Wix vs Squarespace for Ecommerce: Which Is Better for Selling Online?
Squarespace is better for most small shops: clearer fees, POS on every plan and lower card rates as you grow. Wix wins if you want to build free first.
Scout's verdict
- Squarespace CommerceSquarespace CommerceStore platformsSquarespace is a website builder with built-in selling tools for products, subscriptions, digital content and services. Paid from $25/mo, 14-day trial.Click for Scout's full analysisClearer fees, design-ledVisit Squarespace Commerce
- Wix eCommerceWix eCommerceStore platformsWix eCommerce is the online store side of the Wix website builder. Free plan, paid from $29/mo.Click for Scout's full analysisBuild free, more channelsVisit Wix eCommerce
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For most small online shops, Squarespace CommerceSquarespace CommerceStore platformsSquarespace is a website builder with built-in selling tools for products, subscriptions, digital content and services. Paid from $25/mo, 14-day trial.Click for Scout's full analysis is the better of the two: it publishes every fee by plan, charges 0% on store sales from Core, includes POS on every plan and lowers card rates as you move up. Wix eCommerceWix eCommerceStore platformsWix eCommerce is the online store side of the Wix website builder. Free plan, paid from $29/mo.Click for Scout's full analysis is the better pick if you want to build your whole site for free before paying, or want dropshipping and eBay selling listed on the platform's own features page.
Quick comparison
US prices from each company's own pages, November 2026.
| Squarespace CommerceSquarespace CommerceStore platformsSquarespace is a website builder with built-in selling tools for products, subscriptions, digital content and services. Paid from $25/mo, 14-day trial.Click for Scout's full analysis | Wix eCommerceWix eCommerceStore platformsWix eCommerce is the online store side of the Wix website builder. Free plan, paid from $29/mo.Click for Scout's full analysis | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No. 14-day trial, no card | Yes, but it cannot accept payments |
| Cheapest plan that can sell | Basic $25/mo ($19 yearly), plus 2% on store sales | Core $29/mo (yearly billing) |
| Recommended starting plan | Core $39/mo ($29 yearly), 0% store fee | Core $29/mo (yearly) |
| Higher plans | Plus $65 ($49 yearly), Advanced $139 ($99 yearly) | Business $39, Business Elite $159 (yearly) |
| Month-to-month prices shown | Yes | No, yearly prices only |
| US card rate (standard) | 2.9% + $0.30, down to 2.5% + $0.30 on Advanced | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Amex | 3.2% + $0.30 | 3.7% + $0.30 |
| POS | All plans | Business and Business Elite |
| Products | Unlimited | Up to 50,000 |
| Refund policy | 14-day free trial | 14-day money-back on first upgrade |
How they differ
Both are website builders with selling built in, so the real differences are in pricing structure, fees and which features are on which plan.
Pricing transparency. Squarespace shows monthly and yearly prices, transaction fees, card rates by card type and add-on fees on its pricing page and help center. Wix's plans page shows yearly prices only, adjusted by location and tax, and its card rates live on a separate help center page.
Where selling starts. Squarespace lets you sell from Basic, but charges 2% on store sales and leaves out discounts, shipping labels and carrier-calculated shipping. Wix starts selling at Core, with no listed sales commission.
How costs scale. Squarespace lowers the standard card rate on Plus (2.7%) and Advanced (2.5%). Wix lists one US online card rate, so upgrading buys features, not cheaper processing.
Squarespace Commerce
Plans (monthly / yearly):
- Basic: $25 / $19. 2% fee on store sales, 7% on digital content. 2 contributors. No discounts, shipping labels, carrier-calculated shipping or Google Shopping listings.
- Core: $39 / $29. 0% store fee, 5% on digital content. Adds discounts, payment plans, Google Shopping, UPS and USPS labels, carrier-calculated shipping and commerce APIs. Unlimited contributors.
- Plus: $65 / $49. Card rate 2.7% + $0.30, 1% on digital content, reserved cart with timer.
- Advanced: $139 / $99. Card rate 2.5% + $0.30, 0% on digital content.
Every plan includes unlimited products, abandoned cart recovery, subscriptions and POS. Automated global tax calculation is available from Core at up to 0.15% per transaction, capped at $0.99.
Good fit if: you are a creator, studio or design-led brand, you sell a mix of products, services and digital content, and you want to know every fee upfront.
Watch out for: the Basic plan's 2% fee, the digital content fees below Advanced, and that Amex stays at 3.2% + $0.30 on every plan. Full details in our Squarespace ecommerce review.
