If you are about to build a new website, or you are wondering whether your current one is holding you back, the platform it sits on matters more than most people expect. It decides how much control you have over your design, how well you can compete on Google, and whether you actually own the website you are paying for.
We are Jordan and Simone from JS Website Design. Since 2017 we have built more than 100 websites, and we regularly speak with business owners who started on Squarespace, Wix or GoDaddy and are now wondering whether it is time to move. This guide compares the main options honestly, including when a DIY builder is the better choice.
The Quick Answer
For a service business that wants to be found on Google and grow, WordPress is the better long-term choice, because you own the website and have full control over its SEO and design. Squarespace suits a small business that wants a good-looking site it can build itself and does not rely on Google for new work. Wix suits a brand-new business on a tight budget that needs something online quickly.
| WordPress | Squarespace | Wix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Service businesses that want to grow and get found on Google | Simple, design-led sites you build yourself | Getting a new business online quickly and cheaply |
| Who owns the website | You do, and you can move it to any host | You use it while you pay the subscription | You use it while you pay the subscription, and it cannot be moved off Wix |
| SEO control | Full control over pages, structure, speed and schema | Covers the basics | Covers the basics, with more settings than Squarespace |
| Design | Any layout you want | Polished templates with less room to change them | Drag and drop, harder to keep tidy as the site grows |
| Ongoing cost | Hosting and maintenance | Monthly or yearly subscription | Monthly or yearly subscription |
| Usually built by | A web designer | You | You |
WordPress runs 40.1% of all websites, compared with 4.2% for Wix and 2.4% for Squarespace (W3Techs, 5 October 2026).
WordPress vs Squarespace
Squarespace is known for its clean, polished templates, and it is easy to get a nice-looking site online without help. Hosting, security and updates are all handled for you as part of the subscription, so there is very little to maintain.
The trade-off is control. You work within the layouts Squarespace gives you, so it is hard to build pages around the way your customers make decisions, such as a separate page for each service and suburb with a clear enquiry form on every one. The SEO settings cover the basics, including page titles, descriptions and web addresses, but there is far less you can do with site structure, speed and structured data than on WordPress.
Ownership matters too. Squarespace can export some content, such as blog posts and basic pages, but the design and many features stay behind if you ever leave.
Choose Squarespace if you want a simple, good-looking site you can build and update yourself, and most of your work comes from referrals rather than Google.
Choose WordPress if you want to rank in your area, add service and location pages as you grow, and own the website outright.
WordPress vs Wix
Wix is the easiest of the three to start with. Its drag-and-drop editor lets you put anything anywhere on the page, and you can have a basic site live in an afternoon. Its SEO settings have improved a lot and now cover the main things Google looks for.
The freedom of drag and drop is also its biggest weakness. As a Wix site grows, pages tend to become inconsistent, they can be slow on phones, and they get harder to keep tidy. The bigger issue is that a Wix website cannot be moved off Wix. If you outgrow it, you start again on a new platform rather than taking your site with you.
Choose Wix if you are brand new, the budget is tight and you need something online this week.
Choose WordPress if the website is part of how you win work, and you want the option to grow it, change who looks after it, or move hosts without starting from scratch.
What About GoDaddy and Shopify?
GoDaddy’s website builder is the simplest option here, and it is handy if you already have your domain and email with GoDaddy. It suits a business that only needs a one-page online presence, but the design options and SEO controls are the most limited of the platforms in this guide.
Shopify is built for online stores. If selling products online is the main thing your business does, it is worth a look, but it is not a platform we build on.
Which Platform Is Best for SEO?
All of these platforms let you change page titles and descriptions, and any of them can rank for a simple search with little competition. The difference shows up when you need to compete, for example to rank for your services across several suburbs.
WordPress gives you full control over the things that move rankings: how your pages and menus are structured, how fast the site loads, the structured data Google reads, and how pages link to each other. We use WordPress with Elementor and All in One SEO, which lets us set all of this up properly and keep improving it. Our guide to how long SEO takes explains what to expect once it is in place.
When a DIY Builder Is the Right Choice
We do not think every business needs a custom WordPress website on day one. If you are just starting out, testing an idea, or most of your work comes from word of mouth, a Squarespace or Wix site you build yourself can be a sensible first step.
It usually stops being the right choice when the website needs to bring in work on its own. That is the point where you need pages for each service and area, a site that is quick on phones, and full control over your SEO. Our article on the real cost of DIY websites covers what to weigh up.
What a WordPress Website Costs
The WordPress software is free, but a professional website still costs money to build and look after. With us, one-page websites start from $1,997 + GST and multi-page websites start from $4,500 + GST, and you can pay 50% up front and 50% on completion or spread the cost over 12 or 24 months. Hosting, updates, security and daily backups are covered by our website care plans from $100 + GST a month. Our guide to how much a website costs in Australia explains what changes the price.
Moving From Wix or Squarespace to WordPress
Moving platforms means rebuilding the website rather than copying it across. Done properly, it is also a chance to fix what was not working, such as missing service pages or a weak enquiry form.
The part people worry about is losing their Google rankings. When we move a website, we redirect every old page address to its new one, so the rankings and links you have built up carry over. Our website redesign page shows real before and after examples.
Three Businesses That Made the Move
Brownjohn Constructions came to us from Wix, and TreeRex and Soldani Projects came from Squarespace. Each one now has a WordPress website that brings in work.
- Brownjohn Constructions, Blue Mountains: Matthew had a DIY Wix site for about two years, and it did not bring in a single enquiry. His new WordPress website brought in a job in its first week, and 53 enquiries by the end of August 2026. Read the Brownjohn case study.
- Soldani Projects, Sydney: Alfonso and Teresa had been through three websites without a single lead, the most recent on Squarespace. Their new website brought in more than $100,000 of work in under five months. Read the Soldani case study.
- TreeRex Tree Management, Hills District: TreeRex moved from Squarespace to WordPress and won a $10,000 job in the first month after the new website launched. As owner Greg Major puts it, “The web leads consistently roll in. I don’t need to worry about the website or SEO anymore.”
Every WordPress website we build uses a page builder you can learn, and at handover you get a training session, plus training videos and written documentation, so you can update your own text and photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WordPress better than Squarespace?
For a service business that wants to be found on Google and grow, yes. WordPress gives you full control over your SEO and design, and you own the website. Squarespace is easier to set up yourself and suits simple sites that do not rely on Google for new work.
Is Wix good for SEO?
Wix covers the SEO basics well, and a simple Wix site can rank for searches with little competition. It gives you less control over site structure and speed than WordPress, which matters once you are competing for your services across several suburbs.
Can I move my Wix or Squarespace website to WordPress?
Yes, but it is a rebuild rather than a copy. Wix websites cannot be exported, and Squarespace only exports some content. We rebuild the site on WordPress and redirect the old page addresses so you keep your rankings.
Is WordPress hard to update yourself?
Not once it is set up properly. We build with a visual page builder, and you get a training session, training videos and written documentation that show you how to change text and photos. If you would rather not touch it, our care plan covers small updates each month.
Is WordPress free?
The software is free, but you still pay for a domain, hosting and a theme or page builder, and for someone to build and maintain the site if you do not do it yourself.
Do I need a web designer to use WordPress?
You can build a WordPress site yourself, but it has more of a learning curve than Squarespace or Wix. Most businesses get a better result by having it built properly once and then making small updates themselves.
Not Sure If Your Platform Is Holding You Back?
Book a free website review and we will look at your current website, whatever it is built on, show you what is working and what is costing you enquiries, and tell you honestly whether moving to WordPress is worth it.
