In the WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace debate, the short answer is this: WordPress is best if you want full ownership, flexibility and room to grow with SEO; Wix and Squarespace are best if you want to build something simple yourself and don’t mind staying on their platform. For online shops, Shopify is a serious contender too.
The right choice depends less on features and more on where your business is heading. Here’s how they really compare.
What is the main difference between WordPress, Wix and Squarespace?
The main difference is ownership. WordPress is open-source software you install on hosting you control, while Wix and Squarespace are hosted platforms where your site lives on their system and runs on their rules.
WordPress describes itself as open source software released under the GPL licence, which means you can run, study, modify and move it freely. Wix, by contrast, states that a Wix site must run on Wix’s servers, so you can connect your own domain but you can’t take the site itself elsewhere.
Which platform is most widely used?
WordPress is by far the most widely used. According to W3Techs’ CMS usage data, WordPress runs about 40% of all websites, compared with roughly 5% for Shopify, 4% for Wix and 2% for Squarespace.
That popularity matters in practice: more developers, more plugins, more documentation and more people who can help if something goes wrong.
How do WordPress, Wix and Squarespace compare side by side?
WordPress wins on ownership, flexibility and SEO control; Wix and Squarespace win on ease of setup and all-in-one simplicity. The table sums up the practical differences for a small business.
| WordPress | Wix | Squarespace | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who hosts it | You choose the hosting | Wix | Squarespace | Shopify |
| Can you move the site elsewhere? | Yes, it’s open source | No, it must run on Wix’s servers | Only partly (limited export) | Hosted by Shopify, so plan any move carefully |
| Design flexibility | Very high | High within the editor | Moderate, polished templates | High for shops |
| SEO control | Full, with plugins like Rank Math | Good built-in tools | Good basics, less fine control | Good for e-commerce |
| Best for | Businesses that want to grow and own their site | DIY small sites | Portfolios, simple service sites | Online shops |
| Ongoing maintenance | Updates and backups needed | Handled by Wix | Handled by Squarespace | Handled by Shopify |
Which is better for SEO: WordPress or Squarespace?
WordPress generally gives you more SEO control than Squarespace, because you can edit almost everything: URLs, schema, redirects, page speed settings and more, often through plugins. Squarespace covers the SEO basics well, but you work within what the platform allows.
For a small site with a handful of pages, Squarespace’s SEO is usually enough. For a business that wants to publish content regularly, target lots of local searches or build service and area pages, WordPress’s flexibility becomes a real advantage.
What happens if you want to leave Wix or Squarespace later?
Leaving usually means rebuilding the site. Wix says sites must run on its servers, and Squarespace’s own export guide says many page types, including store, portfolio and index pages, don’t export, along with style settings.
That’s why a platform switch often turns into a full redesign. If you ever make that move, plan the redirects carefully; my guide to SEO for a website redesign covers how to keep your rankings.
WordPress vs Shopify: which is better for SEO and online shops?
Shopify is often the easier choice for a dedicated online shop, because payments, stock and checkout are built in. WordPress with WooCommerce gives you more control over content and SEO, and suits businesses where the shop sits alongside services, bookings or a blog.
Both can rank well. The deciding factors are usually how many products you sell, how much content you plan to publish, and whether you’d rather manage updates yourself or pay a platform to handle them.
Where does Webflow fit in?
Webflow is a hosted, design-led platform that sits between Squarespace and WordPress: more design control than most builders, but still hosted on its own system. It suits businesses that want a highly custom look without managing WordPress updates.
Like Wix and Squarespace, it’s a platform you rent rather than software you own outright, so the same questions about moving later apply.
Which platform should a small business choose?
Choose WordPress if you want to own your site, grow it with content and SEO, and keep your options open. Choose Wix or Squarespace if you want to build and manage a simple site yourself with minimal maintenance. Choose Shopify if selling products online is the main job of your website.
If you’re unsure, ask where you want the business to be in three years. The platform that fits that answer is usually the right one today.
What else do people ask about choosing a website platform?
Is WordPress free? The WordPress software is free and open source. You still pay for hosting, a domain, and any premium themes, plugins or professional build.
Is Wix bad for SEO? No. Wix has solid SEO tools for small sites. The bigger limitation is that you can’t move the site off Wix later.
Can I switch from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress? Yes, but expect to rebuild the design and set up redirects from your old URLs so you don’t lose rankings.
Not sure which platform is right for your business?
I build websites mainly on WordPress, and I’ve worked with Webflow, Framer, Wix, Shopify and Squarespace too, so I’ll recommend what fits your business, not what’s easiest for me. Every site comes with on-page SEO built in.
Book a free consultation or browse websites I’ve built.
