Wix vs Squarespace: which one should you pick in 2026?

Both are drag-and-drop builders that host your site for a monthly fee. They differ in how much freedom you get, how polished the defaults are, and what you pay.

Sign up free: 3 template sites on a we.inc address. AI building from $20/mo.

The short answer

Pick Squarespace if you want a polished, design-led site with little fiddling, and you are happy with its structured editor. Pick Wix if you want a free plan to start, more layout freedom, and a bigger app marketplace.

On price they are close: Squarespace starts at $16/mo and Wix at $17/mo on annual billing. Wix has a free plan with ads; Squarespace only has a 14-day trial.

If you would rather not drag anything, We.Inc builds the site from a chat description. Its free plan publishes up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address; AI building starts at $20/mo.

Side by side

WixSquarespaceWe.Inc
Free planYes, with Wix ads and a wixsite.com addressNo, 14-day free trial onlyYes: 3 template sites, we.inc address, no AI
Cheapest paid planLight $17/moBasic $16/mo$20/mo Starter (250 AI credits)
All plansLight $17, Core $29, Business $39, Business Elite $159 per monthBasic $16, Core $23, Plus $39, Advanced $99 per month (monthly billing costs more)Starter $20, Pro $50, Unlimited $99 per month
How you buildFree-form drag and dropSection-based editor with strict gridsDescribe it in chat, then click to edit
AIAI site generator and text toolsBlueprint AI setup and text toolsBuilds the whole site or app from chat
Store feesNo Wix fee on plans that sell2% store fee on Basic, 0% on Core and upNo We.Inc fee; you use your own Stripe
Take your site elsewhereNo code exportNo code exportYes, export to GitHub

Prices checked September 2026, in US dollars per month on annual billing unless noted. Vendors change prices often, so confirm on their pricing page before you buy.

Pros and cons

Wix

Best for: Small businesses that want flexibility and lots of add-on apps

Price: Light $17, Core $29, Business $39, Business Elite $159 per month

Pros: Free plan to try things properly; Place elements anywhere on the page; Large app market for bookings, events and more; Strong built-in SEO settings

Cons: Freedom makes it easy to build a messy mobile layout; You cannot switch templates once the site is live; Free plan shows Wix ads and a wixsite.com address; No way to export your site's code

Squarespace

Best for: Creatives, restaurants and service brands who care most about looks

Price: Basic $16, Core $23, Plus $39, Advanced $99 per month (monthly billing costs more)

Pros: Templates look professional with almost no effort; Mobile layouts are handled for you; Tidy all-in-one billing: hosting, SSL and a first-year domain; Good built-in blogging and scheduling add-ons

Cons: No free plan, only a trial; Less layout freedom than Wix; 2% store fee on the Basic plan; Fewer third-party apps

We.Inc

Best for: People who want to describe a site or web app in plain English and have AI build it

Price: Free plan: up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, no AI. AI building from $20/mo (Starter, 250 credits). Pro $50/mo, Unlimited $99/mo.

Pros: Describe what you want in chat and AI builds a full, editable site or app; Edit by clicking on the page, by asking in chat, or in a real code editor; Export the React and TypeScript code to GitHub, so you are never locked in; Unlimited sites on paid plans, custom domains from Starter

Cons: The free plan is templates only; AI building needs a paid plan; Newer platform with a smaller app marketplace than the big names; Store features are simpler than a dedicated ecommerce platform

Which is easier for a beginner?

Squarespace is harder to break. Its sections snap into place, so a first-timer ends up with a tidy page. Wix gives you a blank canvas, which is great if you have a clear picture and frustrating if you do not.

Both still ask you to pick a template, then replace every heading, photo and paragraph yourself. That is the step We.Inc removes: you describe the business and the pages come back written.

Start from a template

Frequently asked questions

Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper?

On annual billing they are within a dollar at entry level: Squarespace Basic is $16/mo and Wix Light is $17/mo. Wix also has a free plan with ads. Squarespace charges a 2% store fee on Basic, so sellers usually need Core at $23/mo.

Which is better for SEO, Wix or Squarespace?

Both handle the basics well: editable titles and descriptions, clean URLs, sitemaps and SSL. Rankings depend far more on your content and links than on which of the two you pick.

Can I move my site from Wix to Squarespace?

Not automatically. Neither lets you export a working site, so you rebuild the pages and copy content across. Squarespace can import some blog content, but layouts have to be redone.

Which is better for an online store?

Squarespace has a cleaner checkout and charges no store fee from Core up. Wix has more commerce apps. For a large catalogue, a dedicated store platform like Shopify is often a better fit than either.

Does We.Inc have a free plan?

Yes. The free plan lets you publish up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address. It does not include AI; AI building starts on the Starter plan at $20/mo with 250 credits.

Is there an option that builds the site for me?

Yes. On We.Inc you describe your business in chat and AI writes and lays out the pages. You then edit by clicking, by asking for changes, or in the code editor.

Related comparisons

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We.Inc is an AI-powered website builder you can resell under your own brand. Launch a branded client dashboard, bill on Stripe Connect, and deliver AI-generated websites in minutes. White-label plans are custom priced, with no per-site fees.

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