Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix – In-Depth Comparison For Beginners

This Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix comparison delves deeply into the crucial features needed in creating an online store. After reading this, you’ll be able to figure out which one is best for your business.

Online stores are one of the more complex types of websites when it comes to needs and functionalities. There are many ecommerce platforms available nowadays. But three of them stand out – Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix.

To help you choose which one among Shopify competitors is best for you, we will compare these platforms and we’ll give them a verdict. And if you’re determined to see which one emerges victorious, stick around till the end.

Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix – How Do We Choose The Winner?

As conversion rate optimization (CRO) experts serving more than 200,000 merchants, we know how to scrutinize platforms to find the good and the bad. Using this knowledge and expertise, we will point you to the platform that’s best for your business.

To make this Shopify vs Wix vs Squarespace comparison as objective as possible, we will be using a point system to see which website builder is best for your online store.

The point system will work this way:

• 3 points will be given to the winner of each feature comparison
• 2 points will be given to 2nd placer
• 1 point will be given to the 3rd placer
• 2 points will be given to all platforms (or two platforms) in case of a tie

Additionally, we picked some of the most crucial features that must be in a website builder. Then, we’ll be comparing the respective features of these platforms and we’ll be ranking them.

By the end of this review, we’ll be tallying all the scores to see which platform is indeed the best one for your online store.

Wix vs Squarespace vs Shopify – Important Features To Have

These ecommerce platforms contain plenty of features concerning design, usability, merchandising, marketing, and more. And if we try to enumerate those features one by one, it could result in a very long article.

As such, we only picked 12 important features that must be present in an online store builder. Additionally. These are common features shared by all these platforms so it will be a fair comparison.

Let’s start this Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix comparison.

Store Setup

Our first criterion in choosing the best ecommerce platform for online stores is the store setup. The process it takes to set up a shop is important, especially to those who are looking to create online stores in the shortest time possible.

Let’s see how the store setup looks across Shopify vs Wix vs Squarespace.

Shopify

Shopify’s store setup is a straightforward process. After signing up for a Shopify account, you only have to choose the options that apply to you and your store will be ready.

Squarespace

Squarespace’s store setup is a very delightful process. This platform also has an AI assist which could help in designing your store. And the one thing we love about setting up a store in Squarespace is its sample color palettes.

Wix

Similar to Squarespace, this ecommerce platform has an AI tool that offers more advanced assistance in setting up your online store. As such, if you’re a total beginner and you want to start with a well-designed store, Wix’s AI can help you generate images and text in your store.

Winner: Squarespace

Shopify - 1 | Squarespace - 3 | Wix - 2

Squarespace is the winner if you want to set up an online store fast without sacrificing design. With Squarespace’s AI assist and color palette suggestions, you won’t break a sweat in setting up your store.

Themes

Themes dictate the look and feel of online stores. Thus, it is important to choose a theme that represents your brand’s unique persona.

Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix all have plenty of well-designed themes for online stores.

Shopify

The Shopify theme store offers 200+ themes for all types of online stores. This selection includes 13 free Shopify themes that pack similar functionalities as other paid and premium Shopify themes albeit with fewer in-built features.

As most Shopify themes must be paid, your best option to get your money’s worth is to choose a mid-range theme that has enough ecommerce features to rival more premium themes. The one that we highly recommend is the Blum theme.

Squarespace

Squarespace has a total of 270+ themes. But when strictly looking for ecommerce stores, there are 81 Squarespace templates at your disposal.  You can use all these themes for free when subscribed to Squarespace.

Wix

Wix has 800+ themes and templates for all types of purposes. But when looking for eCommerce themes, Wix currently has 132+ themes. And with that many options, all their themes and templates are free to use.

Winner: Tie

Shopify - 2 | Squarespace - 2 | Wix - 2

Shopify trumps Squarespace and Wix in terms of the number of themes specifically for online stores, making the decision in Shopify vs Squarespace, as well as Wix even more important. But because Wix and Squarespace offer all their themes for free, we’ll give this one a tie.

Apps & Integrations

No ecommerce platform comes with all the ecommerce features conceivable. Thus, merchants need apps to expand the usability of their online stores according to their needs.

Shopify

There are more than 10,000 apps in the Shopify app store. This collection of apps includes simple plugins as well as complex ecommerce systems such as inventory management and CRM. Regardless of your niche, you can find Shopify apps that suit your needs.

Squarespace

As of this writing (September 2024) Squarespace only has 44 apps in its official app store. Thus, we can infer that finding apps for more complex needs would be a challenge when using this platform.

Wix

On the other hand, Wix has more than 500 apps in its official app store. Thus, running a Wix site won’t be as restricted as running a Squarespace site because you have more extensibility options.

