language editing
- Drag-and-drop Wix Editor and Wix Studio for agencies
- Online stores, bookings, events and restaurant tools
- Blog with SEO settings
- Wix App Market for added functionality
- Velo for custom JavaScript and databases
Pricing
Squarespace
Free plan: no (14-day trial). Paid from ~$16/mo billed annually (Personal)
Wix
Free plan (Wix ads + subdomain); Light from $17/mo billed annually
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Squarespace
Strengths- Consistently polished design output with little effort
- Hosting, security and updates fully managed
- Commerce, scheduling and marketing tools in one account
- Mobile app for editing and managing orders
- No free plan, only a trial
- Only blog and page content can be exported, not the full site design
- Far smaller extension ecosystem than Shopify or WordPress
- Advanced store needs such as complex filtering or custom checkouts are limited
Not ideal for: Large stores with complex catalogues should use Shopify, and sites needing extensive custom functionality are better on WordPress or Webflow.
Wix
Strengths- Large template library across most industries
- Many business features built in, such as bookings and events
- Free plan for building and testing a site
- Mobile app for managing the site and business
- Sites cannot be exported or moved to another platform
- Free plan shows Wix ads and uses a Wix subdomain
- Some existing apps and widgets are not yet compatible with Harmony
- Heavily customised sites can load slower than leaner builders
Not ideal for: Anyone who wants to own their site's code or move hosts later should choose WordPress or Webflow instead.
Integrations
Squarespace
Wix
FAQ
What is the main difference between Squarespace and Wix?
Squarespace is built for creatives and small businesses wanting a polished, design-led site with built-in selling; Wix is built for small businesses wanting an easy all-in-one builder with lots of templates and built-in business apps.
Is Squarespace or Wix cheaper?
Squarespace starts from $16/mo and Wix starts from $17/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Squarespace is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Squarespace and Wix have free plans?
Wix has a free plan, while Squarespace offers a free trial.
Which is easier to use, Squarespace or Wix?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Squarespace and Wix?
Other website builders tools worth comparing include Hostinger, Framer and Webflow.
