Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix: Which Platform Creates the Best Looking Stores (and Why Design Matters)

At Ecomm.Design, we don’t just write about ecommerce platforms — we work with them daily. We curate some of the best-designed ecommerce stores on the internet, and we’ve built and improved online stores across Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix ourselves.

So, when we compare these three platforms, it’s not just about features or pricing — we look at how each platform performs visually, how flexible they are for real-world store design, and what designers and developers need to create standout ecommerce experiences.

Whether you’re browsing our gallery for inspiration or hiring us to build your next store, here’s what you need to know about Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix — from the design-first perspective.

Quick Verdict: Based on Real-World Store Design

• Shopify – Best for serious ecommerce businesses that still want design flexibility at scale
• Squarespace – Best for elegant, service-based stores or portfolios that sell products
• Wix – Best for small businesses or creatives who want full visual control, fast

What Makes This Comparison Different?

At Ecomm.Design, we track thousands of live ecommerce websites across different platforms. Every store in our gallery is manually curated for visual quality — and we detect which CMS or builder the store is powered by.

We also work with brands directly. So the platform pros and cons you see below are based on:

• Live examples from our design gallery
• Real-world platform behaviour (not just demos)
• Client feedback and redesign projects
• Hands-on testing and daily use of each platform

Key Takeaways (Design + Ecommerce)

• Shopify powers the largest number of stores in our gallery, especially mid-sized to large brands.
• Squarespace stores are some of the cleanest and most elegant we’ve seen, but are often service-led or portfolio-first.
• Wix gives users the most visual freedom, but that also means we see inconsistent results in the wild.
• Shopify has added serious design tools (like Horizon and Sidekick), but still leans on templates and developers.
• Squarespace is the easiest for non-designers to get a professional look — fast.
• Wix’s visual flexibility is unmatched — but it requires taste and restraint to get it right.

Platform Snapshot: How They Compare in 2025

1. Pricing and Value: Squarespace Still Wins for Simplicity

Let’s be clear — all three platforms offer fair pricing for what you get. But Squarespace is the most budget-friendly and includes surprisingly robust ecommerce features out of the box.

For our clients with smaller product ranges or digital services, Squarespace often offers the fastest route to launch without compromising on aesthetics.

Price Breakdown

💬 From the studio:

“Squarespace clients rarely need third-party plugins or developers. Everything’s already baked into the platform.”

Shopify Pricing Perspective

Shopify’s pricing looks simple, but in reality, many of the features clients expect require add-ons or apps. For example, features like product filtering, custom forms, and even advanced shipping logic often require third-party tools. Over time, this can drive up costs significantly — especially if you’re managing a fast-scaling catalog with a team.

That said, Shopify’s pricing is justified for businesses that need serious ecommerce functionality. We’ve worked with clients who started small, then quickly grew into Shopify Plus and enterprise-level sales — and in that context, Shopify’s infrastructure pays for itself.

• Transaction fees apply unless using Shopify Payments
• Apps often range from $5 to $80/month each
• Themes typically cost $180 to $400 (one-time)
• Multiple staff accounts require higher plans

Squarespace Pricing Perspective

Squarespace is more predictable in terms of costs. Most of the design features, email marketing tools, and scheduling systems are included in the base ecommerce plans.

That means fewer surprise expenses as the business grows. From a design perspective, Squarespace gives a lot more visual value at a lower price point.

• Acuity Scheduling, Memberships, and Email Campaigns are built-in
• Transaction fees only apply on the Business plan (3%)
• All templates are included — no premium themes
• Best choice for clients focused on content, courses, or services

Wix Pricing Perspective

Wix sits somewhere in the middle. It’s priced similarly to Shopify, but the value starts to decline as you scale. Some ecommerce features — like subscriptions or multiple currencies — require separate apps or higher-tier plans. And Wix’s storage and product limits (even on premium plans) can be restrictive for growing stores.

• 50,000 product cap on Business plans
• Storage limits increase per plan tier
• Premium apps can add extra monthly costs
• Design flexibility is great — but performance optimization tools are paid

2. Selling Online: Shopify Leads for Ecommerce, But at a Cost

Shopify is still the best platform when it comes to pure ecommerce performance. It’s used by most of the high-converting stores in our gallery, especially among DTC brands, beauty, fashion, and tech.

