Which Website Builder Should I Use for My Online Business? (WordPress vs. Showit vs. Squarespace vs. Wix)
One of the first big decisions you’ll make for your online business is where to build your website. And with so many platforms out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed before you even get started.
I’ve worked with clients on all four of these platforms—WordPress, Showit, Squarespace, and Wix—and here’s the honest truth: there’s no one “best” option. The right choice depends on your goals, your comfort with tech, and how you want your business to grow.
Let’s walk through the strengths and tradeoffs of each platform so you can choose the one that fits where you are right now—and where you’re headed.
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TL;DR Summary
Battle of the Website Builders
- Wix: Great for quick setup with minimal tech skills. Best for basic business sites.
- Squarespace: Offers beautiful templates and ease of use, but limited design flexibility.
- Showit: Ideal for creatives wanting full design control + built-in WordPress blogging.
- WordPress (self-hosted): Best for long-term growth, flexibility, and advanced features. Steepest learning curve.
- Need help? Join my free 30-Day WordPress Challenge for guided setup help:
What to Consider Before Choosing a Website Builder
The best platform for you depends on more than just design options or pricing. It depends on how you work, what you need today, and where your business is headed.
Here are a few questions I walk clients through when they’re choosing a platform:
- How comfortable are you with tech?
- Do you want to manage updates and plugins—or would you rather not touch any of that?
- How much time can you invest in learning your platform?
- Some tools are intuitive right away. Others take time but offer more control once you’re in the flow.
- What features do you need—now and later?
- Are you launching a service-based site, blog, shop, or something else? Will you need memberships, online courses, or SEO flexibility later?
- What’s your budget?
- Are you looking for a lean monthly cost or willing to invest more up front for customization and long-term growth?
- Do you want full creative control—or do you prefer pre-made structure?
- Some platforms let you drag and drop anything, anywhere. Others offer clean templates that guide the design.
Knowing these answers will help you avoid the common trap of switching platforms too soon—saving you time, energy, and a whole lot of copy-pasting later.
Wix: Quick Setup for Beginners
Wix is one of the fastest ways to get a website up and running—especially if tech makes your eyes glaze over. Its drag-and-drop builder is simple to use, and the template library is packed with designs that can work for most basic business needs.
It’s a good option if:
- You want a site live this week
- You don’t need advanced features or custom design
- You’re looking for a low-maintenance platform with everything built in
Where it falls short:
Wix isn’t ideal for long-term flexibility. As your business grows, you might find yourself limited by its design structure or app options. SEO control is also more limited than on WordPress or Showit.
Still, it’s a solid starting point—especially if you’re just testing an idea or creating a simple service site.
For Wix templates, check out:
Squarespace: Clean Design with Some Limits
Squarespace often the go-to for business owners who want a polished website without diving into technical details. Its all-in-one platform handles hosting, design, and updates, which makes it appealing if you want things to just work.
It’s a good fit if:
- You want a beautiful site with minimal setup
- You don’t want to worry about plugins, hosting, or maintenance
- You’re building a simple portfolio, service site, or blog
That said, Squarespace can feel restrictive once you’ve outgrown the template structure. There’s less flexibility for page layout, customization, or adding features as your business expands—especially compared to WordPress or Showit.
But for many solopreneurs, creatives, and coaches just getting started, it checks enough boxes.
My go-to Squarespace resources:
- Squarestylist and Inside the Square for learning the platform
- Kate Scott and Ley Design Studio for templates
Showit: Creative Freedom Meets Easy Design
If you’re a visual thinker who wants pixel-perfect control over your website, Showit might be your ideal platform. It gives you full creative freedom without needing to touch code—and it’s one of the few platforms that makes designing mobile layouts actually fun.
While WordPress is considered the gold standard for blogging (and you should probably have a blog), Showit actually leverages WordPress’s power for its blogging feature. You’ll design your blog layout in Showit, but all your content and metadata live within a connected WordPress account—giving you the best of both worlds (cue Hannah Montana theme song).
Plus, unlike a self-hosted WordPress site, you don’t have to handle security, updates, or backups yourself. Showit takes care of all that technical maintenance for you.
It’s a strong fit if:
- You want a truly custom look without hiring a developer
- You care deeply about design and layout flexibility
- You plan to blog and want SEO benefits through WordPress
Resources I trust for Showit:
- Davey & Krista for templates and courses (i.e. their excellent Showit SEO Course)
- Brand Me Gorgeous
- Penguin Designing for educational resources and templates
WordPress: Maximum Control and Flexibility
If you want full ownership of your website—and the ability to grow, pivot, or scale your business without rebuilding later—self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org) is hard to beat.
WordPress.org is my #1 platform of choice, both for my own site and many of my clients.
