What is the difference between Squarespace and Wix?

Squarespace is best for Creatives and small businesses wanting polished sites, while Wix is best for Small businesses wanting drag-and-drop simplicity. Squarespace starts at $16/mo and Wix starts at Free.

Is Squarespace or Wix cheaper?

Squarespace starts at $16/mo. Wix starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Squarespace?

Yes, Wix offers a free tier (Free with Wix branding).

Squarespace vs Wix

Squarespace is all-in-one website builder with designer templates, e-commerce, and built-in analytics, while Wix is drag-and-drop website builder with 800+ templates, app market, and built-in SEO tools. The biggest difference up front: Wix is free, while Squarespace starts at $16/mo. Squarespace is built for creatives and small businesses wanting polished sites, whereas Wix targets small businesses wanting drag-and-drop simplicity.

At a glance

	Squarespace	Wix
Best for	Creatives and small businesses wanting polished sites	Small businesses wanting drag-and-drop simplicity
Starting price	$16/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
AI Builder	—	✓
Analytics	✓	—
App Market	—	✓
Domains	✓	—
Drag & Drop	—	✓
E-commerce	✓	✓
Templates	✓	—

Squarespace

Strengths

Huge template library covers social media, presentations, marketing materials, and more
Includes E-commerce as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows
Pricing starts at $16/mo, which includes the full website builder feature set
Established product with 22+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $16/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Performance and SEO control is limited compared to custom-coded sites
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Squarespace → Full review

Wix

Strengths

Includes Drag & Drop as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows
Includes App Market as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows
Free with Wix branding — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 20+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Performance and SEO control is limited compared to custom-coded sites
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Wix → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Wix is completely free (Free with Wix branding), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Squarespace starts at $16/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Squarespace offers Analytics, Domains and Templates that Wix lacks. Wix brings AI Builder, App Market and Drag & Drop that Squarespace does not have. Both share E-commerce.

Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: Squarespace's biggest strengths are: huge template library covers social media, presentations, marketing materials, and more. includes e-commerce as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows. Wix's biggest strengths are: includes drag & drop as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows. includes app market as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows.

Watch out for: With Squarespace, users commonly note that starts at $16/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Wix, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Squarespace if...

You need a tool built for creatives and small businesses wanting polished sites
You specifically need Analytics and Domains
You care about includes e-commerce as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows

Choose Wix if...

You need a tool built for small businesses wanting drag-and-drop simplicity
Budget is a hard constraint — Wix is free, Squarespace is not
You specifically need AI Builder and App Market
You care about includes app market as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows
The free tier works for you: free with wix branding