Wix, Shopify, or Squarespace? Let's Figure Out Which One Is Actually Right for You
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Quick answer: There's no universally "best" website platform. There's the one that fits what your business actually needs to do, whether that's selling products, taking bookings, showing off a portfolio you can update yourself, or all three. I talk this through with every client on our discovery call, and we choose together.
This is one of the first questions almost every client asks me.
"Wait, so should I be on Wix? Shopify? My friend said Squarespace is the easiest one?"
And listen, I get why it's confusing. Everyone has a strong opinion, usually based on the one platform they personally used one time. Your cousin loved Squarespace. Someone on Threads said Wix is "for beginners." Your friend only builds on Shopify because that's the only one she knows.
Here's the thing, none of that matters, because none of them know YOUR business.
I work across Wix (both Wix Editor and Wix Studio), Shopify, and Squarespace, and honestly, my favourite part of a discovery call is getting to sit down with you and actually figure out which one makes sense. Not for me. For you.
First, let's talk about what you actually need your website to do
Before we ever get to "which platform," I want to know what your day-to-day actually looks like.
Are people booking appointments or consultations with you?
Do you need a portfolio you can update yourself every time you finish a new project, without emailing me every single time?
Are you selling products and shipping them out?
Do you just want something clean that you can log into twice a year and not think about otherwise?
These are the real questions. The platform is just the tool that helps us get there.
If you want full creative freedom (Wix Editor or Wix Studio)
This is where I go most often, honestly. Both the Wix Editor and Wix Studio let us build your site from a totally blank canvas. No cookie-cutter template with your logo slapped on top. Every single section gets built around your actual story, your actual services, your actual vibe.
This is also where I set up things like booking systems, so your clients can book directly through your site without a single back-and-forth email, and portfolio sections that you can update yourself in minutes. New project to show off? You log in, add it, done. No calling me, no waiting.
This tends to be the right fit if:
You want your website to feel completely custom to you absolutly - no template, just a blank page
You want a portfolio or blog you can update on your own, whenever you want
You like having room to keep adding and changing things as your business grows
If you're selling products (Shopify)
If your business involves actual inventory, shipping labels, and checkout carts, Shopify is where we go. It was built specifically for that from the very beginning, so things like tracking stock, calculating shipping, and taking payments just work the way they're supposed to.
I always tell clients this isn't really a debate if you're product-based. Trying to force a full shop experience onto a platform that wasn't built for it always ends up feeling clunky, usually right when you need it to work the most, like during your busiest sales season.
This tends to be the right fit if:
You're selling physical products
You need real inventory tracking and shipping tools
You're hoping to grow a bigger product catalog down the line
If you want something simple to manage (Squarespace)
Squarespace has a bit more built-in structure than Wix's blank canvas, and for some of my clients, that's actually exactly what they want. Less decision fatigue, a shorter learning curve, and a genuinely polished look without a ton of back and forth.
If you're someone who wants to log in, make a quick update, and get back to actually running your business, this tends to feel like the lightest lift.
This tends to be the right fit if:
You want something polished without a lot of custom decisions
You'd rather have guardrails than a totally blank page
Ease of day-to-day management matters more to you than total flexibility
What about SEO?
All three platforms, Wix, Shopify, and Squarespace, handle the core SEO basics well these days. Meta descriptions, alt text, clean URLs, sitemaps, Google indexing, that's all covered no matter which one we build on. None of them give you the kind of deep, granular technical control you'd get with a fully custom-coded site, but for the vast majority of small and service-based businesses, that level of control isn't actually necessary.
Where they genuinely differ is in the details, how blog content gets organized, how product pages are structured, things that start to matter more as your site grows and gets more complex. This is something I walk you through based on your specific site and goals, not a blanket "platform X wins at SEO" claim, because honestly, that advice is usually outdated the moment it's published.
How we actually figure this out together
On our discovery call, we talk through what your business needs, your service or booking needs, your product needs, how hands-on you want to be with your own site. Based on that conversation, I'll recommend the platform that makes the most sense for you.
Then, once we move into our website planning call, we purchase it together. That way you're set up correctly from day one, and you're never left guessing which plan or which settings you actually need. I walk you through it.
You're never picking a platform in the dark, and you're never locked into something that doesn't actually fit how you run your business. 💗
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a booking system set up on my website?
Yes. Booking functionality is something I build into client sites regularly, so your clients can book directly with you without extra emails back and forth. Which platform makes the most sense for that depends on how you want it to work, and we figure that out together.
Can I update my own portfolio/shop/blog without calling a developer?
Yes. Across Wix, Shopify, and Squarespace, I build sites so you can log in, add new work, and update your portfolio yourself in just a few minutes, no developer required.
Do I need to know which platform I want before our call?
Nope. That's genuinely what the discovery call is for. Come as you are, tell me what your business does and what you need your site to handle, and I'll guide you to the right one from there.
Is one platform better for SEO than the others?
Honestly, this changes and is more nuanced than most people make it sound. All three platforms handle core SEO basics well, meta descriptions, alt text, clean URLs, sitemaps. Where they differ is in the details, and what matters most depends on your specific site and goals, which is something we talk through directly rather than relying on a generic ranking.Honestly, this changes and is more nuanced than most people make it sound. All three platforms handle core SEO basics well, meta descriptions, alt text, clean URLs, sitemaps. Where they differ is in the details, and what matters most depends on your specific site and goals, which is something we talk through directly rather than relying on a generic ranking.
Still not sure? That's completely normal, and it's exactly what our discovery call is for.
