Website Builders Comparison Guide

Website Builders Comparison Overview

This website builders comparison looks at five leading ways to build a web presence: Wix, Squarespace, WordPress (hosted and self-hosted), Shopify, and Webflow. The goal is to help entrepreneurs, small business owners, and individuals pick the right platform based on technical skills, design needs, ecommerce requirements, budget, and growth plans.

Key decision criteria include ease of use, design flexibility, ecommerce and payment support, SEO and content control, extensibility (apps, plugins, custom code), and total cost of ownership. com (hosted) balances simplicity and power for blogs; Shopify is best for dedicated ecommerce stores; Webflow is best for designers and teams needing pixel-level control without full-code pipelines.

Read the detailed option sections below for features, tradeoffs, exact pricing as of June 2024, and clear use-case recommendations.

Wix

Overview and Positioning

Wix is a mainstream, hosted website builder focused on visual drag-and-drop design and fast setup. It targets small businesses, freelancers, local services, and stores that want a polished site without coding. Wix provides templates, a site editor, a marketplace of apps, and built-in hosting.

Key Features and Strengths

• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor, very low learning curve.
• Large template library and design elements.
• App Market for bookings, forms, marketing, and basic ecommerce.
• Built-in hosting, SSL, and CDN included.
• AI site generator (Wix ADI) for rapid site creation.
• Good integrated SEO tools, blog, and basic CRM features.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Design freedom comes at the cost of more difficult template switching later.
• Less control than WordPress.org for advanced SEO, custom code, or complex data models.
• Scaling complex ecommerce or custom backend logic is limited compared with Shopify or self-hosted platforms.
• App ecosystem is smaller than plugin ecosystems for WordPress.

Pricing and Value

Prices as of June 2024 (billed monthly when available; annual billing may reduce costs):

• Free plan: $0 with Wix domain and Wix ads.
• Combo: $16/month (personal sites, removes Wix ads).
• Unlimited: $22/month (recommended for freelancers/small businesses).
• VIP: $45/month (priority support).
• Business Basic (accept payments): $27/month.
• Business Unlimited: $32/month.
• Business VIP: $59/month.

For small stores, Business Basic (~$27/mo) covers most needs; expect app fees and transaction fees from third-party payment processors if used.

Best For

• Local businesses, simple service sites, and portfolios that need quick setup.
• Entrepreneurs who prioritize ease of use and visual editing over deep customization.
• Small ecommerce stores with straightforward product catalogs.

Squarespace

Overview and Positioning

Squarespace positions itself on design-first templates and a cohesive, polished publishing workflow. It appeals to creatives, photographers, restaurants, and small businesses that prioritize curated aesthetics and consistent branding.

Key Features and Strengths

• Industry-leading visually cohesive templates optimized for images and storytelling.
• All-in-one platform with hosting, SSL, blogging, and analytics.
• Built-in appointment booking, scheduling (via Acuity integration), and basic ecommerce.
• Strong typography and image handling, responsive templates by default.
• Integrated marketing tools: email campaigns, SEO settings, social posting.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Less flexible than open-source WordPress for custom plugins or complex functionality.
• Fewer third-party integrations compared with Wix or Shopify.
• Editor is structured (section-based) rather than free-form drag-and-drop, which limits some layout freedom.
• Ecommerce features are solid for small catalogs but not ideal for very large or complex stores.

Pricing and Value

Squarespace pricing (monthly billing approximate as of June 2024):

• Personal: $16/month (no ecommerce).
• Business: $23/month (transaction fees 3% unless upgraded, adds marketing features).
• Commerce Basic: $27/month (no transaction fees, checkout features).
• Commerce Advanced: $49/month (advanced ecommerce: subscriptions, abandoned cart recovery).

For a design-led small store, Commerce Basic at $27/month is a common pick; note that the Business tier charges 3% transaction fee unless you move to Commerce plans.

Best For

• Creative professionals, photographers, restaurants, cafes, and boutique shops prioritizing curated design.
• Businesses that want a polished site with minimal setup and a consistent look.

Wordpress (Hosted Wordpress.com and Self-Hosted Wordpress.org)

Overview and Positioning

org (self-hosted open-source CMS). WordPress powers a large portion of the web and is ideal for content-heavy sites, blogs, magazines, and complex websites requiring custom functionality.

