What’s the best bang for your buck: Wix, Squarespace, or a WordPress website?
Is it your first time building a website for your small business? You might be asking yourself, where do I start? Most people tackling a website for the first time typically choose between three main options: the all-in-one platforms you hear about on podcasts like Wix and Squarespace, a custom WordPress setup, or hiring a web designer. Each option has a different price point along with varying features, risks and rewards. But which one is more affordable in the long run?
What you need to get started on your company’s website
There are a few components you’ll need before you can even start working on your home page: a domain, a web host, and, unless you know how to code, you’ll also need a drag-and-drop website builder.
Each service provider has several different price points, and depending on how much detail you need in your website determines what plan you’ll need to invest in. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on the core products each service provider offers, but you’ll have to understand what kind of website your business needs and go from there.
How affordable is WIX?
What you get if you go with WIX
For those of you unfamiliar with the platform, WIX is an all-in-one platform that includes web hosting, design tools, and support, relying on an AI chatbot rather than live phone support. WIX will cover the basics when it comes to web design. Being an all-in-one platform means you don’t have to jump around between sites to maintain your own and you’ll only have to deal with one bill.
What it costs to go with WIX
There are two payment options when it comes to billing: annual and monthly. Unless there is a sale on, you’re going to be paying 40CAD a month for their core plan if you’re paying monthly. Or the varying discounted rates for paying years in advance for your subscription: 1 year in advance for 33CAD, 2 years in advance for 28CAD, or 3 years in advance for 25CAD. These prices don’t include tax.
If you’re just starting out and can only pay monthly, 40CAD/month can seem like a hefty bill. And if you want to pay for the entire year or several years in advance, again, 400CAD to 900CAD, another large sum you might not be able to afford. Especially before your website is generating any return on investment (ROI).
Pricing for WIX core subscription (in 2026)
- Monthly: $40CAD+tax
- 1 year: $396CAD+tax (or 33CAD+tax per month)
- 2 years: $672CAD+tax (or 28CAD+tax per month)
- 3 years: $900CAD+tax (or 25CAD+tax per month)
Features you get with WIX
The plan includes a free domain for the first year, 50 GB of storage, reliable multi-cloud hosting, and access to WIX’s basic marketing tools to help grow your online presence. You can also accept online payments, run a basic eCommerce store, offer appointment scheduling and services, and collaborate with up to five team members.
Pros:
- No technical setup
- Simple marketing and AI tools
- Beginner-friendly
- Everything included in one price
- 24/7 support (live chat, or scheduled calls)
Cons:
- Harder to scale for business growth
- Can get expensive with apps/upgrades
- Hard to migrate your site elsewhere
- Design can get messy with too much customization
- All-in-one simplicity is its biggest strength and limitation
- Limited flexibility compared to WordPress
Rewards of going with WIX
Wix simplifies everything by bundling hosting, design, and marketing tools into one platform. It making the website building experience beginner-friendly. Its drag-and-drop editor, large template library, and built-in AI and business tools allow users to launch a site quickly without technical skills.
Risks of going with WIX
While easy to use, Wix has its limits as your business grows. Customization is restricted when compared to WordPress. And migrating your site to another platform later can be difficult. Costs can also increase with premium apps, upgrades, and advanced features.
How affordable is Squarespace?
What you get if you go with Squarespace
Squarespace is similar to Wix. It’s another all-in-one website builder that includes hosting, design tools, and support. It’s known for its templates and user-friendly interface, making it easy to build a polished website without technical experience. Like WIX, everything is bundled into one platform, so you don’t need to manage multiple services or providers, and you’ll only have one monthly or yearly bill to deal with.
What it costs to go with Squarespace
Squarespace also encourages annual billing by offering lower monthly rates if you pay the entire year or years in advance. A core plan is going to cost you 45CAD/month if you pay for your subscription on a month-to-month basis. Or, if you pay for a year in advance 384CAD (32CAD/month). Again, similar to WIX, this upfront cost can be difficult to justify when you’re just getting started and your website hasn’t begun generating consistent revenue yet.
Pricing for Squarespace core subscription (in 2026)
- Monthly: $45CAD+tax
- 1 year: $384CAD+tax (or 32CAD+tax per month)
Features you get with Squarespace
Every plan includes website templates, a free custom domain for the first year, built-in AI tools, unlimited contributors, advanced website analytics, and full customization using CSS and JavaScript. Businesses can also connect a professional Google Workspace email for added credibility. For selling online, Squarespace supports payment processing with credit card rates starting at 2.9% + CA$0.30, 0% online store transaction fees, and the ability to sell physical products, digital content, memberships, and services. Additional tools like free invoicing, professional shipping and tax services, sales funnel analytics, and API integrations.
