If you're trying to pick a website platform, you've probably heard all four names — usually followed by a strong opinion. Strip the opinions away and the decision comes down to three things: what your site needs to do, how much time you want to spend on it, and how much control you want to keep. This guide walks each platform through that lens, the same way we'd talk it through with a client.
Quick comparison table
|
You rent |
You own |
|
Shopify |
Wix |
Squarespace |
WordPress |
Static |
| Best for |
Selling online |
Quick + simple |
Design polish |
Control + growth |
Set-and-forget |
| Monthly cost |
$$–$$$ |
$$ |
$$ |
$ |
$ cheapest |
| Setup |
Easy |
Easy |
Easy |
Medium |
Needs a builder |
| Design flexibility |
~ Moderate |
~ Moderate |
~ Moderate |
✓ Highest |
✓ Unlimited |
| SEO control |
✓ Good |
~ Limited |
~ Limited |
✓ Full |
✓ Full |
| E‑commerce |
✓ Built-in |
Basic |
Basic |
Add-on |
✗ No |
| Upkeep |
Low |
Low |
Low |
Regular |
✓ Minimal |
| Leave later? |
~ Involved |
✗ Rebuild |
✗ Rebuild |
✓ Easy |
✓ Easy |
Reading the table: cost is a scale — "$" = lowest typical all-in monthly (hosting + domain for WordPress; hosting only for static), "$$" = a standard hosted plan, "$$$" = what Shopify's real total often grows to once per-sale fees and monthly apps stack onto the plan. All four platforms change plans and fees regularly, so check current pricing pages before deciding — we've stopped quoting exact numbers because they go stale. The quick words elsewhere stand in for real differences each section below explains.
WordPress — the flexible workhorse
Shopify — e‑commerce out of the box
Wix — drag-and-drop simplicity
Squarespace — design-forward templates
Static sites — when you don't need a platform at all
Which one should you pick?
The honest shortest version:
- Pick Shopify if selling products is the core of the business — it's the most purpose-built for it.
- Pick Wix if you need a basic site up this week and your needs are unlikely to change much.
- Pick Squarespace if visual polish is the top priority and the feature set you need is modest.
- Pick WordPress if you want full ownership, room to grow in any direction, and the strongest foundation for search — and the upkeep either fits your time or your budget for someone else to handle it.
- Consider a static site if your website is a handful of pages that rarely change — the least maintenance and the most ownership of any option, as long as changes go through someone technical.
And the one question that separates WordPress (and static) from the rest: who owns the site? With WordPress or a hand-built static site, you do — hosting, files, data, and the freedom to move or change anything. With the hosted platforms, you're renting a well-designed apartment: pleasant, functional, and not truly yours. Renting is the right call for plenty of businesses. But make it a decision, not a default — because the cost of switching later is measured in rebuilds.
Not sure yet? That's fine.
We work with businesses on all four platforms every day — evaluating, choosing, migrating, and maintaining. If you want to talk through which one fits your business, just ask. No pitch, no pressure.
And if you already have a site on any of these, we can take over the care of it — whatever it's built on.
