Wix vs Squarespace (2026): Which Website Builder Is Better for Small Business?

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Updated October 27, 2026. Prices below were checked against each company’s own pricing page on this date.

Wix and Squarespace are the two best-known website builders, and both can get a small business online in a weekend. Wix offers more flexibility and built-in business tools. Squarespace is known for polished, design-forward templates.

Here’s how they compare, based on each company’s own pricing pages.

The short answer

• Choose Wix if you want the most templates, an AI site builder and business tools like booking and payments in one place.
• Choose Squarespace if looks matter most and you want a professional site with little design work.

Wix vs Squarespace at a glance

	Wix	Squarespace
Best for	Flexibility and business tools	Design-forward sites
Free plan	Yes	No (14-day free trial)
Paid plans from	$17/mo billed yearly (Light)	$19/mo billed yearly (Basic)
Accept payments	From Core ($29/mo)	Every plan
Guarantee or trial	14-day money-back guarantee	14-day free trial

Prices are per month when billed yearly.

Pricing compared

Wix

There’s a free plan, and no credit card is needed to start. Paid plans billed yearly are Light at $17 a month, Core at $29, Business at $39 and Business Elite at $159. Core adds accepting payments, basic ecommerce and scheduling for services, and Business adds standard ecommerce. Wix offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Squarespace

Billed yearly, Basic is $19 a month, Core is $29 and Plus is $49. Every plan includes a free custom domain offer and lets you accept payments. Basic charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales, which drops to 0% on Core. There’s a 14-day free trial.

Where Wix wins

• More than 2,000 templates and an AI site builder
• A free plan to build before you pay
• Booking, payments and ecommerce in one platform

Where Squarespace wins

• Polished templates that look professional out of the box
• Payments and invoicing on every plan
• No store transaction fee from Core up

Our verdict

Wix is our best overall website builder because it covers the most business needs in one place. Squarespace is the better pick when design is the priority, especially for restaurants, photographers, consultants and boutique brands. Either way, budget for the plan that includes payments: Wix Core or Squarespace Core, both $29 a month, if you sell online.

See every Wix plan, including which one you need to take payments, in Wix pricing. Selling products mainly? See Shopify pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper?

Wix’s entry plan is cheaper ($17 vs $19 billed yearly), but Wix needs Core ($29) to accept payments, while every Squarespace plan can take payments.

Which is easier to use?

Both are beginner-friendly. Squarespace’s templates need less design work; Wix gives you more freedom to place things where you want.

Compare all five builders in our guide to the best website builder for small business.