Help Guide for Website Builders vs WordPress and Which Is Right for Your Small Business?

The Two Approaches

Website Builders (Wix, Squarespace, etc.)

All-in-one platforms where you build your site using their tools, on their hosting.

Think of it like: Renting a furnished flat. Everything's included and maintained, but you can't knock down walls or take the furniture when you leave.

Self-Hosted (WordPress, etc.)

Software you install on hosting you control. You're responsible for everything but can do anything.

Think of it like: Owning a house. More responsibility but complete control. You can renovate however you want.

Website Builders Compared

Wix

What it is: Drag-and-drop website builder with hundreds of templates.

Cost: Free (with ads) to £22/month (Business Unlimited)

Good for:

• Beginners wanting complete simplicity
• Small brochure websites
• Anyone allergic to technical stuff

Pros:

• Very easy to use
• Lots of templates
• All-in-one (hosting, domain option, SSL)
• Good for non-technical users
• AI site builder option

Cons:

• Can't move your site elsewhere
• Sites can be slow
• Less professional than alternatives
• Ads on free plan
• Limited once you outgrow it

Watch out for:

• You can't export a Wix site. If you leave, you rebuild from scratch.
• Free plan is basically a demo.
• Design flexibility is limited despite appearances.

Squarespace

What it is: Design-focused website builder with polished templates.

Cost: £11-36/month (Personal to Commerce Advanced)

Good for:

• Creative businesses (photographers, designers, artists)
• Portfolio sites
• Businesses valuing aesthetics

Pros:

• Beautiful templates
• Clean, professional results
• Good mobile designs
• Built-in e-commerce
• Nice blogging tools

Cons:

• Less flexible than WordPress
• No free plan (just trial)
• Can't move site elsewhere
• Fewer integrations than competitors
• E-commerce fees on lower plans

Watch out for:

• Templates can all look similar (Squarespace look)
• Customisation has limits
• Export options are minimal

Shopify

What it is: E-commerce platform for online shops.

Cost: £19-289/month plus transaction fees

Good for:

• Businesses selling products online
• Those wanting proven e-commerce
• Multi-channel selling (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)

Pros:

• Best e-commerce features
• Handles payments, shipping, inventory
• Huge app ecosystem
• Scales well
• Great support

Cons:

• Expensive (monthly + transaction fees)
• Overkill if not selling products
• Proprietary platform
• Theme customisation requires knowledge
• Transaction fees unless using Shopify Payments

Watch out for:

• Costs add up: monthly fee + apps + themes + transaction fees
• Leaving means rebuilding your shop
• Apps can conflict and slow your site

Webflow

What it is: Design-focused builder for those wanting more control.

Cost: Free (limited) to £29/month (CMS plan)

Good for:

• Designers and agencies
• Those outgrowing Wix/Squarespace
• Custom designs without coding

Pros:

• Much more design control
• Clean, fast code output
• Can export code (to a point)
• Professional results
• Good CMS features

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve
• More expensive
• Overwhelming for beginners
• Still somewhat locked in

Watch out for:

• Learning curve is real—this isn't Wix
• Exported code isn't always usable
• Hosting required for full features

WordPress: The Alternative

What WordPress Actually Is

WordPress is free software you install on web hosting. It powers 43% of all websites, from small blogs to major corporations.

Two versions:

• WordPress.com: Hosted version (like a website builder)
• WordPress.org: Self-hosted (what most people mean by 'WordPress')

This guide discusses WordPress.org (self-hosted).

WordPress Costs

The software: Free

Hosting: £5-30/month (see our hosting guide)

Theme (design): Free to £60+ (one-time)

Plugins (features): Many free, some £20-200/year

Realistic total: £100-300/year for a good small business site.

WordPress Pros

• Complete control: Change anything, add anything
• Portable: Move to any host, change anything
• Huge ecosystem: 60,000+ plugins, endless themes
• Scales infinitely: From blog to enterprise
• You own it: Your site, your data, your choice
• SEO-friendly: Excellent with right plugins
• Widely supported: Easy to find help and developers

WordPress Cons

• Learning curve: More complex than builders
• Maintenance: You handle updates, security, backups
• Can break: Bad plugins or updates can cause issues
• Decision overload: So many choices, where to start?
• Security responsibility: Must keep things updated

WordPress Watch-Outs

• Cheap hosting = slow/unreliable site. Budget £10-20/month for decent hosting.
• Free themes are often poor. Budget £40-60 for a good theme.
• Too many plugins slow your site. Be selective.
• Updates can break things. Test before updating.
• Security requires attention. Use security plugins and updates.

Honest Comparison

The Lock-In Problem

Website Builders: You Can't Leave Easily

With Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify:

• Your site only works on their platform
• You can't export and use it elsewhere
• Leaving means rebuilding from scratch
• Your content might export, your design won't

This matters when:

• You outgrow the platform
• Prices increase
• Features you need aren't available
• Support declines
• Better options emerge

WordPress: You're Free

With WordPress:

• Move to any host
• Change your design completely
• Add any functionality
• Hire any developer
• Your site is yours

Making the Decision

Choose a Website Builder (Wix/Squarespace) If:

• You want the simplest possible option
• You won't outgrow basic features
• You're comfortable with lock-in
• Budget is tight initially
• Technical stuff genuinely scares you
• The site is not business-critical

Choose Shopify If:

• Your primary goal is selling products online
• You want proven e-commerce infrastructure
• You'll use multi-channel selling
• You value not managing technical complexity
• You're prepared for ongoing costs

Choose WordPress If:

• You want to own and control your site
• You plan to grow and evolve
• You want maximum SEO capability
• You'll invest in learning (or hire help)
• You value long-term flexibility over short-term ease
• Your website is important to your business

The Honest Take

For most serious small businesses, WordPress is the better long-term choice. The initial learning curve pays off in control, flexibility, and options.

For very simple needs where you genuinely won't outgrow basics, Squarespace is a reasonable compromise.

Wix is fine for personal projects but limiting for businesses.

Shopify is the answer if e-commerce is your core business.

If You Choose WordPress

Getting Started

1. Choose hosting (see our hosting guide)—SiteGround or Krystal recommended

2. Install WordPress (one-click with good hosts)

3. Choose a theme (Astra, GeneratePress, or Kadence are solid free options)

4. Install essential plugins: security (Wordfence), SEO (Yoast or RankMath), backup (UpdraftPlus)

5. Build your pages using the block editor or a page builder

Consider Managed WordPress Hosting

If technical maintenance concerns you, managed WordPress hosting (SiteGround, WP Engine, Kinsta) handles updates, security, and backups automatically. More expensive but removes the biggest WordPress burden.

If You Choose a Builder

Minimising Risk

• Export content regularly (what you can export—usually text and images)
• Keep original images stored separately
• Document your structure in case you need to rebuild
• Don't over-customise (more work to recreate later)
• Budget for future migration if you outgrow it

The Bottom Line

Website builders trade freedom for convenience. WordPress trades convenience for freedom.

Neither is universally right. Choose based on your actual needs:

Convenience priority: Squarespace (general) or Shopify (e-commerce)

Control priority: WordPress

Cheapest possible: Wix free plan (but very limited)

The important thing is choosing deliberately, understanding the trade-offs, rather than defaulting to whatever seems easiest today.