It’s a strong choice for you, too, if:
- You want to build something fully tailored to your business
- You’re planning to blog, sell products, or grow your site long-term
- You’re comfortable learning (or getting support) as you go
With WordPress, you’re in charge of hosting, updates, and security—but that also means you’re not locked into a platform’s limitations. You can choose the theme, builder, plugins, and tools that match your goals.
There are numerous ways to build your WordPress site*, and I’ve gathered some favorite resources for each approach:
Getting Started with WordPress
- WP WonderLab’s free WordPress 101 – The Fundamentals course offers essential knowledge for beginners
- The WordPress DIY StartUp Kit (also from WP WonderLab) provides a more comprehensive foundation
Building with Kadence
In my 30-Day WordPress Website Challenge, I recommend using the free Kadence theme. To help you make the most of Kadence, check out:
- Restored316 Designs’ shop, with templates, add-on block sets, learning resources, and more
- Nicola Tweed‘s excellent Kadence tutorials
Elementor Resources
Elementor is a very popular page builder that you can use to build your site for free. I recommend exploring the following:
- Web Squadron’s Elementor Course and YouTube channel
- Bluchic’s beautiful Elementor templates
*Note: When I talk about WordPress here, I’m specifically referring to WordPress.org—the self-hosted version that gives you complete control over your site. WordPress.com is a different service that hosts your site for you but limits your customization options. You can read more about the differences here.
Choosing Your Website Platform
Still unsure which platform is right for you? Let’s simplify things based on what you actually need:
- Need a simple portfolio or online presence fast?
- Go with Squarespace for clean templates and minimal setup
- Want full control over your site’s design and layout?
- Choose Showit for pixel-level customization without code
- Planning a blog, membership, or scalable business site?
- WordPress offers the most flexibility and future growth potential
- Just need a basic business site with low effort?
- Wix is quick to set up and easy to maintain
There’s no wrong answer—only the platform that best matches your goals, budget, and tech comfort right now.
Platform Costs: What to Expect
Cost is often the deciding factor when choosing a website platform. Let’s break down what you’ll actually need to budget for…
Hosted Platforms (Showit, Squarespace, Wix)
These are all-in-one solutions where your monthly fee covers hosting, security, updates, and basic features. While this simplifies budgeting, you might need to upgrade your plan as your site grows if you discover you need additional features. Each platform offers different pricing tiers—check their current plans and pricing to find the best fit for your needs:
Self-Hosted WordPress
WordPress.org itself is free, but you’ll need to budget for:
- Hosting (ranges from basic shared hosting to managed WordPress hosting)
- Domain name
- Premium themes or page builders
- Essential plugins
- Security solutions
While WordPress can be more cost-effective long-term, especially as your site grows, it requires more upfront planning for your budget.
Ready to Start with WordPress.org?
If WordPress feels like the right platform but you’re a little overwhelmed by the setup process—you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I created my free 30-Day WordPress Website Challenge.
Take the Free 30-Day WordPress Website Challenge
It breaks down the entire process into simple, step-by-step lessons delivered straight to your inbox. No jargon, no fluff—just clear guidance that helps you move forward.
As a former computer science teacher, I know how to make tech approachable. Over the 30 days, you’ll learn how to:
- Set up WordPress the right way
- Customize your theme and layout
- Create content that connects with your audience
- Launch your site confidently—without second-guessing every choice
You don’t have to figure this out alone. This challenge is here to walk you through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time should I plan for to learn each platform?
- Wix and Squarespace: You can build a basic site in a few days
- Showit: Plan 1-2 weeks to get comfortable with the design interface
- WordPress: Expect 2-4 weeks to learn the basics, longer to master. (I created my free 30-Day WordPress Challenge to break it down into manageable steps!)
Do I need to know how to code?
- Wix, Squarespace, and Showit: No coding required
- WordPress: Basic HTML/CSS knowledge can be helpful but isn’t necessary. Most tasks can be accomplished with modern page builders and the block editor
- Pro Tip: If you do want to learn some code, focus on CSS for customizing design elements
How do I handle website maintenance?
- Wix, Squarespace, and Showit: Updates and security are handled for you
- WordPress: You’ll need to manage updates, security, and backups yourself (or hire someone to help). Grab my free guide “5 Tips to Keep Your WordPress Website Safe” to learn the essentials of WordPress maintenance
What if I want to sell products?
- Wix and Squarespace: Built-in ecommerce features, good for smaller stores
- Showit: Pairs well with third-party shopping carts like ThriveCart, or you can add WooCommerce or Studiocart through the WordPress blog integration
- WordPress: Most flexible for ecommerce through WooCommerce, SureCart, Studiocart, etc. Scales well from a few products to thousands
Can I add features later if my business grows?
Wix, Squarespace, and Showit offer tiered plans with additional features as you scale. WordPress offers the most flexibility through plugins and custom development but requires more technical knowledge to implement new features.
Can I switch platforms later if I need to?
Yes—but it can take time and effort to migrate your content and design. That’s why I recommend choosing a platform that not only fits where you are now, but also where you want to go.
