For a small business, Squarespace and Wix cost the same at the plan most online stores need: Squarespace Core is USD 29 per month billed annually (USD 348 per year) and Wix Core is also USD 29 per month billed annually (USD 348 per year), as of October 31, 2026. The real differences are the fees and limits around that price: Squarespace's cheapest plan, Basic (USD 19 per month billed annually), charges a 2 percent online store fee that Core and above drop to 0 percent, Wix is the only one of the two with a free plan (with Wix ads and a wixsite.com address), and neither platform lets you switch templates after launch.
Pick Squarespace if you want one structured system, a 14-day free trial and unlimited contributors from Core up. Pick Wix if you want a free starting point, a drag-and-drop editor and a plan ladder that runs from USD 17 to USD 159 per month on annual billing.
All prices were read on October 31, 2026 (Q4 2026) from squarespace.com/pricing (including its pricing summary file) and wix.com/plans. Annual-billing monthly equivalents are shown unless stated. Both vendors price per billing country, so amounts differ outside the United States. Older articles quote Squarespace plans named Personal, Business and Commerce; the pricing page now lists four plans named Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced.
Quick Comparison
| Criterion | Squarespace | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Plans (website) | Basic, Core, Plus, Advanced | Light, Core, Business, Business Elite, plus a Free plan |
| Entry paid plan, billed annually | Basic: USD 19 per month (USD 228 per year) | Light: USD 17 per month (USD 204 per year) |
| Plan most small stores need, billed annually | Core: USD 29 per month (USD 348 per year) | Core: USD 29 per month (USD 348 per year) |
| Free option | No free plan; every site starts with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required | Free plan at USD 0: 500MB storage, 1GB bandwidth, wixsite.com address, Wix ads |
| Store fee charged by the platform | Basic 2%; Core, Plus, Advanced 0% | No separate platform fee line found; Wix Payments processing is 2.9% + USD 0.30 in the U.S. |
| Card processing (standard rate) | 2.9% + USD 0.30 (Basic, Core); 2.7% + USD 0.30 (Plus); 2.5% + USD 0.30 (Advanced) | 2.9% + USD 0.30 (Wix Payments, U.S.) |
| Changing template after launch | Not possible in version 7.1; restyle with fonts, colors and page types | Not possible for an existing site; start a new site to use a new template |
| Collaborators | Basic: 2 contributors; Core and above: unlimited | Light 2, Core 5, Business 10, Business Elite 100 |
| Storage | Bandwidth unlimited on all plans; video storage 30 minutes (Basic) to unlimited (Advanced) | Light 2GB, Core 50GB, Business 100GB, Business Elite unlimited |
Squarespace: Full Pricing and Feature Breakdown
Squarespace website plans as of October 31, 2026, USD. Source: squarespace.com/pricing and its pricing summary file.
| Plan | Billed annually (per month) | Billed monthly (per month) | Per year on annual billing | Online store fee | Digital content and memberships fee | AI credits | Video storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | USD 19 | USD 25 | USD 228 | 2% | 7% | 10 (one-time) | 30 minutes |
| Core | USD 29 | USD 39 | USD 348 | 0% | 5% | 20 | 5 hours |
| Plus | USD 49 | USD 65 | USD 588 | 0% | 1% | 40 | 50 hours |
| Advanced | USD 99 | USD 139 | USD 1,188 | 0% | 0% | 120 | Unlimited |
What changes between tiers is mostly fees and features around selling. All plans include selling, unlimited products, gift cards and subscriptions. Basic is the only plan with a 2 percent online store fee and without code injection, premium integrations, discounts, payment plans and carrier shipping, which are included from Core up. Core also lists free Google Workspace email for the first year. Reserved cart and timer are Plus and Advanced features. Plus lowers the standard card rate to 2.7 percent plus USD 0.30 and Advanced to 2.5 percent plus USD 0.30.
Billing is the biggest swing: Core on monthly billing is USD 39 per month against USD 29 on annual billing, so paying month to month costs USD 120 more per year (a 34 percent premium). Squarespace's page headline says paying annually saves "up to 36%."
On design, Squarespace support states "You can't switch templates in version 7.1." A different look comes from editing site colors and fonts, adding different page types, or choosing a preset style pack in the Themes option (Squarespace support). Plan the first design choice with that in mind.
