Do you want to skip the read and get right to my pick? The best overall site builder in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress Comparison battle is Squarespace.
Introduction to our Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress Comparison:
Which site builder bests the others in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison?
Just how effective is a basic site builder, particularly one which enables users to both blog and sell products or services through an online storefront?
In this review, we pit four well-loved site builders against the other – Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress. For clarity, we're going to zero in on WordPress.com, the equivalent hosted version, and not WordPress.org which is classified more a CMS than website builder.
Very well – let's see who comes out on top in this WordPress vs Weebly vs Wix vs Squarespace showdown!
Overview:
So, which of these four has the advantage as this year’s basic website builder of choice in this Weebly vs Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace four-way battle?
Wix:
Current Customer Count: 160 million websites as of end-Q1 2021
Reputation: The crème de la crème of freemium – free site builders with premium features – market, Wix has opened doors for several individual entrepreneurs with its fully-functional basic builder.
Weebly:
Current Customer Count: 50 million+ sites as of end-Q1 2021
Reputation: While already a sensible site builder with ample functionality, its acquisition by ecommerce technologies company Square Inc has enabled it to expand its offerings to include an online store builder called Weebly eCommerce. The platform also has the reputation of being one of the first to have localised functionality as seen in the launch of Weebly UK.
Squarespace:
Current Customer Count: 4.1 million websites as of end-Q1 2021-05-19
Reputation: Squarespace has evolved from being a basic site builder into the ecommerce platform of choice for the global creative community, enabling both visual artists and performers to reach out to audiences at a time when both onsite exhibitions and live performances are not possible.
WordPress.com:
Current Customer Count: 37.5 million websites as of 2018
Reputation: As a twin of the oldest site builders and blogging platforms (WordPress.org), WordPress.com offers premium services to beginners and those who use it for more elaborate site setups.
To clarify, there are two WordPress iterations out there – the self-hosted open-source CMS platform WordPress.org and the fully-hosted website builder WordPress.com. In this comparison, we are doing a head-to-head evaluation of the like for like Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison.
Now, let's get busy in this Weebly vs Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace battle. Our first round of comparison – ease of use!
Ease of Use:
Website builders simplify the whole process of creating websites. So which among WordPress vs Weebly vs Wix vs Squarespace takes the case in terms of being user-friendly?
Wix:
Powered by artificial intelligence, Wix’s Automated Design Intelligence (WIX ADI) has made site building a much easier, practically stress-free experience even for those who know absolutely nothing about coding or even CMS.
Weebly:
The practically laid-out UI has made Weebly one of the easiest site builders to use, incorporating a drag-and-drop interface with easily accessible menus.
Squarespace:
We’ve frequently said this: Squarespace is not one of the easiest platforms to use as it takes time to learn to use. However, once you get stuck in, it offers a rich creative experience resulting in stunning sites that easily attract repeat customers.
WordPress.com:
While WordPress.org is not known for ease of use, WordPress.com has made the site-building task much more convenient. For ease of use, it still pales in comparison with drag-and-drop builders like Wix and Weebly.
Given these observations, who is the easiest to use among Weebly vs Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace?
Winner – Draw! Ease of use is a toss-up between Wix and Weebly in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison.
Features and Flexibility:
For this next round, we tackle the features set of each platform and its flexibility. Which is the most powerful among Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress?
Out-of-the-box:
Right off the bat, what are the mainstay features of each platform in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison?
Wix:
What you see is what you get: the interface is very simple yet functional and effective. You can easily see where all your items and tools are before getting started.
Weebly:
This is how Weebly scores at its most basic: all the tools you need to start working are fully functional upon login, including an intuitive site editor, CMS suite, SEO tools, as well as 500MB-worth of storage. Not a bad deal, if you ask us.
Squarespace:
It may not be the easiest to work with at the beginning, but you can’t fault how Squarespace plays its cards right with unlimited bandwidth, storage, and an incredibly extensive range of ecommerce tools with which to create a cracking good online store.
WordPress.com:
WordPress has long kept it very simple with a creative interface reminiscent of word processing software – which is pretty much the easiest programme in the world to use. It also has standard SEO tools out of the box.
Themes and Templates:
When it comes to websites, we are drawn to outer beauty – how it looks and feels on the eyes. Who gives the most aesthetic pleasure in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison?
Wix:
Currently offers over 800 themes, both free and premium, with an extensive range of aesthetics and industry-specific options.
Weebly:
A trifle disappointing: only 50 themes are currently available either on the free or premium versions.
Squarespace:
Currently offers more than 100 themes, helpfully organised by industry so that users can find a template that is appropriate to their business.
WordPress.com:
WordPress offers around 100+ themes out of the box but then too many to count premium themes should you need to purchase.
Customisation Tools:
Naturally, we opt not to go for a fixed look. With your website, you might want to tweak it to reflect your brand. Which makes that possible in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison?