Shopify gives you full control over:

• Inventory
• Discount logic
• Multi-location shipping
• Omnichannel selling
• Custom checkout fields
• App integrations (8,000+)

But this flexibility comes at a cost. Most high-end designs still need custom development or premium apps — something our clients often ask us to manage.

By contrast:

• Squarespace is easier to manage but limited on variant logic and payment integrations.
• Wix offers decent ecommerce tools, but still lacks performance and checkout flexibility compared to Shopify.

Ecommerce Features Table

Shopify’s Real Strength

Where Shopify shines is in back-end ecommerce logic. For clients managing inventory across multiple warehouses or syncing stock across Amazon, TikTok Shop, and retail POS — Shopify handles it all seamlessly. Tools like Shopify Magic now generate product content, and Sidekick AI offers intelligent store-building suggestions.

• Ideal for businesses selling hundreds or thousands of SKUs
• Checkout is optimized for speed, mobile UX, and upsells
• Custom APIs allow advanced workflows and integrations
• Trusted by enterprise-level brands

Squarespace for Selling

Squarespace is great for businesses that need to sell products and services without complex shipping rules or multichannel headaches. You can set up subscriptions, sell digital products, and take bookings — all from one dashboard.

• Clean interface for managing small catalogs
• Great for selling services, courses, or memberships
• No multichannel or fulfillment logic
• Limited product variant options

For design-led brands offering a limited product line with a strong brand, Squarespace is often enough.

Wix for Ecommerce

Wix has improved its ecommerce offering a lot in recent years. You get native multichannel support, integration with POS, and a product catalog interface that’s easy to manage. But in our tests, we’ve found checkout performance, load speed, and advanced logic to be weak points.

• Good for small shops or local businesses
• Built-in abandoned cart emails and coupons
• Lacks native filtering and flexible checkout flows
• Not recommended for scaling stores with deep SKUs

3. Design Flexibility: Wix Wins, But Only If You Know What You’re Doing

If you want full control over your layout, animations, transitions, and interactions — Wix is the most flexible by far.

You can:

• Position elements anywhere on the canvas
• Add animation, scroll effects, popups, and hover states
• Use visual editors for mobile, tablet, and desktop
• Build completely from scratch (no theme required)

But here’s the catch: most of the Wix stores we review and reject in our gallery suffer from overdesigning. The tools are powerful — but they need design restraint.

Shopify’s Design Limits and Strengths

Shopify uses a section-based editor, which is intentionally structured to protect page speed and usability. While this limits layout freedom, it’s a strength for ecommerce performance. You can now use Horizon, a new visual editor introduced in 2025, for more advanced customizations — but many features still require coding in Liquid.

• Great theme structure for scalability
• Designs prioritize UX and conversion
• Custom layouts possible with developer help
• Strong support for high-res imagery and responsive grids

Squarespace’s Balanced Approach

Squarespace is perfectly balanced for most clients. You get strong design freedom within its templated structure, with easy controls for fonts, colors, spacing, and layout — without risking broken elements or layout shifts. That’s why so many of the service-based stores in our gallery look great out-of-the-box.

• Ideal for designers who want elegance without code
• Intuitive grid system and drag-to-resize modules
• Mobile responsiveness is handled automatically
• No risk of design breaking due to user error

Wix’s Flexibility (and Risk)

Wix is like a blank canvas. That’s a double-edged sword. We’ve seen incredible creativity and horrific chaos. The editor allows pixel-by-pixel precision, but without guardrails, some users go too far.

• Freedom to animate, build custom navigation, embed video
• 900+ templates, but many feel dated or overused
• Mobile versions need manual tweaking
• Best for portfolios, artists, or visual-first brands

4. Templates: Squarespace Is Still the Most Polished

Based on hundreds of stores we’ve reviewed, Squarespace templates consistently win for visual polish and typography.

