Let’s face it, choosing a website platform can feel like standing in the video game character select screen wondering who’s going to help you win. Will you go with the smooth, design-savvy Squarespace? The sales-obsessed Shopify? The chaotic-good Wix? Or the mysterious-but-powerful WordPress?
When it comes to website design, each platform has its perks, and its quirks. So we’re breaking them down, no fluff, no bias (okay, maybe a tiny bit), just the real deal to help you pick your digital weapon of choice.
Let’s begin 🥊
🧠 Round 1: Ease of Use (AKA: How Likely Are You to Rage Quit?)
Squarespace:
Smooth, sexy and kind to beginners. Drag, drop, done. It’s the Apple of website builders – gorgeous, sleek and opinionated.
Rage Quit Potential: Low 🙌
Check out Squarespace here
Shopify:
Optimised for product-based businesses. It’s like Squarespace but with a cash register built in. Slightly more setup required, but the interface is clean and e-comm focused.
Rage Quit Potential: Medium 💸
Explore Shopify here
Wix:
The free spirit of the group. Loads of flexibility… sometimes too much. You can build anything, but getting it to look good can take some work.
Rage Quit Potential: Medium-High 😵
Visit Wix
WordPress:
The OG. The powerhouse. The open-source giant that powers 40% of the internet. BUT – there’s a learning curve.
Rage Quit Potential: High (unless you hire a pro… like us) 🧩
Learn more about WordPress
🎨 Round 2: Design Flexibility (AKA: Can You Make It Not Ugly?)
Squarespace:
Everything is beautiful. You don’t get a lot of wiggle room, but what’s there it looks great out of the box.
Perfect for: creatives, photographers and anyone who wants a slick portfolio.
Shopify:
E-comm templates that look solid and convert well. Less about show, more about selling, but still customisable.
Perfect for: product-based businesses who want function first and dollars flowing in.
Wix:
Templates galore and full design freedom. You can drag elements anywhere. Sometimes too much freedom is chaos, but it’s fun!
Perfect for: DIYers and design tinkerers.
WordPress:
A blank slate. With the right theme and builder (hello Elementor), it can be anything you want it to be.
Perfect for: businesses ready to go next-level with custom website design.
💼 Round 3: Business Features (AKA: Can It Handle the Real World?)
Squarespace:
Great for booking, portfolios and basic e-commerce. Built-in tools are solid, but not overly advanced.
Shopify:
The king of online stores. Product pages, payments, inventory, shipping – it’s all baked in. If you sell stuff, this is your pay playground.
Wix:
It can do most things… but not always at the pro level. Great if you need a little bit of everything without going full beast mode.
WordPress:
Unlimited potential. Want bookings? Memberships? Online courses? Integrations galore? It can do all of it – but setup requires skill.
And that’s where a website designer and developer (👋 hi, us) becomes your new best friend.
📈 Round 4: SEO and Performance (AKA: Will Google Actually Like You?)
Squarespace:
Decent SEO tools built in. Great if you’re not doing anything complex.
Shopify:
SEO-friendly, but you’ll want to tweak URLs and metadata manually. Not the strongest out-of-the-box, but it can perform well.
Wix:
SEO has improved a lot. But site speed and structure can still be an issue, especially on mobile.
WordPress:
An SEO powerhouse, if you use the right plugins and structure. We’re talking Yoast, Rank Math, caching tools and more.
🏆 Final Verdict: So, Who Should You Choose?
- A visual brand that wants a slick site without code? Squarespace
- Selling products and want e-commerce built-in? Shopify
- A DIY-er who wants creative freedom? Wix
- A serious business ready to scale? WordPress plus a website design and developer expert
💡 The Takeaway?
Choosing the right platform is less about what’s “best” and more about what fits you. Your goals. Your business. Your skill level. Your vibe.
Need help choosing, or building it properly from the ground up? We’re the website design team that brands trust to make it happen (and look darn good while doing it).
📩 Let’s chat about the platform that fits your brand best.
