Short answer: Squarespace or Wix if you want to build and run a simple site yourself. WordPress if the site has to grow with the business, with more pages, a store, bookings or connections to other systems, and someone keeping it updated. All three can rank on Google; what’s on the site matters more than the platform.
We build on WordPress and Shopify, and we’ve rebuilt sites that started on Wix, so here’s the honest version.
At a glance
| Question | Squarespace | Wix | WordPress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who builds it | You, from a template | You, drag and drop | Usually a developer; you edit it afterward |
| Monthly cost | One plan price | One plan price | Hosting, plus upkeep |
| Upkeep | Squarespace handles it | Wix handles it | Updates and backups needed |
| Design freedom | Within the templates | Place anything anywhere; check it on a phone | Anything |
| Selling online | On its higher-priced plans | On its higher-priced plans | With WooCommerce |
| Leaving later | Some content exports | Pages have to be rebuilt | Runs on any WordPress host |
Squarespace
Clean templates and very little to maintain. It suits a small site that changes now and then: a studio, a photographer, a consultant. The trade-off is that you work inside its templates and features. When you need something it doesn’t do, the options are add-on code or a move.
Wix
The most freedom to drag things around, which is also the risk: a page that looks right on a computer can fall apart on a phone if nobody checks. Wix doesn’t let you export a site to another host, so leaving later means rebuilding the pages.
WordPress
The most flexible of the three: any design, any number of pages, a full store with WooCommerce, and connections to nearly any system. The trade-off is upkeep. WordPress, its theme and its plugins need regular updates and backups, and a WordPress site nobody looks after is the kind that gets hacked.
Build it yourself or hire a web designer?
Build it yourself on Squarespace or Wix if the site is simple, you enjoy that kind of work, and you’ll keep it current. Hire a web designer when your time is worth more running the business, when the site has to bring in calls rather than just exist, or when you need it to connect to the rest of how you work. A website builder gives you the tools; a designer decides what goes on the page, writes it for the searches your customers make, and keeps it working after launch.
Which one ranks better on Google?
None of them by default. Google ranks pages, not platforms, and all three let you set page titles and descriptions. For a local business, what decides it is a clear page for each service, the towns you serve, a site that’s fast on a phone and a complete Google Business Profile. Where the platform matters is control over speed and structure: WordPress gives the most, which is how we took our own site from 44 to 100 on Google’s mobile speed test (PageSpeed Insights, October 12, 2026).
When to move off Wix or Squarespace
- You need pages or features the templates can’t do.
- You want forms going into a CRM, online booking or a real store.
- The site is slow on a phone and there’s nothing left to turn off.
- You’d rather someone else looked after the site entirely.
Corridor Contractors moved off Wix to a WordPress site built around its DOT and municipal work. See WordPress web design for how we handle the move, or schedule a call if you’re weighing it up. We work with businesses in Coeur d’Alene, Spokane and across North Idaho.
Common questions
Is WordPress better than Squarespace for SEO?
Not automatically. Both let you set titles and descriptions. WordPress gives more control over speed and structure, which helps on competitive searches, but a well-written Squarespace site can beat a neglected WordPress one.
Can I move my Wix site to WordPress?
Yes, but Wix doesn’t export to other hosts, so the pages are rebuilt on WordPress and the text and images moved across. Redirecting the old addresses keeps your search traffic.
Is WordPress free?
The software is free. A WordPress site still needs hosting, a domain and someone to keep it updated, so the real cost is the hosting and the upkeep.
Web design · Carey Enterprises
Want a website that brings in calls?
Tell us what you do and where you work. Jon will tell you what your site needs, what it would cost and how long it takes, including when a smaller plan would do.