Wix:
Wix’s customisation tools are built in. You can swap out templates and revamp your site’s aesthetic. If that isn’t enough, it also easily interfaces with third-party design programmes to help users create a custom look for their site or storefront.
Weebly:
Weebly has a proprietary code editor that enables users to create a custom look that captures their corporate identity or is in keeping with their visual branding standards.
Squarespace:
Customisation is easy, thanks to site modification solutions for both appearance and functionality are built right into the UI.
WordPress.com:
Only basic edits are allowed. If you want to create a truly unique look for your site, you’ll need to use a third-party application or tweak the code yourself. In addition, you'll have to upgrade to a higher plan to use custom CSS.
3rd Party Integrations:
Integrating with others apps gives your website maximum functionality. Which offers the best integrations in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison?
Wix:
Wix’s in-platform App Market offers a selection of 300 apps and programmes with everything from ecommerce tools, interactive widgets, connectivity solutions for syncing with social media, and international language and currency support.
Weebly:
While not as extensive as Wix’s – it currently offers only 200 apps – Weebly has the advantage of offering ecommerce tools developed by its mother company Square Inc, and the roster includes industry-specific payment gateways.
Squarespace:
Squarespace Extension offers users over 3,000 applications with which to enhance the functionality of their sites. The selection also includes products from big players like Google, Stripe, and Microsoft along with community-developed and open-source programs.
WordPress.com:
While WordPress can easily sync with any number of apps on and offline, we’ve noted that most users would rather use an umbrella integrator like Zapier to interface with other applications.
Hosting:
What about hosting services – what do Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress offer?
Wix:
Wix continues to use a content delivery network (CDN) with servers placed in different international locations. While this has proven stable enough, it’s also considered an Achilles’ heel for an otherwise strong platform.
Weebly:
Weebly’s claim to fame in this category is continuous uptime and business continuity as it hosts its sites on its own cloud server.
Squarespace:
Squarespace also gives its users the assurance of secure connections and 99.9 per cent uptime by also hosting its sites on a cloud server.
WordPress.com:
WordPress.com (free and paid) sites are all hosted and managed by Automattic.
Backups:
What if there's an accident and files are lost? How do Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress respond?
Wix:
Wix has a Site History feature which enables users to save a previous iteration of your website you can revert to in the event of a crash or an online attack. Unfortunately, while ensuring that you can get your site back up online quickly, you will need to update it manually.
Weebly:
Weebly does not have automated backups written into its system, so users need to manually back up files to a separate – and secure – storage device.
Squarespace:
Squarespace doesn’t have an automated backup process in its UI. Still, it offers a tutorial in its knowledge base for backing up and redeploying saved site data in the event of a crash or hacking incident.
WordPress.com:
The platform handles backups through its hosting service.
Migration:
Transferring from one domain to another can be a pain. Which makes migration easiest – Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress?
Wix:
The Transfer Site function in the Wix UI only works if you’re moving a site from one Wix account to another. Unfortunately, there is currently no way by which you can transfer a site built on a different platform; you need to save your files manually, then upload them to your Wix account.
Weebly:
Platform-to-platform migration is limited. Currently, the function only works with sites moving to Weebly from either Shopify or Etsy.
Squarespace:
Moving non-ecommerce sites is easy, as there is a feature already built into the UI. On the other hand, store data needs to be transferred to your Squarespace account manually in the form of *.csv files.
WordPress.com:
Migration from a non-WordPress domain is supported by the platform, with the help of support. Moreover, if you gain enough domain credit by buying a WordPress plan, you can move house for free.
Overall, who wins in features and flexibility in this WordPress vs Weebly vs Wix vs Squarespace battle?
Winner – Squarespace! All things considered, with its plenty out of the box features, beautiful templates. and excellent uptime, Squarespace wins in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison ‘Features and Flexibility' round.
SEO and Mobility:
To succeed in the digital space, you need to be found through search engines. Which is best for that – Weebly vs Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace?
SEO:
You don’t have to worry about making your site SEO-ready with contenders in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison. All four platforms already have a suite of SEO tools built into their UIs.
Mobile:
Unfortunately, among Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress, only Wix doesn’t have a mobile edition. You can, however, try to edit it on a mobile browser, but this can be cumbersome on a smaller screen.
On the other hand, all three are available for both Android and iOS devices.
Pagespeed:
Among WordPress vs Weebly vs Wix vs Squarespace, Weebly tops pagespeed.
Wix's average loading speed is three (3) seconds. Meanwhile, Weebly clocks at 2.11 seconds.
Squarespace is also fast, with an average loading speed of 2.49 seconds. Of the four, WordPress lagged at 3.22 seconds.
Winner – Squarespace! in this Weebly vs Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace comparison ‘SEO and Mobility' round.
eCommerce Tools:
Who pulls all the stops to help you create a beautiful and functional online store – Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress?
Wix:
Basic but functional is the best way to describe Wix’s ecommerce suite. Tools include support for online store management, online marketing, social media integration, and logistics.