Key Features and Strengths

• Massive extensibility through themes and plugins (SEO, ecommerce, memberships, LMS, custom post types).
• Full control over code, database, and hosting when self-hosted.
• Powerful content management, scalable for large sites.
• WordPress.com offers a hosted path with simpler management and optional plugin support on higher plans.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Self-hosted WordPress.org requires more maintenance: hosting, backups, security, and updates.
• Learning curve for themes, plugins, and potential troubleshooting.
• Plugin compatibility and quality vary; can create performance issues without optimization.
• WordPress.com lower-tier plans limit plugins and themes; higher tiers are needed for full power.

Pricing and Value

WordPress.com pricing (monthly billed annually as typical; prices approximated June 2024):

• Free plan: $0 with WordPress.com branding.
• Personal: $4/month.
• Premium: $8/month.
• Business: $25/month (plugins and custom themes allowed).
• eCommerce: $45/month (commerce features).

Self-hosted WordPress.org costs vary by hosting:

• Shared hosting: $3 to $15/month (providers like Bluehost, SiteGround, and Hostinger).
• Managed WordPress hosting: $20 to $50+/month (Kinsta, WP Engine).
• Additional costs: premium themes $40-100 one-time, plugins $0-100+/year, developer fees if used.

Best For

• Content-driven sites, blogs, publications, and businesses that need plugin-based features (membership, LMS, complex ecommerce).
• Projects that require maximum flexibility and future scalability.
• Developers and technical teams comfortable with hosting and maintenance, or businesses willing to pay for managed hosting.

Shopify

Overview and Positioning

Shopify is a hosted ecommerce-first platform focused on online stores of all sizes. It emphasizes checkout reliability, payment processing, inventory, and multichannel selling (online, POS, marketplaces). Shopify targets merchants who want a robust store with minimal backend development.

Key Features and Strengths

• Full ecommerce feature set: inventory, shipping, taxes, discounting, analytics.
• Integrated payment gateway (Shopify Payments) and wide payment provider support.
• App Store for extended functionality: dropshipping, subscriptions, reviews.
• Scales from small merchants to enterprise with Shopify Plus.
• POS solutions for in-person sales.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Monthly costs and app fees can add up; transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments.
• Less suited for non-ecommerce content-first sites compared with WordPress.
• Customization beyond themes often requires Shopify Liquid knowledge or developer help.
• Some features (advanced reporting, international pricing) require higher-tier plans.

Pricing and Value

Shopify pricing (as of mid-2024):

• Starter: $5/month (social selling, limited features).
• Basic Shopify: $29/month.
• Shopify: $79/month.
• Advanced Shopify: $299/month.
• Shopify Plus: custom pricing for enterprises.

Transaction fees apply if not using Shopify Payments. Apps and themes often carry additional fees.

Best For

• Online stores of most sizes that need reliable payments, shipping, and scaling.
• Merchants who want a dedicated ecommerce platform with integrated POS and multichannel selling.
• Businesses that prefer a managed solution to handle taxes, payments, and fulfillment integrations.

Webflow

Overview and Positioning

Webflow blends visual design control with production-ready HTML, CSS, and JS output. It targets designers, agencies, and teams who want pixel-level control without hand-coding the entire site, plus the ability to export code or use Webflow hosting.

Key Features and Strengths

• Visual CSS-style editor with precise layout controls and reusable components.
• CMS for structured content (collections) and design-driven templates.
• Exports clean code for hosting elsewhere or uses built-in hosting with global CDN.
• Interactions and animations without JavaScript coding.
• Designer-friendly collaboration tools and client-friendly Editor mode.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Steeper learning curve than Wix or Squarespace; not intended for absolute beginners.
• Higher cost for CMS and business-level hosting compared with basic builders.
• Ecommerce features exist but are less mature than Shopify.
• Complex sites may still require custom code or advanced Webflow knowledge.

Pricing and Value

Webflow pricing (site plans approximate as of June 2024):

• Free plan for basic staging and testing (Webflow branding).
• Site Basic: $18/month (no CMS).
• CMS: $29/month (content-driven sites).
• Business: $49/month.
• Ecommerce plans: Standard $42/month, Plus $84/month, Advanced $235/month.

Workspace (editor/collaboration) plans add costs for team seats. Expect designer-level hourly costs if hiring a Webflow expert.

Best For

• Agencies, designers, and teams that need high-fidelity design and CMS capabilities.
• Startups and brands wanting a custom look without a full development hire.
• Projects where exporting code or migrating later may be required.