Winner: Shopify

Shopify - 3 | Squarespace - 1 | Wix - 2

Shopify wins the app department by a long shot particularly because it has a substantially bigger app ecosystem when compared with Squarespace and Wix.

Sales & Marketing Integration

Sales and marketing tools are an integral part of ecommerce. Thus, you need to consider if the platform can be integrated to major social media apps and other sales channels like

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Tiktok
• Google Shopping

And we’re happy to say that all three platforms can be integrated with these channels. Additionally, all platforms support email marketing apps like MailChimp and Klaviyo.

However, what sets Shopify apart is the Shop app. It’s a proprietary marketplace where Shopify merchants can list all their products, thus gaining exposure to millions of potential customers. Thus, this sales channel alone can generate substantial revenues for merchants.

Winner: Shopify

Shopify - 3 | Squarespace - 1 | Wix - 2

Because of the Shop app, Shopify merchants have another major sales channel to increase their chances of generating more revenues.

Shipping Coverage

All three platforms support cross-border shipping for online stores. However, what differentiates the three platforms is their integration with shipping apps that could provide more savings and convenience to both the merchant and seller.

What’s missing in Squarespace and Wix are the app integrations with major couriers in the US such as DHL and USPS.

Whereas in Shopify, these are all present.

One additional advantage of Shopify is its partnership with major carriers in the US, EU, UK, and Australia. As such, if you’re launching a Shopify store from these locations, all you have to do is set up the Shopify Shipping function and your fulfillment is ready.

Winner: Shopify

Shopify - 3 | Squarespace - 1 | Wix - 2

Shopify is the clear winner in terms of fulfillment and delivery because of Shopify Shipping. As Wix has more shipping integrations compared to Squarespace, it will be taking the second place.

Payment Gateways

Payment gateways are ecommerce features that allow your customers to pay using their preferred and most convenient methods.

Shopify

Through Shopify Payments, merchants can integrate a payment gateway that caters to major credit card providers and other digital payment processors like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Additionally, Shopify has its proprietary ShopPay which makes payment more convenient for customers. Moreover, if you have a physical store, your Shopify POS can also support the payment gateway you have for your online store.

Squarespace

Similarly, Squarespace Payments supports all major credit card providers and other digital payment solutions.

Wix

Lastly, Wix also has a wide array of payment options courtesy of Wix Payments, making it a contender when comparing Wix or Shopify, as well as Squarespace. Using this solution, customers can pay using major credit cards, and other digital payment solutions such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Winner: Tie

Shopify - 2 | Squarespace - 2 | Wix - 2

Since Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix all offer a payment gateway for major credit card providers and digital wallets, they all deserve a tie.

Pricing

To give a more objective Wix vs Squarespace vs Shopify comparison as regards the pricing, we will be picking the winner under this section based on the features included at a certain price point. For that, we will use the following:

• Basic Shopify - $39 per month
• Squarespace Commerce  Basic - $40 per month
• Wix Business - $36 per month

But before we jump on to that, let’s take a look at the pricing plans under each platform.

Shopify

Shopify offers four pricing plans for all types of merchants:

• Shopify Basic - $39 per month (best suited for startups and those who run a business on the side)
• Shopify - $105 per month (also best suited for startups who are aiming to grow their businesses)
• Shopify advanced - $399 per month (best for medium to large scale businesses catering to a larger customer base)
• Shopify Plus - starts at $2300 per month (best for established large brands and enterprises who are serving customers from all over the world. Also, these brands usually have physical outlets integrated to their online stores)

It is worth noting that Shopify offers 25% on its Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans if you choose to pay for a yearly subscription.

Squarespace

Similarly, Squarespace has four pricing plans:

• Personal - $25 per month (best for entrepreneurs who sell services such as consultancies and those who want to establish a personal portfolio)
• Business - $36 per month (best for small businesses looking for basic ecommerce functionalities)
• Commerce Basic - $30 per month (best for small to medium businesses looking to acquire more customers through online and in-person channels)
• Commerce Advances - $72 per month (best for medium businesses with an established user base who are looking to establish a fully functional ecommerce website with all the conversion elements Squarespace has to offer)

Similar to Shopify, Squarespace also offers 27% to 36% off across all its plans if you choose to pay for an annual subscription.

Wix

Lastly, Wix also has four pricing plans.

• Light - $17 per month (best for people who sell a few items from their online store)
• Core - $29 per month (best for local entrepreneurs looking to sell their products from an online store)
• Business - $36 per month (best for medium to large businesses who are looking for a complete suite of ecommerce tools out of the box)
• Business Elite - $156 per month (best for large businesses, especially expert drop shippers who are looking to import thousands of products to their stores and sell them worldwide)

Wix does not offer an annual subscription.

