Wix vs Squarespace (2026): which website builder should you choose?

You've had both tabs open for a week. Wix in one, Squarespace in the other, a template half-chosen in each. They look about the same price, they both promise AI, and every comparison you read ends with "it depends".

Here's the part those comparisons skip: on both, the template you pick is the one you're stuck with. That's the reason we built Mondovo, a third option where you see your own business in three finished designs and can change your mind later. I'll compare all three, and I'll be clear about where Wix and Squarespace beat us.

The short answer

Pick Squarespace if you want a polished site with little effort and you're happy working inside its templates. It's the better fit for restaurants, photographers, portfolios and small shops.

Pick Wix if you need a specific feature from its app market, want to start on a free plan, or like placing things exactly where you want them. On price per feature there's very little between the two.

Pick Mondovo if you don't want to bet your site on a thumbnail. You describe your business, get three complete designs with your own content in them, and can switch designs later with a click instead of rebuilding. Bookings, a store and forms are built in, and a live site is $20 a month.

Wix vs Squarespace vs Mondovo at a glance

What you'll actually pay

Squarespace's pricing page is easy to read: Basic is $19 a month on a yearly plan ($25 if you pay monthly), Core $29 ($39), Plus $49 ($65) and Advanced $99 ($139).

Wix is harder to pin down. Wix's plans page says prices and currency vary by where you are, and the US-dollar figures it showed me included GST, so I can't give you a clean US price. The plans line up roughly as Light against Basic, Core against Core, Business against Plus, Business Elite against Advanced. Check your own checkout, not an old $17 or $29 figure quoted elsewhere.

Both give you a free domain for the first year on an annual plan. The catch for anyone selling: Wix's Light plan can't take payments, so selling starts on Core. Squarespace lets every plan sell, but Basic adds a 2% fee on store sales.

Mondovo: building, redesigning and editing are free, and previews are free to share with anyone. Pro is $20 a month for one live site on your own domain, with hosting and SSL, and the store, bookings and forms are built in rather than add-ons. It's one flat price, not an introductory rate that jumps at renewal. The domain is registered separately.

If you'd rather see your own business in three designs before deciding, try it free.

Design: the rule nobody mentions until it's too late

Squarespace is known for its templates, and its section-based editor keeps layouts tidy, so even a first-timer's site looks designed. Wix has more than 2,000 templates and lets you put things anywhere, which gives you more control and more ways to make a mess.

Now the bit that catches people out. Neither lets you switch template on a site that already exists. Wix explains that switching means creating a new site, and things like store data, bookings and members don't come across. Squarespace says version 7.1 sites can't switch templates at all. You can change colours, fonts and page layouts, and that's it. The template you pick on a Tuesday afternoon is the one you live with.

Mondovo: this is the problem we set out to fix. Mondovo builds three complete designs with your own pages and words in them, so you're choosing between three versions of your bakery, not three stock photos of someone else's. Up to ten designs can sit on one site, and switching the live one is a click; your content doesn't move. To be fair, Squarespace's templates have years more polish, and a generated design can need refining if you have a strict brand guide.

Ease of use

Squarespace's Fluid Engine is drag and drop within a grid, so things stay lined up. Wix's drag and drop is freer, and its newer Harmony editor lets you prompt the AI for pages and sections, then edit by hand "down to the last pixel". Fewest decisions, Squarespace. Most freedom, Wix.

Mondovo: you describe the business, or paste the address of the site you have now, and it shows you a plan of the pages before it designs anything. After that you edit on the page or ask for a change in words, even from inside ChatGPT or Claude.

Selling online

Wix stores start on Core, with up to 1,000 variants per product. Wix Payments' US fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction.

Squarespace sells on every plan, with unlimited products and card rates from 2.9% + $0.30. Its fee guidance says Basic adds a 2% store fee and Core removes it, and digital content and memberships carry a fee of 7% on Basic, falling to 0% on Advanced. For a bakery selling a few gift boxes, Squarespace Basic is the cheapest way in.

Mondovo: the store is built in, with cart, checkout, payments and orders, and bookings take deposits, which suits a salon or a class that's paid up front. Wix's app market and Squarespace's subscriptions and digital goods cover more unusual selling than we do.

SEO

Both cover the basics: page titles and descriptions, an automatic sitemap, structured data and redirects. Wix documents editable canonicals, bulk redirects and AI visibility tools. Squarespace's redirects only work once the old page is deleted or disabled, and its list holds about 2,500 lines. Wix gives you more to tweak.

Mondovo: per-page titles, descriptions, sitemaps and structured data are built in. If you're moving from Wix or Squarespace, every old page address is redirected to the closest new page with a 301, and any it wasn't sure about are flagged for you to check.

AI and support

Both build a starting site from a description now. Wix's AI builder is part of Harmony, with Aria as an assistant in the editor. Squarespace's Blueprint AI generates a multi-page site with copy and images, then hands you to the normal editor. Squarespace meters its AI with credits: a one-time 10 on Basic, and 20 to 120 a month on higher plans. On support, Wix offers a 24/7 callback service and weekday chat. Squarespace has 24/7 email and weekday chat, with no phone.

Mondovo: the AI builds the whole site three ways, from your content, and the difference is what happens next. You can add more designs later, up to ten on one site, and keep every page and word. Building and editing never use credits.

Why we built Mondovo

Step back and Wix and Squarespace are more alike than different. In both, you choose a look before you've seen your own words in it, and that choice is permanent. On Wix your store data, bookings and members stay behind when you change. Mondovo flips the order: your content first, then three designs, and the freedom to swap later.

• Nothing to maintain. No plugins, no updates, no backups. Pages publish from a global network and security is our job.
• More than a website. Forms with an enquiry inbox, contacts, email, social posts, a chat widget and an AI receptionist for phone calls sit next to the store and bookings.
• Moving is handled. Paste your Wix or Squarespace address. Mondovo reads your pages, text, images, logo and colours, and sets up the redirects.
• A way out. Download the published site as ready-to-host files; your domain stays yours.

Mondovo is younger than both, with a smaller app ecosystem, and order history doesn't move across. See Mondovo vs Wix or Mondovo vs Squarespace.

Describe your business and see your three designs, free.

Prices and features checked on 20 October 2026. They change, so check the linked pages before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wix or Squarespace better?

Squarespace is better if you want polished design with little effort. Wix is better for flexibility, a free plan and more features. On price there's little in it.

Is there an alternative to both Wix and Squarespace?

Yes. Mondovo builds three complete designs from your own content instead of asking you to pick a template, and lets you switch designs later without rebuilding. Building is free; a live site is $20 a month.

Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper?

Squarespace Basic is $19 a month billed yearly. Wix prices vary by location and its US-dollar references include GST, so check your local checkout. If you want to sell, compare Wix Core against Squarespace with its transaction fees in mind.

Can I switch templates on Wix or Squarespace?

Not on an existing site. Wix says switching means a new site, and Squarespace 7.1 sites can't switch at all. You change colours, fonts and layouts, or start over.

Can I move from Wix to Squarespace?

There's no one-click move between them. You rebuild the site and redirect your old page addresses to the new ones. Mondovo can read a Wix or Squarespace site from its address and set those redirects up for you.