How to Choose

Start by defining your top priorities: speed to launch, design control, ecommerce features, long-term flexibility, and budget.

• Primary goal: Is your site mainly ecommerce, content, portfolio, or brochure? If ecommerce at scale, favor Shopify; content-heavy sites favor WordPress; portfolios and design-led sites favor Squarespace or Webflow.
• Technical comfort: Prefer no-code visual editors (Wix, Squarespace) or are you comfortable with hosting and code (WordPress.org, Webflow)? Choose managed builders for low maintenance.
• Customization needs: Need plugins, custom integrations, or complex workflows? WordPress.org or Shopify with apps offer the most extensibility.
• Budget and recurring costs: Calculate base plan + domain + apps/plugins + premium theme + transaction fees. Self-hosted WordPress can be cheapest or more expensive depending on managed services.
• Growth and migration: If you expect to outgrow the platform, prefer platforms with export paths (WordPress, Webflow exports) or plan for migration costs.

Decision tree (brief):

• If you need a simple site fast with minimal upkeep: choose Wix or Squarespace.
• If you sell products and want full ecommerce features: choose Shopify.
• If you need content control and extensibility: choose WordPress.org (or WordPress.com Business if you want hosted).
• If design precision and CMS for designers matter: choose Webflow.

Quick Comparison

Feature | Wix | WordPress.com — | —: | —: Pricing (typical paid plan) | $22/month (Unlimited) or $27/month (Business Basic) | $25/month (Business) or $8/month (Premium) Best for | Small business, portfolio, simple stores | Blogs, businesses needing plugins on Business plan

Multi-platform snapshot table

Feature | Wix | Squarespace | WordPress.org | Shopify | Webflow — | —: | —: | —: | —: | —: Ease of use | Very high | High | Moderate to low | High for ecommerce | Moderate (steep learning) Design flexibility | Good (drag-and-drop) | Excellent templates | Unlimited via themes/plugins | Theme-based, some Liquid | Very high (pixel control) Ecommerce | Built-in basic | Built-in small store | Via WooCommerce | Excellent (core focus) | Available (less mature) Extensibility | App Market | Limited | Massive plugin ecosystem | App Store | Integrations + custom code Typical monthly cost* | $16 - $59 | $16 - $49 | $3 - $50+ (hosting) | $29 - $299 | $18 - $235 Best for | Local businesses, portfolios | Creatives, service businesses | Content-heavy sites, custom projects | Dedicated online stores | Designers and agencies

*Prices approximated June 2024; actual prices vary by billing term and add-ons.

FAQ

Which Website Builder is Best for a Small Local Service Business?

For a small local service, ease of use and bookings matter most. Wix or Squarespace are typically best because they offer templates, appointment/booking integrations, and quick setup with low maintenance. Choose based on whether you prefer more free-form editing (Wix) or more curated templates (Squarespace).

Can I Move My Site From One Builder to Another Later?

Moving between builders is possible but can be time-consuming. Content like blog posts can usually be exported/imported (RSS/CSV), but design and site structure rarely transfer perfectly. org offer more export options; hosted builders like Wix and Squarespace make migration more manual and may require rebuilding the design.

How Much Should I Budget for the First Year?

Expect to budget for domain ($10-20/year), hosting or builder plan ($0-360+/year), premium theme or template ($0-100), and apps/plugins/extensions ($0-300+). A simple site with a paid builder typically costs $200-500 in year one; a professional ecommerce store often starts at $500-$3,000 including design, apps, and initial marketing.

Is Wordpress Safer than Hosted Builders?

Security depends on management. Hosted builders (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, Webflow hosting) handle platform security and updates for you. Self-hosted WordPress can be secure if you use managed hosting, keep plugins updated, and follow best practices, but it requires active maintenance and security measures.

Do Any Builders Charge Transaction Fees?

Shopify charges transaction fees if you do not use Shopify Payments. Squarespace charges 3% on Business plans unless you upgrade to Commerce. Wix and Webflow may have payment processing fees depending on gateway; also expect standard credit card processing fees (Stripe, PayPal).

Always check plan details for transaction fees.

Which Builder is Most SEO-Friendly?

org offers the most control via plugins (Yoast, Rank Math) and server-level optimizations. Webflow is also strong for on-page SEO and clean code. org or Webflow for fine-grained control.

Further Reading

• Wordpress Website Builders - Choose Build Launch
• Website Building Squarespace Guide
• Website Builders for Ecommerce Guide
• Photography Website Builders for Photographers