Comparing Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress for Service-Based Businesses
Written By Kerr Ho
Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress are popular website builders. Which is best for service-based businesses?
Best For
Service-based Business
SQUARESPACE
Service-based or creatives websites that want to build an online portfolio, showcase their work, take online appointments for classes and services or sell services and digital products.
Service-based Business
Small Business
WIX
Businesses looking to get online easily and quickly. Wix’s drag-and-drop editor, robust product backend, and impressive suite of built-in features make it easy to grow your website over time.
Small Business
Content-Heavy Sites
WORDPRESS
Content-heavy sites and experienced builders. You’ll need to manage and organize things like web hosting and security yourself, but you are granted a high degree of control over your site.
Content-Heavy Sites
When selecting a website platform for service-based businesses, several key criteria must be evaluated to ensure optimal performance. Ease of Use is essential for seamless navigation and content management. Design and Customization capabilities play a crucial role in representing the brand effectively. Functionality and Features should align with the business requirements to enhance user experience. SEO Capabilities are vital for visibility and ranking on search engines. Pricing considerations must be in line with the budget and future scalability. Additionally, robust Customer Support ensures timely assistance when needed. Each of these criteria plays a vital role in determining the suitability of a website platform for service-based businesses.
Ease of Use
Streamlined
SQUARESPACE
User-friendly interface. Streamlined website builder. Squarespace offers fewer templates than Wix or WordPress but provides stunning, pre-configured designs tailored for specific businesses. Users with minimal design skills can create professional-looking websites easily using the built-in page builder for customization without coding. Updates are simple to ensure websites stay fresh.
Streamlined
Drag-and-drop
WIX
Drag-and-drop builder. Intuitive user interface. Wix's drag-and-drop builder simplifies website creation for users without technical skills. It offers 500+ mobile-friendly templates for easy customization. However, changing themes after starting can be challenging as it may require recreating content from scratch, leading to a time-consuming process.
Drag-and-drop
Advanced use
WORDPRESS
Steeper learning curve. Requires technical knowledge for advanced use. WordPress now offers extensive design options with themes and plugins, becoming more user-friendly. The Gutenberg editor and page builder plugins enhance customization. It is now a competitive choice for projects of all sizes, catering to diverse needs and skill levels.
Advanced use
Design and Customization
Creative
SQUARESPACE
High-quality, professional templates. Customization options for design flexibility.
Creative
Basic
WIX
Wide range of templates. Customization through Corvid by Wix.
Basic
Extensive
WORDPRESS
Thousands of themes available. Extensive customization through plugins.
Extensive
Functionality and Features
Integrated
SQUARESPACE
Integrated e-commerce tools. Appointment scheduling and booking features. Squarespace excels in blogging features over Wix, offers strong content creation tools, and advanced e-commerce features. However, it may have fewer customization options and plugins compared to WordPress.
Integrated
Limited
WIX
App Market for additional functionalities. Limited integrated e-commerce tools. Wix offers promotional and e-commerce features for online growth but has more basic blogging capabilities than Squarespace and WordPress. It remains a user-friendly platform with strengths in promotion and e-commerce.
Limited
Diverse
WORDPRESS
Plugin ecosystem for diverse functionalities. Requires management of updates and security. WordPress offers customizable themes and plugins for SEO and e-commerce, excelling in content management and blogging compared to Squarespace and Wix.
Diverse
SEO Capabilities
Built-in
SQUARESPACE
Built-in SEO tools. Mobile optimization.
Built-in
Basic
WIX
Basic SEO tools. SEO Wiz for beginners.
Basic
Advanced
WORDPRESS
SEO plugins for advanced optimization. High potential for SEO customization.
Advanced
Pricing
Start at $16
/
month
SQUARESPACE
Transparent pricing plans. Value for money for service businesses. Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial. It provides sleek designs and robust features, making it a premium website builder option compared to Wix and WordPress.
Start at $16
/
month
Start at $17
/
month
WIX
Flexible pricing plans. Potential hidden costs. Wix offers pricing plans catering to various website requirements. Additionally, there is a free plan suitable for basic websites without advanced features or a custom domain.
Start at $17
/
month
Start at $4
/
month
WORDPRESS
Free and premium plans. Additional costs for hosting and premium plugins. WordPress is cost-effective, but requires web hosting and domain registration. With premium options like Rocket.net for better performance. Domain prices vary. Additional expenses may include plugins for site functionality. Despite costs, WordPress's flexibility and scalability make it a popular website choice.
Start at $4
/
month
Customer Support
Email Support
SQUARESPACE
24/7 customer support. Extensive knowledge base and resources. Squarespace provides 24/7 email support and live chat during specific hours for prompt assistance. Despite lacking phone support, the platform offers resources like help articles and guides to aid users in utilizing its features effectively.
Email Support
Ticket Support
WIX
Support availability. Community forums and support articles. Wix offers 24/7 phone and ticket support, but live chat responses may be slower than Squarespace. Despite this, Wix provides help articles, tutorials, and a support center for users.
Ticket Support
Community Support
WORDPRESS
Community-driven support. Extensive documentation and forums. WordPress lacks a dedicated support team like Wix and Squarespace, but its popularity means abundant online resources like video tutorials and Facebook groups. Support is available from page builder companies. The extensive community support makes WordPress a strong choice despite the absence of an official support team.
Community Support