Weebly:
Weebly’s ecommerce tools include a dedicated shopping cart, various payment facilities, support systems for international transactions, shipping and delivery, and inventory management.
Squarespace:
Squarespace eCommerce offers not just a retail-specific tool suite but one for service providers, as well. Tools in this category include scheduling tools for keeping tabs on appointments or gigs and solutions for online collaboration. It also has a built-in feature that enables multimedia creators to offer non-tangible products such as digital downloads in their online stores.
WordPress.com:
WordPress.com now has eCommerce functionality through free 3rd party plugins like WooCommerce.
So – who wins in eCommerce functionality among WordPress vs Weebly vs Wix vs Squarespace?
Winner – Squarespace! easily comes away as the best in this ‘eCommerce' round of this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison.
Support and Resources:
Wix:
Along with a well-organised knowledge base and well-moderated community forums, Wix offers 24/7 global technical support through a variety of channels.
Weebly:
Unfortunately, live technical support via phone or online chat is open during business hours, making Weebly a frustrating platform if you run into issues in the dead of night. Never fear, though: its well-curated knowledge base more than makes up for this in a pinch.
Squarespace:
Squarespace’s customer support is both efficient and knowledgeable about common technical issues plaguing site users. Issue escalation to more knowledgeable team members also goes off without a hitch, and their knowledge base is extensive.
WordPress.com:
WordPress makes support available to paid plan subscribers. There are two support channels available: email and live chat. If you're a free user, you only have access to community forums.
Winner – Draw! Between Wix and Squarespace in this ‘Support' round of our Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison.
Pricing:
When it comes to cost, which offers the best value for your money – WordPress vs Weebly vs Wix vs Squarespace?
Wix:
While Wix’s free edition is fully functional, we recommend that you pay a little extra to get more features and remove in-platform advertising from your site.
Not happy with the service? As stated on their terms of use page, Wix has a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Weebly:
Weebly’s price range runs between $5 to $25 monthly for websites then up to $38 for online stores. Unfortunately, you won’t really enjoy the full extent of the features it touts unless you go for the top two subscription tiers.
Their terms of service page states a 30-day money back guarantee applies to all paid subscriptions.
Squarespace:
Squarespace’s four plans range from $12 to $40 monthly, and features are dependent on your plan of choice. For ecommerce users, we recommend the two highest subscription tiers as these offer the most functionality for your money.
From their Terms of Service page, Squarespace trial comes in 14 days of free testing of the Business Plan. Once the Squarespace trial expires and your account reverts to the “Personal” plan, any business plan progress will not be saved.
WordPress.com:
WordPress offers reasonable packages from a free plan to a Personal plan ($4 monthly on annual billing), Premium plan ($8 a month, billed annually), and Business plan ($25 a month on annual billing).
A 14-day money-back guarantee applies to all paid subscriptions as per their Terms of Service page.
Winner – Squarespace! We’re giving the pricing round to Squarespace for its overall value for money in this Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress comparison.
Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress Comparison Winner:
In this particular Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress battle, Squarespace is Comparison Winner due to its robust features, design, and overall value for money.
Conclusion and Recommendation to our Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress Comparison:
While WordPress vs Weebly vs Wix vs Squarespace are great for site-building in general and they are easy enough for most beginners, those looking for scalable solutions should also consider platforms like BigCommerce if they want a builder that can grow along with their business.
What is Wix best for?
Wix is a great all-around site builder that just about anyone can use.
What is Weebly best for?
Like Wix, Weebly is a great way to get started when it comes to site-building, and its ecommerce edition is also good for start-ups.
What is Squarespace best for?
Squarespace works best for creatives and ecommerce users, particularly those working in the gig economy.
What is WordPress.com best for?
WordPress.com still works well for bloggers and entrepreneurs who want to put up a simple yet functional site.
Wix vs Weebly vs Squarespace vs WordPress Alternatives:
Here's a list of the best Weebly vs Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace alternatives to create a an online store:
| Rank | Website Builders | Our View |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Squarespace | Best for Design & Creatives |
| 2 | Shopify | Best All-In-One eCommerce solution |
| 3 | Webflow | Best for advanced design tools |
| 4 | Weebly | Best for ease of use |
| 5 | Wordpress.com | Best for beginner blogging |
| 6 | Carrd | Best for single page websites |
| 7 | Wix | Good for general use |
Wix Weebly Squarespace WordPress Comparison Final Word:
Squarespace may have come out the winner in our Wix WordPress Squarespace Weebly analysis, but we recommend you take a good look at the available options for blogging and site-building and make your own comparisons for a platform that suits your needs.
>> Try Squarespace for Free <<
That’s all for now:
If you've read our Wix Weebly WordPress Squarespace comparison up to here, we are grateful. Remember always to keep abreast of the latest developments on website builders, eCommerce, and other articles, such as the ones below;
- Best website builder programs
- Best website builders for authors
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- Best website builder in UK
Please share any comments below!