They’re ideal for:

• Personal brands
• Digital products
• Lifestyle brands
• Creatives and service-led businesses

Wix has more templates by volume — over 900+ — but quality varies a lot. We often see overused templates or too many visual gimmicks.

Shopify’s templates lean toward conversion-first design — clean grids, product-first layouts, and mobile optimization. For clients with large catalogs, they work very well.

Shopify’s Template Ecosystem

Shopify offers over 100 themes, with only 12 being free. The premium themes are built for performance, accessibility, and product discovery, making them a great choice for catalog-driven businesses. Some themes include built-in filtering, mega menus, and product quick views.

• Ideal for growing DTC brands
• Supports advanced catalog navigation
• Often requires a developer for layout changes
• Lightweight, fast-loading, and mobile-friendly

Squarespace’s Visual Style

Squarespace templates follow strict grid systems and typographic standards. You’re less likely to need a designer because the templates do a lot of the heavy lifting. They suit minimalist, high-end, or editorial-style brands.

• Consistent visual hierarchy
• Optimized for storytelling and photography
• Strong use of white space
• All templates are free and included

Wix’s Template Variety

Wix offers an unmatched number of templates, but there’s a trade-off between quantity and consistency. We’ve seen clients struggle to choose a starting point — and when they do, they often add too much. The best Wix sites we feature in our gallery show restraint.

• Good for unique industries and niche stores
• Templates span events, food, art, music, and more
• Not all templates are ecommerce-optimized
• Harder to switch themes once live

5. SEO, Speed, and Scalability: Shopify Dominates

While our focus is design, performance matters, too.
Shopify stores consistently:

• Load faster
• Rank better in Google
• Convert higher on mobile

Squarespace has made improvements to its SEO stack, but it still lacks things like full URL control or detailed technical optimisation.
Wix is improving, but page bloat can be a big issue with heavily customised pages.

Shopify’s SEO and Performance Stack

Shopify is built with speed and SEO in mind. Stores are hosted on Shopify’s global CDN, ensuring fast delivery times no matter where users are located. Most templates are lightweight and responsive, and the checkout experience is fine-tuned for mobile.

From an SEO standpoint, Shopify gives you:

• Clean URL structures
• Editable meta titles and descriptions
• Built-in 301 redirect management
• Semrush-powered SEO Booster app
• Mobile-first performance
• Structured data support for rich snippets

Shopify also supports headless builds for advanced users, which decouples the front end from the backend, allowing for blazing fast performance with full control over UX.

For clients aiming to scale internationally, Shopify includes:

• Multi-language storefronts
• Multi-currency checkout
• Dedicated subfolders for localized content
• Geolocation-based redirects

💬 From our experience:

“The fastest, most SEO-friendly stores in our gallery are nearly always on Shopify. The only downside is you’ll need to know where to tweak — or hire help — to unlock its full potential.”

Squarespace’s SEO Strengths and Weaknesses

Squarespace has made real improvements over the last few years. Meta fields, alt tags, and sitemaps are now easier to manage. It’s a good choice for simple businesses where content and branding lead the strategy — not technical SEO.

• Built-in SEO checklist for beginners
• SSL and sitemap generated automatically
• Structured content for blogs and portfolios
• AMP support for blog posts (optional)

However, Squarespace has key limitations:

• URL structure is rigid (especially for product pages)
• No access to .htaccess or robots.txt
• Limited structured data options
• Manual control over canonical tags is restricted

We typically recommend Squarespace for brand-first businesses, where SEO is a nice-to-have but not the main growth driver.

Wix SEO and Performance Insights

Wix has come a long way in terms of SEO, particularly since their collaboration with Semrush. The built-in SEO Wiz provides a guided setup process for titles, descriptions, and site indexing.

• Editable meta fields and structured data
• Integration with Google Search Console
• Built-in redirects and sitemap generation
• Blog schema and image optimization tools

But here’s the issue: Wix pages can get bloated quickly, especially when multiple animations, widgets, or heavy content blocks are added. Many stores in our gallery suffer from slow load times and Core Web Vitals failures — not because of bad design, but because the editor allows too much flexibility without technical boundaries.