The limits to know before buying: Squarespace does not offer a free plan (only the 14-day trial), contributors are capped at 2 on Basic, and the 5 percent and 7 percent fees on digital content and memberships on Core and Basic matter if you sell downloads or paid memberships.
Wix: Full Pricing and Feature Breakdown
Wix plans as of October 31, 2026, USD, yearly subscriptions paid in full at purchase. Per-year figures are SoftwareSift arithmetic (monthly equivalent x 12). Sources: wix.com/plans and support.wix.com.
| Plan | Billed annually (per month) | Per year on annual billing | Storage | Commerce | Collaborators | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | USD 0 | USD 0 | 500MB (1GB bandwidth) | Not listed | Not listed | wixsite.com address; custom domain needs a paid plan |
| Light | USD 17 | USD 204 | 2GB | Not listed | 2 | Free domain for 1 year |
| Core | USD 29 | USD 348 | 50GB | Basic eCommerce | 5 | Free domain for 1 year |
| Business (marked recommended) | USD 39 | USD 468 | 100GB | Standard eCommerce | 10 | Free domain for 1 year |
| Business Elite | USD 159 | USD 1,908 | Unlimited | Advanced eCommerce | 100 | Free domain for 1 year |
Wix's own page says displayed prices are for yearly subscriptions paid in full at purchase, and that USD prices are shown for reference because prices vary by location. Core is the first plan listed with eCommerce (basic), accept payments, scheduling and services and 5 collaborators. Business Elite adds an advanced developer platform and 100 collaborators.
The free plan is a genuine differentiator. Wix's support center says it includes 500MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth, with an address in the form siteprefix.wixsite.com, and that connecting a custom domain requires upgrading. Ad removal is listed as a Premium benefit, which means free sites carry Wix ads. That makes the free plan suitable for validating an idea and unsuitable for a live business site.
On design, Wix's plans page describes a drag-and-drop editor, and its support center states that "it's not possible to switch to a different template for a site you already created." The alternative is to start a new site, since you can create as many as you like in one account (Wix support). Treat the first template choice as the one you will live with, or budget time to rebuild.
Head-to-Head: Cost at a Real Small-Business Configuration
Assume a small online store with USD 24,000 in annual card sales across 480 orders (USD 50 average order), no digital products. The processing fee is the same on both platforms at the standard rate: 2.9 percent of USD 24,000 is USD 696, plus USD 0.30 on 480 orders is USD 144, for USD 840 a year.
SoftwareSift arithmetic from the published plan prices and fee rates above. Real totals depend on card mix, refunds and payment methods.
| Configuration | Plan cost per year | Platform store fee | Card processing | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squarespace Basic | USD 228 | USD 480 (2% of 24,000) | USD 840 | USD 1,548 |
| Squarespace Core | USD 348 | USD 0 | USD 840 | USD 1,188 |
| Wix Core | USD 348 | None found in the pages read | USD 840 (Wix Payments, 2.9% + USD 0.30) | USD 1,188 |
Squarespace Basic is USD 120 a year cheaper than Core, but its 2 percent store fee overtakes that saving once annual store sales pass USD 6,000 (about USD 500 a month). Above that level Squarespace Core and Wix Core cost the same on these assumptions (USD 1,188 a year each), so price stops being the deciding factor and the choice returns to template rules, collaborators and the free-plan option.
For a site with no store, the entry plans compare differently: Squarespace Basic at USD 228 per year against Wix Light at USD 204 per year. Wix Light lists no eCommerce, and Squarespace Basic lists selling but excludes code injection and premium integrations, so match the plan to the features you need rather than the lowest number.
