The Best Wix Alternatives You Can Build a Website With

Are you looking to move on from Wix, or are building a site for the first time and don’t think the platform will cut the mustard? Wix is a powerful website builder with a seemingly endless array of features. But whether it lacks the functionality you need, or you want a great small business website builder, there are loads of reasons the software might not be right for you.

According to our research, Squarespace is the best Wix alternative, with an even lower learning curve than the popular builder, and beautifully designed templates that can make any site look professional. If you’re looking to build a profitable site, however, Shopify will be your best bet due to its stand-out ecommerce features and expansive array of third-party extensions.

This guide covers the best free and paid Wix competitors and outlines the builders strengths so you can be confident with your decision moving forward.

In this guide:

• Squarespace
• Shopify
• GoDaddy
• Hostinger
• How We Test
• Verdict

We research and test every product we recommend, ensuring we’re only highlighting the best of the best. It’s why our guide to Wix alternatives is limited to four genuinely good options, and doesn’t include any filler. Scroll down to learn more about these top providers and our decision process.

1. Squarespace

• Price from $16 per month
• Better for beginners than Wix

If Wix isn’t cutting it for you, we would recommend using Squarespace. Its intuitive stripped-back interface is easier to navigate than Wix, and its low learning curve lends itself perfectly to beginners. While Squarespace doesn’t currently offer a free version, its entry-level paid plans, which start from $16 per month, offer slightly better value than Wix’s paid plans.

Most importantly, Squarespace is in a league of its own when it comes to design. While it may not top Wix’s offer of 800+ website templates, the platform has worked with world-class designers to produce over 200 customizable templates that can be used to create unique, polished sites. Users are able to switch up the template once the site is live too, catering well to users who like to regularly change up the design of their site. 

Squarespace’s drag-and-drop editor, Fluid Engine, gives users granular control of their site’s design too, offering more customizability and precise formatting options than Wix’s current builder. Pair this with Squarespace’s penchant for clean design and bold typefaces, and this website builder is a dependable option for any business that wants to build a professional and modern site.

Squarespace Fluid Editor let me control the layout of my site design down to the pixel. Image: Tech.co testing

Users can build a polished site with the builder for a low $16 per month, meaning that you can get started with Squarespace for slightly less than a Wix paid plan (although Wix does have a free option if you’re just starting out). 

Squarespace isn’t perfect, however. Its live chat is only available from Monday to Friday from 4 am to 8 pm, compared to Wix’s 24/7 helpline offering. This makes Squarespace less suitable for users who will require assistance around the clock. And it isn’t as competent at creating multilingual sites, only offering translation into 11 languages compared to Wix’s impressive 180.

Learn more about its potential in our full Squarespace website builder review.

Who should use Squarespace?

• Users wanting a modern website
• Creative businesses like designers, architects, advertising agencies
• Users building a site for the first time

Who shouldn’t use Squarespace?

• Users who want to build a site in multiple languages
• Businesses that require ultra-fast site speeds

Squarespace Pricing vs Wix Pricing

While both website builders offer affordable plans, the average price of Squarespace’s plans is much lower than Wix’s, which is why we gave it a stronger value score than the frontrunner (4.2/5 vs 3.5/5).

But how do both of their plans compare? Well, Squarespace’s first paid plan, Personal, costs $16 per month – $1 cheaper than the price of Wix’s first paid plan, Light. Despite their relatively low entry price, both plans provide a solid starting point for users to build a high-quality website.

Aside from Light, Wix offers three paid plans, Core ($29 per month), Business ($36 per month), and Business Elite ($159 per month). Squarespace, meanwhile, offers three more website builder packages – Business ($23 per month), Commerce ($28 per month), and Commerce Advanced ($52 per month).

However, unlike Squarespace, Wix offers a free plan, allowing businesses to build at no cost at all. With 1GB of bandwidth and 500MB of storage, this free tier is more than enough for solo entrepreneurs just starting their journey online.

For more info about how much the builder costs, check out our Squarespace pricing guide.

Is Squarespace better than Wix?

It’s a close one, but our research suggests that Squarespace isn’t quite as strong as Wix.

Wix offers a wider selection of website building features than Squarespace, including advanced SEO capabilities like integrated SEO support and integration with the keyword tool Semrush. This is why we awarded Wix a 4.6/5 score in this category, in contrast with Squarespace’s score of 4/5.

