SquareSpace or Wix: Which Platform Should You Choose?

So, you want to build a website. Awesome! But what website platform are you going to use? 

It’s an important question that has to be answered at the beginning of the website building process since everything is going to be built on the platform. The only problem is there are a lot, and we mean a lot, of website platforms today. 

Two of the most popular platforms are Wix and SquareSpace. Both are amazing platforms with a lot to offer a business. Choosing between them can be a hard decision, but the point-by-point comparison below should make it easier!

Ease of Use

How easy a web platform is to use is a bit subjective and based on the individual’s experience level. Many people agree that both Wix and SquareSpace are user-friendly even for beginners, but SquareSpace is hard to beat when it comes to ease of use. It’s designed to be streamlined and structured so that it’s simpler. There’s less going on to cause distraction and confusion.

Customization 

Wix is the winner in terms of customization. Like SquareSpace you can use templates as is or customize them, but Wix isn’t as structured so you have more freedom to customize the design and layout of pages. Plus, there are a lot more templates to choose from with Wix. Another differentiation is that Wix has two editors while SquareSpace only has one. It can be too much of a good thing to some, which is why many people consider SquareSpace easier to use. 

SEO

You want your website to be found in search results once it’s built, right? When it comes to enhancing SEO performance, both platforms are a good option for covering all of the essentials. You can optimize pages with Wix or SquareSpace, but Wix has a few advanced features that are really beneficial. However, SquareSpace recently introduced their SEOSpace SEO plugin, which provides AI insights and sitewide audits. It’s been dubbed the Yoast of SquareSpace.

Third Party Apps, Plugins, Etc.

Website platforms are robust, but to really provide a plethora of features and functionality, platforms will allow for third party applications, extensions and plugins to be incorporated. While both have a lot of offer, Wix has an edge because it allows for custom plugin integration. But it’s worth noting the apps and plugins for Wix are integrated into the platform whereas SquareSpace is more flexible.

E-Commerce Selling Products

If e-commerce is the bulk of your business either platform will help you sell digital and physical products online, but you may find that SquareSpace is the better option. Wix also supports e-commerce, but SquareSpace includes features on every plan unlike Wix. Also, many of the plugins are geared towards e-commerce for things like inventory and shipping. Another thing worth considering is that SquareSpace allows for product sales directly through Facebook or Instagram.

Security

Today businesses have to take web security seriously because all it takes is one hack to compromise your entire website and the data it contains. The good news is Wix and SquareSpace are equally serious about web security.

Blogging

Regularly blogging is a key part of a content strategy for many businesses. Wix and SquareSpace are excellent options for blogging. In addition to having blog templates that make it easy to put together a great looking post, both platforms also have features for publishing. 

Storage Capacity

Websites use data with every line of content or code. Add in high-res images, videos and other rich media and the size of a website can grow quickly. Web pages are getting larger on average, which means you want to give yourself plenty of room to grow. With SquareSpace that isn’t going to be a problem. Their offer of unlimited storage is unbeatable. 

Backups and Data Protection

Wix may not offer nearly as much storage space, but protecting your content and data is a lot easier. You have to manually back everything up on SquareSpace, but on Wix the backups are automatic. 

Customer Support

If you look at Reddit threads with developers, designers and web builders debating which platform is best you’ll find they have one thing in common – complaints about customer service. To be fair, these days complaints about customer support are common for many businesses in many industries. In our experience, the support is much better than others make it out to be. However, if you want to talk to someone on the phone you may want to choose Wix since SquareSpace doesn’t offer that option. 

The good news is when you hire Bruce&Eddy to build your website you won’t have to worry about sitting on customer service calls. We manage the website updates and any issues for you! 
Give us a ring or send us a message to get a personal recommendation about whether Wix or SquareSpace is better suited to meet your website needs.