6. Support and Maintenance: Shopify and Squarespace Are Easiest to Maintain

From a client and agency perspective, ongoing maintenance matters.

Shopify wins when it comes to developer-friendly tooling — custom storefronts, GitHub integration, and API access. But it can be overwhelming for beginners.

Squarespace wins for self-service clients — the UI is clean, intuitive, and doesn’t require developer support. We recommend it often for personal brands and one-person businesses.

Wix, despite its flexibility, can become messy fast without consistent maintenance. Layouts break, animations clash, and plugin updates require attention.

Shopify: Built for Scalability and Developer Collaboration

Shopify is designed for growth — not just in features, but in how teams collaborate to keep the store running smoothly.

For developers, it offers:

• GitHub integration
• Custom storefront APIs
• Shopify CLI
• Liquid templating engine
• App extension points for checkout, cart, and admin

For clients, that means:

• Long-term platform stability
• Predictable update cycles
• Easy staging and theme preview tools
• 24/7 live support and help docs
• Access to Shopify Experts for advanced work

We often manage Shopify stores where a designer, developer, and marketing team all collaborate — and it handles those workflows well.

Squarespace: Best for Self-Maintained Stores

Squarespace is the most turnkey platform of the three. Once a store is live, it rarely needs complex maintenance or outside support.

• All templates and features are hosted and managed in one place
• Automatic updates with minimal disruption
• Built-in analytics, email, and scheduling tools reduce tool sprawl
• Drag-and-drop editor with safe customisation boundaries
• AI helper tools like Beacon streamline admin tasks

For clients who want to manage their own stores without learning code, Squarespace is an ideal fit. The only real maintenance needs are content updates and media management.

💬 From our experience:

“If you’re a solo operator or small team, Squarespace is the lowest-maintenance platform with the highest design return.”

Wix: Flexible, But Requires Watchful Eyes

Wix allows clients to change anything — and that includes things that break. We’ve worked with businesses who started strong but slowly degraded their UX due to unchecked changes.

• Full control over layout, animations, and element placement
• No clear guardrails for performance or UX consistency
• App updates occasionally conflict with template changes
• Mobile editor is separate — meaning updates must be done twice
• No true staging environment or rollback system

Wix support is available 24/7 via chat and callback requests, and the knowledge base is solid. But for stores under regular content and design changes, manual QA is essential.

7. AI Features: Shopify and Squarespace Lead, Wix Offers Creative Freedom

AI tools are now a key part of ecommerce platforms — not just for automation, but for accelerating store design, content creation, and user experience.
All three platforms have introduced powerful AI features in 2024–2025, and we’ve used them extensively in both client projects and test stores.

In this section, we’ll break down how Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix use AI — and how effective those tools are in real-world ecommerce design and management.

Shopify: AI for Growth and Efficiency

Shopify’s approach to AI is focused on growth, store management, and content automation. It’s not about design creativity — it’s about making business decisions easier and faster.

Key AI Tools in Shopify:

• Shopify Magic
  • AI-generated product descriptions and headlines
  • Email content generation
  • FAQ and policy writing
• Shopify Sidekick
  • Conversational assistant inside your dashboard
  • Helps with setup, reports, insights, and troubleshooting
  • Can create pages, answer ecommerce questions, and run basic tasks
• AI-generated theme templates (Beta in Horizon)
  • Generates starting layouts based on your industry and products

From our experience, Shopify’s AI tools are great for speeding up content workflows and automating admin tasks — especially for large product catalogs. The outputs are clean, conversion-focused, and ready to publish.

💬 From our team:

“Sidekick makes onboarding much easier, especially for clients launching their first product. It feels like having a junior ecommerce manager baked into your dashboard.”

Squarespace: Design-Led AI with Blueprint

Squarespace takes a very different approach — using AI to improve the design and content at launch, not just operations later.
Its flagship AI product is Blueprint, introduced in 2025, and it’s one of the most thoughtful design experiences we’ve seen on any platform.