If design is your top priority, the verdict is less clear-cut. While Wix offers a larger selection of website templates, Squarespace triumphs in this arena, giving users access to flexible layouts, custom color palettes, and professionally-designed templates.

In addition to design, Squarespace is also extremely easy to get started with, provides users with feature-rich packages at a reasonable price point, and performs well in pretty much every core area in our research. This makes Squarespace a great Wix replacement, especially for businesses with a creative focus.

Learn more about how the provider’s features and pricing compare in our guide to Wix vs Squarespace.

2. Shopify

• Better ecommerce features than Wix
• Price from $29 per month

Shopify is a quality website builder that helps you build a profitable site, fast. From multiple selling streams to dropshipping and POS integrations, its sales features are much stronger than those offered by Wix. In fact, according to our in-house research, Shopify is the best ecommerce website builder on the market.

Shopify also offers tons of useful website-building features like sitewide scrolling banners, product image overlays and more. However, if you’re not looking to build an online store Wix will be a safer option, due to Shopify’s lackluster design toolkit and lack of customization options.

Shopify’s software isn’t as intuitive or easy to use as Wix, and the builder’s confusingly priced packages might exceed the budgets of smaller businesses and solo entrepreneurs. This makes Shopify slightly less accessible than rivals like Wix and Squarespace.

This being said, Shopify’s ecommerce features blow Wix’s out of the water. Unlike Wix, which only lets you sell products through store templates, Shopify manages sales information from a variety of different channels, giving users a clear overview of stock levels, sales performance, and more. Shopify also lets you sell through platforms like Instagram, Amazon and eBay, unlocking more revenue streams for online retailers.

While Shopify’s AI features may not be as advanced as Wix’s, its artificial intelligence capabilities are improving every month. The ecommerce builder launched an AI-powered discover feature that makes it easier than ever for merchants to find and access useful third-party integrations.

Shopify made it super easy for me to create an AI-generated logo for my site. Source: Shopify

Learn more about the website builder in our Shopify review.

Who should use Shopify?

• Growing ecommerce businesses
• Businesses using Shopify POS
• Those who require strong customer support options

Who shouldn’t use Shopify?

• Users building a site for the first time
• Design-focused businesses
• Businesses that don’t sell products or services

Shopify Pricing vs Wix Pricing

Wix’s website builder packages are better value than Shopify’s without a question. While Shopify lets businesses sell goods through social media for as little as $5 per month, its ecommerce builder plans start at $29 per month. This is really steep when compared with Wix’s entry price of $17 per month.

With Shopify’s most expensive tier exceeding $2000 per month, the average price of its packages far exceeds Wix’s too. Shopify’s plans are more tailored toward large businesses, which explains its heftier price tag.

Refer to the table below for more information on the web-builders plans, or read our detailed guide to Shopify pricing.

Shopify’s Starter plan lets you sell products through social channels like Instagram, TikTok, and more. Source: Shopify

Is Shopify better than Wix?

In short, no, Shopify isn’t better than Wix. After researching both ecommerce builders extensively, Wix comes out top when it comes to web building features, help and support options, and ease of use. Wix is also better value for money than Shopify, with free options available and paid plans starting from $16 per month.

This doesn’t mean that Wix will always be the better choice though. Thanks to Shopify’s extensive ecommerce options, if you want to build a site that sells, you’re better off going for Shopify.

3. GoDaddy

• Best for setting up quickly
• Price from $9.99 per month

If you’re looking to set up a website quickly and with minimal fuss, GoDaddy might be your best option. This option offers a range of easy-to-use templates and an array of standard website features, from SEO to mobile optimization. With plans from $9.99 per month, the platform is super affordable and easy to get started on too, making it especially useful for business owners who are just beginning their online journey.

While its design features aren’t nearly as comprehensive as Squarespace or Wix, GoDaddy’s Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) function is capable of building an attractive site. GoDaddy ADI also helps users create content and images to fill out their templates, which is a lifeline for those who need to build a site quickly.

GoDaddy secured the best customer score out of any other builder we surveyed too – with a category score of 4.3/5 compared to Wix’s 3.8/5 – due to its consistently high customer review ratings on sites like Trustpilot and Trust Radius. This suggests that GoDaddy is a very popular choice among its users.

All things considered, however, GoDaddy’s overall offering is fairly basic when put head-to-head with Wix. For instance, GoDaddy doesn’t have an app market, mobile design is limited, and creates fairly generic-looking sites with its AI builder. This suggests the website builder is less capable than Wix at creating large or complex sites.

