website builder comparison – wix vs squareSpace vs wordpress
In this website builder comparison, I will discuss the pros and cons of the 3 most popular website builders; WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix.
All 3 have merits, advantages, and disadvantages
Which Website Builder is the easiest to use?
Wix is lovely. It’s simple, it’s easy and anyone can set up a site with very little website knowledge. Squarespace is the go-to for many people who want a more contemporary designed template.
Whilst I have used Wix plenty of times, generally to move clients sites from Wix to WordPress but I have never worked with Squarespace as I am WordPress all the way and have been for many years.
Ease of use comes with limitations, SquareSpace and Wix are controlled environments
They are site builders with limited options that can only be hosted by only them for a monthly fee. Moving them away is a painful process but that helps people decide to stay and keep paying that monthly fee.
With your monthly fee, you don’t have to worry about technology updates or finding hosting; you can basically just pick a template, add words and photos then hey presto; you can have a pretty website online in under an hour.
With Wix & Squarespace, you don’t need to know any code, no HTML or CSS, although the option is there if you need it.
These platforms are made for small businesses that simply need an online presence and whilst they are easy AF, like all easy things it’s limited and it’s on their platform so they own it and they have a level of control that I am personally not a fan of.
I don’t like anyone controlling my business. That’s just one of the many reasons I use WordPress and recommend WordPress hosting to my colleagues and clients (pricing starts at $5 a month).
Why WordPress?
It’s not really a website builder like the others but it kinda is a website builder as it helps you build websites :) I am from the olden days, when the internet was dialup and we created websites with code. I love WordPress as I can develop sites in a fraction of the time that it used to take.
For this blog, I am discussing WordPress.org which is the open-source platform that most people refer to when they say ‘WordPress’. WordPress a powerful content management system that’s the by far the best solutions for the serious business owners who want to use their website to scale with their business.
There is a platform called WordPress.com which is hosting with limited options and it’s not great. There is far better hosting options out there.
WordPress has the steepest learning curve of the 3 options but also a hell of a lot more functionality and flexibility.
Whilst WordPress is more challenging for a beginner; the upside is that it gives you the ultimate level of customisation and there is no real limit to what you can build into your website.
Functionality such as live chat, a private members area, paywalls, forums, courses and anything you can think up really, can be added to your WordPress site allowing you to include additional revenue streams and marketing opportunities.
WordPress is different from Wix and Squarespace in that you have full access to your website and you own your website and content.
The downside to WordPress is if you want to DIY you need to learn and decide how to build your site + handle your own ongoing site maintenance and it could end up being an incredible time drain. That’s why professional and experienced WordPress developers are worth their weight in gold.
WordPress has limitless options which means a lot of research and reading + possibly making a tonne of annoying mistakes should you decide to do the entire set up yourself.
As a very experienced developer, some days I get overwhelmed, there is so much WordPress stuff and so many moving parts with a WordPress site. I shed a few tears annually which is always due to hosting.
The main differences between these 3 website builder platforms
- Wix and Squarespace aim to give you a website without needing coding skills. WordPress gives you total freedom to think outside the box and achieve your goals.
- Wix & Squarespace own where your website is housed. WordPress you own your site, you can take a backup and put it anywhere you, please.
- Wix & Squarespace handle your hosting which is super handy and great if you don’t care about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
- Wix & Squarespace are rubbish for SEO. WordPress is the best platform for SEO and has great ROI
As I am all about SEO, there is no way in the world I would be working with Wix or Squarespace, Google looks at the technical stuff and Wix and SS just don’t provide what google wants. (Super technical explanation right there haha)
So, Which Website Builder is best?
Comparing Wix & Squarespace to WordPress is kinda like comparing a well priced Toyota to a Porsche. The WordPress CMS is far superior in all ways including performance & SEO.
What you decide to use is really down to what is best for you, your business and brand.
If you aren’t planning on being in business for long or you don’t want to grow your business then Wix or Squarespace is great but for long term SEO & brand strategy, WordPress wins hands down.
Thanks to the developers who contribute to WordPress with themes and plugins, you achieve anything you desire with your website.
A self-hosted WP site is the way to go and the cheapest in the long term; you just need to commit a bit of time and effort to learn the basics. There are plenty of free tutorials available online. Alternatively, I develop in WordPress and would love to help your idea come to fruition.
WordPress is the hardest to learn and most difficult for beginners but it’s worth it in the long term.
Wix is great if you want simple and easy to use, the same goes for SquareSpace. However, both platforms are hosted on hosting you do not own, so if they want your site gone, it’s gone; Goodbye.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to which of these Site Builders is best for you and your skill level, also how much you care if you lose your site & need to rebuild it in a new platform.
If you are using WordPress you can back up onto your local computer, I suggest if you are using Wix or Squarespace you always keep a copy of your content in case your site disappears.