Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix: A Simple Guide for Beginners

Saim khan

Starting an online business is exciting. But one of the first and biggest decisions you will make is choosing the right platform to build your website. Three names you will hear a lot are Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix.

They all help you build a website, but they are designed for different goals. Picking the wrong one can mean extra work and frustration.

This simple guide will break down the features, pros, and cons of each platform. By the end, you will know which one is the best fit for your dream.

The Main Difference in One Sentence

Think of it this way:

  • Shopify is a powerful online store that also has a website.

  • Squarespace is a beautiful portfolio that can also sell things.

  • Wix is a super flexible all-purpose website that can do almost anything.

Now, let's look at each one.


1. Shopify: The E-commerce Giant

Best For: Anyone who primarily wants to sell products online. It’s the king of e-commerce.

Key Features:

  • Powerful Sales Tools: Built-in inventory management, tax and shipping calculators, and connections to hundreds of payment gateways.

  • App Store: A massive library of apps to add any feature you can imagine to your store, from email marketing to advanced analytics.

  • Secure & Reliable: It handles huge amounts of traffic and transactions securely, so you don’t have to worry.

Pros (+):

  • The Best for Selling: No other platform makes it easier to manage a large inventory or process many orders.

  • Grows with You: Perfect for small stores and can scale up to handle massive businesses.

  • All-in-One Payments: Shopify Payments lets you accept credit cards without needing a third-party account (like Stripe or PayPal).

Cons (-):

  • More Expensive: The monthly fee is higher, and you often need to pay for multiple apps to get the features you want.

  • Less Design Freedom: The templates are good, but you can't customize them as freely as you can with Wix or Squarespace. The design is more structured around the shopping experience.

  • Transaction Fees: If you don't use Shopify Payments, you pay an extra fee on every sale.

Pricing: Starts at $39/month for the basic plan. Learn more check out Shopify Drop shipping 


2. Squarespace: The Design Leader

Best For: Creatives, artists, and small businesses where beautiful design and branding are the top priority.

Key Features:

  • Award-Winning Templates: Squarespace templates are famously beautiful, modern, and professional. They are designed to make your content look amazing.

  • All-in-One Package: Includes a website, hosting, a free domain name, and marketing tools in one simple plan.

  • Excellent Blogging & Portfolios: The tools for bloggers, photographers, and artists are top-notch and very easy to use.

Pros (+):

  • Stunning Designs: You can build a website that looks like it was made by a professional designer, even as a beginner.

  • User-Friendly: The editor is clean and intuitive. You click on what you want to change.

  • Great for Creatives: If you are a photographer, writer, or musician, Squarespace is made for you.

Cons (-):

  • Less Flexible: You have to work within the structure of the templates. You can't drag elements anywhere you want like you can with Wix.

  • Weaker E-commerce: While it can handle a small online store, it’s not as powerful as Shopify for stores with many products or complex needs.

  • Can Feel Limited: If you want a unique, non-standard website layout, you might feel restricted.

Pricing: Starts at $16/month (Personal plan, but you need the $23/month Business plan to sell products). check out more about Squarespace features


3. Wix: The Creative Playground

Best For: Beginners and small business owners who want total creative freedom and don't want to be locked into a template.

Key Features:

  • True Drag-and-Drop Editor: You can place any element (text, images, buttons) anywhere on the page. This is total design freedom.

  • Huge App Market: Like Shopify, Wix has a massive app market to add features like bookings, forums, and live chat.

  • Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence): Answer a few questions, and Wix AI will build a custom website for you automatically in minutes.

Pros (+):

  • Maximum Flexibility: If you can imagine a layout, you can probably create it with Wix.

  • Very Beginner-Friendly: The drag-and-drop editor is natural to learn, and ADI is perfect for the completely overwhelmed.

  • Huge Variety: With over 800 templates and countless apps, you can build almost any type of website.

Cons (-):

  • You Can't Switch Templates: Once you choose a template and start building, you are locked into it. You can't change it without rebuilding your site from scratch.

  • Can Get Messy: The freedom to drag anything anywhere can lead to a messy-looking site if you're not careful with design.

  • E-commerce is Basic: Better than Squarespace's basic tools but not as powerful as Shopify for serious, high-volume sales.

Pricing: Starts at $16/month (but you need the $27/month Core plan for a professional site or the $32/month Business plan to sell online). You can also learn more from Wix special guide .


Quick Comparison Table



Feature Shopify Squarespace Wix
Best For Selling Products Beautiful Design Total Design Freedom
Ease of Use Good (focused on store management) Very Good (clean and simple) Excellent (drag-and-drop is easy)
Design Flexibility Low (structured for sales) Medium (beautiful but rigid templates) High (drag anything anywhere)
E-commerce Power Excellent Good (for small stores) Good (for small stores)
Blogging Tools Good Excellent Very Good
Starting Price $39/month $23/month (to sell) $32/month (to sell)

Final Decision: Which One Should You Choose?

Making the choice is simple if you ask yourself one question: "What is the main goal of my website?"

  • Choose Shopify if: Your #1 goal is to build a serious online store and make sales. You plan to sell many products and want the most powerful sales tools. You are serious about e-commerce as a business.

  • Choose Squarespace if: Your #1 goal is to create a stunning, professional website to showcase your work, build your brand, or blog. You might sell a few products, but design and presentation are most important to you.

  • Choose Wix if: Your #1 goal is to have complete creative control over your website's design. You want the freedom to build a unique layout and don't want to be limited by a template. You are a beginner who values flexibility above all else.

All three platforms offer free trials. The best way to know for sure is to try them. Sign up, play with the editors, and see which one feels right for you. Your perfect website is waiting to be built

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