I was impressed at how much I could edit my template with GoDaddy. Source: Tech.co testing

Who should use GoDaddy?

• Users who lack technical knowledge
• Users who want to build a site quickly
• Beginners building a relatively simple website

Who shouldn’t use GoDaddy?

• Ecommerce businesses with advanced needs
• Design focused businesses that require a very unique site

GoDaddy Pricing vs Wix Pricing

While GoDaddy and Wix are both affordable website builders, we think GoDaddy is slightly better value. GoDaddy has a pretty solid free tier, but its feature offering isn’t quite as generous as Wix’s free alternative.

Compared to Wix’s lowest-cost paid plan Light, which retails at $16 per month, GoDaddy’s plans start at a very affordable $9.99 per month. What’s more, GoDaddy users only need to pay $14.99 per month for GoDaddy’s Premium plan, which offers advanced features, including SEO and social media integrations.

Businesses using GoDaddy can unlock ecommerce features for as little as $20.99 a month too. In comparison, Wix charges $29 per month for similar options. However, Wix does offer a generous free plan, and a reasonable entry price of $17 per month, making both website builders great options for users looking to save money.

Find out how the providers compare at lengths in our Wix vs GoDaddy comparison.

Is GoDaddy better than Wix?

GoDaddy may be more popular among its customers and easier to get started with than Wix, but our research shows that it’s not a better option overall. Wix has a much more sophisticated website toolkit and offers stronger support features. This makes Wix a safer bet for most businesses, except for those looking for a stripped-back solution with a low learning curve.

4. Hostinger

• Better at generating site content than Wix
• Price from $2.49 with its current deal

Much like Wix, Hostinger is a great solution to go for if you’re new to website-building software. The product is stripped back and only contains basic website features like a drag-and-drop editor, domain registration, and SEO capabilities, making it best suited to businesses or solo entrepreneurs just starting out their online journey.

While most of its features are nothing to shout about, its AI builder is better at creating content than Wix, lending itself well to users that need a jump start during the creation process.

While Hostinger’s UX isn’t quite as strong as Squarespace, it’s always been an easy platform to use. The builder has become even easier to use since our last round of research, due to the recent introduction of more useful AI site-building features.

The provider now offers a wide range of AI-enabled capabilities, including an impressive AI website generator, AI writer, AI logo maker, and AI heatmap feature. We were particularly impressed by Hostinger’s heatmap feature when we tested out its software, as it lets you see what areas of each page get your audience’s attention.

Hostinger’s AI heatmapping feature let me gain valuable insights into user engagement on my website. Source: Hostinger

Find out how Hostinger compares to other top AI website builders.

However, while Hostinger will help you build a simple website with ease, its website features are pretty poor, with the builder scoring a dismal 3.5/5 in this category, compared with Wix’s 4.6/5, due to its lack of basic capabilities like email marketing.

Hostinger falters when it comes to design and it doesn’t have its own app store, meaning that users can’t integrate the software with other useful integrations. Unfortunately, this limits Hostinger’s potential, making it a much less versatile web builder.

Discover more about how the solutions compare head-to-head in our overview of Hostinger vs Wix.

Who should use Hostinger?

• Users who want to build a site quickly
• Businesses that sell locally
• Users building a site in multiple languages

Who shouldn’t use Hostinger?

• Rapidly growing businesses
• Large businesses that require an advanced website
• Omni-channel retailers

Hostinger Pricing vs Wix Pricing

Hostinger offers three plans, with the cheapest at $11.99 per month when you pay monthly. Prices go down as low as $2.99 when you choose a subscription between 12 and 48 months in length. The price of Hostinger isn’t bad at all and should fall within the budgets of most businesses.

Plus, you can get up to 10% off with the code “TECH“, bringing the price down to $2.69 per month.

However, overall we think Wix provides users with a much better return on their investment. Not only do Wix’s plans come with more dynamic web building features, but Wix offers a quality free plan too, making the software accessible to a larger number of users.

Is Hostinger better than Wix?

Simply put, no, Hostinger isn’t better than Wix. Our research ranks Wix higher in every core category, including design tools, web building features, and usability, so this one is a bit of a no-brainer. This isn’t to say Hostinger is a bad website builder though. It’s easy to use and the software isn’t bogged down with unnecessary features, making it a safe option for those who are less tech-savvy.

Learn more about this website builder in our Hostinger review.

How We Test and Review Website Builders