Key AI Tools in Squarespace:

• Blueprint AI Builder
  • Guided, visual site creation based on your business goals
  • Asks for preferences around tone, layout, and visual style
  • Creates elegant, on-brand page layouts in under 10 minutes
• Beacon AI Assistant
  • Helps generate content like product pages, CTAs, and emails
  • Offers copy suggestions based on visitor behaviour and tone
• AI Blogging & Content Suggestions
  • Tailors article outlines and block structures
  • Integrates with Squarespace’s in-built SEO fields

Blueprint is a major improvement over traditional templates. Instead of choosing from a generic list, you co-create a layout based on your goals, content type, and visual style. The results are impressively polished — and much closer to what designers actually want.

💬 Studio insight:

“Blueprint removes the ‘template fatigue’ most clients feel. It bridges the gap between drag-and-drop and real design direction.”

Wix: Visual AI with Total Control

Wix focuses its AI features on creative control and fast startup, offering one of the most flexible visual AI builders on the market — but with less ecommerce logic behind it.

Key AI Tools in Wix:

• Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence)
  • Builds a full website based on prompts and industry
  • You can choose visual styles, layouts, and tone
  • Great for fast launches or idea validation
• AI Text Creator
  • Generates product descriptions, blog content, CTAs
  • Useful but less context-aware than Shopify’s Magic
• AI Assistant: Wix Astro (2025 update)
  • Answers setup questions and offers platform guidance
  • Newer, less robust than Shopify Sidekick or Beacon

Wix’s AI builder shines for creatives — especially those building a brand-first business. It’s quick and responsive, and the visual results are good. That said, we’ve found the AI-generated content to be less focused on ecommerce performance compared to Shopify or Squarespace.

🔍 Common issues:

• Content often needs rewriting for tone
• SEO guidance is basic compared to Shopify’s SEO Booster
• AI-generated sites can be inconsistent across breakpoints (desktop vs. mobile)

AI Feature Comparison Table

Takeaway: AI Is Enhancing — Not Replacing — Design

At Ecomm.Design, we’ve tested all these AI tools across client projects and internal builds. Here’s what we’ve learned:

• Shopify’s AI excels at business logic — product descriptions, store setup, admin tasks
• Squarespace’s AI enhances design — layouts, branding, and tone
• Wix’s AI is best for idea generation — but needs manual refinement

Each platform is moving fast in AI — but none of them replace good design judgment. The best stores in our gallery still require a clear brand strategy, human-created assets, and thoughtful UX planning.

💬 From the gallery:

“AI helps speed up the first 20% — the rest still comes down to knowing what good design looks like.”

Final Verdict: Which Platform Fits Best for Design-Driven Ecommerce?

At Ecomm.Design, we’ve worked with hundreds of ecommerce brands — and reviewed thousands of stores — so we know what really matters when choosing a platform. Functionality is essential, but design, flexibility, and usability often decide whether a brand stands out or gets stuck.

Here’s what we’ve seen in practice:

• Shopify is the best choice for scaling ecommerce brands that care about performance, flexibility, and serious backend capability.
  If you’re managing high inventory, international shipping, or multi-channel sales — Shopify delivers. But it comes with added costs for apps, custom themes, and developer help.
• Squarespace is ideal for service-based businesses, creators, and smaller product catalogs that want stunning design with minimal setup.
  You can get beautiful, conversion-friendly layouts right out of the box — and Blueprint AI makes setup even smoother. But it’s not built for complex ecommerce logic or advanced integrations.
• Wix offers the most creative control, but also the highest risk of visual inconsistency.
  If you’re confident in your design chops — or working with a designer — Wix gives you unmatched flexibility. But without that foundation, stores can easily end up messy or hard to scale.

Our Bottom Line:

No single platform is perfect — but one will be right for your brand’s goals.

If you’re still unsure, look at your store through this lens:

• How complex is your product setup?
• Do you plan to scale across multiple channels?
• How important is visual control and brand expression?
• Will you handle maintenance or need long-term agency support?

That clarity will make the decision much easier.

And if you want to see what good design looks like on each platform — just browse the gallery.
We highlight the best examples every week and tag them by platform, category, and style so you can compare what’s possible.

Want help picking or upgrading your store?
We’ve worked on everything from lean DTC launches to full Shopify Plus redesigns.