WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace: which to choose

The short answer

• WordPress: blogs and content sites that want ownership, the biggest plugin library and the cheapest paid plans.
• Wix: small businesses that want drag-and-drop editing, one bill and a free plan to test first.
• Squarespace: portfolios and brand sites that want polished templates with less tinkering.

WordPress comes in two forms: WordPress.org, free open-source software you run on your own host, and WordPress.com, a hosted service. Wix and Squarespace are hosted builders. For more options, see the best blogging platforms.

WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace at a glance

What each one costs

Prices are in US dollars as of October 2026, per month and billed yearly unless noted.

• WordPress.org (self-hosted): the software is free; you pay for hosting and a domain. SiteGround StartUp is $2.99/month for the first 12 months ($35.88 prepaid), then $17.99/month, and a .com at Porkbun is $11.08/year, so year one costs $46.96. Hostinger Premium is $2.49/month on a 48-month term ($119.52 up front), then $10.99/month.
• WordPress.com: a Free plan with ads on a subdomain; Personal $4 ($48/year, or $9 month to month), Premium $8, Business $25 and Commerce $45. Every paid plan can install plugins, and yearly plans include a free domain for year one.
• Wix: a Free plan with Wix ads and a wixsite.com address; Light $17, Core $29, Business $39 and Business Elite $159. Most yearly plans include a 1-year voucher for a new domain bought from Wix. Year one on Light is $204.
• Squarespace: no free plan, but a 14-day trial with no credit card. Basic $19 ($228/year, or $25 month to month), Core $29 ($39), Plus $49 ($65) and Advanced $99 ($139). Annual plans include a free domain for year one.

Note: Intro hosting prices end. At SiteGround's $17.99/month renewal, a self-hosted site plus a Porkbun domain costs $226.96 a year from year two, close to Wix Light ($204) and Squarespace Basic ($228) before their domain renewals. Hostinger renews at $10.99/month, and WordPress.com Personal is $48/year.

Ownership and moving your site later

WordPress is open-source software, so a self-hosted site can move to any host. Tools, then Export, creates an XML (WXR) file with your posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, tags and users. Going this route? See how to make a WordPress website.

Wix is a hosted service: "Since Wix is a SaaS solution, your site must run on Wix's servers." For blogs, Wix's help center says: "Currently, it is not possible to export blog posts to other platforms."

Squarespace exports some content as an .xml file in WordPress format, including one blog page with its posts and up to 1,000 comments per post. Other page types, extra blog pages, product and video blocks, drafts and custom CSS don't export. You can't export from a trial site, and images might not migrate into WordPress.

Tip: If you plan to blog for years, decide how you'd leave before you sign up. Moving a WordPress site is routine; Wix has no blog export.

Plugins, apps, custom code and SEO

WordPress has the largest add-on library: more than 73,000 plugins and 8,745 free themes in the WordPress.org directory, and every paid WordPress.com plan can install plugins. Not sure where to start? See the best WordPress plugins.

The Wix App Market has "over 800 popular web apps," and Squarespace offers Extensions, a collection of third-party tools.

Custom code is where Squarespace's plans differ: code injection and advanced code blocks for custom JavaScript need Core ($29/month billed yearly) or higher. Basic doesn't include them.

For SEO, Wix and Squarespace let you edit page titles and descriptions in their page settings. On WordPress, an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO (10+ million active installs) or Rank Math (4+ million) adds those controls.

Blogging, comments and community

New to publishing? Our guide on how to start a blog covers the first steps. Each platform handles reader discussion differently:

• WordPress: built-in threaded comments, with an approval queue under Settings, then Discussion. Plugins such as CommentCamp add more.
• Wix Blog: comments are on by default. You choose "Members only or Everyone"; with Everyone, guests can comment without signing up.
• Squarespace: native comments with Require Approval, Comment Flags and Threaded Comments. "Due to authentication protocols, it's not currently possible for visitors to log in to comment," so readers comment as guests. The alternatives are CommentCamp, through code injection on Core and up, or Disqus.

For a fuller community layer, CommentCamp adds free comments and community spaces to your own site: unlimited comments, replies and threads, automated spam filtering, a moderation queue, member levels and one reader account that works across every CommentCamp site. It's $0 for site owners, with no ads, and launches with an official WordPress plugin and a universal embed script for any site where you can add one; on Squarespace, custom code needs Core or higher. It's in private early access, so join the waitlist to get an invite.

Disclosure: CommentCamp is our product.

Which should you choose?

• Pick WordPress for a blog or content site you want to own. Self-host it on a host like SiteGround or Hostinger, or use a paid WordPress.com plan to have hosting handled.
• Pick Wix for drag-and-drop editing on one bill, and try the editor on the free plan first; Wix says "No credit card required."
• Pick Squarespace for design-led templates, and budget for Core ($29/month) if you need custom scripts.