When it comes to building a website in 2025, three of the most popular platforms are WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses depending on your website needs—whether it’s for blogging, eCommerce, portfolio, or business.
In this article, we’ll compare WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace across key categories such as ease of use, customization, SEO, pricing, and scalability to help you determine which is best for your project.
1. Ease of Use
Wix is well-known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop builder. You can simply drag elements onto a page and place them anywhere. It’s ideal for beginners who want to get a site up and running quickly without touching any code.
Squarespace also offers a smooth and polished interface. While not as flexible as Wix in design layout, it provides a more structured experience with beautiful templates that are easy to customize.
WordPress, particularly the self-hosted version (WordPress.org), has a steeper learning curve. However, once set up, it offers far more flexibility and control. The WordPress block editor (Gutenberg) has improved usability, but some technical skills or a willingness to learn is helpful.
Verdict:
Best for beginners: Wix
Best balance of ease and design: Squarespace
Best for those willing to learn or hire help: WordPress
2. Design and Customization
Wix offers over 800 pre-built templates and extensive design customization. However, once a template is selected, it cannot be switched without rebuilding the site.
Squarespace shines with sleek, mobile-friendly templates ideal for creatives, photographers, and designers. It’s easy to make professional-looking websites, but customization is limited compared to WordPress.
WordPress offers thousands of free and premium themes. You can customize everything using CSS or plugins. If you’re using a page builder like Elementor or WPBakery, the design possibilities are virtually unlimited.
Verdict:
Best for advanced customization: WordPress
Best for clean, elegant designs: Squarespace
Best for flexible layout with some limits: Wix
3. SEO Features
WordPress stands out when it comes to SEO. Plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math make optimizing your content for search engines easy. You have full control over meta tags, permalinks, image alt texts, and more.
Wix has improved its SEO capabilities, offering meta tags editing, alt text support, and an SEO checklist. However, advanced features like schema markup and deep customization are more limited.
Squarespace offers built-in SEO tools, but they are less customizable than WordPress. You can edit basic meta titles and descriptions, but technical SEO enhancements are restricted.
Verdict:
Best for SEO: WordPress
Decent for small sites: Wix
Limited for advanced SEO: Squarespace
4. Pricing
Wix offers a free plan with ads, but to remove branding and connect a domain, you’ll need a paid plan starting around $16/month.
Squarespace does not offer a free plan. Pricing starts at $16/month for personal websites and scales up depending on features like eCommerce.
WordPress.org is free software, but you need to pay for hosting, a domain, and potentially themes or plugins. Hosting can start as low as $3/month with providers like Bluehost or Hostinger.
Verdict:
Best for free usage: Wix
Best for value and flexibility: WordPress
Most expensive for long-term: Squarespace
5. eCommerce Capabilities
Wix has a built-in eCommerce system for selling products, subscriptions, or digital goods. It’s easy to set up but limited in terms of advanced inventory management.
Squarespace is known for beautiful online stores. It includes integrated features like shipping calculators, inventory tracking, and more. Ideal for small to medium-sized shops.
WordPress with WooCommerce is the most powerful and flexible option. It can handle anything from a small store to a large eCommerce operation. There are thousands of plugins for payment gateways, shipping, taxes, and automation.
Verdict:
Best for serious eCommerce: WordPress + WooCommerce
Best for visual store design: Squarespace
Best for casual selling: Wix
6. Scalability and Flexibility
WordPress is the most scalable of the three. It can support small blogs or enterprise-level websites. As your business grows, you can add features, migrate to better hosting, or hire developers.
Wix and Squarespace are more limited. As all-in-one platforms, you’re restricted to what they allow. Migrating from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress can be time-consuming.
Verdict:
Best for growth: WordPress
Best for small businesses or static sites: Squarespace and Wix
Final Thoughts: Which Is Best?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer when comparing WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace. Your choice depends on your goals, budget, and how much control you want over your website.
Choose WordPress if you want full control, strong SEO, scalability, and flexibility. It’s ideal for blogs, eCommerce stores, agencies, and long-term growth.
Choose Wix if you want a quick, beginner-friendly site with drag-and-drop editing. Great for freelancers, local businesses, or landing pages.
Choose Squarespace if you value stunning designs and simplicity. It’s best for artists, photographers, and small eCommerce stores.
In 2025, all three platforms continue to evolve. However, WordPress remains the most powerful and flexible option—especially when paired with reliable hosting and professional plugins.