Winner: Wix

Shopify - 2 | Squarespace - 1 | Wix - 3

After careful consideration, Wix takes the win in the pricing department because it offers more features for what you pay for based on our mentioned criteria.

Transaction Fees

Transaction fees eat up your profits. Thus, if you want to maximize your earning, you should choose a platform that takes less fees.

Shopify

Shopify Payment offers a decreasing transaction fee for credit cards depending on the plan that you’re using.

Transaction fees per plan:

• Basic Shopify - 2.9% + 30 cents
• Shopify - 2.7% + 30 cents
• Advanced Shopify - 2.5% + 30 cents
• Shopify Plus - most competitive rates

This means that as you progress to a higher Shopify plan, you get to enjoy lower transaction fees.

Squarespace

Among the three platforms, Squarespace offers the most lenient policy when it comes to transaction fees.

Squarespace transaction fees:

• Business - 3%
• Commerce Basic - 0%
• Commerce Advanced - 0%

With Squarespace, only those who are using the lowest-tier plan, Business, are charged for transaction fees. Higher plans don’t have to pay any transaction fees.

Wix

Lastly, Wix offers standard transaction rates across all its plans.

Focusing on the credit card transaction fees alone, Light, Core, Business, and Business Elite plan users are charged 2.9% + 30 cents for every credit card transaction that they make.

As such, regardless of the plan you’re in, the transaction rates will stay the same.

Winner: Squarespace

Shopify - 2 | Squarespace - 3 | Wix - 1

Squarespace is the clear winner here particularly because of its 0% transaction fees on its high-tier plans.

Scalability

If you plan to grow your business into a global brand, you should consider the advanced features offered by these platforms to see if they could support your growing business.

When talking about scalability, we need to compare the top-tier plans of these platforms.

Shopify

Shopify can support your online store from its startup stage until it becomes a world-renowned brand. That’s because as you go to a higher Shopify plan, you unlock more features and extensibility. The Shopify Plus offers everything the platform has to offer including complex and centralized inventory management for online and Shopify POS merchandising.

Squarespace

Squarespace’s top-tier plan does offer some advanced features such as shipping, discounts, and some commerce APIs. However, for large enterprises, these features would not be enough. They would also need more features for omnichannel selling which Squarespace lacks.

Wix

Wix’s top-tier plan offers more advanced features compared to Squarespace’s. But looking at its features, Wix’s top-tier plan is geared towards dropshippers because of its integration to Modalyst. But when compared to Shopify, Wix’s top-tier plan doesn’t come close in terms of scalability features.

Winner: Shopify

Shopify - 3 | Squarespace - 1 | Wix - 2

By a long shot, Shopify is the winner in terms of scalability because Shopify has the features, infrastructure, apps, and support that allow online stores to expand internationally.

Mobile Friendliness

Mobile-friendliness is one of the important things to look for when choosing an ecommerce platform. And we’re happy to report that whether you’re using a Shopify, Squarespace, or a Wix website, your audience will enjoy a great shopping experience using their mobile devices.

Winner: Tie

Shopify - 2 | Squarespace - 2 | Wix - 2

Since all platforms are mobile-friendly, this will be a tie.

Wix or Shopify or Squarespace - The Final Tally

Who’s the winner, is it Wix or Shopify or Squarespace? Well, let’s see the final tally to figure it out.

After summing it all up, Shopify emerges victorious in this comparison. Followed by Wix in 2nd place and Squarespace in third place.

The reason for this verdict is pretty obvious.

Squarespace is an ecommerce platform that isn’t made for scalability but rather, for fast launch and ease of setup. On the other hand, while Wix can be scalable, it still can’t match Shopify’s scalability in terms of integrations of in-store and online sales.

Lastly, Shopify is the world’s most popular ecommerce platform in terms of user base. Having more than 2.4 million active merchants as of September 2024 (source: storeleads.com), Shopify can attract more developers to create more solutions for merchants.

And in turn, more and more merchants are attracted to the platform as time goes by.

So, Which One, Wix, Shopify, or Squarespace?

To conclude this Wix vs Squarespace vs Shopify comparison, let’s ask the golden question.

Which one should you use, Wix, Shopify, or Squarespace?

Now that we’ve proclaimed Shopify as the clear winner, does it mean that you should automatically use it for your online store and ignore the other two platforms?

The answer is no. That’s because choosing a platform entirely depends on your needs and expectations. If you are simply planning to establish a basic online store with minimal customizations, by all means use Squarespace.

On the other hand, if you want to create an online store fast with more advanced features and ecommerce functionality compared to Squarespace, Wix could be your best option.

But if you want full control over customization and you’re creating an online store to create a truly global brand, you’ll need a platform that can support your business from the beginning until you reach your ultimate goal. For that, Shopify is the best ecommerce platform for you.