Wix eCommerce
Plans (yearly billing; Wix shows prices by location):
- Free: $0. Cannot accept payments.
- Light: $17/month. Custom domain, no Wix branding. Not listed as able to accept payments.
- Core: $29/month. Accept payments and sell online ("basic" eCommerce). 50 GB storage.
- Business: $39/month. "Standard" eCommerce, POS, and automated sales tax for up to 100 transactions a month.
- Business Elite: $159/month. "Advanced eCommerce tools," priority customer care, unlimited storage.
Wix's features page lists up to 50,000 products, dropshipping through Modalyst and AliExpress, print-on-demand through Printful and Printify, selling on Facebook, Instagram, Google Shopping and eBay, abandoned cart emails, subscriptions, product reviews and 90+ languages. Wix offers a 14-day money-back guarantee on your first upgrade.
Good fit if: you want a full business website first, you want to build it for free, or you want dropshipping or eBay selling from the same dashboard.
Watch out for: no month-to-month prices on the plans page, POS only from Business, the 100-transaction cap on automated sales tax, and Amex at 3.7% + $0.30. Full details in our Wix ecommerce review.
What it costs at two store sizes
Yearly billing, US standard cards through each platform's own payments, physical products only.
Starter shop: $4,000 a month, 80 orders of $50. Card processing at 2.9% + $0.30 is $116 + $24 = $140 on both.
- Squarespace Core: $29 + $140 = $169
- Squarespace Basic: $19 + 2% fee ($80) + $140 = $239
- Wix Core: $29 + $140 = $169
- Wix Business (if you need POS): $39 + $140 = $179
On equal plans, they cost the same. Squarespace Basic is the one to avoid at this size.
Growing shop: $15,000 a month, 300 orders of $50. Per-order fees are 300 × $0.30 = $90.
- Squarespace Plus: $49 + (2.7% × $15,000 = $405) + $90 = $544
- Squarespace Core: $29 + $435 + $90 = $554
- Wix Business: $39 + $435 + $90 = $564
As sales grow, Squarespace's lower card rates on Plus and Advanced give it the edge. If many customers pay with Amex, Squarespace's lower Amex rate (3.2% vs 3.7%) widens the gap.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose SquarespaceSquarespace CommerceStore platformsSquarespace is a website builder with built-in selling tools for products, subscriptions, digital content and services. Paid from $25/mo, 14-day trial.Click for Scout's full analysis if you want published fees, POS on every plan, unlimited products and lower card rates as you grow. Start on Core.
- Choose Wix eCommerceWix eCommerceStore platformsWix eCommerce is the online store side of the Wix website builder. Free plan, paid from $29/mo.Click for Scout's full analysis if you want to build your site for free first, need dropshipping or eBay listed on the platform itself, or prefer Wix's editor.
- Choose Squarespace if you sell courses or memberships and can reach Plus or Advanced, where digital content fees fall to 1% or 0%.
- Choose Wix if your business needs bookings, site chat and customer accounts alongside a small shop on one plan.
- Choose neither if the store is the business and you plan to scale with ads and apps. ShopifyShopifyStore platformsShopify is a hosted ecommerce platform for building and running an online store, with checkout, payments and an app store for add-ons. Paid from $39/mo, 3-day trial.Click for Scout's full analysis is the better fit there; see Shopify vs Wix and our Shopify review.
Common questions
Is Wix or Squarespace cheaper for ecommerce? On their recommended starting plans, Wix Core and Squarespace Core are both $29 a month billed yearly, with the same US standard card rate of 2.9% + $0.30. Squarespace gets cheaper per sale on Plus and Advanced, while Wix's rate stays the same.
Which has lower transaction fees? Wix does not list a commission on sales. Squarespace charges 2% on store sales on Basic only, and 0% from Core up. Both charge card processing on every sale.
Can I try Wix or Squarespace for free? Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Wix has a Free plan for building, but you need Core to accept payments, with a 14-day money-back guarantee on your first upgrade.
Which is better for dropshipping? Wix lists dropshipping through Modalyst and AliExpress and print-on-demand through Printful and Printify. Squarespace lists a Printful integration. If dropshipping is your main model, a store-first platform with more supplier apps may fit better.
How we put this together
We did not test either platform hands-on. Squarespace facts come from its pricing page and its help center article "Transaction fees and payment processing rates" (last updated October 29, 2026). Wix facts come from its plans page, "Wix Premium Plans" article, help center "Premium plan overview" and "Wix Payments: Service Fees," and its eCommerce features page. All were read in November 2026, alongside our fact sheets checked November 2 and 3, 2026. Cost examples use US rates only; prices vary by country.
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