Pros:
- Website templates
- Built-in blogging and eCommerce functionality
- Easy to create a professional site quickly
Cons:
- Less customization compared to WordPress
- Limited third-party integrations compared to platforms like Wix or WordPress
- Transaction fees on certain eCommerce plans
- Better suited for design and simplicity than advanced flexibility
Rewards of going with Squarespace
Squarespace excels in design and simplicity, offering templates and an intuitive interface that make it easy to create a professional-looking site. It includes built-in tools for blogging, eCommerce, and marketing.
Risks of going with Squarespace
The trade-off for simplicity is limited flexibility. Customization options are more restricted, especially for advanced features. Some users may also find fewer integrations compared to competitors, which can limit scalability.
How affordable is WordPress?
How to get set up with WordPress
WordPress is free, but it is a blank slate.
You’ll need to assemble the plugins and products you need to assemble a website, typically: a domain, web host, and web builder.
All-in-one website builders are rigid in what they offer when it comes to plugins. Normally, you have to use everything their brand owns. WordPress has been around longer, it offers free plugin options and this is one of the many things that make it easier to scale and customize for design or functionality.
Most businesses use WordPress as their CMS of choice.
With WordPress, you’re not limited by templates or platform restrictions, and you can customize nearly every aspect of your website. However, it also means you’re responsible for managing updates, plugins, and overall site maintenance.
And depending on the plugins and subscriptions, you connect to your website, or the people you put in charge of building and maintaining your website, WordPress can be the most affordable option.
What it costs to go with WordPress
You’ll typically pay for hosting (around $60–$120/year), a domain (~$20/year), and tools like Elementor Pro (~$80/year), along with any additional plugins you may need. In total, most basic setups range from about $150 to $300 per year, though costs can increase depending on the features and tools you add. While this approach avoids a large upfront platform fee like WIX or Squarespace offers.
WordPress Pricing (in 2026):
- Web hosting (like Nixihost):
- Monthly: $12CAD+tax
- 1 year: $120CAD+tax (or 10CAD+tax per month)
- Domain name: $20/year +tax
- Elementor Pro: $84/year +tax
Estimated Total
Approx. 224CAD/year
Pros:
- Full customization and control
- Scalable with plugins (SEO, eCommerce, etc.)
- Often cheaper long-term for simple sites
Cons:
- Requires setup, maintenance, and updates
- Costs increase with plugins and features
- No centralized support
Rewards of going with WordPress
A custom WordPress setup offers unmatched flexibility and control, allowing you to build exactly what you want and scale over time. You can choose your own tools, optimize for SEO, and avoid platform limitations, making it ideal for long-term growth and advanced marketing strategies. It’s also often more cost-efficient in the long run if you keep your setup lean.
Risks of going with WordPress
The biggest downside is complexity. You’re responsible for hosting, updates, security, and troubleshooting, which can become time-consuming or require technical knowledge. Costs can also become unpredictable as you add premium plugins or features, making it harder for beginners to budget effectively.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Option | Annual Cost | Ease of Use | Flexibility | Maintenance |
| WordPress | Approx. 224CAD+tax | Medium | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High |
| Wix | 396CAD+tax | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Squarespace | 384CAD+tax | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
Final Comparison Summary
| Platform | Pricing | Features | Best For | Biggest Drawback |
| WordPress | Approx. 224CAD+tax | Fully customizable | Developers, scaling brands | Maintenance & complexity |
| Wix | 396CAD+tax | All-in-one + AI tools | Beginners, small businesses | Limited flexibility |
| Squarespace | 384CAD+tax | Design-focused | Creatives, portfolios | Less customization |
How should you build your website?
It depends on what you’re looking for.
If you don’t have the resources or talent to back up a custom project via WordPress, you might want to go with an all-in-one builder for now. It might hinder your ability to migrate the website easily in the future, and it might limit you in ways of design, functionality and analytics but sometimes you just have to go to market, ASAP.
If you want a website that is scalable, more flexible and has more options when it comes to customization, go with WordPress. Personally, I think WordPress sites have more potential to look more professional. But it does require time and energy to learn how to use the platform to suit your needs.
You’re going to have to learn to use tools for any of these platforms.
If it were my business, I’d invest in doing things that work out for the long term and have the potential for a greater ROI. Whether it’s WIX, Squarespace or WordPress, if you don’t know how to use the tools and have the curiosity it requires to learn then hiring an expert is the best way to go.
A marketing expert will know how to build and maintain a website that has the functionality and design to reach your audience and boost your return on investment (ROI).
If you’d like to chat about launching your website, book a free 15-minute consultation with me!