Head-to-Head: Editing, Templates and Growth
| Question | Squarespace | Wix | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can you switch templates later? | No in 7.1; restyle with colors, fonts, page types and style packs | No for an existing site; build a new site | Tie: plan the first choice carefully |
| Can you test before paying? | 14-day free trial, no credit card | Free plan with Wix ads and a wixsite.com address | Wix for long validation; Squarespace for a short serious trial |
| Who can help build the site? | Unlimited contributors from Core; 2 on Basic | 2 collaborators (Light), 5 (Core), 10 (Business) | Squarespace for agencies and teams on a budget |
| What happens at scale? | Fees fall as you move up: store fee 0% from Core; digital fee 5% to 1% to 0% | Storage and commerce tiers rise: Core 50GB to Business 100GB to Elite unlimited | Depends on whether fees or storage limit you first |
| What does the top tier cost? | Advanced: USD 1,188 per year | Business Elite: USD 1,908 per year | Squarespace is cheaper at the top end |
When to Choose Squarespace
Choose Squarespace if you plan to sell and want the platform store fee at 0 percent: that is Core at USD 29 per month billed annually (USD 348 per year). Choose it also if more than two people will work on the site, because contributors are unlimited from Core, or if you want a time-limited trial (14 days, no credit card) rather than an open-ended free plan. Skip Basic for a store unless annual sales stay under about USD 6,000.
When to Choose Wix
Choose Wix if you want to build for free first: the Free plan costs USD 0 and runs on a wixsite.com address until you upgrade. Choose it also if you need a range of storage tiers (2GB, 50GB, 100GB, unlimited) or a drag-and-drop editor, and accept that Core at USD 29 per month billed annually is the first plan listed with eCommerce. Do not publish a business site on the free plan: the Wix ads and the wixsite.com address are the price of free.
Verdict by Buyer Type
| Buyer | Pick | Plan and price (billed annually, Q4 2026) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small store, up to a few hundred orders a month | Squarespace | Core: USD 29 per month (USD 348 per year) | 0% store fee, unlimited contributors |
| Brochure site or blog, no selling | Wix or Squarespace Basic | Wix Light USD 17 per month; Squarespace Basic USD 19 per month | Compare features rather than the USD 2 monthly gap |
| Validating an idea before paying | Wix | Free plan: USD 0 | Only one of the two with a free plan; upgrade before launch |
| Team or agency building a client site | Squarespace | Core: USD 29 per month | Unlimited contributors from Core; Wix Core is limited to 5 collaborators |
| Needs lots of storage | Wix | Core 50GB at USD 29 per month | Storage tiers are explicit; Squarespace lists video storage instead |
Price is the same at the plan most small stores need, so decide on fees and rules: choose Squarespace Core if the store fee and team access matter, and Wix if a free start or storage tiers matter. Both lock in a first template choice, so budget a rebuild if you change your mind. For more options, see the best website builders for small business guide before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Squarespace or Wix cheaper for a small business?
At the plan most stores need they cost the same: Squarespace Core is USD 29 per month billed annually (USD 348 per year) and Wix Core is also USD 29 per month billed annually (USD 348 per year), as of October 31, 2026. For a site without a store, Wix Light (USD 17 per month) is slightly cheaper than Squarespace Basic (USD 19 per month).
Does Squarespace have a free plan?
No. Squarespace states it does not offer a free plan, but every site starts with a 14-day free trial that needs no credit card. Wix does offer a free plan, which shows Wix ads and uses a wixsite.com address.
Can you switch templates after launching?
Not on either platform. Squarespace support states you can't switch templates in version 7.1, though you can change colors, fonts and page types. Wix support states it is not possible to switch to a different template for a site you already created, so a new template means a new site.
Does Squarespace charge transaction fees?
Only on Basic. The online store fee is 2 percent on Basic and 0 percent on Core, Plus and Advanced. Fees on digital content and memberships are 7 percent (Basic), 5 percent (Core), 1 percent (Plus) and 0 percent (Advanced), plus the card processing rate.
Which is better for a non-designer?
The vendor documentation read for this guide does not rank either editor for beginners. Squarespace restyles through fonts, colors, page types and preset style packs; Wix offers a drag-and-drop editor. Neither can change template after launch, so test the editor during the Squarespace 14-day trial or on a Wix free site before paying.
How much does Wix cost per month in 2026?
As of October 31, 2026, Wix lists Light at USD 17, Core at USD 29, Business at USD 39 and Business Elite at USD 159 per month on yearly subscriptions paid in full. The Free plan costs USD 0, and Wix says prices vary by location.
How much more does monthly billing cost on Squarespace?
Basic is USD 25 monthly against USD 19 annual, Core USD 39 against USD 29, Plus USD 65 against USD 49 and Advanced USD 139 against USD 99 per month. Squarespace's page says paying annually saves up to 36 percent.
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