Wix vs Squarespace? Why There's a Better Option
Wix vs Squarespace is a fair question, so we tested them the fair way: the same request typed into both, and the same speed test on the pages they built. They came out nearly even. The page that won wasn't either of them.
The quick answer
Wix and Squarespace are close. Each built one design from our request, each scored about 55 out of 100 on Lighthouse's phone test (Wix 54, Squarespace 55), and each leaves a real logo, marketing emails and paid booking for you to sort out. If you want to build your own site from a template, either one works.
If you want a fast site made for your business, with booking and marketing in one plan, Future's page scored 99 on the same test1.
| What | Wix | Squarespace | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse, phone | 54 | 55 | 99 |
| Main picture shows (phone) | 15.8 s | 21.3 s | 2.0 s |
| Designs to choose from | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| A month, billed yearly | $17 to $159 | $19 to $99 | $19 to $99 |
Same request. Same day. Same test.
We typed one sentence into each builder's AI, word for word: I need a website for my personal injury law firm in Denver, Kessler Injury Law.
Where a builder asked questions, we gave the business name, said clients get in touch by phone or form, and skipped the rest. Both started on their free or trial plans on Oct 15, 2026.
Then we put each page on a public address so anyone can test it: Wix on its free address, and Squarespace once a plan was bought, because its trial sites stay private. You can scroll both pages top to bottom, on a computer and a phone, in our side-by-side test.
Phone speed: both land around 55
We ran Lighthouse, the engine behind Google's PageSpeed Insights, three times on each live page with its standard phone setting, and kept the middle score.
| Page | Lighthouse, phone | All three runs | Main picture shows | Page weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | 54 | 61, 54, 50 | 15.8 s | 3.4 MB |
| Squarespace | 55 | 54, 67, 55 | 21.3 s | 3.9 MB |
| Future1 | 99 | 100, 99, 99 | 2.0 s | 226 KB |
On the test's simulated phone, Squarespace's main picture took about 21 seconds to appear and Wix's about 16. Future's took 2.0 seconds. On a computer the gap is smaller: Wix 95, Squarespace 79, Future 100.
Don't take our word for it. Run Google's test on Wix's page or Squarespace's page yourself. Google runs it on its own computers, so the score can differ a little from ours.
Design: one draft each
Wix asked a few questions, then built one page: the firm's name over a photo of an empty office chair, two photos and no people, and the name set in type for a logo. Its booking app added a Book Online page, and the main button, Contact Our Office, opens booking rather than the contact form.
Squarespace walked us through seven setup screens, from a topic to fonts, then built three pages, Home, About and Contact, with four photos and the name set in type.
Both are starting drafts that you finish in their editors, which date from 2006 (Wix) and 2003 (Squarespace), with AI added on top. Future drew three designs for the firm, each with its own logo, and built the one we picked, with photos made for the firm. See all three pages.
Cost: closer than you think
A month, billed yearly, from each company's US pricing page on Oct 17, 2026:
| Builder | Plans | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| Wix | Light $17 · Core $29 · Business $39 · Business Elite $159 | Taking payments starts on Core, $29 |
| Squarespace | Basic $19 · Core $29 · Plus $49 · Advanced $99 | Acuity Scheduling, a separate plan from $16 |
| Future | Starter $19 · Pro $39 · Premier $99 | Included on Pro, with deposits |
So if you want clients to book and pay online, that's $29 a month on Wix Core, or $19 + $16 = $35 on Squarespace Basic with Acuity Starter, before any email marketing plan. Squarespace's Basic plan also takes 2% of online store sales. Future Pro is $39 a month with booking, a shop with a 0% platform fee and up to 1,500 automatic follow-up emails a month included, or $28 at the founding price for yearly plans started by November 7. More detail: Future vs Wix and Future vs Squarespace.
What both leave to you
- Paid booking. Wix Core or higher, or a separate Acuity subscription on Squarespace.
- Marketing emails. A separate email plan on both. Future Pro sends automatic follow-ups, such as review requests and rebooking nudges; newsletters go out from your own email tool.
- A logo. Both set the business name in type.
- Speed. Both pages weighed 3.4 MB and 3.9 MB on the phone test. Future's weighed 226 KB.
- The finishing. The draft is yours to edit, section by section, in their editors.
The better option: Future
Future is a website builder for small businesses that does the design work for you. Tell it what you do, and it draws three homepage designs for your business. Pick one, and it builds the site.
- Fast where it counts. 99 on Lighthouse's phone test and 100 on a computer, on the same request and settings1.
- Made for your business. Three designs to choose from, each with its own logo, and photos made to fit.
- Built in, not bolted on. Booking with deposits, a shop with a 0% platform fee, review requests and automatic follow-up emails on Pro.
- Easy to change. Ask for a change in plain words, or click and edit.
- Free to see. Your three designs cost nothing. 15 days money back, minus a claimed domain's cost.
Wix vs Squarespace: questions people ask
Is Wix better than Squarespace?
Neither is clearly better. Given the same request in our test, each built one design, and their pages scored 54 (Wix) and 55 (Squarespace) on Lighthouse's phone test. Wix has a free plan and a cheaper first paid plan; Squarespace includes a store on every plan. Pick the editor you like working in, or let Future do the design work.
Which is cheaper, Wix or Squarespace?
Wix's first paid plan is $17 a month billed yearly; Squarespace's is $19. With online payments or booking, Wix Core is $29 a month, and Squarespace Basic plus Acuity Starter for booking is $35. Future Pro is $39 a month ($28 at the founding price) with booking and automatic follow-up emails included. Prices read Oct 17, 2026.
Which loads faster on a phone, Wix or Squarespace?
They were close. On Lighthouse's phone test, Wix's page scored 54 and Squarespace's 55. Their main picture appeared after about 16 seconds (Wix) and 21 seconds (Squarespace) on the simulated phone. Future's page scored 99 and showed its main picture in 2.0 seconds.
What is the best website builder for a small business?
The one that gets you a fast, good-looking site that brings in customers, without weeks of editing. If you enjoy building from a template, Wix and Squarespace are proven choices. If you'd rather see three designs made for your business and get booking, automatic follow-up emails and a fast page in one plan, that's what Future is built for.
Wix or Squarespace for a restaurant?
People check your menu and hours on their phones, so speed matters most. In our test both builders' pages scored about 55 on the phone test. Future gives restaurants a menu you can edit in a click, hours and directions, and Order and Reserve buttons that point to the services you already use.
Wix or Squarespace for a salon?
A salon needs online booking. On Wix, payments start on Core ($29 a month billed yearly). On Squarespace, booking is Acuity Scheduling, a separate plan from $16 a month, with text reminders from $27. Future Pro includes booking with deposits and no-show fees for $39 a month ($28 founding).
Do I have to pay to see what Future makes?
No. See your three designs free, and pay when you're ready to build and publish. Every plan comes with 15 days money back, minus a claimed domain's cost.
How we tested, and sources
- Speed: Lighthouse 12.8.2, standard phone and desktop settings, three runs each, middle score. Wix on Oct 15, 2026, at its free address; Squarespace on Oct 16, 2026, at its live address. Full results and live links: the side-by-side test.
- 1 Future's page isn't at a public address yet. Its scores (Oct 15, 2026) were measured on the product's publish output for this page, served from our own computer, with the same Lighthouse version and settings.
- Prices: Wix plans, Squarespace pricing and Acuity pricing, US prices billed yearly, read Oct 17, 2026. Future's prices are from our pricing page.
- Founding years: Wix and Squarespace company pages.
- Wix and Squarespace are trademarks of their owners. Future isn't affiliated with them.