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Security & compliance databaseSOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA BAAs, and the plan you need for SSO, SCIM and audit logs. How to read security claimsSOC 2 vs ISO 27001, the single sign-on tax, and what “Not published” means.
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Offline access databaseWhich tools work without internet, in which app, and what syncs later. Remote vs office guideIP allowlisting, device controls, data residency and office hardware, tool by tool.
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Security in every comparisonEach head-to-head now compares compliance, sign-in, offline and remote controls. Download the dataJSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0. Every value carries the vendor URL and quote.
Website Builders

Wix vs Squarespace: Which Website Builder Fits Your Business in 2026?

A free-to-start, app-heavy builder vs. a polished, template-first design platform. Here is which website builder fits your business.

Bill BelcaminoBy Bill Belcamino · Last updated August 26, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Wix logoFrom $17/mo

Wix

VS
Squarespace logoFrom $19/mo

Squarespace

See the full spec table Read the FAQ
Wix vs SquarespaceVerified Aug 26, 2026
Bill Belcamino
Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper for a small business site or store?

For a plain site Wix is cheaper to start, but for a store it flips: Wix doesn't include e-commerce until Core at $29/mo, while Squarespace includes it on Basic at $19/mo.

The catch on Squarespace Basic is a 2% transaction fee on physical products, and Squarespace raised prices up to 26% in July 2026. That 2% is the number to model, because it sits on top of whatever your payment processor charges and grows with every sale, while a plan price stays flat however much you sell. At low volume it's noise, but once product sales are steady, put a month of them next to the flat step up to Wix Core and see which costs less. Also pick your Wix template as if it's permanent, since Wix doesn't let you swap it on a built site without redoing the design.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on August 26, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

Verified data

Wix vs Squarespace: quick facts

At a glanceWixSquarespace
CategoryWebsite Builders
Entry priceFrom $17/moFrom $19/mo

Is Wix cheaper than Squarespace?

Wix is priced at From $17/mo and Squarespace at From $19/mo. See the full breakdown below for what is included at each tier.

Verified data

Wix vs Squarespace at a glance

CategoryWixSquarespace
Entry-level paid planLight — $17/mo (annual)Basic — $19/mo (annual, after a July 2026 price increase)
App/plugin marketplace sizeWix App Market: 500+ appsSquarespace Extensions: ~47 listed apps
Design template flexibility2,000+ templates, free-form drag-and-drop editor~190–200 curated templates, structured section/grid-based editor
Built-in e-commerceUnlocked starting at Core plan ($29/mo)Included even on entry Basic plan, but with a 2% transaction fee on physical products
AI site builderWix AI Website Builder — prompt-driven site generationSquarespace Blueprint AI — guided, brand-description-driven design flow
SEO toolsBuilt-in SEO Wiz + AI SEO assistant, integrated email marketingBuilt-in on-page SEO tools, fewer dedicated SEO automation features than Wix

Verified August 26, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources

Total cost of ownership: Wix vs Squarespace for your team

Estimate built from the published starting rate shown above (as of Sep 2026). Excludes add-ons, usage overages, and negotiated discounts.

Editorial assessment

Pros & cons

Wix

Pros

  • Free plan to start, no credit card required
  • Largest app/plugin ecosystem (500+ apps)
  • More granular, free-form drag-and-drop design control

Cons

  • Free plan shows Wix ads and a Wix subdomain
  • Template can’t be swapped once a site is built without redoing design
  • E-commerce tools require upgrading past the entry paid plan

Squarespace

Pros

  • Polished, professionally curated templates out of the box
  • Unlimited products and full e-commerce included even on the entry plan
  • Blueprint AI gives a structured, brand-guided site setup

Cons

  • No free plan, only a 14-day trial with payments disabled
  • Prices rose up to 26% in a July 2026 increase
  • Much smaller extensions marketplace than Wix

Choose Wix if…

Choose Wix if you want a free plan to start, need a large app ecosystem, or want more free-form design control.

Choose Squarespace if…

Choose Squarespace if design polish out of the box matters most and you want e-commerce and booking tools bundled into the cheapest plan.

