Wix vs Squarespace vs Shopify vs a custom website: which is right for you?

If you are choosing between Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, or hiring a developer, you want an honest comparison, not a sales pitch. Each one is genuinely the right choice for some people and the wrong choice for others.

The platforms at a glance (UK pricing, August 2026)

Platform	Cheapest plan	Mid plan	Top plan	You own the code?
Wix	£9/mo (Light)	£16/mo (Core)	£119/mo (Business Elite)	No
Squarespace	£16/mo (Basic)	£24/mo (Core)	£89/mo (Advanced)	No
Shopify	£25/mo (Basic)	£65/mo (Grow)	£344/mo (Advanced)	No
Custom build	£299-900 one-off	£0-18/mo hosting	-	Yes

Last verified: August 2026. Sources: wix.com, squarespace.com, shopify.co.uk.

Wix: quick and cheap to start

When Wix is the right choice

• You are testing a business idea and do not want to invest much
• You need something online this weekend
• Your budget is genuinely under £20/month
• You do not mind not owning the code

When Wix becomes expensive

• You are paying £9-25/month forever, with nothing to show for it
• Every feature beyond the basics is an app with its own monthly fee
• Moving away from Wix means starting from scratch
• Over 5 years, Wix Light costs £540, and you own nothing

Squarespace: better templates, higher price

When Squarespace is the right choice

• You want a visually polished site without hiring a designer
• You are a creative professional who needs a portfolio
• You do not mind paying £23-30/month

When Squarespace becomes expensive

• £16-89/month adds up, £1,440 over 5 years on Core
• Customisation is limited to what their templates allow
• You cannot add custom features (booking systems, admin panels)
• Same lock-in as Wix: you cannot export your site

Shopify: the right tool for physical products only

When Shopify is the right choice

• You sell physical products that need shipping and inventory
• You need multi-channel selling (website + POS + marketplaces)
• You are running a real e-commerce operation

When Shopify is overkill

• You sell services or digital items, not physical products
• You are a single-location shop that does not need POS Pro (£79/month per location)
• You do not need inventory tracking, shipping rates, or tax calculation
• For a service business, Shopify buys features you will never use

For the full cost breakdown including POS and hidden fees, see the true cost of Shopify over 5 years.

Custom build: own it outright

When a custom build is the right choice

• You want to own the code, domain, and admin panel outright
• You need features the DIY platforms cannot do
• You want it fast, with no monthly fees beyond optional hosting
• You want to be able to move it, change it, or hire someone else

When a custom build does not make sense

• Your budget is genuinely under £300 and you cannot stretch
• You are testing an idea and might abandon it in 3 months
• You need a full e-commerce store with inventory (use Shopify)

The 5-year cost comparison

Option	Year 1	Year 5	5-year total	You own it?
Custom + self-hosted	£500	£500	£500	Yes
Custom + managed (£18/mo)	£716	£1,580	£1,580	Yes
Wix Light (£9/mo)	£108	£540	£540	No
Squarespace Core (£24/mo)	£288	£1,440	£1,440	No
Shopify Basic (£25/mo)	£300	£1,500	£1,500 + build	No

Over 5 years, a custom build with managed hosting comes to £1,580, against £1,440 for Squarespace Core and £540 for Wix Light. On price alone, Wix wins comfortably and Squarespace edges it. What the difference buys you is a site you own outright, no template ceiling, and an admin panel built around how you actually work rather than how the platform thinks you should.

Which is right for you?

Take the quiz below for an honest recommendation.

Sources

1. Wix pricing plans (UK) - accessed August 2026
2. Squarespace pricing plans (UK) - accessed August 2026
3. Shopify pricing plans (UK) - accessed August 2026
4. See also: How much does a website cost in the UK?
5. See also: The true cost of Shopify over 5 years