Verified data

Wix vs Squarespace: security, offline & remote work

How Wix and Squarespace compare on compliance reports, sign-in controls, offline access and the setup details that matter for remote, hybrid and in-office teams. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checkedWixSquarespace
Security & compliance
SOC 2 reportSOC 2 Type IIsourceNot published
ISO/IEC 27001CertifiedsourceNot published
Other certificationsISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO/IEC 27701, PCI DSS Level 1sourceNot published
HIPAA (BAA)Not publishedNot published
GDPR data processing agreementDPA offeredsourceDPA offeredsource
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)YesEnterprise (OpenID Connect only, not SAML)sourceYesPremiumsource
SCIM user provisioningYesEnterprisesourceYesPremiumsource
Two-factor authenticationYessourceYessource
Admin audit logYesEnterprisesourceNot published
Data residency choicesNot publishedNot published
EncryptionAES-256 at rest; HTTPS/TLS 1.2+ in transitsourceTLS in transitsource
Self-hosting optionNot publishedNot published
Offline access
Offline modeNeeds a connectionWix POS Register cannot take credit card sales offline for later sync; Wix lists it as a feature request.sourceNeeds a connectionSquarespace point of sale in the Squarespace app requires an internet connection; there is no offline checkout.source
Desktop appsNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsiOS, AndroidsourceiOS, Androidsource
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlistingYesEnterprisesourceNot published
Device & session controlsNot publishedNot published
Office & room hardwareWix POS Register runs on a POS tablet with card readers (Stripe Reader M2 in the US, WisePad 3 in Canada/UK, Wix POS Go in all three) and Epson receipt printers.sourceIn-person sales run in the Squarespace app with Tap to Pay (iPhone/Android) or a Square Reader (US only); Square Register, Stand and Terminal are not supported.source
Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

  • Audit reports: Wix states a SOC 2 report on its own site; we found no SOC 2 statement for Squarespace. If your security team requires SOC 2, ask Squarespace directly before shortlisting.
  • Single sign-on: Wix includes it on Enterprise (OpenID Connect only, not SAML); Squarespace includes it on Premium. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the plan that includes SSO, not the entry plan.
  • Working offline: Wix and Squarespace need an internet connection. Details are in the Offline mode row above.
  • Office-only access: Wix can restrict sign-ins to approved IP ranges on Enterprise. That suits an office network or a company VPN; fully remote teams need a VPN for it to work.
  • In the office: Wix: Wix POS Register runs on a POS tablet with card readers (Stripe Reader M2 in the US, WisePad 3 in Canada/UK, Wix POS Go in all three) and Epson receipt printers. Squarespace: In-person sales run in the Squarespace app with Tap to Pay (iPhone/Android) or a Square Reader (US only); Square Register, Stand and Terminal are not supported.

Wix: worth knowing

  • SecurityOrganization SSO on Wix is OpenID Connect only (not SAML) and requires the Wix Studio enterprise solution or Wix Channels. source
  • SecurityAudit logs, IP allowlisting, SCIM and SSO are enterprise-solution features, not part of standard Wix plans. source
  • OfflineWix POS cannot queue card payments while the Wi-Fi is down, so stores need a fallback payment method during outages. source

Squarespace: worth knowing

  • SecuritySSO for team logins (Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google SAML) is limited to Squarespace's Premium and Enterprise plans. source
  • SecuritySquarespace says its built-in payment processor integrations are PCI-DSS compliant; it publishes no SOC 2 or ISO 27001 claim on its security page. source
  • OfficeSquarespace point of sale stops working without internet, so a store needs Wi-Fi or cellular data at the counter. source

Checked September 19, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

Making the switch?

Read our step-by-step migration guides

We mapped out exactly what transfers automatically and what you will need to rebuild by hand, in both directions.

Switching from Wix to Squarespace → Switching from Squarespace to Wix →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Wix?

Wix is a website builder that lets users design and publish websites with a drag-and-drop editor.

What is Squarespace?

Squarespace is a website builder known for polished, template-based designs for portfolios, small businesses, and online stores.

How much does Wix cost compared to Squarespace?

Wix starts at $17/mo (Light plan, annual billing), while Squarespace starts at $19/mo (Basic plan, annual billing).

Which has better reviews on G2, Wix or Squarespace?

Wix holds a 4.2/5 (~1,888 reviews) rating on G2, compared to Squarespace at 4.4/5 (~1,137 reviews).

Who should choose Wix?

Choose Wix if you want a free plan to start, need a large app ecosystem, or want more free-form design control.

Who should choose Squarespace?

Choose Squarespace if design polish out of the box matters most and you want e-commerce and booking tools bundled into the cheapest plan.

Ready to pick one?

See live pricing directly from each vendor before you decide.

See Wix pricing See Squarespace pricing

Canonical data for the tools on this page

Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

SquarespacePricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›WixPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
Framer vs SquarespaceHead-to-head comparisonLovable vs WixHead-to-head comparisonSquarespace vs WordPressHead-to-head comparisonWix vs WordPressHead-to-head comparison

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

Cite this page: HelpCompare, “Wix vs Squarespace”, helpcompare.com/wix-vs-squarespace/ (updated ).

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check . How sources are checked.

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Plain-language guides: the steps, what to check before you buy, common mistakes, and every tool it takes with verified prices.

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01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.132 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.264 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent eight and a half years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on August 26, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

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